Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Project Funway

Okay, so I'm a bit of a Project Runway addict. And I've recently been introduced to Project Rungay and may be suffering a bit of an addiction there, too.

A few weeks ago, Project Peepway was brought to my attention, and the boys, who have seen bits & pieces of PR when I have it on during the day, thought it was hilarious. (Go on, watch it...I'll wait...)

So, last week, Kalen comes bounding down the stairs with a box and all of his rubber duckies. He proceded to line up the duckies (aka Peeps) on the floor alongside the box (aka Runway). For some reason I didn't get a picture of it. I did, however, get photos of the models.


The best part was Kalen saying, "You are out. You may leave the runway." Complete with cheek kissing. And now Nicky, who previously had no interest in the show, can't get enough of PR. That's my boy!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

There were never such devoted sisters...

Last weekend, I visited my sister in Virginia. Heather's in law school up there, and we see each other only once or twice a year, so we were due for a sisterly-type weekend. So, without further ado, a brief photo journal, entitled Sisters in Arlington:

Chapter One ~ Thursday evening

Our heroine arrives at the airport, where she is greeted by our heroine. The two make the brief drive to Our Heroine's Home, along the tree-filled avenues bordering the mighty Potomac River.


After a brief respite, our heroines enjoy a dinner of Scrumptious Specialty Sandwiches at a local eatery benefiting homeless animals. Our heroines then decide to make the journey to the Olde Neighbourhood, where they seek out the abodes and schoolhouses of old. Following our heroine's well-honed sense of direction, and relying upon no small amount of luck, our heroines find the second of their Childhood Homes in the area.

Our heroines finish the evening in grand, sisterly style, accompanying the local easy listening station on the car radio at the top of their lungs. Upon returning to our heroine's home, they peruse the Wonders of Cable and enjoy a period film, featuring an actor from a musical film often watched in our heroines' Girlhood Years.


Chapter Two ~ Friday

Our heroines spend Friday out and about in the sweltering heat, accomplishing Important Tasks and Necessary Errands.

Our heroine also receives a tour of our heroine's Educational Facilities, and experiences the wonderful quaintness that is Old Town Alexandria. That evening, our heroines enjoy a gourmet delivery dinner of Chinese Cuisine while watching Ocean's Thirteen, Monty Python, and That Mitchell and Webb Look. There was Much Rejoicing.

Our evening ends with a Birthday Celebration for our heroine's dear friend, the Fairy Princess Laura, accompanied by libations and classic bluegrass entertainment.


Chapter Three ~ Saturday

Our heroines being the Renaissance women that they are, Saturday is a day of both woodsy, outdoorsy adventure, and air-conditioned musicality. The day begins with the Ancient Sporte of letterboxing. The first such hunt being a Disappointing Failure (including the losing and Heroic Retrieval of our heroine's prescription sunglasses), our heroines regroup and reconsider their goals.


The weather being what it is, our heroines decide to make the attempt for easier letterboxes, succeeding in retrieving five.


The day's success is celebrated by our heroines in the local theatre, where they enjoy a rousing musical film entitled Mamma Mia! The show receives mixed reviews from our heroines. Our heroine is moved to tears several times, while our heroine declares it "okay." Both agree, however, that a Fun Time was had by all.

The evening is spend at the local tavern, an establishment populated by the finest wait staff and most talented chefs our heroine has yet encountered. Our heroine unwisely overestimates the amount of food and drink her stomach can accommodate and leaves feeling slightly ill, which is in no way a commentary on the quality of food available at the Fine Tavern. (In fact, our heroine cannot stop thinking about the rabbit gnocchi and somewhat incredible pork chop she encountered that evening.) It should be noted as well that our heroine is correct in her observation that, "Javi makes the best mojitos on the planet." Javi (not Javy) is welcome at our heroine's home at any time for company and said mojitos.

Chapter Four ~ Sunday

The following morning, our heroine uses the leftover steak and chop to create an Omelet of the Highest Degree, accompanied by peppercorn bacon and French pressed coffee. Our heroines spend the morning in Leisurely Pursuites.


In order that our heroine might not be late for her appointment with Snoop Dog that afternoon, she drives our heroine to the airport shortly after lunch.

