Fiber Fool

Yes, it is a bit early for Christmas, but if you’re going homemade it is never too early. There are only 67 days left! I believe only 45 until Hanukkah! Long-time readers may remember when I made these lavender sachets back in 2006. Well, I put together a much more detailed tutorial for the Rhythm of the Home blog as it can be a great cooperative project for the whole family. It is a wonderful chance to learn both weaving and sewing while using up scraps of fabric and yarn. And, the final products makes a nice ornament or something to tuck in with some handknit woolens. I even like to use them in place of bows on presents! So go check it out!

Crafty:

• I *really* want to try my hand at these Re-invention Scarves at Maya Made. I’m not quite sure if I like #1 or #2 the best…
• Spinners, knitters and weavers, have you seen the new e-mag Ennea Collective yet? The first issue is up!
• Socknitters take note - here is a new toe-up heel idea that makes using reinforcing thread easier!
• Textural embellishments are huge this year. Check out this tutorial on making fringe!
• A round up of 10 projects for putting old books to a new use! (via Chris at StumblingOverChaos)
• If you pack lunches, here is a fun way to dress up the lunch bags!
• Ana has a fun upcycled clock made from a thrifted clock and an old record album cover!

Yummy:

• Saturday night I made this Raw Tuscan Kale Salad (with seasoned quinoa) and a variant on this Cream of Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup. It was delish and put a sizable dent in this week’s CSA!
• While I love pumpkin, sweet potato doesn’t fall too far behind it so I’m intrigues by this Sweet Potato Chili.
• I’m going to make the leap any day now to making our own crackers. These whole wheat and cheese ones sound really easy.
• I get a daily e-mail from Rodale and have been enjoying their “5 Healthy/Satisfying/…” recipe series. The Parmesan Cheese and Rosemary ones have been especially fun lately.
• In the dessert category I’m jonesing for this Apple Chai Cake and Carole’s Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!
• And I’m going to have to make these Turtle-inspired cookies for my Dad the next time I’m back home. (It needs to happen soon, because if Dad’s making comments you *know* it has been much too long!)

Photography:

• Here are 10 ideas for capturing your family & the fall color for your photo album!
• Needs some help with repairing images in Photoshop? Check out this article!
• Ever wonder why you look different in the mirror than you do in photos? Read this! (via Chris at StumblingOverChaos)

If you can’t tell, I’ve gotten a bit caught up on my blog reading, but not so much in the photography category :-)

Halloween:

• For some Halloween fun, I love this Spooky Terrarium!
• Or how about this Zombie Barbie Garden?
• There are some fun FREE printable Halloween Treat box templates to print and assemble.

Humor:

• The Panopticon comes through again with some laughter, this time with a bit of photography post-processing humor!
• The Oatmeal has a list of 7 things that do not need photographed again.
• Sometimes you can’t beat the amusement of unintended humor. This on via Trek’s offspring on chocolate and devil’s food cake!

I had a fairly pleasant weekend. I stayed out of sick and studying DH’s way a good chunk of Saturday, attending the last French Nest Market and lunching with Amanda, Sue and Nancy. We watched Charade and I knit a tiny bit as my fingers that I cut on Monday are starting to heal. Then on Sunday we watched another movie, the name of which is oddly escaping me right now and I caught up on my DVR’d shows and knit a *ton.* Though the band-aids really do slow me down.

What did you do this weekend?

Okay, I’m too scared to open up Google reader after letting it sit untouched since Thursday evening when I was trying to make a dent in the count. I think I was back to well over 900. Feel free to guess where I may be at now…

I did keep a bit better tabs on Twitter and Facebook so I still ran into plenty of interesting links. It seemed I had a hard time finding the right word a lot last week and I took that as a hint to look at something different for a bit. I kid you not, poor Amanda got an e-mail from me with a lengthy description of something I was wanting to describe in one or two words and the answer was actually “Processing.” I couldn’t put my finger on the word “processing?” *sigh*

Crafty

• Have you seen the sneak peek up at Ennea Collective? (Hint: roving, alpaca and lace!)
• My friend, Deb, shares her traveling drop spindle kit which led me to this cool niddy noddy that adjusts to different lengths (just like my PVC one I made, but prettier).
• Here is a great illustration on how needle size impacts the look of laceand why suggested needle sizes on laceweight yarns are often a range rather than a specific size.
• I just stumbled upon a reference to this blog where a woman spends $1/day at a thrift store and recycles what she buys into new clothes for an entire year. Very interesting to peruse!
• The New York Times has run a nice series on sketching.
• I used to do a fair bit of carving my own rubber stamps, but it isn’t terribly kid friendly. Here is a wonderful tutorial on making stamps from plasticine! I must find some kids to do this with, it look like too much fun! :-)
• Not so crafty for you, but great art skill went into this great print-your-own Owl Calendar for 2011!

Photography:

• The New York Times had a great list of 10 things to do in post-processing to make your photos look more professional and I have to say they did a great job!
• With the days getting shorter it is going to be harder to get photos taken, this article (NSFW, boudoir images are used for some examples) has tips on indoor portraits without flash that could also be applied to knits and food too.
• For those of you more serious about photography, I recently learned a bit about creating your own camera calibration profile in Lightroom that could prove mighty useful!
• About a year and half ago I attended a Pinhole Camera Day demo and fell in love. Thus began my lust for another digital camera body so I could fit one with a pinhole cap without worry about the dust exposure. Well, now there is a sealed pinhole camera cap for Nikons & Canon bodies! Now I lust for that and have different reasons for wanting a second camera body :-)

Food:

• In a couple weeks I’ll be hosting Monday night knitting once again. I think I may just have to try making this eggplant dip and sesame crackers!
• We’ve finally had a couple days of fall’s cool temperatures and it has me looking at soup recipes like this lentil one. And these 5 Autumn Soups.
• Of course there are more pumpkin things, like maple pumpkin latte in a slow cooker, and healthier pumpkin cupcakes.
• I’d also like to try these pear cupcakes!
• These Herbal Candies for Fall have me sort of intrigued. Seems like something China Bayles would make!

Humor:

• Love this ad for “Photoshop Beauty Cream” featuring Madonna.
• Here is an animation about being a family portrait photographer. In some ways it is super funny, but in other ways it is almost too real to be funny.

Caught My Eye on Etsy:

• It has been established multiple times that I love my squares. Thus, I’m loving these drop earrings from Splurge and this cube necklace from Sleepy Moon (bonus, it’s on sale!).
• I’ve fallen in love with this feather and brass headdress and think I *need* it for this year’s Halloween costume.
• This choker might be a nice touch to my costume as well, to give it a tad bit eerier feel.
• This “weekender” tote bag just resonates with me. I think it is the geometric print and the colors.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Ours was busy, as usual. I’m thinking I’m about ready for a completely empty weekend on the schedule :-)

Crafty:

• Have you heard about the 6.5 pounds spinning wheel that fits in a shopping bag? It’s called a Pocket Wheel and seems like a great solution for those really tight on space or who travel frequently.
• Check out these paper mache animal models. My paper mache never looked anywhere near as good and I got a rash…
• This homemade fire pit is something I’d *love* to have!
• For other multi-faceted creatives out there, have you heard of the new e-mag, Joie: The Art of Joyful Living? There is a smattering of topics and it looks pretty good, though I must confess to not having perused it fully just yet.
• For me, crochet is painfully slow and I’ve enough of my plate that getting faster anytime soon is not in the cards. But I *love* this crochet rick rack! Wouldn’t it be cute around the bottom of some pajama bottoms?

Photography:

• I spent an enormous amount of time watching these Photoshop Action video tutorials and can feel the money draining from my PayPal account as I ponder all the sets of actions I *need*… But oh the time those actions could save me in post-processing!
• Want to improve your flash photography? Stop using Auto and see what a difference it makes! Kind of scary, but a good concept to explore.
• Autumn is often a time of unsettled and highly variable weather around these parts. DPS has two posts on embracing weather in your photography that are worth checking out.

Foodie:

• These chewy lemon sugar cookies sound like a great option for gift baskets! I can’t wait to give them a try.
• Okay, you know I couldn’t pass up this recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls which then lead me to Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal!
• Thanks to Jodi for pointing me to a pumpkin cream cheese muffin recipe which she has a few suggested mods on.
• We’ve had some of the most delicious Gala apples this week and I think I’ll be harvesting some today from our tree so this list of 25 apple recipes sounds like a good resource for the coming week!
• Perhaps these quick breakfast recipes will stop me from skipping it (and/or lunch too, I’ve been really bad lately).
• Need more food inspiration? Have you heard of the new community built food site, Tasteologie? It’s a lot like Tastespotting if you are familiar with that site.

Miscellaneous:

• Have you ever seen a sheep ride a motorcycle?
• As a former Minnesotan and lover of Garrison Keillor I had to laugh when reading this excerpt from The Zombies from Lake Woebegotten by Harrison Geillor. (Thanks for the much needed laugh, Chris!)
• For god lovers, check out Pioneer Woman’s Charlie Retrospective. It’ll make you smile, I promise! (Especially if you are of the Basset Hound-loving persuasion.)

Well, that’s all for this week. When I started I thought it was going to be a relatively short post this week as I didn’t think I had been terribly inspired last week, but I guess I was wrong. That is not too shabby of a list.

Here is to another great autumn (is 90+ degree weather autumn?) week!

Crafty:

• A great ~4min video on the importance of handwork with Renate Hiller as she spins some yarn.
• Looking for more ways to wear your jewelry and make it more versatile? Check out these great tips!
• If the mention of tin can candleholders make you shudder and cause flashbacks to shoddy results for a troop or church craft project, check out this tin can candleholder!
• So far I’ve resisted the temptation of the decorator tape, but if you haven’t there is a tutorial on turning an old cigar box into a tape dispenser.
• A guest post on lillyella shows you how to make a tincture with jasmine flowers, though the process will work with others as well.

Foody:

• Check out all the great canning jar options from Weck! *drool* Of course if you give away a lot of your canned goods as gifts it might not be so economical…
• While I suspect we could just about give a 6 pack of preserves of various types to most of our gift list this holiday season, I’m going to have to try this Watermelon Jelly as it sounds so unique and unlike anything else we’ve given before. I think I’ll wait for next year though :-)
• The pears (one of my favorite fruits) appear to be about at their peek. I bought enough at the market this week for either Pear Crisp or Pear Cake and I can’t make up my mind!
• I’m through the roof with pumpkin-flavored everything having landed in stores and restaurants - the pumpkin spice latte is here and the pumpkin milkshake is on the menu. I think I’m going to die and go to heaven though if I try these salted caramel pumpkin blondies! What is not to love?
• Since I’m on a dessert kick, how about this fig and pistachio layer cake? I think my knitting group would *love* this!

Photography

• Photo*Tuts had a “filter week” recently and has nice overviews of Neutral Density (ND) and Polarizing Filters, both very useful to have in your camera arsenal!
• Take a look at the world from a turntable with this long exposure pinhole photograph (via Chris at stumblingoverchaos.com)
• If you’re in need of a laugh to make it through your Monday check out Pioneer Woman’s latest photo contest “Funny” (there are six posts in the series with the finalists being announced this morning). There was some real corkers to be seen!

