Road Trip ~ uh-hmmm ~ Mini Adventure!




Have you ever driven the same route a million times and wanted to pull over and explore a sweet cafe or shop on the way, but never had the time? Well, this trip my friend Penny and I decided to make it a little adventure and visit willy-nilly, wherever our hearts desired.

Our first spot was the Rustic Skillet on the McKenzie Highway. Our waitress was cheery and full of great suggestions. I don't know if it was the fact that I've not had bread or cheese for a while, but their tuna melt on rye was perfection and hit the spot. Then we shared a slice of warm berry pie a la mode, and that sent us both into oohs and ahhhs.

Next stop, downtown Eugene and my favorite shop there, Passionflower. As always, chocked full of beautiful things, pretty flowers, an eclectic mix to say the least. But I found my treasures next door at the Pewter Rabbit Antiques.




I found this very unique, leather, needle case, made in England. I've been searching for a needle case to keep my needles organized. Now, instead of searching through my pin cushion for just what I need, it will be ready and waiting, nestled in its own little spot. 




I spied the colors in this fabric from across the store. They drew me in and took my breath away. When I opened it up and saw the design and handwork, I knew this lovely was coming home with me. Crewel work is one of my favorites, and I adore botanicals done in an earthy way. This will be an exceptional focal point for my very large, blank wall. The wall has been empty since we moved in, TEN years ago. This piece will be just the incentive I need to get busy and finally finish off the front room.

Our adventure continued on our ride home the next day, for one last stop, at the Belknap Hot Springs. Oh, my, pure indulgence dipping into the 104 degree pool. The natural hot spring water is continually pumped in and cooled to the perfect temperature for dipping, swimming, relaxing, languishing. I could have stayed all day! But families and home were calling, so we contentedly ambled back to the car and continued on our way.

It's so fun going on a mini adventure with a friend. I wonder what we'll get up to next time????




Bruscandoli (Hop shoots)






                                                    

For just a very short period of time, you can gather the tender, young hop shoots, and make a delicious meal of them. I almost missed my window this year, but luckily caught some just in time. Harvest only the very tender ends, about 10-12". If you go beyond that, they are woody and tough, and not fit to eat. Harvesting by hand makes it easier to tell just where they snap off easily. If you have to finagle it, you've gone too far into the tough part. 







I have a couple hop plants in my backyard. I adore the way they clamber all over my fence and create a wall of lush green in summer. By the end of the season the hop flowers or cones come out, spilling everywhere. I leave some of the dried cones on the fence, because in wintertime they catch the snow and remind me of lace.

Last year I made a wreath out of the fresh cones, and it's still on my front door. It's faded now, but I've enjoyed keeping a bit of summer around throughout the year. I'll probably make another wreath in September. If so, I'll post directions so you can make one of your own if you like.




This year I decided to add anchovies to my hop tips, because I love anchovies, and because it was Mother's Day, and I was the only Mother around, I made them just how I wanted!



I put about a tablespoon of coconut oil in a heated wok, then added a couple cloves of chopped garlic. Cook for about 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant, then add your chopped hop shoots. Stir fry for a couple minutes, then add 5-6 chopped anchovy fillets, about a tablespoon of lemon vinegar, salt and pepper. Smoosh the anchovies into the liquid to make sort of a paste and stir into the shoots. Then I added about a half pint of halved cherry tomatoes. Because the skins were so thick and tough, when the tomatoes were cooked enough, I pinched the skins off and discarded them. 

I hope if you have the opportunity to try hop shoots some time, you'll do so. They are delicious, and reminiscent of asparagus.

Buon Appetito!


Felted dryer balls




Our neighborhood "creativity club" was winding down from an afternoon of crafting when someone asked what our next project was. "Felted dryer balls." Felted dryer balls? Yes. They're made by felting wool roving and yarn into a ball. You put about five in the dryer with your wet clothes, and they help fluff the clothes, which makes them dry faster (saving money); they cut down on static cling, so no need for dryer sheets (saving money & waste); plus you can add your choice of essential oil onto it to make everything smell nice (ahhhhh); and they are very pretty and fun to make (bonus) A perfect use for scraps from old felting projects, odd bits of wool yarn, and old thrift store woolen sweaters and jackets.

