Happy Thanksgiving

Just a quick note to express how very Thankful I am this year, and really every year.
I have been blessed to have a wonderful family that loves me, a roof over my head and food to eat.
What more could anyone ask for?

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Another FO

I wanted to do just a quick post to say I finished a dog sweater I was making as a gift for a friend.
Here it is:










This sweater was totally inspired by "Basket of Daisies"


I am currently working on my very first felted bag, I am using "Simple felted bag"

I will post some pictures when I get more done.

That's it for now.

Knit on!

30 days of nothing update

I promised a week by week update so here it goes:

Oct 4th – 6th

I made it through the first weekend without any damage…phew!
I have my Granddaughter on the weekends which makes it that much harder. She’s eight and eats like a horse!
Finding things to keep her busy is another problem. I was able to keep her busy with stuff she had that was forgotten at the back of the closet so that was good.

I made another No Knead Bread and ate that all weekend.
A big pot of Spaghetti made with things I already had in the house lasted all weekend.

So far so good.

Oct 7th – 13th

The weekend went pretty good, I stayed busy working on a knitting project (using yarn that was frogged from a previous project) and a sewing project with fabric I have had for months in preparation for making a birthday gift. I did have to buy a few more yards but I got it on sale and it was with money I had already budgeted.
So, I’m still in saving mode, and doing really good.
I made more No Knead Bread on Sunday; I just can’t get enough of that stuff! I brought a couple of slices to work today for lunch, yummy!

Here are a couple of pictures of my completed sewing project:
















Oct 14th – 19th

Another weekend has passed without me going out of budget at all.
I am very pleased with the amount of money I have saved so far this month

Oct 20th – 27th

This week was uneventful. I didn’t even have to make any trips to the grocery store. We are definitely down to “nothing” but getting by.
The month is almost over!!

Oct. 28th – 31st

Well, I did it; I stayed focused all month and thought about my spending every day.
My intent here was to know if I could see something I really wanted and not buy it.
Can I go a month without buying a new book, or a skein of yarn or anything else that I didn’t absolutely need?
Yes, I can, and I lived to tell about it, amazing!!

I don’t plan on doing without everything every single month, but I do plan on being more aware.

I have been following Dave Ramsey for quite awhile now and this certainly fits into what he teaches as far as “Living on less than I make” and “Beans and Rice, Rice and Beans”
I was able to put $300.00 extra toward my emergency fund from the savings this month.
I don’t expect to be able to save that much every month, but pretty darn close. At that rate, I will be debt free in no time!

No bail outs, just rambling and knitting

Things are so crazy today with the economy and people over reacting everywhere, it’s awful.
I wanted to just try and lighten things up a bit.

Someone sent me an email the other day about dogs, and you know it may sound crazy but it taught me something that I wish everyone could learn.
I think that by living by a few simple things (that dogs do daily); the world would be a much better place.
Here’s the list:

1. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
3. Take naps.
4. Stretch before rising.
5. Run, romp, and play daily.
6. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
7. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
8. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
9. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
10. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
11. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
12. Be loyal.
13. Never pretend to be something you're not.
14. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
15. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

Now really, if we all lived by those rules, wouldn’t life be sweeter?
Woof, woof

Autumn smells so good!

In front of where I work:









Have you ever noticed how the air changes in the fall? I love that smell and crisp clean feel that is outside.
The colors, brown, orange, yellow, I want them to be "in season" all year long!
This is definately my favorite time of year.

Like I mentioned before, we are having a craft/bake sale at work and so I have been trying to come up with ideas of what, if anything I could bring.
As a result of that thinking I came across this website and thought I’d share; it is 10 easy scarves you can knit and it has complete instructions, all for free:

Easy Scarves you can knit

There is also a link for 9 Easy Sweaters you can knit and Kidswear you can knit

Now, on a non-knit note, I found this YUMMY looking recipe:

Caramel Apple Pie (how to video)

Ingredients:
4-6 large red apples, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1 package Pillsbury Pie Crust, or pie dough for a double-crust 9" pie


This looks and sounds SO good, I’m pretty sure I already have everything I need except for the crust which I’m sure is pretty cheap.
I’m SO making this! Tonight? Maybe :)


Knit on!
and oh yeah
Bake on!

Just the beginning

I finally finished a knitting project again!!!
It was Circle Cloth by Hakucho, congratulations for writing the one perfect pattern to get me out of my funk! :0)





So now I am thinking about my next project. We are having a craft fair at work and I'm trying to decide if I want to make stuff to sell.
Last year I sold a bunch of hats and scarves.
Of course I can not spend any money on yarn this month so it would have to be with stuff I already have around the house. My stash is not very impressive, but I might be able to pull something out.

I really love Hakucho's Ball Band TP Cover That just might be my next project.