Miscellaneous:

• Design*Sponge has some great tips on things you can do to ease your seasonal allergies. I know I could really stand to ramp up on many of these things especially with all the smoke from area wildfires lately!
• Check out some of this amazing clothing made from dishes! It’ll blow your mind, I promise you.
• Do you remember “Choose Your Own Adventure” books? I know they have been a topic of discussion amongst our writerly friends, in particular how to do so for adults. Well, there is a sort of CYOA for adults online from Multiple Choice Games. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m going to soon!
• I don’t know about you, but period films are popular choices in our household which makes this fun “music video” that is full of good looking men in period dress quite entertaining if you haven’t seen it yet.
• If you are a fan of vampire fiction, don’t miss out on a couple contests going on over at Fangtastic Books, including Blogfest 2010!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was quite full and a bit exhausting and I didn’t get near as much accomplished as I had planned. But such is life I guess.

Crafty:

• For those of you who love all things stationary related (and who isn’t lusting after new stationary supplies with all this back-to-school talk?) check out these downloadable vintage hankie-inspired papers.
• If you pack lunch for someone you love and want to be more green yet insulating too check out Maya Made’s answer - a woolen sack made from a re-purposed blanket to insulate and carry stainless steel lunch boxes.
• For you sheep lovers out there, Lillyella has a great mini round up of sheepy things (mostly from Etsy).
• Are you an RPG geek and a crafter? Check out this column on using the craft skill more thoroughly (written by a college classmate of mine)
• While I think we are lacking in shelf space more than storage space, if you are in the opposite situation here is a great solution for storage on shelves.
• Since I’m on about books, check out these two ways to give old books a new life as jewelry or as a loom.
• Who would have guessed there were 37 ways to wear a neck scarf?

Photography

• I’m loving this DIY lens cap keeper which includes several downloadable templates.
• A great article from Nikon on why braketing either exposure compensation, shutter speed or flash power is a good idea (info applies to non-Nikonians as well).
• Adorama has a video with some helpful tips for taking self-portraits (handy for profile pics as well as FO pics for Ravelry). The tips cover all levels of camera equipment.
• A frequent photographer for Pixie Purls has started a series on photography for knitters. There are currently 2 posts, with a link to the next one at the bottom of the first post.
• Troubled by noise in your photos, Light Stalking has some tips for minimizing it. This is my biggest pet peeve of my point and shoot.

Cooking:

• Confused about the convection setting on your oven? Check out this article.
• It seems more people are jumping on Drew’s bandwagon that everything tastes better on stick - including pop tarts & cookie dough!
• If we had any peaches left I’d have to try Smitten Kitchen’s Peach Shortbread or Shivaya Natural’s Peach Pound Cake with Raspberry Glaze.
• Ever wonder what the best way to cook your vegetables to retain the most nutrients is? Rodale has a quick run-down.
• We had wax beans in last week’s CSA and enjoyed this salad with roasted red pepper and tomato and it is surprisingly low in calories yet really tasty.

Wishes:

• I’m loving this Large Sprout handbag from Queen Bee Creations.
• This eco-journal with kitchen utensils on the covers would be great for taking baking and cooking notes in!
• I’m really loving all things mustard right now and this canvas bag is to die for, especially since I’m pretty confident I can’t really pull off mustard except as an accessory.
• How neat is the idea of a felted flower ring? Too bad I find adjustable rings completely uncomfortable.
• I had been thinking I wanted a Shoot Sac, but after seeing one used at SIL3’s wedding I am definitely in lust! That was the first time I really changed lenses mid-shoot too…

That’s probably more than plenty for this holiday Monday. If it wasn’t enough and you’d like more links check out Chris’ Friday Linkity.

One more thing - I’m going to be working through Will Write for Food and have set up a private Google Group for sharing the exercises etc. We’ll be doing a chapter a week with completion of at least one exercise per chapter and constructive criticisming/editing suggestions on other’s exercises expected. So far two others are joining me. If you are interested just leave me a comment and make sure your e-mail address is correct and I’ll get an invite sent out to you. Right now I’m thinking we’ll start in a week, on the 13th, but I’m somewhat flexible if not everyone will have a copy of the book by then.