by Kat | Mar 6, 2008 | General
and by the end of the day it will stand for EMPLOYED! Or at least I hope it will – I know I have a job, but I am waiting for HR to get the paperwork together. Until I have that, I am in a bit of limbo, but that is alright with me.
Yes, that is right – yesterday I went to take my state test and ….. I PASSED! WOOO HOOOO!
It was all in all a very emotionally draining day – I had a funeral to attend in the morning for someone who was just 23 days older than me. We grew up together – his family and my family were close. His mom could easily be my “second mother”. Somedays life makes no sense at all.
So, after that I flew home to change clothes – I had to wear my school “scrubs” to my test and get myself to Grand Rapids to the testing site. I was worried about being there on time, but I made it with a five minute window to spare!! The test is set up in a “hospital” type room set up – and you have a “student actor” and a manikin to perform your selected skills on. There is a dour-faced tester who observes everything that you do. And, this dour-faced tester reads you the test instructions word for word – (ummm, hello, I can read). This always amazes me – you mean that you do not have to read to take this test??? She then reads word for word the skills that have been selected for you to perform. Yeah, well – my student actor was nice and, fortunately, I can talk to anybody – about anything. Even the manikin – yep, I am just chatting away with the manikin as I give her a partial bed bath. And, when I get to her right arm – oops, she is missing it. “Whew, one less thing to wash”, I say – I thought the instructor was going to wet herself she laughed so hard. She then says to me, “I had no idea the manikin was missing an arm”… So, I passed the clinical exam and the written exam!
I felt I deserved a bit of a treat, so I headed off for City Knitting to get some yarn. Okay, I know I don’t need any yarn… but I am taking a dyeing class there on March 15 with Rita Petteys of Yarn Hallow Yarns fame and I needed to get yarn to dye. I am excited to take this class!! Very excited – I did not select any “white” yarns to dye, I picked out more natural shades – some grey laceweight, some pale brown and cream alpaca, and something else that I cannot remember right now. Anyways, my treat for me – just because.
So, when I arrived home last night I was ready to collapse – but I had to run Heidi around to get a few things she needed. But, when I arrived home there was a package waiting for me at the door!
My Spa Swap package had arrived! Renee was my partner for this round of Lynne’s Special Swap and she sent me a package that is sure to energize me!! Renee must be my twin because we sent each other amazingly similar packages!! She sent me some wonderful things! And it all started with a card that she made by hand! She packed in my “Spa Day” package some great Burt’s Bees products! I love Burt’s Bees! My lips, hands, feet, and elbows thank you Renee!! She also sent me some aromatherapy soy candles! I wish you all could have smelled the aroma that wafted out of the package when I opened it – mmmmm, so nice. Another votive candle to add to my “tub collection”. I mean how special is it, gentle readers, to draw a nice hot bubble bath and light a gajillion candles and sit and soak. She tucked into the package a nice little portable journal so I can jot down notes. This I am going to tuck into my spinning bag – and I will start to keep better notes about what fibers I have and what I have spun. She also sent me some dark chocolate truffles… Oh. My. Gosh. Mmmmmmmm. Last, but not least – she sent me some Deram in Color Smooshy in Happy Forest! Now if this stuff does not make you energized, I don’t know what will. Smooshy is truly what this yarn is. My feet will certainly be doing a happy dance with socks knit from this on them. I will have to browse Ravelry and queue something up! And, hopefully I have my May Day Socks done soon so I can start knitting them!! Renee, thank you so much for such a great swap package! It so rocks!! And, thank you to our Swap Mama Lynne for matching me up with such a great partner!
Alright, I had better get off my butt and get something done this morning. Have a good day all!
by Kat | Mar 4, 2008 | General
Hello Everyone! Well, I am knitting and knitting and knitting – and there is a bit of spinning thrown in for balance.
I wanted to show you my Totally Tubular Edge – it is just so cool, dudes! Thank you Ysolda!
As you can see I am working away on Gretel. I am almost done with chart #1 and skein #1. This is a fun knit and great practice for cabling sans cable needle! I am loving this technique! It makes cable knitting so much faster – and there is much less stretching out of the stitches with them hanging on a cable needle. I hope to have this hat finished this week!
Next there is a May Day Sock Sway update. Last time I had told you I had picked the pattern and the yarn. Well, the yarn arrived – STR Mediumweight in Tanzanite. This picture does not do the fiber justice at all – it is a deep, vibrant purple. The pattern I selected is so appropropriate for me to send – after all I live in Holland – Chrissy Gardiner’s Twisted Tulip Socks from the latest IK issue is perfect.
