We’re buying a house. Give or take 30 days, and we’ll be moved in – pending bank approval. We made the decision to use our savings not as a down payment, but to buy a small 1 bedroom condo – the theory being that HOA + utilities will be about $500, freeing up a lot of money to put into retirement accounts, and we can then turn the house around in a better economy for a decent profit.

The other bonuses being no roommates, and no landlords. After being used to put new carpets in my landlord’s overpriced, crappy duplex, I never want to rent again. But what do we do until the house closes and we’ve moved out of our old duplex? Obviously, road trip. Rather than pay $800 for a tiny studio (San Diego is beyond crazy expensive) we opted to use that money to see friends in other areas.

So far, it’s been a blast. Camping in Ramona at a gorgeous campsite (with hot showers!), then Utah, and currently we’re in Lake Tahoe with natives. :D Going snowboarding later.

Knitting also progresses rapidly here – though not without the problems of knitting for 3-8 hours. I hope to have a piece from Dustin on massage for knitters soon. So far, completed a striped gift hat, a cowl, and one mitten – with the second on the needles as well as a sweater. :D

Our trip plan, so far:
View Roadtrip Map in a larger map

Knitting is how we show our love. It’s something that takes time, thought, and money – and too often, we find it isn’t appreciated or wanted. I hope to be as lucky as the Soule Family, whose children realize that not all kids get handknitted sweaters. My husband already greatly enjoys the knitted blankets, handwarmers, and soon sweaters I make for him. How lucky I am to have my love taken care of so well.

The best part? It’s easy.

1 package of chocolate chips (whatever you like – I use Ghiradelli because it’s what’s in the house.
Cream or milk (to taste – I use about 1/2 qt for my big batch)
Pinch of cayenne pepper or 1 t vanilla extract.

Heat in a small saucepan, and stir, careful not to burn. Serve warm in mugs. (Optional garnish – shavings of chocolate, marshmallows, or cayenne if you like it extra spicy.)

I use Mimicream, which is a vegan, gluten-free cream substitute – and also much cheaper than real cream! It does, however, use hazelnuts and almonds if you’re allergic. Mine was in the non-refrigerated soymilks aisle for about $2.50 – the same amount of real cream would have been $7, and this adds a rich, lightly nutty taste. (Don’t get the non-refrigerated Almond Milk though, it’s terrible.)

I have chronic dry-scalp, and have just been resigned to deal with it after five years of trying every “dry scalp cure” and shampoo I could find. I actually had tried no-poo before, but with vinegar and baking soda ‘scrub and rinse’ and it didn’t work either. I did, however, learn a lot during this journey, and things finally seem to be returning to normal.

My scalp issues started when I moved in with my then-boyfriend now-husband. We thought that perhaps it was a) dandruff or b) the water. Dandruff shampoos made it worse, especially (as I would learn later) those with sodium laureth sulfate and parabens. Hairdresser, doctor, and dermatologist confirmed it wasn’t dandruff – it was like my scalp had absolutely no oil of its own. The water was plausible – I had moved from one water source to another. Carbon filters didn’t work, and when we moved later, the dryness remained.

So, I moved on to trying products. The best success, I found, was fragrance-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free. Which was very difficult to find. The best success I had was with the vegan-friendly ABBA hair care products. But they were expensive, difficult to find, and didn’t actually cure it – just made it slightly better. If you have the same problem, go for the Moisture Shampoo and Gentle Conditioner. I do really like them, and I’m not paid by the company for this note. :D

But, that said, it was still happening. I resigned myself and went back to whatever was cheap and made my hair look nice – Aussie being my favorite. If you don’t have crazy scalp issues and don’t care about the toxic effects of parabens and sodium laureth sulfate, well… I’m sorry. However, switching around made me really realize that something is wrong with our beauty products.

Allow me to give you a quick overview. Your soap doesn’t normally foam, but people are convinced that foam = clean, so they use Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a known carcinogen and irritant. The justification is that you are in contact with the soap for such a small amount of time that it doesn’t matter. I disagree – a large number of people bathe daily, with showers running (say) 10 minutes each. That is a significant amount of contact over the course of months and years, enough for it to be absorbed by skin in small amounts each time.

