Hands at Home

--read more

TNH's edition of "The American Frugal Housewife" from 1832 is now available in wire-bound paperback. It's $9.95 from CafePress. The ebook is available here at TNH for $1.95, 10% discount for members, 75% discount for subscribers. (Discounts don't apply to paperback editions.)

I love Christmas time. It's the most beautiful holiday to me. I love the cookies, the decorations, the songs, the candles. And, of course, the traditions.

Growing up we always made some kind of special food. For several years we made chocolate covered cream cheese candies. We'd make the sugar cookies with christmas cookie cutter shapes and put cinnamon red hots in them. I never particularly liked how they tasted but I loved how fun they were to make.--read more

I've been putting craft-related stuff that I do over at Knitting911.net; this was to have been my site for my knitting and spinning students, but since I'm not teaching any more, and no one goes there (fewer than 20 people a day, compared to thousands here), there's not much point. So I'll be folding all my knitting and spinning stuff into TNH, where it should have been all along, and redirecting Knitting911.net over here.

I've got a list started of the knitted holiday gifts to make up this year.

Mom: pair of felted slippers in dark blue

younger brother: 2x2 rib stocking cap made from some black/grey/white yarn I handspun last winter/spring (done) with matchin fingerless mitts if he's lucky (IOW, if I've the time) --read more

I can hardly believe it, it's making me crazy--DH totally butchered my X spindle today and I can't figure what the hell he thought he was doing.--read more

After reading about the question on Front Load washers, I thought I would share this information with everyone. Like I posted in the Front Loader post, I used to work at Home Depot here in MD and in Atlanta. You wouldn't believe how much money you can save changing a few things around the house. Some of these things are quite expensive so unless you have the spare change to change out your appliances, I would just say replace them as needed. BUT there are some other things you can do such as changing your light bulbs!--read more

Remember how excited I was to get my buttons of the month?

These are not clothing buttons.

These are pin-back badge-type buttons.

This was pointed out to me in my own living room by my knitting circle during show-and-tell.

I felt extremely stupid and disappointed for about 10 seconds when I realised that this is even better! I have been wanting to start getting a bunch of fun pins--rhinestones, little badges/buttons, etc--for a while now, since bracelets and necklaces are out for me. Bracelets, because I have a Medic Alert bracelet on the left wrist and I wear a watch my mom gave me--the first one I've ever been able to stand wearing--on my right wrist. Necklaces because I have my engraved heart lock that John gave me that I never take off, and I hate the competing necklaces look on a woman my age.

So that leaves brooches/pins and earrings.

I've gotten a few things on etsy, notably three pairs of earrings that are now favorites: A pair made with really old manual typewriter keys; a pair of gold acorns; and a "birds and bees" pair that I'm wearing right now, little gold hummingbirds with bees dangling from chains beneath them. But I've only gotten one pin, a really sweet felted and embroidered one from needle book, who's no longer selling on etsy whose store is here.

So finding out that I can wear my little robot pins as brooches instead of sewing them onto things--well, actually it was a happy discovery!

I still feel incredibly thick, though.

There's an organization called Warm Up America where volunteers all across America knit and/or crochet 7" x 9" squares that are then sewn or crocheted together into an afghan. --read more

Is anyone here besides Lynn and me taking part in the Knitting Olympics?

Lynn's mentioned the Knitting Olympics a couple of times and what she's going to do. I will be participating as a member of Tîm Cymru or Team Wales (I'm on the Frapper map--eek!). I will be knitting a pair of socks. I keep waffling about what kind of socks and yarn, right now I'm planning on doing one of the Folk Socks patterns in Noro Silk Garden, #211 on size 4-ish needles.--read more

Santa brought a sweet little girl's vanity table for DD this Christmas and she's asking for the brushes, cosmetics, and other accoutrements that you think of going with a vanity table. I'd like to indulge some of this pretend play, but I can't stand the plastic vanity/cosmetic/beauty sets commercially available. Not only are they mostly cheap plastic that breaks, but they have real makeup which is completely innappropriate for a 5 yr old.--read more

My result:

You are bamboo.
Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and
enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You--read more

Well, I've gone and done it. A while back I purchased the assets of someone's online general store (someone we all know and love, see below) and have now opened up the online store, familynaturally.com!--read more

As I sat this morning I thought about this weekend. As some of you have heard on other threads I was busy putting up corn with my mother this weekend. We know a lady whose family raises corn. We went and picked up 114 ears of the best sweet corn I have had in years!--read more

Today I watered the bedding plants waiting to be planted and the fuchia in the hanging pot, weeded flower beds some, planted thyme and moved the basil in my baby herb garden. I now have

-basil
-thyme--read more

My spinning wheel came in today, YAY! It's in pieces in a box, each piece bubble wrapped, and I'm waiting until DH gets off work to help me put it together, but it's finally here!

I bought it off eBay in the early part of December with two week shipping but the posts were so bad over Christmas that it just now arrived. I can't wait! It's going to be soooooo fun to spin my own yarn.--read more

My spinning wheel came in today, YAY! It's in pieces in a box, each piece bubble wrapped, and I'm waiting until DH gets off work to help me put it together, but it's finally here!

I bought it off eBay in the early part of December with two week shipping but the posts were so bad over Christmas that it just now arrived. I can't wait! It's going to be soooooo fun to spin my own yarn.--read more

A visit to the Lion Brand Yarn website's free patterns section several months ago prompted me to email them that I wish they somehow indexed or otherwise marked on the free patterns which skill level they are. --read more

Well, my mom and I are getting into a craft bazaar in November, so we are busy, busy creating stuff to sell. I've never been in a bazaar before, so I am very excited and a little nervous.

My sewing room, which always looks like a craft store exploded, now looks like a flower shop moed in as well.... bits and pieces of fake flowers everywhere for making petal people Christmas ornaments. Add that to all the beads, yarn, and handmade card stuff - whew what a mess!--read more

Just wondering if anyone can suggest the best frugal websites...I would greatly appreciate it... THanks...
Amy

I love that I'm learning how to knit and, now, how to spin! I feel so connected to my peasant roots and my foremothers and forefathers (men used to spin and knit, too, within limited parameters). After I master this, I'm on to the table loom to learn how to weave!--read more

Ami Simms's website has many treats, including the archive photos of her Worst Quilt In The World contest.



I have some badly sewn nine patch blocks that I'd like to submit as The Worst Quilt Never Made.--read more

What to do, what not to do. I want to be involved with my kids, all of them. My oldest is in grade school, I'm very involved in the PTA and I take him to karate once a week. My second in line is three and I take him to preschool 3 times a week for three hours a day, volunteer at the preschool for those three hours once a week; and make snacks once a month each for both my grade schoolers class and my preschoolers(this is a required for all parents).--read more