'Spare' Time Fun

Oh, I had nothing much to do today...okay, that is not entirely true, there are many things I could be doing, laundry, washing dishes, cleaning out spare bedrooms, but instead I decided to fool around with my scanner. So I did! I made some line drawings, scanned them into my computer paint program and voila', I figured out how to color them in! I am so proud. Here are two of my learning projects. I guess I like the color of butter today. Now I need to find projects in which to use this wonderful new (to me) creative outlet. This is just delicious.

Name That Veg!

My summer garden is growing strong. I have Japanese cucumbers, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, tomatoes, basil and beets. But in amongst this bounty of summer lurked a last vestige of my winter garden....behold the Monster Vegetable! Left to grow to unencumbered by my watchful eye and hungry family it became a creature unto itself.
Now, if you can guess what vegetable it is, and are the first person to leave a comment with the correct answer ..... You Will Win A Prize! (a little taste from the buffet of my etsy shop, blackgingham.etsy.com)
So send in your guesses today and you could be the next big winner of.... "Name That Veg!"
eat that up...

Bags

Well I am already planning my holiday (yes December/Yule) gifts. I have decided to provide everyone on my list with a environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags. I am hoping that if I get a jump on it now that by December I will be done and free of that last minute rush I so hate. I bought lots of fat quarters in patterns that I like (makes sewing more fun) and coordinating solids for the bottom half of the bag. I am hoping to add a little felt addition to the plain bottom to jazz it up a little. The book 'simple sewing' by Lotta Jansdotter (see photo) is beautiful. The bags (see photo) are the ones I plan to make. Now I have simple poly/cotton material, not the wonderful canvas and wools that she uses, as my pocket book is not that deep. I am hoping that the fabric will win the design over. I love this book! She has included many things for the kitchen, three totes, a sun/bucket style hat, a backpack and even a check book cover. So when I get some of my totes done I will show them to you. Oh, if you are on my Yule gift list...don't peek, and forget you read this post. Sewing! fun and delicious.

Bento Break!

It is becoming summer here in Southern California so I looked to Japan for summer lunch ideas. Here we have....somen. Wonderful noodles, thin, light, easy, served cold and fast to cook (really, two minutes in boiling water!) I sprinkled them with some black sesame, sliced radish, a cherry blossom cucumber and chopped scallions. The little bottle holds ponzu, a soy type sauce with citrus flavors, just right for the somen. There is a tea dyed egg, little tomatoes, tangerine slices, snow peas, baby carrots, blueberries and more cucumber. This bento is not very big but it really holds a lot of food, all fresh, all delicious! eat it up!

promised pieces

Here they are....tah-dah! Baby sweater and booties to match. I love this color blue, not quite light blue, not quite baby blue, sort of a silvery blue hue. Add the nice white touches and it just looks so clean....yum!

babies...

babies, babies, babies. I have knitted and crocheted 6 baby hats, 3 baby jackets, 4 pairs of booties, and one blanket. I still need to make more. There are so many people in my life having babies! Now don't get me wrong, I love babies! (especially with a bit of confectioners sugar and a spoon...kidding, really, though I have been known to nibble on a toe or cheek) But I am plum amazed at the current baby boom in my little universe. So here are some of the hats and soon to post sweaters and booties. If you covet them....hop on over to www.blackgingham.etsy.com and get one, or two! Babies are just plain yummy!

Aqualink!

Here in Long Beach California you can find boats on the transit system. I just love that. My favorite is the Aqualink. I park my car at Alamitos Bay Landing (where there is a wonderful local yarn shop) and board the Aqualink. I then take it down the Long Beach coastline, one stop at the Queen Mary and then on to the Aquarium. Here you see my ocean buddy Mr. Malacari the giant squid looking at the Aqualink and it's Capitan. Next he is riding high on the bow and then looking out over the water, he likes to look at water but he is 'spot clean only'. I went with my two sons on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I did take my knitting but I must admit, I just cannot resist just staring at the ocean. It was delicious.

Oh My Lucky Shamrocks!

What would St. Patrick's day be without a bit o' the green.....especially if it's on a KILT! (check out that badger) I spent a weekend at the Irish Festival in Pomona and saw many a kilt. I share two with you. There was green beer, green hair, green tee-shirts and green ice cream. They even had green water in the fountains. Any Leprechaun would have felt right at home. So I say wish for you, a grand St.Patrick's day to 'ya all.....delicious.

