tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79532482024-03-13T09:40:25.049-05:00Clotho’s Tangled ThreadUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger520125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-10398319197236378242020-01-30T16:41:00.002-06:002020-01-30T23:11:58.534-06:00RedpopI foster dogs now working with <a href="https://secure.waysidewaifs.org/site/SPageServer/;jsessionid=00000000.app20111a?NONCE_TOKEN=B2C4C3C2B6CCE6CF9EB517787FB7C1CC" target="_blank">Wayside Waifs</a>. Every time I fill out the questionnaire so that they can write about the dog on their website to find them the best homes I'm showered with praise and they are passed around to the staff. Doesn't everyone fill it out like this? After all, it's part of the "job".<br />
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I've been told multiple times I should start a blog with this stuff. Well, I already have a blog so here it is.<br />
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<br />
<i>Her tail is fully healed, right? Will there be any long term issues regarding this? Is it completely gone? Is her prognosis good?
</i><br />
It's completely healed. I don't know if there is any long term issued.
However, the length of it looks like it was docked on purpose and it's attractive. The vet did a good job.<br />
<br />
<i>When will they start her heartworm treatment? </i><br />
She's just started the pre-treatment of antibodies.<br />
<br />
<i>She's still partially housebroken? </i><br />
Sadly yes. I'm finding a pee puddle many days. I need to tether her to
me and whistle train but I haven't had the time to really address it.<br />
<br />
<i>When do you crate her? How long at a time? How does she do in a crate?
I assume she would not be a good candidate for being crated all day while someone is at work. </i>
<br />
Redpop has been crated for up to six hours. She doesn't like being bored and shreds her bedding in frustration. However, there is no way I
could leave her loose in the house. I don't think she naps as much as other dogs. So it is.<br />
<br />
I worry crating her since she has a history of self-mutilation. While she hasn't had any issues in my home, I could see her starting to pick on herself if she didn't have anything else. So
I crate her with chew toys and a blanket even though I know that the blanket will be in even 2" pieces once I get home. She's very methodical about the picking at things. However, the self-mutilation could have been because the tail hurt and nothing going forward. I don't know...<br />
<br />
If she was my dog I think I would fence off part of my garage and add a
dog door. That way she would have a heated inside with her own couch but a cement floor and access to outside for work hours. If I couldn't do that then I would crate all day when I was at work.<br />
<br />
<i>Where does she sleep at night?</i> <br />
She sleeps in bed with me. I was worried about crateing her in a
different room because she wanted to pick at the stitches. In bed, with me, she was fine and left the bandage and the stitches alone.<br />
<i><br />
Do you ever leave her free to roam in the house when no one is home?
How does she do? I know you mentioned she gets destructive if left alone for too long. Is that when she's in the crate or out? What does she do?
Overall, when you are there, is she<br />
well behaved in your home? Do you have to closely supervise her?</i> <br />
HA! <br />
hahahahaaaaa, <br />
oh boy....<br />
<br />
Well behaved but always destructive if I'm supervising or not. <br />
<br />
Let me tell you about an average day.<br />
<br />
First, we wake up. She's content to lounge in bed as long as I want.
When I get out of bed I have to crowbar her out because she is unwilling
to leave the comfy spot. I grab her collar and march her to the backyard. If I don't have my hand on her collar she will stop and pee on the way. Once outside she does her business without dawdling.
<br />
<br />
I start to make coffee. She starts to remove a can of dog food from the plastic wrap holding it into the box.
<br />
<br />
She and my dog eat in the same room with no issues. She sits to be fed.
If I'm too slow she "sits pretty" for emphasis and extra cuteness.
<br />
<br />
I give her meds. She takes the hotdogs daintily. When she finds a pill hidden in one she is crushed that I've betrayed her. She thought we were friends. Friends don't feed friends tainted hot dogs.
<br />
<br />
Then 20 minutes outside with my dog for play (cleared with the vet at this time) with no issues as I
drink my coffee and stuff. I see her out the window eating a stick. I
call them in.<br />
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<br />
I let them back in and I start my shower. As I shower and get dressed for the day she has pulled an IKIA cube box off the shelf, takes the lid off the box without damaging the flimsy cardboard, and takes everything out of the box neatly and gently. She's so smart! She's so careful! Then she ruins her cuteness by completely shredding two or three things from the box. No! No! No! Ok, so she now gets crated as I shower and get ready.<br />
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<br />
Walk around the block. She would rather a 40-minute jog but the heartworms. She's a good walker until she sees a squirrel. Then she bounds up and down in place like her legs are springs. I can mostly keep her from dashing and pulling by talking calmly. Mostly.
<br />
<br />
When we get back she gets a dog puzzle. She's really good at dog puzzles. The harder the better.<br />
<br />
I have things to do. She's bored. She chews hard dog toys. She chews soft dog toys. She caries a glove in her mouth from room to room. She takes the toothpaste tube from the bathroom sink and hides it in the couch. She takes my favorite purple sparkly gel pen from the coffee cups of pens without spilling the others. She takes it to the couch and destroys it then makes purple sparkle footprints all over my house. I'm at the computer and have no idea. It's not my first foster dog rodeo. There is a reason my couch has a washable waterproof cover but the poor floors. <br />
<br />
Finally, she takes a nap on my bed. My cat sleeps with her. Not because
they are friends but because the bed is the best place to be.
