Yes! That!

Having a conversation with a new friend today, and we ended up on the subject of religion. We were discussing Pagan beliefs/leanings. She made the comment "I read somewhere once an explanation of why paganism/Wicca was not a cult, because one sign of a cult was converting people. And how most pagans never convert, they just realize there's a name for what they already do and they are not the only ones who do it."

Yes! That!

There have been groups that I visited that never really felt right. I think part of it was that a lot of people in those groups found books on paganism and thought it was cool, so they decided they were going to believe/practice it, instead of being people who found books on paganism and realized that it was what they already believed/practiced.

There's a big difference in the feeling of those two types of people. The feeling in those groups was often like trying to force a piece into a spot on a jigsaw puzzle that looked like it should go there, but didn't ever quite fit right. It's nice to finally find the puzzle where I really do seem to fit. 

Realization regarding pedestals

I've been told in the past that certain people have put me on different levels of pedestals. I've always been very uncomfortable with that, because pedestals are high and thin and easy to fall off of. Besides, being on a pedestal is lonely. You spend too much time trying not to fall off.

I was talking to Phil about this in the car a couple days ago, and came to a realization. Pedestals are lonely, but they don't have to be. While I don't want to be up there alone, I love to help other people get up there with me. Most of the thing I do don't seem that hard to me, and I'm perfectly willing (and eager) to teach other people to do them, too.

Bringing people up on the pedestal with me means I'm not nearly so lonely, and not as worried about falling, because there's someone there to help me back up. So, lets get to building steps into pedestals. Come on up and share the view.

Homemade Hot Chocolate - Recipe

It's that time of year again. There's a definite bite to the air in the mornings and evenings, and it's time to keep a stock of hot chocolate in the house.

A couple years ago, I found a recipe to make my own mix, which I think ends up more cost effective in the long run. The biggest advantage I found was that I could make different flavors if I wanted to, and could make sugar/fat free mix that I was ok with letting my kids have several times per day. This also can be an easy gift, if you put it in a nice container, or dress up a jar with  piece of fabric over the lid.

The basic recipe is as follows:

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup splenda (or 1 1/2 cup white sugar)
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup non-dairy creamer powder

Mix all the ingredients well. Store in an airtight container.

To drink: Add 3 heaping spoons to a cup of hot water, to taste.


Variations:

Most of the variations I did with this included using flavored creamer. There are different flavors available sometimes around the holidays, such as Gingerbread, that make great flavors for hot chocolate. You can also change the flavor a bit by using darker chocolate powder. Hershey's puts out a "special dark" cocoa powder every so often, and using that for some or all of the chocolate gives a darker, richer flavor.

Here are a few of the variations I've done:

Gingerbread: Use Gingerbread flavored creamer, and add use some of the darker chocolate powder, if available.

French Silk: Vanilla Cinnamon flavored creamer, with darker chocolate powder. (I want to try adding just a little instant espresso to this, but haven't found it yet. I'd probably only add about a Tablespoon to a Double batch of the mix.)

Chili - Use a regular (unflavored) creamer, and add just a touch of chili powder. Start small - about 1/2 tsp for the batch, and mix it well. It's surprisingly good. (I wouldn't use the "chipolte" chili powder for this, because it adds a smoky flavor.)

Extra chocolate - use a chocolate flavored creamer. You can also substitute part of the regular chocolate powder with the darker chocolate for this, for a "triple chocolate" version.

One that I'm hoping to do this year is an orange and/or orange spice. I found someplace with an orange powder, and I'll mix some of that in, possibly with some cinnamon. I love the chocolate orange flavor, so for me at least, this sounds tasty.

Another thought that I've had, but haven't tried, would be to use some unsweetened kool-aid mix, specifically a black cherry flavor, and mix that in for a "black forest" version.


Have fun with this, an enjoy. If you find any great combinations, please feel free to share them with me. I'd love to have new ideas to try.

My security blanket - a kitchen

I realized today just how much stock I put in having access to a kitchen. Any kitchen will do, sometimes, but generally I want/need my kitchen.

We're still waiting to close on the new house, but even when we have the keys, we can't move in until our household goods arrive. Most people think it's because we need the furniture. Honestly, I could probably sleep on the ground for a few weeks if I needed to, and blankets aren't that hard to come by.

The reason I wouldn't be willing/able to move into the new house without having our stuff is that I don't have any pans/dishes/utensils. I can sleep on the ground, as long as I can cook.

At Raglan this year, the biggest problem, in my mind, was that our stove wouldn't work so I couldn't cook. I could have dealt much more easily with the rain and wind if I had the ability to cook without having to borrow fire from other people. Even if I chose not to cook, having the ability would have been enough.

There are people who know me who will probably read this and say "well, duh!", but I don't think I had realized quite how much a kitchen is like a security blanket to me. I can use someone else's, but really want to have mine.

Project Tutorial - No-Sew fleece blanket Variation(s)

This is a continuation of the tutorial on how to make No-Sew Fleece Blankets. I won't be repeating all the steps in as much detail, so if you haven't seen the first tutorial, you may want to look at it, first.

Size of Fringe, and direction of knots

The only difference between how I did this blanket and how I did the one in the first tutorial iss that I was still practicing the knots and they weren't as even, or pulled straight up-and-down.

This was made with the same technique and measurements as the first tutorial.

