Finish It Up Friday- I Got the Blues

In my color palate for sure but I am definately down in the dumps because I have TWO fantastic Friday Finishes! The first being my blue sweater that has been in the works since FOR-EV-ER.

I got the delicious to work with and feel Malbrigo yarn from my cousin's online shop called Needles and Ewe back in September!I kind of hit a road block at the button bands and buttons but theyre DONE and I will hopefully have lots of pictures of me wearing it today at the Dallas quilt show!!

 

 

Also finished is the mariners compass quilt!

 Valerie requested that it find a quilter in/near Dallas and I believe I have found one who will do the job quite nicely! The best part!? She's going to be at the Dallas quilt show too so I can give it to her then! Here it is all packed and ready to go!

I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Finish it Up Friday!

Cotton Picking Feed Yard

Well actually cotton picking AND a feed yard. Without proper punctuation you'd never have guessed I was picking cotton and probably assumed I didn't like. The feed yard! (Or steak factory, as I have learned to affectionately call it from Uncle Van aka the Cow Doc)


My brain goes straight to Howard and his mother from Big Bang Theory every time Doc tells us one of the tells cows are ready is that the brisket right on their chest between their front legs fills out.


There were so many different cows and colors, I could have/should have done a One in Every Color-Cows post!


Doc is teaching us the key factors in keeping the cows diet balanced. Especially that fiber content is important! And that feeding cows when there's a drought is expensive.


In this picture you can see quite a few cows hanging out in the yard. When Doc started playing the radio in the car all the cows started coming close to listen! I didn't believe it the night before at dinner but now that I've seen it with my own eyes I believe it! Doc says that classical music is best.


Doc also says that's as real a cowboy as you'll get! Aunt Maggie (who is to be credited for all of these photos) hopped out of the car to take a picture of this cowboy and his horse. Only the horse knew that it was dinner time. So from the car we were watching as the cowboy would tell the horse to say hi and push his head toward Aunt Maggie, then the horse would say "Hello, please excuse me, it's dinner time and then try to stick his head in the bucket. This process repeated a couple times until there was really no arguing with the horse.
We headed back toward town by way of the country club and the pool so I could seen were my dad and Aunt Maggie broke all kinds of rules when they were visiting as kids. On the way we saw lots of cotton fluffs! The cotton bowls (sp?) here are more drought tolerant and weather resistant. They stay closed up tighter longer and the fiber is shorter to keep more on the plant longer for harvesting! Aunt Lois asked if they should stop so I could go get some and I said no. The. As we drove on and I kept seeing those temping little fluffs that didn't get harvested last year (these are last years old plants) I could no longer resist. I asked I maybe we could please stop so I could go pick some cotton. If you've never seen me run, that is my typical running style that got me dubbed as twinkle toes when I played soccer as a kid.


I was hunting for the longest cleanest cotton puffs.


Here's one I picked the seeds out of.


And started hand spinning in the car....


and then plied.


See, I'm not so different from cows! Fiber is important to me too!

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WIP Wednesday-Mariners Compass

 One of our projects while in Olton, before we go to Dallas, is to finish Valerie and Matt's (my sister and brother in law) wedding quilt! This has been one grand group effort! Last fall there was a whole group of us at Quilt Camp working on it! (Including the happy couple!)

 After quilt camp we still had some things left to do, and I hadn't done them yet sooo I brought the quilt to Texas and Aunt Maggie and I are finishing them up! Here Aunt Maggie is doing one of the mitered corner seams on my cute little featherweight!

We've got two of the final border strips on so far. Only two left to go!

By the time a quilt is THIS BIG even a little border is a big task!

The blocks are paper pieced in the Mariner's Compass pattern! My mom started this quilt many years ago and had 5 of the 12 blocks completed before she passed away. 

Now for the final two border strips, to pick out a back and find a machine quilter!!!

I'm not even going to attempt to free motion this bad boy!

I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced WiP Wednesday.

Tuesday Tidbits-

This happened in our garage...


Turning into this!!! My handy hubby!


I cleaned our vacuum brush out finally. This is turning into an annual chore.


No, we don't have a pet...just a knitter/crocheter/quilter.


Garden City doesn't have recycling pick up so I collect it all in our garage and then when stuff starts spilling on to the floor, I finally get my act together and haul it to the drop off.



These buttons are going on my sweater. They were only 79 cents! (When my grandma bought them.)
Right now I'm in:


I'm in a small town between Amarillo and Lubbock. Yesterday we went hiking:


My Aunt Maggie is here too and we're visiting my Great Aunt Lois and Uncle Van (my dad and Aunt Maggie's paternal Aunt and Uncle.) Part of yesterday was spent looking at pictures.


Someday I'd love to get my hair done all vintage and take a picture like that!
Also, These Shoes!!!!


I want them!