<br />
<br />
Red Pop wakes up and sees a cat next to her and bounces on him until he runs. It takes a few bounces. My cat is wily and slowly and carefully zig zags through the furniture to the "baby gate of safety". Rep Pop can't corner on wood floors when she's excited so wipes out taking out the coffee table and overturning a chair. My cat has enough and hisses from the safe side of the baby gate. Red Pop cries and runs away from the hissing cat and hides at my feet. I'm a terrible
person because I find this very very funny.
<br />
<br />
Back outside for play with my dog.<br />
<br />
TV time and cuddles and more chewing. If she gets up it's to check the kitchen for dirty dishes in the sink and the cupboards and counters to see if anything was left out. She brings me my coffee mug from the sink after giving it a good clean.... um, thanks?
Also, the last thing Red Pop needs is caffeine. <br />
<br />
She acts like she wants out. I get up and go to the door. "On your feet, lose your seat". She jumps into my seat instead and grows roots.
She pretends she's deaf. I pull her collar and she doesn't budge. I try to pick her up and can't. I try to shove her away and can't. I try sitting on her to see if she moves. Nope. I don't want to hurt her so I find a new sport.
<br />
<br />
I give her and my dog a new soft toy with a squeaky. Hers is white his is brown. They go to opposite sides of the room and both have a grand old time shredding. Yippee! Red Pop is finished first.
<br />
<br />
Red Pop: "That toy is different I want to try it"<br />
My Dog: "No"<br />
Red Pop: "It IS different. I got to see." She plucks is nonchalantly from between his feet ignoring that he's showing ALL his teeth.<br />
My Dog: "NO MEANS NO!" he air snaps a few times and gets her once. There is a minuscule drop of blood on her check,
<br />
Red Pop: rolls onto her back and starts screaming "MURDER POLICE SOMEONE HELP ME CALL THE POLICE HELP HELP POLICE MURDERER"<br />
My dog: rolls his eyes. Grabs both toys and goes to his crate in the other room.<br />
Red Pop: "MURDER POLICE SOMEONE HELP ME CALL THE POLICE HELP HELP POLICE MURDERER"<br />
Me: "Wow. What a drama queen."<br />
Red Pop: "MURDER POLICE SOMEONE HELP ME CALL THE POLICE HELP HELP POLICE MURDERER"<br />
Me: start to wonder if the neighbors will call the police for dog abuse.
<br />
<br />
Dinner time and pills is a repeat of breakfast<br />
<br />
It's been a few hours and her energy has built up. She runs around the house jumping on and off furniture. I really should walk her around the block this time of night because I think she would be calmer walking outside. But it's dark and icy and cold and neither of us wants to go outside. I try to calm her down with another dog puzzle. The puzzle is well received but she doesn't really calm down. Instead, she solves the puzzle vigorously with
lots of throwing it around and pouncing.<br />
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<br />
Then time for bed. Because of her size, I make her sleep at the foot of the bed. No cuddling! No bed hogging! No exception! If she breaks the house rules its to the crate. She gets it and is good. I tuck her in with her own blanket and she sleeps all night long. She has a lot of nightmares. Probably of the vet. Poor baby. <br />
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<br />
<i>How does she do in your yard? Does she ever try to escape? Does she like to go out to explore or play?
</i><br />
Great in the yard. Doesn't try to escape. Runs and romps with my dog.<br />
Update: She does escape the yard. She now hops over my 3.5ft fence like it's not there to play with the neighbor kids. So sweet. So bad!<br />
<br />
<i>Does she bark much?</i> <br />
No? Yes? She's mostly silent. She doesn't bark at my visitors. She does growl out the window at delivery people on the porch that run up drop a
package and dash away to meet their quota (I agree, it's creepy behavior without context). She goes crazy barking at the window when she sees small furry animals. That happens a few times a week.<br />
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<i><br />
How is she when you have visitors over? Does she approach new people for attention appropriately?</i>
<br />
She is great with people. She neither rushes them nor shies away. She's regal and allows them to give her the attention she deserves. Once she starts getting the attention she does go up onto her back legs for a
face lick. However, she's not the jumping knocking people over type. <br />
<br />
<i>She does well with your dog, right? Do you think she'd be ok as an only dog or does she need another because of her energy level?</i><br />
She loves
playing and running with my dog. She could care less about him when they aren't playing. Because of the next step of heartworm treatment,
and the needing to be kept calm, it would be easiest for her to be the only dog as she will romp and run with another playful dog for hours.
However, she's extremely athletic and running is her joy. Red Pop would like to be adopted by a jogger for when she recovers from the heartworm.<br />
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<br />
<i>I know your cat is dog savvy and knows how to put them in their place. Do you think she'd do ok with cats in general though?
</i><br />
Because she is heartworm positive and needs to keep calm, no cats. Once she moves to the next step of treatment I can't keep her because of my cat. I can see her blood pressure go up when she starts thinking of a
good chase.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>What are a few words you'd use to describe her?<br />
What do you like best about her?</i><br />
<br />
She's pretty, soft, graceful and smells good. She's also wild, energetic, and a clown.
<br />
<br />
She's so careful and polite. She has an oral fixation. She's clever and smart and likes to open things. She is less willing to learn tricks on command but will with extra work. She has selective hearing. The thought of coming when she's called hasn't entered her brain as even a possibility. It's a completely foreign concept. She
loves walks and runs with her whole heart.
<br />
<br />
She supplies the external motivation for me to improve my habits. If I
don't keep the house company ready clean she shreds anything left out. I
have to put the dishes right into the dishwasher and can't let them build up in the sink. If I don't get out and walk her more things are destroyed. It's like living with a personal trainer and life coach.
