On the Path to Yarn Independence

At the beginning of this month I took a beginning spinning class. It’s not the first time I’ve attempted learning this ancient skill. The lady who taught me knitting basics also tried to teach me spinning with a spindle. Knitting and spinning were something she learned from the Inca women in her community when she was a child. She was from Bolivia, and the fact that she was passing on very old traditions meant a great deal to me. My yarn-loving mentor had been honing her skills for more than fifty years. Spinning did look easy when she was doing it. Alas, the first and only spinning lesson didn’t go very well. If memory serves me correctly, I believe it was drafting the fiber that caused me the most difficulty. After 25 years, I can’t really say why I didn’t persevere with it. It might have had something to do with being brand-new to knitting. Maybe it just seemed easier to focus on one new skill at a time.

Within a year of my only spinning lesson, I got married. From that point on, I only saw my older friend occasionally. Learning to spin got put a on a back burner. (Way back) Then two years ago my dad gave me a spinning wheel he made. A few months ago I achieved the dream of owning two fiber producing cuties. It was time to make another attempt at yarn independence.

I wish I could say I took to spinning as if I’d done it all my life, but the first lesson was a little bumpier than I would have liked. That darn drafting gave me fits, again. I will say the instructor gave some very good tips for different ways to separate the fibers. I’m a firm believer that there is usually more than one way to do things. Having various options to try did help.  After some experimentation and plenty of practice, the process is starting to get a little easier. I don’t feel anywhere near ready to work with the precious bunny fiber I’ve collected so far (more on that later…), but hopefully that day will come very soon. Maybe, my older daughter will get a ball of my angora yarn in her Christmas stocking. If she’s very good.

The Project Queen

Tabletop Fire Pots

Since they came on the market, I liked the idea of having a tabletop fire pot. A bit of research revealed that there can be major safety issues with the gel fuel used in such pots. Some come with a metal dish that is refilled from a bottle. I don’t know exact numbers, but it seems a few people experienced serious burns while refilling the pots. Apparently, it’s not always possible to tell if the fire is out when the fuel gets low. After seeing DIY pots on Pinterest, I wanted to make my own. It gave me the opportunity to look at other fuel options.

Instead of one pot, I created two. One is mostly for ambience, while the other allows small foods, like marshmallows, to be roasted at the table.

Both pots are glazed ceramic with the drainage saucers attached. You will want something with small drainage holes so the contents of your pot don’t escape from the bottom. They’re suitable sizes for houseplants. The smaller pot uses a 2.6 oz. can of Sterno as fuel. The larger pot was designed to hold a handful of wood chips or natural charcoal in a small foil pan. The pots were filled with leftover aquarium gravel until the tops of the fire containers were level with the pot rims. (The gravel is a filler that’s not seen. It doesn’t need to be fancy.) The fuel containers were centered on the gravel. Then they were surrounded by glass decorator marbles to finish filling the pots. The sand and marbles act as insulation and keep the exterior of the ceramic pots from getting too hot.

The Sterno can in the smaller pot is not refillable. When empty, the entire can is replaced. The lid can be placed back on the can to smother any flames when the fuel gets low. Make sure to use caution, especially if there is some fuel on the bottom of the lid. (Do not use water to extinguish.) Sterno cans come with a blue dot that is supposed to indicate safe handling. If using it, make sure to read the safety instructions, and let enough time pass before handling the used can.

The marshmallow roasting pot contains 2 individual-size foil pie pans. Leave the bottom pan in the pot at all times, or the marbles will fill in the space when the used pan is removed. To use the pot, place no more than a handful or two of wood chips in the foil pan. Don’t fill past the rim of the pan. Before disposing of the used pan and chips, pour in enough water to cover the chips and wait overnight to make sure nothing is burning. If some chips are still smoldering when the water is added, that’s OK. Just keep hands and face as far away as possible so you aren’t burned by steam.

There are additional safety measures that must be taken when using pots like these. First, do not allow young children to handle pots in any way. That includes lighting, extinguishing or replacing fuel. Use your best judgment with older children. Adult supervision should always be present. If your table is under a structure make sure flammable materials are not close. Curtains should be tied back, and it might be best not to have a cloth on the table. Though it’s smaller, the woodchip fire pot is pretty much a campfire. Sparks may be carried where you don’t want them, especially on a windy day. In areas that have suffered from drought, one spark may be all it takes to create a disaster. Be smart and make sure your fires are out before walking away from the pots.

