Reclaiming The Home

Much to Tell

Lots has been going on here in the Rose household!  I have been doing a lot of reclaiming, in many, many different ways.   Come on in for a visit, grab a warm cup of coffee, and I'll get the cookies.  Feel free to pick up your knitting if you like.  Won't bother me a bit.

The past week has been a big one for us.  While there hasn't been a defining moment so-to-speak, I would definitely say that the events of this week have helped to define some deep parts of me.  Its helped me to focus on what is important, and to continue moving forward with ideas and plans for my future.

To start the week off, the mister went out to the field to work all week.  For those of you not associated with the Army, in military terms "the field" refers to on-location work, literally out in the middle of the wilderness, practicing missions.  Being with such an active unit is a wonderful thing for Hubby, and his recent promotion has given him a new role and perspective of the Army.  As always, the kids and I are incredibly proud of him and all that he does.  He continues to amaze me every day with everything that he is able to accomplish and do. 

He and I are so different in so many ways, with him loving working outside in the heat and the dirt with big mechanical equipment that makes things explode... and me working indoors with the children, my sewing machine and small kitchen appliances.  Still, at the end of the day we come together to form this amazing complimentary team.  It boggles my mind, and I find myself reflecting on my blessings in him, and in the relationship we have had together over the past ten years.  Yes, I am one lucky woman.  In any case, its wonderful to have him home again.

While hubby has been gone, I have been busy planning my garden (this photo is of last year's seedlings).  He said that before long he will build me a few Square Foot Garden plots for my organic veggie garden!  I am so excited.  In late March I can start planting outdoors, so I am going to be starting my seedlings in a few weeks.  I'm also hoping to add a gate to completely fence in the side of our house so that we can get chickens this spring.  More to come on that later!

The kids have been on a fruit kick (which I love for several reasons, not the least of which is that its very easy to fix, and healthy to boot).  Still, even with all the extra vitamin C, the poor chillins have come down with the flu, and have spent the majority of the day today in their pajamas, snuggling and watching their favorite movies, or reading books. 

Besides getting in as many snuggles as possible, I've been busy finishing up some crafty goodness.  I've added a few items to The Shop, and am sending out several packages for orders tomorrow.  I've been amazed at how the Amore Quilt Kits have gone so quickly, and how much people are loving them.  It just makes my heart smile to share some creative goodness with others who find it fun as well. There are only a couple left if you were wanting one, and unfortunately this is one item that wont be restocked once they're gone.

We've also been busy this week handling some medical stuff going on.  Many of you know from our conversations over at Ravelry, that our beloved little retriever, Buddy had to make an emergency trip to the vet this week (that's him above, helping me pick out fabrics). He was in severe pain on Wednesday night, and I couldn't get the emergency vet on call to return my messages.  First thing Thursday morning the kids and I trucked him over to Sheridan Road Veterinary Clinic (a different clinic than the one that would not call me back all night).  The vet was wonderful with him, gave him a thorough examination, and helped us all to stay at ease.  He was even patient and understanding about my oldest, Abbi, having a total meltdown for the majority of time that we were there (its tough for her, sensory wise). 

Thankfully, it turned out that there were no fractures or internal injuries.  He was experiencing what we believe is the onset of a tough bout of canine arthritis.  The vet put him on pain medication to see if it would help, and it really has made a big big difference for him. He's still tender and sore, but acting much more like himself. Hopefully the medication will help this to become more manageable for him.

Lastly, this weekend is my birthday (on Sunday), and as a present to myself (and partially from the amazing Hubster as well), I upgraded my photography equipment to a new Nikon D-80!  It arrived today, along with my new lenses, flash, tripod, and accessories.  I am loving it so far!

That said, I will probably not be around much this weekend between playing with my new equipment, and celebrating another year of life with family and friends. 

I hope you all have a MARVELOUS weekend, and that you enjoyed your visit, and your coffee this time around.  See you next week!

New Look, New Crafts, New Kits!

Reclaiming the home is partially about the ways we bring joy and beauty into our homes with our own two hands.  In celebration of this act of love, I have redecorated the blog!  The color scheme and banner are both based upon our first Reclaiming The Club Kit! 

The kit will give you enough fabric to make a mini or doll sized quilt in the pattern of your choosing.  It will include 18 strips of fabric 9x2", backing fabric, quilt binding, and batting!  The only thing you will need to provide is a needle, thread, and a quiet corner to sit and stitch. 

