Coming Soon to a Blogpost Near You...

Recently, we've enjoyed an influx of new readers thanks to being mentioned on two really fun sites - Craft Gossip and Friend-Stitch. We're thrilled to have you all with us and hope to continue to offer relevant and fun content that keeps you coming back.

We love hearing your comments and encouragement. As a matter of fact, based on some feedback we received from one reader, we added more instruction and a color/stitch chart to our embroidery patterns. The only way we can improve is when you all tell us what works!

So, today, we'd like to let you know about some of the things we plan to cover in upcoming posts. This is not a comprehensive list by any means and, of course, we're sure to get distracted and write about whatever floats our boat in that moment (as usual.) Without further ado, here's some of what you can expect from Mighty Distractible....

Upcoming Distractions
As you all know, we can't seem to stay focused on a single thing. We have noticed, however, that most of our crafts include some manner of needle work or fiber - including the new skills that we want to try.

Cross-Stitch - Alex is fascinated with samplers, mostly when they're really edgy. The dichotomy of a sweet handicraft turned on its head is really appealing.




Quilting - Cassandra caught the bug when we made quilts for the earthquake victims in Japan. She's working on some ideas for kid-sized quilts for Thing 1 and Thing 2.



 Needlepoint - Years ago, Alex saw needlepoint squares used to upholster the seats of dining room chairs. Every since, she's been obsessed with the idea of covering her chairs similarly.  Specifically, she wants to use some ridiculously intricate William Morris-style patterns. This is why the project hasn't left the ground yet.

Only slightly complicated Wm Morris design

More crochet - Alex has already started down this path. Now it's Cassandra's turn. She's taken one of the library books home so expect to hear about her foray into hooking pretty soon.

Serging - Both Alex and Cassandra love the idea of using a serger and are dying to get their hands on one and see what can be done with it.

Upcoming Free Stuff
As promised, we will continue to offer free downloads and tutorials as often as possible. On our list of things to give you are a variety of patterns in different disciplines. We're in various stages of creation on these - writing them up, testing the patterns, etc. - but know that we'll have plenty for you to enjoy soon.

Love this wavy stitch

Knitting patterns - Alex is working on a set of three patterns - a scarf, a hat, and fingerless gloves (aka: wrist warmers). All of them use a unique stitch that she learned from a stranger at a protest knit-in at Madison's Capitol back in February. 

Sewing patterns - Cassandra recently spent some time learning to lay in zippers and, for practice, developed a pattern for a simple, but very pretty, zippered pouch. They make great notion bags and are so easy you can make a few in an afternoon. Additionally, Alex keeps threatening to make a pattern for a knock-off apron that she saw at a trendy store.

Embroidery and cross-stitch patterns - We like to thank everyone for the warm reception to the first two patterns in the Woodland Series. There will be two more to come - Bear and Fox. Also, Alex is excited to design some cross-stitch patterns so, yeah....we'll see how that goes.


Upcoming Giveaways
We've done one giveaway so far and would like to do more. Basically, we're interested in reviewing things - books, supplies, etc - and then giving the reviewed item away to you! We think the easiest way to do this is to have people comment within a certain time frame and then we'll do a random drawing from qualified names.

We'd love your feedback on this idea. What items would you like us to review? Does the "random drawing" process seem fair or can you suggest a better way to pick a winner? Any advice would be appreciated!

So...that's a little bit of what we have in store for you. We hope this sounds intriguing and that you'll stick with us on this journey. We're having a BLAST and hope you are too. Don't forget, we love hearing from you and can only improve from your input.

Happy crafting!

- Alex & Cassandra

Owl Emboidery Pattern!

Happy Monday everyone! You know why it's so happy? Because we have another FREE pattern today! We are so excited to share with you our second pattern in the Woodland Series. Please meet Owl:

Hoot!

Owl is a watchful bird from the Black Forest who looks very cute as wall art, pillow front, or a quilt block. Included in the free PDF download of Owl are directions and a color/stitch guide. With this instruction, you can exactly replicate our sample or feel free to go on your own and have fun creating something new! Please send us photos of finished products, we would love to see what you have done with our Owl.

Owl after some pressing.

Tree branches.

A new addition to our patterns is a stitch and color guide.

And don't forget, he makes a great pairing with Hare, our first design in this series. Keep checking the FREE Dowloads page for additional Woodland Series designs.

–Alex and Cassandra

Chain of Fools

As if the myriad hobbies I have weren't enough, I decided to take up crochet. Yeah...go ahead and laugh.