Sodium laurel sulfate, a relative of Laureth, raises the incidence of aphthous ulcers (those white, painful things you get in your mouth) and canker sores, and is a known irritant. It’s in shampoos, degreasers, and toothpastes.

Ammonium lauryl sulfate is often found in shampoos and body washes thanks to heavy foaming ability. It causes severe irritation in high doses to skin and eyes, and in smaller doses inhalation or ingestion cause irritation. I wonder if any soap bubbles get in the air? It was not carcinogenic in a 2-year study on rats, but like most beauty products, long-term studies are lacking.

Sodium myreth sulfate is found in soaps and toothpaste. Like other ethoxylates, sodium myreth sulfate may become contaminated with 1.4 dioxane during production (a carcinogen.)

And just because you buy it at Whole Foods, doesn’t mean it isn’t safe – Alba products were shown to contain 1.4-dioxane in toxic levels without being labeled as such. Bumble and Bumble, a brand I normally love (thank you Surf Spray) contains ALL of these plus parabens, which are banned in the EU but not in America due to heavy lobbying. And Abba, that I love? Contains parabens. AUGH. (However, upon researching, some Burt’s Bees products don’t, but and I don’t think Carol’s Daughter does.)

Okay. That said – the sole thing that seems to have helped my dry scalp has been going no shampoo, period. I just scrub – my hair is a little more oily and dense than before, but it also has great shine, and it looks and feels clean. Nothing but water and hands. Think about that, before you start insisting that you must have shampoo to be clean. Try showering with shampoo just once a month, and I think you’ll find your hair is cleaner for longer than you thought.

We opted this year to throw a Yule party – Christmas is my birthday, and most people will be with their families. But on Yule, we can have traditional pagan celebrations and it’s all just silly fun. We’ll be picking up a large, dead pine tree that might otherwise just get thrown out to burn in the Viking tradition, a king’s pie (you give everyone some small pies, and one is filled with peas – they’re the king of festivities), caroling, and whatever else seems fun. Though, with the weather as it is, I’ll just be happy if it stops raining so we can light the fire!

So, that said, I’ve been planning the menu for our Yule, keeping in mind that my friend Melissa can’t have gluten or casein, and her husband is a vegetarian. My first observation is that, unless you’re a vegan, margarine just isn’t good enough for baking. The second is that goat butter is expensive, and margarine is not. But, goat milk is relatively inexpensive, so… make your own butter or ghee!

To make butter, you’ll want:

A standing mixer (or a small child who likes to shake mason jars.)
Heavy cream (sheep, goat, yak, etc). If you manage to get it raw (check local farmers) you can use just milk.
A pinch of salt

Using a whisk attachment on your mixer, whip the milk with salt for a long time. Go grab a book or watch TV, it’ll take a while. About 15-30 minutes later (dependent on the milk and how it was processed) you will have some thick, solid stuff – thick enough to hold shape alone – and a lot of liquid. The solid stuff is your butter. The liquid is real buttermilk – what’s sold in the store is cultured milk, and is more like butter-flavored yogurt. Save the liquid and use within 5 days. I’ve had the butter last two weeks when well sealed, but it tastes best when used within 3 days.

Now, let’s say you want to make ghee. Ghee is clarified goat’s butter, and sells at the store for a crazy amount (my jar was $5 and is maybe 1/2 cup!) but as it turns out, making clarified butter is very easy and delicious.

For clarified butter: Take a pan with flat sides (or you’ll hate life later, trust me) and fill it halfway with water. Drop your butter in, and turn on the heat. Never let the heat reach boiling – you just want to melt the butter. While it’s melting, stir regularly. Once fully melted, take it off the heat, and put it in the fridge or freezer on top of an oven mitt. I like to put it in the freezer for 15 minutes to pull the heat of the pan away, then put it in the fridge.

