Workin' It Wednesday-12/11/2013

This week I sewed 3 aprons, made a TARDIS mouse, finished sock 3 of 4, started a shawl, and started some crochet squares.

The Aprons...

Cute owl apron available for giveaway in an earlier post...

 Mrs. Slocums apron for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever...

 And Mrs. Clarks apron for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.(With the lovely Meagan in her costume)

I knit the most random thing I have ever knit.  It's a TARDIS Mouse.

 That's right-That's what you read-A TARDIS Mouse.  I knit it up in one afternoon with my young friend Brynana in mind.  It's random and nerdy-just like her.

Finished tube sock 3 of 4 for Christmas...

Started some granny squares for an acquaintance that has a teen in the hospital.  I followed this VIDEO that made it possible for this knitter to learn a new trick.  I would like to make 6-8 more of them before I send them on to be pieced into the larger blanket.

And last, I started this Harry Shawl last night out of some Little Monkey Stitch and Spin gradient yarn in the color way 'Flame'.

Small Business Saturday

The Saturday after Black Friday is called 'Small Business Saturday' and I did my part this year to support small business.


I got this bag

 And this woven scarf (just in the nick of time for the cold weather) from Tracy at TraftyCracy on etsy.  I love her bags as much as my own.

 I got these stitch markers and this cool stitch marker holder necklace at Little Monkey Stitch and Spin.  Bonus points-she's a fellow Texan.

 I got this bumper sticker from Zippy Pins to replace the one that the Texas sun has destroyed on our 4Runner.

 And this skein of yarn

 and this braid from Gritty Knits.  Also, a fellow Texan.

I feel very spoiled!  And these are all things that will bring me hours of enjoyment.

Weekending, Icepocalypse 2013

This weekend did not go as planned.  It was supposed to be our opening weekend of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  However, starting Thursday night through Friday morning it rained and sleeted and got pretty cold for around here.  Friday and Saturday it did not even get above 32 degrees and it was pretty cloudy.  Our street was a solid sheet of ice until yesterday afternoon.  So, most of the theaters around here were dark for safety reasons.  Because, driving on ice is not like driving on snow.  And around here, since the roads tend to melt down during daylight, the road crews only salt the big ol' bridges.

Frankly, I was surprised at just how quickly the freeze happened.  We were out on Thursday evening at the kids theatre classes and our play was canceled that night.  I thought it was unnecessary because it had just been 80 degrees the day before and it wasn't really raining or anything-it was just sort of misty.  So, we head home after class ends at 7 and all was fine,  UNTIL we crossed over a wee little bridge over a creek and slid a little.  It was then that I changed my mind about the severity of the weather.

So, this was our weekend...
Backyard playing

 Front yard playing...

 Daddy helping...

 Coming up the hill...

 Dog Torturing...

 Christmas Tree decorating...

 Cat Torturing...

 Ice Carving...

 Lotsa lights...

 Singing songs...

December Giveaway-Christmas Owl Apron.

Hey all!  It's time for the December giveaway here at Brazen Stitchery!

This months giveaway is a super cute Christmas themed owl apron.  I made this out of pre washed cotton and it is sassy cute!

 This is my 'Are you taking a picture' face.

 Detail on the apron front.

How to Enter:

If you'd like to enter to win this apron, go to Brazen Stitchery , find a listing you love, and write about it in the comment section below. You can get extra entries by sharing on Facebook, tweeting, or joining the Ravelry group -Just come back and put a comment for each 'extra' that you do!

I will pick a winner December 16, 2013.



Cat Not Included.

Herb Cheddar Drop Biscuits

These are not 100% like the ones at Red Lobster, but they are crazy good!  And so easy as well.

You will need:
For the biscuits-
-2 Cups all purpose flour (I have made this with gluten free all purpose flour with success)
-1 Teaspoon salt
-1 Teaspoon minced garlic
-1 Teaspoon dried dill
-1 Teaspoon dried basil
-3 Teaspoons baking powder
-1 Teaspoon baking soda

-5 Tablespoons Butter chunked up
-1 Cup any grated cheese, I like to use cheddar
-1 1/8 Cup Milk

Optional
For the topping-
-2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
-Pinch Salt
-Pinch Dried Basil
-Pinch Dried Dill

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees

2. Mix the dry (Flour to Baking Soda) ingredients together in a big bowl until all mixed up.

3. Put Butter in with dry ingredients and either use a pastry blender to moosh all the butter into the dry ingredients, OR use a food processor to blend it in, OR use your fingers to pinch the butter together with the dry ingredients.  Make sure there are no big chunks of butter.

