Lanolizing your woolies

To "lanolize" simply means adding lanoline back into the woolies. Lanolin is the grease that is naturally occurring in wool and makes it both soft and water resistant. SO, to make the woolies (wool soakers, longies, bloomers, whatever) "water proof" we add extra lanolin.

Supplies:
PURE lanolin
Dishsoap or baby shampoo
wool wash (optional)
measuring cup
wisk
Sink, bucket or bowl depending on how many pieces you need to do


TO begin... clean your sink, gather your supplies and start filling your sink with tepid/ lukewarm water

Next, turn your woolies inside out, and heat up about a cup of water to boiling.

Add lanolin to the hot water, this is the first lanolizing of these garments so I like a good sized blob, about the size of my finger tip per piece, but in subsequent lanolizings a pea size amount per soaker will generally do the trick, but you'll learn what works best for you.  

Add a squirt of soap to emulsify the lanolin, whisk until whitish and add to the sink. The water in the sink will become cloudy.

Add woolies

Smoosh around, rubbing the lanolin water into the fibers. Let soak, flip over and continue to soak.













Remove from the bath and roll in a towel to remove excess water. Lay flat to dry.

Voila! Lanolized woolies! If it's they're first lanolizing they may not be totally leak proof yet. Sometimes it take two sessions to get the lanolin in the wool well enough, but after that you should need less lanolin and only every three weeks or so.

A vintage inspired soaker and pattern.

I think I've mentioned it before.... but I LOVE cloth diapers, and wool soakers. Love to the point of obsession really.... AND, of course, I love vintage styles. How could you not?

So... I was bored with my usual knitting pattern.... so looking for inspiration I kept seeing these awesomely simple and cute vintage patterns for "Triangle" soakers. I don't know why, but I didn't like a lot of the patterns, or rather, the way they read so I made up my own. I also didn't want seems in the waistband, and wanted that to be as stretchy as possible. I made it up as I went, but it's super simple so I thought I would share....

To make a vintage inspired soaker in size medium

Materials:
Peace Fleece worsted (80% wool, 20% mohair. Delish)
Size 5 16 inch circular knitting needles for waistband
Size 8 16 inch circular knitting needles for body
darning needle for seeming
Pot of tea and a few good movies (it took me about 5 hours to finish, I think)

Cast on 72 stitches onto the size 5 needles, connect to work in the round. Work 1x1 ribbing (knit one, purl one) around and for 2 inches (or longer if you would like a higher soaker, this is more of a bikini fit)

Switch to size 8 needles, begin to work the round, but do not continue. At the end of the round, turn and knit, you will be working "flat" but you need the circlular needles because of the waistband's shape. You should now have two rows. I added a pattern along the sides, if you would like to do so, begin now. Also note your odd rows should be your right side.

Row 3: K1, P1, K1, P1, knit to last 4 stitches, P1, K1, P1, K1, turn
Row 4: K1, P1, K1, P1, knit to last 4 stitches, P1, K1, P1, K1, turn
Row 5: Begin decrease: K1, P1, K1, P1, K2tog, knit to last 6 stitches, Sl, K1, PSSO,  P1, K1, P1, K1, turn
Row 6: K1, P1, K1, P1, knit to last 4 stitches, P1, K1, P1, K1, turn

Continue in this manner until you have only the pattern stitches left, try to keep the pattern as much as possible while continuing to decrease every other row until only one stitch remains. This should create a triangle. Break yarn leaving a long tail for seaming, pull tail through last stitch to bind off. Fold triangle up so the point fits in at the waistband where you began your body rows. Stitch corner to waistband and down the opening about half way. Secure, and seam the other side in the same manner. Voila! Easy peasy soaker. AND it's going to be a good "bullet proof" bum cover because of the nice thick fabric created by the garter stitch, and the great booty coverage. Lanolize it and you're ready to go (lanolizing tutorial coming soon).

Leg opening detail of the seed stitch. 

The butt! The garter stitch makes a great, thick, stretchy fabric, great for soakers

Thanks for reading, I hope the "pattern" makes sense, feel free to contact me with any questions! Happy knitting! 

Oh forgive me!

I've been missing... well, from the blogger world! It's be CRAZY. Seriously, utterly crazy.

You know that post awhile back about infertility awareness and all the sh*t we've been going through to have a baby? Well..... all that trying finally paid off!!!! On July 5th, the day after our 4th wedding anniversary we found out we are pregnant! *CRAZY HAPPY DANCE!!!!!* Well, then, about a week later, I panicked, I started bleeding! Before this, my numbers were all nice and high, doubling every 27 hours (doubling every 48 hours is the goal) so we went in for an ultrasound to see if everything was alright and.... SURPRISE!!!!! TWO babies. Not one, two (twin tend to cause more spotting during the pregnancy because of the double everything implantations.) Since then, it's been crazy, and not all easy. Of course I was suffering from morning sickness, and we have had some other complications but the babies are strong and growing fast. As of Wednesday the first trimester is over! *Another major happy dance*

I had to quit my nanny job because of some restrictions to keep babies safe, but I'm working on revamping my cloth diaper "business" which is really fun. And I intend to blog more about the diapers, but I thought I should at least send out an update... More to come from me...