In last week's post, Short Attention Span Theater, I talked about my inspiration for doing crochet - creating yarn work in the round and amigurumi (the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures.) Lion Brand Yarns has a great weekly newsletter with patterns and tips and such. A couple of months ago, the patterns were these awesome handmade washcloths that are round and, of course, crocheted. Also, a couple of years ago, I impulsed purchased a book of amigurumi called Creepy Cute Crochet because, well, the patterns were creepy and cute. Note the word "crochet" in the title.

Lion Brand has awesome patterns

Seriously. So cute. And creepy.

So, I went to the library and got a few books out. Seven to be exact. Overkill? Maybe a bit. But I wanted to make sure my bases were covered. What I discovered was this:

• Photos of actual hands crocheting seem to be easier to follow
• Illustrations can be very difficult to understand
• Nearly every "beginner crochet" book contains the same, basic instructions for making chains and doing your first rows of crochet

Any of these books can get you started so, in the end, it's really just a matter of taste.

I like Crochet: The Complete Guide by Jane Davis because it's a three-ring binder style so it lays flat while you're trying to learn. It also has excellent photos of various stitches so you know what it's supposed to look like (not what mine look like currently.)

I'm also fond of Beginner's Guide to Crochet by Pauline Turner because it uses photos of real hands and, after every stitch lesson, there's a simple pattern to employ that method.

Crocheting for Dummies is, like most "For Dummies" books, more information than anyone should ever need. However, I was VERY impressed with the quality of the content and the way the information was presented. If you, quite literally, knew nothing about yarn and yarn work, this book would be indispensable.

Who is that on the cover of "For Dummies"? Amy Poehler?

So, using my plethora of library books, I took a my first tentative steps into crocheting. I feel really awkward and I'm having a lot of trouble with tension. For your enjoyment, I've posted a couple of videos of me trying to crochet. Think of it as watching a baby horse taking its first steps - wobbly and silly.

One fun thing to note: check out how I'm making the chain. It's kind of like binding off in knitting. This is what happens when we mix disciplines. Also, I'm pretty sure that I'm doing the yarn-over in the wrong direction.

 
I'm sure all you crocheters out there are going to be shaking your head and laughing. Just know, I'm laughing right along with you. And, I plan on being able to make that washcloth before too long. 

- Alex

PS - Cassandra and I went to lunch today and we worked on crocheting a bit. Thought you might enjoy this image:

Embroidery School: Lesson 2

We covered the basic tools we need a couple weeks ago so now it's time to talk about the most fun part of embroidery...the floss (the colorful thread for the newbies out there).

You can buy floss at any big-box department store or small needlework shop.

The big box stores generally carry the workhorse brand DMC. Now, don't let the workhorse mislead you! DMC makes a luxurious (100% cotton) product and it is what I use 90% of the time. Most independent needlework stores carry it as well along with smaller, boutique brands such as Weeks Dye Works.

How much you spend on floss depends on your budget. (This is where I tell you the good news.) Overall, floss is seriously affordable. You will only spend about $1 for a skein of DMC, but it does go up from there when you are looking at the hand-dyed varieties. But, much like the other tools I talked about, I advise beginners to start with the less expensive. You will have a lot more fun if you aren't so worried about wasting money during your learning curve.

Once you get comfortable with embroidery, you can experiment with alternative threads such as linen, ribbon, etc. There are a lot of fun supplies out there from companies like Purl Soho.

Each section of embroidery floss pulls apart into 6 strands of thread.
(hand-modeling by Troy!)

Once you get your cotton floss in hand, you will notice that each little yarn-like rope consists of 6 strands of thread. (Hence the term, 6 strand embroidery floss.) These strands are meant to be split apart and used as a single thread, double, triple, etc. Most times, 3 strands is what you want to use. For instance, in our Woodland Pattern Series all stitches are to be made with 3 strands unless otherwise specified. By varying up the thickness of the thread, you can create depth the same way you do with different stitches. It's another way I like to experiment with design in this medium.

Speaking of design....this is another topic I wanted to cover today. There are many design options out there that suit many tastes. Whether your aesthetic is modern, 40's-50's retro, Victorian, country, Sesame Street...there is something out there for you. I have used coloring books for templates, pre-printed fabric, my own drawings, templates from other designers...there are so many places to get designs. The trick is to have the design suit the project. For instance, you may not want to embroider a densely stitched flower on a light flour sack dishtowel. That would be better for something like the hem of a skirt, or a pillow front. I have a vision of making a quilt with embroidered blocks...let's just throw that on my list of things I want to accomplish!