Our heroines have enjoyed a fine weekend of Song, Food, and Sisterhood. (Thanks, Swis!)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

My kitchen laboratory

I don't really have a group of recipes that I rotate through the kitchen. Well, I do enchiladas now and then, spaghetti, etc., and the George Foreman and Crock Pot both get their fair share of use. But mostly I just throw dinner together out of whatever ingredients appeal to me that evening, or whatever I can find when we're approaching Mother Hubbard status. Sometimes I end up with something really great. Usually I end up with something fine. Once in a while, I end up with something even my loving, appreciative husband can't stomach. (Thankfully, that last one's rare - once or twice a year.)

Monday night, I had a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts thawed. I so did not feel like cooking, but the chicken was on its last day of usability, so it had to be done. I set some rice to cook (Rice-a-Roni whole grain boxed rice - yummy stuff), put a few teaspoons of safflower oil - my new favorite healthy oil - in the skillet, and cut the chicken into 1" slices, so it would cook faster. Once the chicken was all cut, I turned the stove on (about medium-high), sprinkled some salt and pepper over the meat, and topped it off with a clove of pressed garlic. At that point, I was stuck. It wasn't enough, but I wasn't sure what else to add. I wasn't in the mood.

After standing in front of the open pantry for a couple of minutes, I grabbed a can of Navy beans and dumped the whole thing over the chicken, followed by more salt and pepper and another clove of garlic (pressed). I stuck the lid on, turned the burner down to medium, and left it. A while later, the chicken was cooked through, and I served it up with the rice and some previously frozen peas.

And, wow!! A success! The chicken & beans were incredible...so good, in fact, I'm craving them again and may make them tonight. The kids, picky little guys they are, didn't eat the beans, but they loved the flavor of the chicken, and they asked me to add it to our "list of favorite meals." I figured I'd better type it up so I don't forget what I did, and while I'm at it, why not share? Isn't everyone in search of fast, easy, yummy meals? Let me know if you try it!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Unravelry

Remember those sweaters I found last week? Well, they're no longer sweaters. Meet my new piles of sproingy yarn.

Both ended up being laceweight yarn, which is much finer than I'd hoped for. I think I know what to look for now when I'm combing through the racks of sweaters, but I doubt I'm going to find many in this climate that use heavier yarn. I think a drop spindle may be in my future (for plying thicker yarns out of the finer ones I find.) The next step for these yarns is to be washed and hung to dry with weights at the bottom, to straighten them out. I'm hoping to wind them into nice hanks to sell.

I used my handy-dandy new lap swift to wind the yarn onto as I unraveled the sweaters. It's an advanced piece of machinery. Prepare yourself for the mechanical genius behind it. Ready?

Yes, that's a 2x4, and those are 2" nails. It works great! I'm actually very pleased with it. I'd eventually like to get an umbrella swift, since it will be easier to unwind hanks onto a ball winder (which I'd also like to get) off of a rotating swift, but for now this will do just fine.

I still don't like that salmony-pink color, so I grabbed one of the smaller hanks of it and set it in a vinegar soak for an hour. It's now been zapped a few times in the microwave with a pouch of Blastin' Berry Cherry Kool Aid and a pouch of Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade. It's a darkish color again, but we'll see how it dries and reskeins. I'd like to do another hank of it in orange, just to see how it takes it.

Monday, July 14, 2008

The Miracle of Reskeining

When I got up this morning, I immediately twisted my newly-dyed and now dry yarn into hanks, and I wasn't pleased with the colors at all. I had two of these, which to me looked a washed out, pukey-burgundy and light electric blue:


However, I've read over and over that reskeining (rewinding the yarn into a new hank) works wonders, so I did my best to withhold judgment. I sat down with my new lap swift (a 2"x4" with nails exactly 36" apart) and began winding. Sure enough, after thirty minutes, I had this:

Now, that's more like it! The colors are pretty close to the photo - maybe only slightly less washed-out in person. I'm actually happy with this. Not thrilled, mind you, but definitely happy for my first attempt. I will be dyeing more yarn in the future - count on it!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Post-Dyeing Drying

We left the yarn cooking on low for about 2 hours. One hour probably would have been enough, but I was uncertain whether or not the milky-white water indicated that the yarn had soaked up all the dye. When, after another hour, it was still milky, I decided it was probably fine. I unplugged the crock pot, took off the cover, and we went to the mall.

About four hours later, we came home, and the yarn was cool enough to handle. I dumped it into the colander in the sink and rinsed my new, colorful yarn in water the same temperature before putting it through another spin cycle in the washer. Behold, hand-dyed yarn! The colors are pretty close to the photo, although the red is a little more burgundy (not so pinkish) in real life.