Meanwhile, here's my belly as of yesterday: 12 weeks 4 days.

And the babies at 10 weeks:

Playthings

I love toys. But my idea of "toys" is terribly far from the rows of plastics at Walmart and even Toys "R" Us (Though TRU DOES have some pretty awesome stuff- I used to work there). I like imaginative play things, simple dolls, playsilks, balls, wooden blocks.... Things that can be all sorts of things. I remember one winter, my family got a big screen tv, now, this was way before flat screens, so this thing was enormous. Anyway, our favorite part of this was the box. We played with that HUGE box (and some littler ones and blankets) for MONTHS until it fell to pieces and became painting "canvas." That box was a house, a rocket ship, castle, fort, tunnel, boat and jungle gym. It was the site of play sieges, battles, puppet shows and masquerades, exploration of unknown planets, and a refuge during storms (literally, it was a year of many blizzards, so it kept us busy on many a snow day).

Now... Kids want what's in the box. The TV, the video games, the movies.... I'm not anti television. I love mine, I love my movies and shows (Bones, Firefly, Glee... I'm as guilty as any one). Now the electronics have come to kid's toys in the guise of "education." Really, does a 2 year old need a "laptop" with flashing lights? I'm not so sure. I'm not a doctor, I'm not a mom (yet) and I don't have my degree in education (yet- I'm working on it....) but I wonder if it's necessary? What does it say when the tv breaks and mom has to go out immediately and buy a new one so the toddler doesn't "Freak out" and "have nothing to do". This terrifies me.

There are a few kids that I babysit regularly, and I'll be nannying full time come fall, so I've been doing a lot of research into early childhood learning, toys, and activities. I've been going shopping for things to entertain the little ones in my life, and am consistently dismayed. Is EVERYTHING made of plastic? Don't get me wrong, plastic is pretty impressive stuff, but isn't it great for kids to have things made of natural materials? Things you don't have to worry about containing BPA or other chemicals? Things that will last for a long time, and help your child learn for several years?

Well, etsy has a bunch of options. I accidentally found "waldorf toys" and LOVE what I'm seeing. Simple, open ended toys. I don't know much about the Waldorf school system, so I'm not talking about that, but I love the Waldorf inspired toys, and the prices on etsy are comparable to what you find in the store for the plastic bits. BUT, if you are crafty... there are tons of things you can make yourself. Possibly my favorite "toy" is the play silk- bright colored silk scarves that can be anything- blankets for baby doll, costumes, table cloths for tea parties, walls for a fort, a sling carrier for dolly... All sorts of things! AND these are the easiest to do yourself (instead of paying 10 per scarf!) Here's how I made mine.... (I wish I took more pictures during the process....)

You will need.....

silk scarves, Haboti or "china silk" is just what you are looking for. (I LOVE these from Dharma Trading, http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1741-AA.shtml?lnav=scarves_silk.html I didn't use these this time, but I used the same silk from them (out of my stash) and just serged around the edges. Next time, I'm going to order at least a dozen from them and make some for more of my little friends.)

Dye: I used wiltons food coloring gels from Michaels- they are what I use for cake decorating so I always have an assortment of colors.

White distilled vinegar: to set the dye

glass measuring cup


Glass dishes: for mixing dye colors

Gallon sized plastic baggies


Microwave

Latex gloves: option if you don't mind having colored hands for the day.

Alright...
So. First you should prep your scarves by wetting them down with water. Place each scarf in a plastic bag, I folded mine in quarters then gathered in from the center of the square to play with color effects. If

Next, prepare your dyes, mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water with some dye- it takes a bit of playing to get the color saturation right, but just go with it. It all turns out cool.

Now, if you are doing "solid" silks, you can just dump dye in the bag, smoosh it around and nuke it for 30 seconds. If you want multiple colors, "paint" the dye on in certain areas, let it blend and then nuke it. Take care not to use too much dye with this, or your colors will get very muddled.

Remove from the microwave, let cool, then rinse with cold water until it runs clear. I then threw all my scarves in the washing machine on the "hand wash" setting and hung them to dry. Viola! Play silks!

I thought I took more pictures, but I guess I didn't, so I'll have to update this again later. But they came out amazing. I made this felted wool basket to put them in too, plus an assortment of other felted bowls, baskets and even a few balls. Instructions for those to follow....

Felted basket for the scarves

Felted ball

felted containers

I'm really looking forward to setting up the play space upstairs for the little ones!

Earth Day

Every day should REALLY be Earth Day, don't you think? Still... I think it's a great day to remind ourselves of the importance of our planet, and re-evaluate how we interact with it.

Every year for Earth Day (and New Years too....) I try to add one more "green" goal to my to do list, or at the very least, re-affirm the commitments I have made in the past.  For awhile, I lost sight of my green goals, I started using "regular" cleaning products again for money savings and convenience- or so I thought. This turned out to be a huge mistake. Not only did I feel guilty, but I suffered physically as well. I'm allergic to some of the harsh chemicals in certain cleaners and boy oh boy did I start having reactions, couldn't breath while cleaning the shower, my skin started breaking out in little bumps and red spots and I've been waking up with swollen, itchy, goobery eyes! ICK! So NOT pretty... Needless to say... I'm re-affirming my commitment to all-natural cleaning products and am going to try going the extra step of making my own, including laundry soap.

