I am reporting this morning from my parent’s home!  I am on SPRING BREAK so I will be here another day before headed home to Spencer, who is coincidentally laid off this week.

I have had quite the weekend with Kalissa’s play, shopping in Decorah, My friend’s bridal shower and subsequent bachelorette party, and finally, a stay-at-home day of knitting and chatting with my sisters. And mom.

I usually don’t consider any of this information blog-able… but Mom insists.  She was appalled to see this tote in person > before reading about it on my blog first.

It is a standard plarn tote with a box-bottom and keyhole handles.  Instead of single-crocheting the whole thing, I alternated between hdc rounds and sc rounds.  The hdc rounds were made with dark gray bags and the sc rounds were made with food bags. I like to incorporate food bags in with the grocery store ones, but they are more difficult and stretchy.  I also like to crochet in hdc to make the bags faster but the stitch is too stretchy for a hard-wearing bag.  This stitch pattern combines the best of both worlds.

In this picture I am wearing the CUTEST jeans ever!  My sister has been purchasing name-brand jeans from thrift stores and selling them on Facebook garage sales.  She is making a killing!  Mom thinks it is because there are no good consignment stores in the area.  So, for people who usually spend $120 on BKE jeans, $50 sounds like a great deal.  Kalisssa and I, however, pay $2 for our jeans, so we think these people are crazy.  But we like their money, so that’s okay!  These jeans were a “splurge” at $15 because they were on the special-price rack at Goodwill.  They are the Sterling collection of Silver jeans and are covered in embroidery.

Other sisterly bonding experiences included hanging laundry on the line.

Doesn’t Mom have a nice little collection of hand-knit dishcloths?  This is why I love to knit for my mom… She actually uses stuff!

I took a nap on Sunday afternoon and woke up quite confused.  Over the course of two hours we were invited to a campfire, Kelli quilted her quilt, Kalissa listed and sold stuff on Facebook, and much more.  This place is so BUSY!  Plans of this day include: Showering.  That is all I know so far.  :)

My favorite crochet motif; the pineapple, is the star of this simple necklace.

I made this pendant from thrifted materials during an episode of The Walking Dead.  Surely you have a small amount of crochet thread and an old jewelry chain somewhere… Let’s get started!

Pineapple Pendant Crocheted Necklace

Supplies: Varigated crochet cotton, size 7 steel crochet hook, thrifted jewelry chain

Gauge: Finished pendant measures 3 1/4″ across

Instructions:

Row 1: Working into jewelry chain, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc), shell made, (ch 5, sc into chain) 2 times, ch 5, work shell into chain.  Turn.

Row 2: (Sl st into 2 dc and ch-2 space.  Ch 3. Dc, ch 2, 2 dc into same sp.) Beginning shell made. Ch 5. Sk ch-5 space.  13 trc in next ch-5 sp.  Ch 5, sk next ch-5 space.  Work shell in ch-2 space. Turn.

Row 3: Work beginning shell.  Ch 5, sk next ch 5 space. Sc between next 2 trc. *Ch 3, sc between next 2 trc* to last trc.  Ch 5, sk next ch 5 space, work shell over shell. Turn.

Row 4: Work beginning shell in shell.  Ch 5.  Sk ch-5 space.  Sc in ch-3 space. *Ch 3, sc in next ch-3 space* across to last ch-3 space.  Ch 5, sk ch-5 space, work shell in shell.

Repeat Row 4 until only 1 ch-3 space remains.

Next Row: Work beginning shell in shell.  Ch 5.  Sk ch-5 space.  Sc in ch-3 space. Ch 5, sk ch-5 space, work shell in shell.

Final Row: Work beginning shell in shell, work shell in shell.

Tie off and weave in threads.  Starch to your liking.

… and just like that, you have a new piece of jewelry to wear tomorrow!  Don’t tell anyone how easy this was or you will be making gifts forever.

Eat your heart out, Jo Kramer!

Behold, my coolest fabric rug ever!