<br />
<br />
While she thinks my cooking and my ability to open the front door to the world are magical, in all the rest she belives we are equals. I'm in
charge because I'm larger, more stubborn, and have the food, but she sees
us as friends and equals rather than as a
parent and dog-child. I find the self-contained self-assurance and
independence refreshing in a foster even if I still have to follow her around like a
toddler because of the chewing.
<br />
<br />
<i>What sort of home will she be happiest in?</i><br />
<br />
A 40-minute jog before work. A 15-minute walk after work. A rather consistent schedule. Someone willing to own a locking trashcan and might have to baby lock the cupboards. Other than that, she seems unflappable and flexible.<br />
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Keeping her calm for heartworm treatment will be a challenge, so also dedication. But she's worth it.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-89626894069679957602017-10-04T21:40:00.000-05:002017-10-04T21:40:15.943-05:00Gray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The sun declined to rise today leaving the world gray and wet. I used the rainy day to start the work of freeing my bobbins. <br />
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First up is a UFO so old the 8oz of luxury fiber only cost $12. Except the term "only" isn't right as I hemmed and hawed before buying it because that $12 was a lot of money. You know, back when lattes didn't come in Pumpkin Spice. That's some deep stash. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-73274951912004760442017-10-03T23:00:00.000-05:002017-10-03T23:00:20.698-05:00ZippingI've dusted off...Ha! Like I leave them alone long enough for them to get dusty. Let me start again.<br />
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Once again, I'm listening to the Dresden Files audio books while spinning and I'm zipping through my fiber at a speed that I find a little concerning. I hope my stash is large enough to keep up. <br />
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2 oz of Cashmere and by the next morning it's yarn.<br />
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I remember my first time spinning cashmere and it was a slow, painstaking process involving sweaty hands and me clenched over the wheel trying to keep control. Now I can spin it like it's nothing. I can spin it like it's made of dandelion fluff and fairy dust. Heck, I could probably spin dandelion fluff and fairy dust if given half a chance. That's what 19 years of practice will get a person. <br />
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<i>Gratuitous shot of Sumi-e as he insists that I stop spinning to give him phone time. </i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-20586710089968429172017-10-02T20:57:00.000-05:002017-10-02T20:57:43.814-05:00Indian SummerNot every day is a walk at the lake but everyday is a walk in the park across the street from my home.<br />
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It's the crystal clear part of October with the first hint of fall color on the trees.<br />
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Late summer flowers are filled with butterflies.<br />
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Fall flowers are in full bloom.<br />
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The last few days have been a spectacular Indian Summer. I spun up a yarn to capture the colors as summer turns into autumn.<br />
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4oz of merino/tencel blend spun fingering weight into a self striping yarn.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-60986660542135945912017-10-01T22:27:00.000-05:002017-10-01T22:27:55.767-05:00Sunrise at the Lake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrYiHCmPmLQ/WdGw_6DINWI/AAAAAAAAEfY/gpZ1Jy0d6Yo97vSdAgOKulmxcFQ6t0CXQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1600" height="397" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zrYiHCmPmLQ/WdGw_6DINWI/AAAAAAAAEfY/gpZ1Jy0d6Yo97vSdAgOKulmxcFQ6t0CXQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2324.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
There was lots of wildlife on our walk today. Ducks, geese, rabbits and deer all ignoring the early risers. As the sun comes up the path gets busier and they slip away until dusk.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-20886034365056002672017-08-21T21:49:00.001-05:002017-08-21T21:49:45.180-05:00Eclipse 08.21.2017My house was in the path of the total eclipse. This morning a severe rain storm rolled though with thick black clouds, high winds, and another lightening strike to my trees but by 11:30am start of the eclipse the clouds had parted. I had a normal work day, however, I was able to nip out to see it progress and then at the time of the eclipse everyone was given half an hour away from their desk so I saw the full eclipse and watched the sun reemerge.<br />
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I did it old school with a pinhole projector and just looking at it during the totality so I wasn't able to take photos of the sun as I didn't want to risk my iPhone. My eyes- sure, but not the iPhone. Instead I bring to the blog-<br />
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<b><i>The Phases of Galen</i></b><br />
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12:30pm it's noticeably darker<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P5lNqBpZn7k/WZuXMxBWJqI/AAAAAAAAEfA/ZybhQ0JREGYZW7GTx--4zPmcwAom7xQbACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P5lNqBpZn7k/WZuXMxBWJqI/AAAAAAAAEfA/ZybhQ0JREGYZW7GTx--4zPmcwAom7xQbACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2093.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
12:45pm dusk, like just after the has sun has passed the horizon at sunset. This was as dark as I was expecting. <br />
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1:09pm at totality and it's dark enough the camera gives up the ghost. I would call this deep twilight, not quite night dark but much darker than I would have ever guessed.<br />
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My neighborhood had a nice half an hour of shooting off fireworks and having a celebration before wrapping it up as another workday. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-53276165582605992372017-07-06T23:04:00.000-05:002017-07-06T23:08:48.141-05:00Deja VuI'm back to dividing the body from the arms on my Zombie Apocalypse sweater and have reknit all the unravled yarn. When I went to add new yarn I couldn't find it. I'm not sure if it's in a safe place or out in the open camouflaged by other yarn but as I didn't have time to look for it I picked up my default knitting sock yarn blanket.<br />
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While knitting I watched Charlize Theron in Aeon Flux. What a deja vu moment. I've never seen the movie, didn't recognize the story or plot, and yet I have seen each and every action scene from that movie before, and I don't mean on Liquid Television. I finally decided that the movie trailer way back when must have
shown all the action scenes, or I watched a "Making Of...." piece
someplace, or something.<br />
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The sock yarn blanket is to the point it needs two new colors every row
as it increases in width. I had been looking at mini skien clubs when I
noticed the clearance colors of Louet Gems at Webs and that a 50g skein was marked down to the same
