Fiberholics Anonymous

Dear Mom,
In her post titled "Hello My Name is Christine and I am a Fiber Fanatic" , Christine writes about the fiber she had blended and spun from her sheep and alpaca. It is beautiful. It haunted me. 


I stalked Christine, offering to take some of that fiber off her hands if she would be willing to part with just a little bit. 


She was. ( or I bugged her enough that she sold me a cone just to shut me up)


Last week my cone of yarn arrived. This is a 70/30 blend of Blanche and Sammy. (wool and alpaca)

It is absolutely beautiful and I have special plans for this yarn. In the meantime, I am keeping close while I daydream about what it will be someday and to admire it. 


To me, this is as pretty as a bouquet of flowers.


See how pretty it is outside with the crocuses?

For inspiration, it watches Downton Abbey with me.

It hopes to be a pretty lace stole someday......


Love,
Kim

Crocuses

Dear Mom,
It would seem that too many ideas and the full-time job of keeping up with the dog hair around here has kept me away from this blog for too long!
I won't regurgitate everything I've done all in one post. I'll stretch it all out a bit and (hopefully) have a more constant blog presence.
Today I want to share with you these pleasant, happy blooms I found in my front yard this past week.

In the Autumn of 2010, I planted 100 crocus bulbs in the front lawn. I used all the crocus bulb colors I could find (white, yellow, purple and that stripe-y purple) and randomly scattered them through the turf. That following winter was a tough one, and I didn't see my first crocuses emerge until late spring. I had almost given up hope.
Last autumn I planted 100 more, again scattering them all over the yard, using a mix of colors. Our front yard is small- our pie-shaped cul-de-sac lot gives us a huge back yard with plenty of room for shade trees, gardens and playing fields, with a front yard that gently slopes down to the street. I had long imagined that gentle slope filled with blooming crocuses in the spring and finally acted on realizing that image.
Our mild winter and the warmth of the past days coaxed some of these buds into bloom. I cannot begin to describe the cheering happy hopeful feeling that finding and seeing these tiny, brave little flowers gives me!
I'll keep adding bulbs every fall until the lawn is absolutely saturated with blossoms in the spring. So far, three yellow crocuses have emerged. Plenty more to come. I'll share photos if Mother Nature rewards me with a lawn filled with blooms.

Love,
Kim

Cozy

Dear Mom,
It was either the last finished project of 2011 or the first finished project of 2012 ( I can't remember). I guess since it technically wasn't felted until this week that it qualifies as a 2012 project.
I needed a new tea cozy once the scorched tea cozy finally completely fell apart. It had been subjected to more scorching episodes after that initial unexplained injury. When one of Wool and Honey's Twelve Knits of Christmas projects was a tea cozy, I logged in and ordered the kit.

My finished tea cozy was a bit too big for my Brown Betty and felting was called for. I've had mixed results felting in my front loader and my plan was to borrow your washing machine one day.  I continued to use the cozy in its too big state, but started worrying that it might end up in the same scorched condition as its predecessor if I continued using it all floppy. My impatience got the better of me and I had a go at felting in my front loader, deciding I'd make another if my felting attempt failed.

Happily, it did not, (although any more time in the machine and it may have ended up too small) and now I have a perfectly thick, well-fitted, warm cozy for my tea pot.

Hot tea + Girl Scout Trefoil cookies = Bliss.

Love,

Kim

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dear Mom,

Happy Valentine's Day!

It is out of character for me to say this, but the snow this morning is cheerful!  Probably because it is just a little snow, in the middle of February and we are nearing the end of winter, and things have been looking very dreary and muddy out there for so long.

Have a Heart Warming Day!

Love,
Kim

February

Dear Mom,
It is a good thing that February is a short month, because I've noticed a pattern of behavior that hits me this time every year.

