The Quest for the Perfect Glove, uh, Mitten, uh.... GLITTEN!!

Jude has been asking me to make him a new pair of mittens for a while. The lined ones I made him a couple of years ago have worn out beyond repair (and trust me, they were repaired multiple times before reaching that point), and he is now saying that the shearling leather ones we got him last year are becoming less effective because the fleece is wearing out of the inside. Given that he gets them soaking wet fairly often, the leather has seen better days, too.

So, having finally finished yet another pair of socks that I had had on the needles for the last month, I brought it up with Jude on the weekend. "Are new mittens still a high priority for you?"

Yes, they were, he affirmed. "But could you make something more like a glove? I want to be able to do more stuff with them."

Ah, the perpetual winter problem: how to have the warmth of a mitten with the dexterity of a glove. The traditional solution, a fingerless flip-top glove, has its own problems: when it is -40 outside, you don't want your fingers completely exposed for even the few seconds it takes to dig your keys (or, in Jude's case, something like a book or whatever) out of the snow. Another consideration when knitting handwear is that they need to be lined to be effective the majority of the time in our sub-freezing temperatures.

Eventually, I decided to make a full glove, line it with another full glove knit in a finer-gauge wool sock yarn, and make a flip-top for the fingers for the extra layer of warmth. The yarn was an extra ball of the same camouflage yarn I made Jude's existing hat and scarf from, so it will match. And despite never having made a glove before, I am quite happy with how it is turning out. (Last night I finished the shell for the left hand, and up to the fingers on the shell for the right hand.)

I have also discovered that the shell glove, unlined, fits me perfectly. And it is so pretty and cozy. So, not only do the other two boys want their own pairs, now, but so do I! (But I think I'll find me some pink camo yarn, to make it a little girlier!)

Watch for the pattern to be in my store soon!

Why Should We Buy Organic?

This girl is so adorable, I want to eat her! However, through this video, I learned yet another reason why it is important to buy organic...

Whether you like the application of "organic" as used to denote food that has been naturally raised or not (winking at certain family members of mine), the point remains that how your food is raised affects the food, the environment, and ultimately, you. And sometimes, a simple science experiment is all we need to prove it.

Be well!

Gap-Toothed Boys

Jabin lost another tooth on Tuesday.

Jason took it out with the pliars, which, despite it's hanging-by-a-thread status, was a little traumatic for the boy. He did eventually get over it, though.

And now he and Noah have smiles that almost match!

Lego Troy

It seems like the marketing folks at Lego have been busier than ever these days, licensing and creating characters from all sorts of popular franchises. I should know, since as the mother of three boys, we own sets from Lego Star Wars, Lego Batman, and Lego Alien Nation (or Alien Invaders, or something--not so clear on the last one.) They also, mostly through purchases with their own money (and some generous gifts from the grandparents), own video games of Lego Batman, Lego Star Wars, Lego Star Wars II, Lego Indian Jones, and Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. In fact, unless you have a Lego store near you (or near your brother, who is willing to shop for his nephews! :-D) with those cool "Buy-Lego-bulk bins," it is nigh unto impossible to find a generic Lego set of any sort!

Well, Lego people, you may be raking in the big bucks on your licensing, but here's one you missed when the trend was right: Lego Troy.

Here is an example of the what the set could look like:

However, I recommend making the set larger, or using those little mini-lego guys, since our Trojan Horse was only big enough inside to fit the Lego Batman character The Penguin inside. (His legs are short, so he just squeaked in!) The boys didn't seem to mind, though--they piled Storm Troopers, Robin, and various other miniature men (even a monkey) onto, under, and around the horse.

Jabin was a little fuzzy later on what it was we had actually created, but Noah remembered most of the day's history lesson about the Trojan War. Even I learned something--did you know that after the ten-year war was finally over, Helen actually went back home with Menelaus and "they lived together peacefully for many years?" How would that work, do you think? (Also, Paris died during the war, and she then married Paris' brother--a brother that was left out of the movie, I'm guessing. So, after marrying two other men, she then goes home with her legitimate husband, and they have a peaceful relationship?! I dunno. I really gotta read The Iliad--it's only been on my shelf for ten years!! Ha!)

India, Revisited

I've had a rather long, exhausting, but rewarding day.

Tonight, Amanda had a Jolica Jewellery fundraiser with an Indian theme. The benefit was for a pastor I know in India who runs an orphanage. In keeping with the theme, we went with Indian food as the snacks, which I cooked.

Since visiting India in 2007-2008, I have learned how to cook quite a few Indian dishes. But this is the first time I have made Indian appetizers.

So, I pored over cookbooks and did internet searches, and decided to make vegetable samosas, bhajjia (fritters), cucumber raita and coriander chutney. Everything turned out great, but my inexperience with these dishes meant it all took a LONG time! In fact, I actually started cooking last night, and other than a short trip to town this morning to watch Jude's class lead assembly at school (and run into the grocery store for a few last-minute supplies), managed to cook for most of today, too, guiding my own students through their lessons from my position by the kitchen counter.

The snacks weren't perfect, but they were yummy. There was a great turnout at the party, and the ladies there enjoyed the food (despite it's deep-fried nature) and chai (from scratch), also.

I meant to take photos, as I was rather proud of my made-from-scratch samosas... but I didn't! :-) Oh, well.

Also, I made WAY too many, so I guess I get to take a break from cooking tomorrow! Yay!

And! I even got to wear my sari (a once-every-three-year event these days!)

Happy Wednesday, friends! What have YOU been up to this week?

You Know It's Cold When...

...the plug of your block heater cable snaps off when you try to use it! (Yes, this happened to my poor van this morning!)

I guess we all (and by "we all," I mean everyone living north of the 49th) knew that winter couldn't be confused with spring for all of January. But the sudden transition from +1 last week to -36 this week has been a bit of a shock to more than just my and my van's systems, I'm sure.

As a result, I have been trying to stay close to home. Well, I haven't had to try that hard, actually, as my van was in the shop all weekend, and Jason took it to work today since the heater in his truck didn't seem to be working.

That's the thing about the cold weather--it points out all the issues you didn't know you had with your vehicle.

I know it looks like I haven't been doing any writing lately, but besides getting my family newsletter put together on Friday (which I am part-way through the mail-out process for), I have written four songs in the past week, and I have also been blogging over on my music website. Go check it out at www.talenawinters.com.

Noah is playing "My Favourite Things" on my Yamaha's pre-recorded demoes behind me. I'm pretty sure that there should be a line in that song about "warm, blazing woodstoves!"

It's too cold for this now! The boys were sledding on our dugout during the holidays--it was warm enough to be hatless!

Stay warm, friends!

Where Did They Go?

The holidays, I mean. Jude just finished making his lunch for his first day back tomorrow. Can the holidays have passed already?

The only reason is, along with all that "nothing" that I had on my mental "to do list" (Check!), I also had a few "somethings" that have rather empty-looking checkboxes beside them. Sigh.

I didn't even go near the bathroom with a paintbrush. I didn't write a single note on my musical. And there are several outstanding "tea dates" which never got filled.

However, I did almost finish my year's books. I did get quite a LOT of visiting in with certain friends, including Mark and Colleen, who surprised us by coming down to visit from Yellowknife for about a week over New Year's. (Old friends of ours, as well as the Burdicks.) And I am just about to crack the cover on a "learn-how-to-use-my-recording-software" text that I bought last summer.

So, while I don't feel like the holidays were a loss by any stretch, I just wish I could stretch them out a little longer. By about a week.

Hmm... maybe I will... :-)

Happy New Year!

 

Photo taken today by Colleen.

(If the boys look cold, it's cause they are!)