knits, purls, and a whole lotta love

We may still have a few hot days of summer yet, but Fall is around the corner – I can feel it in the air – and with that returns my fervent desire to create warm clothing! It must be a survival instinct :)

At the same time, I don’t have a lot of free time. I’m trying to finish my Masters in the next 2-3 months, which will be a challenge to say the least. So, small projects it is. I decided to make a sweet baby sweater for the 5 month old daughter of my good friends. It was an extremely easy pattern to follow, and well worth the few dollars I paid to the designer (the pattern link is here on the Ravelry.com website).

For the 6 month old size, I used 1 skein (only a metre or two left in the end!) of Knit Picks Swish Tonal yarn, in the Summer Blooms colourway, with US 8 (5.0 mm) needles. To finish the cardigan I added 3 wooden buttons with a heart design. I’ll have to get the baby to model the sweater this Fall, but for now I’ll share these pictures. :)

Soft grass and fresh spring air: a few photos to share

This gallery contains 5 photos.

I’ve been a bit absent in writing on this blog, and I feel it’s about time I posted something new! These past months I’ve been very busy working toward finishing my Masters, but I’ve managed to get some fresh air … Continue reading →

from scratch ideas in the Hunger Games

I just finished the Hunger Games book… I couldn’t put it down once I started (literally!!). I’ve always considered myself a slow reader, and it took me only 14hours to read (not too long really). I was in suspense the whole time, and completely immersed in the plot and characters. I thought Suzanne Collins did an excellent job of presenting just enough information to give you a good idea of what was going on in the plot, while letting your imagination fill in the other details.

The movie is out now, but I haven’t seen it yet… hopefully soon! I’m wondering how they have condensed such an action-packed book into a movie!

The book is filled with things made from scratch (in District 12 and in the Games), and I was really excited about this aspect of the story. Everything from herbal remedies, meals and clothes, to weapons and shelters are made with things on-hand or gathered from nature. The main city in Panem, the Capitol, is a stark contrast to the from-scratch lifestyle, where everything is ‘perfectly’ made for you without you ever seeing the process, raw pieces, or dealing with the makers. It reminds me of “our” modern lifestyle, with everything pre-made… and also reminds me of why I love making things myself or buying from those who make hand-made items.

I highly recommend this book. If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

ginger garlic tea to help keep colds at bay

We’re now into March and while the cold and flu season should be almost over in Northern climates, it’s unfortunately not over just yet! I recently picked-up what seemed to be a really nasty cold for most people, but I think I’m managing to hold it at bay – it’s only mildly affecting me.

Usually I am the one who is the most down and out from a cold or flu, so why is this time different? Well, I immediately took lots of rest as soon as I felt it coming-on, but I also took vitamins, and made a LOT of this tea recipe I’m going to share with you. I made much more than I normally do, and I think it’s helping to fight this nasty cold!

Hopefully the name hasn’t thrown you off: ginger garlic tea. On it’s own the flavour might be too overwhelming, but I sweeten it with a big spoonful of honey, making it almost delightful!

• In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of water until boiling
• add 1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger, and 1 tbsp (2 cloves) finely chopped garlic
• boil gently for 30 seconds more and then remove from heat
• At this point you have 3 options:
  • [option 1: let everything steep, covered for 1-2 minutes]
  • [option 2: add 2 pinches of loose green tea, or a bag of green tea, if you don't need to sleep right away; let steep for 1-2 minutes]
  • [option 3: add a bag of echinacea tea for extra cold fighting ability; let steep for time recommended on bag]
• strain through a fine mesh strainer (or cheese cloth) into a mug
• add a heaping teaspoon or tablespoon (to your liking) of honey
• add a squirt of lemon juice (also optional)
• give a good stir
• enjoy!

I find that the honey and lemon are really good to sooth a sore throat. Garlic and ginger have natural properties that help fight colds. Garlic is said to be anti-biotic and anti-viral. Ginger is anti-inflammatory, helps reduce fevers, and encourages sleep.

So, why pay for expensive “cold remedy” teas, when you can likely make one that’s more effective (fresh ingredients!) on your own for much less money. If you don’t have one of the ingredients above I encourage you to make the tea with what you do have. Even just drinking lots of hot water is really good for fighting a cold! I wish you good health for the end of this cold season…we’re almost there!

easy quilted cover; protection for a fantastic, old stereo cabinet

Falling in love… with a piece of furniture

When my Opa (grandpa) moved out of his house there was some furniture left behind. It was great timing for me since I was moving back into the area to start my Masters, and I was in need of couches, a coffee table, kitchen table, etc, for my new apartment. While in the house to take the couches I noticed the stereo cabinet… and fell in love. I’ve never fallen in love with a piece of furniture before. But this was just so retro, yet modern. A piece of fine craftsmanship from the early 1960′s. Handmade from solid, hardwood maple. I had seen it many times as a child, but never appreciated it like this.

