cassiege

Buttercup Bag

2010-12-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

When I saw this ever popular, ever adorable bag from Made by Rae and realized a free pattern was offered (quite graciously!), I decided that this would be what I would make for my sister-in-law. I'm terrible at gift giving--anyone who has ever received a gift from me knows this. I have grand plans or wonderful ideas, and a few months after the birthday or holiday, I finally get around to actually starting it. Then, with the aid of procrastination, a year has rolled around by the time I finish everything. I'm terrible. Therefore, it is a marvel--nay, a miracle--that I have this done when I will not even see my sister-in-law for another week. Of course, I have Made by Rae to thank for this.

Click for larger size. I did not do the suggested button flaps, but just added a single pink (vintage) button on each side.


Click for larger size. The inside is brown satin. I wanted to make sure that the bag big enough to hold a paperback novel.

I do regret that I forgot to sew interfacing onto the lining (as I was planning to do when I started) because the bag and strap is a bit too floppy, but other than that, I'm fairly pleased with it. The best thing about this pattern is that it uses a fat quarter! A purchased this fabric as a fat quarter in a fabric shop when I still lived in Oregon with the intention of using it for my sister-in-law. See, I was planning ahead... even though I think I originally planned it for her last birthday...

How I Hem Jeans

2010-10-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

I love being short. Unfortunately, I live in a tall world. This means things are often on shelves I can't reach, and I almost always have to hem jeans... even the ones marked "short" (liars). I struggled with hemming for a while until I came across this tutorial by Dacia Ray that explains how to save the original hem of jeans while hemming them. I'm not a very good seamstress even though I do sew quite a bit, so this is nice and simple for someone like me!

It basically goes like this (forgive the flash in some of the photos, the light was terrible):

Needed: 1 pair of too-long jeans. Cat hair optional. Put the jeans on and make a cuff to see how much you need to chop off and hem. Keep in mind that when you cuff jeans, you're going to be cutting off twice the amount than you can actually see. I needed to cut two inches off my pair of jeans in order to make it fit my 5'2" stature, so I measured one inch out from the hem (measure from the fold of the hem--the area within which I have my pins--not the "top" (usually bottom)):

This is the most time consuming part of this task (for a task that does not take long at all!): pin all the way around the cuff measuring every single time. You want to make sure that it's, for example, one inch all the way around and be sure to match up the seams to keep them even. No one wants a wonky hem.

When hemming, make sure to keep your thread going as close to the edge of the original hem as possible, and be careful when sewing around the seams because it's often too thick for regular needles. Don't snap a needle and poke an eye out!

After you finish hemming, cut off the excess, but make sure not to cut too close to the new hem since the fabric will fray and you don't want to lose your hem while strolling down the street one random, rainy day. I always cut off the excess because it's usually long enough to go past my hem and I hate the extra weight at the bottom. (I obviously had an accident while trimming...)

Then fold the hem back over and press! ...I hadn't pressed them yet in this photo.

I kept them longer than they're technically supposed to be because I wanted them to be a bit longer since they're boot leg jeans. Yep. (And my shameful lack of ironing is evident here.) But that's that.

I personally think that the ability to hem jeans is an essential part of a short person's sewing arsenal. You inevitably get to an age where it's just tacky to walk off the hems of your jeans instead of hemming them... and I'm pretty sure I reached that age about ten years ago...

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2010-10-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

I wish my heart were full of strawberries...

It has been a very long time since I last posted. I kept meaning to write a post about this pie when I made it back in August, but life kept getting the way. Now, however, I've felt sufficiently guilty about my lack of posts as to actually sit down and write. (There will be a quilting post sometime soon... when I actually start them... *shifty glance*)

I love strawberry rhubarb pie--it's my favorite and so is this recipe. Even my sister, who hates strawberry rhubarb pie, said it was good, and my parents, who love strawberry rhubarb pie, proclaimed it the best strawberry rhubarb pie they ever had. I agree. This is all thanks to this recipe at allrecipes.com and the suggestions left by the ever astute bakers!

I made this pie back in August at my parents' house because they have a large rhubarb plant in the backyard that gave me more than enough rhubarb.

