A Crafty Yarn

I've been on a pot holder kick lately...Or pot cloths as Dan calls them :-)  When making hotpads you can go from crafty girl to crazy cat lady with a quickness.  I often fine myself walking that fine line...  I try to combat this by using edgier designs or non traditional colors. I recently succumbed to the vintage charm of these hot pads.  They were quick to make and even though they're a little kitschy I really like them   Pattern found HERE   Pattern found HERE  

Quite a while back I had a friend give me some beautiful handspun yarn with matching beads.  I wanted to do something special with it and finally decided on a project that I wanted to make for a friend.  My friend Amy is really into vintage things, deco, clothes, etc and I wanted to make something that would have classic elements.  I practiced the beading and broomstick lace.  Looked at countless bracelet patterns and came up with this:        

We have someone in our department who sends out a Gold Star email once a week in order to give a shout out to people who SHE believes did an exceptional job in some area.  It really is so much ridiculousness.  In this line of work there is an extraordinary amount of behind the scenes stuff that goes on.  A senior officer who guides the rookie in how to properly handle a situation, a dispatcher who is multitasking like a fool in order to get officers the information they need, a supervisor who is setting a perimeter to make sure a bad guy doesnt slip through... All of these efforts are being supported by the cooperative efforts of others...We absolutely do not work in a vacuum.  I once received a Gold Star for giving a piece of information to the woman who sends these emails. I have rarely been so upset... No mention of the officers who did amazing things on the street that night, no mention of my teammates who did an exceptional job handling ...

My friend Susan is a badass sock knitter...She can whip out amazing looking socks and make it look almost effortless.  Over the years she has encouraged me to try it but I've been intimidated by the whole process... thin yarn, small thin needles (a bunch of them!) I decided to give it a shot though and I'm SO glad that I did.  There is something so rewarding about churning out 2 (mostly) matching socks.  I decided to start out with a pair of simple ankle socks.  I used THIS pattern and am really happy with how they worked out!    

    My word now includes... Matchbox cars, motorcyle books, and art supplies...       ....and Teddy Bears....   ...and flowers chosen by a 10 year old because "They look like Harley Davidson"...       ...and chinese food aliens....       

We've been using this homemade laundry soap for a while now and I really wish I had started using it years ago!  It cleans really well and it has a really fresh smell :-) 1 bar of Fels Naptha 1 cup of Borax 1 cup of Washing Soda 3 gallons water Grate the bar of soap ( You can use any type you'd like but I prefer Fels Naptha) Put the grated soap into a very large stock pot and add 1 gallon of water.  Cook until the soap is fully dissolved and add the Borax and Washing Soda.  Bring to a boil stirring frequently.  Turn off heat. Add 1 gallon of cold water and mix well.  Divide the soap evenly between 3 1-gallon jugs....a funnel helps trememdously with this :-) Fill each jug almost to the top with cold water. Put lid on tightly and shake. Once cool, the laundry detergent will look like it's solid but if you give it a quick shake it will be ready to pour and use.  I use the lid from a traditional bottle of laundry soap as...

I've been busy in the kitchen this week!   Sweet and Spicy Pickles:  We're anxiously awaiting the 2-week mark so we can crack these open and see how they turned out!  Also, I had a bunch of banana peppers so I sliced them and canned them in some of the extra brine. 3 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices 2 cups sliced onions 1/2 cup pickling salt 6 cups water 3 cups white vinegar 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 3 1/2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 4 whole cloves 10 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic 24 dried cayenne peppers Directions: Place cucumbers, onions, pickling salt, and water in a large, glass or plastic bowl. Cover and allow cucumbers to soak for 2 hours. Drain the water from the onions and cucumbers through a colander and rinse well for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Combine the vinegars, sugar, ...