Long time readers know that my mom is a very talented quilter but “can’t” knit.  She has always kept rolls of rags for me “in case” I would like to make a rug.

All of her dark-colored rag rolls are piling up so I decided to put an end to them right away.  I grabbed a pair of size 37 knitting needles, cast on 30, and knit until all the rags were gone.  I was amazed at how fast this project came together: 3 episodes of commercial-free DC Cupcakes.

Mom has been keeping the rags at around 1/2″ thick for me to crochet with.  For knitting with such large needles I doubled the strand.  In the future I will set aside all scraps less than 1″ and double up as needed.

I have determined that crochet hooks should be reserved for plarn only.  Crocheting with fabric is a lot like wrestling. Lots of rolling, hooking, swooping, etc.  Knitting with fabric is a joy.  Just lots of swoops.  Very clean.

This rug is (surprise!) off to Mom’s house.  Future scraps will go there too.  Mom likes to say that she can’t knit, but her trouble is actually purling.  Even a very very very beginning knitter can figure this one out.  The “too small stitches” excuse won’t work this time either.

I want you to meet a new friend of mine…

“She” is a New Home treadle machine.

Spencer and I went to an estate auction a few weeks ago and purchased this beauty for $30.  She is not collector quality because the decals are missing, but she is still a workhorse!  A little oil and polish and we had her running on the first day.

This machine is the same one I worked on while working as a historical interpreter at Living History Farms.  I worked in the 1875 millinery and used the treadle to make purses.  There was not much of a learning curve for me to get started, which was great!

We got to spend some time together this morning.  I am making a bill organizer from an old book.  This machine made it through 6 pieces of thick paper at a time with no trouble.

Filling the bobbin was a different story.  But I made it through.

My new machine needs a name.  We farm girls name things we love.  My mom has machines named Betty and Mildred.  I have not loved a machine yet.  My Bernina is generally referred to with swear words .  Favorite names so far are Guss, Tootsie, Avis, and Addie.  Any other ideas?

I have seen vases of wine corks with the date and occasion written.  The wine I drink is really cheap and usually has plastic corks, but I still like the idea.  I am going to start a similar tradition with used spools of thread.  They are much more meaningful.

I am out of glue to finish my project so I am off to find something new to hold me over.  Enjoy your weekend!

My students finished their individual apple pies today.  They have been busy all week.  Although I promised I would grade on process over product, I was still impressed at the finished results.  Students were proud of themselves too!

I was surprised by how many people were surprised that my students made their own crust, even the school lunch director.  She brought my order of flour and I shared that the students would be making pie.  “Really?” she asked, “Are they making their own crust?”

To make a 5″ double-crust apple pie, each student prepared one 9″ single pie crust (1 cup flour, 1/3 cup shortening).  Groups made one recipe of pie filling to share between three pies.

My classroom has never smelled so great.  Students I have never seen before were poking their heads in asking what we made.  It’s great publicity for my program.

I want to share this great online resource I used to help students evaluate the pie.  Most of them did not have previous experience making or even eating homemade pastry.  It was good to have an objective list with a clear solution to each problem.

This was great for me, too.  Baking a great pie is quite an accomplishment.  Although I like to bake pie, I rarely eat it.  The checklist helped me understand what other people are looking for.

If making your first pie seems overwhelming, consider breaking it into steps.  I try to keep a balance between hands-on learning and lecture.  Breaking a lab up over several days encourages students to stay on task during lecture because they will directly apply their skills the next day.

On Monday I demonstrated a pie crust.  Tuesday, students made their pie crusts and refrigerated them. On Wednesday students filled their pies.  The pies were finally baked yesterday, left to cool, and eaten evaluated today.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with a big task, like keeping up on my blog, organizing a closet, or writing a pattern.  I just need to learn to manage my life like I manage my lesson plans.

As a recovering thrift shop addict and aspiring minimalist, I have become fascinated by capsule wardrobes.

