i've discovered this is one of my flaws. there is so much i want to make, that i just keep planning and planning and very little gets finished. Luckily the Great Needle Harvest is coming up again!
Also, the The Great Gold Coast KIP Hunt is coming up, planning for that! doing the flier this afternoon/evening.
I bought the Malabrigo Lace in Cognac to make a Citron for my sister-in-law. the plan was to do it in purple, but Knit or Knot didn't happen to have purple, but the Cognac is really pretty, and if Lindsay doesn't want it, i'll keeps it for me!
I also bought the Bab's lace weight to make the new Annis from Knitty.com. Actually, i bought two skeins, Vlad Red and Florence. both super pretty, i hope they come fast =D
Tour De Fleece is coming up, i'm participating with Team Tale Spin, for the Faerie Tale group on Ravelry. my challenge for the mountain day will be pure silk i think.
And soon i'll be casting on to design my very first shawl, as the pattern to go with a Storied Yarns colorway based on the Tattoo Faerie books (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity, haven't read the 4th yet) i'm going to design a Donia/Winter Girl and an Ash/Summer Girl shawl, and an Irial Shrug/Shawl convertable thing. that's the plan anyway. Jess did such a fantastic job with the Florida colorway she donated to the KIP hunt, i'm looking forward to working with her on this.
other than that....reading
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Black Cherry Kool Aid
Last night i decided i really HAD to finish the yarn for a handspun swap i joined (last minute, couldn't help myself).
it's about 220 yards of single, the N-ply did some funky felting thing and looked just scary, luckily i hadn't done the ply on the whole single i did, and ended up with enough for a nice skein.
3 packs of Black Cherry and a pack of Grape, turned into this:
i am SO incredibly proud of it. The color, the single isn't extremely overspun, imo it's the Nicest yarn i've done...and it's a gift for someone else /facepalm
it inspires me to get some more boring white and spin up something pretty as a KIP hunt prize.
it's about 220 yards of single, the N-ply did some funky felting thing and looked just scary, luckily i hadn't done the ply on the whole single i did, and ended up with enough for a nice skein.
3 packs of Black Cherry and a pack of Grape, turned into this:
i am SO incredibly proud of it. The color, the single isn't extremely overspun, imo it's the Nicest yarn i've done...and it's a gift for someone else /facepalm
it inspires me to get some more boring white and spin up something pretty as a KIP hunt prize.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Pizza Pie!
no really
it's a pizza
in a pie plate
DiGiorno used to make these, once upon a time, they came frozen and had to cook for over an hour. I'm not sure when they stopped making them, but when we were watching a show on Travel Channel about Pizza places, we remembered the goodness of the super deep dish pizza.
So i set out to make one!
yeah, I don't think this'll fit into weight watchers points /sigh oh well, it was tasty.
First i spelunked the internet trying to find a recipe that already exsisted, and gave up and made up my own.
I got one of those Pillsbury Pizza crusts that come in the refrigerator section, cut a circle and put it in the bottom of a cake pan, i didn't use a pie plate because it didn't seem deep enough for what i wanted. Used what was leftover from cutting the round to line the edge, so, dough on bottom and sides.
brushed on a little Garlic Butter (nom)
Baked at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, checked it after 5 and popped the dough bubbles that start to rise.
let that cool for a minute after it was done, then layered Sauce, Cheese, Pepperoni, Sauce...etc. Ended with a very thick layer of cheese.
Baked at 350 for about 30 minutes, checked it often, i like crispy cheese!
Big hit, all gone. always good =D
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Hrm
I've found that with a laptop i spend much less time on the computer.
This is giving me much more time to do other things, like spin!
I Navajo-Plied for the first time this morning. omg that went slowly. I'll share pictures later when it's done drying. Instead of soaking and whacking and drying it, i cooked it with some Black Cherry Koolaid and rinsed it, whacked it, and now it's drying in the shower. When it's completely dry THEN i'll get some pictures.
I really don't know what kind of wool it was, it came with my Ashford spindle from Halycon yarns. (i got a catalog for them, now i sorta want a lap loom /facepalm)
Next on my list is to get to Micheals and buy some Lion Brand Microspun to make me a Leezard! for the Great Gold Coast KIP Hunt (ravelry link). DPNS, while i try so hard to be a Knitting-Ninja, are still really difficult for me. So it will be a learning experience.