I immediately began to think of how to re-purpose this wonderful piece. A side board or buffet? Storage for liquor and glasses? Perhaps just re-fitted with a new stereo system (CD and ipod / mp3 capable) and speakers.  It was heavier than you could imagine, but I didn’t care. It couldn’t be left with the house – that was not an option in my mind.

With guidance from my dad and using a power drill, I took out the old stereo system and speakers. Even with those components gone the cabinet was still too heavy to carry, so I took off the top. After much laborious lifting and carrying, it finally made it to my apartment where I re-assembled it.

The need to protect

Enter beautiful, sweet, cuddly, chatty, black cat – Merlin (aka Miss Merlin, or Miss Furrypants). Actually, she’s my sister’s cat that I’m taking care of while she is gone for a year. [I also never thought I would live with a cat (I wasn't raised with one, and didn't care for those I met), but this one has warmed my heart]. Anyway, the issue then became how to protect the top of the cabinet from Merlin’s claws when she lands on the top, or launches herself off again – a frequent occurrence since a new piece of furniture is inevitably the new favourite spot for a cat to lounge.

Quilted cover – the easy way

I decided the easy answer was a quilted top for the cabinet. This allowed me to chose fabric and make the cover myself, plus the batting inside the quilt provides extra protection against anything hard or sharp placed on top – in this case the cat’s nails.

The main steps:

1. Make a quilt sandwich (sew through top fabric, batting, bottom fabric)
2. Add binding to finish the edge and hide the innards of the “sandwich”

I measured the top of the cabinet, and bought enough fabric for the top, bottom, and binding, and used a couple of scraps of cotton batting for the filling. Luckily I was able to get both the top and bottom pieces, side-by-side, from the same width of fabric. You could also chose different fabric for the top and bottom, and a more neutral colour of fabric for the binding, to make a reversible cover.

Always buy a bit more fabric than you think you need (I usually get 3-5 inches extra from a bolt of fabric). Also, be sure to gently wash (cold water soak is fine), dry, and iron your fabric before starting. This helps prevent bunching and shrinkage in the final piece if you want to wash it.

I then pinned together my “quilt sandwich” (bottom fabric, batting, top fabric) in many places and sewed lines length-wise and width-wise through the material. I decided on an irregular blocked/grid pattern, to give the piece a more modern feel. You want to aim to sew a line of some sort at least every 3-4 inches of area. Otherwise, your quilt will have too much “movement” between the top, batting, and bottom.

To create a tidy edge, I added binding. This is simply strips of fabric cut and sewed end-to-end, and then folded and wrapped around the edge of the quilt, and sewn in place. You’ll need to decide how much edge you want to see and multiply that by 4 for the strip width. The total length of binding is the perimeter of the piece plus several extra inches for attaching pieces and going around corners. Sew together all strips at the ends, and then fold lengthwise, the two long edges into the centre – press with an iron. Wrap the binding around the “sandwich” edge from top to bottom evenly and pin in place. Sew 1/4 – 1/2 of an inch from the inner edge, through the binding top and bottom, and the quilt sandwich in the middle.

The result is a beautiful, protective cover for my stereo cabinet, with the extra benefit of adding a modern feel to an old piece of furniture. And when I have time, my next project for this cabinet is to re-purpose it! Hmmm…. new stereo? Mini bar? What ever it is, I’ll be sure to let you know!

a drawer for spice

The first project I thought I’d share is a rather easy one – storing and organizing your spices. Ah spice! If variety is the spice of life, then what happens when you have a large variety of spice? Oh the possibilities of wonderful flavours and aromas!

I grew-up without being exposed to many spices. I imagine this is the case for many people, and I would say that’s unfortunate, except that I feel I have an enhanced appreciation for spice now – I don’t take it’s amazing abilities for granted. So, how can you get from there to here? (I’m no spice goddess, but think I’ve come a long way!). In my case it was a slow transition: being exposed to spices by different friends and in new recipes; slowly gaining confidence in how to work with each one; lots of testing and patience. I really think that a starting point is key though – either the experience of someone else who can teach you, or by following recipes and gaining a sense of reasonable quantities and combinations of spice to go with certain foods.