As you can see I have cast on and have about an inch of the cuff done. The pattern is flowing right along. I love how the twisted knit stitches stand out. Those of you who are Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR fans will know that the yarn is perfect – soft and squishy. Perfect for socks for my pal. The chart would be a nightmare to read, but I recently got some highlighter tape – wow, that stuff rocks, gentle reader. Totally rocks!
What else is on my schedule for the day? Well, I have my state test tomorrow for my CNA certification – so I am doing a bit of review today! I also have an orchestra concert to attend tonight – Heidi will be playing. There is spinning tonight as well – let’s all hear it for how to juggle a hectic schedule. I will go to the concert to listen to Heidi play her 3 songs – then head off with Alice in tow to spinning!
Stay tuned tomorrow for an update on how I did. I will also have a big announcement coming soon – a long awaited big announcement.
Have a great Tuesday all.
by Kat | Mar 2, 2008 | General
In my on going effort to learn new things – I am happy to report that I figured out the Tubular Cast-on Friday. There is a most excellent UTube video for help from the amazing Ysolda
With her lilting voice she brings you along with her as she deftly shows you how to do this incredible cast on. As she knits with you, she makes it so much easier than stumbling along on your own.
So, I am well into my cables as I am knitting Gretel. I am certain that I will most definitely get some use out of this hat yet this season – because while it is warm out now – winter is sure to give us a few final blasts before spring ushers him out for good.
And, yesterday I had the most wonderful day – I spent it in Lansing on a Knitting Trip to Selbu with the amazing Terri Shea and her Selbuvotter Mittens. She is a most amazing educator and her knowledge of the history of Selbu knitting makes it so fascinating. I have one mitten completed and I am hoping to get the second cast on tomorrow. It is a quick and fun knit.
One last tale from my Wild and Crazy Adventure to Petosky – we did some shopping in the local consignment shops. Ummm, can you say good deals? Yes, I managed to find a few. And, we filled to large garbage bags with woolen sweaters – stay tuned for some creative genius. Yes, we will be stitching and a felting! Wait until you see….
Have a great Monday everyone!
by Kat | Feb 29, 2008 | General
Or Not All Fast Food Is Created Equal.
Whew, are you caught up from my whirl wind post from yesterday?
Just when you thought you had your feet back on the ground here I come to send it all whirling again!
One of the things we picked up at Kim Clare’s Farm and Woolery was her mom’s cookbook.
Cute, huh? Well – the recipes inside are something to behold. Until Sandy and I had read the cookbook, neither of us was aware that you could stay awake until 2AM reading recipes out loud and laughing hysterically.
I know – who knew!
So, on our 3rd night there – yes, we were only going to say 2 nights – but that class on wet felting allowed us to stay an extra day. Anyways, back to night #3. We had stopped again at the Pellston Market to get some more cheese (a bit of Rogue River Blue and some Triple Cream Brie. Gentle reader, you have not lived until you have had these cheeses with some fig jam on top. Yes, Fig Jam. Oh. My. Gosh. I swear I heard the Hallelujah Chorus being sung by a multitude of the Heavenly host. Honestly.)
Again, I digress…
Back to the Pellston Market. We were waiting for them to shave us off a couple more slices of cheese when what do our wondering eyes behold.
Microwave dinner in the freezer.
Microwave dinner you say?
Let me just tell you, not all Fast Food is created equally.
How does Curried Chicken Breast on a bed of Israeli Couscous with Pernod soaked golden raisins and oven roasted tomatoes sound?
Not like any fast food I have ever eaten.
We had it with a desert mousse – Frozen White Chocolate Towers with a fresh Papaya Puree’.
Are we pitiful or what?
So, we noshed on some cheeses, sipped some wine and while we waited for the microwave to cook our dinner we began to read the recipes from “Louise’s Recipe Collection”. I swear we were not intoxicated – knitter’s honor! But, we could not stop laughing at some of these recipes. If you do not know how to make Finger Jello, email me – the recipe is in here. If you do not know how to make “Fast Salad” (aka, lime jello fluff – you all remember that stuff, cottage cheese, dry jello, Cool Whip, and a canned fruit – our house made it with crushed pineapple) that recipe is in there too. There is a macaroni salad that has 2 cups of mayo, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of vinegar in it – I am not kidding you. I could not make this stuff up if I tried! Under the “Main Dish” section was this little gem – and although it is not really little – I had to share it with you today. Maybe we can start a nationwide shortage of maraschino cherries – Manhattan drinker’s beware!