Now that the serious stuff has been covered, do enjoy your pots. Make sure you eat your fair share of s’mores. I know I will.

The Project Queen

Souvenirs for a Lifetime

It’s the time of year when many families are planning a special trip. Whether you’re visiting relatives or going to a tourist trap, take time to visit a local artist or craftsperson, especially those who give demonstrations.

Four years ago, I purchased this pretty, glass egg in Keystone, SD. Keystone is the closest town to Mt. Rushmore, so of course souvenirs of the famous landmark are easy to find, along with Black Hills gold and Sturgis Motorcycle Rally merchandise. There isn’t anything wrong with those things, but if you look closely, I’ll bet the snow globes are made in China. My egg came from a glassblowers’ studio.

They are not located on the main tourist street that runs through the middle of town. I may have never known they were in the area if it hadn’t been for my Dad. He’s a retired machinist and project person extraordinaire. He was showing me some of the miniature replicas of antique machines he made and entered into some competitions. One of them had a small glass bulb on it. My dad doesn’t work with glass, so I asked him where he found it. It turned out he had commissioned it from the glassblowers.

Glassblowing has fascinated me for a long time. In its most basic forms, it’s considered a craft, but in the hands of masters it truly becomes an art. My dad informed me the couple who owned the studio gave demonstrations to visitors. Of course, I had to go see them.

They start their demo the moment you enter. On the day I visited they made a vase. In a matter of minutes they had turned a blob of bright orange glass into a beautiful, multi-colored and useful vessel. After their demo they asked if there were questions. Naturally, I had a few, like where and how they had learned their craft, how hot the furnace was, and what kinds of materials created all the colors they used.

I surprised them, until they found out to whom I was related. They explained that no one had ever asked those questions before. I was dumbfounded. I assumed mine were obvious, and they were probably tired of answering them. To this day I don’t know what kind of questions their other visitors asked, or if any were asked at all.

When you find the craft-person or artist you want to visit, ask them meaningful questions about the pieces they make. It’s OK if you don’t completely understand the creative and technical processes they use. It will still give you a deeper appreciation of the memento you choose to purchase from them. And when you look back, you will have great memories of interesting people you’ve met on your life’s journey.

The Project Queen

Planning a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota? Check out http://www.blackhillsglassblowers.com/

Dry Pet Shampoo

It might be more appropriate to call this “deodorizer”, but regardless of the name, this is something I concocted because I couldn’t get my hands on a powder shampoo without ordering it.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know I recently acquired 2 long-haired rabbits. My, EA, Angus, has been kind of naughty lately. He’s relocating his litter box and not always using it. Perhaps he’s getting back at me for his “alteration” surgery. Bunnies can develop serious skin problems if left in their wet messes, so not cleaning him up isn’t an option. However, bathing him or using waterless spray shampoo isn’t an option either. His summer haircut is growing out, and that super-fine, oh-so-soft hair doesn’t respond well to moisture of any kind. It mats and creates a grooming nightmare. Plus, it takes forever to get him completely dry. While blow dryers are often used on Angora rabbits, you have to be careful not to use a hot setting.

When searching for a powder shampoo, I found it kind of frustrating that the product ingredients weren’t listed. I had a particular concern about added fragrance. While I do like all my pets to smell nice, they don’t need to be exposed to synthetic materials that may be harmful. Rabbits, like cats, groom themselves. They are delicate creatures, so bunny owners have to be careful about what their precious babies are exposed to.

Since I wasn’t satisfied with my dry shampoo search, I did what I usually do when I can’t find something I want. I took matters into my own hands (and kitchen). This would be considered a small batch, but since it was an experiment, I decided to start with smaller amounts. Plus, there are only 3 ingredients. You can’t get much simpler.

