So much for anonymity

I've been trying on my blogs not to mention people by name, since I don't like having my real name show up on the net...kind of a cross-courtesy, yes?
Well, I went to my sister's blog, and her name, her partner's name, her kids' names are all up there. So, I don't have to come up with kitschy names for them anymore, I guess.

Felted Basket

My sister is getting married in October...so I volunteered to do something crafted for the kidlets that are going to be at the wedding...

I also wanted to make the basket that her flower fairy daughter will carry down the aisle and throw leaves from (rather than rose petals! Too cool!)..

So daughter, Cutie, loves pink and princess and fairy...the wedding is fall colors, chocolate and moss and persimmon...so the I made is felted wool, moss green, with a scalloped upper edge in chocolate brown. It is my first felted project, and it turned out really neat!
I forgot to take pictures of the pre-felted project, but I will take pictures of the post-felted project. The first basket I did was all brown, and took exactly one ball of Wool of the Andes Highland Bulky, in Fedora...I added some persimmon Heathered WOTA fingering yarn for two rounds, and hated it, but after some SERIOUS felting (two runs in the washer, with some hand felting in between) it stiffened up nicely and looks kinda neat--as a bowl not a basket.
The pattern I based mine off of is the felted bowl pattern from the book Felted Crochet...only I can't seem to follow a pattern when there's so many interesting things to do, so it is actually quite different. The major difference between the first one, all brown, and the second of moss, is that I used 2 hook sizes smaller on the second project.
I'll try to post the exact pattern here--I adlibbed ("scumbled") the edge, so the number of stitches was not right at the top of the bowl for the type of edge I did...more later because I must now go wash a cat...

Pork chops with Merlot sauce

just a little semi-recipe (since I can't measure to save my life)

4 boneless pork chops

1 large onion, chopped
1 sm can mushrooms
Merlot wine
1/4 cup lemon juice

lemon pepper
salt
1 pinch fresh oregano
1 pinch fresh rosemary
spray oil
1 cup cold water with 1-2 tablespoons corn starch stirred in

I cooked my pork chops on my cast-iron skillet...
turn your heat on HIGH and let the skillet get really hot... spray a tiny bit of cooking oil on your surface. Sprinkle lemon pepper and salt on each chop, and set them in your skillet.
Meanwhile, put a dutch oven (cast iron again, but enameled--can you tell I am really starting to like cast iron?) over medium heat...spray a small amount of oil in it and dump in your chopped onion.
leave your chops for 2 minutes, then flip them.
stir your onions occasionally, until they are light brown, then drain and pour in your mushrooms (I would have used fresh, but alas none in the house).
let those cook over medium-high heat until you're really see some brown on the pan.
add about a tablespoon of Worscestershire if it looks like your pan is getting too hot...
Meanwhile, after 2 minutes on the back side, turn your heat on your chops down to low, and pour about 1/8-1/4 cup of red wine over them. This will all cook off, but that's okay--you are going to scrape the pan at the last minute and add the drippings to the sauce.
Now pour about 1/2 cup red wine in with the mushrooms, add your spices, and add about 1/4 cup lemon juice.
Let this cook down, about 2 minutes, then add 1 cup cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon corn starch; reduce your heat to low. You're making a really thick sauce, so let this cruise along for another 2-4 minutes, and check your pork chops for doneness (don't overcook!)
Pour another 1/4 cup or so of red wine over the chops, let them do one last simmer/steam/burn off of the wine, and pull them out of the pan. Scrape your pan, being careful not to spill the little bit of liquid or all the yummy bits. Add the scrapings to your sauce, turn off both burners, and stir your sauce. If it looks nice and thick, it's done.

EAT!
I'm a non-alcoholic teetotaler type, but cooking with wine does not get any alcohol into my system since it all burns off.

This is driving me crazy!

I have been trying to make some candles.
I've done this before--I don't understand why EVERYTHING has to go wrong this time!

Perhaps it's because I am trying to make these for someone else (a secret pal), rather than myself, so I am holding myself up to ridiculously high standards.
Or perhaps some little imp has invaded my kitchen and is happily knocking over the cup of melting wax, twisting the wick after I walk away so the candle is crooked, cooling it unevenly, and just wreaking havoc in general.

ARRRRGH!

It's for a gift I have to send out TOMORROW, and at this rate it'll be Thursday before I get it together!

ARRRRGH!

On the plus side, the house smells fabulous, because my pal likes fruity scents, so I found a really yummy pomegranite scent. :-)

Also, my sister sent me some Kusmi Spicy Chocolate tea that is incredibly tasty. It's a really black, dark tea, with hints of chocolate, and other spices (orange, maybe? I can't distinguish the different spices right now). I'm really grooving on it, so the candle debacle is not so prominent in my mind. Hah.

