#onebookjuly2016

Don't worry, I am not talking about books you read, but rather books you write in! Journals, notepads, spirals, etc.

I was nearing the end of my main bullet journal from earlier in the year and trying to figure out what to do next. I've done some mini books, had a separate journal for work, and tried a variety of sizes but wanted something fresh for summer. This post inspired me to simplify by choosing one book and one pen for the month of July.

Now the one pen rule seemed a little crazy to me, but as I watched the video, I realized the main goal was to be purposeful. To create a simple routine for a daily habit of journaling. I chose one main pen to use, but in some of my checkbox spreads, I will probably use a yellow pen or highlighter to show progress.

I scoured the bookstore and almost left with the same style i'd used previously. But as I approached the check out line, I saw a little hardbound book. The pages had dots (something I've been wanting to try!) and it was just a bit smaller than the moleskins in my hand. I decided to give it a try.

I immediately put some wash tape on the cover and started my index. I transferred my book list from my old journal and added a few titles then made a July starting page as well as some lists I need to keep track of this month.

The paper is a bit thicker than the moleskin, which i'm liking. I chose to use a Martha Stewart Crafts pen I bought ages ago at Michaels. It is "charcoal" which I think helps the ink not bleed through in the usual way. It is very similar to this style.

I still have a separate journal for book studies I'm doing, or for scripture art and sermon notes, but on a daily basis, I plan to use this little journal the most. It can go in my bag nicely or sit out on my desk and add a pop of color.

Hoping to find a good rhythm this month of documenting things and keeping track of all the lists and ideas that are flying through my head!

Share a link to your journaling story...

fiber friday

So many projects to share! We're going bullet points today:

Knitting

• Blocking my Whispering Pines shawl, yippee!!

• Using Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Almanac and Soot I started the Glebe Wrap as a gift for my Mother in-law:

• I am making progress on my Guernsey Triangle Shawl in Brooklyn Tweed Loft - Fossil

• Updating my Ravelry Project Page - it's a fun way to see how much I've been working on!

Sewing

• I've cut the pieces and am prepping to start sewing this top from Purlbee. I'm using a charcoal linen which should go with all my new shawls!

• I've been ironing freezer paper and cutting little triangles to join the Jen Kingwell Quilt Along. I'm making Midnight at the Oasis  - at least hoping to :)

Fiber Friday

I finished the winter sea shawl! It's funny because I knit this in the summer in the woods, but I still love it :) it was a fun quick knit and great for working on during our road trip, movies and while listening to podcasts. I am so excited to officially block this when I get home. I did a makeshift blocking since I'm away from home because I wanted it to lay a little more flat for the photos.

 

I'm so close to being done with my whispering pines. After the shawl recovered from surgery I have just 58 more stitches to bind off. That picot binding is tricky for me so I'm taking it slow. Maybe next week I'll have photos! For now here is a photo of me working on the bind off while at Holland Lake. The island just behind me we dubbed "Whispering Pines" :)

In the fabric realm I'm considering joining this Quilt along and making this quilt. I have tons of fun vibrant colors and just need to figure out a good goal and rhythm for regularly working on it.

I cast on my guernsey triangle shawl and will have to give more details later. So far I'm taking it little by little so I do it well. I also need to get yarn for a gift shawl so lots of fun projects on the horizon!

 

 

currently - vacation edition

 

 

Sermon Notes

Today I want to share about my newest way to create. It is summer heat friendly and portable for traveling!

I spent the last two weeks of June on the computer for about 8-10 hours a day. Not the fun computer stuff like blogs and twitter, but hard-on-the-eyballs computering. Though a few minutes a day were spent on fun side projects, it was mostly one monstrous project and I promised myself that upon finishing, I would take a few days off from the computer.

So Sunday morning I found myself up early and ready to dive into summer. I've been inspired a lot lately by illustrated faith. I decide to listen to one of my favorite sermon podcasts. I've been trying to find in on a tangible way to process what is being preached and reflect on what hits home for me and this is what I came up with. I wanted a place where they would all be together and this Piccadilly Journal is something I've only used a few times over the last 5 years (entry one is from Dec. 2, 2010). I think good notes should be something you want to look back at later.

Enough words, picture time!
Sermon #1

I took notes! Only I took them in a way that was visually stimulating and in some cases reflect the meaning or message. I love that the sermon series we just started is called "off the chain" because it was really very freeing to just draw, write, listen, and see the words form.

I loved the mental challenge of mixing it up but making it cohesive. I loved the moment of flexibility when I realized I was almost out of room and there were 2 more points to be made!

