Home & Hearth

Boards, part four (with added sock & spinning goodness)

Posted on by Dan

I’m going gangbusters with all the building. The weather has been so amazingly cooperative that I have to take advantage of it… knowing there is such a limited supply of good weather in Minnesota. The next thing converted from the old deck is this:

Chair made from old deck

We don’t live on the east coast, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy what will be our patio (see the dirt behind the chair?) on our new adirondack chair(s). I’m still working on the second, but this one, besides needing some waterproofing, is definitely usable.

Surprisingly, I was even able to finish another 3 oz. of Corriedale top that we dyed up. This is 2-ply and approximately 330 yards.

Handspun - Corriedale

I’ve got two more dyed bundles of this (different colors), that will hopefully be spun around the same weight (if I don’t fall out of practice from all the woodworking I’m doing), so I’ll end up with four yarns of about the same weight and yardage to use together (or separately, if Virginia decides she wants to use one).

Speaking of Virginia; she’s finished another pair of socks knit from some worsted weight wool that she dyed up awhile ago. Knit on size 3US needles, they have a denser fabric to help make them wear longer.

Sock #9 (52 Sock Challenge)

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Boards, part three (with added sock content)

Posted on by Dan

The building continues! I planed down a few more boards and we drew up some plans to make matching benches for the table — actually it was more of a sketch, a working prototype, and a couple of miscut boards, but once we got it down, the remaining three followed pretty easily. The darker color is a result of the waterproofing that we applied to both the table and chairs (and to the deck, of course… which, by the way, Barb, is cedar).

Table made from old deck

I could get into this woodworking stuff, but given that half the year is spent indoors (fighting off the cold of winter), it probably makes sense to continue working with wool. However, the stack of old redwood boards is pretty big, so until the weather turns, I’ll stay focused on recycling the wood… next up, perhaps a couple of adirondack chairs for the patio?

Virgina finished another pair of socks. These are from Nancy Bush’s “Knitting on the Road.” The pattern is Whitby, and she used Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca Fine, which is one of their new yarns.

Sock #8 (52 Sock Challenge)

The doubled-up yarn knit on size 2.5 needles makes for a very soft, but firm, fabric. We’ve got to keep thinking about the cold, even when it’s 90º outside.

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Stepping Carefully

Posted on by Dan

You’ve been seeing a lot of Virginia’s socks recently, and this post is no exception. With a couple of weeks having gone by since the last post, there has been some major accomplishments, both with knitting and household projects.

Sock #4 (52 Sock Challenge)

The above are Lisa Lloyd’s Narragansett Bay Socks, knit using Mountain Colors.

Sock #5 (52 Sock Challenge)

These are knit with Trekking.

Sock #6 (52 Sock Challenge)

And, these are made with Meilenweit.

Sock #7 (52 Sock Challenge)

With a final push to get these done, Virginia finished these just a couple of days ago. They are from a Dale of Norway sock pamphlet (NR-8001), knit using Smart yarn.

Sock #7 (52 Sock Challenge)

You might be noticing the structure that Virginia is carefully balancing on. That is where I come in to the picture. Lest you think I’ve given up on crafty pursuits, I haven’t. Currently, though, my free time has been consumed with replacing our deck.

Deck Framing

I’m happy to say (after taking Thursday off of work, and pretty much working through the entire weekend) we’ll have a brand new, sturdy (that’s the key word) deck for the next photo shoot (in other words, probably by next weekend).

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Carb Loading

Posted on by Dan

In an attempt to shoo away another round of cold weather and snow, or at least the frustration that it brings (Barb, after reading your comment, I feel your pain), I fired up the oven for an afternoon of baking. And an afternoon of baking it was.

Carbloading

I’m constantly modifying my bread recipe, and I feel like I’ve found a decent base from which to explore different adaptations.

Today, I started with:

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 2+ Tablespoons of black strap molasses
  • 2 Teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of ground up caraway seeds

Next, I mixed in the following ingredients with the liquid, and whisked/stirred until a consistency of yogurt:

  • 1/2 cup gluten flour
  • 1/2 cup rye flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/8 cup wheat germ

Then I added:

  • Approx. 3 cups white flour
  • 1/2 Teaspoon salt

The rest is pretty much standard bread-making instructions (knead for 10 minutes, let rise twice, proof before putting in oven that has been preheated to 400ºF, bake for 30-35 minutes or until done — I like to spray the oven with water a couple of times during the baking to give the crust a bit of a crunch).

That was the bread. As you can see, there were a few more things besides the bread. Jane Brody has a good zucchini bread recipe, and the peanut butter cookies, though not as good as Virginia’s grandmother’s recipe (are they ever?), have still been approved for household consumption.*

Carbloading

What can I say? I am a fan of wheat.

*And, as much as I’d like to dive into all this baked goodness, we’re actually going to be feeding a group of people.

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Spring Feeding

Posted on by Dan

Sunday mornings are a favorite around here and it’s become a tradition to break our nightly fast with waffles and fruit. Winter waffles are usually accompanied by frozen fruit turned to sauce. But, as spring approaches so does the desire to have fresh fruit. It’s hard holding out for the local strawberries to be ready (or even the ones we’ve got growing in our yard), so at the coop yesterday I decided to wait no longer.

Strawberry

My waffle recipe has evolved over the years to increase its level of nutrition — more than just flour and milk. It’s a little heartier than some, but not so dense as to make you think of fiber board.

Waffle Ingredients

Whisk together:

  • 1 cup soy milk
  • 2 Tablespoons oil
  • 2 egg yolks

Add:

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 Teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 Tablespoons wheat germ (or ground flax seed)

Fold in gently:

  • 2 egg whites (that have been beaten until stiff, but not dry)

The next and last step is the easiest, but requires a cup of coffee and a place to sit down and watch the birds looking for their own version of Sunday breakfast.

Waffles

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