If you are using fresh rhubarb, remember to cut off and sufficiently dispose of the leaves--rhubarb leaves are poisonous, so keep them away from pets and people! And be sure to scrub the stalks clean.

Ready!

Terri's Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie
(with suggestions from previous bakers)

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound fresh rhubarb, chopped
2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
9-inch double-crust pie crust recipe
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar. Add sliced strawberries and chopped rhubarb. Toss with sugar and flour and let stand for 30 minutes. (Be sure to let it stand for the FULL 30 minutes, or even longer if you wish, in order for the pie to end up less runny.)
Pour filling into pie crust. Dot top with butter and cover with top crust--however, it is highly suggested to make a lattice top instead of just plopping the whole top crust on there because the pie really needs steam to be able to escape to prevent runny pie. Either use a lattice top or cut really large holes in the top for the steam to escape. (The first time I made the pie, I used a lattice top, the second time I cut about 6 large hearts into the top. It is very important to let steam escape.)
Apply yolk to top pie crust using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly and brown. After the baking time is over, turn the oven off, but leave the pie in the oven for about 20 minutes or more to allow the pie to thicken. (Again, this is to make it less runny.) Cool on rack.

This will be one fabulous pie, and it's so easy to make. Put a smile on your face and have a delicious piece of pie! ...and share if you must.

There is another sky

2010-02-22T21:53:00.000-08:00

This necklace is Emily Dickinson's poem "There is another sky".

This is my very first necklace creation--of course, I purchased all materials, but I did spend time putting it together. (I am actually planning on working with resin later--probably with the flowers I've been pressing between the pages of my hardback edition of Barry Cunliffe's Europe Between the Oceans, which spent two days under a stack of my other archaeology textbooks...) I love pressed flowers because they remind me of Spring well into Winter.

As I've mentioned, I purchased all items except my sister Lacey had the two bee pendants and so gave them to me. I was quite surprised to find that they also had the same tarnished look as the pendant and chain I found. (Perhaps they are the same brand? I did not think to check.) I was somewhat apprehensive when I was cutting the chain. I kept thinking that a piece of metal was going to fly straight for my eye (with a vengeance) but it was just copper so it cut easily between jewelry wire-cutters.

The clasp... yep.

On the back of the pendant, I mod podged a piece of the poem that I had printed off (with use of a freeware font) and coffee stained slightly to match the pendant. Dickinson included the poem at the end of a letter to her brother Austin.

Here is the poem "There is another sky" by Emily Dickinson:

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields—
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

I love the optimism of the poem.

This is what it looks like worn. The bees are placed asymmetrically on the chain.

I have decided to sell the necklace in Lacey and my Etsy store once she actually allows me to get it running. She has a problem with seeing things through unless I keep on her about it! She had decided that she did not like the previous name we picked out for the store and so decided upon a new one--in French. I'm not really a fan of naming our Etsy store something French since neither of us speak French fluently, but we weren't agreeing so I eventually conceded. We'll see how it works!

So, yes. That's it for now. My next post will probably be about experimenting with resin! Or about how I tore apart a certain someone's gift and re-sewed it a few times because the seams were demon seams and refused to stay together...

Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

2010-01-14T01:01:00.000-08:00

Recently on the fabulous website Craftster, my post on how to make your own vanilla extract was awarded as one of the five "Craftster Best of 2009" in the Recipes and Cooking Tips section. I was hesitant to post old projects into this blog, but I could not resist this one.

This is not my original idea, of course. Making vanilla had to have started this way a very long time ago, but I found this idea of modern-day homemade vanilla on two different blogs. Since I was not brilliant enough to come up with this idea by myself, I will not re-post their recipe but instead provide links: bethany actually and Catherine Newman on Disney Family.com.
(I originally posted this entry on Craftster on March 11, 2009.)

I'm a Craftster Best of 2009 Winner!

My sister Lacey and I do a lot of baking. I've made three different batches of chocolate chip cookies since the beginning of this month... yes, I'm quite a cookie fiend! That recipe (my favorite) calls for a whole tablespoon of vanilla extract and, unfortunately, real vanilla extract (not imitation) is so expensive. Therefore, we were both very excited to do this project.