I decided to go with a very simple patchwork design using this month's kit, but you could use any number of patterns, or even just create something totally unique and your own!  I will include instructions on how to create a patchwork quilt like this one with the kit!  Also with the pattern instructions, I will include tips for those who may be new to quilting and want to try it out.  A mini quilt is a great starter project, and also so much fun for those with more experience!

The kit will be available in The Shop within the week, so be watching for an announcement!  A surprise contest will also be posted that day for those who receive Reclaiming Club Kit, so there will be lots of fun ahead!

Drop a line sometime, and leave a comment if you like!  I always love to hear what you all think, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have too! :)

Audrey's Knitting Needle Tutorial!

We have been very fortunate to have  a guest speaker today!!  Audrey, a dear friend, inspiring crafter, and world-class relcaimer, has agreed to share her knowledge and skill in creating her own knitting needles!! 

If you've ever wanted to give this fun craft a try, it is truly worth it, and with Audrey's instructions, completely doable for anyone at any crafting experience level! 

Here are Audrey's wonderful instructions!

To make my DPN’s: I used common household bamboo skewers. Sharpened both ends in a pencil sharpener, sanded the shaft and points until smooth, and then polished them with a white crayon and a sheet of notebook paper.

Materials:

Dowel rods or skewers (chopsticks could work too)

Sandpaper: 100 grit – 400 grit (3-4 different grits)

Plain paper

White crayon or wax

Knob or button to top the needles. (In a pinch a rubber band)

Pencil Sharpener

Choose Your Weapon

When choosing your dowel rod you may find it helpful to have some sort of measuring device. In this way, you can get exactly the size you want. I did not measure mine at all, so whenever asked, “What size needle is that?" I told people “skewer”. Please learn from my mistakes. It will make me feel better.

If you purchase your dowel rod from a large chain store, they can cut it to your specified length. I used kitchen scissors, and had to deal with splintering.

Getting to the Point

Once you have your rods cut, you will run them in a pencil sharpener. Do the same to both ends for double pointed needles, just one end for standard needles.

True Grit

Next is the sandpaper. In this step, you will sand the needles using progressively finer (higher #) grits. By doing this you will get the rid of the splinters and burs in the wood. Be sure to sand the shaft and the point, paying special attention to the tip. The tip and the point receive the most activity when knitting and it would be a shame if your yarn kept being snagged. I found out how frustrating it could be to have to go back and sand each of my DPN’s. I have already made all the mistakes for you.

The Debate

This part is optional. I have seen some who do not polish their needles, yet I cannot tell you which way is best. If you choose to polish your needles, here’s how. Rub the entire surface of the wood with a white crayon. Then use a sheet of paper to smooth the needle, just the same as when you were sanding the wood. Once again, pay careful attention to the point and tip. 

 

The End

This is the last step, unless you have made DPN’s. This must be my favorite part. Finding that special something, that tells the world “This is custom!” Make your needles as unique as you want them to be. Glue a river stone, glass bead, or drawer pull to the end. Shove on a plastic toy or pencil eraser. Let impatiens rule your life and twist a rubber band to it. I have done that.

Congratulations

You now own, custom, one of a kind, original, not to be found in stores anywhere, hand crafted knitting needles.

When I asked Audrey to share a bit about herself with you all, here is what she said!

Name: Audrey

Husbands Name: Brian

Age: 36

Occupation: Stay at home mom/Homeschool mother

Hobbies: Knitting, crocheting, cooking, gardening, and sewing

Number of Teeth: 28

Allergies: Cats, mold and people who don't cover properly

Favorite Food: Sushi

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Movie: The Wizard of Oz

Favorite Animal: Cat

Favorite Candy: Chocolate peanut butter cups

Her husband was able to add a bit more about her, so that you all can see a piece of the amazing gal that she is.

Audrey grew up in Brooklyn and Coney Island NY. As an adult her family moved to Hillside NJ where she attended Kean College. She earned a BS in business management with a minor in technology. She met her husband, Brian, in college and got married in 1995.

 

In college she worked for Adolph Gotcho as an assistant purchasing agent and later moved onto working for American Products as a purchasing agent and expeditor. She additionally held jobs as a sales rep in a sporting goods store, as a teacher’s assistant in a grammar school, as a worker in a laundry mat, offered a job making costumes for the renaissance festival and co-owner of an organized recreational camping business.

