Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Simple Pleasures This Week
I want to thank all my newest followers and readers. Welcome to my blog of simple things.
I hope you will find something you can comment on so I can get to know you better.
I go back and find your blogs and read them too!
This lap blanket will be finished today or tomorrow. I'm pleased with how it's turning out. |
What are your simple pleasures this week?
Monday, February 13, 2012
I Love
There is only one happiness in life,
to love and be loved.
- George Sand -
It's a great thing to be able to love and to be loved. Whether it is your family, your friends, your special loved one or people you don't even know, like the widows and orphans in a far away place.
I didn't bake these but aren't they pretty? I had to share some with my family. |
~ MAGIC OF LOVE ~
by Helen Steiner Rice (Poet)
"Love is like Magic and it always will be,
For Love still remains Life’s Sweet Mystery!
Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange
And there’s Nothing in Life that Love cannot change!
Love can transform the most common place
Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace!
Love is unselfish, understanding and kind,
For it sees with its Heart and not with its Mind
Love gives and forgives, there is nothing too much
For Love to heal with its Magic Touch!
Love is the language that every heart speaks,
For Love is the one thing that every heart seeks!
Did you know
that
God is Love.
1 John 4:8
♥
♥
♥
HAVE YOURSELF A WONDERFUL VALENTINE'S DAY.
IF YOU ARE ALONE, SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH A STRANGER BY DOING
A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS.
IT WILL FILL YOUR HEART WITH LOVE.
IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE
DON'T FORGET TO LET THEM KNOW.
♥
♥
♥
Works in Progress
I've been super busy trying to learn how to read knitting patterns and make sweaters. Knitting a sweater is one of my goals for this year so I am making good progress on my goals. Now that I have some limited experience with flat sweater making I have to learn how to do it in the round. Then I'll be able to make socks and tackle more interesting sweater patterns.
I've had mixed success with these projects so far. I'm finding I don't have a lot of patience for starting and re-doing things when I make mistakes. I also don't have a great deal of patience for reading patterns and/or waiting for long periods to be able to ask someone for help. I do belong to a group of knitters and crocheters but most of them are not experienced knitters and are learning like me. We also meet very infrequently, so it isn't much help as of yet. So then I go on line and try to find the answers to my issues.
There are a lot of video tutorials on line but I find they generally leave some important aspect of the learning process, or the pattern, unaddressed. Not everyone out there is a good teacher though they may be excellent knitters or crocheters. I need detailed instructions and I also need to have the patterns explained to me in a way that it helps me remember the patterns. I don't learn well by simply watching. I need to understand HOW a pattern works and the potential issues and solutions beforehand.
For example, one instructor said he had had a difficult time for years with uneven ends a the ripple afghan (That is a ripple afghan in my bottom photo. The bottom edges need to be uneven and "wavy". It is the sides of the afghan that can become uneven and they aren't supposed to be.) similar to the one in my bottom photo above). Then he went on to explain his version of how to make the ripples. When I went to view and follow his written instructions, they were incorrect. One small error but it makes a huge difference to a beginner. He also never did say how to make sure you don't get uneven side edges in your finished product to save everyone else the grief that he himself experienced. In the end, I abandoned his video lesson and I resorted to a set of written instructions I had on hand. The end result, is a pattern which is somewhat different than those that I've been viewing on line. At least I did learn enough from the video tutorials to make more sense of the printed pattern I have.
Initially, I intended to make the crocheted afghan with the yarns in my yarn stash. I quickly discovered that this won't really work. I don't have enough skeins in the right weights and colours to make a lap afghan. Even though my yarns are mixed washable fibres in 3.5 or 4 weight yarn, I still found that the cheaper yarn at the slightly heavier weight made a difference in the stitches and things became a little less even than I would like. I will try to resolve any uneven edges with a border finish at the end of the project but I won't be able to do anything about the stitches in the body of the afghan. I also realized that it isn't a good idea to mix inexpensive yarns with more expensive yarns. In the above example, the blues and whites at the bottom of the photo are less expensive yarns and it really comes across in the feel and size of the stitches. Nonetheless, it is a good practice piece. I think my second attempt will be better and I've already decided on the colours (burgundy/dark red, cream, orange, tan, maybe green) for my living room lap afghan. On second thought, I think I will skip all the colours and make it shades of green which will be more neutral.
Based on what I've learned, I will buy all my yarn in advance. I will use a larger size hook (size 6 instead of 5) and I will work the stitches in double crochet stitch, rather than single crochet. I think these steps will ensure a smoother finish, a looser stitch and a smoother feel to the finished product.
If any of you are crocheters and have tips for me based on what I've shared, please do drop me a line!
I've had mixed success with these projects so far. I'm finding I don't have a lot of patience for starting and re-doing things when I make mistakes. I also don't have a great deal of patience for reading patterns and/or waiting for long periods to be able to ask someone for help. I do belong to a group of knitters and crocheters but most of them are not experienced knitters and are learning like me. We also meet very infrequently, so it isn't much help as of yet. So then I go on line and try to find the answers to my issues.