Right now I am in the throes of designing the Woodland Patterns Series. I am having a ball dreaming these up. Design 2 will be released this Monday. (Keep an eye out for a fun little critter that lives in trees!) I have also updated our first design "Hare" to include directions, color chart, and stitch guide at the request of readers. From now on, all of our patterns will include these basics designed especially for people new to this craft. It aligns with our goal to try to encourage as many people as possible to get out of their comfort zones and try their hand at a new technique.

A peek at Monday's new pattern!

As always, we invite you to send us comments or questions regarding our tutorials or patterns. Thanks!

–Cassandra

Short Attention Span Theater

In the early '90's, there was an hilarious show on Comedy Central called Short Attention Span Theater. I remember it as being hosted by comedian (now political pundit) Marc Maron. I read online that Jon Stewart hosted it for a while as well. Funny that they both ended up doing political commentary. But I digress...

I love the title "Short Attention Span Theater". It invokes all that we are here at Mighty Distractible - and specifically, what I intend to deliver to you today.

Act 1 - Books

I'm currently reading two books at once. You're probably thinking, "Well, of course you are! That's what people with ADD do!" But, in my case, I usually can't focus on more than one book at a time. However, while I was waiting for my book-club book to download to the Kindle, I started reading another book that had been sitting there for a while taunting me. Turns out that both books are AWESOME and I don't want to delay reading either. The only reason that this unfocused reading is sort-of working for me is that both books are so VERY different.

The book that keeps tearing me from my book-club read is Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I bought it because everyone I knew was reading it and loving it but, until I opened the book up the other day, I knew absolutely nothing about the plot. It's a real page-turner with an enthralling story and compelling characters. I had heard rumors that the movie version is already in production which, to my mind, says a lot about the popular appeal of a novel.

My book-club book is Packing For Mars: The Curious Science of Life In The Void by Mary Roach. I think that this book could be the best-written non-fiction book I've ever read. It's funny and compelling and makes you want to be an astronaut - or not. I'm amazed at the author's ability to bring the technology and science of the world's space programs to us in such an accessible way. Mary Roach is a marvel of a writer and I can't wait to read more of her work - specifically, Stiff - The Curious Life of Human Cadavers!

Act 2 - Cooking

Recently, I figured out how to use my ice cream maker and I discovered that sorbet consists of three basic ingredients: sugar, water, and flavor (usually fruit). As a result, I've been on a sorbet making binge. This is a binge so bad that I think I may actually have broken my ice cream maker yesterday.

I've made two batches of blackberry sorbet (from the berries in my yard), two batches of pear/white wine sorbet, one batch of melon sorbet (which, if I make again, will become melon/cucumber sorbet), and one batch of "mojito" sorbet (which is really just fresh-squeezed lime and processed mint from my yard).

My experiments have had varying degrees of success. With batch #1 of blackberry sorbet, I learned the value of straining the pureed blackberries to remove the seeds. With batch #1 of pear/white wine, I learned that it's best to add the wine at the end or you lose all the flavor. The nice thing is that even the "mistakes" are pretty awesome to eat.

So, here are my easy-to-follow instructions for making sorbet in a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker:

Make some simple syrup by melting a measure of sugar in twice as much water (2 cups water + 1 cup sugar, for example)
Cool the simple syrup to at least room temperature (better if you refrigerate it over night)
Puree some fruit (use a little simple syrup or other liquid to help with the puree-ing) until you have 1.5 cups of liquid
Mix 1.5 cups of simple syrup with 1.5 cups of fruit puree and add it to the ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions
Let it run for about 20 minutes. The "final" product should be the consistency of slushie. Spoon the slushie into a container and put in the freezer for about 2 hours. Voila! You have sorbet!

If you want to add other bits - some wine or bits of fruit - add these for the last 5-10 minutes of processing in the ice cream maker.

Act 3 - Crocheting

I know... Like I don't have enough hobbies already... I'm trying to take up crochet.

Last week I went to the library and took out a BUNCH of books on beginning crochet. I'm fascinated by the ability to work yarn in a circle. And I want to do amigurumi which is nearly always done with crochet.

 So far, I've done two chains and played around with a couple of stitch styles. I feel like I did when I first learned to knit - completely uncoordinated and spazzy. My stitches are wildly uneven and my tension is awful. But, I'm going to stick with it because I'm determined to make round washcloths. And funny little stuffed toys.

Perhaps on Friday I'll regale you with my crocheting prowess as a full blog post.

Epilogue - Blame It On Summer

I have a hard time focusing in the summer. I can't sit still for any length of time - especially if it's sunny and decent weather. So, I find myself bouncing from one project to the next, never quite completing anything. At least with the book-club book, I have a deadline.

Stay busy!