And here it is, hanging up to dry in the boys' bathroom. Tomorrow I'll reskein it on the simple swift I made this afternoon.


Jason's first question was, "What are you going to make with it?" Good question, actually. It's 100% feltable wool, so maybe my first felted bag? We shall see!

Adventures in Dyeing

Note the spelling - that's dyeing, not dying. Although the latter is a definite adventure, it's not one I'd like to try for many more decades.

Anyway, I picked up a couple of skeins of Kashmira (100% Wool at Joann's) on clearance for this express purpose. It's a blueish grey, not a fun color at all. I've also been picking up a few packets of Kool Aid each time I hit the grocery store, so I'm all set.

Last week, I rewound the skeins around the legs of an upturned dining room chair. No pictures, sorry. For this, I'd much rather have a niddy-noddy. Must talk to Jason about getting one of those put together, I think.

Last night, I set the skeins in a soak of water with a couple of glugs of vinegar. Very exciting stuff, let me tell you.


I also chose my Kool Aid colors:

This morning, I drained the yarn and ran it through the spin cycle in the washer to get the excess moisture out. I held both skeins together and wound them into a spiraly lump in my large crock pot.

I used four glasses to mix my colors:
  • Glass 1 - 1.5 cups water, three packets Cherry, one packet Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade
  • Glass 2 - 1.5 cups water, three packets Watermelon Cherry
  • Glass 3 - 1 cup water, one packet Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade
  • Glass 4 - 1 cup water, one packet Berry Blue
We poured the blues in first, one on each end of the pot, followed by the Cherry in the center, and the Watermelon Cherry along the long edges. As we poured each color in, I squished the yarn gently to make sure it was soaking through. (I should have taken pictures of my red-dyed fingers before scrubbing them with baking soda!) I topped it off with a couple of cups of clear water - just enough to make sure the yarn was covered.

Afterwards, we set the crock pot to low, and we'll leave it until the dye exhausts (when the water is clear). Stay tuned for updates.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Dr. Kalen, Pet Doctor

Happy 5th Birthday, sweetie!

Yarn-to-be

After the last couple of heavy-duty posts, I thought I'd lighten things up a bit around here. Look at the yummy yarn I bought today at Goodwill!


What? You don't see yarn? I do! These sweaters have been officially dubbed yarn-to-be. I have read and re-read several tutorials on reclaiming yarn, and I want to give it a go. I spent about twenty minutes this morning combing the racks at Goodwill and actually found four or five sweaters that would have worked. My budget's limited, however, even at $4 per sweater, so I narrowed it down to these two. The green is a beautiful 100% Italian Merino Wool, and the salmon is an intriguing blend. Here, I'll let the label speak for itself.

I'm not a huge fan of the salmon color, but I figure this is a great opportunity to practice my yet-to-be-developed dyeing skills. Since it's 65% animal fiber, it should hold some Kool Aid dye. If nothing else, an over-dye may have an interesting mottled effect. I plan to do a little color calculating first, though...I don't want to end up with mud.

If I learn the yarn-reclaiming process well and think it's something I can do well, I may consider selling it in my new etsy shop. I'm not set up yet...I need to get some purses and bags made before I jump in. (What's a shop without inventory, after all?) I do, however, have a name for it now: R3 bags. (The 3 should be superscript - anyone know how I can do that on blogger?) The three R's are [tentatively] Reuse, Reclaim, Repurpose. While I predict that most of what's up there will be bags, I'm not closing my mind to the idea of offering reclaimed yarns, and maybe even plarn. I've found that a lot of people do one plarn bag, then never touch the stuff again, simply because of the labor involved in cutting the plarn. Obviously, this is still all in the very beginning stages, but in a week or two I'll be able to devote more time to it. I also need to get Photoshop Elements installed on my new computer, because not having a logo finalized is driving me nuts.

Anyway, I did manage to find a little already-in-the-yarn-stage yarn today, too. It was $2.22 a skein. I'm not familiar with Plymouth Encore, so I hope that was a good price. Maybe I don't want to know...

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Clearing up misconceptions

I've been kicking this post around in my mind for a couple of weeks now, and the time has come to bite the bullet and just write the darn thing with the knowledge that I have an edit button and the ability to write further posts on the subject should I ever feel the need.

