tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62631986165992595872011-12-31T20:17:45.694-05:00The continuing adventures of a fiber artist and enthusiast. Dyeing yarn and fiber, knitting and wire work, maybe some cooking and baking with the occasional foray into the garden and some laughable attempts at sewing. General shop updates and thoughts on running an etsy shop will figure as well. I hope this blog will be a fun and informative read, and I definitely intend to keep it interesting with how-to's and giveaways.Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.comBlogger1251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-69786953535464848922011-12-11T17:55:00.001-05:002011-12-11T23:00:27.411-05:00

I should probably stop pretending that these actually happen on the first of the month. I do have a giveaway for you all for December. This time it's courtesy of Sarah at Creature Comforts Craftworks. Isn't it pretty? What you would be getting is 50g (half a skein) of her lovely merino/nylon/stellina (for that extra sparkle!) sock yarn in the colorway "Decadent". That's a little over 200yds of

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-43314660285639224622011-11-21T21:32:00.001-05:002011-11-21T23:54:34.241-05:00

I can't believe it's already November 21. I think someone's playing a joke on me and rolled my whole calendar forward a few weeks. It's not almost December! *cries* But I have a giveaway to give away! This month the randomizer chose Connie! I've contacted via Ravelry. Here's what I've assembled so far. I'm waiting on one little component so I can make a glow in the dark stitch marker or two. I

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-28536564595690870692011-11-12T17:18:00.001-05:002011-11-12T23:55:30.901-05:00

Um.... *taps microphone* Is this thing on? If I flatter myself, you may have noticed my conspicuous absence at the start of this month (well, unless you follow my Twitter acct in which case I was jawing my head off). That would be because on Saturday, Oct 29th at about 3pm or a few minutes earlier, a big tree fell across our driveway taking down our power lines and a utility pole and causing

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-71927091970091231582011-10-10T00:09:00.004-04:002011-10-10T00:17:22.336-04:00

First things first, the winners of my October giveaway are Rebecca with the Pomegranate colorway, and RightAsRain for the random drawing. I've contacted both. Thanks for playing, everyone! There were a lot of great ideas, but I had to go with the one that caused me to go "guh" involuntarily when I opened the picture. I'll have pictures of Pomegranate to post later in the week when it's dry. Yes,

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-89071603054028061602011-10-03T00:03:00.004-04:002011-10-03T00:33:08.446-04:00

I'm late, I'm late! But I promise this is worth it. I got back from Seattle on Friday and my age is showing because it took until today to recuperate. I'm going to post tomorrow with my trip shenanigans but I want to get to this month's giveaway before it's even later because I think it's AWESOME. It has to do with this: This is a case of the Arctic Hare base, to be specific 110sk of it. The

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-23529151725600408302011-09-08T20:32:00.000-04:002011-09-08T20:32:31.959-04:00

I can't quite believe it's Thursday night already. I have so much left to do. *hyperventilates* But one fun and quick thing I can do is announce that LadySisyphus was picked by the randomizer to receive September's food safe dye kit. Thanks for playing, everyone! Lots of fall colors in people's suggestions; autumn must be on people's minds! A drier season would be a good thing; the flooding in

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-76685268709292712562011-09-01T23:58:00.001-04:002011-09-01T23:59:17.426-04:00

Run in circles, scream and shout. Actually, we did none of that, although some crankpants sniping started happening. I am, of course, referring to the recent visit from Irene. We lost power for 3.5 days, and since we have well water we were without electricity and running water for the duration. Otherwise, we came through unscathed. The gravel driveway looks a bit rough as parts of it are

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-50420010769523174602011-08-07T17:24:00.000-04:002011-08-07T17:24:48.339-04:00

First things first, the recipient of August's laceweight yarn giveaway is Knitmish! I've msg'd via Ravelry. It was fun to see how many other people craft in the evenings or even late at night. Especially the late at night part. *insert long analogy that ties in to The Frisco Kid and the term "londsman" here and then delete it because it's just too complicated* Thanks for playing, everyone!

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-71857673632373433802011-08-01T14:10:00.001-04:002011-08-01T14:31:25.354-04:00

It's August! When did that happen? July managed to pass in a haze of family and excessive heat. I almost wrote excessive heat and family, but that would imply that there was excessive family, and while that may sometimes be true it wasn't in this case! But I'm still not clear on exactly where all the time went.... Still now it's August 1 and that means I have a giveaway for you! I think this one

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-50939324738687371152011-07-23T21:20:00.008-04:002011-07-25T14:07:26.614-04:00

I'm supposed to be doing a shop update. In fact, I should have started it on Thursday but between the heat and family visiting I haven't done much of anything useful at all. So, this is my concert aftermath, and then I'm going to start working on my shop update and if I don't get anything listed tonight I'm going to give away some yarn on Twitter. I don't think it'll come to that, but it's a good

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-35299977479002462342011-07-12T01:46:00.001-04:002011-07-12T01:47:52.084-04:00

Hi everyone! I'm sorry this is late. I got back from Boston on Sunday evening, absorbed dinner and proceeded to do nothing of use whatsoever for the rest of the day. But I can announce that the winner of July's giveaway is Lorraine!  Thanks for participating, everyone! I'm percolating what to give away for August, and I have an inkling of a good idea. It depends on what I can get done in the next

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-45634790609094259632011-07-02T00:07:00.001-04:002011-08-09T13:03:35.996-04:00

Summer is here with gorgeous weather and long days that still don't manage to be long enough. I'm working on the shop between family visiting and other family visiting and going to visit family, and in general lots of demands on my time. Keeping true to my promise to update the shop every 2-2.5 weeks, I'll be restocking the laceweight early next week. I have 32sk ready to photograph and I was