Speaking of laundry... now that the weather is starting to improve, washing will be done on nice days so it can go hang on the line. This also dissolves the need for bleach (which I also want to cut out completely) as the sun is great for removing stains! (even stubborn grape jelly stains from a toddler's clothes!)

I want to make more things from scratch, including yogurt and cheese. The homemade types are so much tastier, healthier and better for the environment (no excess packaging) so it's just laziness that has been keeping me from doing it. This also brings me to "ditching the packaging" and looking for bulk items to bring my own containers. Even at the health-food store, I want to bring my little jars to fill up with tea and herbs, and switch back to more loose leaf tea. Yea, it make seem more expensive, but it really isn't when you measure properly.

I'm expanding my garden as well, I've already "installed" the pumpkin patch, and when the weather is consistently warm enough the rest will be planted. I want to add more salad greens and herbs this year as well.

These are a only a few little things but I truly believe that if everyone made little changes, big impacts would be made.

Have a wonderful Earth Day!!!

"I should have been a casserole"

A think and yummy broccoli and cheese soup...

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups Milk
1 cup uncooked rice
two small onions or 1 large
several cloves of garlic
"enough" broccoli (I used two medium crowns)
2-3 cups cheddar/ Cheddar-Monterey-jack mix
salt
pepper
dash of cayenne
butter
olive oil
corn starch if needed


In a good sized stock pot, pour in enough olive oil to coat the pan, dice onions and garlic and throw them in. Add about a tablespoon of butter and saute until transparent. Add rice and swish. Add stock and milk, bring to a simmer and season. Cook rice until almost done, add broccoli and cheese, and if not thick enough, add a little corn starch in cold water. Cook the broccoli (or you can steam it ahead of time) and serve.

Thats it. taste and test as you go till it's just as you want. Easy Peasy. You could also add chicken to this to make a nice hearty meal.

Infertility awareness

I haven't written in awhile... It's been a tough month, I'm just now getting over a cold/ sinus infection that started a month ago, and what a long month it's been. I thought a long while about whether to blog about this particular subject, but the timing seems right and I think it's important to realize I'm not the only one who has gone through this.

Historically, fertility has been a vital part of a woman's worth. Her ability to bear children was one of her biggest assets. Infertility caused immense heartbreak for women then as now... While the focus of fertility has changed somewhat (my husband doesn't need me to give him sons as heirs or anything) the pain of not being able to easily conceive is still felt, and felt keenly...

We have been trying to conceive for over a year "with help." before that I hadn't been on birth control for nearly 4 years, letting nature take it's course. I've suspected for a while now that there was a problem. I mean, how can these "teen moms" on television get pregnant by accident so easily, and not me? I'm 25, not in bad shape... My husband is in excellent shape... So eventually we were referred to a reproductive specialist who ran about a million blood tests (okay- 16... but that's a lot of vials of blood!!!!)  and dear husband had his "little men" evaluated (all his stuff is perfectly fine, by the way) and I had some lovely internal ultrasound thing (eeew). As it turns out, I have Polycycstic Ovary Syndrome. I don't have a lot of symptoms, but the problem is my hormones are out of balance and I'm not ovulating properly on my own... Come three rounds of clomid (a fertility drug to stimulate ovulation) and metformin (a blood sugar medication). Didn't work... onto IUI, we went straight to "injectables" where I had to give myself an injection of medication to stimulate ovulation from day 3 of my cycle until my follicles were big enough (all this monitored through more blood tests and more ultrasounds) when they were a good size I gave myself a "trigger" shot that was supposed to literally trigger ovulation 36 hours later. 36 hours later we went back to the office for the IUI proceedure, which included hubby's sperm being "washed" and prepped, then later put in me via catheter in the you know where... Very romantic right? Through the whole process my doctor was very optimistic I was having a great cycle, everything was perfect... We left the office feeling pretty good (except for cramps for me). Hubby was certain it would work... But it didn't. Even though I was taking 200mg of progesterone supplement my period showed up.   Of course, I also got a faint positive on a pregnancy test the same day. Looks like it was "chemical" meaning the egg was fertilized but didn't implant. These are common, but that doesn't make it any easier. We went back to the doctor's office yesterday in hopes of starting another IUI cycle, but alas, there seem to be a mess of un-ruptured follicles lining my ovaries. Nice, right? So... no IUI this month. I took it as a sign... A few months ago my doctor and I spoke of the possibility that I might have endometriosis. I have a fair number of symptoms and risk factors.. and there is no reason this IUI shouldn't have worked out. The fun part is... The only way to diagnosis it is through laparoscopic surgery. The good thing is if they find anything, this is also the treatment so they get to do it all in one go.

So that's where WE are at. And I know that many others are going through the same process and have been though even more than I have. It's hard... but thankfully, technology and medicine have come a long way! I'm very hopefully, as much as I'm disappointed we haven't been blessed yet.