Here's all our equipment for the first time around. I bought the bottles from the same place that Bethany (the first linked blog) did, to which she gave a link. I bought the vanilla pods from the same website that both Bethany and Catherine Newman used and I purchased the cheapest vodka I could find, but in the biggest container. The second time around (this last December) we used a more high quality vodka, but since this second batch is not quite ready, I have yet to test the vanilla to determine whether the vanilla itself is of a higher quality. I've read, though, that you can improve the quality of cheap vodka by filtering it through one of those water filter pitchers (like Brita or Pur).

Vodka is used because it is a tasteless alcohol and so does not interfere with the taste of the vanilla. Store-bought vanilla extract contains 35% alcohol while vodka contains 40% alcohol, so there's only a small difference between its alcohol content.

I sliced them up both lengthwise and widthwise with kitchen shears and my sister dropped them in the bottle and filled it with vodka.

This is them all vodka-ed up and ready to sit for a month (which then increased to two!).

With the original batch, we were able to make ten bottles, so we had enough to send to friends and family while also keeping a few for ourselves. This was much cheaper than buying vanilla extract and now these bottles can be reused so there is less waste and it will be even cheaper the second time around. By my calculations, it appears that the first 10 bottles we made ended up costing somewhere between $3.50-$4 per bottle and those are 4-ounce bottles, so they were about $2.50 cheaper than a 1-ounce bottle! (I was unable to find a 4-ounce bottle with which to compare prices.)

My personal inclusion: Bethany's tutorial says to wait one month, but I suggest to wait a minimum of two. After one month, I thought the vanilla still smelled strongly of alcohol, but after two months it smelled wonderful. And now, 10 months later, the bottles that we still had hanging around (the 4-ounce bottles seem to last forever--we've only gone through 1 and 3/4 so far!) smell so strongly of vanilla, it's fantastic.

I was told by the wonderful posters on Craftster that there is no need to throw out the vanilla bean pods after finishing off the first batch of vanilla because they continue to work just as effectively and can be used again. I have yet to try this.

These photos, of the original batch, were taken after the two-month marker:

They were a dark amber color when photographed (though made slightly lighter by the flash), but when poured out in small amounts, they were a lighter golden color:

This photograph is a comparison between the homemade vanilla extract (after two months) and the store-bought vanilla extract. I hadn't realized that the vanilla extract I purchased from the store had corn syrup in it. This gave the vanilla a very sugar smell and made it thicker. The homemade vanilla is, of course, only as thick as vodka.

Please excuse the poor photo. The bottle on the left is from the original batch and the bottles on the right are from the new batch. You'll see that I accidentally broke into the one at the end! The one on the left has been sitting for about 10 months, while the new batch is only about 1 month through. (The bottle on the left is obviously much darker and it is also a darker color when poured out.) We had some of those beautiful bottles left over, so we decided to make the second batch of vanilla in the same manner as the first. Oh and, of course, as with vanilla purchased in the store, do not store it in the fridge.

If putting them in pretty bottles to give to people you love isn't really your thing, you can also make them in larger batches. Here is one I found by searching the internet: http://tipnut.com/homemade-vanilla-extract/

Traditional Vanilla Recipe
(Makes 8-ounces)
1/2-pint Vodka
4 Vanilla beans
Seal tight bottle or container
Decorative bottle

Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut a lengthwise slit down the middle of each vanilla bean.
Cut vanilla beans into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces.
Pour vodka into your container.
Add vanilla beans to container and shake.
Wait and shake. It will take 30-days for the vanilla extract to mature. Once each day, vigorously shake the container for 30-seconds.
Once the 30-day cycle has finished, strain the liquid through a colander or coffee filter and place in decorative bottle.

I still stress waiting longer than one month and to test its readiness by smell... or taste, if you like!

But, there it is! I love making my own vanilla. Now I think I'll start making my own brown sugar--apparently all you need is white sugar and molasses!

"Myrtle, ride like Hell."

