May Snow

A freak snow storm was not how we expected to start the month of May! Four inches of snow dumped on us and then backed up again to hit us, making a total of 8 inches of snow!!

Spinning

My sister and I had a dying day where we dyed wool and fiber to spin into yarn. This was my favorite color combination. You can't see it well on the camera but I am sure when I start knitting with it I will then see the changes.

I still have another hank to ply off. It's one of the skills I'm trying to build.

I'm not sure yet what I will make with it but I really like spinning and making my own yarn.

Getting gifts ready

I made the yarn holder out of a soda bottle. You cut a rectangle in the side and I put masking tape on edges of the cut but you really don't have to. Washed and thoroughly dried it then when you are ready to do your project you stick the end of your yarn through the neck of the bottle and slip the yarn into the rectangle. 

I have had people ask me a lot how did you get the yarn in that bottle. You can do this when you are ready to start the project and it keeps your yarn from running across the floor and getting dirty or...attacked by the cat.

I made this baby sweater as a gift, to try to have gifts up ahead of showers and things.

You can find the pattern for the baby sweat here. 

This purple purse is a gift I made up for next Christmas for Miss M. I have two more to make in pink. You open the purse and fold it down over the bottom, push up the hood and it becomes a cradle!

 I will tell you that most dish soap bottles now are clear so I sanded it and painted it with acrylic paint, then sprayed it with acrylic varnish. I punched the holes before painting and that is hard on the hands some but maybe others can find an easier way.

You can find the pattern for the purse here.

My Little Darlins

Here's the grandkids' 2013 school pictures. 

Riley will be 9 years-old next month, hard to believe he's growing up so fast.

Mckenzie just turned 5, Miss M is becoming quite the little lady!

Displaying your knitting needles and crochet hooks

Here's a neat way to re-purpose an old tea pot and a pitcher or vase. 

It looks great as a decoration and it makes it easy to pick out the needles I need.

Corners of my home: bear keeping happy in a rocking chair. 

Dish Towels and a Winter Storm

I made these dish towels from old tablecloths. It's a great way to re-purpose those stained tablecloths that are lying around.  

We had a bit of a snow storm over the weekend. Great weather for staying in and doing a little sewing. The little birdies I'm sure can't wait for spring.

Yogurt

Sister Gardunia's Powder Milk Yogurt

In the blender I mixed:

1 1/3 c. church powder milk, which is a non instant pwdr milk

3 c. lukewarm water

Mix together and stir in:

1 heaping spoonful of a yogurt started, which is a yogurt that is storebought.

Make sure it is plain or vanilla and that it has active cultures in it and be sure that in the ingredients it does not say gelatin.

Then you can use the method of your choice to make the yogurt.

She does hers in a crockpot. She puts water in the crockpot and sets jars of the yogurt in. The water is just a bit hotter then a baby bottle. When it cools, she turns on her crockpot to the "keep warm" setting for a half-hour or so to warm the water back up. Set a timer. Also, this is all done without the lid. She turns it off and on in this method to keep the water warm for about four hours. Make sure it does not get too warm as it will kill the bacteria

In the picture I am doing two different methods. I got out my yogurt maker from the 70's and that is where you see how it turned out.

The other method is to fill the jars and place them in an ice chest and then fill a jar with the hottest tap water you have. Leave the lid off the water and cover, let this sit over night or 24 hours. Check and see as you get up in the morning and then every couple of hours till set. 

Below is the finished yogurt.

If you want greek yogurt or cream cheese, you must place the yogurt in a yogurt strainer or 4-5 layers of cheese cloth in a colander placed over a bowl until it's as thick as you'd like, longer for cream cheese.