You should do this

Jessica Sprague dot com is one of my favorite places online to hang out. She does a free class every year and that's what got me hooked 4 years ago. This summer's free class looks like a good one. You should consider taking it... especially if you want to sharpen your photoshop skills.




click here for more info

Yea, I made this...

I have been working on this vest for not quite 4 weeks. I loved the pattern (mondo cable vest/shell from Ravelry). And considering I have been knitting for less than 6 months, I think it turned out pretty well. There are some mistakes along the arm holes and the shoulder seams, but you really can't tell. The yarn I used is from Knitpicks.com and it's called sugar bunny. Doesn't it sound like it would be soft and fuzzy. Well, it is. It's a very soft merino angora blend. However, I never expected it to shed so much. I wore it yesterday with a white t-shirt underneath. The white t-shirt was COVERED in purple fuzz... as was the straps on my backpack and some other things. Also it is starting to pill a bit... after only one wearing.

Moral of the story... I am going to check yarn reviews on ravelry before I purchase a yarn. I still love the pattern and I will make another one (probably out of a superwash merino or cotton blend) after I make 3 or 4 other things on my knitting list.

Sorry the picture is kinda' "eh". I took it with my phone and I barely have enough time to blog (because I am always knitting). I definitely don't have enough time to edit pictures to put on the blog.

And I haven't forgotten about the selling my cricut story. I will get to that.

Have a great weekend!!

Another Yummy Recipe

So most days I don't even think about blogging. I'm not sure why. I really want to. But the days come and go and run into each other. I am sure I have plenty of things to blog about. Since my last post I have completed 4 shawls. One I hated and turned it into one of the other ones. I knitted a sweater (just have to block it and weave in the ends). I have made countless meals, snacks, and desserts. I have had families and large crowds over for meals. I have gone to a homeschool conference. I sold my cricut (more about that in another post). I am sure I have something to blog about.

 Today I am going to share another yummy, healthy dessert recipe: Chocolate Coconut Cream Pudding (you can also use it as pie filling). I made this one up based on a coconut cream recipe from Bruce Fife's "Cooking with Coconut Flour".

 Here goes:
 2 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
mix together and bring to a low boil

 1/2 c coconut milk
1/4 c arrowroot powder (can use corn starch)
 mix this together and add to the other coconut milk

beat 4 egg yolks (keep the white and make macaroons. Have I shared that recipe? Yummy!!)
mix some of the warm coconut milk into the egg yolks and then add it all back in to the coconut milk 

when it thickens a bit add:
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
2 cups coconut
remove from heat and put in another container (or separate serving dishes) and refrigerate for a couple hours. You can put plastic wrap tight on the top to prevent a skin from forming. You can eat it like that or add whipped cream. Yummy!!

If you make it, let me know how you like it. You can probably eliminate the sugar and it would still be good.

Enjoy!!

Yum, Yum, Yum

So I found this no bake cookie recipes somewhere on the internet. I didn't pin it. I didn't print it. I scribbled it on a piece of paper. I have no idea where it came from. I wrote in down because it is gluten free, egg free, refined sugar free... you get the idea. I am always looking for yummy gluten free, low sugar recipes for myself. But I also have a friend whose daughter has allergies to so many foods, so I am always looking for things this little girl can eat... and she can have these cookies! :)

I made them earlier in the week. They were gone in a day and I've made them 2 times since then. That's how good they are. I am making them again today to bring for Easter lunch at previously mentioned friend's house.

Here's the recipe:
1/3 cup honey (I use less)
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup coconut oil (or butter - friend's daughter is dairy free)
melt those together and stir in
1/3 cup almond butter or peanut butter (I've used both. Both are good)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

drop by spoonfuls on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.

Then come back here and tell me how much you loved them. :)

"I could never do that"

As a homeschool mom there are several responses that I get when I tell people that we homeschool. The responses range from "Cool", to "I wish I could do that", to "I never could do that." My response to any of those generally has been, "we enjoy it", or "it fits our lifestyle." However, secretly I have always felt bad for the children of those who respond with "I could never do that." The implication (or the out right statement) is that they (usually a mom) could not spend all day everyday with their kids. These are usually the same moms who dread summer vacation or rejoice when school starts again in the fall.

I point these things out not to say that I am better than them. On the contrary, I point these things out to say I don't homeschool because I have super powers or super patience. I point these things out to say that it is only God's grace in my life that enables me to homeschool.