2010-01-10T01:42:00.000-08:00

This blog is meant to be strictly craft-only, but I rediscovered this document and could not resist sharing it. A few years ago, my grandmother gave this to my mother (I don't know where she had gotten it), who then gave it to me--a Xerox copy of a five-page, typewritten memory of my great, great grandmother Myrtle Bates. Between the lines of type there are additions made in pen in a hand that looks a good deal like my mother's.

I recognize many of the landmarks mentioned within the document. Even now, I can picture the wide area in my head. The distinct look of Little Mountain. The now lazy Currant Creek. The long, narrow stretches of land etched between sloping giants covered in sagebrush and a pale green grass. The small huddle of trees standing tall in the lower field as the only marker of a once-standing homestead. Wyoming country is a beautiful place when it wishes to be, but there are so few who take the time to see it. And fewer still see the beauty in it. I love this world. This world is my home. Not the cities filled with oil workers and impatience. The silent world of the day, where only the wind whistles, and the starry nights accompanied by the howling of wolves and barking of coyotes.

But, I digress. Upon typing up this document to share, I did not alter anything. There are several grammatical errors, typewriter mistakes, and spelling mistakes, which I only clarified in brackets when I felt it would hinder the reading process. It's quite an adventure to follow it. I must say that I cannot provide proof of the legitimacy of this document, simply that I trust my family not to give in to flights of fancy. (This is coming from a wannabe-author...)

Nonetheless, it is a very interesting read and quite enjoyable. I hope you enjoy it, too. And here it begins:

---

The early days in my life in Old Wyoming were very hard, but when I go back over them and just think them all out, it was quite interesting. It was in the spring of 1896, I think, was the most exciting of my life. We had been there for 7 months when one night about two o’clock in the morning there was a rap at our door. My uncle thinking it was someone wanting to finish that night, as so many times a man riding late would look for a place to rest and let his horse rest or hide out from someone. My uncle went to the door and there stood a man we all knew very well. My uncle made the remark, “Billy Casebeer, what brings you here at this time of the night—any trouble?” For Bill had sheep and the sheepmen and cattlemen were having it Battle to Battle. When Billy stepped inside and my uncle lit the lamp, he could see that Billy was covered with Blood. My Aunt and I got up to see what could be done. He handed my uncle a slip of paper and said, “Take this as fast as you can to Joe Young. He is at his ranch tonight. Bill Bates came to my camp and I started out to take it myself but my horse was shot out from under me and I started to run and was shot through the shoulder. I ran for the brush and crawled far along for a long distance and then took a chance by following the bed of the creek and got here. Now Mr. Phink take it on, I am so weak I can’t go any farther.”

My uncle looked at him and said, “Billy, I can’t, I could not ride fast enough to do any good. I am just too old to ride to do any good at all, but something must be done, they are killing the sheep with clubs, beating them to death by the hundreds. Bill Bates and the herder (his name was Joe Sanders) are trying to hold them off. They are on top of Little Mountain. The timber is so thick it makes it hard for his men.”

I was standing there and Bill turned to me. “Myrtle, it is up to you to take this message through.”

“All right, Billy, I will do it!” I was a girl 14 years old but ready to do my part. My horse was got and saddled and Billy gave me the note and put me on safely and these were his words: “Myrtle, ride like Hell. You know you may get through, you may be killed, if you go you will take your chance for the cattlemen have men out watching every trail.”

“I will go.”

“Well, good luck to you and ride like hell and don’t tell anyone your name. You had better go up through the road that goes through the pasture and across the river. Be careful, you will have to swim the horse for the river is high. Follow the river up ‘till you reach the Tom Davis Bottom, then swim back across to this side, and there is that big open flat for about 4 miles before you hit the Ceaders. When you hit that flat, ride Myrtle, Ride! That will be the only dangerous place. You may have trouble, or you may be shot at.”