I've spent the last day calming down, being a duck, as my mom says. You know, let it roll off you like water off a ducks back. Be a Duck. So instead of spending hours spelunking ravelry while kaeley plays. I've been reading.
Kitty Goes to Washington - took me almost two weeks to finish, i don't think i'm going to read anymore books in this series.
Betrayed (House of Night Book 2) - finished in a day, it was ok, but what i don't like is how the books keep ending with no real conclusion. It annoys me. I need closure, even if it is a "series"
Next i'm going to read Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, and then City of Bones. I think..i have like, this big ass stack of books on my desk taunting me. But i feel like i have so much more time to read now.
ooo maybe i'll do this lace shawlette that sandi so nicely printed out the pattern for me! It'll be a challenge because it's only charted and i've not done that before, plus is perfect for this Alchemy Silk purse i have in my stash. yes../scheme
This is giving me much more time to do other things, like spin!
I Navajo-Plied for the first time this morning. omg that went slowly. I'll share pictures later when it's done drying. Instead of soaking and whacking and drying it, i cooked it with some Black Cherry Koolaid and rinsed it, whacked it, and now it's drying in the shower. When it's completely dry THEN i'll get some pictures.
I really don't know what kind of wool it was, it came with my Ashford spindle from Halycon yarns. (i got a catalog for them, now i sorta want a lap loom /facepalm)
Next on my list is to get to Micheals and buy some Lion Brand Microspun to make me a Leezard! for the Great Gold Coast KIP Hunt (ravelry link). DPNS, while i try so hard to be a Knitting-Ninja, are still really difficult for me. So it will be a learning experience.
I've spent the last day calming down, being a duck, as my mom says. You know, let it roll off you like water off a ducks back. Be a Duck. So instead of spending hours spelunking ravelry while kaeley plays. I've been reading.
Kitty Goes to Washington - took me almost two weeks to finish, i don't think i'm going to read anymore books in this series.
Betrayed (House of Night Book 2) - finished in a day, it was ok, but what i don't like is how the books keep ending with no real conclusion. It annoys me. I need closure, even if it is a "series"
Next i'm going to read Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, and then City of Bones. I think..i have like, this big ass stack of books on my desk taunting me. But i feel like i have so much more time to read now.
ooo maybe i'll do this lace shawlette that sandi so nicely printed out the pattern for me! It'll be a challenge because it's only charted and i've not done that before, plus is perfect for this Alchemy Silk purse i have in my stash. yes../scheme
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tomorrow Is Another Day
For tonight, i'm done, i'm cooked, my brain is fried.
I'm beginning to hate the internet. with a passion brighter than a thousand suns.
People think they can say whatever they want to you, and disregard feelings, because there is a little screen in between.
All this fucking drama started because i didn't want to drive to Boca. Words got put into my mouth.
I don't like shopping, i don't like rich people...blarg i could care less, i live in Palm Beach, i lived in Port St Lucie. It's the same all over the damn state. it's FLORIDA..what do you expect. This of course leads me to believe that the person who put these words into my mouth has issues with this stuff and turned me into the bad guy.
Or maybe it's jealously they didn't come up with the Scavenger hunt? i'm just thinking aloud here. but it could come across this way. Granted, anyone who wanted to come help plan was welcome, we started the planning for it on Saturday. /shrug
There are many stages of Grief, (well 5, but it's still a lot). Earlier i posted about how grief kept me from enjoying certain places. Mourning that happened to me as a teenager. A very angry, goth, angsty teenager. Now i'm going to close that door and open another one. Just a little tidbit of thought.
When one door closes, another one opens.
My mom and dad got divorced, if they hadn't Mom wouldn't be with Richard, who treats her like a queen and my Dad wouldn't have met Diana and my half-brother Zack wouldn't exsist.
If my grandmother had lived she would have been in pain, pain is bad. She would have been disappointed in where so many of our family's lives have gone, or are going, but she would have done what she always did, been a shoulder to lean on and cry on. This is something i must learn. I am inspired.
More recently mom's best friend Terry died of Lymphoma. Terry left us with such a hole in our lives, but we spent many nights remembering the fun times. I got to recall and look back through my pictures of our trip to New Orleans, pre-Katrina. I got my camera back out and started doing photography again. A passion of mine.
If these things hadn't happened in my life, if i hadn't lost these people when i did, who would i be? would i have met my husband? would i have my daughter? So many things i am grateful for, so many opened doors i've looked through waiting for my chances, and so many doors i've closed, not needing what they represent.
