Gratitude: Day 18

I am grateful today for knitting! (my one true passion, along with sewing, and baking and card making and...well, you get the idea.) I like knitting best, it's portable.

Knitting brings me such a sense of peace and solitude. And I am able to make beautiful things for the people who mean the most to me.  

  Those who know me best, know that I carry a project with me all the time EVERYWHERE.

LOVE IT!!!!


I was talking to Beth; a friend and owner of the coolest spinning shop in Michigan, The Spinning Loft; yesterday. I stopped in to check things out and check in with her as she just returned from Peru.

So, we were sitting there talking as she unpacked her treasures. She brought back the most amazing and beautifully worked bags and scarves.  Alpaca that is cleaned, dyed, spun and then woven into beautiful bags, scarves and clothes. Truly renewable products = alpaca and llama and sheep wool.

Beth was telling me how The people of Peru do beautiful work and the real shame is that they work SO hard and make so little money doing it, because people now-a-days do no treasure handmade textiles (or handmade anything) as they should.  She commented that the MACHINES that make sweaters were invented to imitate what HUMAN HANDS have been doing for hundreds of years. And she is right. 

She also commented that that same mass marketed sweater (or shirt, or anything) is disposable. We go to the store, buy it wear it, it wears out and we throw it away in the trash. Then she told me about a bag from Peru, she has been carrying for three years and it isn’t worn at all, because it is made to last and last.

The whole conversation came to a fun conclusion. Beth unfolded a weaving loom that is typically used by the people of Peru. If you “Google” LOOM,

you will see pictures of a large and boxy thing that takes up LOTS of space on the floor.

 
This is NOT what Beth brought back.

THIS is what the people she learned about use to make amazing products. THIS is what Beth brought back. 

It’s called a back strap loom
(Do you SEE the woven goods hanging there!  They are made on what is essentially a few sticks. I have tears in my eyes.)  AMAZING!!!! (If you happen to be near the shop, stop in. and of course, Beth is posting the bags online as well, go check it out!.)


What a gift it is that we, as sons and daughters of God, can learn such things as knitting and weaving and sewing.

Updates

I have a few things to update on.
1) The 730/365 challenge…I started off on February 1st with 120 items!  And now I am up to 147 items…Woo-Hoo!  That just got me more excited to find more things that we don’t use, that doesn’t fit, that we don’t LOVE or someone would love more than we do.  What was on that list anyway you might ask.  Well, let’s see:

• 4 pair footie jammies that Tallen has outgrown and lots of other things he’s outgrown.  I can’t believe he’s going to be 4 ! ! His baby days are gone for sure.  I hear a lot of “me do it” and “me know how” lately.
• clothes the girls have outgrown and/or no longer love as much. We passed some on to some younger kids we know.  I loved the things and wanted the PERFECT person to have them…my downfall. I want others to love them as much as I did.
• 20 things were clothes I have FINALLY gotten used to the idea that I CAN’T wear…and WHEN I lose weight, I will want “up to date” and cuter things anyway…I’ll deserve NEW clothes (from the 2nd hand store that I love to shop at…it’s the treasure hunt I love!!)
• 4 pairs of shoes/boots that my fat feet will never fit back into after 3 kids and much mistreatment by the owner. 
• many, many misc. things – extra kitchen stuff, hard cover books, kids toys they no longer use, etc.       

