Pardon the mess

I'm working on a new theme and, as luck would have it, my photoshop has decided to stop working. In the interim, here is a preview of a new project I'm working on:

Now, if only I could get technology to work as well as my speedball carving set...

Made: Fingerless Gloves

I just finished my second pair of Paula McKeever's Cafe au Lait Mitts

May I completely recommend this pattern?  My first set knit up very quickly, the pattern is interesting and holds your attention, they're soft and stretchy and lovely with slightly variegated yarn.

Love this pattern... now, maybe I'll actually make a pair for myself...

Ninja Cake! Ninjas! Ninja Party!

I can't believe it took me so long to write this post.
My son wanted a Ninja party for his 5th birthday. May I just say, finding anything (mass produced) which is ninja related is nearly impossible (which is gloriously appropriate) and i didn't want to do a Lego Ninja party (too expensive, too... commercial). I really liked the idea of generic Ninjas.

The running joke around our house was:
The husband: "How do you decorate for a ninja party?"
Me: "How?"
The husband: "Leave dead bodies everywhere."

So... since it was a 5 year-old's birthday party I decided to forgo the dead bodies and, instead, focus on just 2 items:

The Ninja cake:
Super easy- round cake pan with a Ninja face. I've handmade/decorated all my kid's birthday cakes so far; I'm going to see if I can make it to their 10th birthdays...

If I were talented, I would have made: this cake.

Ninja peg dolls:
These were fun. Many of the kids played with the ninjas while the food was being put out; they were entertaining enough to hold their attention.

Misc / Not handmade:
The party bags were red Chinese take out containers. Plates, napkins, etc. were red and black (as were the balloons).

I've been trying to de-stress my parties. Jonah was more than happy with the decorative minimalist approach and everyone had a good time.

Other items I came up with but didn't have the time to do:
Game- pin the star on the Ninja. Take a silhouetted figure of a ninja, put it on a wall. Blindfold the kid, put a silver paper star in their hand, one side sticky. Who ever gets the star closest to the Ninja's head wins.

Ninja masks/ party favors: Take strips of black fabric (long enough to tie around the head). Cut out eye-holes.

Other Ninja items I found but didn't buy, make, or use:

Etsy: Ninja party bags
Etsy: Ninja stamps
Ravelry: Crochet ninjas (party favors)
Etsy: Ninja oragami (stars)
Etsy: Ninja cupcake toppers
Stuff from this party

Gluten Free: Apple and Egg Breakfast Pie

I find that most modern recipes cannot be easily modified to remove the wheat flour/replace it with a gluten free alternative (most baked goods as an example). However, every once in a great while, I come across a really, really old recipe which actually tastes better with a wheat flour replacement.

In order to make this recipe gluten free I replaced 1/2 cup of flour with 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1/4 cup white rice flour. The finished "pie" has a very mild flavor and texture; it's not overly rich/heavy like a quiche and it's not bready or super sweet like a pancake (as it has no sugar added except what you chose to dust on top; although I suppose you could add sugar to the batter if you wanted to sweeten it up). You could also leave out the oatmeal and replace the wheat flour with rice flour 1:1.


(Gluten Free) Apple and Egg Breakfast Pie
1/4 tbl butter
1 medium apple (core removed, cut into thin slices)
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Gluten Free oatmeal (uncooked)
1/4 cup white rice flour

1/4 tea nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tea cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tea salt (optional)
1/4 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Grease a cast iron skillet with the 1/4 tablespoon of butter, make sure to butter the sides. Arrange the apple slices on the bottom of the skillet (in desired pattern). Set aside.

3.  Combine eggs, milk, oatmeal, rice flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until batter is well blended (I just use a whisk and hand mix).
4. Place skillet on stove (medium/high heat) for 2 minutes until the bottom of the skillet is just hot.
5. Pour batter over apples and place in the oven; cook for 20-22 minutes.
6. Remove pie, cut, dust with powdered sugar (if desired) and eat!

Journal Cover / Note Holder

I like writing in my journal when I am out and about. I'm that crazy person who, as you look up from texting on your cell phone while in traffic and notice the light is green, is writing a thank you note or jotting down notes in a book (sometimes I've also been known to knit while at traffic lights but that detail isn't pertinent to this post... don't judge me!)

My beta attempt: I used left over fabric scraps from a bag, fusible fleece, canvas tape, and elastic for the pen holders. The pen holders are not particularly ideal so I know they'll have to be redesigned. I really love the canvas tape as the closure, though. Also, there was no hard surface so I have nothing to write on for thank you notes.

Things I'll change before making more: I'll add a pocket for the pens or colored pencils (with separators and a flap to keep them in place) instead of the elastic, I'll add another pocket for random items, and a hard surface (like chipboard I've been hoarding from something prepackaged) which attaches with velcro and can be replaced/changed as needed (or removed).

The difference between admiration and appreciation

There is a fundamental difference between admiration and appreciation.

Do you ever hear applause in your head after you've made something really, really awesome?