price as 10g mini. I took the amount of one month subscription of a box of minis and used it on the clearance yarn.<br />
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I'm set for 5 more rows I'm hopeful that 5 rows will also get the final width too. At that point I'll only need new colors as the current yarn runs out.<br />
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I'm going to hold out as long as I can but I feel the grays are dwindling rapidly and soon I will need to be buying replacement full size skeins of the base colors. Emotionally I'm worried. The rational part of my brain says it's going to be a non issue for the rest of the year. Almost out, yes, but a small amount on distance on the blanket is a whole lot of knitting . Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-81310124904942465732017-07-03T22:03:00.000-05:002017-07-03T22:03:43.581-05:00Spicy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back to the Budget Byte App<br />
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<i>149 calories for 1/2c</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/08/african-peanut-stew-vegan/" target="_blank">African Peanut Stew</a> from the app. This is very good! I've been making a different recipe for years that uses a whole 2c container of peanut butter instead of Budget Bytes 1/2c. That recipe is thick and rich and dense. This recipe is light, fresh, and but rather thin right off the stove however the next day its thickened up into the dense soup I'm expecting. With 1/4 of the peanut butter I will be replacing my old standby with this one. I just need to remember to make it spicier next time. <br />
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<i>Horrible photo of the <a href="https://andresueknits.com/2014/10/08/kitkat-hat-pattern/" target="_blank">Kit Kat hat</a> but the only current photo of me on my phone. Hat knit out of scraps of Plymouth Encore</i></div>
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Today is my year anniversary of my 30lb weight loss. It's thrown about that 95% of the people that loose weight gain it all back plus more in the first year. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/25/health/95-regain-lost-weight-or-do-they.html" target="_blank">While that study from the 1950s isn't likely to represent the general population</a> I went into this determined I would beat the odds whatever the % might be. </div>
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How have I done it? Quite simply by learning the calorie count of food and the amount I need. Like everything in life, simple isn't the same as easy, but, man, is it worth it. So worth it. Physically I feel better in my 40s than any other point in my life. A year later I'm still amazed at how much fun it is to be light on my feet. It. Is. Awesome.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-54253773322199358972017-07-01T23:21:00.000-05:002017-07-01T23:21:04.725-05:00Flax Seeds and Slivered Almonds The nice thing about the cookbook is that there will be a run of recipes that use the same ingredients. The flax seeds and slivered almonds that I bought special for the Breakfast Parfait are then used in the next recipe, Cherry-Almond Granola. Maybe the app does that too but if it does it's not as evident. I appreciate the specialty ingredients are being used again in other dishes. <br />
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Cherry-Almond Granola is pretty good. I'm not keen on the amount of oil it uses and I left out the almond extract all together (I already mentioned how I feel about Marzipan) and I disagree with the choice to add the dried cranberries before cooking, but I'm thrilled to see a granola recipe in a current publication. It's so easy to make.<br />
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What I did like is the vanilla. I've never added vanilla to granola before and there is a substantial amount. The vanilla holds well and comes through the mild sweetness of the granola and accents the nutty flavor of the slivered almonds and roasted flax seeds. I also like that it isn't sweet at all. I will make this again. - maybe- At 305 calories for a small bowl filled half full I would rather more filling things for breakfast. Oatmeal is a calorie dense and I'll be glad to leave this section of the book.<br />
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With the oven on and the ingredients out I also made Autumn Delight Baked Oatmeal. Now this is what I'm talking about. It's so good! <br />
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Pumpkin and apples, cinnamon and cloves, along with some of the dried
cranberries left from the last recipe. It's rich and sweet and reminds me of
coffee cake. At 260 calories for a reasonable sized slice this is a winner.<br />
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Well, except that I promptly ate two slices and wanted a third but that's my issue and not a problem with the recipe. I was able to get the rest safely away in the freezer for later. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-68236250184305950082017-06-30T23:55:00.000-05:002017-06-30T23:55:03.072-05:00The Future is NowThe second recipe from my 14 days of Budget Bytes is <a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/03/thai-curry-vegetable-soup/" target="_blank">Thai Curry Vegetable Soup </a>from the App. While the cookbook is new recipes, not to be found online, the app
recipes are directly from the blog.<br />
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The cool thing about the app is that
it's hands free voice activated and it talks through the steps. I prop
it up in a safe corner of the kitchen and say "Next" when I'm ready for
the next set of ingredients and instructions and it reads them out to me. This recipe is voiced by the author and some have a robot voice but they are all too cool. It has built in timers and
little how to videos. The app has a learn to cook feeling to it with the how to videos but I'm really enjoying it. It's amazing living in the future. <br />
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This recipe turned out pretty good. Just pretty good because at the end the instructions were to balance the salty/sweet/sour levels as I've never tasted a similar soup before I had a hard time choosing the balance.<br />
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As far as the budget it called for Fish Sauce at $3.59. That's a hefty
price for a 1/2 Tablespoon if I don't end up using it again. <br />
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193 cal per 1/2 cup. It's pretty amazing that there are places I can input the ingredients and it pops out a nutrition label including the calories. Truly living in the future. <br />
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I'm enjoying how <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/breathing-space" target="_blank">Breathing Space</a> starts by knitting the ribbing then the neck shaping is done by short rows. I've always felt that this would be an elegant way to start a sweater with no picking up the stitches for the ribbing at the end but I've never gotten around to trying it before now. I really like it. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-67653107794025925882017-06-28T23:24:00.001-05:002017-06-28T23:24:36.345-05:00With a Spoon<br />
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The first recipe in Budget Bytes is "Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal". There are three flavors I detest; marzipan, spearmint, and banana- so banana anything just isn't happening. Moving along I spotted "Breakfast Parfaits" known other places as overnight oats. <br />