I swam my horse back across the river and when I got out on the open flat I looked in all directions and headed for the Ceaders. I had gone only about a mile when I was riding as fast as I thought I could go. BANG, I was shot at and I just lay flat down on my horse and I know that the shot scared my horse for we just flew across that big open flat. I was shot at 5 times. Twice I was just missed. It hit so close to my horse, but we were soon in the Ceaders winding our way to the ranch just over the Hill and down to Current Creek where the ranch was located. I rode about fifteen miles. It was about 4 o’clock in the morning and I rode up to the ranch and pounded on the door. One of the men came to the door. I asked if Mr. Young was there. He was supposed to be there and have a Possy [posse] of men with him as he was the sheriff of Sweetwater County. Just then Mr. Young came to the door. I gave him Bill Bates’ message. Bill Bates at that time was Mr. Young’s foreman of his sheep and ranch and Mr. Young had told him to take the sheep to the Mountains and he would be there when he got there with the sheep. He would have a possy of our men and that the Mormon Possy from Utah would join him at the ranch and they would go in a body to the mountain ahead, but Mr. Young was one day late and the Mormon Possy had not got to the ranch yet. They must have had trouble. Also Mr. Young read the note. Called all his men and all the men at the ranch. Everything was in a great hustle and bussel [bustle]. Mr. Young ordered another horse for me and sent me twelve miles farther along to the river. There I was to deliver another message to the sheriff that was leading the Mormon Possy. They had got to the river late and the river was so high they decided to make camp for the night. The river was too high to cross in the dark. It was just getting daylight when I got to the river. I could see a small campfire on the other side and I knew the sheriff was there. Mr. Young handed me some sort of matches when I started out and told me when I got to the river to take a sagebrush and light it and wave it in a circle twice and then raise it above my head in a beckoning wave. As I did that I got one in answer. Then I could see the men stirring around getting horses and soon hit the river. The water was high. They had to swim from bank to bank. But by drifting down stream for quite a ways they got across. As they rode up to me I counted the men. There were 10 in the crowd. I gave the sheriff Mr. Young’s message and told them I was to take them to a place called SugarLoaf Mountain and Mr. Young and his men would be there and go from there to the Mountain in a body scattering out as they reached the foot of the mountain. I said, “Please follow me.” And as I started up the old Cherrekee [Cherokee] trail there was one of the men said, “Young Lady I will ride with you if you have no objection.” And as he rode up along side of me he said, “What is your name?”

I had been told not to tell my name so I rode on and on farther and farther and I said nothing. On and on we went. It was twenty five miles from the river to SugarLoaf Mountain and at last we reached the spot where they were to meet. Mr. Young was there where he said he would be and the men met there. There were twenty in all. Well, my job was done. The men all thanked me and shook hands and the one that had rode with me shook my hand and said, “Young Lady, My name is Mr. Case from Utah.”

Again Mr. Young changed horses with me and I started on my ride for home, another 25 miles. I rode slowly and took my time for I was tired. I reached home late in the afternoon. My uncle and aunt and Billy Casebeer were waiting and watching for me, hoping for the best. When I rode up to the house all were glad. I had not had a bite to eat from the night before when I ate my supper until the next night, or anything to drink. I wanted to go to sleep rather than eat. I had made the ride of 77 miles, changing horses three times from two O’clock in the morning ‘till five in the afternoon. The next day my uncle too, the wagon and team and took Billy Casebeer to the Doctor in Green River City, 35 miles away and two days later Bill Bates came down to see if I got home safely. He said that the sheriff and the Utah sheriff and Posse got there just in time as he and the herder were cornered and one man holding guard and they had killed over a thousand head of sheep besides crippling a lot. The sheriff took the two men, one got killed who started to Utah. If they could get across the river into Utah then our men could not follow and they did not know the Utah sheriff was after them. They followed the two men who went into utah and took them by surprise and captured both men and brought them into Salt Lake City, Utah where they had the trial and sent them to prison. The other two were taken by the Rock Springs Posse and were tried in Green River and sent up for 5 years. The one that was killed was buried. That was the last real trouble that was had in that part of the country but there was plenty all around. It was many years later that I was in Salt Lake city and my son and I were running a small grocery store and every evening an elderly man would come into the store to get a few things on his way home from work and he always told my son about some of his experiences when a young man and the places he had been, and he asked my son where he was from and my son said his home was in Wyoming.

