making vanilla extract

I finally got around to buying some plain vodka to make vanilla extract. My extra vanilla beans from the vanilla syrup project were going bad, so I ordered more from the same seller.



Vanilla extract is so simple to make. I cut the beans lengthwise (leaving the top and bottom attached), put a handful of these cut beans in jars, then filled the jars with vodka. I keep them in a dark cabinet, and every now and then I give them a shake.



Here they are just five days later.

I'm thinking of letting these steep until the winter holidays. Might make for interesting homemade presents.

garden dreams

We're moving at the end of this month into a bottom-floor apartment. Our new place is in a triplex on a residential street. I have been given permission by the owner to garden to my heart's content. And so I shall.

I will start with herbs in containers. Baby steps. At some point, probably not until the summer, I will build a simple raised bed outside. It might not happen this year, but I have dreams of small theme beds. Can you guess what theme I'm going for here?

purple peacock broccoli	royal burgundy bush beans
spanish roja garlic	deep purple carrot

My favorite place to look for seeds is the Territorial Seed Company. The images above are from their online catalog. The links will take you there.

two sweaters

Last month I started knitting two sweaters. I know what you're thinking. Isn't knitting one sweater hard enough? But the sweaters are so very different, and let me exercise different parts of my knitting brain. So some days I work more on my February Lady Sweater, and others I work more on Joe's tree sweater. And some days I don't pick up either sweater.

The February Lady Sweater is knit from the top down. The top portion is rather plain, but taught me how to do raglan shaping. I'm now on the bottom part, which is a 4-row repeat of the gull lace pattern. My Ravelry notes here.



Joe's tree sweater is a seamless hybrid sweater from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears book. The tree part of his tree sweater is an intricate, cabled tree that I am attempting on the front of his sweater. His sweater is knit from the bottom up, so I am currently working on the roots section of the tree.



I hope to have the February Lady Sweater finished by summer, since it'll be a light and airy sweater. Joe's sweater will hopefully be complete by his birthday in September. Although, they both very well might take me a good deal longer. I've been known to stretch a project out for years.

What crafts are keeping you busy this Spring?

spice jars

My spice jars needed some help. I've collected all sorts of spice jars over the years. At this point I always refill them with bulk spices, so I'd never get the chance to stick to a certain brand.


After shopping around online to get an idea of my options, I went to IKEA and bought a bunch of their droppar spice jars. I fiddled with some printable mailing label sheets I had on hand and made some labels.


They are sort-of color-coded to match what's inside.


Mostly I just wanted some variety.


I love that they all match, and that I can easily tell which spices are running low. Once we move to our new apartment at the end of March, I'll pick up a spice rack for the wall to keep them together. For now they'll go into a storage bin.

remembering Tigerlily

It's been over a month, and I can't avoid this place or this subject any longer.



This adorable orange cat is no longer with us. She went to sleep for the last time on January 7th after struggling with cancer.



We will always remember her love for all things paper.



Her curiosity.



Her ability to quickly change an already awkward napping situation...



...into an increasingly precarious, and still awkward, napping situation.



No matter what we were doing, she wanted to be close by. At only 7 lbs she was a tiny cat, and she took advantage of her small size to squeeze into small places.



She loved to ride around on our shoulders like a parrot, or a monkey.



And she never missed an opportunity to sit inside of something. Whether that was an empty plant pot...



...or the empty clothes dryer.



I miss that silly little cat more than I can explain. Her absence is felt every day. I am thankful for all the pictures we have of her, and the memories that they evoke.



I will miss napping with her. Finding her cuddling with me under the covers. Discovering that a stack of newly-washed cloth placemats have been taken over by my furry friend. Finding her hidden in freshly-washed sheets that wait for folding. Seeing her face as she greets me at the door. Hearing the ridiculous "meh" noises that she made (no nice kitty meows from her). Watching her dunk a toy in water and then bring it to me to throw. The way she learned to resist the temptation to play with my knitting needles, because she'd rather nap on my lap.

I could not watch you suffer,

I could not see you in pain.

Because I loved you,

I had to let you go.

Now you are free.

Your body is no longer sick,

weak, and hurting.

You have crossed over,

into the spirit realm.

May you walk with Bast,

and I will see you again some day.

You will live forever in my heart.

my Christmas

My Christmas break was filled with baking,




little ones,




and playing games.


All while surrounded by family.

roasting a pumpkin

I've recently realized that many people I talk to have never roasted a pumpkin before. While I certainly appreciate the convenience and flexibility of canned pumpkin, I think that using fresh pumpkin is something that everyone should at least try once. I remember thinking that it must be the hardest thing in the world - turning a hard vegetable like squash into that smooth puree for pies. Once I tried it I realized how easy it really is.


Start with a pie pumpkin (or sugar pumpkin, as they are sometimes called). The only grocery store I can always count on to carry these around here is Trader Joe's. Safeway, Albertsons and the like seem to only carry other varieties of winter squash. Don't forget your local farmer's market.


Remove the stem, cut in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits (clean and roast the seeds if you like).


Having an orange cat around as "helper" is entirely optional.


Some people like to put their pumpkin halves cut-side down. I prefer cut-side up, so they don't stick to the foil.


After roasting at 350 degrees for an hour or so, they should be easily pierced with a fork. The time really does vary, so check and adjust.


It's best to let them sit for awhile, to prevent burning your fingers as you handle them, and then scoop out the flesh from the skins.


A quick pulse in the food processor turns it from this...


... into this. A smooth puree ready for pie, cookies, or whatever else you like to make with pumpkin.

One trick I learned for dealing with leftover pumpkin puree - measure 1-cup amounts into a sandwich size Ziploc. Smooth flat and lay in the freezer. Next time you need a cup of pumpkin puree just take out a bag and let it defrost on the counter.