Sermon #2:

I've been playing with color and different typeface, figuring out what makes the most sense in the moment. Admittedly more than once on this page I had to pause the podcast to finish a detailed section. Not practical for realtime note taking, but I'll work on that.

The most important part to me is how this helps me internalize what I heard. I am a visual learner and by drawing out my notes I can recall the info more easily. For some people this is not an organized way of taking notes and depending on the situation, I too am all for indents and bullet point. But for me, I remember drawing the swirly arrow to symbolize deployment and that "rock the mic you got" is a reminder to live out your calling confidently. When someone mentioned wanting to hear my story I referenced my notes saying "I wrote something about the importance of story in purple near the center binding going vertically." When I pulled about the book, there it was:

there's incredible power in your story

I will certainly still doodle in my journaling bible, but for now i'm also enjoying the large blank space to freely write and document!

one little word wednesday

As August approaches I am working staying positive. It's hard to thinking about saying goodbye to slow mornings, fresh food and lots and lots of friends and family time.

So instead of saying "goodbye" to these things, I'm trying hard to choose a different attitude. So I choose gratitude. I am grateful for:

The next season brings back work, meetings, students, families, lessons, grading and much more. I hope to spend August looking at ways to incorporate my summer activities into daily life. I realize that knitting all day while reading my nook is not really an option come September, yet I know there is a way to make time for knitting and reading. Waking up early is usually my go to when I want to add things to my schedule but I rethinking the evenings a bit and wondering how to better utilize my time.

What activities do you make time for during your busy seasons so that you can stay sane?

Quickles

I love pickles. Plain dill, garlic dill, I can even love a good bread and butter pickle as long as I'm expecting it. Nothing worse than a sweet pickle when you're ready for tangy dill!

About 5 years ago we lived in Colorado and had a great Farmera market that was all but 2 months of the year. I'd chat with the sellers and came to learn the best way to wash greens, how to grow local herbal tea and so much more. Sadly I've forgotten a lot of these tips and stories so we've been spending the summer reclaiming our love for local and handmade.

Fast forward to last weekend when we took a trip to a local market and fruit stand. There were boxes and BOXES of pickling cucumbers and I was immediately transported back to Colorado when we made pickles.

So we snagged a respectable amount, though too many since were headed out of town soon and I began hunting for a recipe.

My canning skills are limited and due to time constraints I decided on this recipe for quick pickles, or as I affectionately refer to them, Quickles.

The recipe is straight but I would recommend watching this video that accompanies the recipe because Sarah Carey is a great chef to watch and she gives some helpful tips.

My only changes were to cut the brine recipe in half (due to the number of pickles if grabbed) and I did cut the sugar down by 1/3 since we're not into super sweet pickles.

Can't wait to add these to a sandwich or a hamburger. And to be honest, I'll probably pop a few as a little snack as well :)

fiber friday

I love knitted dishrags/washcloths. They are absorbent, easy to launder, and simple knitting projects perfect for the car or a dark movie theater! We use them a lot around the house to try an avoid the extra cost of sponges and paper towels. 

When my mom asked about some knitted washcloths for the project Days for Girls, I jumped at the chance! I've been wanting to try some new patterns and stitches so I started with this basic washcloth while I searched around for more options.  I found some bold and bright colors from the Sugar and Cream line: Blue Mod and Playtime featured below.

Then I decided to try a new pattern I found on Ravelry called Waffle Knit Dishcloth. I really like how this one looks and it is an interesting knit, however the stitches are looser.  If you are looking for a tighter weave, I'd recommend either going down a needle size (to a US 5 from a US 6) or use a different cotton yarn.

Next I'm thinking I'll try something from this website. I especially like the Two Square Washcloth, so we'll see how they turn out!

sorbet obsessed!

As with each summer previous I've been diving full into fresh, local food. I've immersed myself in veggie-filled recipes and become addicted to berry picking.

There is something relaxing and therapeutic about picking berries. And the company has been phenomenal this year :) I am continually reminded of something Michael Pollan said at an author talk about his latest book Cooked. He mentioned the power of a shared meal, where the food on everyone's plate is the same thus making the experience itself shared. I feel that tenfold when I'm gathering my own food. The meal tastes better when you've prepared it yourself and especially if you've acquired the ingredients from a local farm or favorite market.

And that is why I am okay with making so much sorbet this summer. It tastes better than store bought and with each scoop I recall the experience of making it or gathering the fruit.

So far I've used two recipes, both VERY simple. Did you catch that? VERY SIMPLE. I mean, fruit+sugar+cold=sorbet so how hard could it be?