Mr. Case spoke up and said, “My boy the hardest trip I ever made was in Wyoming. The sheriff, Joe Young, had sent for help. So we organized a posse and started for Wyoming near Green River. So we started out and got to the river 25 miles away. It was nearly dark and the river was so high we would have to swim it so we decided to wait until morning and hit it early. So the next morning we were preparing to get going and we saw a light comp [come] up from the other side of the river. It waved first into circles and then a becon [beacon] for us to come across. So we got everything ready and crossed and a young girl lead the way but she would not tell her name. I tried to get her to talk but she would not. You know, young man, I am writing a book and I would give anything if I had her name to put in my book.”

My son knew at once who the girl was and after Mr. Case went out, my son came and told me so the next time Mr. Case came into the store I was there and I went up to him, took his hand and told him who I was and that I was the girl that gave him such a ride. After I told him a few things and that he was riding a black horse and that there was ten men in the bunch and my horse was a bay, he knew that I was the girl, and he was glad and so was I. He took my name and told me he was writing a book and now he could finish his book and put my name in it as Myrtle Thomas and a few years later I married Mr. Bates who was the foreman of the Young Ranch and had gone into business for himself. I saw Mr. Case twice after that. He was caretaker at Temple Square Grounds. I always wanted to get his book so as to finish my story.

Mrs. William Cannon was living in Rawlins, Wyoming, at the time of this ride and she said she read the whole story as it came out in the papers about the unknown kid leading the Mormon Posse through and Mr. Case was the Utah sheriff. Years after this incident Mrs. Cannon and the “Kid” got to be great friends raising our families together and as years have gone by down to 1952, Mrs. Cannon and I started out to find Mr. Case’s book. We went to the Tabernacle Library and got some report on the book and from there they sent us to the Temple Square Library and there we found out from a lady by the name of Mrs. Dunn that Mr. Case never finished the book. He lost his eyesight and could not do anymore. He had worked as a caretaker at the temple and tabernacle grounds for years before he passed away.

---

Below are signed the names Mrs. William Bates (Myrtle Thomas) and Mrs. Clara Young.

Women of the west are remarkable, especially from this time period. They are strong and they are brave--they are truly beautiful. Knowing that I want to be an author, the women in my family speak to me about writing memoirs. My aunt already has a title for it: Wyoming's Weaker Sex.

Sock'Em Blockers

2010-01-07T01:32:00.000-08:00

"Sock'Em Blockers" (or just your average sock blocker?)

My sister (Lacey, for those "not in the know") had been commenting recently that she'd like to own a pair of sock blockers, but they were always rather pricey for a good pair. As far as I know, sock blockers are not (technically) necessary to knitting, but blocking knitted projects always makes them look nice and causes the pattern to stand out. This makes blocking desirable to people who like to give knitting projects away as gifts. Lacey doesn't really have time to knit for herself, but instead knits for other people and, for now, that means gifts for family members. She is currently working on three pairs of socks--one for our older brother, one for our sister-in-law, and one for our older sister. (I like to remind her that she's only ever knitted me one sock. Not one pair--a single sock. I also like to tease her that it takes her forever to get any knitting projects done...)

We headed back home to Wyoming in early/mid December for Winter Break, and I asked my father if I could borrow the wide array of power tools he keeps in the garage. He, somewhat reluctantly, agreed. He coached me on the types of wood I could buy, how not to lose a finger on a saw, not to touch the sander with my fingers, and to wear protective eye-gear. You know, typical protective father stuff.

I bought planks of poplar, which is a very soft wood (which was both detrimental and beneficial--I'll talk more about that later) and some sealant because Lacey and I live in Oregon, which is quite a humid state, in front of a river. I wanted to make sure the moisture from the wet knitted sock wouldn't seep into the wood and cause problems.