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-65430595600883806792011-06-21T13:52:00.003-04:002011-08-09T13:02:20.268-04:00

I'm trying to be more disciplined about updating my shop and I plan to update about every 2 weeks in the future. In aid of that, I listed everything. And by everything, I mean everything. Even the skeins of Mountain Hare I was holding from 2009 because it sells so slowly is up in the shop. Which takes me to another milestone. I've passed 200 items listed in my shop. I'm at a comfortable 207 and

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-11695565398714897492011-06-20T22:06:00.003-04:002011-06-20T23:11:53.441-04:00

I wanted to post something quick because I don't post enough, and I finished this today. Properly, I finished knitting it yesterday, but I blocked it this morning and it was dry in time for a picture before it got dark. The light is a little off, which is why the greens are so very green. But the color isn't so bad for all that. It's one 6oz skein of Jackrabbit in the Tidal Pool colorway.

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-67960342649105593072011-06-14T23:15:00.010-04:002011-06-16T16:22:04.245-04:00

I'm home and chipping away at the work I need to get done, but I wanted to post about this before the details became too hazy. I haven't gone away on a trip in several years, so I was excited for a lot of reasons and not just the obvious. I had to remind myself repeatedly that I am actually capable of being a grown up in public and traveling to a strange city where they speak the same language

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-91230819909362568562011-06-11T09:58:00.000-04:002011-06-11T09:58:33.695-04:00

Hi, everyone! I'm sorry I'm late with the giveaway post. The winner is Andrea! I'll attempt to contact via the blog. Thanks for playing, everyone! Meanwhile, thank everyone so much for making my shop sale a wonderful success. It's really made a difference in the trip I'm currently taking. I'm slightly fish out of water here in Nashville, and it's been so hot that wandering around has been

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-29376548306798493092011-06-02T20:09:00.002-04:002011-06-03T11:41:58.687-04:00

So, um, I just learned I won something. It's access to a private event with a musician/band I greatly enjoy. On the downside, I was a second level winner which means I have to get there and stay there on my own dime, and it's in Nashville which means I can't just hop in the car (and sleep in it either). But dude, I am SO THERE. In aid of actually being able to fund this trip (IT'S NEXT WEEK!),

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-82567342772574395072011-06-01T15:40:00.006-04:002011-06-02T00:07:16.693-04:00

It's been another year! This is the second anniversary of my little shop and I've decided to mark this one by giving up some "secrets". OK, they weren't all that secret, but it sounds more interesting if I say they were. The colorway that won the poll was Nebula, but since I had several pots going, I also included the runners up Red Desert and Purple Peacock. This is how the finished colorways

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-60730162097794537192011-05-25T21:50:00.001-04:002011-05-25T22:34:41.343-04:00

So I'm planning to do a demo/tutorial on my dye technique and I'd like to tape it on Saturday. I'm not sure what colorway to show, so I've put a poll in the sidebar to the right ---->. If you have an opinion, please fill it out! Meanwhile, here I am blogging my dinner again. I tried this thing where I baked chicken pieces on a bed of lentils and liked it so much that tonight I tried it again

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-33293274214508662542011-05-08T14:30:00.003-04:002011-05-08T14:40:51.290-04:00

First things first, the recipient of May's shrinky dink giveaway is Sarah of Slinging Stitches! I liked all the posts, it reminded me of all the crafty things I haven't picked up in ages, as well as a few messes I used to make for the fun of it. :D It's still spring here, and for proof that it's May we had a tiny morel harvest on Friday. Three, we found three morels. Actually, I found a big one

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-22475121420437650842011-05-06T00:43:00.000-04:002011-05-06T00:43:31.128-04:00

A small baking and knitting post tonight. I'm constantly on the lookout for cookies that are satisfying but have some sort of redeeming dietary merit. So I took a chocolate chip cookie recipe and changed a few things and I liked the result enough to record the recipe here. These cookies still have butter and sugar in them, but they also have fiber, iron, whole grains, and protein. 1c (2

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-86422923883456082592011-05-01T19:50:00.000-04:002011-05-01T19:50:44.937-04:00

It's sprung all over my car if the thick chartreuse layer of pollen is anything to go by. But it has gotten very pretty out. This is looking up the hill to one side of the house. A downed tree back near the white dogwood has allowed a lot more light into that part of the woods, which is why that white dogwood is so full. The pink flowering tree in front is a redbud. The tulips are almost past

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-33632815033646140232011-04-10T22:41:00.001-04:002011-04-10T22:44:39.940-04:00

First things first, I should have done this yesterday but I was figuratively snowed in under digital photographs. The recipient of this month's giveaway of itty bitty needles and yarn miniskeins is Rebecca! I'll be emailing. Meanwhile, back at this also figurative ranch, I have finally updated the shop again, and will continue to do so as I can get the pictures done. Not with the entire backlog,

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-16046366895238181962011-04-02T20:06:00.002-04:002011-04-02T21:55:38.522-04:00

April fools' day is one of those days I enjoy but also find a little dismaying. On the other hand, the ouroboros of irony in this Reddit prank is sort of amusing, if only that the second pick for "most boring video" was a knitting tutorial. I think a link to This Is Handmade would have been more appropriate. Then there was this: This was around 10am yesterday and it snowed for hours. It was

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-19822664745611828392011-03-20T23:15:00.001-04:002011-03-20T23:16:46.623-04:00

