Cowl gushing

The Bandana Cowls were serious fun. Working with three very different yarns made it extra exciting. Let me gush on the fiber a little, will ya? 

Pictured in the natural oatmeal is the Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky, all alpaca and completely luxurious. Alpaca wool is a very warm fiber and suits the wear of a cowl perfectly as long as you don't mind it being a bit hairy. Ah, a blanket of alpaca? Maybe if I found a pile of alpaca sweaters to unravel at a few bucks each. 

Thanks guys!

The slightly variegated light blue cowl was made with Manos Maxima. This wool is so fine I hardly wanted to move quickly just to savor it's soft feel between my fingers. I've always eyed this gorgeous merino wool at our shop as it lives under warm light and is at eye level when you're standing behind the counter. It is marvelously displayed the way it arrives from Uruguay in loose, bountiful, untwisted hanks, color after slightly and not so slightly variegated color piled atop one another, full like pretty reachable clouds. Here's a post from Leah at Close Knit about the maxima, in case you need more gushy yarn information. I love it in the form of a midwife cowl.

Featured on the fine bearded man is the Cascade 128 Superwash. I think the superwash factor makes the yarn supersoft. This has been one of my go to fibers for baby clothes making. I had some extra and love the color. It makes a very sturdy and warm cowl. This one will go to the one midwife who is a mom. She is most likely to dip it in kid snot or maybe by the end of a week's worth of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches she'll finally look down at her gifted cowl and notice it needs a washing machine wash? Perfect. It looks good on him too. 

Good day!

Clean: free of spoilage, disease, and grime. Clean: Sparkling to the eye, dust free, and fresh to the senses. A little dust dust, sweep, bubbly soap up, rinse away, dry and shine, that's my rhythm. Why do these tasks with harsh smelling chemicals that could hurt my hands or more? Sometimes a little bleach is good but, for weekly cleansings I have some favorites. Here they are!

Many of these oils and cleaning agents have anti-fungal, antimicrobial, and/or antibacterial properties.

Right now my favorite mixture is:

1 c water

1 squirt Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap

2 T or so baking powder

2 drops lemon essential oil

2 drops lavender essential oil

Oh! It smells so good! 

It can take a while to build up a little essential oil collection. There are great resources to help you decide which oils are best for cleaning and of course getting your favorites is important. A nice, cleaning friend and I have plans to do a swap soon, clove for rosemary, mmm. Ah, the pleasures that could be found in cleaning. 

I like this book for essential oil help and combinations:  Thank you for sharing this little charmer with me, cleaning friend!

This book is great for all of your home and garden needs.  It's written by Harriet Fasenfest, a fellow Portlander, and is a fun read that divides the year up by month and then by The Home, The Garden, and The Kitchen. I've really loved having it nearby. She uses fresh lemon for a lot of her cleaning. Duh.

Cheers to fun cleaning!

Our midwives are givers and lovers. They are devoted women. They visit you at home when you need them. They laugh with you about embarrassing things and remind you that birth is a magical, normal part of life. We have been so happy with our three.

Since there's time, since my favorite yarn store is down the road, and since there's no need for a reason: it's cowl making time.

You can always count on The Purl Bee to inspire. This is the free pattern: Isn't it simple and pretty?

Here are the yarns:

 















Here is the food:

 Loving winter

Another way to wait for your baby to arrive

- Midnight super fluffy vegan pancakes -

1 1/2 c flour
3 t baking powder
2 T sugar
1 t salt

1 c milk (any kind will do)
2 t apple cider vinegar
1 T ground flax meal
1 c water
3 T oil (I like olive)
1/2 t vanilla

and oil for frying (we love coconut oil)
*recipe adapted from Isa Chandra from Post Punk Kitchen (thank you!)

-Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in big bowl. In separate, smaller bowl mix milk, vinegar, and flax vigorously until you see bubbles. Make a well in dry ingredients and pour the mock buttermilk in the center. Now add water, oil, and vanilla. Go nuts and add blueberries, cinnamon, coconut, oats, or whatever. I would but tonight I needed plain super fluffy pancakes. Oh man, did I need them. Pour  batter onto a pretty hot, oiled skillet and wait for the bubbles. Flip and wait a little longer. Check your pancakes and keep them warm in the oven while you finish the rest of your meal. 

:his and hers. Goodnight!

A mobile of sorts

I knew our kid needed a mobile, something to lay down and look up at.  The criteria was simple, inexpensive, and thoughtful. So Courtney New and Michelle Iris Latham and a few of her school pals folded us a bounty of beautiful origami cranes. What whimsical little things our little person can look around at. Eventually he or she will move her arms to make them fly and we will hear giggles from the other room. 

This is how: 

The line of cranes are strung with premium clear fishing line and white thread. Kenny suggested crossing a short line in the corner there, to vary the crane placement. I recommend hanging the line first and tying each crane individually so there's no tangling. Each crane was strung by a sewing needle through the back and tied with a simple knot. This is a nice, methodical task to spend time with while you wait patiently for your little one to arrive. 

Cheerio!