Thursday, December 31, 2015

Work in Progress: Trillian Shawl

I've been knitting for about 4 years now. I picked up needles and yarn when I was going through some tough times. I had a colicky infant, I had just had major abdominal surgery to attempt to put back to rights my busted up abdominal muscles (sidenote: it didn't work), the huz was working INSANE hours. By insane I mean, a 70 hour work week was standard. My mom came to stay with me every day, from morning to night. I was bored and depressed and anxious. I had briefly attempted to learn how to knit when I was in my late teens but I lost interest.

Sitting on the couch, day in and day out, got boring really quickly. In desperation, I asked my mom to  take me to the craft store and teach me to knit. That day, a monster was created. Now, I have yarn stashed all over the house, I have projects in various stages of completion in a basket, overflowing, beside the couch. Most knitters will tell you it's almost impossible to only knit one thing at a time. Maybe in a time before the Internet, people could work on one project from start to finish. 

There's this evil amazing website called Ravelry. It has patterns for everything you could think of to knit and some you'd rather not have seen. Through the wonder of Ravelry, I have 9 pages of patterns (or 445 individual patterns). I will never be able to knit them all, if I gave up eating, sleeping, bathing, and tending children, I would still not have enough time to knit them all. If you happen to be a "hooker", there's also a wealth of for you as well.

One of my projects that is currently unfinished is the Trillian Shawl from Martina Behm. It is my lazy day knitting project. It's not terribly difficult so I can watch TV or keep an eye on the kids if they're having a rowdy day. It creates a beautiful, light shawl that you can wear in all seasons. Or so I've heard. Mine is about a third of the way finished. 

I have fallen into another crafting abyss... hand dyeing yarn. I love it. I love being able to control the colors and create custom yarns for projects I want to make. Because there's nothing worse than going to the yarn store to not be able to find the exact right color for your project and still leaving $100 lighter. I started with kool aid. It is insanely easy to dye yarn with kool aid. If you follow me on Pinterest, I have some neat pins on kool aid dyeing to get you started. I dyed the yarn for this shawl. I love the soft teal and the variegation came out perfectly!

I've since moved on to acid dyes, which sound hard and scary but aren't. The acid is usually vinegar. The color combinations you can create are amazing and you have a bit more control than with kool aid. I tend to stick to grays, blues, purples, and teals. They're my favorite. I've dyed a few skeins of yarn red but I haven't found THE red for me yet. I'm not quitting though. 

Do you knit? Crochet? Dye? What is your favorite craft or creative outlet?

Sunday, December 27, 2015

You Want to Start a PTA in Your School?

Here's how I became involved in PTA. Last year, when P was in kindergarten, I paid my dues and never went to another meeting. Well, I don't even know if there WAS another meeting, but that's a different story. P started a brand new school this year, it wasn't even completely finished this August when the doors opened. It's beautiful and has so much incredible technology, we absolutely love it.

Anyhow, during a school tour, I asked who to speak with about joining the PTA. I was told there wasn't one yet. That lots of parents had expressed interest, but no one had offered to head up the process of getting it started. I'm not exactly sure what came over me that day. I mentioned above that I had only ever been to one meeting. Yeah. I offered to do it.

As you come to know me, you'll find that I tend to commit to things before I think them through, and then completely immerse myself in whatever I've just jumped into. I started researching that evening, I filled a 3 inch binder with as much information as I could find. What I found is that National PTA lays everything out for you. It is fantastic. But it's not all on the pta.org website. There's a sister site that walks you through all of the positions, all of the paperwork, and all of the expectations,

We'll get you started with the basics today. Here is a link to the history of the PTA. I urge you to understand how and why the PTA was founded, it will help guide you in the development of your school's PTA. After you've learned a little about the history, this website has the real meat and potatoes on exactly what you need to do to get started.

I will say that it is a lot of paperwork. A lot. But, it's totally worth it. Planning events and fundraisers, talking to teachers about their needs and wants, working to make sure that all of our kids are getting what they need... it makes my heart happy.

As we move forward in the school year, I'll be sharing what works and what doesn't for our PTA.

If you have any questions about the nuts and bolts of getting started, comment below!

Friday, December 18, 2015

My Favorite Knits: Saroyan

I knit as often as possible. I love it. To sit with some sticks and string and basically make art just makes my heart happy. Plus, I can binge watch all of my favorite Netflix shows while I'm knitting. See, multi-tasking!!

Such fun to knit!
There's tons of research on how knitting, or any needlecraft, is really good for you in lots of ways. Here is a link to a Washington Post article about benefits of knitting on cognitive functions and even in illnesses that impair motor function. It's truly amazing what the repetition and click of some needles can do for your mood. It is absolutely my go to when I'm stressed or cranky.

All finished and ready to wear!
This particular pattern is one of my favorites of all time. The Saroyan from Liz Abinante. It's a simple shawl/scarf that knits up quickly and is beautiful to watch growing from your needles. I would say that an adventurous beginner could easily knit this up. The body of the shawl is a simple stockinette and the leaves are knit as you go, rather than being added later. It is knit in a heavier weight yarn (mine is in Madeline Tosh DK, hosta blue) so it goes pretty quickly.

It's so versatile that I've worn it most of the autumn and will continue to wear it into the winter! I can wrap it several times to wear like a scarf or let the width wrap around my shoulders for more of a shawl feel. Here's my finished one!

Have you tried this pattern? Share yours in the comments!





Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Bullet Journaling, the Cutest To-Do Lists!

I am a horrific procrastinator. I will wait until the very last minute to do most anything. It drives me crazy that I do this so I'm trying to put some better habits in place going into 2016 because I'm tired of being mad at myself. That's just plain crazy. 

Enter my partner in crime/chosen sister, Alisha... this girl has it together! She's got all these awesome planners and washi tape and stickers and and and. I bought a rather pricey planner, well I consider it pricey because it is currently collecting dust hanging out with old knitting patterns, random paperwork I feel I should keep, but probably don't need. Anyway, you get the picture. I'm NOT organized.

Alisha shared in a Facebook group we're in together about her bullet journal that was really helping her keep track of all of the things she needed to remember in a day. A to-do list? I can do a to-do list!! I actually LOVE crossing things off of a to-do list. It makes those tasks that you don't have physical evidence of doing, like making appointments or reading a blog post, feel like they now have a physical presence. And I'm much more likely to do something if I can see that it needs done.

I started with this cute notebook that Little C picked out for me at the craft store. I'm starting off REALLY simple. Just to-dos. I'm not much of a doodler so I am using the stencils I ordered from Amazon to make my pages look a little prettier than hand drawn pages.

I was at Target on Saturday and found a great deal on a Moleskine and some super cute marker pens. This will be my 2016 list bujo. Lists of books to read, recipes, yoga poses to work on, goal lists, and so forth. I'm really looking forward to not being a procrastinator any longer and really getting into my bujo-ing!
This will be my grand book of bujo lists. I can't wait to fill it!

I'm just getting started so I'm pinning things on Pinterest like crazy. Here's a link to my Pinterest page. I plan on adding more stuff as I learn more. I'm so excited to really get into it! Share your hits and misses with me!






*Note, I'm not affiliated with Amazon. I just linked to what I purchased.





Friday, December 11, 2015

Best Homemade Bread! Psst, it's super easy!

Being married to a chef is hard. And by hard, I mean I have to cook all the time. Cheffing is not a 9-5 gig. Most nights I cook dinner. I used to hate cooking. HAAAATE. Thanks to Pinterest and good friends' recipes, I've gotten to where I don't mind it, I crank up my Spotify (side note: Best 10 bucks I spend a month), sing my heart out and cook my tail off. Little C is my adventurous eater. He'll taste anything. His only absolute no is asparagus. The boy eats brussels sprouts like a starving man so I don't complain. Big P? Every meat he eats is called "chicken" because otherwise he would starve himself. He likes his meat white and his chili spicy enough he needs chap stick afterward. These boys...

In all this cooking, I never had any desire to bake bread. Why? I can buy it at the store for relatively cheap. But then I went and visited my best friend Alisha one spring, she made homemade bread. It was amazing. If you are ever in the part of Texas where the grass attacks you, stop by and try some. After I returned home, I started researching my brains out on the hunt for the perfect sandwich bread. I found this recipe on Pinterest and I have made this so many time. The boys LOVE it. They actually ask me to bake it and the cooler weather has me thinking it might be time to make some.

This is an excellent beginner bread making recipe. I'm sure you can do it in a bread machine but oh my, kneading and punching dough makes me a way better mom. 

Rosebud's Butter Topped White Bread:
Fresh out of the oven!

Ingredients:

4 and 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast (or the equivalent of two packets)
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces
2 and 2/3 cup additional warm water
9-10 cups all-purpose flour (I used half unbleached and half whole wheat flours)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing the tops of the loaves
Additional butter/cooking spray, for greasing your rising bowl and loaf pans

