Two Random Things

Finally organized all of my jewelry and accessories, after years of having everything kicking around in 5 different boxes and drawers. Now I can actually see and find what I have! Love it! And I am more than a little obsessed with that Paper Source paper back there.

What do you do when your 8x8 glass pan goes missing? I feel pretty incredibly brilliant for thinking this up. It worked so perfectly that I don't think I even need to buy a new 8x8 any time soon. How does one of those just disappear anyway?

Happy February -- Get Free Stuff!

This is a somewhat silly photo taken before Christmas on our front porch wearing a twisted-drop-stitch scarf. This particular scarf was a little something that I sort of just did without really thinking it out. And it ended up super-wide. It can double as a hood, a shawl and probably a picnic blanket.

The yarn is natural wool that I purchased mass quantities of in Argentina in 2006, hauled home, wound into balls and then looked at for 2.5 years trying to decide what to do with it.

That's where you come in. I have so much of this yarn, and this stitch is so easy-fast, I have made a second scarf (normal scarf-sized, not blanket-sized) and want to give it to someone!

Please leave me a comment and I'll have Willaby draw a name on Saturday Feb 6!

A Little Red Chair

I found this little chair while antiquing in UT. I looooooove it!

Quilt Finishing

Last spring or so, my brother Ivan got on a sewing kick and put together this quilt top. And then got burned out I suppose. Knowing that he'd probably never finish the quilt on his own, I took over. I bought the backing and batting, tied it, bound (binded?) the edges and gave it back to him for Christmas. It was a satisfying day's work (after having the quilt top since July and not doing anything with it...oops).

Popcorn on the Cob

Just some little gifts I quickly put together for all of my aunts and uncles and some friends. A couple cob of popcorn with instructions and a hot pad or two. Fun, easy and cheap!

Victoria Fingerless Mittens

I tried no less than 3 times to make some fingerless mittens/mitts/wrist warmers for my mom for Christmas. She had mentioned that she wanted a pair and I thought I'd be able to just whip them up quick and not even need patten. This was not the case. It took me weeks of trying over and over to finally admit I had no idea what I was doing and just get the correct yarn and use a pattern. Psh.



And I'm so glad I did. I am happy with how they turned out. This pattern is Victoria Fingerless Mittens from Knitting Little Luxuries. I've had this book for several years, and love a lot of the patterns, but this is the first one I've actually tried. One weird thing I noticed is that all of the mittens and mitts in this book are knit flat and then seamed. For some reason I couldn't figure out how to just knit it in the round so I did it the hard way. Also, even though the pattern only called for one ball of yarn, and I got a ball that was more yardage than the pattern called for, and I had the correct gauge, I still ran out of yarn about 3/4 through the second mitten. Annoying. But it was all worth it.

Ribblins.

My favorite recipe site is this here Simply Recipes. I have tried several recipes and they've all been incredble (like this baby artichokes one). I am a fan. It's the first place I go when I'm looking for a recipe now. The photography is beautiful and the little bloggity posts that go along are so fun to read and usually have all kinds of information.

Photo from Simply Recipes

And anyway, the other day I was browsing around for cabbage recipes and instead I found this recipe for Braised Beef Short Ribs. I knew I had to try them. One of our favorite dishes at our favorite new Northern UT restaurant is braised short ribs so it'd be quite convenient to be able to make such a dish at home, right? That's exactly what I was thinking. And I was correct.

So, friends were invited and the two day process was completed and then the food was consumed and it was all good. All of it. The company, the process and the food. I served the ribs with sauteed cabbage and mashed potatoes and biscuits. There are a couple of things I'll do differently next time (like, mine didn't look at all like those in that photo up there and I'm not quite sure why yet) but overall I was quite pleased and can't wait to make them again.

Speaking of biscuits, I'm attempting to master them. I come from a long line of supreme biscuit and pie makers. I must say, I've got the pie thing down, but biscuits are another story. I even Skyped with my Mom the other day so that we could make them together and she could teach me all the secrets. I've made them twice now and they aren't quite there yet. Dang. Guess I'll just have to keep trying? What a horrible fate.

iPhone pic of attempt #1. Not too bad.
So anyway, get ye hence to the butcher and pick up some short ribs and make these and enjoy.