I buy lipstick. Rarely do I ever find a lipstick in February that I am happy with, but I keep doing it. Every year. I don't even realize that I am "doing it again" until after I've tried and rejected a few. I blame it on the relentless gray days that are reflected in just about every body's complexion. Somehow, in the back of my mind, the right lipstick will transform me into a radiant, sun-kissed beauty. As if.

Another more productive urge that strikes me at this time of year is the need to re-organize and clean. This one is easily blamed on cabin fever. Even though this has been a mild winter, there isn't much to entice me outdoors and the disarray behind closet and cabinet doors can't be ignored.

Last week it was the shelves above the washer and dryer that got my undivided attention. And yesterday, it was the spice cabinet.

That spice shelf has been a source of frustration for too long.Years. I've tried all sorts of spice display ideas and none of them really worked for me. I couldn't find things and as I looked for one spice, several others were knocked off the shelf and onto the countertop.

So. Along comes Pinterest to the rescue. Every good (and unrealistic) idea all wrapped up in a pretty picture is there for anyone to find on Pinterest. The trouble is, is you fill up on all these good ideas and have no time to do any of them because you wasted all your free time looking at them on Pinterest.

Back to my spice cabinet.

Somewhere in the past week or two, I discovered The Answer to the Mess that is my Spice Cabinet.

I perused the internet and found a source for 2 oz. plastic deli containers with lids. After counting how many different containers of spices and seasonings I had in my cabinets, and measuring the depth of my cabinets to be sure the containers would fit, I ordered 75 containers ( and spent less that $30) -enough for all my spices plus extras.  Yesterday, every single spice container came off of that shelf, was placed alphabetically on the island, and with a black Sharpie marker, I took this mess

 and turned it into this!

An added bonus to this system and another frustration eliminated is that annoying measuring-spoon-won't-fit-into-the-bottle thing. AND, I'll be able to make better use of the herbs I grow in my garden! They will be easily stored in these containers after they've been dried.

And by the way- purging that cabinet revealed not one, not two, but three different bottles of both Lemon Pepper and Lemon Peel. Go figure. Won't be happening again!

This next has nothing to do with lipstick and spice cabinets, but to reassure you that I have not totally lost all sense of who I am, becoming a person with coral lips and alphabetized spices,  I do have some knitting to show you.

A finished hat- a birthday gift.

It's an unusual hat, to be sure. The pattern is from Mac & Me- found here. I had a bit of trouble getting gauge and ended up using the yarn single, rather than doubled as the pattern suggested. The yarn used in my hat is Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool, one of my favorites. The back of the hat is a loose flap, and the leather ties are definitely needed to keep the hat on. I got this one out of my system and probably won't be making it again, unless the recipient gets/gives rave reviews and I get specific requests for another.

That's all for now. There are more closets to distract me from buying lipstick.

Love,
Kim

Another Good Recipe

Dear Mom,
One afternoon back in the late 70's, in the distance of about 2 blocks- between the grocery store and guitar lessons, I think- you and I devoured most of a package of Archway Homestyle Apricot Filled Oatmeal cookies.

An indelibly sweet memory.

I haven't been able to find those cookies in the grocery stores for a long time. I don't think they make them anymore. I even did a google search.

Over the years I've been passively searching for a recipe that would come close to those soft, chewy flavorful cookies. I'll keep looking, but I've found something very close and very delicious. And the bonus is that the recipe came from my American Heart Association cookbook!

Apricot Raisin Bars

6 oz. dried apricots, chopped

1 c golden or dark raisins

1 3/4 c unsweetened apple juice, divided

3 T cornstarch

1 1/2 t grated lemon zest

vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1 1/4 c uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal

3/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 c sugar

2/3 c light margarine

In a medium saucepan, combine apricots, raisins and 1 1/2 c apple juice. Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until fruit is tender.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 c apple juice, cornstarch, and lemon zest. Whisk into apricot mixture. Cook over med-high heat until mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 13x9x2-inch pan with vegetable oil spray.

Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in oatmeal and sugars. Blend in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Press about 2/3 mixture into pan.

spread fruit mixture over crust, then top with remaining oatmeal mixture. Gently pat top crust into fruit.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden. Cut into 48 squares.

Calories:76 Protein: 1g Carbohydrates: 16g Cholesterol:0 mg Total Fat: 1g (sat fat:0g, polyunsaturated fat 1g, monounsaturated fat 0g) Fiber: 1g Sodium 28mg

Okay. I haven't been able to cut mine into 48 squares. But still. A cookie healthy enough to eat guilt-free, for breakfast if you want to!

Love,

Kim

A Knitter's Christmas

Dear Mom,
Being sympathetic compatriots in the holiday pressure to Get Things Finished, my fellow knitting friends and I decided to postpone our Christmas gift exchange. So instead of December 25th, we had our "Christmas" on January 25th.
The variety of gifts selected and hand crafted is testament to the kindred spirits I am blessed to call friends.

Hand made ornaments that look like stained glass.  Embroidered linens. A scrap book of memories and recipes. Padded hangers with knitted covers.



Hand woven dish towels and hand made soaps, lotions and bath salts.

Bonnie's honey and a set of adorable sheep that we've divided to share. That is Aiden, Finn, Bartley and Liam.

And hand felted chickadees. Mine is perched in the bathroom in front of the mirror where we can appreciate a full view.
Along with our friendship and fiber, food is an important ingredient. I served Roasted Tomato soup and grilled cheeses sandwiches for our "Christmas" lunch. I won't claim to be a good cook, but rather a person who cooks with good recipes. And this soup is the best tomato soup I've ever tasted, has never failed to impress those I make it for, and is worth every bit of effort to make. I've even had friends in need of comfort ask me to make them some of this soup. I found the recipe on foodnetwork.com/Barefoot Contessa.
As a Knitter's Christmas gift, here it is....

Roasted Tomato Soup 

6-8 servings

3lbs. plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1/4 c + 2 T olive oil

1 T kosher salt

1 1/2 t black pepper

2 c chopped yellow onions

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 T unsalted butter

1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28 oz) can canned tomatoes with juice

4 c fresh basil leaves

1 t fresh thyme leaves

1 qt chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the tomatoes together with 1/4 c olive oil, salt and pepper.

Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on baking sheet ( I used my broiler pan) and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8 qt stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with 2 T olive oil, butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown.

Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock. 

Add the oven roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet.

Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.

Pass through a food mill fitted with  the coarsest blade.

Taste for seasonings. 

Serve hot or cold.

As with most soups, this soup tastes even better the next day. It freezes well and I've made a note on my calendar to make and freeze this soup with the abundance of garden tomatoes and fresh herbs I'll have at the end of the summer. 

Love,

Kim

Before we were interrupted....

Dear Mom,
Now that Bumper is cleaned out, my house is cleaned up, and things are back to what passes for Normal around here, we can catch up on the nice things that have happened! There may be too much for one blog post. THAT's how much stuff I have.
Two weekends ago, MelissaWhoSpinsbutDoesNotKnit and I took a road trip to Asheville, NC. We left some winter weather, which stayed with us well past Lexington, but the traveling was safe and with both of us in good company, the time passed quickly. Downtown Asheville was loaded with the expected inspiration and we soaked it in. I was so busy soaking it in that I neglected to take many photos.
My head wrap did some sight seeing too. At one point, while trying on some clothes - and let me pause here to ask why is it that I thought driving 8 hours and crossing several state lines would mean that I could wear and look good in something that was little more than a tailored feed sack? cute feed sack, but not on me, darn it!  - anyway, while juggling my coat, purse, feedsack and out-of-shape figure in the dressing room I noticed my head wrap had misplaced itself. Did I drop it somewhere or leave it in the truck? I wasn't terribly concerned about it, but did mention to Melissa that we might want to keep an eye out just in case. Melissa was pretty sure she saw it in the back seat, so we didn't think anymore about it and kept moving forward. More than 4 hours later, as we headed back to the truck ( only to move to another parking spot) Melissa Shouted "Kim!" and pointed to the sky.  ???