 

For most of her married life she has been a full time home builder (mom). Audrey began homeschooling her children in Kindergarten and continues to homeschool them today. The managerial skills she learned in college and her business life greatly help her run the home school.

 

Being a housewife and a homeschool mom she has taught herself how to hand sew, machine sew, crochet, knit, become computer savvy, repair almost everything broken in the home, cook like a short order chef, learned how to cut corners and save money, and much more.

THANK YOU Audrey!! :)  We surely do appreciate your contribution to the group!

(a few tips after trying this with the tutorial!!  You can find pre-cut dowels in some craft stores, so you may not have to cut them yourself!  You could also use candle wax or beeswax to finish off your needles if you would like to do that instead!)

Ladies (*and gents*), be sure to leave her a comment if you found this to be fun, informational, interesting, or any other number of adjectives!  :)  Thanks

Mutt Muffins and Crayon Cookies

The holidays are upon us and the gift making rush is a big part of that for me (and a part that I love, I might add).  Our family is coming to stay with us this Christmas, and they have two lovely little doggies they're bringing with them as well.  I say little, but one of them weighs more than my husband!  Anyhow, all this means that we will have four dogs, one cat, four adults and two kids here for Christmas!  My goals are to do something handmade for everyone!  I'm going to share what I've been doing for the doggies and the kiddos since they are slightly less likely to read the blog!

I have been really trying to find a good doggy treat recipe that both of my boys love.  I tried a new recipe the other day, called Mutt Muffins.   As usual, I made a few changes based on what I had on hand.  Instead of honey, I used sweetened cinnamon applesauce in place of plain to make up for the sugar. This also substituted the spices since the applesauce was already spiced!  They turned out wonderfully, and I wound up with about 4 dozen small Mutt Muffins. 

I would recommend using only one heaping tablespoon per muffin cup, like I did with these.  Even with these smaller muffins my Golden Retriever, Buddy found them to be a bit chewy (which he liked) and quite the mouth full!   We got two-paws-up from Buddy, though Jack (our Terrier) was not nearly as impressed with my baking today!

I have also been working hard on some unique gifts for the kidlets!  I have really been looking forward to making them each a set of Crayon Cookies (called such not because they are edible, but because of their shape and size)!

Many of you know that my oldest daughter has developmental delays and Autism.  She has a hard time with her fine motor skills so its hard for her to hold a crayon correctly.  These will hopefully help that, as they are bigger and easier to get a grip on!  Here is how you make them!

STEP 1: Find yourself a lot of crayons!!  I got my bag at Good Will for $2.99.  There are enough in there to make at least a dozen crayon cookies!  Probably a few more.  What you see here is what is left after making one batch of 6 crayon cookies.  The crayons do not have to be new, and actually, it is usually better if they are not, since I love to look at this as a way of recycling and reusing as well!

STEP 2: Peel the paper!  To do this you will have to follow two steps.  One might ask, "What is so hard about peeling crayon paper?"  Let me tell you - after the fourth or fifth one, I could tell you exactly what was so hard about it!  Some of the crayons were very tightly wrapped, others seemed almost glued on (most likely from heat melting the wax of the crayons to their papers).  I have also learned that Crayola crayons are the most difficult to unwrap.  I still managed however, and its okay if there is a little bit of residue.  It does not have to be perfect.  The easiest way to get past this is to A) Cut down the side of the crayon, very carefully with a knife or pair of scissors (adults only please - no kiddo injuries!).  B) Peel away the paper from the slit that you cut down the side of the crayon.

STEP 3: Put It In the Pan!   BUT! Before you put the crayons in the pan, you will want to spray your muffin tin with non-stick spray.  It is also important to choose a pan that you don't mind using solely for crafts.  I chose one that I have been using for crafts for a long time (and looks pretty pathetic, so please excuse its condition - it works for this purpose LOL!).

Then you will need to decide how you want your crayon cookies to look.  Do you want them to be a big jumbled bunch of colors, showing every color in the box?  Would you like them to be sorted by color exclusively?  Do you want a few hints of like colors together?  (i personally chose to put like colors together.  So for example, my yellow crayon cookie has some orange and some green in it.  my blue crayon cookie has some purple and some green in it.  My red crayon cookie has some purple and some orange in it, and so on!)