We homeschool because it is an conviction from God's Word that it is the best way to disciple, train, and educate children. Yes, there are other benefits... my older two can know and enjoy Little Brother. If they were gone all day they wouldn't really be a part of his life. My older two are going to Washington DC soon with Grandma and Grandpa and participating in a drama camp that occurs during our local district's spring break. We spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa last week and are looking forward to time with other Grandparents in April. They would not necessarily have as close intergenerational relationships without homeschooling.

But my point is I am not super mom. I don't have a cape or super powers. Sometimes I want time alone. Sometimes I raise my voice to my kids. Sometimes they make me want to bang my head against the wall. Most of the time I can't get everything done. My house is not always clean, my garden is not always weeded, and our yard would never make it on the cover of a magazine. I am not perfect and I will not be until eternity. I only have my children for a short time. I want to enjoy them. I want to have a relationship with them. I want to know what is going on their lives. I want them to love learning (not dread school). Most importantly I want them to love the Lord and desire to live for Him. That is why we homeschool.

We sang a hymn in church this morning that sums it up well, "And now, let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has done, for us."

And if you are one of those who has said, "I wish I could do that," I will be the first to encourage you and say you can, with God's grace, you can.

Digital Poster Design

So this week I started a Poster Design class at Jessica Sprague dot com. I have taken several classes at Jessica Sprague and I have loved them all. For the most part they have been digital scrapbooking related classes. Some I have kept up and done well... others I still haven't finished the class and it's been a year and a half. The poster design class is a little bit different. We're still using photoshop, but it's different in that we're not using pictures. It still can be personal and I am sure pictures can be incorporated in some situations.

So there have been three lessons so far this week and of course I am behind. Life is crazy. I have one lesson done and here it is:




Apparently alphabet posters are all the rage. It's cute. I enjoyed making it. The next two lessons are a bit more complex. Not sure when I'll get to them (or the nine lessons that haven't happened yet), but I will post them when I get them done.

If you are interested in photoshop or digital scrapbooking, check out Jessica Sprague dot com.

Advice for a Beginning Knitter

Since I am still new at this knitting thing I thought I would do a post about advice for anyone considering starting knitting. I have been knitting all of 6 or 7 weeks and have completed 2 projects. I am working on a really easy shawl now and will probably make 2 more of those for Mother's Day gifts before I move on to something else. Anyway here's my advice:

First, find a knitting mentor. Find someone that has been knitting for a while and have her help you choose a first project. Have her help you choose needles. Have her take you to a quality yarn store and explain things. Maybe even choose a project and start it together. She will be right there to answer questions and critique your technique.

Don't bother buying cheap needles from a chain craft store. If you think knitting is going to be a lifelong hobby, then invest in good tools (your husband would do the same thing). If you are not sure if you are going to keep knitting, then borrow needles. Good yarn stores will have some to try. Try bamboo, wood, metal and acrylic and see which ones you like best, then buy a good set of needles. You will also need to decide if you want straight needles, fixed circular needles or interchangeable circular needles. Eventually you might end up with all of them, but hopefully not right away. I bought several sets of straight bamboo needles in several sizes from a chain store and I kinda' regret spending the money. I bought a moderately priced set of interchangeable needles that I wish I would have started off with right away. I also have an expensive set on order that will take 4 or 5 months before I get (because of the demand for these good quality needles).

Go to knittinghelp.com and watch lots of videos. Also download the app by the same name (for $5). Then you will have the videos right on your phone or ipod when you need them. I have used the videos several times to help me with a technique that I could just not remember. I love having the videos handy. Also they are on your phone, so you don't need wifi or your phone service to watch them.

When you have TONS of time to kill, go to ravelry.com and join. Then wander around the website. Did you see a pattern somewhere that you liked? Well someone on ravelry has probably made it and they have posted pictures. For the shawl I am making now there were about 60 people on ravelry who had already made it and posted pictures. I could get a nice idea of how it would look with different yarns, etc. Ravelry also has message boards, galleries, and groups. There are thousands of groups, including some where people are "destashing" stuff. You can get yarn, used needles and other knitting accessories at great prices.

And my last bit of advice would be not to choose a project with cables until you've been knitting for a while. Also know that even experienced knitters have to rip things out and start over.

Oh, one more thing... check your library for knitting books. That was another thing that I have spent too much money on so far... books (I have purchased 5 knitting books so far and got another for a gift). Check your library for books. If there is one pattern you like in it, just copy the pattern. If there are many patterns you like, then look for the book used on Amazon or half.com.

Happy Knitting!!