Ostara Crown

Finally, a new knitting pattern completed! Enjoy!

Ostara Crown

Braided Cable Headband

image copyright KlingonMom

With Spring approaching, I needed something to welcome the coming renewal, in spite of the snow cover and frigid temperatures.  This baskety woven headband is just the ticket, in a bright spring green, to wear while celebrating the equinox, shoveling snow and planning out this year’s gardening projects.

Materials:

Cascade 220 Citron

Knitting needles size 8/5mm

Cable Needle

Yarn needle

Scissors

Gauge:

6 rows/1 inch

Headband is 21 stitches across and approximately 2.75 inches wide.

Abbreviations:

c6f: slip next three stitches onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next three stitches, knit three stitches from cable needle

c6b: slip next three stitches onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next three stitches, knit three stitches from cable needle

Directions:

Cast on 21 stitches using crochet chain provisional cast on

image copyright KlingonMom

Row 1 [RS]: knit

Row 2 (and all WS rows):[WS] purl

Row 3: k3, c6f 3 times

Row 5: knit

Row 7: c6b 3 times, k3

Row 8: purl

Repeat these eight rows 14 (15) times, then work rows 1-7.

Pick up 21 stitches from provisional cast on and graft the ends together using kitchener stitch.  Like magic, the cable is one continuous braid!

Weave in all ends.

All text and images by KlingonMom/Devana
Do not sell them!  Do not steal them!

Make an Effort Monday!

Betazoid Dad and I have decided to dedicate one day a week to dressing up nicely--to expand our wardrobe horizons and to start off the week at our best. This will be our first week. It's part of a larger campaign I have to refine our wardrobes, mostly pruning for me, and adding a few new things to the mix for Betazoid Dad.  I have been finding my clothes very frustrating lately, since I am still breastfeeding and I still need to wear compatible clothes. I have a whole closet full of adorable dresses that are sadly useless this summer. I also need to make sure my clothes are suitable for crawling around with the Tiny Captain, but I can still make an effort to look more pulled together. 

Ok, well I know that it is technically Tuesday, but I want to share a few thoughts on how our first Fancy Pants Monday went (still undecided on the name).  Betazoid Dad did fine, he normally wears Jeans and a button down to the office, and instead he wore khakis, a button down, and some nicer accessories. A soft start, but it's summer, neither of us like the heat, and we are still working on options for him. I started out in a dark denim pencil skirt, a tunic blouse, and a cardigan, but while I was baby wearing and trying to get Picard to nap, we had a bit of a diaper leak.  Alas.  Also, no pictures, because it was a busy evening and we just wanted to get into our jim jams after baby bedtime. Sorry not sorry. The outfits will be better next week. 

Food Friday

I had a snappy, zippy little post about feeding baby Picard, how awesome it is that he can eat real food, etc., but all was lost due to an irresponsible finger tap.  Quite demoralizing. Instead, here's our lunch for today: 

To make: 

1 cup rice

1 can of salmon

1 carrot

1 green onion

1 egg

Honey mustard dressing

Dried dill

Lemon pepper

Cook rice.  While that is happening, open and drain salmon, peel and grate the carrot, wash and chop the onion.  Scramble the egg and cook into a thin omelet, then slice into thin strips.  When rice is cooked divide it between two bowls and top with salmon, carrot, onion, and egg.  Drizzle with dressing, and sprinkle on dill and lemon pepper to taste.  That's it. 

Takes as long as rice does to cook.  Would be good for leftover salmon, also I would totally use brown rice in the future, I just need to remember to start earlier if I want brown rice for lunch.  

Recipe inspired by Budget Bytes, a website you should totally check out. 

Creating Family Traditions

Betazoid Dad and I are not members of any particular religion. We both come from parents brought up in fairly mainstream, mainline Christian religions.  All of our parents eventually left said churches. When he was a kid, Betazoid Dad attended a very liberal Christian church, I am an unbaptized heathen. But I am also what I consider "culturally Catholic."  My mother's Catholic family definitely left the strongest impression, even a generation removed.

However, as we are going to have a walking, communicating little human on our hands before we know it, we have been talking about how to handle holidays.  Like all self-aware, over-thinking people, we (rather, I) started to consider why we celebrate the holidays we do, and whether or not it is disingenuous to observe religious holidays that we don't believe in.

Hint: it is.

At least, we think that we should be uncomfortable continuing the cycle of ubiquitous Christian holidays.  This evening we talked about alternatives.  Betazoid Dad thought maybe we should just really embrace the patriotic holidays: have a Flag Day feast, observe the heck out of Presidents' Day (Fun fact!  I just looked up "Presidents' Day" to find out what the official placement of the apostrophe is.  The answer is way more complicated than I expected!).  We rejected that idea.

Being interested in religious traditions, as I am, and having delved into Neopaganism in the past, I think that the solution is to celebrate something akin to the "wheel of the year."  If you are unfamiliar with this concept, it's pretty straightforward.  Essentially, it is eight festivals celebrating the Earth's progress and changes throughout the year, celebrating the various deities associated with different times, as appropriate to the observer.  This is, of course, an incredibly simplistic summary.  Other people can explain it far, far better than I can.

So, how is this going to apply to our family?  Honestly, I am not really sure yet.  We will be working hard to create our own practices as Picard grows up. Any suggestions of stories that apply to the various seasons? I have a grand vision of setting up a maypole in our front yard in coming years, though that may be a little ambitious for now.  Definitely a picnic is in the works. 

Does this make us hipsters?  

Cocoa Time

Even though it is starting to warm up, there is still room for hot cocoa of an afternoon.  I like to make my own mix, usually I just mix it by the cup, but it just occurred to me to make a larger batch. Foolishness, I know. 

Klingon Mom's Hot Cocoa Mix

1.5 cups cocoa powder 

1.25 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cayenne pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Transfer into a tightly lidded storage container. 

To serve: mix two tablespoons of hot cocoa mix into hot milk. I like to use a small whisk. 

Savor. 

Hopeful...

He sleeps. In his crib. No swaddle. 

For now. 

Hibernation

If you are in North America, you are likely aware of the outrageous conditions going on right now, especially in the frozen wasteland of Minneaota.  Needless to say, Picard and I are not leaving the house today!  At least, Picard isn't. While I don't enjoy the cold like this, I kind of enjoy puttering around the house.  The perfect day for experimental cooking, tackling the laundry, and getting some knitting done. 

Also snuggling with my napping son.  I think some cookies are definitely happening tonight. Maybe Rosemary Shortbread?  For now, though, definitely snuggling. Picard keeps waking up every time I get up, and I will take any excuse to keep lounging around knitting and listening to NPR.