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After grocery shopping I was too tired to cook but I could assemble some fruit and oatmeal in a Mason jar..... crap.... I don't have a Mason jar. My Pinterest account will be revoked!<br />
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With some digging I found a mostly empty jar of pesto in my fridge and after eating it up with a spoon I was able to assemble a Breakfast Parfait. <br />
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The jar even says Mason. Take that, Pinterest. <br />
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It might look hefty in the super sized photo but that is a really small jar packed with 276 calories. That is a mighty calorie punch for what looks like a small snack and it's not at all meal sized. I'm dubious it will keep me full.<br />
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When I had it for lunch it was not good. Not good at all. The oat and flax seeds had soaked up the moisture from the yogurt leaving them gummy and the yogurt the consistency of cheese. I don't know how long it would have kept me full as I spent the rest of the day with friends noshing on vegetables, dip, and nachos. <br />
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The next jar (it had Mango Salsa that I polished off with a spoon) is better. It looks meal sized in volume and at 320 calories is a meal. I added pineapple juice with the pineapple so the texture is better but overall it was uninspiring. This batch was a bit like paste and it was difficult to mix in the jar. It did keep me full for hours so it was acceptable but it's doubtful I'll ever make overnight oats again. My goal in life is to eat tasty food not acceptable food. <br />
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Budget Bytes isn't the only gift I've received this year. I was given two tasty tasty skiens of malabrigo in my favorite color. Malabrigo is the dark chocolate of the yarn world and as far removed from overnight oats as possible. They are an excellent addition the to the 2017 Stash rebuild. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-58441050340527528652017-06-27T23:44:00.000-05:002017-06-27T23:44:10.004-05:00YarnStash building 2017 has begun with two sweater quantities from Webs clearance. I'm a few years late to the party but I'll finally be able to knit fingering weight sweaters.
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The Araucania "Bubblegum" is a disappointing coral color and not bubblegum pink at all. I adore Araucania and once it's over dyed with more pink or turned into red it should be stunning.<br />
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The Viking Nordlys is better than I imagined. That's good because I bought it for a specific pattern.<br />
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I haven't bought yarn for a pattern since.... never? "Never" doesn't
sound right but almost never is close. I prefer to find a yarn I love
then search for a pattern that fits. However, I'm loving Veera Välimäki <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/breathing-space" target="_blank">Breathing Spac</a>e and have been on the lookout for a suitable yarn for a while. <br />
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I couldn't wait and cast on right away. I do have a knitted swatch that is still drying to verify my gauge and I want to know if the single yarn skews the knitting. <br />
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I'm also loving my orchid. This plant was my housewarming orchid that I bought as I moved into this place. Here it is, two summer later, in bloom again!<br />
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I'm a terror to house plants and can't keep anything alive but Mother In Law Tongue and Grocery Store Orchids. Both are dead easy to grow but as orchids have a reputation of being difficult I allow myself to feel smug that they thrive under my neglectful care. "Grocery Store Orchids" or Phalaenopsis Orchids also know as “Moth Orchids”don't have any sort of reputation of being difficult and are actually know for their hardiness but I latch onto the term orchid and go with it.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-3015019056135477992017-06-26T23:32:00.001-05:002017-06-26T23:32:26.335-05:00What Are We Eating?It's quite common for knitting blogs and podcasts to have a "What are we reading" segment and in a play on words I'm going to use it as an excuse to fan girl out a little on Budget Bytes.<br />
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I've read the food blog budgetbytes.com for about forever and while I don't get to cook the recipes as often as I like, I've always enjoyed them. I've been pretty vocal about recipes posted online as being terrible but budgetbytes.com (and allrecipes.com) has never failed me. <br />
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I was given the cookbook for my birthday and I bought the App hours after it was released. The app is FANTASTIC! This has inspired me with ideas of cooking my way though both all "Julia and Julia" style. Or the way knitters talk about knitting every pattern in an especially exciting pattern book. It will probably end the same as any knitters declaration to "knit ever pattern" but at the moment I'm stoked.<br />
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I set up my meal plan and made my grocery list. <br />
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The before photo.<br />
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Yes, my fridge looks like this before every grocery shopping trip. I'm against wasting money on spoilage and try to plan my meals so all the fresh food is eaten 2-3 days before the next bi-weekly trip. Occasionally lettuce goes bad on me or I'm making an emergency stir-fry with vegitable about to turn, but overall it works great.<br />
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This is perfect timing as my freezer meals are depleted too.<br />
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Freezer storage containers clean and ready to go!<br />
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They are so cute and tickles me that they are the same size. Each holds exactly 4oz of water. For real. The one on the right fits better in the freezer so I'm working my way to only having that shape.<br />
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After shopping! I may have gone a bit overboard in my excitement. That is a lot of food to cook in two weeks. Much of it will end up in freezer meals so I have faith it won't spoil. But, wow, that is a lot for two weeks. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My food cupboard, yes, my kitchen is small and only has one... My food cupboard is overflowing. I had to buy a surprising amount of specialty ingredients so at the moment it's not feeling very frugal. That doesn't matter as long as it's delicious. <br />
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No pictured: my freezer is worrisomely full of ingredients too. Will they get used up at a rate sufficient to add the freezer meals? Will I be able to tetris everything to fit? Will the lack of a deep freeze cause my goal of making 14 recipes in 14 days crash and burn before it gets off the ground? <br />
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Now to get cooking and find out.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-32915570284880055182017-06-22T23:45:00.001-05:002017-06-22T23:45:32.331-05:00Test DriveWhile waiting for my yarn to show up in the mail I did a little swatching.