The idea of a capsule wardrobe is to choose staple items that mix and match for endless outfit options.

I first read of this notion in The Tightwad Gazette.  A reader wrote in with a formula to make 24 outfits from 9 pieces: Two blazers, three tops, and four bottoms.

I adapted this formula to fit my job as a high school family and consumer sciences teacher.

My dress code is quite casual.  The only thing set in stone is no “jeans.” However, black denim, jean jackets, and jean skirts are appropriate.  Go figure.

My wardrobe challenges include:

• I teach culinary arts so I am always dirty.
• My classroom temperature ranges from very cold to very hot, depending on how many ovens are running.
• I am very active; lots of bending, stooping, climbing, and walking.
• I don’t mind looking 24, but I don’t want to blend in with my students.
• I have a tall slim build that fits best into juniors clothes.
• I am rushed in the mornings.
• I believe teachers should dress modestly.

So many demands!  Many of these can be alleviated with a capsule wardrobe.

Mixing the basics pictured above and adding a few accessories gives me a week of work-appropriate wear:

The pieces for this wardrobe were “purchased” from Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Zappos.  The extra accessories are from the design website Polyvore.

My preference would be to shop consignment for high-quality staples at the same price of Old Navy clothing.

How do you “crack” the dress code at your work?

Teaching is wreaking havoc on my immune system.  Rather, it is improving my system by testing waaaay too often.

3 sick days down…

My weekend will be spent alternating sleeping and hanging out with my laptop.  I am in between knit/crochet projects right now.

I am slipping into online shopping wish-listing.  Please save me from myself!  What homesteading/green/crafting/frugal blogs can you suggest?

Among the frugal living blog world, I find meal planning to be the norm.  I agree with the notion that if you fail to plan you plan to fail. However I don’t think it is necessary, or even wise, for me to plan meals for my family.

I believe that I keep quite a tight grocery budget despite my un-organized-ness.  My brand of frugality is more spontaneous and has to do with creativity.  Number one in my book is to “Use it up.”

My meal planning is thus:  I look in the fridge, freezer, and pantry.  Could I invent a meal from these items? We may end up with creamed peas over mashed potatoes, but we are full and happy.

Obviously, some meals require a little bit of planning: thaw the meat, soak the beans, etc. Every evening I have a good idea of what I will be eating for lunch and dinner the next day.  But the meal planning toted on other blogs (blogs that I love dearly, don’t get me wrong!) is much more involved.  It involves keeping a binder, rotating recipes, assigning certain meals to days of the week, weeks and months of planning in advance, and, frankly, a whole lot of time!

I have tried conventional meal planning on more than one occasion and I just can’t make it work.  For several reasons:

First, I cook for only two adults.  We are perfectly capable of eating spaghetti leftovers for three days.  Likewise, if we are not hungry we may not eat anything.  We don’t have children that we are responsible for keeping healthy or happy.  In my tries at meal planning I always purchase and cook too much food for us.

I don’t like to have a weekly shopping day.  Instead I shop when we need food; about every 2 weeks.  I buy Spencer’s lunch food (meat, cheese, yogurt, bananas, chips), milk for Spencer, and then stock up on items to refill my stockpile.

My fridge always has carrots and cabbage because they keep well.  Depending on the season I have either apples or oranges.  I also keep eggs and butter.  The freezer has corn, peas, and broccoli.  Sometimes I buy meat at a good price.

I fill in with other “treats” that are marked down, on sale, or seasonal like green peppers, mushrooms, and asparagus.

In my pantry I keep canned tomatoes, dried beans, garlic, potatoes, various whole grains, and various pastas.  I also keep basic baking ingredients like flour, sugar, baking powder, etc.

I follow ratios and formulas more than recipes.  A meal for us has some sort of carb (potato, whole grain, or pasta), a protein source, and a vegetable.  Instead of following a recipe for a fritatta I will saute whatever veggies I have and add seasonings that go well with the vegetables.