There are a lot of video tutorials on line but I find they generally leave some important aspect of the learning process, or the pattern, unaddressed. Not everyone out there is a good teacher though they may be excellent knitters or crocheters. I need detailed instructions and I also need to have the patterns explained to me in a way that it helps me remember the patterns. I don't learn well by simply watching. I need to understand HOW a pattern works and the potential issues and solutions beforehand.
For example, one instructor said he had had a difficult time for years with uneven ends a the ripple afghan (That is a ripple afghan in my bottom photo. The bottom edges need to be uneven and "wavy". It is the sides of the afghan that can become uneven and they aren't supposed to be.) similar to the one in my bottom photo above). Then he went on to explain his version of how to make the ripples. When I went to view and follow his written instructions, they were incorrect. One small error but it makes a huge difference to a beginner. He also never did say how to make sure you don't get uneven side edges in your finished product to save everyone else the grief that he himself experienced. In the end, I abandoned his video lesson and I resorted to a set of written instructions I had on hand. The end result, is a pattern which is somewhat different than those that I've been viewing on line. At least I did learn enough from the video tutorials to make more sense of the printed pattern I have.
Initially, I intended to make the crocheted afghan with the yarns in my yarn stash. I quickly discovered that this won't really work. I don't have enough skeins in the right weights and colours to make a lap afghan. Even though my yarns are mixed washable fibres in 3.5 or 4 weight yarn, I still found that the cheaper yarn at the slightly heavier weight made a difference in the stitches and things became a little less even than I would like. I will try to resolve any uneven edges with a border finish at the end of the project but I won't be able to do anything about the stitches in the body of the afghan. I also realized that it isn't a good idea to mix inexpensive yarns with more expensive yarns. In the above example, the blues and whites at the bottom of the photo are less expensive yarns and it really comes across in the feel and size of the stitches. Nonetheless, it is a good practice piece. I think my second attempt will be better and I've already decided on the colours (burgundy/dark red, cream, orange, tan, maybe green) for my living room lap afghan. On second thought, I think I will skip all the colours and make it shades of green which will be more neutral.
Based on what I've learned, I will buy all my yarn in advance. I will use a larger size hook (size 6 instead of 5) and I will work the stitches in double crochet stitch, rather than single crochet. I think these steps will ensure a smoother finish, a looser stitch and a smoother feel to the finished product.
If any of you are crocheters and have tips for me based on what I've shared, please do drop me a line!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Making Pizza
I love ground beef as a versatile meat option for dinner, however, sometimes I run out of ideas about what to make with it.
I decided to try making pizza. It was a perfect chance to use my new Kitchen-aid Artisan Mixer which I got for Christmas but haven't used yet. I've never used a mixer like this before and was surprised at how easy it is to use. I enjoyed using the mixer a lot and will likely use it again very soon.
Crusty Pizza Dough
1 package active dry yeast (1 tbsp.)
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. cornmeal
Dissolve year in warm water. Add salt, olive oil and 1/1/2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.
Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Knead of speed 2 for about 2 minutes longer.
Please dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place free from draft, about 1 hour, or until it is doubled in size. Punch dough down.
Brush 14-inch pizza pan with oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough across bottom of pan, forming a collar around edge to hold toppings. Add toppings as desired. Bake at 450 degree F. oven for 15-20 minutes.
̊
I don't eat much pizza and this was the first time I'd ever made one. I made this one extra large, in a rectangular pan rather than my round pizza pan which was too small. There was plenty of pizza left over for snacks and next day's lunch.
I think I'll experiment more often with pizza making. I'd love to try using unusual combinations of vegetables.
I decided to try making pizza. It was a perfect chance to use my new Kitchen-aid Artisan Mixer which I got for Christmas but haven't used yet. I've never used a mixer like this before and was surprised at how easy it is to use. I enjoyed using the mixer a lot and will likely use it again very soon.
Initially I wanted a red mixer but the stores were out of them. This chrome coloured one is nice too! |
Crusty Pizza Dough
1 package active dry yeast (1 tbsp.)
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. cornmeal
Dissolve year in warm water. Add salt, olive oil and 1/1/2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.
Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Knead of speed 2 for about 2 minutes longer.
Please dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place free from draft, about 1 hour, or until it is doubled in size. Punch dough down.
Brush 14-inch pizza pan with oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough across bottom of pan, forming a collar around edge to hold toppings. Add toppings as desired. Bake at 450 degree F. oven for 15-20 minutes.
̊
The pizza is fresh out of the oven and ready to enjoy! |
I don't eat much pizza and this was the first time I'd ever made one. I made this one extra large, in a rectangular pan rather than my round pizza pan which was too small. There was plenty of pizza left over for snacks and next day's lunch.
I think I'll experiment more often with pizza making. I'd love to try using unusual combinations of vegetables.
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