(again i'm sorry about the ugly pan!  believe it or not, i'd washed it just before this picture... its mostly stuck on glue or paint or ink... its not gross, i promise!

STEP 4: Bake it Baby!  Set your oven to 400* and immediately put the crayon cookies in (do not preheat).  Let it bake for 10 minutes and remove immediately.  It is totally fine if they don't melt completely.  Let cool until they are no longer runny.  Here are what mine looked like as they cooled:

STEP 5: Freeze It!  Put the entire pan in the freezer.  DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THEM WHILE WARM!  I made the mistake of trying to remove the crayon cookies while they were warm, thinking they would be easier to get out.  FALSE!  They fell apart.  I put the remaining 3 in the freezer and went back to them 2 hours later.  They popped out VERY easily, by just tipping the pan upside down.  If you DO get some that break, don't fret!  spray your pan again with non-stick spray, and re-bake them to melt together once again in the proper shape, and freeze. 

Here are some photos of what they look like in their finished sizes!  Notice how they nest in one another and stack so well!  Imagine the wrapping possibilities!  You could also probably store them in a reclaimed and decorated Pringles container!

Have fun reclaiming, and do let me know if you try either of these crafts! :)

Little Surprises....

Don't you just love it when things work out just perfectly... and maybe even a little better than you planned?  I know most of us live in the real world where the dishwasher breaks, you lose your keys when you're running late, and you inevitably trip in front of your old flame at the grocery store.  But some days..... some days are just better.

This week I haven't been posting as much as I would have liked to, because life has been so busy... and busy with good things I might add.

Hubby renewed his contract with his job for three more years, and got a great promotion that he's been waiting for, for a very long time.  The contract renewal we were expecting, but the promotion was a wonderful surprise that we weren't planning on.  We're thrilled!  Congratulations hubby :)  I'm proud of you!

In other news, I've been being homey. 

I've made it a point to bake something every day this week, and it has really just added so much to my day.  My family has literally scavenged every last crumb of the bread, cookies, and muffins that have been made this week, and I suspect we will be leftover-free this weekend as well.   Yum!

Fall has also made its way through Oklahoma finally.  November is usually when it sets in for me that the seasons are changing, and autumn is in the air.  We went outside tonight to play with the kids in the back yard and could smell wood burning in fireplaces throughout the neighborhood, keeping families cozy and warm, while we played and enjoyed the brisk air outdoors.  Leaves are finally falling, and our yard is littered with pecans just waiting for us to pick them up and sprinkle them into a cake or pie for a real taste of fall.  This is truly one of my favorite times of year.... *happy sigh*

With the changing of seasons comes holidays a plenty.  I am working feverishly on gifts, and have been turning to the stash for inspiration.  I had some of this fall-toned chenille yarn that had been in my stash for ages.  I knew my mother would like something made with it, but I was not sure what would work.  It doesn't have a lot of give, so I couldn't make a hat as I had originally wanted to.  She uses large purses and lots of leather, so I knew that she couldn't really use a handbag.  There wasn't enough to make a substantial scarf.  So what is a girl to do?  I saw some inspiration on Ravelry, where crafters had created drawstring bags.  I thought I might be able to do that, and it might turn out to be a cute stocking stuffer.

Well.... as it turns out, I love it. 

I think mom will love it too.  The chenille really made a difference in the elegance of the bag.  It has now turned into a very sweet, elegant gift that I think will make mom smile.

I love when things work out so unexpectedly well.  :)

Holiday Hoopla

About this time of year it really settles in on me that the holidays are just around the corner.   My mom and my husband both just celebrated their birthdays and for me that means it is time to start prepping for Christmas as I have never prepped before. 

I'm working hard to have a handmade Christmas this year.  We have agreed to get a few new things that we need, like underwear, and some things for the house.  The kids may get a couple of books or movies.  But 99% of what we do this Christmas is going to be from our own two hands. 

I've been gradually working my way through the gift list that I made up a few months ago, but there is still a lot left to go.  With a little elbow grease, and some Christmas music I know I can get it done in no time flat. 

I don't have any photos to show from this past week because I have been down with the flu, but I will update with some that are waiting on my camera just as soon as I get a chance.

