2/5

I am starting to realize that this project might be a little too ambitious for my limited quilting skills.  Never stopped me before though, and I am so excited to see this come together.

Gatsby deems this project as nap-worthy

This morning as I walked through an imaginary cool breeze, I was reminded that knitting season is almost upon me again! Christmas time and a baby shower are approaching.  Gotta wipe the dust of the hooks and needles that I've stowed away unused basically all summer.  Time to be blissfully industrious.  

Banjo Feminization

At first I called this project "banjo prettification", but "feminization" may be just as accurate. I suppose this is stage 1.  Stage 2 will have to do with the strap.

Before:

My banjo with a kitchen rag stuffed in the back.  The rag  keeps it from being too loud.  This works, but has downfalls.  First and most obviously, it isn't very attractive.  Second, it tends to occasionally fall out, which is annoying.  Third, sometimes I'm out of clean kitchen rags and I have to rob from my instrument.  Fourth, this paragraph forced me to use way too many commas for my comfort.

After:

My solution was to make a round pillow (my Fiesta plates were the perfect size round template) from some green material I had lying around plus some stuffed animal stuffins.  I then made 2 doilies and sewed their picot points together around the pillow.  I used the Ferris Wheel doily pattern, but had to make it smaller to fit correctly.  A lovely consequence to this whole doily thing is that the doily pattern shows through on the front of the banjo.

I love the look of it, except for the fact that banjos always seem to get dirty where thumbs and fingers strike the drum repeatedly.  I guess that means I practice enough.

What are doilies for?

I don't know, but I made one and it's pretty. At first I had it sitting on the back of the toilet in an effort to give that place some distinction and class. Now I have it draped across the television cozy in my bedroom directly underneath a framed filet crochet wall hanging hooked my my uncle. I figure cotton thread goes with cotton thread. I have another doily on the tiny ass hook already as phase 1 of my banjo prettification initiative.  More on that venture to come sometime soon.

Cluck Old Hen and Down In the Willow Gardens

Here is my latest recorded banjo song, Cluck Old Hen.  I don't yet have any chickens to play this to, but perhaps it's better this way since I won't have to torture them with strings of slowly played disconnected notes before I get it together.  I can present them with perfection the first time, as they will deserve.

AND I realized that I forgot to post Down in the Willow Gardens, the song I recorded early last month.  My cat so kindly offered her review of the song right there in the middle of the video, as she licked her butthole and then left the room.

Oliver tells me I get a funny, puckered look on my face when I play.  I think you're supposed to have a shallow grin when you play the banjo.  Maybe next time I will work on the proper facial arrangements.

Fig jam verdict: de-double-licious

Despite my inexperience with preserving, my fig jam turned out soooo goooood.  The fruit were seriously ripe, so I made the low-sugar recipe with 4.5 cups of sugar and no-to-low sugar pectin.  I learned that jam-making really allows the cheapskate in me to thrive.  I didn't have a real canner, and so no canner rack.  Here's my make-do solution:

Mason jar rings tied together with some Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn, surrounded by a pie crust saver ring which has never yet been used for its intended purpose. 

I suppose the whole process cost a little more than I hoped initially. The jars cost about $8 for a dozen, and the pectin was $4 for 2 boxes at Wal-Mart, plus the $3 for one box I had to buy at Super S when I decided to do a low sugar recipe (I ended up using the low sugar box, and a few shakes of a regular box). I did buy some canning utensils at Wal-Mart (jar tongs, magnetic lid lifter, plastic wide mouth funnel, jar-stirrer-mabobber) for $7.  I don't think I could have done without the jar tongs without burning the crap out of myself, so it seems to me that $7 was a good investment, plus I shouldn't have to buy those things again. 

I am prepared and excited about the mesquite bean jelly.  I won't have to buy pectin, jars or utensils.  Just more sugar.  I think it's going to be a delicious year.  I hope sooo much that this is the year we can get a house and I can start garden planning.  I have pressure canner aspirations. The pop of the jam jar lids sealing after their water bath was truly music to my happy ears.

Fig jam

Took my first foray into the magical world of homemade jam today, yay!

A few months ago I noticed three fig trees growing behind my apartment complex (also behind someone's house...).  These trees have been profusely producing figs all summer long.  Lots and lots of figs.  So, assuming that the old lady that owns the trees won't be able to eat all the hundreds of figs that are growing right now, I took the opportunity to pick some.  Hidden.  At night.  Like a ninja.  I didn't even know I liked figs until two days ago when I tried them for the first time, but now I know I love them.  Also little did I know, there was more than one variety of fig planted back there.  I think one produces celeste figs which are yellow/brown/purple when ripe, and another one produces these figs that are green when ripe.  The last tree, I'm not sure.  I like these green ones the best.  The fruit inside is bright pink and super lovely sweet.  They taste like heaven.

I think these are Kadota or Jacob's Honey figs

All chopped up, 5 cups or so

Lovely

One of Six!

That first jar wasn't full all the way.  I don't think you're supposed to leave that much space at the top of the jar, so i think I will eat that one first.  Of course, the jars are still cooling.  I won't know whether it turned out good until tomorrow when I crack one open over some fresh biscuits.  It tasted nice right off the spoon and pot, but I'm still a little nervous about how this jam will turn out since it was my first try at jam.  This must be a warm up for the mesquite bean jelly which is to come later this summer!

YA Book Review: Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell

In the interest of acting librarianly (and in an effort to try and remember details about children's and teen books that I read) I've decided to sprinkle a few book reviews into this blog.  Here is one I read while in Louisiana.

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was a sweet, cute, fun read!


Synopsis: Thirteen year old Genevieve (Gen for short) is forced to attend a pioneer camp with her parents and little brother where the family must dress, act, and labor like an 1890s farm family ALL summer long. Gen's mother promises her that if she attends the camp she will get her own, new, shiny FIRST cell phone. Gen agrees, only to smuggle the cell phone into camp so she can send her friends at home snarky text messages about her experiences. Gen's friends end up turning her messages into a blog which attracts a large fanbase and eventually the media!


I loved this book. I understand where Gen's mom was coming from. I lust after a house, garden, chickens, getting rid of TV, cooking from scratch, making soap, making butter, making jelly. I am learning to play the banjo for when these things come to pass. I knit, spin wool and sew for fun. I truly enjoyed reading about the experiences of an adolescent who has absolutely no interest in learning pioneer arts, and who is only keeping her sanity by committing acts of minor anarchy by sending funny texts to her friends.


The book had an interesting, unique premise.  A great Wyoming forest setting, complete with details about the family's 1890s style shack cabin, complete with the outhouse that Gen has so much trouble navigating amid her 1890s ruffles, buttons, and pantaloons. The book included details about how Gen was feeling about the work she was doing, about the other families in the camp, and even about her own family whom she comes to greatly appreciate and respect. The conversations with the other children (especially Ka) who were forced to attend were hilarious. Throughout the book there is a tame animosity between Gen and Nora, the daughter of the camp owners of the camp. Gen's behavior is believable and seemed to genuinely portray the feelings and attitudes of a thirteen year old girl, she is not wholly good or wholly bad. There is a very tame romance in the novel, which is appropriate for Gen's age.

Another plus to this book was that it can straddle between a children's audience and a young adult audience.

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