So, without further adieu – here you go, gentle reader:
Baked Oatmeal:
42 ounce box of Quick Cook Oatmeal (yes, 42 ounces – get the Sam’s Club Special)
2 pounds of brown sugar (you got it, 2 whole pounds – better get that at Sam’s while you are at it)
4 tablespoons of baking soda
4 cups of milk
8 eggs (huh? only 8 eggs – that must be a typo.)
2 cups of melted butter (are your arteries clogging yet????)
2 cups of maraschino cherries (if you drink Manhattan’s you may want to stock up – and if you happen to go the your local market and find no maraschino cherries on the shelves, don’t say I did not warn you)
2 cups of raisins
Mix oatmeal, sugar, soda, raisins and cherries. Beat eggs, milk, and butter together and add to dry ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 2 inch full size pan (huh, I’d say the largest freakin’ pan in your kitchen and hope that it is big enough!!) Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve with milk and bananas.
The author has hand written this note in my book – “for a large crowd“.
I am not kidding you folks – can you see what we spent the evening laughing about? There is one recipe in which you must take the pot of tomato jam and place it on your head, stirring constantly – watch for lumps. How the heck do you see what is inside the pot with it perched upon your head!!!! We almost died on this one. And then there is the recipe for Prefect Poached Eggs – no, not Perfect – Prefect – must be extra special eggs that either Roman Magistrates or Jesuit Priests make. My face hurt we laughed so much – seriously.
So, next time you find me I will be whipping up a batch of Tomato Jam – I’ll be easy to find, look for the girl with the pot on her head.
Just a bit of eye candy to end your day on a more serious note… some yummy Fleece Artist Woolie Silk 3-Ply on the right and Handmaiden Silk Rumple Kid Mohair on the left.
Have a fabulous Friday and get cooking!
by Kat | Feb 28, 2008 | General
It’s been a wild week here at the Home for the Unemployed! Much fun and merriment. Maybe a bit too much fun and merriment as you will see below. So, I have this friend – Sandy has no blog and she recently had surgery, thus having a bit of time off from work. Sandy with no blog does, however, have a lovely cottage up in Alanson Michigan. So, we packed up Copper, Penny, and Alice, a few clothes, some things to knit on and headed north. It was perfect – I was waiting to get my testing number back from the State (this is to take my test for being a nurses aide) and we each had a bit of free time on our hands. We were just going to stay a couple of nights and then back home. A quick trip!
Right… good thought at the start.
Then Decadence showed up.
Who were we to tell her to leave???
So, we began our wee vacation with a small supper at a most amazing restaurant in Petosky – a small, family owned Italian restaurant where the service was divine and the food was beyond decadent. Sandy and I agreed to order different things and split – more to taste right? So, she orders some wild boar – that was falling off the bone, flavored beyond belief and accompanied with some roasted parsnips that were drenched in an herbed butter. I get the home made gnocci with the wild mushroom cream sauce. Okay – truly I could have stopped right there. Truly – but I was afraid to miss out on anything that tasted better than dinner (and the salad – oh. my. gosh.) So, we forged ahead with dessert.
Warning – if you have cholesterol problems you might want to stop reading about now… what follows will be sure to elevate your cholesterol level to beyond dangerous numbers!
So, after we had the richest dinner on earth – we plunged ahead boldly and ordered ….
Fried Cream.
Yes, you read that right – Fried Cream.
Get this, gentle reader, the waiter I wanted to take home with me says this…..
It is amazing… we freeze the cream (whole cream, not half and half, WHOLE CREAM) and cut it into little squares. We lightly roll the frozen pillows of cream in a light, and I mean light, crust and deep fry them for just a few moments until they are a light golden brown. They are served on a bed of melted dark chocolate with a side of pureed apricots. The following words clinched it for me…
“They explode in your mouth”
Sign me up for the exploding cholesterol desert please!
These little pillows of perfection arrived and guess what…
Holy Hannah, they do explode in your mouth. Divine bliss. Oral oversaturation. Sensory overload times ten.
Yeah, we practically licked the plate clean!
Now, we had only had a glass of wine with dinner so when we discovered that this restaurant made their own Lemoncello – we, of course, had to have some.
Wow, lemony freshness, palate cleansing punch in one small sip.
Needless to say, we managed to roll ourselves home to sleep off the eating over indulgence.
Sweet dreams circled around my head and lingered for most of the morning as we headed out to explore for the day.