Instructions
1. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup of warm water, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the sugar, salt, butter, additional 2 and 2/3 cup warm water, and mix gently to combine.
3.  Slowly add 5 cups of the flour, mixing on low speed until smooth.
4. With the mixer on its lowest speed , slowly add the remaining flour until the dough is smooth.
5. Switch to your dough hook attachment and knead the dough for 10 minutes. ***Now, if you have a smaller mixer, I would recommend kneading the dough in two portions so as not to burn your motor out-this is a lot of dough.  Alternatively, like my grandmother used to do, you can knead all of the dough by hand.
6.  While the dough is kneading, lightly grease a large bowl with butter or cooking spray, as well as two loaf pans (I used 9″).
7.  Once the dough is ready, place the dough in the greased bowl and turn over to completely coat the dough with butter/cooking spray.  Cover, and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
8. After an hour, punch down the dough (yes!) and divide it into two portions.
9. Working with one portion at a time, roll (with a rolling pin) the dough out into roughly 12″ x 12″ squares, making sure that the thickness of the dough is uniform throughout.
10.  Slowly and tightly roll up each square, sealing the edges firmly.
11.  Tuck the ends of the roll tightly under the bread and place into your prepared loaf pans.  Repeat with the second loaf.  Cover the loaves, set in a warm place, and let rise until doubled, about another hour.
12.  Place one rack on the lowest position in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

OMGosh yummy!
13. Bake the loaves for 15 minutes, then cover each loaf with aluminum foil to prevent the tops from browning too much.
14.  Once covered with foil, bake for an additional 15 minutes.
15. Remove the loaves from the oven, place on a wire rack to cool, and lightly brush the loaves with the melted butter.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Knitters: Busy Hands and Big Hearts

I've been a knitter for 4 years now. I love it. I can make beautiful things with sticks and strings. It helps when I have nervous energy or a heavy heart. If you see me out and about, there's a good chance I have a big ziploc with yarn and needles in it shoved down in my purse.

A while back I found the most supportive, fun knitting group on Facebook. People will do random giveaways of items they don't need so that their unused yarns and needles will not collect dust. It's truly beautiful. A couple of months ago, the admins decided to create an offshoot group for RAK's, or Random Acts of Kindness. A bunch of us joined, it's a lively group. Filled with requests for yarns that will be knit into hats and scarves and gloves for the needy. Some people are just starting out and don't have a lot of extra money to invest in needles and yarn. Some people are there because they're just darn good people who want to spread the love of good fibers and sturdy needles.

I'm a part of a local knitting group that meets twice a month. We encourage people who want to learn, to just show up. We'll lend the needles and yarn. I have lent out all of my spares and was worried about people who would be showing up and not have tools to work with so I asked in the RAK group if anyone had any spare needles that they didn't use anymore. I figured it was worth a shot.

I received a lovely message from a fellow knitter asking what size and how many sets of needles. I replied with the sizes and told her whatever she had to spare. She ordered 6 sets of knitting needles, brand new, from Amazon and had them shipped to me.

I emote. A lot. Anyone that knows me, knows this. I cried. I cried that someone not only donated to new knitters but bought brand new needles for them. This means we can gift at least half of them! I am so excited for our next knit and tea! I can't wait to hand a brand new knitter a set of needles and ball of yarn and say, these are for you. To keep.

So next time you see someone knitting, give 'em a hug or a high five or just a little nod. Because I'm pretty sure knitters have the busiest hands and the biggest hearts!

Monday, December 7, 2015

Hello!

Hey all, I'm Allison! I've been married to the most amazing huz ever for 8 years, together for 13 total. We have 2 boys, ages 6 and 4 and a huge dog named Fawn. I work from home as a Brand Promoter for Le-Vel Thrive, I knit as often as I can sit down, and I love to try new recipes. I am also helping build a PTA for the new elementary school in the area and am the President.

Big P is an incredible artist and engineer. He loves drawing pictures of robots and then building them with legos or linking toys. It's amazing to watch his mind work. He's a Star Wars nerd just like the huz and he loves watching Minecraft tutorials.

Little C is hilarious and scrappy. He's small for his age but boy does his personality make up for it! Shy at first, but once he is comfortable, he's a total ham. He loves Mickey Mouse and Big Hero. He also loves to make up songs about whatever he might be doing.

The huz is a chef at a swanky retirement community, he absolutely loves his work. He gets to create fine dining food for people who really appreciate it. He loves all things history and Star Wars. He hates sports. (I LOVE this about him) Our football is watching DVR'ed episodes of Chopped on the weekend.

Like I said earlier, I'm a brand promoter for Le-Vel Thrive. It's an amazing wellness program that is done in 3 simple steps in the first half hour or so of your day! It's a total game changer.

I knit for fun, I started when Little C was an infant, I had just had major surgery and was down for 10 weeks. I needed something to keep me entertained, I picked up a set of needles and some yarn and I haven't quit yet!

I'm a bit of a nut for pinterest, I love finding new recipes! The huz gets to try them out on his days off. He enjoys this thoroughly.

I got involved with PTA at the beginning of this year when I asked who to talk with about joining. I was told there wasn't anyone, so I decided that I had some time and that I'd take it on. So far, it's been really interesting learning the history of the PTA and how they have been integral in advocating for children for over 100 years! I'll be sharing my hits and misses with starting up and getting running.