Should Be Knitting

1880’s Woman’s Chemise- Modern Day remake

I’ve always been a sucker for historical costumes. Lately though I’ve taken this history obsession to a whole new level thanks to Becca. Insert a bit of back and forth and I decided to make myself up a Victorian dress. Along with this I’m also in the process of refurbishing a bunch of men’s dress shirts I bought last fall at a bag sale. So when it came time to start my dress I went in search of a pattern I could use both for that project and as part of my daily wardrobe/clothing recycling. I ended up with this.

I started off by drawing out the pattern provided and resizing it, then I ripped apart my chosen shirt at the seams, traced out my pattern, cut and stitched. To make the best use of space I laid out my pieces as below.

For the most part I followed the pattern as laid out. I did add two pleats at the back under the row of buttons (as seen below…with one side finished), I did place the sleeve lower than suggested, and I used straight bands for the edging as that was all I had left..

Album- Larkin Poe EP

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::Larkin Poe:: Larkin Poe (EP)
Twitter // YouTube // Website // Facebook

About the Album: This is the first album from part of what was originally The Lovell Sisters. The album’s comprised of a wonderful mix of contemporary americana, folk, and bluegrass to present a heartwarming commentary on life’s ups and downs. Full tracks of all the songs can be found on their site (linked above). For each song I mention specifically I tried to link to a full length video of the song (either the official video or a live taping).

First Encounter: Mention of the Lovell Sisters have been seeping into my life over the last couple of months. I finally took a serious listen a couple of weeks ago and fell in love. If their awesome wardrobe and obviously sincerity weren’t enough their music’s everything I look for in a good americana group

Favorite Songs: I’ve made no comments on the instrumentation, melody of the songs as I feel I’d be repeating myself with a lot of ‘awesome, refreshing, catchy’

Long Hard Fall- This song could be my theme song. It’s an upbeat retelling of the classic life beats you up but with an optimistic spin: be open-minded, don’t let people stomp on you, and appreciate the little things.

We Intertwine- This song gives me the warm and fuzzies up until the point it gets stuck in my head and then I’m bopping around in a full blown gleefest.

Shadows of Ourselves- The best sort of love story, that sort of broken, yearning, joy.

Least Favorites:
I always find this to be an unpleasant task but in this case it’s near impossible. All the songs on the album are equally solid, each with their own unique aspects. They vary greatly but as a whole mesh perfectly.

Favorite Lyrics:
There is room around my table for the open hearted the steady and unstable and we know we can catch, those below prepare to catch cuz it’s a long hard fall from here. -We Intertwine

And when my heart can beat no more I hope I die for all the good that’s left in this world, and when my body gives out I hope you find out just what this whole life was for. -We Intertwine

Other Songs: They’re on my to do list, so none as of yet, but if you’re interested you can check out the Lovell Sisters website.

From Scratch— Chicken Stock

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Making your own stock is a beautiful thing. For one, anyone who’s had anything fresh from the garden knows it hardly compares to what you could buy in the store. Stock is the same way. Add to that the fact that you can make your own stock from items you already have and items you’d normally discard: onion skins, carrot tops and peels, bits of discarded celery (I’ve made a habit of freezing these as I go along so they’re ready when I need them), and if you’re making chicken stock the carcass left over from the roaster you bought or that big dinner you had the other day. Other than that you need a large soup pot, some water, a strainer, and a stove. Easy.
For chicken stock set aside any remaining meat, break up the carcass and add it to the pot, for vegetable stock skip this step, then add the vegetable bits you’ve saved to the pot as well. Cover with water. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Leave uncovered at a simmer for several hours, occasionally straining off any film that forms along the top.
When the stock has reached the desired consistency (generally you want it a bit more compact if freezing/storing to save space) remove from heat and strain the contents of the pot. I like to add a layer of cheese cloth or a paper towel to the bottom of the strainer if I used carrot tops in my mix as they tend to produce more sediment within the stock.
Once strained allowed to cool a bit, enjoy or store as desired.

Wordless Wednesday- March 24th

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Wordless Wednesday Meme

How not to Soak your beans

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Last week I put some beans in the fridge to soak overnight to facilitate their cooking. I came back the next day and found them frozen in the bowl. Getting them out proved easy enough, even still I think next time I’ll be checking the refrigerator temperature from the start,

Knitting: A Novel (Anne Bartlett)

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I loved this book beyond what’s normal. It’s hysterically funny, heartfelt, and the characters are weird just like me (yes, I did just admit that). The writing was smooth and descriptive, capturing both character quirks and the essence of the craft itself. I’d love to sit here and tell you exactly what it is about this book that is so awesome, but as the book does that by itself, here’s a couple of quotes:

There was a sniff from Martha's chair, and then another.
Martha was crying, her face heavy with tears, a large hankie held to her nose. Her shoulders were shaking. The other three looked at each other in consternation. Martha kept crying, quietly and thoroughly, then put her head down on the arm of her padded chair and began to sob loudly, with small cries of pain that increased in volume as time went on. Wailing, thought Sandra. Martha is wailing.
"Martha," said Sandra, "whatever's the matter?"
More sobs.
"Did I say something to upset you?" Sandara was quickly reviewing her one story, and Martha's. Was Martha unstable? Had she said too much? Sandra looked at Kate and Tony, then got out of her chair and went to kneel by Martha, putting a tentative hand on her shoulder.
"Martha? Are you all right?"
"I'm all right," said Martha, looking Sanra full in the face. They searched each other's eyes. Martha's face was read and blubbery like a child's. "I'm all right," she repeated. "It's you I'm crying for Sandra." She swiped at her running nose. "Because you can't. You don't know how."

"You really are weird, Martha," said Sandra, then bit her tongue.
"Yes," said Martha cheerfully. "Just like you." She turned to look at Sandra. "Only your trouble is you don't know how to enjoy it."

Cliff didn't know which he liked better, the clinging stretch of bright red or the tease of buttons. Not that Martha would ever give him the chance, but she couldn't stop him from thinking about it, no harm in that. (...) Now Sandra was another matter. If you even thought about stretching out a finger to Sandra, she would bite it off. Besides, she probably wore a bulletproof vest.