I don’t love spending time in the kitchen.  Spencer inhales whatever I put in front of him which can take the fun out of a fancy meal.  Sometimes I get in a baking or cooking mood and that is when I look ahead and stock my freezer.

Part of the reason the “pantry” method works for me is because it is how Mom plans meals.  Growing up we lived 30 minutes from a decent grocery store so we couldn’t run out for supplies when we needed something.

Does it pay off? Over the last three months our grocery spending, according to Mint, has averaged about $200 per month.  Spencer also makes purchases that I don’t track, but estimate to be about $100.  This includes people food, toiletries, drinks, snacks, coffee shops, restaurants, and pizza.  We eat out or order in about once each week. I think this number is decent because this is not a bare-bones budget.  Spencer and I both drink alcohol and soda (in moderation), I have a severe coffee addiction, and we make meals out of Reese’s eggs on too many occasions.

Point being: Do what works for you.  I, of course, love the saying “Make it do.”  If meal planning doesn’t “do” it for you, then don’t do it! Try something new.

No, I cannot make my debt-free scream yet, but I have Baby Step #1 done ($1000 in the bank) and am ready to go gazelle.

I thought I would share my transcript for when I call in to the Dave Ramsey show in May of 2017.

Dave: Next up we have Kayla Kramer calling in from Iowa.  Hi there, Kayla, you’re on air.

Kayla: Hi, Dave, thanks for much for having me on the show.

Dave: No problem, Kayla, what’s up?

Kayla: Well, Dave, I’m just calling to say I’m debt free.

Dave: Wow, let’s hear about it.  How much debt did you pay off?

Kayla: $29,001.92 in 64 months.

Dave: That’s great.  Making what kind of money?

Kayla: I work as a public school teacher and make about $30,000 per year.

Dave: Wow! How’d you do it?

Kayla: Well, Dave, I paid myself first, depositing a portion of my paycheck into an online account that I did my best never to see.  I documented my debt-free adventure on my blog, Kayla K’s Thrifty Ways.  I was able to help others along on their journey and was able to turn a small income from the blog as well.  I also put my artistic talents to use.  I started a new website, Kayla’s Daily Doodle, and started to sell my crafts at the local farmer’s market.

Dave: And how old are you, Kayla?

Kayla: I’m 27 years old.

Dave: Wow, Kayla, what’s up next for you?

Kayla: My husband and I are looking forward to purchasing our first home with more than 20% down.  We also hope to start a family soon.

Dave: Wow, Kayla, what a blessing to start a family on such a solid foundation.  Alright, let’s count it down!

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII’m DEEEEEEEEEEEBT FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Mark my words, blog readers.  This. Will. Happen.

And, hopefully in less than 64 months.

My crochet-with-recycled-materials addiction is swiftly overtaking my life… and my living room

Everyone I know and love has a plarn tote from me, and my closet is filling with extras.  I have even more than I need for a single grocery shopping trip.  It is about time I did something useful with this strange addiction!

I have a scrubbie made with nylon tulle that I purchased from the Amish community north of my home.  I have used that scrubbie for ages but its useful life is drawing to a close.

In the process of collecting non-recyclable food packaging I have accumulated mesh bags as well.  The bags come from potatoes, onions, apples, and garlic.  I have finally collected enough to recreate my favorite scrubbie.

To make your own, collect scratchy mesh bags.  Tie them into yarn as described in my “Plarn” tutorial.

With a size “N” hook, Ch 2.

6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.

2 sc in each sc around: 12 sc

2 sc in each sc around: 24 sc

1 sc in each sc around: 24 sc

*Draw up loop in next st, draw up loop in next st, yo, draw through 3 loops on hook.* Repeat until only 1 stitch is left.

Tie off.  Cut “yarn” and draw to center of scrubbie.  No use to weave in ends!

This little guy took me like, literally, 5 minutes start to finish.  The materials were free.  You could easily offer these at a farmer’s market for $1 or $2.

Happy Hooking!