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The yarn is Berroco Linsey a 64% cotton 34% Linen blend. The yarn is fabulous! The color not so much. It's a sage green marl. The color is classic but it dulls my complexion and I don't sparkle when I hold it up to my face. That's the danger of online ordering. The color isn't terrible and the yarn so wonderful I still plan to use it for a sweater. With a deep V neck or as a cardigan it should work.<br />
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I swatched plain, texted, and cabled. When finished I traced around it on paper adding notes on gauge, needle size (size 3/3.25 mm), brand of needle, and anything else I could think of before throwing it a load of laundry. <br />
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Here it is out of the dryer. It shrunk a little in width and substantially in length. The finished gauge is 22 stitches over 4 inches and not the 20 stitches for the project I was swathing for. Also the fabric is too fluid to hold the shape of a cardigan. I like it the way it is so I'm not going to swatch with lager needles. It won't work for what I had in mind but I'll put this away for later and all the information will be waiting.<br />
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It's nice to put a yarn through it's paces once and a while. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-69239453259356789492017-06-20T23:16:00.001-05:002017-06-20T23:16:27.287-05:00The 80's Called and They Want Their Sweater BackBrowsing online I saw stores stocking textured striped raglan sweaters this spring. I was smitten and since they are striped it meant that I would be able to dig up yarn from my stash. I don't have many sweater quantities left but I have plenty of scraps. <br />
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This sweater pleased me to no end in April but pulling it out today, so I could start the sleeves, I don't know if I can continue. Ugh. I though <a href="http://www.elle.com/fashion/g1978/elle-flashback-1987-410145/?slide=3" target="_blank">pink and sea foam quite striking in 1987</a> but I don't think these two colors would be combined even then. The only thing that keeps me from ripping it out is knowing the colors will fade in the wash from the prior projects. It might have a chance but at the moment it is firmly in time out.<br />
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Actually- I can't see ripping this one out. If I'm not inspired to finish it will go strait into the trash because of all the cut ends. <br />
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It's this sweater right after the socks that decided me. After years of knitting down the stash 2017 is going to be a stash rebuilding year. I want to have sweater quantities on hand. Lots and lots of sweater quantities. <br />
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While I wait for my yarn order to be delivered I pulled out a partial ball of TOFUtsies from scraps to make ankle socks for the gym. I cast on and made it through the heel flap at the dog park. Inspired by the defunct Lichen Ribbed Socks, I'm going to work my way through all the heel variations in <i>Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush</i> again. I keep reverting to the French heel by default because it's popular and I have it memorized but there are so many other variations.<br />
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Or wait! Maybe I won't work my way through the traditional heels again but do a study in short row heels. It's been years since I've even thought of short row heels.<br />
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Anyway, I want a wack of shorty TOFUtsies socks for summer and plan different heel variations. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-68815139689701572962017-06-16T22:33:00.002-05:002017-06-16T22:33:34.719-05:00Not Literally ForeverI love how hand knit socks last FOREVER! But it's not literally forever so I post whenever a pair comes to their end.<br />
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Lichen Ribbed Socks from the book <i>Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns </i>by Nancy Bush.<br />
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I knit these in 2008 as I was knitting my way through all the different sock heels in the book. The yarn is SWTC TOFUtsies made from 50% superwash wool, 25% soy silk,
22.5% cotton, 2.5% chitin (made from shrimp and crab shells!).<br />
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<i><a href="http://mysticweave.blogspot.com/2009/01/resolutions.html" target="_blank">Photo evidence</a> that is really was 2008 this pair is the second photo, they have faded a bit over the last 9 years. </i> <br />
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Sock made from this yarn are wonderfully soft and cool. They make the best gym socks. However, the yarn is very thin and a little splity so I don't love knitting it. I can't bare to throw these socks away since that hole is from 3 stitches snapping and it should be an easy mending job. However, I know myself and it's unlikely they will ever get mended.<br />
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Instead I whipped up a replacement pair. Some Henry's Attic Kona Superwash that I dyed an unfortunate combination of mauve and jade a very long time ago. I'm only knitting it now because my sock yarn stash is so depleted that I'm down to the dregs.<br />
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I do love the Kona yarn. It's a sport weight and at 44 stitches a pair of socks knits up in a hot second. I made a basic sock in a garter stitch rib. For all that I disliked the color of the yarn I'm pleased with how they turned out. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-22295583518789547222017-06-15T22:06:00.001-05:002017-06-15T22:06:19.169-05:00Demonstrating for the ClassFor sweater knitting this week I watched Brad Pitt in <u>World War Z.</u> It's another fast zombie movie but since they weren't super fast I didn't mind and the movie was better than I expected.<br />
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During the movie I reached the place of separating the sleeves from the sweater. When trying it on I decided I didn't like how the patterning on the back was distorting the fabric so I ripped it back to the neckline to try again.<br />
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As the photo of the yarn impersonating a pile of ramen noodles wasn't in focus, here is a shot of Galen and Sumi-e demonstrating the zombie head crushing technique.<br />
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Don't worry, no heads are being crushed. I used to stop this every time I saw it but Sumi-e is the one that instigates it and he seems to like it.<br />
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This is the third dog Sumi-e has lived with. He ignored Joey, he hid from Finn, but Galen is different for some reason, and they play together several times a day. If it gets to be too much, Sumi-e stalks off with disdain and glowers from inside the safely of the cage made by the coffee table legs. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-68679586240800811302017-06-12T23:55:00.001-05:002017-06-12T23:57:51.628-05:00ConciergeThe Friday before Memorial Day my washing machine stopped working mid load. Uh Oh! Then less than an hour later I flushed my toilet and water cascaded into my basement. Ack! I have an emergency fund but I'm not in a place I can buy a new washer and have a plumber come out and replace anything in the same week. Queue the hyperventilating. <br />
