freakishlemon

It's no secret that I love food. I love trying new things and attempting new recipes. College has been good for that, even if the recipes and foods are simple and easy to make.

But college is also good for rediscovering foods from your childhood and making them for yourself or sharing them with your friends. My parents recently mailed me a box full of goodies for Halloween and in that box were two bags of fancy trail mix from Target.

Trail mix is one of those snacks that I lived on as a child. I grew up near the Litchfield hills. Every fall my family and friends and I would go camping or hiking. We would visit the local forest ranger and have a chat about the leaves and tapping maples for sap. We'd take day trips out to the local orchards and pick apples and make cider.

There was always some kind of trail mix put out or carried along, and it rarely ever came in a bag. Everyone had their own blend. Some were just different kinds of nuts and seeds, some had dried fruit, and some had candy, but everyone had some. That was just how it is.

Now, the fancy bagged kind is fine and I snacked through it rather quickly, but I wanted to make my own like we used to at home. So I did.







Ingredients:
Raisins
Craisins
Peanuts
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seed
M&Ms
Chocolate Chips

Simply toss those into a plastic bag and mix. Voila. Brilliant trail mix.

Hey all. Since I haven't posted a craft blog in a while, I thought I'd catch you all up on what I've been working on.




The first thing is that I bought new roving at the Goshen Scottish Festival a couple of weeks ago. Huzzah!

I've been slowly getting through some brown roving and I picked up this blue to provide a second ply. I haven't started spinning that yet and I haven't finished enough of the brown to start plying the two together, but I'll get there.






As per usual, I nabbed some handspun wool from The Merry Little Lamb at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire. I've been learning to knit socks and thought I might attempt a pair of kilt hose (the knee high socks you wear with a kilt), but it looks like I don't have enough to do that. So, what you see in the photo above will be dismantled, but I will find a suitably awesome sock pattern to replace it.




I've also started a new afghan. I've been wanting to work on another big project for a while, but I don't have the money to buy all of the supplies. So, in a move to get rid of some of my scrap yarns, I'm making a scrap afghan. This is a very long term project, as I don't intend to buy any new yarn specifically for this blanket.



And this week I'll be putting together a Max (Where the Wild Things Are) costume for Lainey.

So, several exciting things are happening.

1- It's full-fledged fall. Leaves falling, wind blowing fall. Fantastic. Even better than that? We seem to have skipped that awkwardly warm part of fall. The part where it will be fall-like for about half of the day before it turns summery again. The part where you are either over bundled or over exposed and it's impossible to determine whether or not you need a jacket.

2- It's nearing the end of October and Halloween is my favourite holiday. I feel like it's the only holiday with any sort of intrigue or mystery or magic left. And I fucking love dressing up. I've sort of become one of those lame people who is dressed as the same thing every year, but I've put a lot of money and time into that costume and I'm very proud of it. (Even though I'm really excited about making a costume or two for FaerieCon next year.)

3- It's nearing the end of October. November 1st starts NaNoWriMo, which I'm really looking forward to this year. I'm going to starting on time (instead of almost a week late) and I have a general plot in mind for the thing. I'm excited. I might be able to write the kind of novel that I've always wanted to write. Dream come true and all that. Also, I think I'm going to post my chapters here as I finish them. I meant to revise last year's novel and post it for a few folks to read, but I never got around to it.

Those entries will be Friends Only, by the way. So, if you haven't friended me and you want to see them, you best get on that.

4- Over the summer, I started watching a bunch of shows while I was knitting and crocheting. Most of them have started back up again. There will be so much knitting getting done this season because of new episodes of Fringe, Lie to Me, Heroes, Merlin, and the Sarah Jane Adventures. Plus, we have a regeneration coming up in Doctor Who, which I am both excited for and dreading, but we'll pretend I'm just excited for. Add that to the continuing Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood series and the list of finished shows I'm tackling (like Xena), and I've got knit-spiration galore.

5- I can knit socks now. :)

I feel compelled to write a post because I haven't in a while and I have time to kill in the Writing Center.