Well, I'm very happy that I am out of my slump, I just hope that I continue to stay motivated and maybe even actually get through some of my in process projects.

TTFN

Simple October

Well, as I promised myself, (here) I will live very light this month.

I am not planning on making any drastic changes, more to just stop and think before I spend a dime.

I want to be completely aware this month and see if I can cut back even more than I already do every other month of the year.



Oct 1st thru Oct 3rd



I did the monthly shopping trip and spent 1/3 of what I usually do.

We will see how that holds up as the weeks go by.



I was blessed to have a friend at work supply me with tons of fresh tomatoes and some zucchini……YUM!!!

That along with some homemade bread that my daughter-in-law gave me made several meals.

So, here’s a good tip for saving money, get free stuff!!! :0)



I have been taking PBJ sandwiches for lunch everyday along with a V8 (which I bought on sale at Costco with a coupon) so that too has been a big savings.



I plan on making lots of No Knead Bread, it’s cheap to make and SO delicious, I could totally eat it everyday.

I will be searching for other money saving recipes, which now that I think about it should have been done prior to my shopping trip. Oh well, I will have to search for recipes which will use up only the things I have on hand or that I can purchase cheaply.


I will keep a diary of the days to follow and probably just do one post about it at the end of the month so it won't be quite as boring.

Off to make my No Knead Bread!!

October

Well, I made it back from California safe and sound.
The trip was pretty fun even though it consisted of way too much time in the car.
We saw tons of cool things one of which was The Monterey Bay Aquarium:













And San Fran, where we went to Pier 39 and walked, and walked.
It was an absolutely beautiful day:






SF Hard Rock Cafe











And of course family, we saw lots of family which was awesome:












I got to reconnect with my lovely sister-in-law whom I had'nt seen in SEVERAL years, I really love her and I am so grateful that we are communicating again.











But now we are back and it's time to get back to routine.

I started and completed (YES!) the first real project on my house since I bought it 2 years ago. I stained the fence! It looks great.
It took me 3 gallons of stain and I am going to have to buy one more, maybe a smaller can to do some touch up, but that will probably have to wait until next spring
















It’s October, and I love it!!
I feel like with the rain and the cooler weather I will be more motivated to really kick up my knitting.
I even started a new project last night, granted it’s nothing much, just a wash cloth, but hey, it’s a start, right?

Not that I needed to start a new project when I have several unfinished ones. I still need to work on my Tree of Life Afghan, which I have a total love/hate relationship with. (It’s so hard!)
And then I have a pair of socks to finish and a scarf, which I posted about early but have since decided to frog and use the yarn for something else.

That’s it for now…….thanks for stopping by

God Bless the USA

Lion Brand? Really?

Some people turn their noses up to Lion Brand and Red Heart,
But not me.
I own a bunch of Red Heart that works great for lots of things. I have made several dog sweater with it and they turn out perfect, I have never had not even one dog come back and say, "Hey, is this Red Heart, I prefer the more expensive yarns".

I have to admit though, If I had the means, I probably would be a yarn snob :0)

Anyway, I was looking at Lion Brands website and came across this Prayer Shawl Cards and Free Patterns which I thought was really cool.

"The blessing of the Prayer Shawl provides healing and comfort to the sick, the lonely and the elderly, or shares in the accomplishment of the graduate, newlywed, and newborn. Like all acts of generosity, the presentation of a Prayer Shawl enriches the giver as well as the recipient."

This site has more directions for knit and crochet shawls as well as some background on how they orginated.
Shawl Ministry

I'm counting down to vaction day, 3 more work days to go
I CAN NOT WAIT!

Remembering how to Knit

Let's see, do I remember how to knit?
I feel so bad, it's been forever since I have felt like holding those needles in my hands. I have been foundling my fiber, looking for the perfect recipe but nothing has peeked my interest enough to get me started.

Well, you know what, I'm tired of waiting and wondering what to make.
I'm going to just jump in and do SOMETHING!

Ok, I'm starting out small, I got this great yarn with a gift certificate from my kids and I'm making a scarf...check out the colors, can you tell how pretty they are?












Here's one of just the yarn, with the tag so you can see what it is. It feels really great, I love it.













And I also have a sock started (I can never have just one project at a time)
Here'a what I have so far:







And, as you can see below, the pattern is "Jaywalker" and I got it from "Grumperina"
The yarn doesn't really show off the pattern, but it's easy and beautiful when done. I saw a girl wearing a pair she had made when I was at the "WWKIP" day.





Well, I finally managed to post about knitting on my knitting blog...YIPPY!!






On another note, today was the first regular season football game and my team lost :(
I'm pretty bummed about that, but, that's ok, next game.

I am leaving next Friday for vacation, I can't believe it, vacation!! I can't remember the last time I did that.
Granted it's only California, but still, it's a week off of work and lots of visiting with family I haven't seen for years. It should be lots of fun. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the drive, it's about 12+ hours.

Last night my daughter in law made her first No Knead Bread, I just supervised :)
It came out wonderful!!














Well, I think I have gone on and on enough for now.
TTFN
Thanks for stopping by

Bottled Water

I have thinking a lot about my October pledge to cut back on spending and because of that I have been reading a lot more (it's a win – win)

I came across this on one my favorite new blogs "Food Wishes" which lead me to "Take Back The Tap"

The bottled water industry is a total rip off, it's crazy.
Penn and Teller really bust the myths surrounding the reasons people have for buying bottled water rather than drinking tap water.
The video is very informative, here is the link:

Penn and Teller on Bottled Water
Warning: Offensive Language

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPAjUvvnIc


Here are some of the main points to know from "Think outside the bottle"

Bottled water corporations are changing the very way people think about water. Corporations like Coke, Nestlé and Pepsi are manufacturing demand for an essential resource that flows directly from our taps. What's more many bottled water brands actually come from the same source as public tap water though these brands are sold back to the public at thousands of times the cost.
Plastic bottles also require massive amounts of fossil fuels to manufacture and transport. Billions of these bottles wind up in landfills every year.
And when bottled water marketing convinces one in five people that the only place to get drinking water is from a bottle, it threatens the political will to adequately fund our public water systems.
There is a lot of information there and a "Pledge" form.
Please, even if you are not into saving money, read more about this rip off industry and stop contributing to it.

Thanks!

No Knead Bread

Ok, if you have not tried No Knead Bread, you must!

Here is a site that has an instructional video Breadtopia

And here "Chef John" shares his version YUMMY!!

I have made 3 loaves so far and everyone has been soooo good!
I only took pictures of the last one for some reason, I will be better about that going forward.
Here is my last loaf, it was a sourdough version:



The basic recipe is this:

3 Cups all-purpose or bread flour (more for dusting)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (optional)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

That's it! It's so easy and honestly, the best bread ever!!
I made one with cinnamon and raisin and it was great.

Simple September - errrr October

So, I read about this on another blog here and it seemed to fit in with what I continually try to do anyway.
So, I took the picture that originallly said September on it and changed it to October so that I can have time to read what it's all about. More Info

Since joining the ranks of Dave Ramsey about a year ago, I have completely changed my mind set as far as money goes, and as far a "stuff" goes.
I just don't really care as much as I used to about having all the lastest technology, I'd rather have a dollar then a gadget.

So, in the month of October I will take it a step further and buy nothing that is not absolutely necessary.
"Must I spend money for this? Can I live without it? Is there a cheaper option?"
It won't be easy to find places to save since I feel like I do a pretty good job already, but I'm still going to try and see what happens.

So, October it is!



30 days of nothing

~Phantom~

I went to "The Phantom of the Opera" last night and it was AWESOME!!!

Yummy Cakes

I may not be knitting but I have been baking, does that count?
No, I know it doesn't
I still haven't figured out exactly what is going on with me as far as knitting is concerned, but I can not for the life of me pick up those needles...WHAT THE HECK!!

Anyway, we had a bake sale at work and I made some cakes. They all sold!!
It was a few weeks ago, but I just haven't gotten around to taking the pictures off my camera until recently.

Aren't the Flip Flops too cute :0)

Well, back to the grind

Slackin' Again

I had every intension of posting again, but the days just seem to slip away.
I still have not picked up my knitting..sigh

I got this link from Aim

What does your Birth Date mean?

Mine said:

You are a virtual roller coaster of emotions, and most people enjoy the ride.
Your mood tends to set the tone of the room, and when you're happy, this is a good thing.
When you get in a dark mood, watch out - it's very hard to get you out of it.
It's sometimes hard for you to cheer up, and your gloom can be contagious.

I hate to admit it, but I do believe that is true, especially lately, I'm sort of stuck in a funk and I can't seem to get out.
:(

My son and daughter-in-law and I have been talking about taking a trip to California to visit family, maybe that's just what the doctor ordered. A week off work, a week away from home.
I'm concerned about the money aspect, and haven't quite talked myself into that part yet, but aside from that, I would really love to go.

It's going to be a HOT week
I'm SO done with summer!!!

I love the fall and can not wait to have that fall smell in air...AWWWW...nothing like it, I LOVE IT!!!

OK, I better get to work now

Knitting Funk

I am in a total and complete Knitting Funk!
What's up with that anyway?
Does anyone else out there have that happen?

I have barely looked at my knitting since Knit in Public day.

I joined the Lion Brand KAL for the Tree of Life I thought that joining would motivate me, but no.