In the mean time, here's a photo of a dress I refashioned for my daughter last spring.  It is one of my favorite refashions.  When I took this photo I hadn't yet trimmed off some of the threads, so my apologies for that.  Hopefully you can get the idea from this photo though. 

Blessings!

Refashioning & Sustainability

Who would imagine that a post about refashioning would derive from rubber tires?  Still, I woke this beautiful fall morning to the smell of Goodyear burning in the air.  Every week the tire plant here burns their excess rubber (and I think maybe has something to do with the asphalt manufacturing plant as well here - at least they smell similar LOL).  Ironically, this smell greeted me with a slap in the face when I went out to my driveway only to find a flat tire on my truck.  Not one to be easily discouraged, I determined that we could make do with what we had in the house today instead of heading to the grocery store as planned.  And that we did.

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how I live and what my ecological footprint is.  There are so many amazing ways that we can take small steps to stop adding to the problem of degrading resources and pollution.  Toxins emitted by energy waste and man-made chemicals not only effect the environment, but us individually as well.  From tire plants to car exhaust to the number of paper towels thrown out in a day, we all make an imprint on the land we live in. 

I spent a good part of the day making clothes for my children and for children who would otherwise be cold this winter.  One sustainable way that I do this is to only use second hand clothing, fabrics, or bedding to make clothes.  Some may lift their noses at the idea of "hand-me-downs" but truly there are so many benefits to giving new life to an old garment or sheet.  If you don't mind, I would love to share my love for this amazing craft with you too...

I am a member and regular contributor t the blog Wardrobe Refashion. 
I took a pledge not to buy any new clothing for 6 months, and to
instead make items from my own two hands, reusing, recycling, and recrafting to create my own garments.  Not only is this fantastic for my budget, but it is also wonderful for clearing out my crafting stash.  In addition to that, this continues to sustain myself and my family.  By honing my skills at fashioning clothes for my family, I am helping us gain independence.  I give the gift of love to my family through every moment I spend working on items for them.   

This also saves SO MUCH in terms of the global impact that I have on the sustainability of the environment.  By using only second hand items I am saving manufacturers the energy required to make a new garment.  Because almost all second-hand clothing is donated from locals, it also doesnt have to travel much, if at all, to get from "the store" (the thrift) to my home.  If I were to buy new, I would be using a great deal of energy in the delivery of the materials to the manufacturer, then the delivery of the final product to the retailer, and finally the delivery from the retailer to the individual local storefront where I would then go and pick up my purchase.  Even storage of these items is often more expensive retail than in a thrift store, which very often does not use air conditioning or heat.  Ours also uses natural light from the windows as much as possible to save on the energy bill. 

I am always floored at the beautiful items I can find.  I am currently working through a stack of natural-fiber sweaters that I picked up a few months ago from the thrift store, that I am trying to recycle back into yarn to use.  One sweater I did not look at closely enough when I purchased it originally and it turns out that it is one that cannot be unraveled.  Rather than re-donating it, or trashing it, I turned this 100% cotton, Ralph Lauren sweater (originally 75-cents) into "new" sleeve-pants for my youngest daughter.  She was so cozy running around in our yard tonight in her new sweater-pants.  I hope to make a matching jacket from the body soon.

Do you create your own clothes?  If so, share a link or a few pictures with me.  I would love to see them, whether made with "new" or "old" materials!! :)

Unwinding at Ravelry

If you havent yet, you should sign up on the waiting list over at Ravelry.   The wait list is HUGE, but trust me my friends, it is for good reason.  Besides, the lovely owners and mods are moving the list along  so quickly that you'll be invited in no time at all.  Truly!  They have been going at a rate of over 800 invites per day, so jump on the Ravelry train - you will not be disappointed!

Once you are in, do go check out the group that I set up just especially for this little blog.  Its called (fittingly) "Reclaiming The Home" and you can get to it by CLICKING HERE.  Join on in and spread the word.  It will definitely be worth while to see all of the wonderful creations, discussion, and techniques our lovely ladies (and gents if there be any) come up with!  I promise I will leave a comment on each and every submission to the group!

Here is a sneak peek of a few of the items I have posted up there.  More soon to come as i bind off and tuck in ends of a project or two I have had in the works. 

Come unwind with me over at Ravelry!  I am certain you will find just as much amazing inspiration and joy there as I do.