Every year the decorations seem to come out earlier and stay out longer. I guess that’s life with a six year old. I’m putting my foot down tomorrow. The tree is collecting dust. It’s time to come down.
Is it too early to start thinking about Spring?
handmade soap: the results and some notes
It seems I have some crafty catching up to do. Remember when I told you I was making glycerin soap? It turned out awesome.
I made two different kinds. Here are my notes:
- Used almost two 2-lb clear glycerin soap bricks to make five batches. (Purchased at the craft store with 40% off coupons.)
- Used the soap mold with a circle, hexagon, square and rectangle (item M154).
- Eleven melted cubes of soap filled the molds perfectly.
- Grated peel from one lemon made three batches.
- Each batch of peppermint used 1/8 t peppermint extract, 1/8 t red food coloring and one crushed candy cane.
I used Martha Stewart’s directions, but stopped coating the molds with cooking spray after the first batch. It gave the soap surface a weird texture. I put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes after they set and the soaps popped out easily.
Final thoughts:
Next time I might skip the soap molds. I thought they’d make nicer looking gifts, but I made a bar using a juice box container and like how that one turned out the best. I don’t have a picture of that one because my daughter started using it immediately.
I didn’t realize that glycerin soap attracts the moisture in the air, causing it to “sweat.” It really needs to be stored in plastic wrap to keep it dry and fresh. Having lived without plastic wrap in our pantry for a few years, it pained my to buy a roll just for soaps. Also, I’m not sure how practical those cute clear boxes in the Martha Stewart video would be, especially in humid climates. They are pretty, though.
Other soaps I want to try: Crockpot Coffee Kitchen Soap and DIY Hand Soap.
Have you made soap? Share your experiences in the comments! I’d love some more links for my pinterest board.
toto the potholder: take three
I’ll admit it. My first real fair isle project after my retreat last year probably shouldn’t have been using kitchen cotton doubled stranded. The first attempt was incredibly puckered. The second attempt was off gauge and a tight fit, even for my small hand.
The third time is looking like a charm, though. A friend advised me to knit my work inside out. The strands have a longer distance to travel and it forces you to loosen up. Brilliant!
I hope to have a finished photo to share soon.
pattern: Toto the Extremely Useful and Cute Potholder (ravelry link) from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines (amazon link).
how to: sew a reusable filter for cold brewed coffee
When I first moved to Lincoln, it was a no-Starbucks town. As I explored the local coffee shops for my daily iced latte, one of them recommended an iced toddy. It was love at first sip.
If you’ve never had cold brewed coffee, let me tell you it’s the most amazing thing ever. It’s less acidic than the hot stuff and therefore easier on your stomach. It also has a subtle sweetness that’s just about perfect, and I say that as someone who cringes at the thought of adding sweetner to a cup of joe.
I immediately purchased a Toddy Coffee Maker so I could make decaf at home and drink it all day long. That’s only a slight exaggeration. My only frustration was the darn filter. They’re supposed to last a few months in the fridge, but mine were only making it through 2-3 brews. Then one day, the Pioneer Woman posted her recipe for The Perfect Iced Coffee and a lightbulb went off. I could make my own reusable filter!
Here’s how I did it:
- Grab a tea towel, the thinner the better.
- Fold in half and trace the top of the toddy maker as your pattern.
- Cut through both layers of the towel to get two circles.
- Sew circles together right sides facing, leaving a gap for turning.
- Turn right side out, tops titch around to close up the gap.
I’ve used this a few times and it works great. I just rinse off the grinds and throw it in the wash. If you cold brew at home, quit buying filters and make your own!
project details: I used the tea towels from my failed attempt at coffee grind dyeing, and yes, they’re still blue. I bought my toddy online, but a lot of local coffee shops carry them. Buy local if you can. Here is Ree’s recipe for the Perfect Iced Coffee. Note: I just use coffee and almond milk, but her concoctions sound sinfully delicious.
