Short Story Long

Continuing on with our baking spree , my middle kid and I made some nutty granola.   We used this recipe from Heather Ballard's blog.  It was a huge hit with everyone.  I feel lucky that in these times, my kids prefer to snack on nuts and fruits, and we have no allergies.  This is also a kid-friendly recipe, measuring out the nuts and oats was right up his alley.   We made a half batch, which was mostly easy except when it came to the canola oil, which we sort of eyeballed.  The two major changes we made were using just two kinds of nuts - what we had on hand, pecans and almonds.  We also used steel cut oats instead of rolled oats.  Again, what we hand on hand, and we didn't know the difference .  We do now, and luckily it worked out alright.  Everyone liked the steel cut, so we will use that again, actually!  As I said, the granola went over well.  It was requested for lunches and breakfast and after school ...

I don't know if it's the fall weather, or the episodes of The Great British Baking Show that I've been watching, but I've been on a baking streak.  I may start saying "that's lovely" with sincerity, and "proved" instead of "proofed." On Wednesday, I made a challah loaf, my first!  Not my first bread.  I was afraid I would have a problem with the yeast; I believe that happened last time I made bread (not recent.)  It was fine though; I think I'm more patient than I used to be.  Maybe?  I'm working on that.  The loaf turned out very well, although I was stumped a bit on rolling the ropes - fat in the middle, skinny ends, I now know.  I used a recipe from the Kitchn, here .  Easy as pie. Er, bread. the dough is "proved," in my grandmother's bowl four-strand braid not quite enough egg wash, but a lovely brown nonetheless It was a huge hit!  It was asked for until it was gone - two days.  We will b...

In case you've ever wondered what drives me...   Almost from the time I began knitting, I've been putting my own twist on projects.  I was reading knitting blogs and joined Ravelry before I was a knitter, so I was already seeing that knitters modified patterns to suit them before I could do it myself.  In fact, this is one of the things that drew me most to knitting - being able to make the sweater I want in the color I want.  In my observation over the past seven years, I see that many knitters make small modifications to patterns based on their own needs - making the sleeves longer or shorter; adding or omitting pockets; using a cast on, decrease or buttonhole that they prefer.  I came into this thinking that was part of the fun - being able to make it my own.  The first pattern I ever wrote and published was a cabled hat, Glacier .  I may go back and edit that pattern, now that I've learned a few more tricks!  But at the beginning, I just ...

I have been busy... canning knitting photographing reading hiking

What a beautiful time of year: not too hot, in fact perfect for a sweater, especially in the morning!  And yet, there is still plenty of garden goodness to be had.  My boys are in school, and everyone has a little space and independence, including me.  I am always happy to discover another rose, a neighbor out walking dogs, a few leaves turning, a good book with just enough time to crack it open, and new yarn in my local yarn shop.  BFJ and I drove up to Boulder yesterday for some pictures, and I discovered a tin of my favorite tea - which I'd just recently run out of, in one of the culinary shops on Pearl Street.  Perfect timing. Today, I'm making some  Peach Preserves . It seems like everything is so readily available these days, at the store, on the internet.  Almost takes the fun out of finding things.  However, local, organic peaches - that are hopefully ripe, are not easy to come by.  I'm settling for local, ripe peaches this year. ...

It's hard to get up early when you stay up late!  But the mornings I do get up early, I really enjoy being out back in the yard.  It's the best time to weed, of course, and I find it to be a soothing contemplative activity.  During the summer, as I am sure I've previously mentioned, it is lovely to sit out back and sip - hot tea in the morning, cool beverage in the evening, and hear the city just beyond view, the birds and insects within view.  A better place to read, knit or visit is hard to find.   Some of the things we've harvested so far this year include sugar snap peas... Sugar snap peas are the first things we plant, at the end of March.  They're a cold-season vegetable, and just when I think I can stand winter no more, I can start my garden.  A few years, I have forgotten to start these soon enough, but luckily not this year.  We had some warm weather in early spring, so we dug up a bed and turned over soil, and planted two row...

Recently it was noted that I don't do a good job of keeping up on my blog.  So true.  And I really love my blog.  It has been a pivotal project in my creative life.  As a stay-at-home-mom with three very small boys, I felt isolated from other artsy-crafters when I began this blog, and isolated from friends in general.  And then I discovered blogging, and suddenly my world opened up.  This new-found world also changed how I viewed my photography - both literally and philosophically.  And unlike many other bloggers, I've never not wanted to blog, I've never wanted to stop.  I just... get busy.  I actually got so busy, I forgot my new password for awhile - yikes!   A little of what I've got going on...  Knitting like crazy, of course.  I just finished a hat design for a friend, which turned into a pattern, just in time for a deadline.  After that, I finished a smoke ring (cowl) design, which I want to keep, but won't. ...

The last knitting project I've finished is my Halligarth Shawl .   I am in the process of writing several patterns, including a few shawls, and I thought how easy it would be to take something on a trip that was someone else's pattern.  You know, where the many details were decided, and all I had to select were the yarn, color and size.  I would not have to worry about keeping notes; so I dug this yarn out of my stash, which I'd had in mind for this pattern.   Well being lace, it was not quite as easy-to-travel as I had planned, but it ended up being a great a lot of fun.  And I did not have to take notes.  Whenever I wear it, I will always be reminded of my trip to Seattle with my friend Gerri.  It is currently in the shop, luring in knitters looking for a new shawl or lace class, but I look forward to getting it back soon.   Details Designer:   Gudrun Johnston Yarn:  Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal, about 810 yds C...

I keep meaning to get back here and I keep forgetting my password because it's been so long!   So for today, spring blossoms and one of my all-time favorite quotes, from Mother Teresa.