What's on your Needles?

I have (as always) lots of new patterns I can't wait to try. 

Knitted tie http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L10390.html



I want to knit up at least 2 or 3 to start and see how my son and the neighbor next door like them. 

Next... I want to knit up some beaded bracelets...you, you read that right - knitted bracelets!  That reminds me...I need to go find my bead needle, beads and other supplies.  Looks like a nice afternoon to site outside and string beads.  http://knitting.about.com/od/reviews/fr/beaded-bracelets-knit.htm  I picked up this book and it's looks like fun!

Then...my big big big project!  This amazing sweater.  I saw it in Vogue Knitting recently.  I put it down...and yet I can't stop thinking about it!  It's called "Inversion Theory" and there is no "right" way to wear it.  There is no real top or bottom as you can wear it either way!  It's quite an advanced pattern but I don't see anything in it that I can't do. 


Now, what are you working on?

Keeping the Kitchen Clean

Wow, we finally got some very warm weather yesterday.  You know the feeling...hot & humid.  It's that time of the year where anything that's damp starts to get that yucky smell in a matter of hours. 

Guess how I avoid that in my kitchen?  I change my dishcloth every day.  I do it in style now that I've started making my One-A-Day Set of 7 Hand Knit 100% Cotton Dishclothes.  These get me through to the next laundry day. 

I just started listing these in my shop. 

You get 7 unique dishclothes - none looks like the other.  This set was made using a hot green, hot blue and a white with blue, green and yellow flecks in it.  It comes with 3 round solid color clothes and 4 striped clothes. 





Have favorite colors?  I'll gladly make a set in your choice of 3 colors (if I can get them!).  Visit my Etsy store and convo me or you can leave a comment here.


Here's a set in yellow, purple & white.

Coming soon: a set in blue, yellow & white; and a set in pink, brown & cream.



Thanks for stopping by!

Harriet

Wisdom...things to remember and follow!

I don't know where this originated...but one of my wonderful sisters forwarded it to me in an email.  I simply have to share it.


1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

2] Why is a Car's WINDSHIELD so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and Move on.

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today’s PEACE. If you really enjoy this, please pass to others. It may brighten someone's day...

Creamy Brussell Sprouts

 

My sister made these a few years ago at Christmas....we love 'em! 

 

Creamy Bussels Sprouts

 

For a green bean side dish, substitute 2 pounds of green beans for the brussels sprouts, and reduce baking time to 15-18 minutes.

 

Prep: 15 minutes

cook: 12 minutes

bake: 20-25 minutes (or less for green beans)

oven: 350^O

 

non-stick spray

1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons butter

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (or green beans, trimmed)

1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

¾ reduced sodium chicken broth

¾ cup whipping cream

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

1.Preheat oven to 350 ^O. Lightly coat a 1 1/2 quart oval gratin baking dish or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

 

2. In a 12-inch skillet, cook onion and garlic in butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in Brussels sprouts and thyme. Cook for 4 minutes, or until onions begin to brown. Add broth. Bring to boiling. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until broth is nearly evaporated. Add whipping cream and nutmeg. Cook for 4 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Stir in half of the cheese, all of the salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

 

3. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are tender. Makes 8-10 servings.

 

Resin...having loads of fun with resin!

Oh, I'm so happy with how these turned out!  I made a few new molds last week to use in resin casting.  I had a chance to do some resin casting for the first time in the new molds and I'm so happy with the results!

Leafy and Small

I made these for a friend's red scarf.  She originally had picked out 1 extra large chunky button until she saw this pattern.  She quickly changed to 2 smaller buttons in black.

Driftwood

This is one of my favorites!  I made this from a small piece of driftwood I found on the beach in Douglas this summer. 


Large Bamboo

This is an extra large chunky button.  I'm going to put these on the neckwarmers I knit with my very large needles.

So, what will I be doing with these?  Well, I have ideas...I'll be casting in several colors.

- buttons to put on my scarves for sale

- button  - to sell

- pendants

- magnets

So, what do you think of these?  Would you wear these? I'd love to hear your comments!


Harriet



Why you really shouldn't link your Facebook Fan Page and your Twitter Accounts

I know...it seems like a great idea.  Link your Fan Page & your Twitter feed...you only need to post once and it gets to both pages.  When you post something in your Facebook Fan Page and it shows up simultaneously in your Twitter feed there are several problems I can think of. I'm sure there are more. If you have another pet peeve about this, please let us know by leaving a comment.

What could be wrong with this idea?  Well, let me tell you...