Good thing she was looking up, because I was looking down and would have missed it.

My head wrap in a tree

Thankfully the branch hung over a parking lot AND the parking space underneath was empty, so we  Melissa backed into the space, climbed into the back of her truck and rescued my head wrap.
I left it in the back seat for the remainder of the trip.
We did come home inspired by the things we saw in the many galleries and shops, at the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, and at the Winter Retreat held in a nearby mall and hosted by Friends and Fiberworks, a local yarn shop.

On the trip, my car knitting project was a gift for a soon-to-arrive nephew.

Yarn-100% cotton from Universal yarns- Cotton Supreme, if I remember correctly. The pattern, Sweet Pea,   is one I've made before and I like that the opening for the head is like a "onesie" and easily accommodates those big baby noggins. Quick knit, wrapped up and in the mail. There before the baby is, I hope!

Now, onto More Good Stuff.

Weaving.

My best effort yet. I am Very proud of my selvage edges on these. There are still mistakes, but less.  These have been gifted and well received!


On the heels of these pretty things came this:

Yes, that is Patsy's leg in the photo.  She Who Must Know and Approve of ALL that happens here.

"What. Is. That?", you ask.
Well. It is exactly what I wanted it to be, which is good. I just didn't mean for it to look like a Walmart Special. Which it does. I cut old t-shirts into 1-inch strips and wove them into a mini (11X28") rug for the dog dishes. I learned I won't be using t-shirts for weaving. Not that they were difficult- they weren't- and it certainly was a fast project- I just don't like the look. But, as I said, the rug fulfills its intended purpose and thankfully the dog dishes cover up most of it! I also got to try out the fringe twister toy I purchased in Asheville. More learning.

More Good Stuff? Why yes! But I think I'll save the rest for another post.....

Love,
Kim

A little humor

Dear Mom,

I came home Monday from an adventure in Asheville (more on that in another post) to a very sick dog. Bumper's gastronomic adventures got the best of him and this time it took 4 enemas and lots of money to put him on the mend. He isn't 100% yet, but we are getting there. Needless to say, all the trash cans are on lock down.

Following a dog around the back yard with a plastic bag and a flashlight does not make good blog photo ops. Nor does mopping and cleaning carpets. So, I'll share this little gem I found on Pinterest this morning:

That's where things stand right now.

More later.

Love,

Kim

Willoughby

Dear Mom,
I have a new favorite finished object.

Pardon the following picture overload.

Willoughby by Jared Flood.
Yarn from that first bag of wool, handspun by me, walnut dyed with friends.
Love,
Kim

Hello Sunshine!

Dear Mom,
It is so nice and warm out there that I've set Mrs. Yoder out on the back porch and hung the jeans out there to dry. Rugs are in the wash and they'll be on the clothesline as soon as the spin cycle is finished. After that I'll do a big batch of wool socks and let them soak up some sun too.
I even cracked open some windows to let in the fresh air.

The down side to all this is MUD and huge muddy dog prints coming in from the back door, but I'd rather have mud than snow.

I made time yesterday to get into the stash and organize a few projects that I would like to finish this year. Almost a year ago,  I lost my head over Spillyjane and ordered 5 of her mitten patterns and the yarn to make them. I've made one mitten. Not one pair.  One mitten.

I matched up the yarn to the patterns, put them in bags and intend to finish all the mittens this year. It may be that I can only manage one mitten each month because while they are adorable, inspired mitten designs, the knitting of them is  a bit fiddly and requires full attention. These are not a mindless pair of socks.  And one mitten a month will pretty much get me through 2012 with a little breathing room.

I also reacquainted myself with some treasures in my knitting stash and feel reeeeeaaaaalllly motivated to see the promise of those yarns and patterns realized. We'll see how long that focus lasts before I distract myself with something new.

Easy to feel hopeful on a bright sunny day.

