Yarn along and where I've been

I've been wanting to join in on Ginny's yarn along and finally got out my camera, took a photo and joined in!

I am so in love with this afghan with which I am nearly done! I found out about it from Heather/The Good Life in her post here. I just love the colors she is using and decided to do one in similar colors. The pattern came from Bella Dia. I am not including the link because it isn't working to directly link to it. Instead, I have to go to Swagbucks and enter the words "vintage vertical stripe crochet afghan" and it is one of the first entries to come up. I don't know why her direct link won't work.

I had lots of difficulty doing the ends of the rows as the pattern stated. So I finally started doing them the way I know how to do ends of rows. I do double crochet in each space across to the end, chain 2 then turn. I then begin dc in the very first space. My ends are straight and this is a much easier way to do it. I just love how this pattern makes the afghan almost look like it is woven. Once I am done, I will post photos of the completed project.

I got the new issue of Crochet World the other day. The adorable little sheep on the front had me from the minute I saw it! There's many projects in this issue that I'd like to make, as well.

I've been eying the "Love Finds You In" series of books for quite a while. I couldn't decide which one I should start with, though. Lettie, at Colletta's Kitchen Sink, reads A LOT! She posted a review on LFYI Revenge, Ohio so I decided I would start the series with that one. I just got it from the library the other day and have only read a few pages. I'll share my review when I am done.

Now. Where I've been. As I posted back in January, we finally found a little farm to purchase. We close in 2 weeks!!! We have enjoyed having a stress free packing spree, since we had so long to get it done. Now we're down to the wire and just have to finish up. I can't wait to get moved!

My posts for the next month or so may be sporadic because of the move, but rest assured, I'll be back into the swing of things as soon as possible.

Ugly as...

Homemade Soap!

I made this yummy hot process soap in my crock pot the other day! Here's one place with a tutorial. There are also many, many more links with tutorials, just google "crock pot soap" for detailed instructions by many individuals. I attended a class by a local homeschool mom, where I got the information I used to make mine.

Here's the recipe I made up and used. I used the lye calculator at Majestic Mountain Sage so that I had the precise measurements. Here's a direct link to the calculator.
Amy's Almost Castile Soap

Amys Almost Castile Soap Created by Amy Harrett	Service provided by Majestic Mountain Sage http://www.thesage.com © 1996-2010 Majestic Mountain Sage, All Rights Reserved
Liquids WATER For the size of fat batch that you are using, we recommend that you use approximately 7 to 10 fluid ounces of liquid. WARNING: Always add your solid form lye, sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, to the liquid. If the liquid were added to the solid form lye a violent reaction could result. This means you could have a "volcano" erupt out of your container.	Fats & Oils Fat Amount (oz wt) % in recipe Coconut Oil 7 25.00 Olive Oil 21 75.00 Total Weight 28	Lye Table (NaOH) % excess fat Lye Amount (oz wt) 0 4.13 1 4.09 2 4.05 3 4.01 4 3.97 5 3.93 6 3.88 7 3.84 8 3.80 9 3.76 10 3.72
0% to 4% excess fat range: Proceed with caution! We do not recommend this unless actual saponification values are known and used. 5% to 8% excess fat range: This is the range we use most often. 9% to 10% excess fat range: Creates a softer soap because of the amount of excess fat. DISCLAIMER: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained here is accurate. However due to differing conditions, tools, and individual skills we cannot guarantee the information is applicable in your situation. We are not responsible for any injuries, losses, or other damages that may result from the use this information available here.
Always wear protective goggles, gloves and other safety clothing when handling sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. Refer to the appropriate MSDS for complete details.
Basic Soapmaking Instructions While wearing safety goggles and neoprene gloves, combine solid lye and liquid, stir well. Set aside and allow to cool (100° F to 125° F). This is best done outside while you are standing upwind. Combine oils and heat gently. Once the fats and oils are melted allow the temperature to drop to 100° F to 125° F. Combine lye solution and melted oils. Be careful not to splash while combining the mixtures. Stir until the mixture traces. If tracing takes more than 15 minutes, which it often does, stir for the first 15 minutes, then stir for 5 minutes at 15 minute intervals. Tracing looks like a slightly thickened custard, not instant pudding but a cooked custard. It will support a drop, or your stir marks for several seconds. Once tracing occurs... Pour raw soap into your prepared molds. After a few days the soap can be turned out of the mold. If the soap is very soft, allow it to cure for a few days to firm the outside. Cut soap into bars and set the bars out to cure and dry. This will allow the bar to firm and finish saponification. Place the bars on something that will allow them to breathe.