TWITTER IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS
It's not just pushing out information to your followers.  Relationships involve more than 1 person...that means what takes place on Twitter is a conversation between people.  OK, not every single tweet is going to be part of a conversation...but if you never have had a conversation on Twitter, you are really missing out.  I watch TV shows and tweet back and forth about what's happening with friends. 

Problem # 1
If people are both fans on Facebook and Followers on Twitter, they will see the exact same thing 2 times.  I know when I have to read duplicates often, I am going to either unlike you on Facebook or unfollow you on Twitter.  I don't need to see the same thing twice.  Please have some respect for my time. 

Problem # 2
You may think that by having your Facebook posts feed into your Twitter account you are making it easier on yourself to be active on Twitter.  Reality check - you aren't; you aren't being active on Twitter.  Why?  Because you aren't having a real conversation with anyone on Twitter. 

One of the great benefits to Tweeting are the replies & the interaction you get from others.  You can vent, joke, ask questions and you will often get a reply.  If you get a reply, and fail to acknowledge it, you have failed. Not only have you failed in simple common courtesy, but also in your purpose for tweeting in the first place.  Remember, you are using your Fan Page to promote your business.  By failing to have your Twitter-persona acknowledge those people who have taken the time to reply to you, what impression are you leaving with them?  Whether intended or not, I think the impression you are leaving is that you can't/won't/don't take the time to thank or respond.  Hmmm...if you got this impression from someone you were thinking of buying from, would your intentions change?

Problems # 3
Think about all those folks who are able to see your Twitter feed at work.  Think about all those Facebook links you post in Facebook...and therefore in Twitter because you are linking these accounts.  Then think about how many companies ban or outright block Facebook at work.  Yes, I work at one of these.  I see lots of links that look interesting so I click on them (yes, during my lunch hour!)  Oops, I've now been taking to a Facebook page!  Thanks for taking me where I'm not allowed.  If you do this too much, I will unfollow you on Twitter. 

Problem # 4
If you link the other way (Twitter feeding into Facebook) it doesn't make sense for those who don't Tweet.  What are these status updates that contain the #, @ or RT? 

Problem # 5
Facebook & Twitter are 2 different animals.  Why would you want to treat them the same?  When you post something on Facebook, you do not have the 140 character limitations that are on Twitter.  This means the first 140 characters you use on Facebook show up on Twitter...and will probably not make a whole lot of sense.  Are you trying to confuse potential customers or friends?

Problem # 6
Links.  When you post a link in Facebook, space is no issue and you have the whole website address...and you know how long these can be!  When you post a link on Twitter, if it's long, you really really should be shortening it with a tiny url. 

So, to sum up...remember this please.  Facebook is for telling your friends what you're doing.  Twitter is for telling the world what you're doing.  What you tell your friends is not the same as what you tell strangers.  So please refrain from the "set it and forget it" mentality of this convenient app.

Want to do some more reading and get more opinions?
Why You Shouldn’t Trust Feeds For Social Updates
Don’t Link your Facebook Fan Page and Twitter Statuses



 

Wonderful inspiring day

If you are ever near the Saugatuck area in west Michigan, you need to stop in at Good Goods! It's the most amazing inspiring and unusual store I've seen in a long long time.
I however don't recommend taking young children with you as you will be scared silly that they will break something. And then there goes that emergency fund. It's not cheap. Heck, for me it's not even affordable. Except... I've been looking for a new wallet for months & months. Think I found one. It's a half circle! How out of the ordinary is that? I'm hoping to go back next month...maybe I'll splurge and get it for my birthday.
Oh, you'd like to get me something for my birthday? How lovely...I'll take this table. LOL

My first resin button!

I'm excited & happy with how my very first resin button turned out.

It's a smidge over two inches...do you know haw difficult it is to find buttons that size in the store?

Please comment and let me know what you think.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Future Buttons

This is something I've been dreaming of doing for a long long time - designing my own buttons!

Last year I designed some simple neckwarmer scarves. Went shopping for some extra large colored buttons and just didn't like the limited choices. I ended up making some fabric buttons for a show.

This year I have designed another new pattern with a neckwarmer and a hood. And this year I'm going to make my own extra large buttons out of resin.

I did the first try today. I made some buttons out of clay...and the next step will be to make a mold out of these...and then I get to cast the resin

Take a look and please let me know what you think!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

5 Minute Mug Cake

Ok, so this is a good, simple and quick recipe. I. Recently tweaked it just a bit after reading a few reviews. The new recipe received a thumbs up from the 6 year old boy.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
Dash of salt
1/2 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a coffee mug. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

I usually remove the cake from the mug onto a saucer and top with chocolate syrup.

Enjoy!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry