Destash Challenge Update

Finished another prayer shawl. But I bought more yarn (on sale) at Tuesday Morning. Now I really have enough for 2012! Thanks to 2 completed prayer shawls this year, I am still on the positive side.

Destash Challenge Update

I finished the prayer shawl last night. I used a Boucle yarn (2 strands) and it is wonderfully soft. (photo below) I started on a new shawl in a new (to me) pattern: Row 1 knit, Row 2 & 4, purl, and Row 3 K2to, yo. Happy to report that, despite recent purchases of yarn for prayer shawls, I am now in the "positive" on the destash challenge, meaning I have used more yarn than I have purchased. Now if I could only say that for my material stash!

Destash Challenge

I joined the Destash Challenge at http://thespringmount6pack.com/2012-destash-challenge/

So far, I have completed 4 dishcloths and have vowed not to buy any more cotton yarn until I have used up my current supply. Photos are posted under Knit/ Crochet.

I did purchase more yarn . . . that sort of goes against the whole idea of the challenge. I rationalized it because [1] Yarn was on sale at Michael's at 3 / $10, instead of the normal $5 -6 per skein and [2] the yarn is designated for a particular project (Prayer Shawls). I now have enough yarn that I probably won't need to buy any more this year (at least that's my plan).

I am also planning to make some more Fishy Hats. http://www.deadfishhat.com/ I made one for my grandson and now am planning to make some for the Bazaar and maybe also for Cook Children's Hospital. That is a good use of left over yarn.

New Year's Resolution

Last Wednesday, 1/25/2012, I joined the Stitchers at Cook Children's Medical Center. I stitched "procedure pillows" which are small (8x11 inch) pillows of brightly colored material. The children get to pick their favorite and stuff it themselves. I was happy to have sewn about 20 of them and, thus, met my goal for the day: to leave with less material than I arrived with. Oh happy day!

Then, on the way home, I stopped to visit a woman who was a caregiver to one of my hospice patients. She was in the process of going through the couple's belongings and grouping what would go home with her, what would go to the garage sale and what would be thrown away. When she found out I was a sewer, I came home with 3 more tubs of material. Hmmm. So much for the plan of the day. I did go through all the material and sort it by color (lights in one tub, darks in another). I went through the tubs of material in the garage and put together a box of material for the women who make neck pillows for the servicemen and servicewomen who come through DFW airport.

The next day, I took my box of material to my Curves in Hurst, only to find out that the women are no longer making neck pillows. One of my fellow Curves members rescued me from taking the box of material home. She said she would take it to her church, as there are women there who quilt. Thank you quilting ladies!

New Year's Resolution

My New Year's resolution is to use up some of the yarn and material I keep stashing away. To that goal, I have joined the 2012 Destash Challenge at http://thespringmount6pack.com/2012-destash-challenge/
I hope this will keep me on track to USE more material and yarn than I BUY or acquire through donations. I am already behind for the year, but hope to make amends for the material I recently acquired.

How to make a neck cooler

It's the end of September, and 100 degree days are behind us, but . . . just to get ready for next summer, here is a link to the site that taught me how to make neck coolers. It's a good use for scraps of material and it really does help to keep you cooler in the heat of the summer. We tried them out at a Rangers game in July with the temperature over 100 at 7 pm. Neck Cooler Directions

Granola Bars

This recipe came from the All Recipes website as Granola Bars III
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/granola-bars-iii/detail.aspx

I have adjusted the original recipe as follows:

Place parchment paper into 9 x 13 inch baking pan
(I do not spray the parchment paper)

In a large bowl, stir together:
2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup raisins (or cherries or other dried fruit)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

In a smaller bowl, thoroughly blend:
1/4 cup applesauce, no sugar added
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract

Pour applesauce-oil-honey-egg mixture into flour mixture and mix by hand until the liquid is evenly distributed.
Press evenly into the prepared baking pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350. Look for edges to be golden.
Cool completely in pan before turning out on cutting board and cutting into bars.
9/14/11 Ran short on the honey and added about 2 Tbsp molasses to the honey to equal 1/2 cup total.