Time For Spring I Say!

Oh spring! Fresh peas, beets and carrots. Crisp sunshine and still cool days. My favorite flower is blooming, grape hyacinth, looking like little cuttlefish all bunched up on a stem. Here is a photo of one that I have growing on my porch. There is also a cute little face, and it is a pin! Amazing! This little springtime friend is available in my etsy shop, www.blackgingham.etsy.com and would look dandy on any vest, shirt or lapel to celebrate spring. Take a walk on a sunny spring day, greet the flower faie and munch a crunchy carrot....eat it up!

The Spice is the Cabinet,The Cabinet is the Spice

True to my New Year's resolution I have continued to de-clutter the little corners of my life. Here is my spice cabinet....after de-cluttering. It was a journey back in time to Thanksgivings, Yule celebrations and birthdays past. Ancient spices purchased to create that 'perfect' meal 10 years ago. Candles in single digit shapes, sprinkles in a preschoolers favorite colors and long hardened cinnamon/sugar still with small buttery fingerprints on the jar. Spices that were my mother's favorites, used only to re-create a long gone cherished meal. I took out each bottle and tin, reaching far back in the past and let them go, some with a smile and some with a tear.
Now my spice cabinet is organized and clean, the spices fresh and new. I step into the future, remembering the past. Spicy and Delicious!

A Bowl of Sunshine

Not exactly a bowl of cherries, here in California in the middle of February you can walk out to a tree and pick a bowl of sunshine. These amazing (and giant) kumquats are off a tree in the orchard by the Long Beach Community Gardens. I have a plot there that is my little 20'x4o' rectangle of paradise. These beauties are sitting in a white bowl in my kitchen and make me smile every time I look at them.... delicious.

Doodle Brain

Oh the days are getting longer (slightly) and February is here. That means...dun-dun-duuunnn...Valentine's day approacheth. My birthday is the day before so I hold a special place in my heart (heart, get it?) for this particular holiday. So on that note, (goodness, not another pun) I made some notes! Doodle notes actually. You see I cannot draw, that is fine as I cannot sing either, but what I can do is doodle. Here you see the fruits of my doodling labor. These lovely, simple little note cards are my doodle creations. 'Love' with a long stem and little hearts-in-a-box. Now I can knit, I can sculpt, I can weave (if someone helps me warp my loom) I can cook and I can win a verbal argument, but I have always wanted to be able to draw. So now I am pretty proud of myself, I feel like a real two dimensional (not personality wise, but in 'art-speak') artist.
These little gems are available in my etsy store www.blackgingham.etsy.com, and I have sold several sets and that feels delicious! eat them up.

Oh Bento!

I will forever be true to fiber, knitting, crochet, naalbinding and weaving but....I have a new little squeeze on the side, called BENTO. Bento boxes, bento lunches, bento bags, bento bottles, bento, Bento, Oh BENTO! Here are two photos of my first bento attempts and the lid of one (yes, one) of my bento boxes that a friend brought me from Japan. My life has been consumed by bento. Now a new aisle at Marukai has opened up for me, the bento aisle! sigh....There are entire Flickr groups dedicated to bento. There are bento blogs, bento competitions, bento yahoo groups. These little boxes are so cute, and they really speak to my organized side. Though they look small, you can fit quite a bit of food into them. A bento should hold at least 5 different colors of food (yipeee!) and every little bit of it should be filled (double yipeee!). My first bento pictured has rice with furikake, a sliced Mornigstar Farms chick patty, hardboiled egg, assorted vegi's and fruit and some hummus. The second one has cabbage, a sliced jack cheese and chili tamale, spinach, assorted vegi's and fruit......delicious!

It's About The Process....

So I am taking this weaving class... Some time ago, yes years, I became enamored with the rigid heddle loom and had to have one. Being a fiber-ey type it appealed to my fiber-ey nature, being a knitter it appealed to my love of creating fabric. When knitting you cast on and then you are off, knitting away watching your project grow with every row. How difficult could weaving be? It is an ancient process done with stones, string and wood, I could do this! Weaving is fun, easy and relaxing. Yarn wrapped around a stick, shuttling back and forth between warp threads, the soft beating of the heddle pressing the warp into place...ah yes, this I like. So why has my beautiful Kromski Harp loom sat static for years? In a word....warp....Gads this part is tough! I have tried to do this on my own with no avail. My first (and only) two projects completed on this loom were done after a class in which we warped my loom. So now I embark on another warping journey with the help of an amazing weaver, Carol. Here are two photos of my heddle in the process of being 'slayed' or threaded. This is the third step in the process, the first being...math...the second figuring where to put the pegs on the warping board to wind the warp (warping board, sounds like a torture device and felt like one to me) and tying them just right so they don't make a tangled mess when you get them to the heddle and slay it. Whew!
This is quite a process, so my little knitter brain is learning fiber patience and a great appreciation for those women who wove the fabric of our past..... sweet.