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That's why I have a home warranty.<br />
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I might never recoup the yearly cost, which make sense as I am paying for a concierge service. I'm buying the piece of mind of calling them and they take it from there. Repairmen start showing up at my place. Phone calls are made to me asking how I'm doing. As I take care of everything myself it's nice to be able to hand a problem over to someone else sometimes and they take care of it for a flat fee.<br />
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The plumbing was fixed in 24 hours. The washer took 10 days from start to finish (I waited a few days to open the claim because of Memorial Day) and this afternoon a beautiful new washer was installed.<br />
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I accepted the washing machine they offered rather than taking the smaller payout to apply toward buying one on my own, and it is hands down the nicest washer I've ever owned. Perhaps the bar is set low as I've only had very old, very used washers and between owning spent years going to a laundromat. But when I opened it and looked down and realized it's load capacity is about double of what I've had to date I could hear angles sing.<br />
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It was nice to have it professionally installed instead of my reading step by step through the manual. I have confidence I can install a washer but I'm pleased I didn't have too. Then they removed the old one for me too. No fuss no muss.<br />
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This is the year it expires from purchasing my home and I wasn't decided if I would renew but now I'm sold. I'll be keeping it for another year at least.<br />
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During those 10 days my bathtub got used for hand washing some tees so I could make it through. Clearly, I need more clothes if I can't go 10 days so I also bought some new graphic tees online. I know. Any excuse. It's taken a year to rebuild my collection in a size that fits but this order finally put me at a rotation I'm comfortable with. <br />
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I used the hand washing time to finish a sweater. I wove in the ends as the tees soaked then it took it's own bath. After two days of drying it's almost done.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-20075468651238107412017-06-11T23:21:00.001-05:002017-06-11T23:21:27.591-05:00Play All DayI had planned on writing a post about movie theater knitting and Marvel and TV knitting and watching Jessica Jones with friends on a Sunday morning. The hats were finished but stiff and needed a blocking before the photos. I quickly washed them and placed them outside to dry.<br />
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When I came out to take the photos I was greeted with this. <br />
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Galen had swiped the wool hat from the drying rack. He had been outside for a few hours and I suspect playing the whole time.<br />
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It looks like I have some decorative mending in my future. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-61670652008720359032017-06-10T23:24:00.000-05:002017-06-10T23:24:03.308-05:00Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse<br />
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Galen at the dog park showing off his Zombie fighting teeth.<br />
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So very fierce! And toothy!<br />
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Opp. Wait. Time to pose and be regal for the camera.<br />
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Season four of the Walking Dead everyone told Rick that he was still
a good man and they did it all the time. It came up at least once an episode. If I was watching it weekly as it came out, like a normal person, I might not have noticed, but
marathon watching it was glaring. Who were they trying to convince?
Themselves? Rick? The audience? Myself, I don't care if he is still good or not. I'm entranced and entrenched into the story.<br />
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With the first sweater done it's time for a new zombie apocalypse sweater. More digging deep into the dwindling stash. My computer died in December taking my stash spreadsheet with it but if memory serves it's from 2007. Yarn is FibraNatura Oak 50% Merino Wool 30% Silk
20% Linen.<br />
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I was excited to get it on clearance but then put it away for being... weird... with little tweedy bits of linen... and a brown that was just a little too red for my taste. It's perfect for that destructed, dirty, yet sexy look everyone sports during an apocalypse. It's also rich in lanolin (or spinning oil) and feels so good to knit. I'm glad that it survived every de-stash because it's beyond perfect.<br />
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Pattern is from my head as I go because there are no patterns in the apocalypse. There is barely scratch paper to draw out the schematic. I'm feeling pretty smug that I took the time to think through the sweater enough to have a schematic.<br />
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I splurged and bought season five of Walking Dead and plan to buy season six and seven too. In the meantime we spent the afternoon knitting on the couch after the dog park watching Will Smith in "I Am Legend"to keep the theme going. We do not like fast zombies at all. Yes, I know, it's plague movie and not really zombies but the fast is scary and way too fast to be believable and the crying dog distressed Galen quite a bit. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-87022607405401180742017-06-09T22:41:00.000-05:002017-06-09T22:41:48.692-05:00Walking DeadMy brother gave me seasons one through four of AMC Walking Dead for my birthday. Actually, I believe he loaned me seasons one through four of Walking Dead for my birthday. They are that good.<br />
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It's ok. We swap used DVDs as our gifts and when I'm ready to watch again I will be able to borrow them back I'm sure. <br />
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As I watched I knit this cool end of the world sweater. I dug deep into my dwindling stash and came up with my German sock yarn scraps. The Opal and Trekking XXL scraps and some Italian Regia for good measure.<br />
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This is the rugged sock yarn that never wears out and never dies and is perfect for the zombie apocalypse. I smoothed out my old tattered copy of Interweave Knits Fall 2007 to knit another <a href="https://www.brooklyntweed.com/shop/cobblestone/" target="_blank">Cobblestone</a> by Jared Flood holding the scrap yarn double.<br />
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I absolutely love how it came out. <br />