A Mousse By Any Other Name...

I was going to try to figure out the fat/calorie/protein ratios before posting this, but it hasn't happened yet, and since I promised this recipe to some friends I'm just gonna put it up:

Tofu Chocolate Mousse

This is a recipe that I've modified and played with...if you let the mixture "rest" for a day or so before serving, the tofu-y aftertaste disappears as the tofu absorbs the flavor of the chocolate.

After resting, you can mix the mousse with just about anything, or use it as a base for other chocolate dishes. Your finished dessert will have a different denseness depending on the texture of the tofu you start with: firm tofu will result in a thicker/more dense mixture; silken, more creamy and puddinglike. I have used extra firm, and made truffles... • 2 12 ounce packages of firm tofu • 20 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chips--approximately 1 bag plus 2 cups (or heck, you can throw in both bags if you want to make it really rich, and for a real treat, go for those 70% cocoa chocolate bars!) • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/8 tsp salt • 1/8 tsp finely ground pepper • 2-3 Tbsp powdered sugar (optional) For crust: • 1 package graham crackers, ground • 1/4 cup granulated sugar • 6 tablespoons butter, melted • Using a stick mixer or food processor, puree tofu WELL. The more thorough you are in this step, the smoother and balanced the texture and flavor will be. Using a blender is perhaps the most inefficient way--very messy! • Add vanilla, salt, and pepper to tofu puree. Salt brings out the nuances of the chocolate--try it, it really works! The pepper adds a bit more flavor undertones as well. You can omit either/both of these, if you like. • While blending, you can melt your chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. If microwaving, put in on high for 1 minute, then stir, then microwave for 30 second intervals until completely melted, stirring between each so as not to burn your chocolate. If using a double boiler, be sure that you do NOT get water in your chocolate, or it will seize up and become a glumpy mess. • Add chocolate to tofu and blend until color is uniform. Since the mix needs to rest for the flavors to blend, don't be surprised if it tastes like, well, tofu. If you like, here is where you would add the powdered sugar if you prefer your chocolate more on the sweet side. • Make your crust: grind graham crackers either by crushing them in a plastic bag, or throwing them in your coffee/spice grinder. Melt your butter and mix in graham crackers and sugar. Mixture will be moist and crumbly--press into bottom of pie or springform pan. • Scoop mousse mixture into crust, and refrigerate for at least an hour--frankly, overnight is better because the tofu taste gets fainter the longer you let it "rest."

This is adorable...

a little pumpkin. :-)

It's cleaned up..

...and all spankin' new with links and all...
I think I may do the separation after all--I was going to merge this with my main blog, but I don't think I will after all. If you want to read the other one, that will be all headspace and not handspace, then by all means feel free.
If you want patterns, ideas, links, and general crafti HOLY FUCK!!!!!!
THE BIGGEST SPIDER IN THE WORLD JUST CRAWLED ONTO MY LEG!!!

I knocked it into my kleenex box and handed the whole thing over to ttk. "I guess I'm getting rid of that, huh?"
me: "Get a picture first--I wasnt people to SEE what just tried to eat me. And no, I don't want the kleenex back."

where was I?
-----and general crafting stuff, then you're in the right place ~SHUDDER~ (sorry, another spider aftershock)

What I want to know is How the HELL did that Thing get in here, and how did it get so far before I noticed it?

ugh ... ... ugh ... ... ugh ... ... ugh ... ... ugh
I'm going to go change my clothes now. And scratch my whole body with a scrub brush.

No, I'm not afraid of spiders, unless they're the size of my cat.


TTK is in the other room, camera and tripod in hand, cackling madly to himself. I'm not going in there.

Finally, an update.

I have not posted here for months...a year, actually--if you read my other blog, the non-craft one, you'll see that I got incredibly sick and haven't been able to post much.

Well, I'm on Remicade now, and doing MUCH better...hence finally being able to post. I have been crocheting like crazy, since I got bored with the Knifty Knitter thing, and will be getting all my projects together with pictures and everything...

I FINALLY got my invite to Ravelry, a knit/crochet community, and I'm going to get all of my stuff together over there. I'll post here, too, but the pics and stuff will be on Flickr, and linked to Ravelry.

Whee! Workin' away...

WOOO!

Class finished, project finished, got an A!!!!

*thud*

What I did: AD LIB

So I just made a really yummy meal...I was trying to remember how to make tuna casserole, but I didn't want to use tuna, or mushrooms...