4.  Stir in the cheese until well blended, then stir in the milk.  If the mix seems dry, add milk one Tablespoon at a time until it is moist enough to be dropped onto the cookie sheet.

5.  While you are doing 1-4, encourage your child or spouse to butter or grease you a cookie sheet.

6.  Drop tablespoon sized (or bigger if you like big biscuits) clumps of dough onto your greased cookie sheet. (I get about 16 biscuits out of this recipe)

7. Bake 7-9 Minutes until golden brownish on top.

Alright, While your biscuits are in the oven, prepare your topping.  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and dance from foot to foot impatiently while the scent of delicious biscuits drifts through your house.

So, now take the biscuits out and either brush the topping on with a brushy thing or take a spoon and drizzle the butter mixture on top.

Now, here's the deal.  You can leave the cheese out and have fabulous herb biscuits.  Don't have all the herbs?  That's okay too.  In fact, you can leave out ALL of the fancy herbs and cheese and still have a great biscuit.  Just adjust the milk accordingly.  The topping is also an optional thing.  You do not need it for your biscuits to be tasty delicious!

Workin' It Wednesday December 4, 2013

So, this week is tech week as I said in a previous blog post and that makes for a hectic and tired week.  I have needed to go to the store since Monday, but still have not managed to.  Last night we ate Quick Trip hot dogs for dinner.  Mmmm, delicious.  But, my husband did come home to a tidy house and a clean kitchen last night, so that's good!

Anyway, this is what I am working on.

On the cutting table, I have two freshly cut aprons for a couple of my fellow Church Ladies in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  One is a full apron(the one with the stockings), and one is a half apron(the one with the mittens).  I promised them cute Christmas aprons since our characters are supposed to be in the church kitchen making applesauce cake.

In the middle of being sewn is a cute owl apron that will be the giveaway item this month on the blog-Keep an eye out for it this weekend to enter to win.

On Rosie, the Heavenly Handspinning Fidelis wheel I have, I just finished spinning up a soft and pretty batt by Little Monkey Stitch and Spin that I got at Kid n Ewe back in November.  It was a nice spin and was smooth except for the silk noil-so it will be an interesting yarn when I am done with it.

On the needles, I have sock 3 of 4 tube socks that I am making as part of my boys Christmas pressies. They always get something knit, and this year it's tube socks.  For them, I have 52 sts cast on a size 2 needle, work 2x2 rib for a few inches, and then I go into stst until for about 14 inches.  For the toe, I do a round toe, and then cinch it at the end.

Also on the needles is the never-ending sock yarn scrap blanket.  This is one of those that will probably take a few years-I have been working on it of ragout a year now and it is about baby blanket sized.

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Weekending, Thanksgiving 2013

I am trying something new with my blog style.  One of the things that I have seen and liked on other blogs is a blog schedule of sorts.  I am gonna try this schedule...Monday-Post about the previous weekend, Wednesday-Post about my current sewing/knitting/spinning projects, and Friday-Post about food.  I think this will help me stay on a 'schedule' and it keeps the blog varied, but on the same basic topics.

So, this past weekend was Thanksgiving, and as I have already posted in some detail about THAT, I will just move on to the rest of the weekend.

Saturday I had rehearsal for the other play that I am doing-'Cash On Delivery'.  It was a good rehearsal, it's a good cast, and I am very excited about bringing it to the stage.  After a basic stumble through, we all sat around and talked about our characters and what motivates them in their lives.  That is not something that happens in too many of the plays I am involved in, so it was nice to do.

Then I came home and started work(and finished Sunday) on reorganizing my Brazen Stitchery storage area.  It had gotten, not really wild, but jumbled.  When people made an order, I was spending way too much time digging through the bins/bags I had trying to locate what they ordered.  So, I took some of the wire shelving that I use for shows, went to Target and bought file boxes and ziploc bags, and used already owned bins to organize more thoroughly.

 So, now each yarn category has it's own box with sub categories in big glad bags in each box.  One box has sewn bags in their sub categories, one box has the non polwarth/BFL wool.  Inside the cabinet is a bin of BFL and a bin of Polwarth along with tools, shipping supplies, and other miscellaneous items.  I hope that this will facilitate an easier storage and location system for my product.

Also, yesterday, Ray got to do one of his favorite holiday things-Putting up the Christmas lights!  We have a new light up friend-Gnick Gnome.  He goes well with our little rain deer, Fred Instead.  I feel that in a few years we will have a plethora of adorable yard ornaments!