There is a common misconception out there that left-wingers, liberals, progressives (pick your label) are not patriotic. That our protest of the war is automatically an abandonment of our fighting men and women. I find this attitude and accusation to be uninformed, egocentric, and downright insulting.

First, let's address the issue of patriotism vs. nationalism. A patriot is someone who believes in their country, who supports it and is loyal to it. Patriot is defined by dictionary.com as a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion. Nationalism has a slight - but very important - distinction. The same source has these as two of nationalism's definitions:
  • excessive patriotism
  • the policy or doctrine of asserting the interests of one's own nation, viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or the common interests of all nations
I read an article a couple of years ago that clarified this distinction for me nicely. It came at a time when my patriotism - or that of people who think like me - was being questioned by people around me (although not my friends or family, thank goodness!), the media, and prominent people in our government. At the time, I was angry and frustrated and insulted that anyone would accuse me of not supporting our troops or of not loving our country, and that article helped calm my nerves.

What has swept over our country in recent years is not, as many would claim, a glorious wave of patriotism. Rather, it is a smothering flood of nationalism.

A patriot will defend his country, whether on the battlefield or the sea or in the air, in the blogosphere, by working hard to keep drunk drivers off the roads and protect our loved ones, by running for office, or simply by being a representative citizen of his country in the best way he knows how. A patriot, in my mind, understands that no government is infallible and recognizes that it is our duty as citizens to question our government's decisions and actions in order to keep the country moving in a positive direction.

A nationalist, on the other hand, believes, "My country is right, right or wrong."

This kind of nationalism is dangerous. Just as believing your child could never do wrong and so turning a blind eye to his harmful actions is dangerous. Just as letting your child run about unfettered with no regard for the feelings of others is dangerous. Turning a blind eye to the poor decisions - and in many cases supporting those decisions - based solely on the fact that our government made them is so dangerous it's staggering. This is very much a "my way or the highway" attitude that can have few positive effects in the world.

Our country was founded on the principle that the people should decide its way. The people are supposed to be the guiding force behind the government. It's a simple concept with a complex application (and that application could admittedly use a bit of work...but that's a different post). So what does it say of our patriotism and our adherence to those original principles when we give up our own opinions to mutely follow in our government's footsteps? It should be the other way around.

I put it out there that ignoring these principles is decidedly unpatriotic. That giving free rein to our elected officials to decide our fate without question is a 180-degree turnaround from the base on which our country was founded. That we need to step back from the nationalistic crowing and think hard about what is really best for our country, our people, and the world around us.

And if you are of the opinion that my protest of this war is somehow unpatriotic, or that somehow I don't care about our troops, I put it to you that I see it as my duty as a patriot, and as a caring human being, to question any action that puts my beloved countrymen in harm's way. There are times when war - as horrible as it is - is necessary. This was not one of them.

This brings me to my current charity project. During the primary season, Knitters for Obama knit and crocheted somewhere around 1,000 hats and bibs for preemies in hospitals around the U.S. For the general election, we've changed our focus to taking care of people our government has abandoned. We are currently knitting and crocheting warm hats, scarves, fingerless gloves, lap blankets, and washcloths for homeless veterans in at least 4 states. How sad it is that there are so many veterans without family, without homes. These men (because they are all men in these particular shelters) sacrificed greatly for their country - our country - and receive next to nothing in the way of thanks or even basic needs from the government for whom they fought. One shelter has relayed to our group that the federal assistance they receive in a year wouldn't pay for the needs of one veteran.

I am one person with little energy. I cannot change the world. But I can give a few men who have served our country a warm head, a clean face, and a big thank you. And I can work to support a candidate who will fight for their rights. It is one small way I, a patriot, can do my part to contribute to our wonderful, full-of-potential country.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Peace Out

Each year, my boys, along with a couple of their friends, attend Culture Camp at our church. Culture Camp can easily be described as a concept in a few short sentences, but it's hard to relate how much the kids actually learn in that same short way.

First, I suppose I should answer the obvious question. Think of Culture Camp as sort of the UUs' answer to vacation Bible school. Culture Camp, and the related Peace Out camp for younger kids, is a study of peace and the people of the world. Each year, they "visit" three different countries, and the children learn about customs, language, food and art. This year, I believe the kids visited Costa Rica, Tibet (wonderfully appropriate choice this year!), and South Africa. The prevailing theme throughout, however, is peace.

