My First Time Knitting!

HI!  Today I would like to share with you that I have knit a cowl for the very first time.  A dear friend of mine suggested that we learn to knit together so I decided to take the plunge.  She shared THIS very good video with me on how to make a cowl.  I've never knit before and it was a bit of a stretch for me.  I did take the stitches out lets say....a few times. :)  I finally got the hang of it, and then it was like I just could't stop. Ha!  I used the Red Heart Stellar yarn in Comet. I love the variation that it has.  Plus, it's very soft.  One of the best things is that you can't see the imperfections very well either. :)

It's wonderful to try new things, and I've already started another knitted cowl, but with smaller yarn and needles.  It's a bit of a stretch for me..I must say that I like crocheting better, but it's a new skill I'm going to try to work on.

What about you?  Do you like to knit or crochet or both?

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Mondays.

SaveSave

Homemade Butter-mints

Hello! Do you like butter mints?  I do, and I usually buy mine, but I couldn't find any this year.  We don't participate in the winter holiday but it is a good time to find some things.  So I decided to make some and they are so very easy!!!

You just combine all the ingredients in the bowl and stir until combined.

Butter mints
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbs heavy cream
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 pinch of salt
1 pound of powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)

I then put some extra sugar on a plate to role some of the mints in so I could handle them easier.

I then made long "snakes" and then cut them into small pieces with a butter knife.

They are so rich that you don't want them to be too big.

They are such a delightful little treat and quick to make I encourage you to try them!

Sharing with the Art of Homemaking Mondays.

A Different Kind of Virus

Hello!  I'd love to share with you a new blanket that I've crocheted.  It was a new pattern that I tried called the Virus Blanket.  I didn't catch anything by making it...and perhaps it'll help me ward off some viruses.  :)

I used some beautiful new yarn that a friend of my gifted me with.  It's called Caron Cakes and it's just amazing in both colour and texture.  So lovely to work with and very cozy!  This colour variation is called Blueberry Cheesecake. Yum!  I love this pattern because it's like a granny square and a doily mixed together. Two things that I love.  It's just four repeating rows and is very easy.  You can find the pattern HERE!

I hung it up on my clothesline so I could get a clear picture of the whole thing.  It now sits on the back of my chair in the living room and is so cozy!

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Mondays.

SaveSave

Science Projects in Winter

Hello!  Today I would like to share with you a science project that my son is working on.  He needed to study a seed, it's parts and how it grew into a plant.  Being in the Yukon our light isn't great, but amazing things have happened with his little seeds he planted.  

First off, all of the seeds germinated!!! and started growing next to a cold window.  They grew and produced flowers, which we all oohed an awed over.  

Then these cute little beans started to grow and they they are getting bigger every day.  It is amazing to see them doing anything as we have only a very few hours of light (only about an hour of direct sunlight) and the cold window.  There is ice all along the bottom and up the edges by the leaves and they're still growing.  We hit -32C today.  They won't be the robust kind we grew in the garden, but they'll be big enough to get a nice treat.  

The best way for kids to learn is to study and investigate themselves.  Then it becomes alive and interesting for them.  Science in my house is best learned through these natural processes.  Soon we'll be studying out seeds to order for this coming growing season.  It's so exciting to see the children's interest and understanding grow.  Last year we grew fava beans, blue potatoes and a new kind of sweet pepper.  Every year I let my children choose new varieties or plants to grow just for fun and to learn about them.  What a treasure it is to be able to teach my children. The Lord is good!

Thank you for dropping by!  Praying you have a blessed day!

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Mondays.

SaveSave

A Snowy Day with Cinnamon Buns

Hello!  A snowy day in the Yukon we're having and there is so much to be thankful for!  

First, Now there is lots of snow for the kids to go sliding on, I also love walking through the soft fluffy snow.  It feels so fresh and new outside with a fresh covering of white. :)  The river is starting to close up more and more and the snow has covered over all the frozen overflow areas and it looks so bright even on our overcast days.  I love to hear it's gurgling sounds as I walk by.

 What would be better than having cinnamon buns when you come in from a long time sliding?  I was making bread and decided to make cinnamon buns as well.  One batch is just cinnamon and brown sugar of which I added an orange glaze to.  Second was a batch made with cinnamon, brown sugar and apples of which I added a regular vanilla glaze to.  Yum!

I've never been one to have perfectly portioned cinnamon buns, so I just cut straight through a section to portion it out mostly. I just use bread dough for my cinnamon buns and then they're not too sweet...I like them that way.  Plus I don't have to make a special dough either.  Adding the apples to the one makes it taste like an apple fritter.

Do you like winter?  Do you like cinnamon buns?  Do share what is your favourite kind?  

Thank you for stopping by and taking time out of your day to visit! 

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Mondays.

A Window in My Kitchen

Hello!  Do you spend a lot of time in your kitchen?  I do.  I love that the Lord has blessed me with a window above the one area in my kitchen that I do most of my work to prepare food.  It is a real joy to me to be able to look outside and see the birds, the sky, the snow, the squirrels and the children playing on the sliding hill.

Do you have a window in your kitchen?  What kinds of things do you notice as you're spending time there?

Today I have some pictures to share with you of a pair of Pine Grosbeaks that often come to the bird feeder we have on this side of the house.  Often there are chickadees, sparrows,  & grey jay/Whiskey Jacks. They alternate.  I just love the amazing variety of birds that God has created!

These Grosbeaks are so fun to watch, and their red colouring is so fun.  They perch up in the branches of the trees and then fly down one at a time to eat from the feeder.  The resident squirrel often comes and chases them away, but they always come back.

