Making our own Easter egg dye...

This year we thought it would be a fun experiment to make our own dye for our Easter eggs. This way we know what is in the dye and we can actually eat the eggs afterwards.

I just used what we had around the house. I  purposely didn't make a special trip to the grocery to get anything.

In the picture above, from left to right we have.... spinach, day old coffee, strawberries, blueberries, curry powder and another spinach, and below there is also a measuring cup with Zinger tea.

I did everything in the microwave using a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup, to keep the mess and dishes to a minimum.  I chopped the spinach and nuked it in 2 minute intervals and mashed it.  I did the same with the strawberries.  The blueberries were the frozen variety.  I just mixed the curry with hot water and then ran it through a paper coffee filter. Finally, I added two tablespoons of vinegar, in case it was not acidic enough on its own. (of note, the blueberry and curry dye will also stain your counter top...)

The first thing we realized is that the eggs needed to soak for a long time.  Not a minute or two like the good old Paas dye from childhood days gone by.  And by a long time I mean at least an hour.

The overall effect was really pretty neat, but the 5 year old lost interest pretty quickly.  All in all, it was a success, but not all the much fun for the youngster and isn't that the whole reason you colour eggs to begin with...  (...but, I had fun and we got egg salad sandwiches and deviled eggs out of it.)

And another...

Wabbit's new friend, Bart the Bear

Woodland Wabbit has a new friend. Bart the Bear. He's a mellow little fellow, but keeps inquiring about his lack of pants. I never thought bears were concerned with such things. Wabbit says he's "metro".

A little knitting buddy...

Woodland Wabbit

Introducing Woodland Wabbit, seen here hanging out in his natural habitat. He is Little Boy's sullen new little friend. He is born from the Anything Animals Pattern found at Petite Purls http://www.petitepurls.com/ , designed byRachel Borello Carroll.

He has assimilated quite well into our household, taking time to bond with the Spooky Cat.

Perusing our CD collection. Contemplating contemporary music.

And enjoying an outing to the ever popular cultural destination - Target.

I do love a good cup of tea...

This is my Brown Betty.  She was a gift from my Mom a long time ago,  15 years or more.  She sent it to me for Xmas the year I moved to the States.

Betty is the best.  I flash her with some boiling water, throw in a couple PG Tips or Yorkshire Gold bags and have the best tea, ever!  I'm a British tea snob, sorry Red Rose.

It really is about the teapot.  I have other ones.... Nope, not the same. Inferior tea.

It is always time for tea as far as I am concerned.  (and we are talking about HOT tea, not iced) All seasons,but especially winter, as a North Texas winter is particularly chilly.  One would not expect that, but even my parents, died in the wool Saskatchewan Prairie people, find a Texas winter to be really cold. So again, anytime is tea time.  If you are sick, sad, stressed, happy, healthy, relaxing, visiting..... you get the idea.

Well, Betty needed a cosy.  After a good strong 15 year friendship, the least I can do is knit something for her.  So, I used up some beautiful hand dyed yarn I had left over from a cabled hat project. It was so gorgeous, I was glad to be able to use every last inch of it.  I got it from a knitting blogger I discovered.

  The Sitting Tree  http://thesittingtree.blogspot.com/

She has a great little Esty shop with lots of lovely things. I have purchased yarn, soap and patterns from her.  It is her source of income and she and her husband and kids are working towards moving off the grid.  Her blog is well done and very interesting.

I digress...

Tea Cosy - 100% superwash worsted in the colorway - Holidazzle, brought to you and me by The Sitting Tree.

Hmmm...   Now I need to post about scones. 

Microbiology and the Art of Knitting...

 This is what I am doing while I am supposed to be studying micro-biology.  It's not that I don't like micro.  I actually really like it. Its relevant and interesting and something I never really learned enough about in nursing school. 

But...

We went to the farmers market and there were these wonderful ladies that were spinning fiber and selling their hand-spun.  I bought the most gorgeous, soft, pink and green and cream hand-spun with green sparkles.  I love sparkles.

And...

I put it in my stash, but I kept having to go and touch it and smell it and hold it and then i started looking at patterns and then I found a hat with cables and then I cast on and then I started knitting, I couldn't help myself.

So...

I worked on my hat and read micro power points at the same time.  Multitasking.  Using my left and right brain together for the greater good of knitkind.

The finished product  with enough left over to make fingerless mittens, too!!
 (I hate taking pictures of myself, they always turn out weird)


  (That's my fur dog, Joey in the background.)

DFW Fiber Fest 2012

I finally got to go to a fiber convention.  YarnCon, hahaha! Actually it was really DFW Fiberfest.  It was earlier this year in April.  Very cool.  So many things to see and touch and covet and purchase and, and, and...

I did walk away with a few skeins.  The green is a merino/silk blend, this will be a scarf and hat for the husband, the lilac and cream is a bamboo/merino blend, not sure what this will be it just felt heavenly and the colours appealed to me, it's just going to have to age appropriately in my basket o' yarn until the knitting muse speaks, and the multi-coloured skein is a hand painted worsted superwash wool that was initially meant to be mittens or fingerless gloves for me, but my friend's little girl has a thing for hand knits, and this suits her personality.  Maybe it will become a little sweater vest or shrug.

There were spinners. This captured my attention.  I would love to try it, but not sure I have the time or space.  I think I may at least try a spindle class.There is a small farm near where we live that has spinning classes.  She raises Jacob sheep and Alpacas and has classes and a drop in knitting circle as well.  I have it on my to do list, I just have not gotten around to giving her a call. She had a booth at the convention.  I will call this week, how about that!

More knitting...

Blogger finally works on my computer again.  I was having some technical difficulties there for a couple weeks.So, I can now show one of my recently completed projects. 

He asked for a green sweater with a hood and buttons down the front.  He couldn't decide on what colour green, so I found this cool camo blend and he loved it.  I have used it previously to make a skull cap and gloves for his older brother.  I should post pic of those, too.  It 100% wool and he thinks it's a little itchy, but once it's cool enough to wear it, he'll wear long sleeves under it anyway.

I definitely like the pattern and I'll use it again, for sure.  I'd like to try it again and modify it with a zipper instead of button holes.

 My memory is blanking on the name of the book I got the pattern from.  Chicks with Sticks patterns for Older Kids or something like that.  I'll have to remember to post it.