 This blanket was actually the first one I made. The fringe was cut at 2" wide instead of 1" wide. The knots weren't pulled flat against the blanket. They were also tied a bit tight, so it pulls the edges and the blanket .

With this one, I tied all the fringe on the first time around, instead of tying every other one. It didn't turn out bad, but it doesn't look nearly as finished and professional as the other blankets.

Knots weren't pulled flat against the blanket, so they stand up differently

Knots pulled too tight means the edges curl a bit and don't lay as flat.

 Different Fringe

The blankets in the first tutorial end up with a fluffy fringe on the side. There's also a way to tie the fringe so it lays flatter. It does make the finished area of the blanket a little smaller, but that's not always a bad thing.

Flat fringe gives a different effect.

For this fringe, you start the blanket the same way as for the fluffy fringe. Lay out your fleece, cut the selvedge, and trim your pieces to match.

Now - cut the corners. This time, you need to cut 6" squares out of each corner.

Thankfully, this is a forgiving project, because I didn't get an even square.

 Cut the Fringe 6" deep by 1" wide.

This is still easier with a template. Again, I used a scrap of fabric.

 Tie the Fringe

This is where this blanket varies the most from the other style. Tie both pieces of fringe in an overhand knot, using them as if they were one piece. (Imagine tying a knot in a single piece of string. It's the same basic idea.)

I tried to get pictures, but it is hard to show.

Wrap both pieces around one or two fingers

Tuck the end down through the loop

Gently tighten the knot

 Tighten the knot slowly so you can adjust the fringe if necessary, and make sure it's sitting where you want it. You want the knot close to the blanket, but not so tight that it pulls the blanket out of shape.

Another minor variation is available here. You can tie all the fringe from the same side of the blanket, and the coloring will all match. Or, you can tie every other fringe, then turn the blanket over, and the knots will be different colors.

This was tied made tying every-other fringe, then turning the blanket over.

This was made tying all the fringe from the same (green) side.

These are the ones I've done so far, but changing the knots a little can change the look of the blanket. Just remember to take your time, and make sure the knot is the way you want it before you tighten it all the way. They're a pain to pull back out.

Project Tutorial - No-Sew Fleece Blankets

 I've done posts about "who I am" lately, and have been neglecting the "hearth and home" portion of what I planned this blog to be. (Granted, that may be because I don't feel that I actually have a hearth and home right now, but that's changing soon!)

While I don't have my sewing machine right now, I still have crafty urges,and wanted to make something. There was a wonderful sale at the fabric store and I was able to get beautiful fleece prints to make blankets. I've made 7 blankets in the last few days, and will be making more soon. These are easy and beautiful, and I've worked out how to do a few variations on them. They're also soft and oh-so-warm. (My daughters said they feel like they're made of clouds.)

So here's a tutorial, complete with pictures, on how to make these.

You will need:

Fleece - depending on how big you want the blanket, you'll need different amounts of fleece. A baby blanket could be done with 1 - 1 1/2 yards. Most of the blankets I did (using largely for wrapping up on the sofa in the cold) were done with 2 yards. I did a couple using 2 1/2 yards, and they seem huge...but are long enough that my husband can lay on the sofa and be covered from shoulders to feet. (Actually, when the blankets were done, I could hold them up with my arms extended all the way over my head and they still touched the floor.)

Whichever length you want, buy two pieces (one for the front and one for the back) of the same length.

Step 1

Lay them out on the floor, matching the sides as well as you can. It's easiest if you set the smaller of the two pieces on top.

Lay the two pieces out on the floor, edges matching as much as possible.

Cutting through both layers at the same time, trim the selvedge edges and even out the length so your pieces are the same size.

 Step 2

Cut the corners out of your blanket. The size of the corners will depend on the size of the fringe you will be cutting. For most blankets, I use a 4" square. (I'll explain variations later.)

Cut a 4" square from each corner

Step 3

Cut the fringe. After some experimentation, I found that 1" wide fringe seems to work best. This is a fairly forgiving project, so if some pieces are a little bigger, that's ok. It makes it easier to cut if you take a piece of paper or scrap of fabric and use it as a template. (I used a scrap from an earlier blanket.

Cut the fringe all the way around the entire blanket, cutting through both layers of fleece at the same time.

Cut fringe 1" wide around the entire blanket

 Step 4

Starting at one corner, tie EVERY OTHER set of fringe. (The first blanket I did, I tied all the fringe on the first time around, and it didn't turn out nearly as even.) Tie the knots close to the blanket, but being careful not to pull too tight, or it will pull the blanket out of shape. All I can tell you is that this takes more practice than it does explanation.

Tie Every Other fringe, while the blanket is still flat on the floor.

Tie close to the blanket - a double "overhand knot"

 

Tighten the knot, being careful not to pull the blanket out of shape

 Here is one place where you can have a bit of variation. Depending on how exactly you tighten the knots, they will set differently when you're done. It's subtle, but it can make a difference. I found that I liked the look if I tie the knots so that they're laying flat with the off-side color fringe pointing up onto the blanket when the knot is tightened.

Step 5

Turn the blanket over.

Turn your blanket over after tieing the first half of the fringe.

Tie the second half of the fringe.

Step 6

Wrap up and enjoy your work! You're done!

Warm and Cozy!

Completed blanket

close up of fringe