Knitting should be fun.
Spinning should be fun.
Getting out of the house when you're a stay at home mom, and having adult conversaton...is essential.
the drama, is not.
i am closing this door. Eventually, another one will open. or maybe i'm looking through it right now.
Can i fix this?
do i want to?
These are my choices.
For Sandi's sake i'd like to say i can, she's my friend. But you can't please everyone all the time. I don't deserved to be attacked, i don't deserve to be singled out.
do i really want to? i don't know these people, i wanted to, sandi always said such nice things about them. but after this, it's not worth it. They are perpetuating the "Snobby boca" stereotype.
I will continue to go to the Gardens group that meets at the Barnes and Noble in Legacy Place. I will bring my spinning wheel and i will spin with Sandi, i will bring my Drop spindle and show Sung-Ji how to ply (if she still wants me to). I will keep going to Stuart to see Gail and bullshit and knit, and knit her things for the new baby that's on the way. I will hang out with Jen and talk about geeky stuff, and learn to read a knitting chart. And all along the way i'll keep my eyes open for those doors.
In Paganism we have a saying.
Merry Meet, and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again.
no one ever truly leaves you, it's only a temporary goodbye, like goodnight, only a little longer.
Good Night Internet
-Paula
I'm beginning to hate the internet. with a passion brighter than a thousand suns.
People think they can say whatever they want to you, and disregard feelings, because there is a little screen in between.
All this fucking drama started because i didn't want to drive to Boca. Words got put into my mouth.
I don't like shopping, i don't like rich people...blarg i could care less, i live in Palm Beach, i lived in Port St Lucie. It's the same all over the damn state. it's FLORIDA..what do you expect. This of course leads me to believe that the person who put these words into my mouth has issues with this stuff and turned me into the bad guy.
Or maybe it's jealously they didn't come up with the Scavenger hunt? i'm just thinking aloud here. but it could come across this way. Granted, anyone who wanted to come help plan was welcome, we started the planning for it on Saturday. /shrug
There are many stages of Grief, (well 5, but it's still a lot). Earlier i posted about how grief kept me from enjoying certain places. Mourning that happened to me as a teenager. A very angry, goth, angsty teenager. Now i'm going to close that door and open another one. Just a little tidbit of thought.
When one door closes, another one opens.
My mom and dad got divorced, if they hadn't Mom wouldn't be with Richard, who treats her like a queen and my Dad wouldn't have met Diana and my half-brother Zack wouldn't exsist.
If my grandmother had lived she would have been in pain, pain is bad. She would have been disappointed in where so many of our family's lives have gone, or are going, but she would have done what she always did, been a shoulder to lean on and cry on. This is something i must learn. I am inspired.
More recently mom's best friend Terry died of Lymphoma. Terry left us with such a hole in our lives, but we spent many nights remembering the fun times. I got to recall and look back through my pictures of our trip to New Orleans, pre-Katrina. I got my camera back out and started doing photography again. A passion of mine.
If these things hadn't happened in my life, if i hadn't lost these people when i did, who would i be? would i have met my husband? would i have my daughter? So many things i am grateful for, so many opened doors i've looked through waiting for my chances, and so many doors i've closed, not needing what they represent.
Knitting should be fun.
Spinning should be fun.
Getting out of the house when you're a stay at home mom, and having adult conversaton...is essential.
the drama, is not.
i am closing this door. Eventually, another one will open. or maybe i'm looking through it right now.
Can i fix this?
do i want to?
These are my choices.
For Sandi's sake i'd like to say i can, she's my friend. But you can't please everyone all the time. I don't deserved to be attacked, i don't deserve to be singled out.
do i really want to? i don't know these people, i wanted to, sandi always said such nice things about them. but after this, it's not worth it. They are perpetuating the "Snobby boca" stereotype.
I will continue to go to the Gardens group that meets at the Barnes and Noble in Legacy Place. I will bring my spinning wheel and i will spin with Sandi, i will bring my Drop spindle and show Sung-Ji how to ply (if she still wants me to). I will keep going to Stuart to see Gail and bullshit and knit, and knit her things for the new baby that's on the way. I will hang out with Jen and talk about geeky stuff, and learn to read a knitting chart. And all along the way i'll keep my eyes open for those doors.
In Paganism we have a saying.
Merry Meet, and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again.
no one ever truly leaves you, it's only a temporary goodbye, like goodnight, only a little longer.
Good Night Internet
-Paula
Damn the Drama Llama
When i was younger we moved...alot, I went to 6 different elementary schools, one in texas, 2 middle schools and 3 high schools. My parents got seperated when i was in 6th grade and divorced when i was in 8th. Junior high in general sucked ass for me. I lost 4 very good friends in a car accident in Boca Raton on Yamato Road. Crystal Cortes was in my Band and english classes, and i mourned her death very much. Dori and Emily were also friends, and Margot. It was horrible, i went to my dad's for the weekend and came back sunday to find i lost people i cared about.
three months later my grandmother died of cancer.
For a teenager these thing are the most horrible events that could possibly happen. The lost of family, friends, confidants, caretakers.
The last time i saw Crystal was at the Towncenter mall that Friday afternoon, I had gone to see a movie with my friend Patrick and we ran into her, i reminded her to get silly string for the band lock in, less than 10 hours later she was gone. And we didn't even get a funeral because her body was shipped back to New York where one of her parents lived.
When i say I don't want to go to the Mall, or Boca Raton, i have my reasons, they are personal, and they are good AND legitimate.
it's not just that it's expensive on gas to drive down there, it's not just my 4 year old daughter being bored when i could EASILY take her to the wellington mall where they have a play area for kids. It's many reasons built up on top of one another.
I am entitled to my opinion, i am entitled to make other plans if i don't want to play in your pool, if you don't want to play in mine, then don't, but don't drag me out and be offended by something I said, very clearly as personal preference.
So fuck anyone who wants to be offended. There is no diplomatic solution to you stepping on my pain, as old as it is, it's mine. don't knock my opinion or my ideas, if you don't like them, come up with your own.
three months later my grandmother died of cancer.
For a teenager these thing are the most horrible events that could possibly happen. The lost of family, friends, confidants, caretakers.
The last time i saw Crystal was at the Towncenter mall that Friday afternoon, I had gone to see a movie with my friend Patrick and we ran into her, i reminded her to get silly string for the band lock in, less than 10 hours later she was gone. And we didn't even get a funeral because her body was shipped back to New York where one of her parents lived.
When i say I don't want to go to the Mall, or Boca Raton, i have my reasons, they are personal, and they are good AND legitimate.
it's not just that it's expensive on gas to drive down there, it's not just my 4 year old daughter being bored when i could EASILY take her to the wellington mall where they have a play area for kids. It's many reasons built up on top of one another.
I am entitled to my opinion, i am entitled to make other plans if i don't want to play in your pool, if you don't want to play in mine, then don't, but don't drag me out and be offended by something I said, very clearly as personal preference.
So fuck anyone who wants to be offended. There is no diplomatic solution to you stepping on my pain, as old as it is, it's mine. don't knock my opinion or my ideas, if you don't like them, come up with your own.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Squee!
Yay my computer is here!!!
it's like a whole new start, a clean slate, it's fantastic. And fast. omg so much faster than my desktop. Probably because the hard drive isn't clicking and whirrrrrrring at me.
So once I get everything set up, and all my backed up files moved over. Oh, and get the hang of Windows 7....bah. I'll really be able to do stuff again.
I have pictures of Kae's pretty fingernails from us painting them to post.
Pictures of the Batt i won for the Fiber Fancy spin-along. and my Play in the Kettle "Crow" 
braids.
I have a replacement russian spindle for the one i ordered that came bent.
I'm going to do a spindle spin-along, the theme is Art and Artists, and since i want to go from stash i'm going to use some teal/black merino i have that's similar colors to Circe Invidiosa by John William Waterhouse. He's my favorite artist, and that's my favorite painting.
And now the Chinese food is here for lunch, Huzzah Veggie Fried Rice!
it's like a whole new start, a clean slate, it's fantastic. And fast. omg so much faster than my desktop. Probably because the hard drive isn't clicking and whirrrrrrring at me.
So once I get everything set up, and all my backed up files moved over. Oh, and get the hang of Windows 7....bah. I'll really be able to do stuff again.
I have pictures of Kae's pretty fingernails from us painting them to post.
Pictures of the Batt i won for the Fiber Fancy spin-along. and my Play in the Kettle "Crow" 
braids.I have a replacement russian spindle for the one i ordered that came bent.
I'm going to do a spindle spin-along, the theme is Art and Artists, and since i want to go from stash i'm going to use some teal/black merino i have that's similar colors to Circe Invidiosa by John William Waterhouse. He's my favorite artist, and that's my favorite painting.
And now the Chinese food is here for lunch, Huzzah Veggie Fried Rice!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Beltane Cookies
Today is Beltane, or May Day.
Since it's hot as hell outside i guess it's pretty fitting that it's a Bonfire Festival! Normally there would be a Maypole and dancing, but we don't have a lot of space for the maypole, but we do have the space for Dancing. So..
This morning Kaeley and I put on some loud drummy music and made cookies. And I thought I'd share the recipe. as well as our playlist =D
Playlist -
Florence + The Machine - Drumming Song
Florence + The Machine - Howl
Florence + The Machine - Rabbit Heart
Loreena McKennitt - Marco Polo
Loreena McKennitt - The Mummer's Dance
Loreena McKennitt - Marrakesh Night Market
Muse - Uprising
Muse - Time Is Running Out
Muse - Hysteria
Muse - Super Massive Blackhole
Muse - Resistance
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Lady Gaga - Paparazzi
Lady Gaga - Telephone (ft. Beyonce)
Yeah, we're all over the place music-wise.
So i used the recipe my mom gave me ages ago, which happens to have been cut off the back of a bag of Nestle Tollhouse chips.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Here is how i changed it!!!
we made our own chocolate chunks for the cookies.
Take one package baking chocolate and melt over a double boiler (i used a stainless steel mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water) the package was a big hunk, sorry, i threw it out before writing it down.
when melted, we added 1/2 a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper, and 1/2 a teaspoon of Chili powder. mixed it up REALLLLLLY well, and then poured it onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. the sheet had a lip, don't forget this, it's important. and we put it in the fridge to cool. (about an hour later it was hard as a freaking rock.)
Then kae got to play with a little rubber hammer and smash the shite out of it to make chunks for our cookies =D
I got some white sugar frosting which we dyed with Red and orange food coloring and painted the cookies to look like fire after they'd baked.
Kae was really happy, and over the course of the morning and early afternoon they all got eaten. ALL OF THEM..it's rather amazing how much two men and a 4 year old can eat.
We'll make more and i promise to get pictures next time, i feel bad about not having any this time /sigh
Since it's hot as hell outside i guess it's pretty fitting that it's a Bonfire Festival! Normally there would be a Maypole and dancing, but we don't have a lot of space for the maypole, but we do have the space for Dancing. So..
This morning Kaeley and I put on some loud drummy music and made cookies. And I thought I'd share the recipe. as well as our playlist =D
Playlist -
Florence + The Machine - Drumming Song
Florence + The Machine - Howl
Florence + The Machine - Rabbit Heart
Loreena McKennitt - Marco Polo
Loreena McKennitt - The Mummer's Dance
Loreena McKennitt - Marrakesh Night Market
Muse - Uprising
Muse - Time Is Running Out
Muse - Hysteria
Muse - Super Massive Blackhole
Muse - Resistance
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Lady Gaga - Paparazzi
Lady Gaga - Telephone (ft. Beyonce)
Yeah, we're all over the place music-wise.
So i used the recipe my mom gave me ages ago, which happens to have been cut off the back of a bag of Nestle Tollhouse chips.
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Tollhouse Morsels. BUT I CHANGED IT!!!
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Here is how i changed it!!!
we made our own chocolate chunks for the cookies.
Take one package baking chocolate and melt over a double boiler (i used a stainless steel mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water) the package was a big hunk, sorry, i threw it out before writing it down.
when melted, we added 1/2 a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper, and 1/2 a teaspoon of Chili powder. mixed it up REALLLLLLY well, and then poured it onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. the sheet had a lip, don't forget this, it's important. and we put it in the fridge to cool. (about an hour later it was hard as a freaking rock.)
Then kae got to play with a little rubber hammer and smash the shite out of it to make chunks for our cookies =D
I got some white sugar frosting which we dyed with Red and orange food coloring and painted the cookies to look like fire after they'd baked.
Kae was really happy, and over the course of the morning and early afternoon they all got eaten. ALL OF THEM..it's rather amazing how much two men and a 4 year old can eat.
We'll make more and i promise to get pictures next time, i feel bad about not having any this time /sigh
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