TTK said I should try to write it down, so here goes:

Thrown-together chicken casserole

1 lg can (12 oz.?) chunk chicken
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 bag egg noodles
1 can white hominy
1 can pinto beans (not refried!)
1/2 tsp or so Tarragon
1 tsp salt-free seasoning
pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese

An 8 x 8 brownie pan
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Cook your noodles until they are almost ready (you want them harder than al-dente, because they'll cook more in the casserole...)

While your noodles are cooking, open and drain your beans, hominy, and chunk chicken.
Dump 'em all into a sm bowl, and add the condensed soup and spices.
Stir.
Dump your noodles into your colander, drain for a second, then dump them back into your pot.
Scrape the bowl of mixed chicken stuff into the noodles, and stir.
Dump the whole concoction into your pan, and cover the top liberally with the parmesan.

I use the 8 x 8 pan rather than the traditional bread-shaped one since you get more surface area for tasty cheese and toasty bits, plus you don't have to cook it forever--just until the cheese is browned. About 15 minutes.

Take out of the oven, being careful not to knock over your glass of milk all over the floor.

Eat! ...while watching anime, of course!

For The Next Potluck

I'm making this.

Heh. It's jsut so wrong.
But it's Weight Watchers!

Finished!

I finally finished the purse...sort of. I still have to do the handle, which involves me learning how to do the I-cord stitch. But the purse part is done!
I'm not sure how much I like the front flap--I have some ideas on how to change it...Pictures will be coming soon...

Meanwhile, I managed to trash yet another KK hook--I knit too tight and the
rubber handle starts to slide off of the hook, and after a while it's really loose and just kinda twists around when you try to knit. I knit so tight that I can't use chenille or I break the threads (I'm working on this, honest!).

So, I decided to experiment with glue.

What glue, hmmm...what glue...[looks through the house for glue]

Hey, I have superglue! And, white glue! And, um, that's it.

Superglue it is, then.

How I did it was I pulled the hook out about 2 inches from the rubber handle, then put superglue on the metal, then pushed the metal back in, overshooting a bit so it was sticking out the back end...there's a little rubber nubby that pops out of the back end, and it's easily glued back in when you're done.

I then put glue on the metal end sticking out the back, and pushed that end back in (until it was in the right place (I used the cement porch to help me with all the pushing, so I didn't get glued to the hook)

Then I stuck the little nubby thing back in.


[momentary interlude--the speckled hen for whom this page is named just came walking in through the open front door. She does this. I'm not sure what disturbs me more: that she might poop, or that she finds SO much to eat on our carpet!]

Now: You have to _leave_it_alone_ for about ten minutes...usually with superglue, it's instant, but for some reason with the metal and rubber, it's not.

But hey, it gives you time to pick all the superglue off your fingers, right? Heh!

No posts?

There's a reason I've not posted for a few days/weeks whatever--I'm exhausted!

This new swimming class is kicking my BUTT.

I have started a little purse-critter, though it's just sitting there about 3/4 finished, until I have the energy to get back to it.

A friend of mine had a great suggestion as to how to learn a new stitch--just do a 6"x6" square, or even 8"x8"...and then when you have a bunch of them, join them together to make a blanket or afghan.

I like it!

My goal is to learn a new stitch every week or every other week, considering how wiped I am right now...

On the computer end of the creative gauntlet, I must say: Dreamweaver is ridiculously easy.

I think I'm gonna hit my home page this weekend and see if I can get it organized and prettified... the link is http://ciar.org/~cobalt, but don't go there yet as it's really old and out of date and frankly, pretty tacky.
Soon, though, it'll be all pretty and easily navigable, and cool. And informative, too. :-)

Another Project

Well, I created a narrow scarf for my sister with Rainbow green boucle...it's actually kind of cute... so now I'm making a purse to go with it. I've been experimenting with different stitches...

What I need is a way to experiment with new stitches whilst making something....but I REALLY don't want to make washcloths or dishcloths or something equally as useless..

but it would give me a chance to get the stitch right before actually making something to give to someone...maybe I can use these stitches on the baby hat project--it's called Care Wear, and you make baby/preemie hats for infants in hospitals. It's totally non-profit, and gives you something to make with all of the yarn stubs you have left over after a project...when I find the URL I will post it...[moments later]...duh...it's pretty easy-- http://carewear.org

...

:-)

Hmmm...next?

Well, I need a new project.
Anson's hat is done, and Joann Fabrics was having a clearance sale on their spring line of yarns--$3.00 a (tiny) skein, and 30 percent off of that--making them 2.10 each.
Woo!
I bought 4 skeins of each kind I liked, so I can make something big if I want, or just use one skein as an add-on to another yarn.

So I have a ton of yarn, and I can't decide what to make now.
I only have the KK circular looms so far, and I only know the basic stitches.
I don't want to give everyone the same old, same old, and I don't want to get bored...
so what now?

