Cricket in a Biscuit

A basket full of singles and two plied skeins, that much closer to a finished sweater. It's safe to say I underestimated what, exactly, a spindle spun sweater from raw fleece would entail. I started carding fiber in October of 2015, and the project is still not complete… but it's getting closer! My first miscalculation was the amount of time it would take to card an entire fleece by hand. Hint: it's a long time, especially when your husband is allergic. I did not see that coming! I've processed other wool around him with no trouble, but something about this particular fleece put him in a bad state. Generally, I prefer to work with wool outside, so I didn't think it would be a big deal, but the fall of 2015 proved rather rainy. When there was time, there was rain. When there was sun, there was no time, and working inside wasn't an option due to allergens. Still, by summer, I'd made some decent progress, having carded approximately 2/3 of the fleece ...

We've been breaking from our usual patterns at the Dahl house. I switched gears a bit with my fitness, and decided to give 21 Day Fix * a go. I resisted for a long time, fearing regression, but it's been a fun change. Granted, I'm not lifting the heavy weights, but it's a challenge in a new direction, and the shorter workouts feel great. I'm taking on a new challenge in my knitting as well, stranded colorwork. When I've dabbled in the past, the results have been less than stellar. Sometimes, however, the right motivation is all that is required. Russian dolls, matryoshka, are "a thing" in our house. Laney and I love them; we built her fifth birthday around a matryoshka theme. So, when doll leggings landed on my radar, they were immediately elevated to unicorn status. (The first pair I saw were the wrong size.) Now, I've been trying to curtail unnecessary spending due to unexpected expenses. Darren has needed a slew of dental work — I...

We are generally a pretty hardy bunch, so the last few weeks have been overwhelming and a little bewildering. At least one person has been stay-at-home sick almost every day since the middle of January. A dental crisis and some overtime hours tacked on for good measure was more than I felt equipped to handle. But, as I explained to Laney when she was wondering why Daddy was out shoveling even though he was in misery, being a grownup means doing what needs to be done, even when you don't feel like it. It seems like the worst is behind us now, knock on wood, and I'm looking forward to everyone being back to normal. There is, however, an upside to an entire family requiring rest and unable to leave the house: plenty of time for quiet hobbies. We may have been under a self-imposed quarantine, but I got so much accomplished! Before, the illness, I finished the two cowls on which I'd been working. The Bear Hug is wrapped up and waiting for Ainsleigh's birthday, ...

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 ...

After all the last minute rushing and prep, Christmas finally arrived! I hope yours was merry. We enjoyed time spent with family, and it was a happy holiday, indeed. With the gifts safely delivered, I can show you what I've been working on. The big knitting project which claimed not one, but two of my interchangeable cables was a baby blanket for my nephew, Cooper, who will be arriving this spring. The pattern by Marie Grace Smith is one I've been wanting to make forever, but I allow Darren's input on a lot of my baby projects, and he kept vetoing this one. One day, though, I walked into Jo-Ann Fabrics and these yarns just called to me. The pattern recommends a solid color, fingering weight. Of course, the yarn I chose is worsted weight, not even close to the same, but they were the perfect neutrals; it just seemed right. The nice thing about blankets, they are a simple shape, so the yarn weight really doesn't matter. Just knit until it is the right size. This blank...

Many years ago, there was a candy shop in Duluth, which was owned by my maternal great-grandfather. Though it has been closed for decades, the candy tradition has been passed down through the family. Every Christmas, we start churning out sweet treats by the pound, which is what I was busy doing this weekend. My sister and I happened to have the same weekend free — anyone else have totally insane December schedule this year?! — and we enjoyed spending the time with our mom. We all use the same core recipes: English toffee, caramel, and chocolate covered cherries, but over time we've each developed our own twist. Mine is sea salt toffee with dark chocolate. My sister likes to add turtles to her selection, and my brother's family has ventured into the white chocolate territory. Last year, my mom found the old family recipe for butterscotch, which was pretty good. I would not be sad if those became a regular feature! You're probably wondering if I'm going to share s...

There comes a time each year when I have to get real about what can actually be accomplished before Christmas. This week was that time. I create so much unneeded stress by trying to do all of the things; it is almost a relief to realize certain things are not going to happen and just let them go. It is possible I could finish my big knitting project by Christmas if I really commit. You might remember from last week , the project was derailed by an interchangeable cable failure. If there is one thing I want to finish in time, it is this project, so I found a way to keep knitting. It isn't pretty, but it works! Instead of one circular needle with a long cable, which would be ideal, I'm using three shorter needles. The first Frankensock , my answer to last week's sock woes, is finished. It fits, which is a nice change, but there is room for improvement. Observing all the feverish sock knitting as of late, the kids each requested a pair of socks for Christmas. That wi...