Since I am new to knitting and haven't a clue what a sock blocker's dimensions should be, I went online and found a pattern for some foam sock blockers from CyberSeams. I cut out the patterns and traced them onto planks of wood, then I began to cut (I suppose that would "saw") them out. I cut out the rough shapes, and then I sanded them smooth with an electric sander. I made sure to round all corners and sand down anything that could catch onto yarn. I also managed to cut 1-inch holes along each sock blockers to aid in drying time. I haven't the foggiest what tool I used for that... it just sort of cut 1-inch holes. That was the only time I was injured, and I must admit I said a very naughty word. (I lost my grip on the sock blocker when the tool caught on some jagged wood and the blocker spun around and smacked me in the hand, drawing blood. I sanded it out.)

As I mentioned, I sanded the sharp and rough parts smooth, but I also used a Dremmel tool with sander attachments to smooth out the holes. This is where the trouble with poplar being a soft wood occured--I would often slip with the Dremmel tool and gouge out a piece of the wood that I couldn't sand away. That was troublesome. Poplar is a very pretty wood, though, especially when sanded. After a preliminary sanding, I sanded the whole thing smooth by hand and then put a few coats of a sealant on it.

Well, anyhow, it ended up all right. She quite liked them, though hasn't used them yet. We've always called them Sock'Em Blockers as a joke.

They came in four sizes--small, medium, large, and really large.

I borrowed the sock Lacey was knitting for our brother and slipped it on to demonstrate the effectiveness.

Some things I learned the hard way:

I am not even remotely as strong as my father and certainly need to stabilize the blocker with a wood vice rather than attempting to hold it by hand (resulting in cursing and pain);
Poplar wood can, um, sand away quite quickly (as a result of being so soft);
Sealant really likes to drip and it's a real pain attempting to sand the drips off, and;
Cat hair really does get everywhere and fruit flies really are attracted to sealant.

I'm quite pleased with how they turned out, despite the fact that they weren't perfect and the fact that I was making them in a partially heated garage in about 0 degree weather with numb feet and numb hands (not a really good idea when working with power tools!). It was quite fun, actually. I always recommend trying something new, even if it doesn't work out! I'll admit I was very prepared for a massive failure--as many of my projects end up being--and was pleasantly surprised.

A Poor Girl's Doctor Who Scarf

2009-11-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

"It's a pity about the scarf. Madame Nostradamus made it for me. Witty little knitter. ... Never get another one like it."
The Doctor (Doctor Who: The Ark in Space)

The Doctor's scarf has a multitude of uses (liken it to a towel, if you will), including disarming a gunman, taking measurements ("That's 162.4 cm, correct?" "Show off." "162.4... That's about seven stitches!"), or attempting to determine if an attacking machine is triggered by heat. It's also quite fashionable and quirky, just like the Doctor.

Unfortunately, mine is far less quirky.

This is because I am a first-time knitter and a college student. The former means that I made a whole heap of beginner's mistakes, and the latter means that I am poor and incapable of paying for enough wool yarn to knit a true Doctor Who scarf. I instead used some very soft acrylic yarn. (I do wish I had the money to make a proper wool scarf, but, honestly, crunch the numbers--they aren't pleasant!)

And, finally, it's about three to four and two-thirds feet too short. Tom Baker is 6'3" and I am 5'2" and so a 18-20' long scarf is sort of impractical for a girl like me. (And, also a Doctor like him, but I have ceaseless enjoyment from how many times he steps on it, has to flip it over his shoulder, or how far behind him it drags along the ground. But, truly, there is no scarf spiffier.)

Anyway, since I used acrylic I had to alter the pattern a bit. I found the pattern at http://www.doctorwhoscarf.com/ and used size 7 needles like suggested, but thicker, cheaper yarn, so I altered the number of stitches from 70 to 45.

I learned rookie mistakes the hard way:

Buy as much yarn as you'll need at the time you need it because the Nature of the World is that "they" will no longer sell it when you need it;
Keep an eye on color changes as you do them, especially if you have no idea why you're screwing up--it's probably because you're being a tad silly and causing the color changes to switch sides;
You can pick up stitches from the row prior to the one you're currently knitting, and the stitch at the end of the knitting needle can look like two if you're pulling the feeding yarn the wong way--both of these mean that you will end up with more stitches than you're supposed to have, and;
Your hands do cramp up something painful.