We stopped in the middle of freaking nowhere to find the Pellston Market, aka Cheese Heaven.
We got a few slices of cheese to have with our dinner that night and found out about a yarn shop enroute to Cynthia’s in Mackinaw City.
Cheeses in tow, we headed out. And, in the distance we saw it…
The Flower Lady’s Farm and Woolery.
The sheep greeted us as we pulled in.
By now, I am almost at combustion point – wool. On Sheep. Sheared from sheep. Wool everywhere.
Yeah. It was incredible.
We loved it at the Woolery so much we went back the next day and took a class…
Wet felting. Baby Slippers.
I present to you – Starry Night. The colors are not fabulous in the bleak West Michigan winter weather – but they are dark brown inside with the most wonderful blue overlay and for added interest, little bits of color.
They are just too sweet. I am excited to give these to my girlfriend who is expecting her second. And – when he cannot wear them any longer – what a great Christmas tree decoration, don’t you think?
Well, lest you think I left any fiber at the Woolery, save what was still attached to the sheep (and I did find out that shearing day was coming soon… ) I did manage to snag a few great items to enhance my fiber stash. I got a wee bit of California Red – gorgeous stuff. And, since the sheep twisted my arm, I had no choice but to grab some. It is creamy, springy, and soft with a faint red hue. I also got a gorgeous batt of some Icelandic that she raises at her farm. But, that was not the big prize of the week… heavens no. Feast your eyes on this….
Okay – what you see here is 8 ounces of Gotland fiber imported directly from England. The smell is incredible. The feel is beyond decadent. And, carded, this stuff makes clouds look harsh. Pillowy, springy, fluff. Begging me to spin it. How could I resist????
We managed to drag ourselves out of there and we headed north a few miles to Mackinaw City to Cynthia’s Yarn Shop. Even in the dead of winter, this is a quaint place to be. I picked up a skein of Fleece Artist – some of their Silky Wool. Nice sheen. We also stopped by Stonehedge Fiber Mill – only in Northern Michigan will they give you an imprompteau tour of the mill. I picked up some gorgeous Pin Drafted Top Merino and some Camel – Merino blend. Just some fun things to spin on my new wheel.
Yes, you read that right. I have a Polish visitor. One Kromski Polonaise visitor. One that I am not going to let leave. Isn’t she gorgeous?
You can see a bobbin with some of that gorgeous Pin Drafted Top Merino on it… and, gentle reader, she spins so divinely. I have been meditating on a name for her – and originally I was leaning towards a name of Polish origin. But, nothing was jumping out at me – she seemed to not be moved by any of them.
Then it hit me… She is a bit of a Bohemian and this so fit…
I found this little treasure …
Meet Mona Aamons Monzano – in memory of Kurt Vonnegut…
And so Mona it is. Mona is hanging on a spire and bringing good vibrations to all that is spun. She is equally a Bohemian – and a busty one at that! Don’t you just love her???? I know I sure do… she is the Spinning Goddess!
So, my friend Sandy is down south now with her husband – and I am sitting for their dog, Katie – and the bell rang yesterday and this giant arrived.
Have you even seen such a decadent flower?
I present one LARGE King Protea in all it’s glory.
Thanks Sandy and Bud, I love it!
Have a fabulous evening all… I am going to go spin a bit more with Mona…
by Kat | Feb 26, 2008 | General
Boy – two days in a row and both of them musical! From ABBA to Bowie (or at least I think that is right!)… that about explains my life in the last 2 days.
Yeah… well, let me catch you all up on what’s up.
Okay – interviewed at the nursing/senior living home – I don’t think they are called “nursing homes” any longer, but the residents need a great amount of assistance with daily living activities. They have offered me a job….
How awesome is that!!!
Well, here is the catch… they view this job as a calling. A calling that only gets 18-20 hours per week, with no benefits, at a wage that is embarrassing… Seriously embarrassing… Below poverty level embarrassing…
The question is, can it be a “calling” if you live in a card board box????
Yeah, exactly what I thought.
Okay… next!
I had a meeting tonight. A meeting where I was asked to help with direction, ideas, new things to do.
So, we (the woman on this committee with me) met and had great discussions. We emailed the person in charge with our volume of ideas (which she never answered). And, I came to the meeting with our thoughts on direction, ideas, and new things to do….
That was all good until they told me this…
No changes!
Say what?????
And, to top that all off – no photos today.
Here is hoping that tomorrow is better.
Until then…
Can I have a table for one please…..