We are now fully into the holiday season, which, for us, means a lot of time in the car. Thanksgiving was a three-day affair with visits to each set of parents — I'm from a blended family, so I've got two sets. Of course, the eating was celebratory, and far from clean. Getting back on track this week has proven to be a challenge! Choosing to utilize, The 20s, has worked out very well. It has been much easier to stay on track with my workouts than it has with food. The workouts are 20 minutes each and exclusive to Beachbody on-demand. I made a schedule, which includes all the workouts from The 20s series and can be done within the 30-day free trial. The first two weeks look like this.  Oops! The last day of each week was cut off. Week 1 should end with Primal Body 1 by Derick, and Week 2 should end with Revival, beginner by Taylor.  So far, I've been really pleased with the variety and quality of the workouts. If you'd like to try it out, use the abo...

Well, Election Day is finally here. Honestly, I'm relieved it's going to be over as much as I'm apprehensive about the results. There hasn't been an election since the first for which I was eligible to vote that I've been excited to vote for a candidate. Fortunately, I know where I stand and can vote on policy and not personality. My vote is cast, but it's going to be a low-key, no Facebook and Netflix kind of night. Netflix and knitting… on the project front, I have a few things to show. The first is my climbing leaves pillow , which has been an ongoing project for a few weeks. It is done, and I love it! I should have done the side seams differently, but overall, it came out nicely, and I'm really excited to be able to give it this Christmas. The other two projects are actually sewing projects. I don't have a designated space for cutting and sewing, so the machine isn't dragged out very often, but I had to bring it out this week to get to th...

Omigosh, it's November already, and I am so far behind on Christmas crafts! (I furiously crocheted a dishcloth while waiting for the video to upload.) I've been so busy with other things, I don't have a lot to show for this week. The wool/angora yarn I have been plying is finished. I love the way it turned out! Angora always has such a wonderful halo. The yardage was amazing as well. I got over 300 yards of lace-weight 2-ply from, approximately, 2 ounces of fiber. The pillow has doubled in length, which is good progress. Hopefully I will finish that this week. If not, I'm sure it will be close. I'm really excited to have the fiber chosen and ready to go for my next spinning project. I'm doing stripes of different colorways from Homestead Hobbyist and Fat Cat Knits , spun as a thick single for the Stormy Weather Vest . There wasn't much beyond that besides a little spinning for my Shetland sweater in spare moments. The last few weeks, I have hint...

Sometimes life gets busy, and my to-do list really begins to weigh me down. When that happens, my tendency is to lengthen the list even further by adding craft projects. I retreat from the things I have to do and settle in with what I'd rather do. Whenever I have a prolific craft week, is is safe to assume it is the result of procrastination at its finest. One thing I could not put off was cooking more pumpkin. When it is time, it is time, so we made another run at the pumpkin patch pie. This time, I kept things nice and simple, and we were pleased with the results.  Roast Pumpkin Dessert Small pie pumpkin(s) 2 large apples (honeycrisp or Braeburn are good) 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon  Pinch of nutmeg Wash small pie pumpkin(s), cut off the top and remove the seeds. Peel and slice apples, toss with sugar and spices. Spoon the apple mixture into the pumpkin, replace the lid and bake at 350° F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until pumpkin ...

Can you believe it is October already?! My dad always says time passes more quickly as you get older. Boy, is he ever right! I'm sure having a million things going all the time also contributes. I don't have much to show for crafts this week; my life is being consumed by another large project. However, I did start and finish a pair of mittens and made some progress on a project I haven't touched in a long time: my sweater spin . I am enamored with that project, but so many things keep me from it.  The mitten project has been a lot of fun as well. What little kid doesn't want to wear mittens made from their very own sheep? Handspun, hand-dyed and knit for a young girl from the fleece of her very own sheep. Sweater spin: one single down, many more to go. On the fitness side, I finished Country Heat , which was a great program. I really enjoyed. Over thirty days, I lost five pounds, which I credit mostly to being disciplined with clean eating. I got a l...

Over the course of the week, I've had a chance to ponder and come to conclusions on a couple things. First, I'm going to continue with this video-blog for a while, and just see where it goes. Also, I've decided to call it, the Dahlhouse — not too clever, not too punny. It's how I refer to our home, so it seems an appropriate title for a chronicle of our goings on. With that all covered, it's been a busy week, so let's get started! Finished objects The first Owlie sock is finished. Barely! The toe decreases in the pattern continue until eight stitches are left. I generally don't like to decrease that much. The sock fit at my usual 24 stitches, so that's where I stopped — with less than five yards left! Hopefully the skein for the second sock has better yardage. I also finished knitting the Ignot cowl , which will be donated to our church bazaar. The yarn is a spindle spun 3-ply from a polwarth silk blend by, Darn Knit Anyway, wrapped with baby ...