Moving towards self sufficiency ...

As the world gets more and more uncertain/chaotic, I find myself moving towards self sufficiency. More specifically, making/baking/preparing my own foods. I don't have space for a garden... yet ... but I can see that materializing in the near future ;) Until then, I can consume foods that are minimally processed.

I've been making my own pasta for over 15 years (I'm dating myself here! LOL). It's easy and so delicious ...  well worth the effort. I had tried to dry pasta, once, for future use ... it was a complete failure. It looked grayish and unappetizing. 

I recently became aware of my mistake, I used an egg & flour based recipe, which is not meant to be dried, but consumed within a short period of time. If you want to dry pasta, one needs to use a semolina & water base recipe.  BTW, if you are going to make shaped pasta, a semolina water dough is the one to use. It will hold your shape while the egg flour dough will not.

Armed with this new knowledge, I bought myself a dehydrator ... The Magic Mill Premium Food Dehydrator Machine. 

OMG, I love it. I always thought dehydrators were noisy but ... I was wrong. This one is quiet. Goes to show you that you get what you pay for ;).

I used it for the first time to make bread crumbs. I use the end of my sourdough bread. BTW, sourdough bread crumbs add a lovely flavour to your goods. I found the bread crumbs texture made in the dehydrator much better than in the stove. 

Next, I attempted to make dry pasta. I have the kitchen Aid attachment that's been sitting in my pantry for quite some time. I hadn't had any success until now.

 

One recipe gave me quite a batch ... multiple drying trays full.

I have not mastered, consistently, the fusilli pasta shape, but that will come. It's good enough for now. 

Another useful tip I learned ... when using fresh pasta, you need to add lots of salt and that because it has a short cooking time. Unlike dried pasta, which cooks for a longer period of time, less salt is needed.

I found this tutorial from Helen Rennie quite informative.

I've enjoyed watching her various vlogs.

In my search for proper instructions on dehydrating a variety of foods, I leafed through numerous books. I found this book  The Beginner's Guide to Dehydrating Food by Teresa Marrone to be the best. This is a how to guide, with temperature and time for most foods.

Most of the books I had looked at were focused on recipes .... I wanted instructions, a how to guide. So, if you are looking for a recipe book, this is not the one for you. She does have a section with recipes but minimal .... the bulk of the book is instructive. A great book to add to your collection.

On a sock kick ....

I have been wanting to create a wardrobe of mainly hand made clothing. The intention came to me while I was watching a vlog by Sandra Karls. 

Right now, I seem to be on a sock kick. It must be the subscription to the SockSquad2026 ;).

While waiting for the monthly yarn to come in, I worked on the following pair of socks.

I used my tried and true Vanilla sock pattern. For a patterned yarn, I find it works best to keep it plain.

I love how this is turning out.

I went for a purple heel, a yarn I received from my amazing and generous Aussie friend Cheryl. Worked beautifully with the patterned yarn.

Voila! A finished pair!

And managed to complete this pair of vanilla socks. Yarn Trekking (XXL), a German yarn sent to me by my Aussie friend Cheryl. It is 75% New Wool and 25% Nylon.

Slowing working through that sock stash yarn ....Thanks it for now. Cheers!

Creating away ....

I have been enjoying some quiet time ... alone .... attempting to hang on to my peace. Although I am at a crossroads in my life ... the quiet feeds my soul. 

I have some news to share and I do hope you are sitting down for this .... 

I did manage to get some piecing done .... I actually sat down and spent time with old Berni ...

It had been so long since I've actually quilted. I pulled out an old UFO from way back ... March 2017. The project has been kept neatly organized, waiting for me to pick it up again.

I had cut 5,070 pieces of fabrics for a flying geese quilt. It was imperative that I keep this organized. I'm using 1930's reproduction fabrics. I love feedbacks! 