Anyway, hopefully whatever it is passes very soon.
I have the tree of life to finish along with a pair of socks and a really cool scarf.
I also have some very yummy yarn that I bought with a gift certificate I got from my wonderful kids.

I need to thank AIM for tagging me and forcing me to post again, I had forgotten that it is actually pretty fun :)
(Now if I just had something interesting to say)

TTFN

TAG I'M IT!

I've been tagged by AIM And so I will give it my best effort :0)
here it is:

The rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking to them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers' blogs letting them know they've been tagged

Okay, this is going to be hard!:
1. Although I was "only" 53, I had a heart attack 2 years ago, this totally changed my life. I don't recommend it.

2. I hate it when people smack! Drives me up the wall.

3. I have been called a "Clean Freak" :)

4. I have been employed with the same company for almost 10 years and the thought of leaving makes me a bit scared.

5. I just got a Wii Fit and must admit, I'm a little bit OCD about it, I exercise on it everyday.

6. I have been listening to Dave Ramsey for about a year and I am "Living like no one else, so that I can live like no one else" I'm very "WEIRD"

PHEW! I did it

Okay, who do I tag? I guess I have to pick on:

1. Marinda @ Ravelry
2. Debby @ usefulhandsandheart
3. Camille @ alittleweirdo's website
4. Tracy @ TracyBird's website
5. Rachel @ trtlgrl crafts
6. Bobbie @ tiggywinkleknits' website

I hope you guys have fun doing this, I did

Is this only number 6?

I'm really terrible at this aren't I

:(

I am currently working on a pair of socks, my first pair actually.
I will post pictures soon, I am only 2 inches away from being done with the second one.
Next is two at once
:0)

I bought the yarn to make the aligator scarf, I can't wait to get started on it.

Well, I better get going for now. I will update this post with pictures very soon.

Thanks for reading!

Number 5

I've been really slacking off lately as far as keeping up with my blog

I have been spending a lot of time on Ravelry
I have my stuff pretty much set up and I even created a group it's called Hillsboro Oregon

Not much else is new really
I did finish the quilt finally...YEAH!!!

I am working on my Tree of Life afghan
I read on ravelry that someone made it and ended up having to tear it out because of errors in the pattern so I wrote her and am waiting to hear back. I have no idea how far in the errors are and I sure don't want to rip it out, I already had to do that once due to my own errors.

Well, that's it for now
Gotta watch Idol!

Day Four

Here I am again, my fourth day of blogging.

I am really having a good time with this, but I must say, it's harder than it looks.
I took some pictures, as promised.

First I would like to share a picture of the quilt I am currently working on, it's still not done, as you can see:

I really love the fabric, it's all my favorite colors. I can't wait to get it all done and it's very, very close.

Here are some other projects that I have finished:

It's kinda hard to tell, but it says Precious, which is her name :0)

Here's a hat I knitted, I really love this yarn!

Well, it's time for bed

I hope you enjoy the new pics!

Day Three

Day Three, and I am still blogging :0)

The weekend went by way too fast, but on the bright side, with the help of my beautiful and talented daughter in law, I was able to make much progress on the quilt. All that is left to do is the hand sewing which I will have done in the next few days.

I really need to get some pictures. I am going to work on getting my knit projects together and posting some pics, I promise.

I gotta say, after spending the last few days reading other people's blogs, I'm a bit intimidated, I am nowhere near as good as most every other blog owner I have read.

However, I shall continue to plug along, knitting and blogging.

Well, it's off to bed already, the evenings go by so much faster than the work day :(

I wish someone would actually visit us and post some comments.

Good night moon

Day Two

Well, here I am another day, another post.

Yesterday was great.

I hung out with Marinda all day and we got a lot done on the quilt that I have been working on for way TOO long, it is a kit that Joe and Marinda bought me for Christmas.

I have made only one other quilt and it was one I made for my Grandson, Kasen.

I don't have a picture of the quilt but I will take one later on today and add it to this post. Anyway, it is made from a bedspread that my mother had made for my son over 20 years ago.

I hope to add more stuff to this blog very soon, this being my first one and all, I'm having to learn as I go.

I will write more here later.

My very first post :)

I have no idea what I am doing.
My daughter in law and I LOVE to knit and wanted a way to share our projects as well as seeing others.
Our hope is to bring together people like us, people who love to knit but just don't have the time or the means to make it to conventional knitting circles or the patience to wait months to be invited to an online knitting group with tons of bells and whistles.
We will share our hopes and dreams and projects and hopefully others will join us and make this a great place to visit.



This is one of my favorite projects:
















Marinda (my daughter in law) and I are most recently playing with Entrelac, it's so FUN

Here is a picture of my first attempt: