Sidetracked Artist

We're overrun with apples from the apple tree in our backyard.  We harvested about half of them a couple of weekends ago.  Those got peeled, cored and trimmed of insect damage, then dipped in a citric acid solution, tossed with a little sugar, and stored in the freezer. We harvested the remaining apples this past weekend, and I was planning on making and canning applesauce today.  But I was just too tired today for such a big job. And besides, it was a lovely day.  A sunny, mid-70s day.  The kind of day we won't be getting many (or maybe any) more of for a long time. So Laura, Bryan and I went to a Whatcom Falls Park to take photos.  We'll get to the apples another day. Cindy

Fingerless Mittens What you'll need Fingering weight yarn (sock yarn) Size 2 double point (dp) needles, or size needed to achieve gauge Stitch markers Small stitch holders Gauge: 8 stitches per inch 11 rows per inch Instructions Cast on 60 stitches and divide evenly between three needles.   Making sure that cast on row isn’t twisted, place marker and join circular row. Knit 2, Purl 2 around for 22 rows (2 inches). Knit every stitch around for   11 rows (1 inch). Thumb Gusset Increase Row: Knit (K)30, place marker (pm), make one, K6, make 1 (by knitting in the front and back of the next stitch, or use your preferred method for increasing by one stitch), pm, K24 (one increase row completed). {Knit even around for 3 rows.   Complete one increase Row} Repeat 3 more times for a total of 5 increase rows. Knit two rows. Knit 30, then place all stitches except 16 thumb stitches on stitch holders. Thumb K 1, make 1, K2 (5 stitches total on first needle). Using another dp ne...

I was an Amway brat.  My parents were successful Amway distributers for many years, and we used Amway products extensively in our home.  They were good products.  Their laundry products worked well, and were a good value because they were so concentrated.  Best of all, they didn't irritate sensitive skin.  Because I have extremely sensitive skin, I've continued using Amway laundry products for most of my adult life - until recently.  I'm not sure when it happened exactly, but Amway began adding fragrance to their laundry products.  Since I can't stand wearing perfumed clothing, I started using fragrance free laundry products from the grocery store. Finding fragrance free laundry detergent and fabric softener from the store has been easy.  There are several available. There is one Amway product, however, that my family wasn't willing to give up:  Trizyme.  It's an enzyme laundry booster and one of Laura's favorite lau...

Transferring an image to fabric can be accomplished by a number of means, but I think the easiest is to use an iron-on transfer sheet.  These sheets allow an image to be printed onto the sheet, cut out, and ironed onto the fabric.  The above photo shows two different types of iron-on transfer sheets. The image with the white background was created with HP Iron-on Transfers for Color Fabrics .  I printed the image on the transfer paper and transferred it to the fabric (following HP's directions) as follows: Iron-on transfers work best when the fabric is supported by a firm surface, not an ironing board.  I used our granite counter top protected by several layers of newspaper.  I added a layer of craft paper between the newspapers and the fabric to prevent the newsprint from rubbing off onto the fabric. After placing the fabric on my ironing surface, I ironed the fabric to remove wrinkles. Next, I printed the image, cut it out, and peeled the paper backing ...