The Homespun Salon

Loving: What's Great About Today

2012-02-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Clear and sunny skies, making the mountain view from my front window just beautiful, even with power lines and not-so-lovely houses blocking the view.

Time with my nieces, one who is about to turn 13 (!!) and the other a wee 15 months old. Playing with toys my kids have long ago set aside for her.

Knitting projects galore to choose from, just have to make a decision...luckily I always have more than one on the go!

A hot cup of tea and the first module to absorb, from The Whole Kitchen Workshop.

So incredibly excited to start this journey.

Knitting: Ruche Beret and Brier Toque

2012-02-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

I'm knitting my way through Weekend Hats. Not officially, but there are just so many patterns I love in it, I know this is going to get a lot of use.

I needed a red hat so I whipped up the Ruche Beret for myself out of Blue Sky Suri Merino. Love. A bit big for Isla, my hat model, but I don't like self-portraits of myself in hats. You get the idea.

The Brier Toque, which I had to knit, mainly because I love the name. Used a ball of MiniMochi, so awesome! Love the colours! Wasn't sure who this was for (I like to hoard hats for myself) but alas, Shea tried it on, and it looks so good on him, that I have bestowed it upon him. He couldn't care less about hats, unfortunately, but I'm the one who has to look at him, so I am happy in this case! Faire also wore it two days straight when feeling under the weather, and it looked great on her too.

Hmm, which pattern next? This book will be a great stash-buster!

Loving: "Mom, can we have a tea party?"

2012-02-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

"Yes we can, Isla Bean"

Baking: Applesauce Muffins

2012-01-30T07:10:00.000-08:00

The apple tree in Parksville went crazy this year. When we had our annual September gathering over there with friends this year, Jason and the kids and I spent a number of hours freezing applesauce from the fallen apples, and we filled two large Rubbermaid Roughtotes with apples from the tree. 100 lbs I'd say.

Much canning of applesauce and apple butter followed.

All these one-cup jars of apple sauce and butter are sitting around with not much to do, so I've tweaked a few recipes to come up with a quick, weekday morning muffin. Great for school snacks. These are plain muffins to be sure. Next time I may add some diced apple to really kick things up a notch".
(whoo, hold back Bonnie!)

Quick Applesauce Muffins

1 cup a.p. flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Whisk dry ingredients together.

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

Whisk together, then pour over dry ingredients.

Pour in 1 cup applesauce. Blend gently until evenly mixed.
Fill 12 lined muffin cups

Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes. Check at the 15 minute mark. My first batch seemed over-baked at 20 minutes, and my second was perfect at 15. But it will depend on your oven.

Enjoy with a cup of tea. Or a whole pot.

Planning: The Garden 2012

2012-01-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, winter.

I don't particularly like you, but you have some benefits. Like Christmas, Faire's birthday, less-crowded trails in Lynn Valley, a break from yard work...

and the arrival of the West Coast Seeds catalogue!

As I start my dreaming and listing, I'm trying to get a sense of the stuff that actually gets used up around here, to see if it can influence my decisions on what seeds to purchase. I received a pressure canner for Christmas (canned all my turkey stock - hurray!) so I am dreaming of corn. But I don't have the kind of success I want with corn, so I will be buying it from the Farmer's Market. I'll be buying a whole heck of a lot of it I think! Canned corn! Maybe I'm a little weird in my super-excitement? I just haven't really eaten corn outside of August and September in years, so to have a year-round supply sounds quite appealing. I am thinking of trying to can green beans too, just because I adored them as a kid (Green Giant - good times, good times). I'm not sure how my adult tastes will handle canned beans, but we will see. I always plant two teepees worth of Blue Kentucky beans with so many I don't know how to use them up fast enough.

Anyway, on the list so far to plan in 2012:

Tomatoes.

**Kyla and I canned 300+ lbs last year. We can never have too many. I think my canned sauces and tomatoes will last me until late Spring this year, but it will be a stretch. We canned tomatoes until we just couldn't handle the thought of it anymore. But I think I'll add another session this year so I have a bit more to carry me right through until July.

**I'll stick mostly to 20 or so heirloom variety plants this year for overabundant eating. I'm debating not planting Romas or other canning tomatoes because I know of some local farmers I can order from for a good price. Leave myself more garden space for something else.

Green Beans.

**Kentucky Blue. Two teepees worth (each teepee has 5 or 6 bamboo poles with 3 seeds at the base of each one) And some Kentucky Wax. Maybe some Royal Burgundy bush beans?

Lettuces, Spinach, Cabbages, Kale.

**maybe swiss chard. It always looks so beautiful, but I just can't actually commit to liking it! Maybe it will give me some incentive to try new recipes.