My newest knitting project matches Aunt Lois's kitchen canisters. Those colors are right up my alley!
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Finish it Up Friday- Boot Cuffs

Boot cuffs have been trending on Pinterest. The weird thing to me is, people are cutting off the sleeves of sweaters to have them be the cuffs!!! EEeek! I don't know about you, but I don't have any extra sweaters laying around. When Mary very generously shared this yarn her mother had hand spun my mind went straight to boot cuffs! The yarn had a bit of grey and a bit of brown making it all the more versatile!

I can wear these boot cuffs with my black riding boots, and black leggings

and my cowboy boots and jeans!

I put a shorter ribbing on the top and a thicker ribbing on the bottom. When I wear them with my tall boots I put the short ribbing up so more cable will show and because I don't want the cuffs to stick out as much. With my cowboy boots I flip them because I want more cuff to show!

Materials:

Size 1 40 inch circular knitting needle

Fingering weight yarn. (Regretfully I do not know the yardage because it was hand-spun yarn, and not by me)

Cable Needle

Pattern:

Cast on 72 stitches. Join for working in the round with the magic loop method.

K2P2 rib for an inch and a half.

Switch to a K6 P2 cable for about 2.5 inches

K2P2 ribbing for an inch. 

The cable twists did regretfully make two tight spots in the cuffs and I have relatively large calves. I might have considered working 80 stitches but I was not going back. Once I had wet blocked them on these Costco size peanut butter containers they fit perfectly!

I'm linking up  to Crazy Mom Quilts and Finish it Up Friday!

Heirlooms

Heirlooms. I think of quilts, furniture, jewelry, and now produce.

Around November or December (maybe January) I saw that my friend Kara had posted on Facebook about browsing her Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company Catalog. I googled it. Then requested my own catalog. It's seriously a beautiful catalog folks with some interesting tidbits. Well one thing led to another and I've ordered some seeds. And a book. Now I confess, I'm not totally thrilled with their customer service at the moment and I deliberated sharing this with you as a result. HOWEVER
I read the book cover to cover in one night. It was so interesting! The founder of this company started gardening at age three. I learned science (seed saving, soil fertilizing, cool stuff.) I learned more about some interesting current noteworthy topics (Monsanto and GMO crops.) I also got some more context and history about certain plants! The book notes early references of certain plants and produce in the bible, Thomas Jefferson's Garden, and Egypt. There are also funny stories about produce and how they were perceived during different eras. (My favorite is a tomato story with multiple written accounts.) Whether or not I have a successful harvest is still to tell. However, I already consider this venture successful in how much I've learned. I think I could read this book several more times and be just as engrossed. (Which is why I cant let anyone borrow it yet. I'm reading it again...slowly this time.)

WIP Wednesday

I'm jumping on the bandwagon because I've had quite the works in progress today!
I've been hoping to get a hand quilting group going (one especially for beginners) and Mary contributed some blocks she had to the cause. They were part of a color "phase" for lack of better words and now they don't quite mesh with what she's feeling like working on. I started putting the blocks together to make the top and consulted some quilting experts RE what to do for quilting. It was pointed out to me that with all the seams it may not be a good hand quilting quilt for learners.

SO after consulting with Mary I'm going to machine quilt it and it will go to MCC  machine quilted!
Here is the larger quilt's crib size cousin!

Today I got the big one sandwiched and started quilting it! I would have gotten a lot further if I hadn't broken the plastic piece that holds my walking foot onto the machine. I don't know if I have enough lines in yet to free motion the rest of the lines. I'm going to call around tomorrow and see if there's a universal foot to be found in Garden City. (Cross your fingers.) If not, I can get one in Amarillo, Texas on Saturday on my way down to Olton, Texas to see family! It's going to be a great extended trip that will include a fun continuation trip to see my SISTER!!!

This should be my last WIP with this sweater as I have FINALLY picked it back up to do the button bands. I know, all that's left is a dinky button band, bite the bullet and get it done right? It seems with big projects there's always a wall. Mine is the button band. I think I can, I think I can!
Many thanks to Freshly Pieced for hosting WIP Wednesday!

Duffers.

Isn't that a funny name? That's what these are called. Or at least what the pattern calls them! (Find the pattern here on Ravelry.) I developed duffer envy when my friend M brought a pair to Stitch in One (our fiber group.) They're so dense and cozy. Because they're felted, they don't really have any funky spots for bulk or discomfort either. So as soon as we procured the pattern, we got to work. (M has the fever too!)

I made my first pair. I seamed them up, and suspiciously they fit perfectly before being felted! Ugh! 

Just to see how things went, I felted them anyway. They got to be so cute and tiny! 

But they sure weren't going to fit on my feet.

So I tried again. I made the largest size the pattern gives "numbers" for. I was so anxious to have them on my feet that I completely forgot to take a picture before felting them!  

Here they are with the mini's. 

And on my cutting mat for some size gauging. One square= 1 sq inch.
The tiny ones went to my dear friend Charlotte W. I thought that they couldn't get cuter but she sure is icing on the cake!


Mine are on my feet. Under a quilt. With funky white socks. They're not being photographed. But they're fabulous. The best thing about them for me, is that I have particularly sweaty feet. Sometimes if I wear slippers or socks my feet can get COLDER because the slippers or socks hold onto or trap the moisture which then conducts the heat away from my feet. Wool will keep a body warm EVEN WHEN WET!!! That's why wool mittens are the bee's knees.

Red for the Little Lady

One of my friends and mentors who I've known since Jr. High recently had a baby girl! I couldn't be more excited for her and her husband! I put together this layered fringe/rag quilt with fabric that had been my mom's since technically she was my mom's friend first!

I've done this kind of quilt with flannels before but this was my first time using regular quilting cotton and machine quilting a 1 inch smaller piece of batting in between the outer layers. 

 I tried a different free motion pattern on each of the blocks!

Fewer layers of fabric with batting in between made for a lighter quilt, and it still looks just as full post washing. Call me a dreamer but I imagine the little recipient of this quilt having fun learning all the different quilting designs, picking a favorite square, and studying the different fabrics in the car, or before bed. I hope she enjoys it to pieces! That is the true sign of a loved quilt!

Empanadas

Remember back here I made these things I called pulled pork and black bean goodness. My friend Jamie reminded me that they're empanadas. She also gave me a couple other dough recipes to try out. The first one was a LOT easier to work with than swiebach dough and kind of acted more like a tortilla when being baked. (I'm opting for the lower cal baking route.) I'm able to roll the dough very thin and they're very crisp when done. One drawback when using them as freezer lunches is that they do produce more crumbs. (Said the messy eater.)


Here is that dough recipe:

2 cups flour, 1/3 cup
shortening or butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2-2/3 cup water (just enough for the
dough to come together and be soft and pliable). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap
and refrigerate an hour or two before using. You could also freeze the dough.
Should make 10 2-inch circles, or 5 bigger ones!

Then, yesterday I tried a different recipe to see if I could get the same pliability but maybe a little softer. The recipe can be found here. The ingredients are 

• 3 cups flour (plus a little more for kneading)


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 cup cold water


• 1 egg


• 1 egg white


• 1 teaspoon vinegar


• 3 tablespoons shortening

This recipe was a bit softer when baked, but didn't look as nice or roll out as easily. 

All of the picture credits go to Luke in this post. He took all the process pictures over my shoulder and it went so much more quickly than if I had taken them all myself. With the photos I even got a bit of commentary on how my dough isn't very round when I roll it out. He says it's because I don't have enough of the culture. Punk.

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

I have done it. I have caved to the freezer breakfast burrito. We had two convenient snow days, and I used them as an opportunity to fill the freezer. I read Iowa Girl Eats' Tutorial and followed it loosely. I differed in that 3 of them have cooked diced potatoes, and 3 of them have a black beans that I cooked with taco seasoning for empenadas. I'll hold off on posting until I get the review from Luke.
Review from Luke:

"Those are pretty good!"

Matty's Mac n Cheese

This is the recipe my brother in law Matt uses. (At the time he introduced us to this recipe, one of their friends persistently called him Matty much to his dismay. It may have been catching.) This recipe is so good it needs publishing and to be preserved online in case of tragedy.
Please note: Substitutions cannot be made. I have tried, it does not work. This recipe can, however, be trippled.
1 3/4 cups small elbow macaroni
1 1/4 cups EXTRA sharp cheddar and White Cheddar (about 5 oz) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (black pepper makes suspicious black flakes)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/3 cups half and half
1 1/3 cups whipping cream
2/3 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 cups packed grated extra sharp cheddar
Preheat oven to 350* F. Lightly butter 9x13 glass baking dish. Cook macaroni al dente, drain, put into baking dish, and add cubed cheese. Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients gradually while whisking. Pour over macaroni noodles and cubed cheese. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. (Resist the urge to sneak even just a bite. The sauce needs to thicken as it cools. If you take an early bite there is sauce that cannot claim noodles. (The voice of experience.)
Because we're lactose intolerant (and bad ones at that) I portion this delicacy into 1/2 cup Tupperware and freeze it for those snack time cravings...when I haven't had too much dairy that day.

Quite Palletable

I'm hoping to start a garden in the spring. As I have yet to have a productive garden in my life, I'd like to keep the financial risk on the lower end. On the other hand, I've heard quite a bit of success stories with raised garden beds.
I've seen many wooden pallets behind stores here in Garden City and thought I might try out one of the many pinterested raised beds made from pallet wood. The thing is, pallets are like milk crates and go back to vendors for re-distribution. Pay attention pinners. Those pallets aren't all out there to be taken as junk, they're waiting to be picked up. I learned this after asking 5 business owners if I could have the pallets out back. Then, this afternoon when Luke and I were on a pallet hunt, I happened across a manager who knew of some smaller ones that may have been broken or used for display that wouldn't be going back to vendors. SCORE!! He said to come back at the end of the evening when more would be empty. Nooo problem! So we had another new kind of date night and went to pick up pallets. We each drove our own car so we could bring more home.

My handsome helper helped me load them up...

and then load them into our cars.
Time to start building!!!
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