Sorbet #1 - Cantaloupe
Strange sounding, right? Well the melon was organic, fresh, local and seemed like a fun way to kick of sorbet season. I used Mark Bittman's recipe for sorbet from How to Cook Everything, which is basically the same equation as above. I cut the sugar down since cantaloupe is already pretty sweet. I believe the first comment post taste testing was, "It tastes like cold cantaloupe." Stellar review! I mean, that's what I was going for, right? Pure, simple and refreshing on a hot day.

Sorbet #2 - Blueberry
Our neighbors have a blueberry bush and they are very generous! I took a bowl up there and promised to only take what I needed. By the time I was done, it looked like there were MORE blueberries on the bush and I passed by a lot of berries that still have a few days before they are ripe. Needless to say, this might be a repeated recipe unless I get brave and want to try something else blueberry related. For this one I used a Martha Stewart recipe which used simple syrup instead of straight sugar (basically watered down sugar). Again, I added less sugar than she called for because I'm a rebel like that. Not an exact science just to taste. Here is the recipe and I'll probably be trying it again because it made so much simple syrup even though I did a half recipe.

What's up next? Probably Raspberry since I still have 7 or 8 cups in the fridge from our most recent berry picking event. I'd also like to try something exotic sounding like mint or cucumber. Do you have any recommendations or flavor requests? I love a good food related experiment!

knitting as art

The other morning I was adjusting a small wall quilt the other day and I started thinking about how much I love to be able to display my sewing. A lot of my sewing is practical and by nature is out and used daily (pillow cases, kitchen towels, quilts, etc). That got me thinking about my knitting.

Sure, I am regularly found with a scarf, shawl or cowl around my neck. This is a great way to display my knitting, but what about the rest of it? The pieces that are not in current rotation? The shawls that have lace panels are beautiful and a lot of work and I wanted a way to display them as art pieces, so that I can continually be inspired by what I've done. 

After realizing a "shawl wall" wasn't very practical if I wanted to be able to wear anything from the display, I decided to try a quilt ladder, only this one would hold knitting projects.**

I used this tutorial because it seemed affordable, simple and matched some of the furniture styles in our house already. I can also disassemble it if needed. Mine is about 5 feet tall and then it leans about 4-6 inches from the wall. I haven't decided if I want to paint it or stain it but for now we're enjoying the natural wood tones. After arranging things over and over again I realized that i've never knit anything in yellow! I love a deep golden, mustard tone of yellow so that will be next on my list. Not pictured is my lavender/pinkish Romney Kerchief but even so, it is easy to see that I favor blues and greens in my knitting! 

I'm also picturing a few draw pulls on the sides for cowls and hats as they don't drape as easily over the rungs of the ladder. Maybe something like these:

source: 1/2/3/4/5

**side note: i brought the ladder outside to photograph as the lighting is far superior. Also, I can show off my plants that I've managed to keep alive!

Fiber Friday

Finishing projects seems to be the theme of this summer and that is OK with me!

In the knitting department I've been trying to finish an older project before starting a new one. In theist week I've finished a blanket for world vision (no photo), dishcloths (more later), and this raspberry colored version of the honey cowl in a cotton blend from Michaels a few years back. I love this pattern!

For my grand finale... drumroll please... 

...my fireflies rising shawlette!!!!! I feel extra excited about this one because I really took time and care to do it well, plus it looks so fancy! I really loved knitting this piece and would absolutely make it again, but not quite yet, I have a few things in the queue that I'm anxious to try.

We took a recon trip to the yarn shop yesterday (sans gift certificate so I would truly just look). I have my eye set on a golden, mustardy yellow tone after realizing ice ever knitting with that color.

I'm contemplating another shawl because they are fun, fairly simple but really satisfying, but we shall see. I took photos of potential yarns including price yardage and weight so that I could look more seriously at my pattern options and decide what's next for the needles.

I've been back on track with planning out and writing blog posts so we'll see if I can get back in a groove before fall! Happy creating!

Craft day!

I've been absent from the blog because I've been making things to blog about! That's kind of backwards but I'm really making the most of my summertime freedom this year.

Today I had a craft day with a friend. She is without a sewing machine and had a small project in mind so I packed a few portable projects to-go and took my machine to her house. 

Surprisingly we started and finished multiple projects, yay!

I had two flags from TOMS shoe purchases that I decided to make into a drawstring bag since they seemed tall enough to become a knitting project bag. I stitched it up then knitted an I-cord out of some cotton/denim yarn from Michales about 5 years ago.  It's made of recycled denim I believe, but I can't find the tag. 

Bada bing bada boom, tis a success! I even have a project in there :)

Now to blog about all my knitting progress and to finish fixing up my "new" antique sewing machine.

