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Cowls, cowls and more cowls, a week of fanciful neckwear



Startitis, like the cold, must have been going around this week! I cast on three new projects, all cowls, but all very different. The first was, Fear of Commitment, a chunky knit which can be styled in a variety of ways. Taking a "Selfish Saturday," I added stops at Caribou Coffee and JoAnn Fabrics to my usual errand run. I got the yarn, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Tweed in Oatmeal, and buttons for the Fear of Commitment Cowl. Two buttons, one large art button and one toggle, tied together with stretchy cord act a shawl pin used to style the cowl.

I started the cowl the same afternoon, and finished it late Saturday night. While I knit, Darren and I watched the new, Magnificent 7 — another selfish Saturday splurge. A fan of the classic, I had misgivings about a remake, but it was great! We enjoyed it very much. Darren said I have redeemed myself. The last movie I bought, Bone Tomahawk, was awful. Sadly so, because it had definite potential. The dialog was good, and the storyline, while a little out there, was interesting, but it was so disturbingly graphic. When it was over, I told Darren, "We cannot even have this movie in our house." Magnificent 7 is a good, old-fashioned western – just like the ones you remember.

I'm doing a little stash busting with the second cowl, making good use of a yarn I wasn't crazy about. The yarn was a corespun single with too much twist. While pretty, the excess twist made the yarn wiry. When I saw the Ursula Bear Hug cowl, a keyhole scarf featuring an adorable teddy bear, I knew there was a way to redeem it. The pattern calls for a super bulky yarn and not a lot of yardage, so I decided to ply the corespun on itself, removing the extra twist and creating a fluffy yarn the right weight for the pattern. The plying was done on a spindle, because my wheel does not handle thick yarns well, and I knit straight from the spindle.

What the yarn looses in sheen, it gains in softness when plied.


The third cowl I just started this morning. The Infinity Scarf, by Kim Miller, is a pattern I've used before. This scarf will be different in a couple of ways. The yarn, handspun by me from an Inglenook Fibers Batt in a Braid, is a little thicker, so the scarf will be wider. Also, I don't have as much yardage, so there probably won't be enough to add the fringe.



While my craft life has been all over the place, I've remained committed to Hammer and Chisel. Adding the deluxe workouts has been a time challenge, because it takes some days over the one hour mark. I do like the added intensity, though, and will continue.

Modifying during Glute Chisel, one of the H&C Deluxe workouts.
Photo by Ainsleigh


I would really love to have some friends along for this fitness journey, so I'm offering a treat, free Shakeology! There are so many awesome Beachbody programs*, there is something for everybody, regardless of fitness level. Together we can find the one right for you, or you can choose them all. Yes! That is an option! I'd love to tell you more about it. Complete the challenge pack by choosing your shake flavor, and I will send you three free — a packet each of chocolate, vanilla and café latte. I have to limit this to five people who do not already have a Beachbody Coach. If you would like to learn more, you can find me on Facebook as DahlhouseGym, or Instagram as Dahlhouse_gym. Reach out with a message; I will be glad to chat.

On a somewhat related note…

Sweet potato pancake recipe http://cricketinabiscuit.blogspot.com

I may be in fitness mode, but I still like pancakes. There are many healthy alternative pancake recipes out there, but the batches are always so small! When I make dinner, I make it for everybody, and the tiny recipes are just irritating. There was some sweet potato in the fridge approaching "must use" stage, and I needed a pancake fix, so I got creative. This is what I came up with. Added bonus: it's a family size recipe!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

 1 cup rolled oats
1 cup vanilla protein powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup cooked sweet potato
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
4 eggs
1 cup almond milk

Chop oats into flour in a food processor. Mix in protein powder, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Add, sweet potato, yogurt and eggs, blending together. Gradually add almond milk until batter is the right consistency. I used a cup, you may need more or less. Spoon batter onto lightly oiled skillet (olive oil spray) and cook over medium heat, turning once when the edges look dry.
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* I am a Beachbody Coach, links are affiliated to me.






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