I made a dessert tonight that was so fast and simple and delicious that I have to share it here. Molten Chocolate Cake, also known as chocolate lava cake. It's fast and easy to make, has a short list of ingredients, and it's sooooo good. I dare you to keep decorum past the second bite. Recipe with my modifications after the jump. The original recipe linked above doesn't indicate the size of

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-55602480263054988772011-03-16T21:48:00.004-04:002011-03-17T03:56:21.042-04:00

Some things. Help_Japan on LiveJournal, along the same model as Help_Haiti etc. An auction where people offer things and other people bid on them, and the winning bidders donate directly to aid orgs and the offerors fulfill the bids. No money changes hands between offeror and bidder unless shipping costs are figured in, but that's at the discretion of the individual offerors. The comm is also

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-51048364615252421612011-03-12T19:51:00.005-05:002011-03-12T20:46:59.972-05:00

So, yesterday was my birthday and for my birthday I decided I wanted to cook a very complicated dinner without concern about costs. Some of it was very successful and some of it could have been improved, but all in all I had a fantastic time shopping and cooking and cooking some more. Dinner was tasty, my plan for how to prepare and serve everything went almost without a hitch, and we ended the

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-41126736708476854802011-03-08T21:06:00.001-05:002011-03-08T21:07:13.785-05:00

And I was supposed to announce the giveaway recipient yesterday. *scrambles* The winner this month is Jamie! I'll contact via Ravelry regarding the McMorran balance. I'm going to blame my lack of focus on dyeing yarn inside. All those fumes, you know (not really). This is why I'm mostly seasonal and usually do my dyeing only in the temperate months. It's both easier and harder than when I can

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-75967632190877432092011-03-01T20:02:00.002-05:002011-03-01T20:26:44.109-05:00

So I may be a little flaily because I have so very much to do and never enough time in which to do it, but that doesn't mean this post can't be well balanced, like a healthy breakfast. Or this McMorran balance. Yes, today I am giving away a metric McMorran yarn balance. These nifty tools are used to determine the meterage of a given quantity of yarn. The balance is very precisely weighted and

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-61682543995666392922011-02-26T11:54:00.001-05:002011-02-26T11:56:20.336-05:00

Deadlines in February always have a sort of headlong quality to them. The month is only short by a couple days, but those extra hours add up when March 1 is within sight. I've been participating in Nerd Wars all month, and I have a weaving project to finish. This was it last week. I have 18in left to do and not much time to do it in. We'll see if I get it in on time. It's a backstrap loom

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-69102915170906722822011-02-07T23:39:00.001-05:002011-02-07T23:56:29.286-05:00

First things first, I forgot to do this yesterday. The entries for February's giveaway really cracked me up and the winner of the giveaway stitchmarkers is Bretta! I'll contact via Ravelry. Meanwhile, this winter is certainly full of enough ice and snow. We've been on ice since the sleet storm, with an impassible driveway. Rather, we could get down but getting back up again is always the kicker.

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-62994574007533815102011-02-01T21:47:00.004-05:002011-02-02T00:35:41.405-05:00

February! I'm a little scattered because February 3 is New Year's day according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which means that I've got to clean and clean and clean some more. But tonight I have a giveaway for you all! This month, I'm giving away half a set of stitch markers. But it's not just any half set. You see, normally my stitch markers come in sets of 4. But the February Phatfiber

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-90826380346318250232011-01-15T18:38:00.002-05:002011-01-15T21:01:03.138-05:00

See that? That's a 42W warm CFL and a 65W daylight CFL (6500 Kelvin, full spectrum, CRI 80), behind a piece of white tissue paper I'm using to soften the light. A 65W CFL is about equivalent to a 300W incandescent bulb, so it's bright. The 65W bulb isn't bright enough on its own, and tends to cool things down just a little too much; it's just a little bit flat.  Pairing up both lights seems

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-81890004708560410422011-01-08T00:11:00.001-05:002011-01-08T03:05:25.733-05:00

First up, January's giveaway of a pair of earrings from Written Insight goes to AbsolutGillian! I'll contact via Ravelry. :) Second up, a repick for December's giveaway is Ilina!  I'll contact via Ravelry as well.  Meanwhile back at the ranch, I'm making a lot of stitch markers lately.  The January Phatfiber theme is Chinese New Year, and I was able to squeak in this month's samples under the

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-54715260126321160952011-01-06T16:54:00.002-05:002011-01-06T17:02:52.066-05:00

First up, today's the last day to enter my January giveaway for a pair of earrings from WrittenInsight, so do pop on over there! Next, I wanted to talk about two things today.  The first is my latest knitting project and the second is trying to take product photographs when the light doesn't comply. So, knitting.  I got itchy fingers and decided to try a technique that has intrigued me for lo

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-83889271688040458202011-01-02T13:49:00.003-05:002011-01-02T15:28:52.148-05:00

It was a very busy December with my father's 80th birthday banquet on the 19th and family coming home for the holidays, as well as other assorted goings on.  One cousin's family has expanded with a bouncing baby boy, and another's is expecting any day now.  It's been full of moment and now that I can pause to breathe and blog, I'd like to post about the lunar eclipse on the solstice since I took

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-66968106845856908082010-12-10T00:53:00.002-05:002010-12-10T01:20:35.317-05:00

First things first, the December giveaway!  I loved the stories, thanks to everyone for sharing them.  My favorite thing about this question was how it made me think.  A good friend of mine came up with it and I thought it was easy at first, but then had to really dig to decide what makes a gift I've given special. I've plugged the numbers into Random.org and the winner of December's giveaway is

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-37820199086900299752010-12-01T18:31:00.001-05:002010-12-01T18:51:21.201-05:00

Today it rained so hard that it got brighter from the light reflecting off the sheets of water.  It didn't last for long, but it was definitely startling.  Now the temperature is dropping and it feels like December again.  I'm not sure why it's allowed to be December when I was just getting used to November, but there it is, December 1st, 2010. This month's giveaway is a bit of a tease. See,

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-43610733479613306472010-11-20T16:54:00.000-05:002010-11-20T16:54:31.636-05:00

So my brain is full of sentimentality and a slight buzzing noise.  It's the combination of a new cd on repeat and having caught some bug or another that's making the rounds of the household.  But at least I was productive earlier in the week, right?  I need to get the latest batch of Arctic Hare photographed and up in the shop this weekend, and I'm planning to visit the Princeton YWCA Crafters

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-43441140263157607762010-11-08T18:36:00.005-05:002010-11-09T00:08:26.384-05:00

Little thoughts keep rising to the surface. I'm a bit scattered, I've got a festival on Saturday and I'm behind schedule! *bubble* If you happen to be in the Montgomery NJ area on November 13th, swing by Montgomery Made by Hand at the high school (1016 Route 601, Skillman, NJ). 10am-3pm, it's a holiday craft fair hosted by the honors society, and there will be 45 vendors in attendance.  Free

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-44126661950056259532010-11-06T23:40:00.005-04:002010-11-09T00:19:48.510-05:00

First things first, the winner of the November 1 giveaway is (randomly) ilina! Please let me know where to send your bling! Now, on to buttons.  My workroom is the coldest room in the  house. Two walls are mostly windows and the glass in those windows is single paned. We shrink wrap the windows for the winter, but the temperature of the space is still very much in synch with the great outdoors.

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-74454643222222864722010-11-02T01:35:00.003-04:002010-11-02T01:51:16.257-04:00

It's November!  I'm still not entirely sure where all the time goes, but we're due for another giveaway here on my wee blog and this month I have some fun handmade jewelry to kick us off. I'm giving away this necklace from Lady Sisyphus' Free Time.  Lady Sisyphus brings together all sorts of beads and charms into some really delightful pieces, and she crochets too. *softly chants 'one of us! one

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-3344537003648014292010-10-31T16:48:00.001-04:002010-10-31T17:06:40.602-04:00

I've been knitting a lot recently, it's gotten brisk out and my office is the coldest room in the house. Finishing a project as the days get shorter and the nights get colder is a very specific kind of satisfaction, and one I really love. One of the things I've done recently is work up a variation of the Wizarding Incognito Hat that is a standard Muggle toque.  It's really very simple and works

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-80768233323795777992010-10-29T14:52:00.000-04:002010-10-29T14:52:34.348-04:00

(Because saying "the cake is a lie" has become a little tired.) This is late, because I actually baked this cake a week ago for a reception on the 23rd. Cake is an evanescent art form, and also participatory.  I'd go so far as to call special occasion cakes performative. It tasted really good, although it fell apart when cut due to several factors. And I should have used more syrup to moisten

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-60189865702057572192010-10-10T12:55:00.006-04:002010-10-10T13:27:06.744-04:00

I haven't posted about food in a while because I became swamped with festival business and then fell into a blue funk.  I'm actually still in the blue funk but I'm working on snapping out of that. In the meantime, one of my two favorite kinds of food needs to happen and I need to make it happen.  I like two kinds of food, which may or may not be clear by now; the really simple and delicious, and

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-67396511303853978392010-10-08T23:04:00.002-04:002010-10-09T00:57:49.819-04:00

First things first, the winner of this month's fibery giveaway is OneOfTheHive!  Please let me know where I should send the top and I'll get it right out for you. Thanks for all the great ideas, everyone! Meanwhile, I've got interlocking cubes on the brain.  See, I'm supposed to do the Bazaar Bizarre Boston with KnittinK in December.  The problem?  The space is 1/4 what I'm used to filling.  For

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-37706283202179341472010-10-02T00:53:00.003-04:002010-10-02T13:38:09.198-04:00

I can't even believe it. I'm not sure where September went, but since I'm wearing a shawlette I finished this week, and a sweater and socks, it must be true that it's October. I was going to give away some fun bling from lovely Lady Sisyphus this month, but I'm going to save it for next month when we can all use a bright pick-me-up.  Instead, today I'm giving away fiber.  I think you'll forgive

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-62383161562285153102010-09-17T23:57:00.000-04:002010-09-17T23:57:36.200-04:00

At least I'm a pro. :P Before I get into the why of all this procrastination, one very exciting thing and one fun thing. First off the exciting thing; my yarn was recommended in the Knitcircus Holiday edition gift guide on page 15.  It looks rather lovely with all those other beautiful yarns, I think.  And if you didn't see it when it came out, two of my colorways were used in a gorgeous sock

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-38149042012816181562010-09-15T22:59:00.003-04:002010-09-22T11:10:30.408-04:00

So, yes, it's Wednesday and the GSSB festival has been over for days and I haven't said a peep about it until now because ZOMG I feel a little like a hamster in a ball rolling around with So Much To Do! First things first, the festival. The festival was wonderful. This was my second year vending at it, and it's bigger, better organized, better advertised, and all around a great weekend for me. I

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-23565797010254127212010-09-09T19:31:00.000-04:002010-09-09T19:31:26.743-04:00

I meant to do this yesterday, but it was the last push to get everything dyed in time to dry for Saturday's festival and I never managed to do so. But I'm here today! (Cannily avoiding inventory and labeling, too.) And I get to announce that Random.org picked cthulhulovesme to win the giveaway of lovely LylianMae Fiber Arts fiber. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I did a quick test of my new

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-90112269768425229342010-09-01T21:37:00.001-04:002010-09-01T22:05:12.245-04:00

It's September already and I'm dyeing up a storm. But I'm taking a break from the dye pots to plug LylianMae Fiber Artistry and offer up some of Emily's lovely hand dyed roving for this month's giveaway. These are three 25g samples in Falkland/Corriedale cross colorway Quarantine; superwash merino colorway Brown-eyed Girl and Rambouillet colorway Morgaine: Lady of the Lake. With these braids

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-66640567275413910422010-08-27T03:31:00.001-04:002010-08-27T03:37:36.246-04:00

It's 3am and I should be doing all sorts of other things including work, but I just spent over an hour outside looking up at the sky.  You see, my father received an email a while back talking about the August "Two Moons" effect of Mars and the moon. While the phenomenon is actually not true, what was true is that the sky was clear, the moon was gloriously bright, and there was a bright speck of

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-70537155243592169732010-08-25T16:47:00.000-04:002010-08-25T16:47:20.499-04:00

Summer is coming to a close here and the weather has turned cool and drippy. We'll no doubt get another blast of heat to remind us that it's not done with us quite yet but it's almost time for apple picking and pumpkin pie again. This picture isn't indicative of the weather at all. I took it earlier this summer, when I wanted to melt. But ice cream is always appropriate. So here's another ice

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-52615990557404164252010-08-21T15:50:00.000-04:002010-08-21T15:50:33.986-04:00

I'm working on lots of things to gear up for the festival next month, and this one keeps cracking me up so I have to share. But before I get into that I just want to remind everyone that I have two yarny fibery swap boxes up for auction at the Help Pakistan LiveJournal community. Now, on to the thing that's been amusing me for days. See, I like to hand out free patterns when I do a craft show.

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-58383704159378704582010-08-19T13:37:00.004-04:002010-08-20T01:05:09.699-04:00

So, I know a lot of people are cash poor, I certainly am. I also know that there are a lot of people who want to help when simply awful things happen, like the flooding in Pakistan. Sometimes people come together and make a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Help Haiti did that. It raised over $115,000 in just a few weeks. All by matching up people with goods or services they could

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-9754071911392914352010-08-16T22:23:00.002-04:002010-08-16T22:26:26.594-04:00

I'm a bit swamped right now but I wanted to pop up a post to say that KnittinK and I were accepted to the Boston Bazaar Bizarre in Boston for their Winter Fair. I'm very excited about this. It's the first festival of its sort that I'll have done, and it's supposed to have great vendors and amazing attendance. This also means I get to go up to Boston and see friends! And, since I poked around

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-66418253472218403982010-08-14T04:19:00.000-04:002010-08-14T04:19:07.940-04:00

The number of times I have to retake pictures because the color temperature is off is really starting to annoy me. I have to retake some pictures this weekend, while I try to finally get all the skeins I dyed in July listed. This, so I can dye up more this week and then list them. I have a lot to dye up before the Garden State Sheep Breeders festival in September (Sept 11 & 12, in Ringoes, NJ).

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-721622586268073892010-08-11T00:40:00.002-04:002010-08-11T04:35:05.930-04:00

Last night was full of moment. There was a lot of not getting enough work done (which is why my next shop update starts tomorrow come hell or high water), mangoes with coconut rice, and a mystery. The mangoes with coconut rice will be at the end of this post because I'd like to talk about the mystery. If you just want the recipe, click through the jump cut and page down until you see the food

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-50507538500190402462010-08-07T21:33:00.001-04:002010-08-07T21:39:27.592-04:00

I'm covered in pigment ink. My new stamp pad came today so of course I had to drop everything and try it out. Trying it out led to stamping 25 shopping bags until I could reliably produce something halfway decent. I did say "halfway". This is actually one of the first ones I did. I consider the "oopses" as part of the rustic charm. *cough* As long as I'm careful, they turn out well. If I

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-71325741858210766802010-08-06T21:20:00.000-04:002010-08-06T21:20:23.941-04:00

First things first, I get to announce the winner of August 1 Giveaway! There was a lot of fun discussion of favorite cartoon characters, and I was reminded of a lot I'd forgotten. But, on to the winner! Random.org has chosen Nephnie to receive the skein of Jackrabbit in the Red Desert colorway. Congratulations, Nephnie! Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I've been pondering dye lots and my

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-772439052911748732010-08-04T20:51:00.001-04:002010-08-04T20:52:45.504-04:00

Remember, tomorrow is the last day to enter the most recent giveaway in this post. I've been very busy and not very productive. We have family visiting which makes it difficult to get things done, and the weather has decided to get ridiculously hot and humid again. I had to bring in all the yarn I dyed over the weekend and crank up the dehumidifier. This means that my workroom is unbearably hot

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-51999930510518057782010-08-02T21:46:00.006-04:002010-08-02T23:02:45.270-04:00

First off, don't forget the giveaway happening in this post, taking comments through Thursday. Now, on to cake! We have family visiting and one of my nieces asked for cake. Since we're in the middle of a slightly cooler patch of weather, I decided to go for it. The request was chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and raspberry jam filling. I decided to go with a simple chocolate cake

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-14302210547894658772010-08-01T20:57:00.005-04:002010-08-01T22:47:40.984-04:00

For this month's giveaway I have a skein of the colorway I dyed up for the August Phatfiber box theme of Africa. Jackrabbit 4oz, colorway Red Desert. This is a 4oz skein in the Jackrabbit base, a 2ply superwash merino in a fingering weight. 400yds, this is plenty for a pair of socks or a small lace project. I love this yarn; it's incredibly springy and has a lovely sheen. In this colorway,

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-46820128020323473832010-07-28T23:46:00.002-04:002010-07-29T21:13:52.346-04:00

I have two things today! First up is the hand carved rubber stamp I purchased from Brown Pigeon on Etsy. It's a representation of my logo in a 4in square stamp and I love it. Mynah insisted on joining the picture. Meagan does great work and I received the stamp a mere 12 days after I initiated conversation about the design and what would be possible. It's a big, beautiful stamp that I

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-11090065072777874122010-07-27T11:03:00.001-04:002010-07-27T11:04:22.597-04:00

A bunch of us have donated goodies to a Gulf fundraiser box that Jessie of the Phatfiber box has been coordinating. It's a big, beautiful box of spinning fiber, yarn, gift certificates, cards and stitch markers, a shawl pin, and Jessie has even included a shawlette she designed and knit. Donations should be sent to Audubon.org, each $5 increment counts as an entry in the drawing. For specifics

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-75291615058395345432010-07-25T21:02:00.000-04:002010-07-25T21:02:49.872-04:00

So, someone asked a Combined knitting question over in the Ravelry forums. I put together a quick little video and decided to put it here, too. I don't know how helpful it will be, but I think of Combined knitting as a constant state of mind, so this will show some of the process I go through when deciding how to work a pattern written for Western oriented stitches. And if you don't know

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-28840803461828716302010-07-23T22:06:00.002-04:002010-07-23T22:10:18.021-04:00

I have a long blog post about selling on Etsy that I've been percolating for days, but it's not ready for public consumption yet. And really, that rant should be saved for another day. I've got much more pressing and pleasant things to do tonight. Specifically, I need to announce that Emily N. is the recipient of the latest Ice Cream Social! Myself, I'm not having ice cream tonight. Instead,

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-70177885763428118502010-07-22T16:36:00.002-04:002010-07-22T20:37:48.313-04:00

 First up, a reminder!  Today is the last day to enter in on the Ice Cream Social giveaway.  Free ice cream, what's not to like? Secondly, I bought a new hammer. I decided to upgrade my stitch marker making tools and retire the hammer I've been using. It's a serious upgrade, too.  Before and After.   That would be a dollar store hammer on the left, that I had to pound nails into because the

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-39550876170079264072010-07-18T15:11:00.000-04:002010-07-18T15:11:11.858-04:00

It's that time again! Today is National Ice Cream Day and I've got another coupon for a pint of Ben & Jerry's up for grabs. Just comment here any time through Thursday, July 22, about your favorite summertime treat(s), and you'll be entered in the random drawing! Please leave a way to get back in touch with you, or check back here on Friday, July 23 to see if you've won! Once again, this

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-43311382422562633102010-07-17T17:51:00.007-04:002010-07-18T13:47:07.178-04:00

I've been updating the shop in bursts for a few days, and last night I finally redid all my listing titles. The old versions were too wordy and it was difficult to keep straight which was which base. Hopefully the more succinct titles will work better.  Let me know what you think! Picture links to the shop. Now, on to the sweet, creamy good stuff. Did you know that in the US July is National

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-47746686101500229332010-07-14T20:37:00.002-04:002010-07-14T23:05:41.305-04:00

I got my July Phatfiber colorways listed by the skin of my teeth, today, as well as a few other colorways.  I'm still working on editing and then listing the rest of my June yarns.  But first, I have to cook dinner! This is one of the colorways I listed last night. It's called "Monster under the Bed" and is a combination of a red burgundy or maroon, purple, and bright greens shot through with

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-82309431749110726292010-07-08T20:50:00.001-04:002010-07-08T20:50:47.872-04:00

2!  That means Deb is the winner of the July 1 giveaway for some delicious Urbbody products and a KIP bag from Ruddawg.  ... I just noticed the double letter confluence in both shop names. That's pretty funny. :D Deb, please contact me with your address so I can send out your prize! Meanwhile, I'm busy making stitch markers, labeling yarn, and editing yarn pictures. But I did get one thing done

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-54837279933461817412010-07-07T17:08:00.001-04:002010-07-07T17:10:53.749-04:00

First a reminder!  Today is the last day to comment for the July 1 giveaway! I'm giving away some lovely Urbbody products, you know you want 'em! Meanwhile, it is hot. It is ridiculously hot. I have to give the rabbit outside ice bottles three times a day so he doesn't overheat.  He's hiding in his little house cuddled up to a cold water bottle.  For some reason, the cats have insisted on

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-3052329745706416372010-07-05T20:31:00.005-04:002010-07-17T17:52:51.582-04:00

First things first, I'm giving away some delightful Urbbody products in this post.  Meanwhile, the quip "Fourth of July, fifth of gin" passed through my radar yesterday.  We missed out on fireworks, but stayed inside and tried to keep cool.  Our family barbecue is today and all that cooking I haven't done lately came to a head. I'm historically in charge of dessert and I usually bake. 

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-44337458691606662482010-07-01T21:25:00.001-04:002010-07-01T21:26:34.992-04:00

I'm up to my elbows in hot, wet wool but I had to leap in and post the next giveaway. I hope you'll love this one, because I do!  July's drawing is for a delicious set of moisturizers from Urbbody. Solid lotion, cuticle balm, and two lip balms. Urbbody is an old friend of mine from waaay back, and her products have been delighting people since 2007.  The set I am giving away has one solid

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-38362754259060618932010-06-30T23:41:00.003-04:002010-06-30T23:58:04.080-04:00

Sometimes I get really tired and discouraged, depressed, frustrated. But sometimes, sometimes things click. This has been a very busy week, and it's not getting any less busy any time soon. I didn't cook dinner tonight because I had to finish updating the shop so I could finish working on my page for the Fiber Cooperative.  14 colorways went up in the shop, I have another dozen or so to

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-56126619850211875602010-06-28T23:35:00.004-04:002010-06-29T00:21:35.915-04:00

I'm busy busy busy trying to get things done in the ridiculously sweltering heat, but I'm very excited about something so I'm dashing in to post. What is it, you say? It's The Fiber Cooperative, which will go live in July. Basically, it's like an online fiber festival, with yarnies and other such folk presenting their "vendor tables" with the best and most representative of their wares each

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-14286881186625035502010-06-25T00:00:00.002-04:002010-07-17T17:53:16.692-04:00

So, have you ever looked at a Teddy Graham cracker and thought "Teddy Graham, mini-marshmallow, chocolate chip!" I've had this idea for a long time, I just never implemented it before.  (Apologies for the blurry pics. Unfortunately I didn't get a single unblurry one!) I overtoasted them, so they were like napalm. We did a second batch with the chips and marshmallows on the same half, and we

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-80551952819982519132010-06-24T00:26:00.002-04:002010-06-24T10:32:45.738-04:00

It's not yet midsummer, but this month's theme for the June Phatfiber box has arrived right in the middle of some mid-summerly heat and humidity. Before I get into the glories of the box, however, here's a picture of a visitor to our carport this afternoon.  I don't know why it was in the middle of our carport instead of wandering amongst the trees. It looks like a luna moth caterpillar to me.

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-43232549661420997362010-06-24T00:17:00.001-04:002010-06-24T12:14:14.658-04:00

I received my June Phatfiber box today, and as usual it's full of lovely softness. But I also cooked an off the cuff dinner tonight, and I want to record this recipe for posterity as I think it came out very well. So tonight's another double poster. I basically made up a mango chicken recipe as I went along and it came out a very pleasant sweet/savory combination. The mango was too ripe for

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-35034422923544169852010-06-22T22:44:00.000-04:002010-06-22T22:44:56.566-04:00

Cleaning the house instead of dyeing yarn today, and I have two mysteries. Why is the pink yarn I dyed last night so firm compared to the other skeins? It feels almost hard. It's not felted (superwash, hasn't lost length, isn't felted in appearance). The only thing I can think is that the strength of that particular dye changed the hand. I've never used that dye at that concentration before. If

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-51566972014879698172010-06-21T18:51:00.003-04:002010-06-21T18:55:35.314-04:00

It's a very small milestone. I've used up a container of dye, and switched it over from holding dye powder to holding dye stock. Here's my brand new dye stock jar of Jacquard Sapphire. This is the second jar of dye I've used up. Yellow went first. I'm slowly making progress on the yarn I need to dye up, but it's been so hot I've decided that plodding is acceptable. As long as I can get it

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-79470137740538086972010-06-20T23:01:00.001-04:002010-06-20T23:04:15.502-04:00

The winner of the first Ice Cream Social giveaway is Renee G.! A bunch of fun and interesting stories came of it, and I had a really good time reading the responses. I highly recommend reading through them! Some are laugh out loud hilarious. The next giveaway is scheduled for July 1, and is something I hope you'll all enjoy. A bit of pampering for hard working hands is what I'll leave it at

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-70943205911426508062010-06-18T19:27:00.001-04:002010-06-18T19:29:24.054-04:00

I need a new pair of insulated gloves. There's nothing quite like handling hot yarn and having that creeping certainty that very shortly one will want to dance about going "OW OW OW!!!". Still, it's not bad for nearly a year. They're still usable, just not so great for protecting my hands from boiling water anymore! I thought I'd show some in progress pictures of my yarn today, since I'm in the

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-48577177394206087432010-06-16T20:59:00.004-04:002010-07-17T17:55:51.817-04:00

(Don't forget, the ice cream giveaway here!) Today is Duanwu Jie, the Dragon Boat Festival. A day when one traditionally eats zongzi or bamboo wrapped sticky rice dumplings. Commercially made frozen red bean zongzi. ... I made eggplant rollatini for dinner. Eggplant rollatini with braised flounder over zucchini and penne. This is what I get for not being able to read Chinese. If I could

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-64650662952996658412010-06-15T15:56:00.002-04:002010-06-16T12:46:48.775-04:00

A friend had a really great idea. Why not just give away something yummy once a month? So this is a "silly" giveaway. It's frivolous, and only fiber arts related in the most tangential way. But I like the idea a lot, so here is the first of my ice cream giveaways for this summer. Comment to this post by Saturday, June 19th to be included in the random drawing for a Ben & Jerry's free pint

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-64172826621739250282010-06-14T00:31:00.005-04:002010-11-06T23:50:13.340-04:00

Once again the realization that lots to blog about means not enough time to blog percolates to the fore.  This weekend, I knit in public for the first day of World Wide Knit in Public day(s); I noticed that there was the annual mass exodus of toadlets from our pond; and I went cherry picking and once again demonstrated my passionate devotion to Prunus cerasus or the sour cherry.   They're like

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-15386030169984099962010-06-10T22:20:00.000-04:002010-06-10T22:20:17.841-04:00

I managed to eat half a pint of ice cream without really noticing how it happened, and take and edit some pictures.  So, I updated the shop with some stitch markers.  I think my favorite this round are the agate ones. They glow in the light, and are just so cheerful. Clicking on the picture will take you to the stitch marker section of my shop. I'm not sure if I like how that gallery image

