Dina Rocks!

Dina had a give away on her blog: Five Cats From Crazy.  Unfortunately, she asked a really tough question and did not get many comments.   Her question was: Who or what triggered your love of crafting?  It is a great question.  But maybe to hard to answer in a simple comment.

Initially, I thought the who was easy.  My mom.  She sewed, knit, made jam, made Halloween costumes, Christmas ornaments and even some baskets.  But, my Dad makes stuff too.  He is a very good wood worker and when I was kid, built a cider press.   He made the end tables in my living room.  He paints.  Now he is carving.  Both my grandmothers sewed.  My grandfather painted, not well, but he did it.  My Aunt sews too and for a while was weaving.  She and my mom would make matching dresses for my cousin and me on holidays.  So, lots of people in my family make stuff. 

I think the what part is an appreciation for the time and quality of handcrafted items.  Handmade items are unique.  Typically, they are built to last.  They reflect their maker and intended recipient.  Sometimes they are cheaper, but not always.  I really like houses and style from the Arts and Crafts movement.

I could go on and on, but you get it.

Anyway, Dina only got a few entries. She decided to make bracelets for each of us.  Mine arrived on Saturday.  I love the green stones.  It is perfect.  I would show you a picture of it on my wrist, but I shake too badly holding the camera with one hand to get a good shot.  With the bracelet came a skein of Artful Yarns Lustro.  It is a beautiful metallic green mohair.  I *think* I know what it is destined to become.  I'll show you when it is finished.  Thank you Dina!

1000+ page views!

How cool is that!?  With the new Google Analytics, I can tell that they are not all me.  I just asked the farmer what I could give away to celebrate.  He immediately said: "A cat." and held up Ella.

No, we will not be giving away Ella.  But what?  The only ideas I have are soap (done that) or something small(ish) that I knit.  Maybe, a pair of bed socks.  None of the stuff I cook would transit well.  Could you imagine what the US Post would do if a big jar of tomato sauce broke in transit?  I was thinking about homemade granola, but I haven't even made it yet.  I'm going to and it's gonna be great.  I hope.  Stay tuned.

Anyway, I still want to celebrate with a giveaway.

What would you like better: soap, a pair of warm fuzzy socks that won't fit in your shoes, or what?

Leave me a comment about what you would like and why.  I'm also open to ideas for future giveaways.  The little kid will draw a name next Saturday (9/18) and I will either package up some soap (Scrappy, Summer Vacation, Honey Wheat Beer, and  Tea Tree & Aloe) or warm up the needles for a pair of socks.  I will even ship internationally.

Good luck!

Congratulations Rory! (and a little bit about a hat)

Rory won!  Congratulations!  Thank you all for your comments.  It was fun to read what folks had to say.  I'm thinking about what I want to celebrate next, so we can do it again.

The kid drew Rory's name out of her pink hat.  The pattern from the hat is from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop that appeared on PBS.  I was able to get the DVD's from the library.  It was great.  I learned how to do Fair Isle Knitting.  Not bad for my first try.  Elizabeth can teach you anything from how to cast on, knit and purl, all the way to advanced techniques.  I love her approach to knitting.  Watch it.  It's worth it.  The yarn is Paton's Classic Wool.  The hat has been worn and washed a bunch and she still loves it.  I made her mittens and a scarf to match.

Again, thanks for your comments and for stopping by.  Keep reading.  I think I'm going to write about beets next.   It will be interesting, I promise.

Goodnight!  

One month anniversary

I have been working on this experiment for a month!  Woo hoo!  So far so good, I think.  To celebrate, I am going to give away a pound of soap to one brave reader. The dragon on the left is the Honey Wheat Beer Soap. The dragon on the right is Castile Beer Soap.  The two brown bars are Coffee Soap.  The light square on the right is Cobblestone Soap.

Here is the deal.  Leave me a comment on any post to date.  Say "hi" or tell me what you think.  I will put all the comments into a hat and the kid will pick one.  Rory has a head start on everyone.  But I know there are more people reading.  Fess up.   The deadline for "entry" will be by my bedtime on Wednesday, 7/21.  I'll post the results on Thursday, the 22nd.  Check back in, in case I cannot figure out how to contact you.

Thank you for reading.  Writing this blog has turned out to be a lot of fun and is helping me focus my creative energy.  I hope it keeps going and getting better.  Maybe someday it will actually be a real farm. 

Oh, and maybe someone can answer why my  water tastes so much better?