¼ c. Baking Soda

¼ c. Oatmeal

Lavender Essential Oil

Put the baking soda and oatmeal into a small food processor or coffee/spice grinder. (Make sure it’s very clean with no residues. I would recommend a grinder dedicated just to this if you have room for it.) Process until the oatmeal is ground into powder or at least very small pieces. If necessary, use a funnel to put the shampoo in the container of your choice. For those who choose to add a fragrance, put about a third of the powder into the container, add 2-3 drops of essential oil, close the container and shake. Continue the process until all the powder is in the container. I didn’t use an actual measurement for the Lavender oil, but I would say no more than 1/8 tsp. for the entire bottle. Essential oils are pure, concentrated substances extracted from their plant sources. They’re potent, and it doesn’t take much.

Part of the point of this project was to use things I already had in the house. That includes the bottle I put my finished shampoo into. Do you buy the fancy dried herbs and spices that come in those spiffy glass bottles? Save the bottles when empty, especially if they come with lids that have shaker holes. You never know when another use can be found for them. Before using my bottle, I put it in a saucepan of boiling water. That helped loosen the glue of the label and removed any residue from the caraway seeds it contained.

Here are a few notes and some cautions concerning the ingredients I chose for this particular batch.

 Because I’m dealing with rabbit pee, which is not only stinky but caustic, baking soda was chosen to deodorize and neutralize. It’s also much less likely to clump when it comes in contact with moisture, unlike cornstarch. The oatmeal was included for its soothing and absorbant qualities.

Your dry shampoo can certainly be fragrance free. I chose Lavender essential oil not only because I adore the scent, but because of its reputation for being soothing, and its potential healing properties, such as being antibacterial. If you opt to add a scent, do not use synthetic products, period. They may be cheaper, but you won’t necessarily know what they contain. That small bottle of essential oil will go a long way. Mine usually lasts me a year or two. It’s also becoming much easier to find now. Many grocery stores are becoming increasingly aware of public interest in natural products. The stores that have a decent size natural products section will most likely have essential oils stocked there. (Most of these departments aren't too far from the pharmacy.) Now, here’s the caution part. Before you choose any product, do your research to make sure the properties of the oil suit your purposes. Start with reputable websites, such as colleges of medicine. Did you choose an oil you’ve never used before? Test a small amount on yourself first, say the inside of your arm. No reaction? Test a small drop on your pet. Dogs, with their naked tummies are easy. Cats and rabbits with dense coats and no naked areas? Not so much. Try to get to the skin on the inside of a leg. The hair is a little thinner there.

One more caveat. I’m not going to promise that dry shampoo is neat and tidy when you use it. It might be a great deodorizer, but don’t use it in carpeted areas if you have doubts about vacuuming it up. Be conservative in the amount you use. You may not need as much as you think. After rubbing into a pet coat, it will need to be brushed out, especially if using on long-haired pets. (That doesn’t mean you can’t leave it in for a little while, to work its magic.) When I have to freshen up my bunnies, I park their booties on an old towel to keep the powder somewhat contained. Most of the shampoo shakes out when I’m done. Any small amount still in the towel won’t hurt the washing machine. A plastic tub or storage container large enough to keep your pet contained would be a good option too.

Please leave a comment if you try this recipe. If you use a different essential oil, let me know what you chose and why. Curious minds are always willing to be educated.

The Project Queen

Not all bottled herbs and spices come with this lid.

But it's handy for "portion control" of your shampoo.

This is not an endorsement of a particular brand. It just happens to be easily found where I live.

The Peach Report II

Well, I wish I could say my first peach crop was going to be a bumper. As far as I can tell, each tree has about 10 peaches on it. Most of the fruit still on the trees have small, black spots on the skin. I don’t know if it’s caused by a disease yet. The trees look very healthy and have even grown. I can’t say if pests, such as squirrels, have taken any peaches. We’ve had some thunderstorms that may have removed a few with strong winds and heavy rain. No “bodies” have been found on the ground, so it’s possible the rodents may have gotten to the windfalls when the dogs weren’t looking.

I did try putting some small paper bags over a few of the fruits when they were about an 1” in size. Peaches have almost non-existent stems, so I decided that method of protection wasn’t suitable. For now I’ll just keep my fingers crossed until July or August. We’ll see if any of the peaches make it to maturity. Since I wasn’t expecting fruit so soon, I wasn’t really prepared. I guess it’s time to start researching organic peach production.

