Good News!

Today we got some good news about the sale of our house. We're not finished yet, but it looks like we are going to be sometime soon! This is such an answer to prayer in so many ways (I think I've probably got a few new readers - so I'll say here that I am a Christian). God is so faithful!

Other happy thoughts:

I just made myself some of my mom's chocolate pudding. This is a great chocolate fix, and a hearty snack when one is facing a few hours of spinning :)

Here's the "secret" family recipe:

• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 c. milk plus 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 c. chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan mix cornstarch and sugar (this will help prevent cornstarch lumps when you add the liquid). Using whisk blend in 2 c. milk. Heat over medium heat. In a separate Pyrex bowl, beat together 1/3 c. milk and egg until thoroughly blended. When the cornstarch mixture is warm (but not boiling) pour some of the cornstarch mixture into the milk/egg mixture, beating constantly with a whisk. Once blended add the milk/egg mixture into the cornstarch mixture and mix together thoroughly. All this blending and heating is the process of "tempering" an egg. This basically lets you mix in the egg and boil it without getting scrambled egg chunks in your pudding. Bring mixture to a boil, mixing regularly. Let boil one minute. It should be nice and thick now. Remove from heat, mix in vanilla, butter and chocolate chips. Enjoy warm, or pour into bowls and chill, your choice. Of course you can leave out the chocolate chips and have a vanilla pudding.

"Fish or Cut Bait" from a fiber sample included with my last Art Club purchase. I named it for the blobs of blue and neon green that reminded me of fishing lures. The chunks made for a cool effect, but the little Ashford orifice had trouble with the additional bulk. Hmmm... a jumbo kit will be a must for my future wheel.

This was my first yarn plied with thread. I was aiming for a crinkle cut look. When plying, I found that it looked more crinkly for me to hold the yarn to the side and let it ply around the thread, rather than the other way around. My concern is that the thick and thin single will slide around on the thread. I need to knit it to see, but I want to pick out a little project first (Ipod cozy?), because otherwise I'll just end up with another swatch. This yarn also made me realize that I need to figure out the difference between woolen and worsted spinning and make sure I can do both, since this technique is supposed to work best with a woolen spun single.

Speaking of handpun, I also made my peace with this:

by turning it into my first top down hat.

First handpun project completed. Score! And I even like the stripes. The hat has chosen Mr. M though. Well, maybe I can borrow it from time to time.

Next up on the wheel: this batt (Sorry for the link, but I can't get a good picture. The most vibrant one on the seller's page is accurate.)

Off to the wheel I go...