I am excited to find and count more…I will do the whole 730 for sure.  Now – for me to NOT go in and replace the things gotten rid of with an EQUAL number of new goodies…I took this load and only got myself ONE purse AND it was 1/2 off even! (I immediately gave the one I was using away) One in and One out…too bad I gave it to Miranda to keep her knifty-knitter in, so it’s actually still here!! Oh, well.  I am taking the clothes to the consignment store and I’ll try that for awhile.  Some of the girls at church have made good money doing it that way.
2) the projects (knit) – I NEED new photos and haven’t done it.  I have about 5 inches done on the self striping socks for Miss Miranda.  She is most impatient with me on this front.  I started them in October during General Conference and almost finished but then tore them out on Christmas and restarted them.  The stitches were loopy and loose and they wouldn’t wear well for her. They look GREAT now. The stitches are very small (size 1 needles) and even.  Lovely.
3) I am working on hand warmers as well, I finished a pair the other day for my Mother (I can write this because I don’t think she reads the blog…) And one of these days I’ll actually make MYSELF some. Maybe…
4) Miranda got her braces off yesterday. I’ll post pictures when it’s not so late…gotta get to bed after hanging the “snow day” signs I made for the girls.  They will be so excited!!!! G’night.

All Things Domestic

Somewhere in my bedroom I have a pillow that says “Domestic Goddess” on it…you caught the “somewhere in there” part? I feel there are lots of different kinds of Goddess with the title of Domestic. Cleaning ones, decorating ones, baking ones, knitting ones, and sewing ones, there are even home repair fix-it ones. Well, I am not the usual kind of Domestic Goddess, I hate cleaning! Just ask my Moms, both of ‘em. They’ll tell you…I have never been inclined to clean. I love to sit in a clean and peaceful room but I don’t like cleaning the room to get it there. Needless to say, my family struggles with this tendency – but really, who doesn’t?? OK, I’m not the cleaning kind, but I am the kind of Domestic Goddess who happily slaves over brownies and knitting sweet things for family and friends, I sew up a cute skirt for myself and the girls. Most happy when crafty stuff is involved.

Today it is gloomy outside but happy as all get out inside! Tallen is happily playing with his trucks and cars and making those cute sounds that go with… I have 3 baskets of laundry to fold and at least 6 months of socks to sort…actually it IS time for Nana to come. She LOVES to sort socks – yes, I get some of my weirdness form her! But instead of being the “laundry folding Domestic Goddess” I ought to be, I am making tuxedo brownies for Cindy Hougaboom’s baby shower tomorrow. And blogging about it of course… These brownies are SOOOOO good. I first had them at my wedding in 2005. My awesome visiting teachers made them as there was no cake.

Let’s travel the road of preparation together shall we? I got a rather inexpensive box of brownies last night at Wal-Mart, if I had been REALLY on the ball, I would’ve stopped at Aldi to grab theirs. Next time! I mixed it up and used my handy dandy scoop (from Meijer) to put in my ultra-cool and expensive ($9.99 @ Target) square brownie pan from Wilton (the cake decorating people). I only have the one of those, and it holds 24, so decided to also throw some batter in my mini silicone cups (on sale for $.75 for 12 @ Meijer) to compare. I always forget I have these sweet babies…I will never forget again!! OK – I digress. I sprayed all cups & squares with Baker’s Joy – the kind with the spray & flour combined and put in the batter. Baked for 15 min. removed the pans and tried to take the brownies out to cool them.

The square pan is nifty looking and has a fancy name, but let me tell you, those babies WON’T come out hot!! (please notice the broken bits clinging to the pan...)

So Tallen & I sacrificed ourselves and put the broken ones out of their misery…he’s such a helper when there are baked goods about. Here he is helping clean the bowl:

The squares will have to cool completely before removal but those little silicone cups were great! I popped the brownies out and was able to refill in a jiffy – thus saving on energy by a quick turn around. Here’s the 2nd batch baking:

I am going to get MORE of those cups and be able to make like 48-55 cups in 15 min!!!

Watch out bake sale Mamas, here comes Bronwen! Woo-Hoo!!!

OK – now after I fold this laundry and maybe make a healthy (rather than an un-healthy one) I’ll run up to the store, Aldi is across the street, so I’ll go there, and get the whipped topping and cream cheese for the frosting. Oh, and some raspberries to garnish. I’m drooling now…gotta match the socks so Sariah doesn’t wear mismatched socks to school again…it’s so embarrassing to me.