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Galen disproves of the beautiful wood floors and runs over to sit down on anything soft the second he sees it. I neglect him terribly by not installing carpet. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-15874210601267781612016-12-17T23:38:00.000-06:002016-12-17T23:38:31.209-06:00Atkilt Wot After a full year of going through everything I own and only keeping what brings me joy, it's as good as finished. So currently I am going through my 38 year collection of recipes and cooking them one by one to see if it's a keeper or needs to go.<br />
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As I cook I enter each one into a recipe builder that calculates the calories per serving.<br />
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This one is a keeper. It's African Stew from some budget vegetarian
cookbook I checked out of the library about 10 years ago. It's very
cheap to make and delicious and, surprisingly, it turns out that whole
plate is only 186 calories.<br />
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I always wondered about the name "African Stew". It's not stew and I didn't think it was African. <br />
That is until I went to Awaze, an Ethiopian restaurant downtown. Eating at Awaze was like being back in Africa. Exactly like being back in Africa. The restaurant opened half an hour later than posted, it took 40 minutes for our order to be taken, and an hour for the food to show up.<br />
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In Africa we had a family game of wondering what was happening back in the kitchen.<br />
"Waiting for the hens to lay the egg?"<br />
"Running to market to buy the lamb?"<br />
"Harvesting.... no! Planting the carrots."<br />
And that definitely applied to Awaza too. However, the food was the best I have ever tasted, maybe because I was eating lunch at 3pm, but it was amazing. And the best part? The Atkilt Wot we ordered is the same as my African Stew! <br />
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I'm working on a sock yarn blanket. I had a few full skeins of gray and the scraps will be the pops of color. I thought about making the hexipuffs but chose <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/beryl-blanket" target="_blank">Beryl Blanket </a>because each hexagon is picked up and knit on without any seaming.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-35009222631347989802016-12-14T22:15:00.001-06:002016-12-14T22:15:15.039-06:00Baby, It's Cold OutsideThe only thing anyone wants to do is lie in a pile of wool in front of the heating vent. <br />
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Galen and Sumi-e will brave their fear of running water and their distaste of each other to hang out in the only warm room in the house, the bathroom at bath time. I'm taking lots of long hot baths because I like to be warm too. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-49390690623103876432016-12-10T18:49:00.001-06:002016-12-10T18:49:34.853-06:00First SnowThe first snow was on Wednesday with more today. There is nothing better than spinning on a snowy Saturday with a crock pot of tikka masala simmering in the kitchen. The whole house smells delicious. <br />
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I finished a longstanding project of 958 yrds of dk weight spun from local fiber from deep deep stash. It's naturally colored Corriedale bought from a guild member in Manhattan KS way back in 1999. Ok, so local at the time. This beautiful fiber has moved with me across the country and back and is old enough to drive.<br />
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958 yrds will be enough for a vest or maybe a hat, mitten, scarf set to keep me warm in the snow.<br />
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In perfect timing for the snow I received a Christmas package from my mom of long underwear and fleece jammies. They are so cozy and warm and wonderful and too snugglely to take off. I love them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953248.post-3465412757944066162016-12-04T11:54:00.000-06:002016-12-04T11:54:36.540-06:00Rain and RainbowsCelebrating a year of owning my home. <br />
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April showed the funny smell that wafted from my basement whenever it rained wasn't mildew from the damp or even Finn sneaking down to relieve himself on rainy days (sorry for thinking it was you Finn) but my sewer line. After a week of heavy rain it backed up into my basement and started a saga that ended with having it replaced. 2016 will be forever remembered as the year of the sewer line.<br />
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In July, Finn escaped from me a few minutes after I made him pose for this photo and was found hit by a car on the highway three days later. I miss you Finn.<br />
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I made an unwelcome lateral move in my company into a position that I don't enjoy that comes with no support and a pay cut. Financially the year was already hard, the sewer line drained my emergency fund, and this isn't something I've recovered from. I've given up trying.<br />
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A close friend is fighting cancer and it's grim. We all do what we can with everyday we have. <br />
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With all the rain there have been rainbows too.<br />
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<i> rainbow over stagnate pond found on a 7 mile walk at local nature preserve</i><br />
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A new puppy! It's refreshing having a blank slate with no baggage. It's almost worth the 4 months of potty training. Almost.<br />
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Galen aka FinnJoeyGalen, has grown into a well behaved dog that doesn't touch my my yarn or chew books. (Ha! I wish)<br />
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But seriously, he is a good sport, always ready for any adventure, well trained, very smart, and loves showing off and learning a new tricks. His coat is very soft, he matches my floors, doesn't bark, but he does nibble on fingers like he is taste testing people. Over all, he's the perfect companion. <br />
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<i>the best kind of rainbow</i><br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/supernaturalyarns" target="_blank">Supernatural Yarns</a>. My favorite find of the year and local too. I've already started using them in my sock yarn blanket.<br />
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My day 200 photo. I'm tickled pink and quite pleased that I accomplished this. I'm smaller than....well....anytime is my adult life. As in I've never known myself to be this weight. Maybe 7th grade but we didn't have a scale at home so I'm guessing, but I'm smaller than I was at gym weigh in and rope climbing day in the 8th grade. Was it just me, or were those horrific for everyone? <br />
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<i>rainbow over the school at sunset, found while running away from zombies </i><br />
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While Galen needs just as much exercise as Finn, he is happier getting it from playing than running. This has allowed me time to join the high school's fitness center where I can go swimming whenever I want. I love it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1