And, school starts bright and early tomorrow morning.
Whee.

Coding

Well, I'm figuring out how to edit CSS...slowly, very slowly.
I think this counts as a creative endeavour, and that's what this blog is for...

So I start school in 4 days.
Well, re-start school...would you believe I already have 2 bachelor's degrees?
Then I had brain surgery...now, I struggle along gamely trying to learn (re-learn?) what I can.
I'm taking 3 classes at the JC...

2 computer courses (beginning dreamweaver, and html 3...I'd like to take intro to CSS, but the html course is the prerequisite so I'm stuck) and an adaptive physical education course--swimming.
Whoever thoguht of the name for the handicapped exercise courses was just cruel--as if we don't have enough problems, note the abbreviation: APE. So I'm taking APE 10.1 or something.

Once I get going, expect a new look and feel on this and my other pages. Also, I'll be coding a site for a non-profit, once I get some more advanced skills--I can make UGLY web pages, but that's really not going to do for a REAL entity, unlike my own pathetic pages (templates are little miracles, aren't they? Think of how ugly the web would be...).

Loom Stuff

Currently, I'm making a hat for my little nephew. Hats are easy, so I always have to make things more complicated--I'm using three strands of yarn, and trying to do a double stitch. THAT was almost impossible: It got so tight that I couldn't get the yarn over the pegs, and I was at risk of breaking pegs/hook/fingers/yarn...so I cut off one of the yarn threads, and now I'm doing it with 2 yarns and a double stitch.
Luckily, I've included an eyelash-style yarn so you can't find where I cut the other yarn...and I did it as I was making the brim, as well, so the ends got tucked in and it looks like I did an extra thick stitch for the brim (which I did ;-), then changed deliberately (again, I did, but not for the usual reasons of appearance or style...).

His favorite color is a turquoisey/seafoam kinda green, so this is going to be a very colorful hat.
I'll upload a picture when I get it finished...and when I get around to it, I'll upload pictures of the 6 or so dog sweaters I've done, all modeled by my mother's dog Fancy and my dog Pocky. :-)

Looming...

A few months ago (okay, last fall) I was down at a friend's house, and she was busily wrapping fuzzy yarn around this legoland-style red spiked wheel.
My reaction was, "WHAT is THAT?"
She explained to me (whilst looping away) that "it" was called a Knifty Knitter, and that she got it at Wal-mart (her favorite shopping therapy store), along with a bunch of really fun yarn, and she was making scarves.

I must say honestly that I kinda turned my nose up at it as a cheesy fad...but come June, bored and stuck at home because of health issues (if you really wanna know, read my other blog but it's pretty eccentric. You are warned.), I got the urge to crochet again. This is something I take up every once in a while, then quit either because the yarn is crappy, or the patterns are impossible to read. I have a monstrous time trying to learn the argot, and usually quit in frustration. I've been "playing" with crochet (with very little to show for it) since I was like, 12.

Then, I was visiting another friend, and lo! her 10 year old daughter was busily wrapping away on this gaudy yellow chunky plastic ring...and what was being produced was PRETTY!
Color me officially intrigued.

As a side note: I hate Wal-mart. I don't do crowds well, and for some reason Wal-Hell seems to attract a great deal of pushy, obnoxious, desperate-looking overweight (quintessential Americans?) people. Did I mention I don't do people well, either? My friend calls it my "agoraphobia" but I'm not sure that's accurate...needless to say I spend a lot of time at home, and working with animals (I do reptile rescue)...but I digress, brutally!

Where was I? Oh, yes, Wal-mart...believe it or not, I was intrigued enough by this knitting tool that I braved Wal-mart (with my sweet and wonderful husband as guardian) to get the kit and some yarn. Had I known the kit was available at JoAnn, I would have gone there--however, I didn't discover this until I went there later that week for more yarn (once again, hubby running interference. I've been 3 places alone in the past 3 months...but once again, I digress)...

So, tool in hand, pretty textured yarn in the other, instruction booklet in front of me, I proceeded to knit.

Now you know: This blog is about what I am creating/learning to create with this centuries-old knitting loom (yes, I did some research--there are some great handmade looms out there!) that ProvoCraft has brought into faddish popularity by making the "tools of the trade" very colorful, chunky, and non-threatening--therefore easy and possibly viewed as "not really knitting" by outsiders, as I once was. ;-)

Oh, this blog is ALSO about cooking, creating art in whatever form I find it.

Introducing...

This is my blog for my creative outlet(s)...my other blog is full of all other aspects of my life, so splitting them seems to be best. I wish Blogger had categories, the way typepad does, but oh well. I'm learning CSS, but it's slow going...being able to code my own template would be really damn nice.