Hot Mitts!

The weather is cool and crisp....the perfect time for cooking up comfort food and baking something sweet. So when the cobbler is done or you need to lift the lid and check on that simmering soup I have just the thing to keep your little fingers from frying.... 'Lid Lifters' mini hot mitts. Available now in my 'etsy' shop. www.blackgingham.etsy.com
Now go and make something delicious and eat it up!

Peace

I wish for peace. Peace in my home, Peace in my heart, Peace in my life and Peace in the world. I wish all of this for all of you.




This year I start my peaceful journey by waking up my personal spaces. I have decided to bring visual peace to those small and taken for granted places in my daily routine, beginning with my corner of the bathroom. I had been keeping my hair clips, combs and often worn earrings on and in a basket. Said basket had been my faithful servant for many years and was weary of the task. A trip to Marukai for inspiration and I found bowls. Lovely blue and white bowls, a large one for my hair claws, a smaller one for my hair combs and my hook earrings. I also have three small platters for post earrings and thus&such. I am so pleased. Every morning when I look in my corner I see peace, clarity and order....ah, delicious.

Right Outside My LYS

You can see snow on the mountain top in the distance and a man on his boat in shorts. Yes, it is December here in Southern California. Crisp air, blue skies, palm trees and the view just steps from my local yarn shop's front door. Ah, paradise....yum.

bump (a neck warmer)

The wonderful yarn I was given at my SnB holiday party has already become my new favorite winter accessory. A neck warmer! And boy does it work. I had often thought a scarf was the only way to keep me warm but I was sorely mistaken. Just two balls of Merino have me toasty cozy. I have plans (and yarn) to make more of these snuggly treats, just for me. Here is the pattern so you too can chase the chill with a delicious neck confection. Yummy!


bump (a neck warmer)

You choose the yarn and circular needles...
CO a multiple of 3 onto your circular needles, PM.
Row 1 - Knit
Row 2 - Purl
Row 3 - Knit
Row 4 - Purl
Row 5 - K1 - YO - K2tog, continue to end of row.
Row 6 - K2 - YO - K2tog, *K1, YO, K2tog, continue from * to last 2 sts, knit these.
Rows 7, 8, 9, - Knit.
Repeat rows 5 through 9 until 1" from desired length ... then
Purl one row
Knit one row
Purl one row
Knit one row
BO, weave in ends and be warm!

My Fiber Tribe

This Wednesday evening past was my knitting groups first (and hopefully annual) holiday party. Replete with potluck to die for, secret Santa's and the honor of being surrounded by my amazing knitsibs. When we lived in small towns or villages we had women around us, older and younger women. Women who taught us and women who learned from us. Women to who we could turn when we needed advice and others to show us the way on this women's journey. I so often remark on how as we become embroiled in life it becomes more and more difficult to make new friends and find those women. I have found them, they are my tribe, the tribe of fiber. Huzzah! to all of you wonderful ladies.

I have a special thank you to my secret Santa Carol for my lovely gift of luscious merino....so beautifully served up in a sundae glass! I was so excited about the yarn that I took it all apart before photographing it. I felt bad about missing that photo op so I set up these, Yarn Portraits! Could this be a new niche market? I must say that this merino sat well for me and followed direction well. hhhmmmm.....a thought....yarn portraits...delicious.

Spiders Gift

Work had been a bear, preparing for our annual holiday show. Rehearsals, endless Christmas carols, students trying to hold it together and a stressed out staff. The week at home was rattling, shocking cell phone bills ( the boys no longer have the ability to text ) and (not so good) grade progress reports all hit at the same time. Then, one lovely gray and misty morning as I was leaving for work, I found this. An amazing ocean fog beaded spider web above my car. Ah, the Great Mother was speaking to me and I listened. Thank you little spider for bringing it all back into focus. Life is sweet, and I am grateful, eat it up.