I am at the last 100 flying geese to piece, then trimming ... onward to piecing. I am thinking that I may need to make it bigger. It would barely fit a queen size bed. I'm not looking for a long overhang, but a bit more would be nice. The quilt has no borders, and I like it that way.

That's it for now. May your world be bright and creative ... Catch you all later! Cheers!

What's up?!

 Not much is going on at the moment. Attempting to keep with my my morning ritual of reading at least an hour. Aside from that ... same old same old.

On the Sock Squad 2026 front. I did finish the February pair of sock. They are blocked and ready to wear!

The March yarn was sent but I was not inspired. I love brown but just didn't have a pattern in mind.

April selection also came in ... still didn't have anything in mind.

So .... I've been knitting socks from my stash of sock yarn.  More later

Thanks for stopping by ... Cheers!

On the knitting front ....

I'm determined to keep up to date with my monthly Sock Squad group. I managed to finish the February pair of sock. 

This is my own pattern. Vanilla socks seems to be my go to personal pattern. I do add a bit of variation ... like this pair.

I also finished my Shepherd Socks. This time I used smaller needles and they fit much better.

When I knit colour work on socks, I like to use Addi Flexiflips needles.

They have a flexible center making it easier to carry the yarn, not to mention that you're working with three (3) needles. 

Thanks for stopping by. Catch you all later. Cheers

Sock knitting

I received my February yarn from The Farmers Daughter Fibers for the Sock Squad program. The yarn, Bighorn Sock yarn in a burgundy colour. I love the color and the way it feels. Although I get a mini skein, I will not be using it for this pattern.

I have one (1) sock knitted. This is my own pattern. I like simple socks, for now anyway.

I use markers to keep count of the rows. This way my sock end up being the same. The other pair is almost all done ... but I need a variety break so ...

I started a new pair of socks. lol The pattern is called Shepherd Socks by Patricia Anne Fortune. 

I'm using FlexiFlips double point 8" Addi needles in 2.00mm size. I like using these needles for color work on small projects. I'm using Rauma Garn, 2 tråds Gammelserie in the color light Grey (colour 403) and black. I like that yarn. I have one sock done!

This is my second pair. I knitted the first pair using 2.50mm needles and I like the pair using the 2.00mm needles much better. They fit better too. 

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of cyberspace. Take care ... Namaste!

Sock Squad January 2026

This year, I decided to join a monthly sock club from The Farmers Daughter Fibers called 2026 Sock Squad. Each month I receive two (2) skeins of yarn, a full skein and a mini skein with pattern suggestions. I thought it would be a great way for me to keep to a routine.  

The January selection came with a lovely journal.

The journal will allow me to keep a record of my knitting journey. As you can see I like to keep the yarn label. Labels on skeins of yarn can be so lovely, and creative, making them worthwhile to keep! 

For this first yarn, I did a swatch to see what needles would work best. My go to is 2.50mm. When it comes to socks, it is always best to have a tight knit .... they just wear better. For the swatch I used 2.00mm and 2.25mm.

Although I didn't see much difference between the two, I decided to knit this pair of socks using the 2.00mm needles. 

The pattern I'm using is of my own creation. A simple vanilla sock pattern. 

After knitting numerous pairs of socks, I know how many stitches I need for my size. Despite going down in needle size, it did not effect the stitch count. 

Voila! A pair of socks!

Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

Hanging on my peace ....

Not sure about you all .... but I'm feeling quite stressed ... for quite some time. Not sure how long I can be in survival mode .... all of these stressful hormones going through my body .... not healthy!

Knitting and quilting is my go to for peace. However, lately it's been more knitting. I think because it's easier to pick up and sit there in quiet and peace. I've made my home a serene place to be. I think that's what has been keeping me sane.

So I started a new knitting project .... sure I could put the finishing touch on uncompleted project(s) ... but let's get real here! LOL 

The pattern is called Silversong Sweater by Sanna Vaara (available on Ravelry). I fell in love with this pattern.  I wanted a bulky sweater to wear and her pattern was perfect.