- Alex

Me and Madelintosh

It has been hot as hell here (see Monday's post) and yet I have had a lot of yarn in my hands. The central air does help, but I think I may have continued to work on my new sweater without it. Yes I said MY! I am knitting for myself...yeah! Mine, mine, mine.

It started as a twinkle in my eye.

The yarn I bought on a recent trip to Chicago is fast becoming a Tea Leaves Cardigan. Well, pretty fast. I have knit the yoke (this is a top-down sweater) and am currently wading through 13 inches of stockinette. Ugh. What is getting me through this mindless knitting is the amazing fabric the Madelinetosh is creating. It drapes, has a medium weight, and a soft texture...the finished garment is going to be incredibly versatile.

On each row I am alternating between two balls to avoid pooling.

 The Madelinetosh knits up like butta. I will be straight with you, when I bought this yarn I had some sticker-shock. I wondered if it was worth it. (I mean really, I've made some beautiful stuff with $7/skein Cascade 220. ) Oh my, I've learned that you get what you pay for with this yarn. It has it all, stitch definition, rich color, a firm twist...I repeat, butta. I don't want to love something so pricey, but I'm afraid it's too late.

Love!

And so far, I am really digging the Tea Leaves cardigan pattern. It has been very easy to read and fun to knit. If this sweater fits well when finished, I will be one happy girl. I will even go so far as to say that it would be a great "first-sweater" project for those who have never tackled one before. (You know who you are.)

Between the yarn and the "friendly" pattern, I am having a great time with this project. It is one of those that I get obsessed about finishing. With so many other projects on my plate, I keep picking up the needles and soldiering through the stockinette. Now, I need everyone to pray for some cool weather so I can wear the sucker when it's done!

Have a great weekend!

–Cassandra

Garden 2.0

For three seasons of the year (all the ones that aren't buried in snow), I like to talk about gardening. You may have noticed. I've posted about it a few times.

Lest you think I'm all talk and no action, let me assure you that, each year, I (eventually) get a garden in. And I really enjoy the fruits of my labor - until it gets too cold to cultivate anything in my tiny, northern backyard.

Each year I put in old favorites like basil and arugula and, each year, I try a few new things. This year, my favorite new item is malabar spinach. It's a slightly viscous leaf - thicker than the spinach we're used to - but the plant vines up the fence and is really prolific. I love vertical farming because it takes up so much less space! Any space-saving gardening scheme is right up my alley (see: "square foot" gardening).
Which brings me to the point of today's post - gardening for maximum efficiency and output.

Cassandra always teases me about loving everything in miniature. It's true - as a rule, if something is extra-small, I generally like it better. But I think the core reason I like small things is because they're efficient. My dogs weight 10lbs and 7lbs. I can bathe both dogs in the sink in under 10 minutes. They eat less and take up a lot less space. This is super-efficient.

With gardening, you can certainly choose smaller versions of plants, such as my dwarf cherry tree or globe basil, in order to be efficient. But, there are much better ways of maximizing yield with minimal space - both in theory and in practice.

In theory:

Today, I found an article about a Dutch design firm that conceived of a rooftop sustainable gardening model that they're calling "Polydome".  Basically, this is a self-sustaining ecosystem that can be built on rooftops in major metropolitan areas. Theoretically, at its peak, the Polydome can produce 15 pounds of food per square foot - and that includes fruit, vegetables, eggs, and fish. A single Polydome is designed to last 30 years and has small-farm commercial viability with high-yield items such as herbs and mushrooms.

The Polydom (I want to live here)

In practice:

Something akin to the Polydome is being practiced in downtown Milwaukee right now. I've written about Growing Power before but the place always deserves another mention.

The Growing Power Urban Farm is self-sustainable, uses everything it produces (fish poo becomes fertilizer, for example), and produces a big yield in a small space. From their website: 

In a space no larger than a small supermarket live some 20,000 plants and vegetables, thousands of fish, and a livestock inventory of chickens, goats, ducks, rabbits, and bees. 

I toured this facility and, let me tell you, the worm composter alone is worth the trip. Or maybe the fish tanks with the recycled water that's used to feed the plants that are planted above it. It's just a marvel all the way around.

Will Allen - founder of Growing Power - on the farm

When it's all said and done, I'm just glad that someone is thinking about (and doing) this kind of gardening today. I'd like to believe that the small farm will rise again and that we'll all start respecting and improving upon the agricultural cycle in a way we haven't for decades. And, frankly, I'd really rather eat locally produced, considerate food than, say, a tomato that was grown in a hot house, picked before ripe, and shipped half-way across the continent so I can have a slice on my sandwich. That well-traveled tomato just ain't worth it.

- Alex