This was a small batch. At our class, the batch done was twice this size, but I wanted to use the oils I had on hand, and didn't have enough to do a larger batch. I got 12 nice size bars from my batch.

I also added essential oils of Rosemary and Spearmint. I didn't measure these, I just added them until I got the strength of scent I liked, stirring them into the soap well, before putting soap in the mold.
I really don't think my soap is ugly, I just LOVE it! Have fun making your own!

Day 12

We're down to five Frizzle eggs and one of the Silkie feathered green-egg layer eggs. Had another blood ring yesterday we had to toss out.

I do have more eggs coming from the same lady, DipsyDoodleDoo on BackyardChickens . They should arrive Friday/Saturday.

We are all getting excited about these babies hatching! It's so amazing to see them moving around within their shell when I candle them! My friend, Dorey, said I was creating my own baby ultrasound ;-)

We are in the last five hours of day 12. Click the link below to see a developing chick on each day.

Day by Day Unborn Chick Development

We've been really busy getting ready for Christmas! I've still got a few gifts yet to make for the kids, but I am confident I will get them done without stressing.

We bought new furniture for the family room yesterday!!! The first new furniture we've ever bought for the family room. We are all excited! I'll post photos in a few days after it is delivered and the room presentable.

Take Care!

Hatch update

It took me nearly 4 days to get the temps stable in my incubator. It would stabilize, then go crazy again. Now, it's stable for the third time and has been stable since Wednesday night.

I just got done candling all 12 remaining eggs (after one was dropped the other day).

The 1 Silkie feathered green egg layer...the shell has gotten so dense I can't tell anything except where the air sac is now. So I'm going to keep it in the bator full term. Does the dense/thick/opaque shell mean anything I should know about?

The 11 Frizzle eggs:
2 blood circles (dated 11/30 and 12/2). Blood circles means that a chick was developing and "quit" for unknown reasons.
3 clear (dated 11/29 and two from 11/30) I'm sure they were too old by the time I got my temps stable(for the 3rd and final time) Clear means the eggs were not fertile or nothing ever began to develop.

The other 6 are FANTASTIC!!!! Get this, one of the 11/29 ones, we're even thinking it might have 2 chicks in it!!! Either it's two or if it's one, it's pretty big and HATES the light. There was lots of swimming around when I was candling it. I'll look at it again tomorrow or Wednesday night to see if I can tell better for sure.

Mike even watched me candle the eggs and he's the one that first noticed I might have an egg with twins in it even before I did.

Bring it on!

Tomorrow's forecast??

"Snow and Wind, high 34 degrees". YAHOO!!!! Bring on the snow, baby! It's actually supposed to start snowing this evening and through the night.

You see, before we moved to Amarillo, TX 2.5 years ago, I had never seen "real" snow. I grew up in central Louisiana and lived for most of my adult life in the Houston, TX area. So, the most snow I'd ever seen up to that point was little "flurries", mostly flakes that never stuck to add up to anything.

On November 30, 2006, we got an awesome snow!!! Seven inches!! I'm told that is not normal for so early in the season here, but I LOVED IT!!! It actually started falling around 7pm on November 29, and snowed through the night. I was in total heaven. I stayed up most of the night with a roaring fire in the fireplace and crocheting while watching the snow fall through the sliding glass door. This photo is of the houses across from the house in which we were living at the time. We hadn't purchased a snow shovel or boots yet, so couldn't get across to take photos of our house.

The rest of that winter, we seemed to get a couple of inches about every other week. It would come, then melt away in a day or two. HEAVEN I tell ya!

Last winter was awful. I think the most snow we had at one time was 2 inches. Mostly the winter was COLD and BITTERLY windy! YUCK!

So, I keep hearing locals saying they predict a snowy, hard winter this year. We'll see. I hope they are right!

I'm busy today trying to get the house cleaned and everything picked up so that I can spend tonight and tomorrow watching the snow fall in front of a roaring fire and crocheting or sewing!

I've read all my favorite blogs for the day. The incubation of the eggs is doing perfectly.

I'll leave you with this image. Wish it was our place ;0)

Have a great day!