Cucumbers.

**3 or 4 Tasty Green.

**maybe some Homemade Pickles too. I make way too many pickles each year. Maybe if I restrict it to only the pickling cukes I grow, it will keep the pickle jars from overwhelming me. (not that I don't have plenty of takers...)

Carrots.

**Bolero pelleted, Little Fingers, Rainbow Blend

Beets.

**Touchstone Gold, Red Ace

Celery.

**worked fairly well last year, and soooo convenient to have celery right in my garden!

Onions. And Leeks!

**WallaWalla

**the leeks have been awesome all winter for potato-leek soup.

Peas.

**Super Sugar Snap. Best snack around.

**maybe some shelling peas too. I'll ask for advice at West Coast Seeds when I go.

Peppers:

**jalepenos. No sweet peppers unless I'm sucked in a usual. They don't produce enough to be worth my time and space. Maybe if I get a little greenhouse...

Radishes, Parsnips, Turnips.

**I think I still have seeds for all of these, so why not?

Zucchini.

**3 or 4

Sugar Pumpkins.

**can't resist.

Herbs!

**basil, cilantro, basil, parsley (still going strong in my garden now), basil, dill, did I mention basil?

**hoping calendula will spread this year, add chamomile, bergamot?, more mint! and stevia.

Flowers.

**I need to add some. I've got to think on what and where.

What's in the garden already?

Berries: strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, blackberries, blueberries

Garlic: 50 or so cloves

Herbs: lavender, mint, lemon balm, rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme

Asparagus: please flourish this year!

Sweetest Girl's Party Favour

2010-02-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

Faire had her 8th Birthday Party a couple of weeks ago, and I managed to finish seven of these to give as party favours. Much easier to think of party favours when the guests are all of the same sex. And girls. Frankly, girls are easier with this sort of thing.

When I saw these on Purl Bee weeks ago, I knew they would be the perfect project for some of the lovely wool felt I got from Ella and have been hoarding. And I was able to cut out 10 (or maybe 11?) roses out of one sheet of red wool felt! I think I'll be ordering more in other colours for spring. They would be sweet in an Easter basket too. And way easier than I thought they'd be. Although, in true Bonnie fashion, because the first one was easier than I thought, I went on to procrastinate for a loooong time and finished sewing these up the day of the party. I must remember that easier than I thought does not mean easy. Or quick, when you are making so many. Oh well, it's done now.

My birthday girl with her rose barrette.

The Yoda Hat

2009-12-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

Knit, felted, non-toxic ear-stiffener applied, and now drying.

It turned out even better than I hoped.

It will be gifted with a swampy-brown Jedi robe and pants. Perfect for life on Dagoba!

(if you don't know where Dagoba is, you are not the Star Wars fan I thought you were! haha)

A Few More Gifts Off The Needles

2009-12-03T20:28:00.001-08:00

Baroness Beret for my mom.

Beret (Ravelry link) for my niece Maya, as per her specifications.

Sweet Baby Cap for Isla. I cannot wait for her to wear this! Blue Sky Alpaca Melange is super dreamy. She'll be the coziest and cutest little pixie in the playground.

Hmmm, all hats in this post.

There are others, but the recipients may see this blog. I'm keeping them under wraps for now, but oh, Salon sisters, I can't wait to show you in person next week!

Best Hat Ever

2009-12-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

From Boutique Knits. Grey for myself, and I gave a cream one to Sarah on her birthday.

The only downside is that I haven't found another hat pattern since that I love as much. So I'll probably make myself another one in another colour. Although the thought of the same hat a third time doesn't appeal right now. Perhaps after aaaaaalllllllllll my holiday knitting is done I'll be more inspired.

Chocolate Love

2009-10-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than seeing the sweater you knit on the babe it was meant for??

I'm in love.

But forget the sweater...look at that sweet little girl!

For Baby J

2009-09-17T21:48:00.001-07:00

Ooooooooh, I was so happy to pick out girly buttons for this wee kimono cardigan. Vintage ones from my grandma. My mom has her collection now and they are all lined up by colour in little old glass spice jars. I could play with them all day. Normally I try to avoid buttons on things I knit, but after checking out this collection, I might just change my mind...

And yes, I am well aware that this picture quality sucks and you can hardly even see the button detail. Be patient, and I may just get a close up of the buttons and also, the baby wearing the sweater! I can't wait to see her in it, sweet little sugar lump.

Playsilks, Drying in the Afternoon

2009-09-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Dyed with Koolaid. Can I just say that I'm so glad my kids don't realize that people actually drink that stuff? I sure enjoyed it as a kid myself, though...