I'm using Lettlopi an Icelandic yarn that I just love. It's what I would call a potato chippy kind of pattern. I'm having a difficult time putting it down.

The pattern designer also has a wonderful youtube channel, Sanna Vaara - YouTube, that I would recommend. 

I do hope that you are finding a way to hang on to your peace. Sending you a cyber hug!

Routines sets life in motion .....

Since finishing graduate school, I've been struggling with establishing a personal life routine. For the past three years my time was spent between full-time work and school (and the hospital ... being there for my mom). Now that I have so much free time on my hand, I am doing practically nothing. I just sort of got comfortable and sat there .... basically hanging on to my peace. Sometimes I would be knitting and once, I even worked on a quilting UFO. I became comfortable ... much too comfortable. Something needed to be done .... comfort does not lead to growth. 

With the start of the new year, I wanted to establish a routine that would not only allow me to grow, but to feel a sense of accomplishment. I've now made it a point to read at least one (1) hour a day. It is non negotiable. I love to read and have lots of books waiting for me to finish. 

On the knitting front, I have been trying to use yarn that is in my stash. It was never my intention to have a yarn stash but somehow it just sort of happened. I knitted a head band ... the pattern is called Hiedra headband by Fiber Tales (Laerke) ... I love her patterns. I used Sonder Yarn Co, Sunday Morning 4-ply in the colour Hydrate, held double.

When you've knitted the desire size, which took me a few tries, you add the finishing touch, a braid.

I like the way the pattern designer puts an added touch to the work.  It's an easy pattern to follow and great for left over yarn.

Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

decluttering ... life .....

Today, I seem to be in a decluttering .... cleaning mood. I think it is part of all the changes that are/will be taking place in my life. I'm in the mood to get rid of stuff I no longer need or want .... I'll take the mood and run with it!

I tackled the paper drawer ... a drawer that consumes all the papers and cards I do not want to make decisions about. Nothing important .... just lots of memories in that drawer. I usually clean it out once a year, getting rid of stuff I don't want and putting the stuff I do, back in that drawer for later organizing .... you know how that goes. I found a memory in there that made me tear up. Yes, I'm feeling nostalgic LOL

A while back, I was asked to present at a wedding of two people that are extremely special to me. I decided to read a passage from a book I read many many many moons ago (1984) .... The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach. The passage stills resonates with me and I would like to share it with you. 

A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys,

and keys to fit our locks.

When we feel safe enough to open the locks,

our truest selves step out

and we can be completely and honestly who we are;

we can be loved for who we are 

and not for who we're pretending to be.

Each unveils the best part of the other.

No matter what else goes wrong around us,

with that one person we're safe in our own paradise.

Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longing,

our sense of direction.

When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up,

chances are we've found the right person.

Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life. (p.388)

I would add the following ... who we're pretending to be .... or who the other wants us to be.

It is my hope that you have that special someone in your life, that someone that allows you the space to be your authentic self. It is truly a blessing. 

Thanks for stopping by my little space in the cyberworld. Namaste

Not much to report ....!

I've been quiet .... not just in blogland. Lots of personal changes are coming my way for 2026. Although they are all positive .... it is still somewhat uncomfortable. 

Last August I took a month off to process my life ... and to grieve. The funny thing about grief is that it has its own time line ... it cannot be rushed. 

I enjoyed my time away ... immensely ... off grid  .... I had the privilege of watching many stunning sun sets. I love Newfoundland, Canada.

My walk, on my way to observe the beauty of this beautiful planet I call home.

Feeling a sense of peace and serenity ... 

Stillness ... such a blessing .... sacred

I long for a sense of normalcy .... a sense of peace. 

Thank you for stopping by my little place in cyberspace. Namaste <3

Happy 2026!

 May the New Year bring peace, health, joy and prosperity.