In my case, I love cooking, and almost always use some amount of spice. I try to avoid buying small jars of spices that I use often and instead buy those spices in larger bags (a great way to save money). Did I mention that I love baking and making Indian dishes? Both can require a great deal of spice, so the cheaper the better, but there is one corner I never cut when buying spice: the bulk bin.

Though I frequent bulk bins for many pantry items, I actually avoid them for spice. Simply, spice can very easily lose its potency if exposed to the air for long periods of time, and many do not fair well when exposed to light for long periods either (the exact conditions of many bulk bins!). These are good things to keep in mind when storing spices: air-tight containers, out of the light.

I was keeping many of my spices in the bags they came in, and was trying to keep those tightly wrapped. As a result my spices were messily stashed in several different drawers and cupboards around my kitchen. Sound familiar? I decided that a dedicated spice drawer would save me from hunting in 5 different locations for a certain spice. Of course, the bags would not all fit into this one small drawer, so I decided to keep some of each spice in small containers to have on hand, and the rest of the bags in one bin in my pantry.

But, what to store the spice in? In keeping with my love of making things from scratch (using what I already had in this case), I searched my apartment and found a box of small mason jars. The short, squat ones with lids and collars. A box of 12 that I bought years ago when I thought I would try making preserves. I imagine that my studies (I was in undergrad at that point) got in the way, because there the box was, still unopened. Perfect! They were air-tight, easy to see through to the contents, and just the right height to fit in the shallow drawer (where they could be in the dark).

A note on how to keep spice fresh:
There is another advantage to keeping your spices in several smaller containers instead of one large one. Each time you open and close the container you let air in which reacts with the spice. The larger the container, the more often you will likely open it, and the more air will sit with the remaining spice. So, a small container for frequent use, and an airtight bag that you can push the air out of for longer term storage might be your best system. Regardless, keep in mind that many spices are only at their optimum freshness for 1-2 years even when kept in the best conditions. Try to buy freshly ground spice, and only in the quantity you may need over the next year or so, if you want the full effects of the spice.

[and now back to the spice drawer...;) ]
I filled each container with a spice and used the labels provided with the mason jars to write the name on each. You could also write directly on the containers with a permanent marker or use stationary labels. It’s also a good idea to include the date that they were purchased / placed into the container so that you know when they might be too old (1 – 2 years typically).

The remaining spice I kept in the original bags with a zip bag around each, and placed all bags in a bin in my pantry (any cool, dark, dry location will do). In the end, I even had room for the few small spice jars I have, and for my spice tin (used to keep small quantities of everyday spices).

My organized spice drawer, complete with spice tin

Hopefully with an organized spice collection and your spices kept at their freshest you’ll be more inclined to incorporate spice into your everyday cooking!

[I'd like to acknowledge a great book that I learned many of these tips about spice from:
The Spice and Herb Bible, second edition, by Ian Hemphill and Kate Hemphill.]

My first blog post… ever.

I must admit that I feel a bit nervous and excited to write this post. It’s my first blog entry ever. In fact, I’m not even sure how my blog works yet. Can anyone view this, or would they have to be given the link to my blog? Perhaps I should have looked into the available wordpress tutorials first…

I never thought that I would have a blog actually. Nothing wrong with one, just didn’t think that was “me”. But recently I noticed 2 friends that had wordpress.com blogs: one has a travel blog, the other has a blog/website as a yoga teacher. I checked-out wordpress and something clicked… I should try blogging. Something like 406,000 people were blogging on wordpress alone already!

So, what thoughts and other information do I want to share with the world? My interests are so varied that I don’t feel I have a favourite of anything. No favourite movie, song, colour, food, article of clothing, hobby, place… you get the picture. But the common thread running through most of my activities, interests, and ventures is the desire to learn how to make things from scratch. The degree to which the materials are fresh or unprocessed to start with will likely vary, but for the most part I’d like to share know-how and experiences about do-it-yourself, make-it-yourself items around the home.

I currently am a grad student, on a budget, in a lovely little apartment. Some days, (o.k., MOST days), I find myself dreaming of my future home and all the wonderful things I can make for it and my loved ones. In the meantime I plan to have this blog as a collection of my ideas and findings… an outlet for my whimsical thought. I hope to gain new skills, the perspective of others on these topics, and perhaps provide perspective on those projects which I can try at this point for myself.

Well, here it goes. I’m pressing “Publish”, sending this little blog post into the unknown… the anticipation!