Love,
Kim

Where things were and where they are...

Dear Mom,

I am happy to report that December's socks, the last pair of my Pair-a-month goal for 2011 was finished before we toasted the New Year. Unfortunately, I have no picture of them. Almost as soon as the last loose end was woven in, the socks were impulsively gifted to an admirer who witnessed those last stitches. It didn't seem right to snatch them out from beneath her loving caresses. And they fit. 

It didn't even occur to me, until too late, that I didn't snap a photo for the blog. 

I am still considering a knitting goal for 2012, but haven't jumped into the stash to organize my thoughts and projects. 

I did wade into the stash to pull out yarn for an easy pullover for ME, something I can pretty much knit mindlessly, and once there is something worth showing, I'll share. 

I've started knitting Willoughby, using some handspun, walnut-dyed yarn.  The lace pattern is not difficult, but does require my attention. It is coming along quickly, partly because I am excited to have it done, and partly because I am a tiny bit worried that I won't have enough yarn. And somehow I think if I knit fast enough I will finish the knitting before the yarn runs out. As if I can race against the end of the last skein and finish before the yarn does! 

The long awaited (at least for the Young Lady and I) Project Runway: All Stars begins tonight. No doubt about it, our favorite is Mondo!

Enjoy the sun today- "they" say it will be 50 tomorrow!! 

Love, 

Kim

Finished in the Nick of Time

Dear Mom,

I had my doubts. Could I finish knitting the long vest I hoped to wear to church on Christmas Eve? I had selflessly put that knitting on hold to finish weaving dishtowels, baking scones, wrapping gifts, and all that other stuff on my Christmas to-do list. But what to wear should I not finish that vest? I had no back-up plan. Every free moment in those last few days before the 24th were spent knittingknittingknitting. Not all bad, and I'd be the only one disappointed if I didn't finish- no body would be going without a gift.
In the wee hours of Christmas Eve (1:30am, to be exact) I put the last blocking pin in, turned the ceiling fan in the guest room on HIGH, and went to bed hoping the thing would be dry before church services in the afternoon.
It was.

Barely.

I modified this pattern , adding length. I am pleased with the results.

The yarn I used is Misti Alpaca's Hand Paint Baby Suri Silk, which I am not finding on the Misti Alpaca web page, so it may be discontinued. Nice stuff, though, and it took 5 skeins for this project. I bought all that I could find when a local yarn shop closed a few years ago, and still have 4 skeins left. Enough for a simple turtleneck or pullover, maybe.
I started 2011 with the goal of knitting a pair of socks each month. Some month's socks were a little delayed, but I have so far managed to finish knitting 11 pairs of socks. The first sock of pair #12 is halfway done and I feel confident that I'll get this last pair finished before the ball drops on the 31st.

Will I knit another 12 pairs in 2012? Probably not. But I did like this goal and it did help me work my way through my sock yarn stash. I have other little projects and the yarn for them that I'd like to get done and right now I am thinking I may alternate those with socks each month. I need to organize the inventory and see what I come up with.

I am enjoying these last quiet days of 2011, resting, reading and knitting. I probably think this to myself at this time every year, but I really need to learn to slow down and savor the important moments. I am forever thinking about what comes next, what the next project or book will be, what tasks are waiting for me to manage them,and how to efficiently multi task them all.... and some of that has to be. Family and Home obligations are important, and I don't mind being the person that oversees laundry, meals, and schedules.  And I don't want to waste time. What I am guilty of is pressuring myself into doing more and not fully enjoying the thing I am doing NOW because I am bothering myself with NEXT.
I believe that The Best is Yet to Come. I just need to slow down and wait for it to get here rather than rush for it.

Love,
Kim

Batty

Dear Mom,

On Sunday afternoon, MelissaWhoSpinsButDoesNotKnit and I gave Fig a test drive. We watched a few you tube tutorials on drum carding and then started playing.
With Fig clamped to the kitchen island and all of us surrounded by a variety of fibers and roving, we selected colors to blend.
We carded a combination of bright blue, walnut brown and natural to create the batt you see to the left of the picture,

and then a combination of grey-brown, chocolate brown and grape.