My friend forwarded me an excerpt from the Home and Family show explaining the process. It's a pretty good video and not too long, so I'm linking it here. After trying their method, I tweaked a few things, and this is what I learned.

I like using less than the 2 ounces recommended of wool roving. Unless you prefer grapefruit-sized dryer balls, about 1.5 ounces or so is good.

Instead of using only wool roving, I used some scraps of felted wool sweaters leftover from previous projects. This worked well. I just wadded the scraps into a small ball and wrapped them in roving, and then in some wool yarn to secure the ball.



        I also had some old wool jackets and sweaters that I had already felted. I cut a segment, like a sleeve, into a long "ribbon" about 3/4 to 1" wide. You can cut a continuous ribbon by starting on the outside edge and cutting around and around and around, coiling closer and closer together. I then wrapped the ribbon into a ball, winding it around and around itself. This I used as a core, that I then wrapped with roving and yarn, or in some cases just yarn.



       Note that the wool I used that was already felted did not felt together any more, and needed a complete   layer of roving and yarn or just yarn around it to keep it together. Yes, I tried making one with only a little  yarn holding it together, and bits of the “ribbon” waggled out all over the place.


5      I needed to wash and dry the balls at least twice for good felting.

6     Make sure your nylon stocking ends are tied securely, else your nice little ball might escape and completely unravel. If this happens, you can reuse the wool ribbon and just start over.

        I had some roving and yarn that was a wool and mohair mix. The mohair REALLY felted into the nylon stocking, making it very time consuming and fiddly work trying to get the nylon off of the dryer ball ~ UGH.

        All in all I made five sets of felted dryer balls, two for birthday gifts, one Mother’s Day gift, one for my Sweet Girl, and one for myself. I added a bottle of essential oil and wrapped each set in a stenciled hemp sack.





Alabama Chanin at the Edible Schoolyard

April 29, 2014

I've just returned from a weekend in Berkeley, CA, where I attended a fabulous one-day Alabama Chanin workshop at the Edible Schoolyard. I first read about the Edible Schoolyard over a decade ago, and was so excited to finally see the facilities and tour the gardens. Even though it was a Saturday, the grounds were teaming with students with friends and family. Alice Waters started this worthwhile project 17 years ago. It's really a fascinating story. Please click here for the full scoop.

My main focus for the trip, though, was to attend Natalie's workshop. Alabama Chanin was founded by Natalie Chanin. I've been completely enchanted since the first time I picked up one of Natalie's books, "Alabama Stitch Book". The hand sewn garments are so beautiful, useful, and are really comfortable. Then looking over their website I discovered their company philosophies were completely in sync with my own. Their use of organic cotton, mostly grown in the US; local US talent for sewing their garments; age-old techniques in a fresh, new way; near zero waste in their production practices; and slow design have had me hooked ever since.

I've been to Florence, Alabama to attend classes at "The Factory", but this was my first workshop outside of Alabama. I love going to Alabama. I clearly see why the phrase "Southern Hospitality" was coined. The whole experience there is just out of this world. Happily, I can report that the vibe was just as amazing in Berkeley. There is a wonderful synergy when all of us women get together and do what we love to do. There was laughter, new friends made, old friends reunited, great food, fellowship, even some tears, tears of joy and gratitude that is.



A huge bonus was meeting up with Sunne Meyer. She's also becoming a certified Alabama Chanin instructor like myself. We met at the week long workshop last November. AND another of our classmates surprised us by attending, Kate! All that AND getting to spend time with Natalie ~ my heart was brimming.



Kate, Natalie, Sunne & I in Berkeley at the Edible Schoolyard
(photos via Sunne Meyer)

I also got to meet Kristine Vejar from A Verb for Keeping Warm. I've been following her blog and have admired her philosophies for years. I visited her store in Oakland, and what a treat that was. Go here and see what they're all about. You won't be disappointed.

A little family reunion with my cousin whom I hadn't seen in years, rounded out this weekend to perfection.

One thing Natalie touched upon was mind mapping, FMRI, and how doing things like sewing, knitting, cooking, domestic making create the same type of brain waves that Buddhist monks create while meditating. Hmmmm, I think I'll grab my skirt project and go "meditate" for a while.