I love this. I can't convey how much I love it. Not only are the kids excited to learn about cultures different from our own, they're learning at an early age how peace can influence us all. The best part is that the counselors don't talk down to them. I don't believe children need to be treated in the Victorian fashion...they are not miniature adults. However, neither are they stupid, and the difficulties of the world do not need to be completely hidden from them. By exposing them to what's going on in the greater world at such a young age, I hope we're raising young men who will be aware of the global culture and who will fight (peacefully) for what is Good and Right.

That's not to say this camp is about what's wrong with the world. On the contrary, it's all about what's right. It has opened up some great opportunities for discussion, though. It becomes easier to explain the political undercurrents surrounding the upcoming Olympic Games when they've already had a simple exposure to Tibet and China. When we see Nelson Mandela flash across the television screen, his complex life becomes something relatable when they've read stories of his homeland, listened to the music of his people, and chowed down on mealie pap they made themselves.

We are citizens of the world, a fact which too many people forget, and which others take for granted. I hope my boys will do neither.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Crocheters for Obama

Depending on your point of view, it was a moment of brilliance or insanity that prompted me to post, "And you know what…I’ll seam it!" to the other crocheters in the Knitters for Obama group. I'm leaning towards brilliance, because take a gander at the gorgeousness that is arriving in my mailbox on a daily basis!


These are the nine squares I've received so far, from across the U.S. There will eventually be thirty squares, which Mom and I will seam into a large afghan, #2 on the prize list for the Knitters for Obama drawing. This is going to be a big, warm blankie...perfect as a throw for your bed, or for snuggling under with your honey to watch election returns in November. Or maybe even to take with you to Obama's Inauguration in January? It's always cold in D.C. in January...

Hey, Moms!

Through BzzAgent, I've found a website that may bear further investigation.

Kids-in-Mind is a movie-reviews website with detailed descriptions of many films, with (ready for it?) kids in mind. It has ratings and detailed descriptions of Sex & Nudity, Violence, and Profanity. Here's the review I posted at BzzAgent:

I really like this idea - it may help with my decisions about what movies my kids see in the theater. It's a little much - I mean they call to attention a gentlemen kissing the back of a woman's hand in greeting in a period movie and a dance instructor wearing shorts and doing high kicks under the "Sex & Nudity" heading, which is more than a bit over the line of "You're kidding, right?" On the other hand, they give very detailed descriptions of possibly offensive scary scenes, violence, name-calling, and profanity, so you can be well aware of what your kids might be exposed to. Or, if you're like a lot of the moms I know, what great conversations you can have with your kids after they view the movie. ("So, why do you think it was wrong to blame the hobos?")

So there you are - take a look and decide for yourself.

Visit Kids-in-Mind

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Another bag for the bag lady

Over the past couple of days, I made myself this:

I love, love, love my new Chic on the Halfshell! It's a pattern by Drew Emborsky, aka The Crochet Dude, and you might recognize the yarns from that great box of goodies Pam RAK'd me last month.

I want to take a minute to plug Pam's yarns, which you can see and buy here at Thistleknit Handspun Yarn. Not only are they the ultimate in gorgeousness, they work up so nicely and are yummy to the touch. I used two of her yarns in this purse, along with some of the commercial sage and violet she gifted me. The whitish yarn you see is a greyish white with silver plied into it. It's amazing in person, and I think it's her Johnny Reb colorway. The multi-color yarn in the center is Twelve Oaks. I think its beauty speaks for itself.

Okay, now that I've waxed rhapsodic about Pam and her yarns, I can wax on and off about the purse itself. It's a love-it-or-hate it pattern, I think. People are either intrigued by and enamored of its unique shape, or they just don't like it. I am both intrigued and enamored. Jason is not. I'm okay with that; he's not the one who'll be carrying it. One crocheter on Ravelry described it as looking like a TIE fighter from Star Wars. I kind of have to agree, and the geek in me likes it even more for this revelation.

I tackled lining the purse this afternoon, which was pretty simple. I just laid the purse out on the fabric and traced half of it. When I cut it out, I folded the fabric in half, so it would be symmetrical. Sewed it right sides together, no problem. The issue came in hemming the top edge. I didn't take my time and ended up puckering it. Phooey. I think to do a truly professional job, it would have to be cut a bit bigger along the top opening and gathered. I don't have the patience to figure that out, so I'm going to be happy with the job I did.

And now I will returned to my Crocheting for Obama frenzy...