I also feel compelled to write about a renewal in my faith in the Fae and the continuation of the discussion of myth with Coffey (via assignments, the class is too dumb to understand D:), but I don't think I can make those two things mesh into a coherent entry with the time I have right now.

I could write write about my latest obsessions. I've watched up to mid-season 3 of Xena and being at college hasn't deterred my odd obsession with Welsh history and culture (not really modern culture though, more language than anything else).

And there's really a whole bunch of little things I can talk about, but I don't think any of them with be enough of a subject for one entry. And I don't really want to do a list post.

So, essentially, this is a post about about not knowing what to write. Awesome.

Seriously, how many of these do I post?

More than I should. Merg.

I've recently noticed that I rarely blog about good things that happen, unless I happen to be reviewing them. I don't know why, but I feel less compelled to hammer out one of these posts if it's about something that I actually like. I mean, it's easier to complain about everything, but I've been meaning to write about this weekend and the things I liked about it for the past four days.

Something about that seems not right.

Despite the continuation of the Torchwood fiasco via Lainey's first viewing of CoE, the weekend was a surprisingly enjoyable one. Probably because we were making the conscious effort to distract ourselves from the DRAMAZ and grief.

The good part of the weekend started with tacos, like all good weekends should. We had tried to make tacos earlier in the semester, but were woefully unprepared. This time, we had the meat and seasoning, tortillas, two kinds of cheeses, that weird salsa that comes in a pouch, lettuce... everything you need, really. It was delicious.

We ended the meal with hot chocolate and ice cream. Again, distracting and delicious.

Later on in the night, after much fanfiction and fix-it discussions, we warmed and spiced some cider. Again, distracting and delicious. Even though it hurt to drink because I had in fact been reading fanfic aloud and my throat was a bit raw.

I don't remember exactly how we managed to stay up until four in the morning, but I'm sure there was a lot of ranting.

Anyway, after we got up and made some breakfast Sunday after noon (cinnamon rolls and eggs with some left over Velveeta-chili dip mixed in), Lainey, Lindsay, and I went for a walk around Edgerton Park.

Oddly enough, we'd never walked in the park when the greenhouse was open, but on Sunday the doors were open, so we went in the poke around. The back was also open, and we went for a leisurely stroll in some vegetable gardens. It was pretty wonderful. And we discovered a brilliant picnic spot.

( We also started constructing The Great Wall of Ianto. )

Yes.

I forgot what my initial point was, but I'm sure I had one. Whatevs. I've got Xena episodes to watch. XD

It's time for another Threadbanger Guild post!

This half-month, I'm showcasing TB Guild member Goofipinay, whose Etsy account name is ShilynJoy. She's a self taught sewer and specializes in women's top and dresses, although she's made this really short shorts that I'm rather impressed with.

And not just because I can admire the model in them. If you've ever sewn clothing, you know sewing pants/shorts is really hard. Which my brother learned this summer to some hilarious results.

Anyway, in addition to selling her own handmade wares, she's also helping out a friend by donating a percentage of the proceeds to assist in an upcoming eye surgery.

Please feel free to go ahead and check out her shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6714252

Time for another Threadbanger Guild post. You know, pimpin' out some warez.

Or something. XD

This half-month, I've been assigned the shops of B!0H@z@rd. Or, just so I don't have to type it like that anymore, Biohazard.

Biohazard sells jewelry and clothing/hair accessories on Etsy, makes yarn fall and make up tutorials on YouTube, and is building up her own business over at HazardousCreation.com. Her work is more goth/punk oriented (with lots of skulls, spiders, etc.) than other TB Guild members I've posted about, but everything looks very well made, especially her custom yarn dread falls.

If you want to check out her stuff, head on over to her Etsy page.

Title: When It Becomes Everything
Author: freakishlemon
Rating(s): PG-13
Genre(s): Gen
Pairing(s): Very very brief mentions of Suzie/Owen, Suzie/Jack, Jack/Ianto, Tosh/Owen.
Warning(s): Slight spoilers for non-plot elements of Children of Earth.
Summary: Suzie wondered, not for the first time, if she had finally gone mad...

( When It Becomes Everything )