My children made the feeders out of recycled apple juice containers.  Some of the bird feeders in other trees around the house have to have a wire to hang them for the squirrel has chewed the ribbon off to get to the feeder.  The kids are still thinking of a way to make an obstacle course to deter the squirrels...or at least make it more fun to watch them get to the seeds.

The female Grosbeak is not so brilliant, but is so pretty still.  She flew into the window a couple weeks ago, and we're so glad that she survived and has come back to the feeder.  A little bit the wiser about glass windows I hope.

Below is some sourdough bread that I made the day that I took these pictures of the birds.  Another little detail that being home has blessed me with.  It is good for us all to pay attention to the details...in all the craziness of life they are often missed or passed over.

Thank you for dropping by!

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Mondays.

SaveSave

A New Stool For Me

Hello!  Thanks for dropping by.  Today I have a stool to share with you.  I found it at the dump and I decided to bring it home and fix it up.  The top was just beyond help so I took it off and took it back to the dump. :)  I found a piece of scrap plywood in the shed and cut it down to the size I wanted.  I hammered some nail into it and it holds nicely.

The paint on it was terrible and flaking all over the place.  SO, I sanded it down and thought to myself  why paint it when it's so pretty just like this.  Well, I varnished it instead to show the lovely distressed look.

What do you think?  Would you have painted it?

The next part was the cushion.  I wanted it to be able to be sat on, and also to sit things on.  SO multi-purpose.  I chose a very thin memory foam pad and then went looking for some fabric.  I found an old dress that I liked the fabric on and cut it up some.  The one side wasn't big enough to make it all the way across so I sewed two pieces together (one had a seam in it) so it has a panelled look.  Before I sewed those panels together, I sewed on a piece of crochet lace to fancy up the seam.  Then I used a zig zag stitch since there was already three lines of stitching.  What do you think?  You might have to click on the picture to enlarge it to see better.

Now it's in full use.  My kids sit on it, I stack things on it and I love it! :)  I took a picture of one of the crocheted baby blankets I just finished on it.

                                   

Praying you have a splendid day!

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Mondays.

Crochet Binder

Hello! :)  This kinda goes along with the past post on crocheting.  I have this binder (an idea given me by a friend) that I store all my patterns that I use in.  It has sections for each of the kinds of things I make: wash clothes, doilies, blankets, booties, hats, and shawls.

So It looked kinda plain and has this plastic slip cover thing on it.  I thought it would be easy to make something and slip it in. Yup, I was right.  Very easy.  I cut some paper to fit and added another patterned paper overtop.  I added some lace, a doily ( I know a crochet one would have been better...hindsight.)  and some chipboard pieces that I had in my collection.

For the back I used some canvas paper as the base and then some matching paper overtop.  It looked too plain so I put some more lace in there.

For the sidebar I put a double layer of paper and when I find just the right letterings, I'll put CROCHET over the smaller tab.

Do you have a crochet binder? I love that I can go there and pull out those patterns that I have tried and work for me.  I use it like a recipe book. I write little notes on some of the patterns to say how they worked for me...or not.

Thank you for stopping in!  I hope and pray you have a wonderful day! Perhaps playing with some yarn.

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Mondays. 

SaveSave

Shoregirl's Tag Cards

HI!  Today I have some special cards to share with you.  I follow Shoregirl's Creations and she makes some amazing things.  One of them are printables.  The three tags I've used are from her and I started by making just one card to enter a contest on her blog for some free tags from her Etsy shop.  :)  You can find the giveaway post HERE!  Then, well...I got carried away. hehehe

For each of the tags, I made two cards.  Using bits of ribbon I had in my stash and some papers that I had that I'm not sure who they are by.  Have fun scrolling down to see them all.

Thanks for scrolling down to see all the cards.  It's a great giveaway so I encourage you to pop over to see her blog and check it out.

Sharing with Word Art Wednesday.

SaveSave

Crochet Lessons

Hello!  Do you love crocheting things?  It is something that I truly enjoy and have been making baby blankets to give away (I have no more babies) for just something to keep my hands busy.  I find yarn at the free store, second hand stores and then buy some.  For the above blanket I had a bunch of blues that I thought I'd just string together to make an ombre style blanket.  I used the solid granny square pattern.  Now it'll go in the bag with the others.

Crocheting is a wonderful skill and as one practices new stitches and patterns I think it's great to be able to make baby blankets, or hats, or booties, or what not to share with others.  My girls are doing the same thing along with me.  This is one area that I wholeheartedly support them in.

Below is a pictures of a washcloth that my son who is 7 made.  He is starting to learn to crochet as well, and so is his brother.  It's not a girly thing, but a lifeskill, just like sewing with a needle and tread.  They are learning that as well.  Once they learn, they can make their own washcloths, hats, mitts, scarves and such.  Until they find a wonderful wife that can perhaps do those things for them.

Thank you for dropping by!

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Mondays.

SaveSave

Snow Family

Hello! :)  Today I have a fun snow family to share with you.  My children and I went out and made a few snowmen, one for each member of the family and our dog. The Lord is so good, and the snow was just perfect for this activity.

We decided to put them in a row along the circular drive area to welcome anyone who comes to our place.  Everyone helped roll the snowballs, then one of my sons helped find all the sticks for arms.  The girls put the faces on with pieces of gravel and spruce cones for noses, and spruce needles for eyelashes for the girls. Then we all put the hats and scarves on our snow people.  Oh, and the leash for the dog. :)

We haven't gotten that much snow yet, and it's been so warm that it settles and melts.  This morning after the warmth of yesterday everything has frozen to a nice slipperiness.

Praying you all have a beautiful day!  Leaving you with a picture of the sun setting across the river.

Sharing with The Art of Homemaking Monday.