Oh summer, how I love you!

a list for july

Taking a cue from Juliann's blog.

finish a shawl (or 2?)
run, run, then run some more
try some new recipes
finish a book
make music
do something with my photos from Hawai'i
finding ways to choose gratitude

homemade granola

I suppose this falls under the category of "you know you're a hippy when..." but it's more cost effective and (I would guess) a healthier version than store bought!

Dry ingredients all mixed up!

Here is my version of a recipe. It's hard to mess up :)

Preheat the oven to 350*

6 cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped raw cashews
1 cup sliced or slivered raw almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2-4 tablespoons sesame seeds

Combine dry ingredients, mixing well. At this point you can also sprinkle in a bit of cinnamon if you want. I skipped it this time around.

Now add the following:
1/4 - 1/2 cup honey or agave
1/3 - 1/2 cup neutral oil

I used canola oil this time but am hoping to try coconut oil on the next batch. The liquid ingredients are adjustable depending on how sweet you want your granola and also whether you want it to bake in the oven or simply toast. I tend to use less to cut back on the sugar and I love the flavor.

Add the wet ingredients then mix, mix, mix! Once it is incorporated, dump onto a large baking sheet and spread evenly. You will want to stir the mixture every 10-15 minutes to prevent it from getting too dark in any one place. I forgot to take a picture at this point so I will just have to warn you that the edges crisp up quickly!

Once the mixture is evenly golden brown and darkened, remove it from the oven and let it cool. I store mine in a tall glass canister with an airtight lid. I leave a 1/4C scoop right in there for easy serving in the morning.

It's delicious with almond or even yogurt.  So good and so refreshing when you add some berries or fruit to the top!

Happy crunching!

list no. 6 - simple little luxuries

With the sun starting to peek out more consistenly I've been changing some of my rituals. Today's list is about the little shifts I've been making as we move toward summer.

1. Fruit infused water (image above includes orange, lemon and ginger slices)

2. Coconut oil for moisturizing - feels lighter than normal lotion and smells yummy

3. Granola - most mornings I eat oatmeal with a handful of nuts/fruit but this season I'm switching out the steaming bowl for a cool and crunchy alternative (recipe to come!)

4. Knitting on the porch with a podcast instead of on the couch with a show

5. Lacy and lightweight shawls, cowls and scarves - my large chunky, cozy ones are tucked away for a few months

6. Blankets for sitting on rather than sitting under

What switches do you make when the weather begins to change?

*the idea for this post came from here and is part of the 30 Days Of Lists Project

last bit of summer

to celebrate the end of summer-freedom and the beginning of dressing professionally the school year, i dove headfirst into a sewing project.

inspired by this post, i picked up a fuzzy, medium-weight plaid and began creating.

step 1 - admit that in order for this to work best i MUST MATCH THE PLAID
i am usually in too much of a hurry to wear the garment to spend time on a step like this but i am SUPER glad I took the extra time. I cut the two pieces out to ensure that the lines would be parallel to the waistband and seam to be sure that they lined up on the side seams.

step 2 - figure out how to add pockets
pockets are fun, functional and a necessary part of a teacher's wardrobe. whether it's keys, markers, paperclips or special (extra small) gift from students, pockets are NOT optional. so i winged it. when deciding on placement i became extra glad for step 1 because i was able to easily able to align the pockets without any trouble. yay for doing things right!

step 3 - sew!!
okay, this isn't a tutorial. Anneliese did that for us in the above link. the only change is that i cut pockets using a basic pocket shape and stitched it to the side of each panel before sewing up the side seams. this is a great tutorial and even shows you how to add them to an existing garment! yay for pocket love!

step 4 - cut loose threads
remember step 1, where i mentioned it pays to do things properly? apparently i was still following that rule and i'm glad i did. now i don't have to worry about random threads hanging loose, catching on things or tempting small children to pull (which makes me think of this song).

step 5 - promptly put skirt ON and show your husband
okay, you might not have to do this step, but i always like to dig through my closet and show off how my new garment goes with things i own. so despite the 80* weather, i put on black leggings, tall boots and rotated through a few sweaters and tops to show off my new fall/winter skirt with pockets. did i mention the pockets? be sure to highlight these a lot. it helps to put something in there before appearing in front of your audience and then dramatically pulling the item out. surprise ending!

step 6 - realize you forgot to take pictures of the steps and attempt to get some "finished product" shots
as i said above, the tutorial has been written, this is basically me making my dramatic entrance back into the world of blogging and showing off the new skirt, which i will be unable to wear for another month or so. that's the downside to sewing a warm, fuzzy wintery skirt in the summer. oh well :)