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-61068943014486000522010-06-09T19:23:00.000-04:002010-06-09T19:23:52.150-04:00

It is symptomatic of my week that this blog post has disappeared once. And that I found a mouse nest in the cupboard under the oven today.  *sigh*    But it's my night to cook and I'm kind of pleased with it, so I'm going to post anyway. No recipes really, today, because all of this is stuff I make without.  I just toss things together.  The menu is breaded chicken baked in the oven, zucchini

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-68764888189643390062010-06-07T18:53:00.001-04:002010-06-07T18:54:48.633-04:00

Thinking up catchy subject lines is hard. Ahem, anyway yesterday I went to the Renegade Craft festival and decided it is not the appropriate venue for me.  It was hot and humid and there was a tornado watch.  Dude, Brooklyn? No pictures, because it was seriously gross out.  A storm blew through in the late afternoon and washed a bit of the heat away, and by 9pm the whole area was in the embrace

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-83991555085430236442010-06-05T19:10:00.003-04:002010-06-05T21:25:55.014-04:00

It took me a while to code everything, but now that I have I can post who won the drawing for this skein of yarn. Congratulations, AbsoluteGillian!  Email me to confirm your address, please, and I'll get this in the mail for you on Monday. Thanks for playing, everyone!  You all left a fantastic list of really wonderful and varied Etsy shops. So I've included the list after the jump. Please do

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-55051348004293426532010-06-04T16:33:00.002-04:002010-07-17T17:54:10.250-04:00

Last night, I had the dilemma of having pudding and yet not having pudding. Because I had made pudding, but it was not yet chilled and ready to eat. So this morning I had pudding for breakfast.  I am not ashamed. A sliced banana and home made chocolate pudding The recipe after the jump.  And don't forget! Today is the last day to comment and enter my yarn giveaway here, and my stitch marker

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-15479733647079994742010-06-02T17:40:00.001-04:002010-06-02T17:41:43.820-04:00

Time to cook! And if you haven't yet, check out my June 1 post for the yarn giveaway. :) Tonight we're having a sort of "white" burrito composed of grilled pork that's been slivered, a white bean concoction, white rice, and white extra sharp cheddar. This comes from the fact that it's a bit warm and very humid and I'd rather not steam up the house. Add to this leftover grilled pork that needs

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-15644265484009195572010-06-01T14:08:00.001-04:002010-06-01T14:16:15.852-04:00

A year ago today, I officially opened my Etsy shop and tried to make a real go of this yarn dyeing business. And in the last year I've learned so much and done so much that my head it buzzing with all of it still. I vended my first festival, I made my first ad banners, I sent my work out there and people came back for more. When I think about where I was a year ago and where I am now, I'm glad

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-88558922556975306572010-05-31T13:10:00.000-04:002010-05-31T13:10:41.202-04:00

Wishing everyone a great Memorial Day. It's hot but beautiful today, so I'm doing my best to keep cool. Keeping cool is not something I'm actually suited for today, however, because yesterday I was on the front page of Etsy for an hour, in the citruscitrus Treasury.  *flails quietly* I had my doubts about the front page being all that influential in the grand scheme of things. But... *flails

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-90652153704066235782010-05-30T17:09:00.001-04:002010-05-30T17:09:58.858-04:00

I have a hat design idea. It could be awesome. It's cables and colorwork and fingering weight yarn, and I don't know if I'm insane or it's genius. I think it might be the former. This comes about because of a Ravelry thread about what's impressive in a hat, and that started the juices flowing.  Mind, I've designed cables and colorwork before, but, well, I don't think this really counts as

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-61128776739318461462010-05-28T21:42:00.001-04:002010-07-17T17:54:40.371-04:00

After I have measured the milk, yogurt, egg, and vanilla and beaten them all together is not the time to discover that we only have 86g of wheat flour left in the entire house. I thought the "there's no plain sugar" situation was bad enough, but I have my emergency jar of vanilla sugar so that was OK. But one cannot make scones without flour!  And one cannot have berry shortcake without some

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-67484903101575249582010-05-27T22:56:00.008-04:002010-06-15T18:49:43.336-04:00

Shocking! :P These are the colorways I've started listing tonight.  All from this month, they fall mostly into two themes.  I will finish listing them some time tonight: Clicking the image will take you to the shop. It's all Three Hares except Nebula, which is Arctic Hare. Colonial Day and Kobol were colorways thought up for the BSG FPB group on Ravelry.  Sea Wrack is an old favorite on a new

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-2141556325613598212010-05-26T19:17:00.001-04:002010-05-27T04:48:48.251-04:00

It's too hot to cook. 90°F in May? You've got to be kidding me. So, I'm grilling the big chunk of leg of lamb. Hot = cooking outside. But curry was suggested, so I'm going with a bit of Indian flair in the seasoning. I also got some knitting done in anticipation of this ridiculously hot day.  Pint glass cozies! More knitting chatter and the lamb marinade after the jump. Ravelry project

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263198616599259587.post-12760352365337375652010-05-25T19:05:00.002-04:002010-05-25T19:08:33.193-04:00

I started a Ravelry group for my shop yesterday.  Light Brown Hare (group)  I've been thinking about it for a while, worried that I would be the only one at the party, as it were. But it seems time with the one year anniversary of the shop coming up fast and the things I have planned with both the shop and this blog. A lot of the information will overlap with this blog, but I think the format

Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01420214879371116249noreply@blogger.com0