There is a definite learning curve, but we're getting things figured out. Cleaning the carder for the next batch of fibers seems to be the hardest part. We had a better time with the second batch and discovered that the longer fibers were easier to pull and clean off the carder.
I've gone on to card two more batts of plain vanilla. The grape combination has been spun but not plied, and with such a little batt there won't be much yarn created to do much with, but when it is plied and skeined I'll show you what I/we made.

Next step?
Dyeing.

Watch out.

And if you see me with stained hands and clothing, you'll know why.

Love,
Kim

Emergency Substitution

Dear Mom,

When you don't have the wooden pick you need for that part of the recipe that says "or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean",

a size 1 bamboo sock needle (clean) works just fine.

Love,
Kim

Introducing...

Dear Mom,
Meet the newest member of my fiber family!
She is an Ashford Drum Carder and her name is Figment Imogene.

MelissaWhoSpinsbutDoesNotKnit and I hatched a plan awhile ago to be on the lookout for a used drum carder that we could purchase together and share. We had our hopes on acquiring one, only to have the negotiations fall through. We refused to be discouraged, but did wonder if really possessing a drum carder was all a figment of our very fertile imaginations. Through the wonder that is ravelry I found hermajestymargo, who really must be one of Santa's helpers, because here we are with a freshly delivered drum carder. And she is real. As Bonnie Jo would say, "She is a BEAUT!"

So "Figment" because she is no longer a figment of our imaginations, and "Imogene" as a spin on imagining because we imagine so many possibilities with her.

Fig will have an extended family of rug hooking and spinning fiber at Melissa's house, and the knitting, spinning and weaving goings on here.

Daphne Joy and Donna Reed already like her.
Love,
Kim

Ready or Not....here it comes.

Dear Mom,
The tree is up and decorated.
Pine needles litter the floor and Mr. Dyson has ingested his fill.
Gifts are not wrapped. Some gifts haven't even been purchased and others still wait for me to finish (or start) them.
It only occurred to me last night that I hadn't even given a thought to holiday baking.

And this one is giving me no help at all.

Love,
Kim

November's Socks

Dear Mom,
November's socks are finished in mid-December putting December's socks in serious jeopardy. At best I hope to start them after Christmas. I am feeling hopelessly behind on all my Christmas gift projects!
These are from Nightfall sock yarn- hand dyed and cleverly wound and packaged to produce a nearly identical pair of socks.

Hand made Christmas gifts make for poor blogging. But behind the screen there is a flurry of fiber-related activity going on here!
Love,
Kim

Coupon Code

Dear Mom,
It seems that a few people have had trouble with the coupon code for the Long Nights Cowl pattern. After a tiny bit of investigating and experimenting (and can I say it is a little weird to try buying your own pattern?) I've figured out that the coupon code "warm thoughts" must be entered like this:

warmthoughts

no spaces.

Hit 'apply code' and it should work!

Love,
Kim

A Christmas Gift

Dear Mom,
With Christmas less than 3 weeks away, and knowing that there are plenty of knitters out there scrambling to get their Christmas gift knitting done, I've finished writing the pattern for the cowl from my last post and published it on ravelry.
The Long Nights Cowl is a quick, easy knit and can be finished in one evening if one is able to sit down without interruption.With the demands of the season, it is quite likely that two evenings will be required if baking cookies, keeping up with the laundry and letting the dogs out are competing with knitting time.

The pattern is available for purchase HERE. As a gift to all our blog readers, I am making the pattern available for free until Christmas. Simply enter warmthoughts in the coupon code at check out. Edited: don't put any spaces in the coupon code- sorry for the confusion!

Love,
Kim
p.s. Yes, that is a ReLinkWish fastening the cowl in place!