This has only happened to me maybe 5 times in my craftlife (which has spanned approximately 3 years; I'm in my craft-toddlerhood at present). I finish the last stitch or seam, finish cutting the last bar of soap, carving away the last bit of linoleum, pick up the finished object, hold it up so I can see, and then I hear applause and the roar of a crowd in my head, snapping of pictures with flash photography, feet thumping against the floor in appreciation. The last time this happened I actually said the words,

"... and the crowd goes wild..."

I said the words quietly, just to myself, but it made me smile in much the same way baseball players smile after hitting a home run.

I feel like my family plays the role of the fans as I round home base: they smile with me, give me Fonzie style thumbs-ups and high fives. However, they don't sew or knit or crochet or othercraft; therefore, even though I know they truly admire the final product, they can't know the work that went into it.

I think the thing I love the most about my knitting group, my penpal Jemimah, my Kilkarians and my workfriendcrafters (and about SAW) is that, instead of fans, I feel like I am surrounded by teammates. We stand (or sit) side-by-side, working together, problem-solving together, and- when the day is done and the project is finished- we each intimately know the work required to get from A to Z and can truly appreciate the end result.

There is a knowing in appreciation that isn't there with admiration.

That stated, I still really like it when the crowd goes wild.

Spring SAW 2012 Part 2: Story Scarves

Preface: If you ever have the opportunity to take a class from Maya Donenfeld then you MUST DO IT!! I don't care if she is teaching a class in proper cabinet dusting methodology or how lick mailing envelopes, you MUST DO IT. She is my hero and she is amazing. I would make her a cape but I'm almost certain- like most fashion conscious superheroes- she already has one; in her case, though, it's likely made from reclaimed FedEx containers, recycled t-shirts, and burlap.

-Overview of the Class-

Beginning: The class started with setting up power for the sewing machines and preparing our workspaces. This was a bit of an anxious exercise; however, immediately after, Maya pulled us all out into the sun and arranged us in a circle. She spoke a few calming/encouraging words then asked us all to tell each other our name, where we were from, and why we were there (at SAW). This broke the ice and allowed us (as a class) to become focused on being present in the present and tapping into our MSOP (which stands for Mojo Standard Operating Procedure, aka creative process); we soon forgot about the anxiousness associated with preparing our workspace.

Maya then had us make a 5" x 6" sachet (later filled with dried lavender which she supplied) in order to allow each of us to become familiar/comfortable with the tools we'd be using during the day (rotary cutter and mat, ruler, sewing machine, iron, etc.) Concurrently, it was at this point, as we made the sachet, that Maya asked us to really start thinking about the story we wanted to tell with our scarf; she requested that we begin the process of sifting through and eventually making a pile of those materials we wanted to include.

The simple first project was really nice for intermediate sewers as well as complete newbies; it was great to start with something small and completely manageable. I could see that everyone's confidence level increased as they made their rectangle; additionally, we all left with an awesome little lavender sachet at the end of the day.

Middle: Once the sachet was constructed, Maya had us turn back to the materials we'd brought for our scarves; hopefully, by this point, most people had assembled a meaningful pile. We were then allowed to work at our own pace and MSOP.

Throughout this time Maya would stop and check in with each person; she wanted to know our direction, what story we wanted to tell, and was key in helping us cull and focus our narrative.

She also, at opportune intervals, provided quick and effective tutorials to those who wanted to add a ruffle or gather or other design element to their scarf. This was great because, even though we were immersed in our projects, we still learned new skills and techniques.

I want to note that Maya brought a ton of linen garments and scraps for us to use. This was very generous and helpful; I used an old linen skirt (provided by Maya) for the back of my scarf and likely would not have finished had she not brought the extra materials.

End: Toward the end of the class Maya gathered us together and demonstrated how to design and create a stamp from eraser material. She wanted each of us to carve a simple symbol, meaningful to us, which we could then use to sign our finished piece.

I believe the other reason for the stamp was to show us that we could take reclaimed materials (old linen skirts, drapes, etc.) and make them new by generating printed fabric of our own design.

Once we carved our design we stamped it on our scarf and sachet.

Wrap up: At the end of the day we assembled our projects and sat on the stairs of the playhouse for a group picture. If time had permitted, it would have been great to dedicate some time to gathering the group together to speak about each of the objects and learn the story behind everyone's scarves. I believe Maya wanted to give everyone as much time as possible to finish their scarf and, therefore, we didn't have the luxury of a group wrap up.

My MSOP: The scarf represents any given week in my life: I'm a working mom; I feel like I work all the time. The business shirts are my days (and sometimes my nights). My kids are in my heart every moment (represented by the robot patch on the pocket, where the heart is). The brief scraps of color represent the time I am able to piece together for creativity.

The scarf is made from my husband's old business shirts, strips/scraps of my favorite fabric, and a small patch of fabric which I designed for my kids (the robot over the pocket) using spoonflower.

At first I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my scarf or what story I wanted to tell. But, Maya has this uncanny ability to sense when someone needs help and guidance. She asked the right questions at the right time which allowed me to find my "fiber voice." After just one very brief conversation with Maya the story I wanted to tell clarified and I was able to set my own pace.

Thank you, Maya, for everything! You are beautiful and inspiring.