The Project Queen

Blackberry Puree

Blackberry season should be starting where I live any day now. With that thought in mind, it occurred to me a few weeks ago that I needed to do something with the berries still in my freezer.

Though I like the flavor of blackberries, the seeds make me nutty. While the berries can simply be defrosted, or cooked a bit, to extract the juice, you want to get as much fruit pureé as possible, too. Especially when you go out on a hot day and pick them yourself.

I’ve tried mushing my berries thru a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl. It takes too long when you have a few pounds of berries to work with. I guess I’m a berry-picking maniac. I found seven pounds of blackberries in my freezer that I wanted to make seedless. So I finally sprang for a food mill. I remember one of my grandmothers using this gadget. I recall she found it very useful, so quite frankly, I don’t know why I waited so long to get one.

Here’s the process I used to make my puree.

My frozen berries didn't need to be cooked to extract the juice.

But a little heat did help them defrost sooner.

I was hoping to get my berries thru the fine-mesh strainer faster.

The stick blender was used to pureé the fruit while still in the pot.

The pureéd berries.

The juice will stain out easily, but the fruit pulp is another matter.

It usually takes a good bit of stirring and mashing to push it thru the strainer.

If you're working with a lot of fruit, time is of the essense to get the pureé into a recipe or the freezer.

When I realized the strainer was going to take too long, the pulp went into the refrigerator

while I went to get a food mill. 

This nifty gadget was a big time saver. I highly recommend getting one with legs and sticky feet.

Make sure it comes with at least 3 plates that have different size holes.

I used the plate with the smallest holes for my blackberry pureé.

After all, the whole point was to remove the annoying seeds.

With the food mill, your fresh or defrosted berries can go in whole. Keep a silicone spatula handy.

You'll occasionally need to scrape the pulp off the bottom of the mill into your bowl.



I’m sure you’re asking yourself, “Now that I have all this lovely, seedless pureé, what do I do with it?” Here are a few suggestions: popsicles, blackberry jam, ice cream topping, swirled into a quick bread batter, added to a fruit cobbler (see Peach-Blackberry recipe posted a few months ago), or our personal favorite, blackberry lemonade. You can add the puree to store-bought lemonade or a frozen concentrate if you’re in a hurry. But I highly recommend making the lemonade from scratch when you have the time to juice a few lemons. One of my favorite recipes comes from Southern Living. You can find it here. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-lemonade-10000000456849/ 

If you opt to make blackberry lemonade, do a taste-test after you add the blackberry pureé (1-2 cups).      I can almost guarantee you will want to add some additional sweetner, unless you like to get your pucker on. To avoid having sugar crystals that will never melt, stir in some agave nectar or simple syrup a little at a time until you’re satisfied with the end-product.

In the event you’re a berry-picking maniac too, and have a few pounds of pureé you want to preserve for later, you can freeze it. Divide it into portions that are suitable for your recipes.

The Project Queen

Angus

I guess owning bunnies is addictive, kind of like eating chips. You can’t stop with just one.

After owning Harry Buns for a couple of months, I concluded he’s probably a Lionhead rabbit. Though he does have long hair, he’s going to stay under 5 lbs. and won’t produce as much wool as an Angora. So the search began for a second bunny.

I’m sure I mentioned before that Angora rabbits are difficult to find. That is particularly true around the Houston area. There is one breeder I know of within an hour from where I live. Currently, they don’t have any available rabbits. I kept finding myself coming back to some listings that were in the Dallas area.

A little voice kept whispering to me that picking up a rabbit near Dallas was more than feasible. I had a scheduled trip to South Dakota to help my younger daughter drive her car home for the summer. Like it or not, we usually pass through Dallas on our trips to and from the North. No longer able to withstand the clamoring of my bunny and fiber desires, I sent an inquiry to the seller.

Angus joined our household a month ago. He’s a black English Angora and 3 years old. Right now he’s sporting a summer haircut. But his hair is growing long enough to get a feel for how soft and fine his wool is. I’m dreaming of light-as-air, storm-cloud gray sweaters.

The Project Queen