Sweater Update with Knitting (or crocheting) Trick

I finished it! The sweater (some assembly required) that my parents bought me for Christmas! It's not long sleeved, as I was thinking it would be, but I like it just the same.  I do have to weave in the ends, and block it, but the knitting part of it is finished!

The back

The front...the sleeves were still in progress.

Since I finished it, I naturally moved on to my next pattern. S two Christmases ago got me a lovely gift certificate to River City Yarn.  Why did I wait so long to use it?!  I was hoarding it, that's why. I didn't want to use it up on something I was never gong to use.  With the finishing of the 'easy' sweater, I found a bit more challenging, but ultimately more lovely (instead of practical), sweater pattern (Lovely Sweater patter (it's free!!). 

I found some gorgeous wool/silk blend and have cast it on.  I came up against a problem, though: the lace chart is pretty tiny, super hard to follow, and has TONS of repeats. S graciously got one of his friends at work to print it much larger, so that solved one issue for me.  I was able to figure out the next one on my own.

I've had a roll of contact paper just hanging out in my craft drawer for who knows how long. I saw it and was like "YES!"  I stretched it out and it was more than enough to cover my newly printed pattern. I am now using a wax pencil to mark each row after I finish it! AND! Two birds with one stone: it wipes off for the repeats!

My pattern with the wool and wax pencil

 (I do know the picture is the wrong way, but I tried a few times to right it, and it just didn't work.)

I'm probably way more excited about this than I should be, but I'll chalk that up to lack of sleep. I do think, however, that this will exclusively be how I work with lace patterns from here on out!


Hope it helps you too!
XO,

Soli Deo Gloria

Paste, Snow, Lilies

I should add my name to the title of this post. Those three things, like I, are whiter than white.  I literally glow under black light, and I'm not talking my teeth (though, they do too!).  I have to wear a white shirt to outshine my legs or arms when I do anything under black light.  You think I jest. I really, sadly, do not.

I've come to terms with my body's shade of skin. It's not exactly something I can change. ...Well, that's not exactly true. I can turn into a lobster, candy cane, or some other configuration of red and white.

Anyway. To combat this blinding sight, I've made myself some 'tanning' lotion.  There are tons of conventional products out there that change the appearance of skin tone. I can't really use any of them for so many different factors. My lily white skin is also incredibly sensitive. It's so bad that if I even think about parabens BAM there's a rash (oh great, look at my forearm).

Around Mother's Day, S and I decided to buy a KitchenAide mixer. One of the major deciding factors in this purchase was being able to make my own lotion.  I've been researching, gathering tools, and steeping oils for a little while now.  Once the lovely machine was nestled into its spot by the fridge, it was time to test out a lotion recipe.

I used the WikiHow link about lotion and did the easy version first. It was a super simple recipe that included avocado oil, beeswax, rosewater, and grapeseed oil.  I like it, but it felt a tad bit oily on. The fix was more rosewater in the mixing process.

Next up was the one I'm going to share with you today! Peppermint Mocha lotion. It has real, from the source, fragrance.

First step is to grind some coffee beans as fine as you possibly can and add it to your oil of choice. (Mine was grapeseed) Leave it in a cool dark place for about two weeks, turning it over or shaking it once every two days or so.

Once your oil has steeped and gained all of the lovely coffee properties, strain out the coffee grounds. (I used the coffee grounds with some sugar and baking soda for an awesome body scrub!)

Again, I used the Wiki link above for the ratios for the basic lotion, minus the Vit. E oil (though, I would have used it had I had any)

Melt your oils of choice  and beeswax together (I used grapeseed, jojoba, and shea in a 2:1:1 ratio) 

Once it is just melted (careful not to scorch!), put it in your bowl with distilled water (or rosewater or orange blossom water or similar liquid like aloe or what have you).

It's time to WHIP this stuff like mad. If you have a mixer it takes maybe ten-ish minutes with scraping down the sides fairly often to make sure it's evenly mixed.

Once your lotion has thickened up, it's time to add the darkening agent: cocoa powder! In my double batch (from the link) I used less than a tablespoon of cocoa.  It gives just enough color to lessen the glaring from the sun off of my legs.

I also added some peppermint essential oil for another little kick - but that's up to you!

I would add some pictures, but I really don't want to blind you - and this go 'round of lotion making didn't get documented.  If you really want a picture filled how-to, let me know, and I can work on it!


One word of advice -if you do add in anything besides the oils, water, and wax, PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE to keep it fresh, elsewise you will have some moldy, stinky lotion going on. (yuuuck - I learned the hard from a tiny sample I had left out in a baby food jar for a friend - rats!)

Hope you can hydrate and 'tan' without any of the nasties too!

XO,
J

Soli Deo Gloria

Dandelion Marmalade

Before the rain hit this week, Little Red and Little Bird and I made it back over to our neighbors' house to pick more dandelions!  The girls were both pretty good at getting those wonderful yellow blooms into our big bowl.

Once we got back from our tiny excursion, I put them to bed and got down to work removing the petals from their heads.  It took most of their nap time, and to try and redeem the time a little, I was listening to  this.  It's a stellar sermon on the second commandment. 

The petals from these dandelions went into the dandelion marmalade that I made on Sunday afternoon.

Dandelion petals in the marmalade

Isn't it just pretty?  It also tastes wonderful - kind of like sunshine and summer mixed with oranges and honey.


I worked from a few different recipes and then a general how-to about marmalade.  It was kind of confusing, and my first go-round (as I mentioned in my last post) was less than jam-like. The second and third attempts, though, I think turned out just they way I wanted! To save you the trouble of figuring out how to do it, I made up a recipe. Hope you can do it at some point - it's been really fun for our kids to see how we can use up these flowers.

Here's the recipe:

2 1/2 cup dandelion petals divided into 2 cups and 1/2 cup
3 cups of water
1 orange peeled and diced
500 g granulated sugar
juice of 1 lemon

0. (I forgot this step, until after I finished the other ones and didn't want to renumber...and it's important!) Put a plate in the freezer or fridge to chill.

1. Put water, 2 cups dandelion petals, and orange in a medium sauce pan and bring to boil. Turn to low heat and simmer, covered, for aprox. 1 hour.

2. Strain all of the solids from the liquid, making sure to press all of the juices from the petals and orange.

3. Put the liquid with the sugar and lemon juice into a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Do NOT stir once the sugar has dissolved (it will crystallize your mixture).  Boil until mixture reaches approx. 220 degrees F.

4. Take off of heat and drop a scant spoonful onto your chilled plate. If it is too runny (not a jammy consistency) bring it back to a boil and let it go up 1-2 degrees then test again. If it is the correct consistency move to the next step

5. Stir in the 1/2 cup dandelion petals then pour marmalade into sterilized jars. The petals will float to the top - if you want to disperse them throughout the whole jar, give it a stir when the marmalade is at room temperature (if you are not sealing the jars).

6.  Seal the jars if you are not planning on using it up within 2 months (refrigerated).

Enjoy!

One way that I for sure know that I've been dandelion focused lately is that Buddy asked S when he was going to bed why God made dandelions - Buddy's answer (when S asked it back) was so that we could eat them.  How sweet is that?!

Anyway, hope you enjoy the sweet spread,
J

Soli Deo Gloria