This is not a product endorsement or paid review. The Toddy folks have no idea who I am. I just love cold brewed coffee and dislike buying disposable filters.
we’ve got an avocado plant!
It’s been about a month since we planted “the little avocado that could” and just when we were about to give up on it, a little shoot peeked out of the dirt. Honestly, I thought it was part of the root that didn’t get buried far enough in the soil, but upon closer inspection I noticed leaves. Since then, it’s been growing like crazy.
I have really enjoyed this little experiment with my daughter. It was slow going and she lost interest for awhile, but it has definitely been a lesson in patience. (We started way back in April.) But given our recent success, we’re talking about starting something else from our book. I’m thinking lemon seeds.
What’s growing in your garden?
the little avocado that could
We planted our first avocado seed today. Remember way back in April when we put it in a bag of moss? The book said it would take a few weeks to get roots. Ours took a few months. Maybe our laundry room isn’t warm enough?
You’re supposed to have 3-4 inches of roots before planting. Our second avocado seed is really slow. (Sorry I forgot to take a pic of the first seed’s roots.) Back into the bag of moss for that one.
Other green happenings: A friend is traveling a lot this summer and has asked me to look after her strawberry plants. She started them from very special seeds that came all the way from Poland. No pressure, right? So far, so good.
Full disclosure: My green thumb isn’t very consistent. The neglected tomato plant is thriving, but not producing any fruit. The cucumber got snapped in half by The Ol’ Nebraska Winds during a storm. Technically, it’s not my fault, but it’s dead just the same.
progress: thrifty buffet gets paint
Remember the thrifty buffet we found a few months ago? It had been sanded and primed then pushed to the side when our weekends got busy. Yesterday, my husband pulled it out and started painting.
The primer is gray and the paint is chocolate brown. I think he was hoping for a darker, espresso color. We’ll see what it looks like after coat number two.
diy hair elastic holders
If you have long hair, how do you store your hair ties? I used to keep them on the original cardboards, but they are kind of flimsy and tear easily. I wanted something more sturdy.
Using the plastic leftover from making my place mat sock blockers, I traced the original cardboards and came up with these.
We’ve been using them for awhile and they are holding up great. It’s really nice to pull them out the basket and not have the elastics fall off. You could use any kind of plastic that can be cut with scissors or even the thick chipboard from a legal notepad.
embarrassing: I went to link to my place mat sock holder post and can’t find it. Did I not share them on the blog? How is that possible? Here’s the tutorial I used. I’ll have to get a pic to share with you.
ignore your tomato plants and they’ll thrive?
Last year I may have tried too hard with my tomato and cucumber plants. I gave them tons of TLC and didn’t get much in return.
I got these little plants almost two weeks ago at the Farmers’ Market. I tucked them in the corner on the back porch during a severe thunderstorm and forgot about them for almost a week. Yikes!
But look at them! Still in their plastic container, I’ve got two teeny tiny tomatoes thriving under my neglect. I think I might be on to something here.
my (not so) creative space
Severe weather is finally here in Nebraska and my creative space is filled with some not-so-creative sewing.
In the Spring, we stuff blankets under this cover to protect our car from hail. We got lazy last winter and left it on all year. The Nebraska winds nearly shredded it to pieces.
Now the weather radio alarm is going off and all we’ve got is a giant rag. I grabbed some canvas from my stash and started sewing patches. I gave up after fixing the biggest holes. It’s good enough to hold some blankets in place. That’s about it.
My husband asked if I could use the old cover as a pattern to sew a new one. Ha! I’ve taken on some crazy projects, but I think I’m going to pass on this one.
garage sale find: The canvas came in a tub with a bunch of muslin. I almost tossed it because it had spray paint stains on it. Now there’s hardly any left. I’ve made all sorts of heavy-duty patches with it.
Creative Spaces have a new home. Stop by and play along!