It took a few tries, but I eventually got the hang of the color changes and became quite a pro! However, I did end up putting the scarf on an indefinite hold--see, it's at 14 1/3 feet, but its "goal" is another 3 2/3-4 2/3 feet, at least that's how I judge it by eying the Doctor's scarf. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to continue knitting it and seeing as how it's getting on to winter, I'd truly like a scarf to wear.

Despite its faults, I like it and am quite proud of myself. First knitting project, a success... mostly.

Rookie Mistake

2009-10-27T00:07:00.000-07:00

I am still... still... working on my Tom Baker Doctor Who scarf. This is my very first knitting project, and I have already made countless rookie mistakes--the last of which was not buying enough yarn before I began. See, it never really crossed my mind that the business from which I purchased my deliciously cheap, albeit low-quality yarn (i.e., a College-Student-Acceptable Product) would stop selling said yarn.

So, I am now out of green (erm, "Forest Floor") and am bordering on the last of my red ("Wine Country"). I did manage to snag the last skein of the tan ("Wheat") on sale, but that does nothing for my green predicament. I do have enough for tassels, but not enough for the 5 more color changes into green (equaling 76 rows).

However, I am getting closer to the end of the scarf as I have adjusted it (to account for the lack of green and the fact that I am 1'1" shorter than Tom Baker), and I have only 388 more rows to go! (With 19 more color changes!)

I do feel as if I am cheating without green. It truly haunts my very soul. Perhaps I can find some place that sells similar yarn and see if I can locate a color that resembles Forest Floor...

This is what we poor, in debt college students call acrylic--cheap, synthetic, but very soft.

My Sewing Machine

2009-10-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

I've been busier than I thought I would be this quarter, so I have done very little crafting (which is quite depressing). Therefore, I've decided to document my new sewing machine. It arrived at my apartment a while ago, but I've never gotten around to mentioning it.

It's nothing too special--I am too poor to buy any sort of fancy sewing machine, though I did have my eye on one, and instead went with a Brother CS-6000i. I chose a Brother because it was also the brand of my previous sewing machine and it lasted for about five years and was going strong until my sister dropped mine on the concrete this last August. I've done, sadly, little sewing on it, but it appears to work fine, though it seems a tad sensitive.

Now I'm going to finish watching this wonderful program ("Discovering Ardi") on the Discovery Channel and then struggle with some more math, all the while wishing I had free time for sewing... or at least finishing a certain present I've been promising for a few months now.

Small Beginnings

2009-09-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to use this blog to record the progress and possible completion of certain sewing and craft projects that are usually my poor attempts at looking creative. I do like going through the craft blogs that you can find around the internet because I like to see what everyone has done or if they offer tips or suggestions. It gives me inspiration and the need to start some kind of project. I love that feeling. So, I'm a craft-inspiration mooch.

My current projects include the knitting of a Doctor Who scarf (that is, of course, the scarf of the fabulous Tom Baker's Doctor), my prospective Halloween costume (a Steampunk Archaeologist--yes, I know, more steampunk in the world!), and the completion of a friend's birthday gift. I am planning on posting pictures of the progress. The scarf is my first knitting project and a great deal of help has come from my twin sister/roommate.

I will be graduating this December with my BS in anthropology (with an archaeology focus) and a history minor. This terrifies me because I'm quite nervous about grad school and am currently questioning every choice I've ever made. But, just get me talking about archaeology and I won't shut up. This whole "school thing" does get in the way of crafting, so I'm hoping that creating a blog will force me to spend a little time crafting, a lot less time procrastinating, and getting my work load in order.

I do love to spend my free time crafting, but if I had the choice, I'd spend all of my time writing. (You could say, I suppose, that writing is crafting itself!) But, alas, the writing bug comes and goes with me, and I am forced to spend my free time crafting! (And, I do love taking photographs--of which I take plenty--but I have no talent for it!) However, if I have neither the craft bug nor the writing bug, I love to read and I absolutely adore movies. I'm one of those annoying people who quotes movie quotes whenever I feel it to be applicable to a situation in real life and replies with a shocked, "You've never seen [insert movie here]!" I do try my best not to be obnoxious, however.

This is it. :)