Once all the oil has risen to the top and formed a solid layer of ghee, pull it out of the fridge and with a butter knife, cut around the edges. The butter should pop right out. The water inside will look murky – heavy particles sunk to the bottom, while purer oil rose to the top. There may be some weird looking stuff on the bottom of your ghee – just scrape it off. You have ghee! It’s a purer butter than regular, and tastes great with anything relying on the taste of butter (like sugar cookies or Russian wedding cookies.)

Alternate Method (more likely to burn): On a low heat, melt butter alone in a small pan, uncovered. It will start bubbling as water is released. Continue on low heat for 15-20 minutes, until the bubbling stops and becomes a foam. Strain into a jar and allow to cool.

Dustin’s Easy Fingerless Gloves
Modification of Knitting at Noon’s Fingerless Mitts. This adds a seamless thumb gusset and changes the thumb border. It also clarifies some things I found confusing.

Size: Adult

Materials:
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in Plum. Worsted weight yarn. Gauge 20 x 26 per 4″.
4-5x DPN in size 6.
Stitch holder or another DPN.

Increase rounds: Knit to marker, kfb of stitch after marker, knit to last st before second marker, kfb, slip marker, knit to end of round.
CO 36 stitches. Divide between needles (12 per) and join in the round.
Round 1: Purl
2: Knit.
3: Purl.
4-9: Knit
10: Increase round. (For 10, you will kfb both stitches between the markers, no knit between).
11-13, 15-17, 19-21, 23-25: Knit.
14, 18, 22, 26: Increase round. By 26, you should have 12 stitches between the markers.
27: Knit.
28: Knit to marker, place the next 12 stitches on another needle, CO 2 stitches, knit to end of round.
Next round: Knit to marker, place next 12 sts on a small stitch holder, cast on 2 sts, knit to end of round.
29-39: Knit.
40: Purl
41: Knit
42: Purl
BO loosely in knit.
Thumb: With another needle, pick up two stitches from the edges and 6-8 from the glove itself. When picking up stitches, pick up the same you’d use for make one stitches. This is kind of a weird one, so if you have trouble picking up all 8, 6 is fine – you can stitch it together later. Divide onto 3 needles.
Knit four rows. Purl one row, knit one row, purl one row. Bind off loosely in knit. Take any extra yarn left from BO and use to cover holes, if necessary.

It’s been a goal of mine to give only handmade gifts for everyone on my list in a holiday season. We’ll see if I manage this year.

So far, we have:

• 6 jars of bourbon vanilla
• 1 set of upcycled cashmere armwarmers
• 1 set of green handwarmers (soon to be two)
• 1 upcycled leather dice bag
• 1 Plan Toys wooden fire engine (they’re an amazing company – it counts!)

And on the to-do list:

• 1 beanie with a Star of David colorwork
• 1 lotus beanie for my friend Liza
• A set of 10 Calla coasters
• A retro skirt
• 2 aprons
• 2 pint jars of mulled cider
• 2 pint jars of mulled wine

A lot revolves around food. Good, rich food, meant to be shared with others. A community built on bringing food to a recent widow, or to a couple that have just brought home their first child. When people look at the recipes, they freak out at the butter and sugar asked for – it’s not uncommon to find whole sticks of butter in everything. But you must understand – this is food meant to be shared. These aren’t single servings – these are dishes you linger over, talking and dancing with friends and family, hearty food to fuel a workday.

Having found many Chess Pie recipes, and few that were authentic to the way my mother made them, I’ve carefully recreated hers.

Chess Pie

Makes 8 servings.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
pinch of salt
1 9-inch pie crust (I replace the lard with shortening, but my mother just used frozen NOT DRY pre-made pie crusts, which I find work fine)

Using a standing mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. Add vanilla, vinegar, and salt. Mixture should be like runny pancake batter. Pour into a prepared 9-inch pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, then turn the pie and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. The top should be golden brown, like the top of creme brulee once torched. Cut into 1/8ths, serve with fresh whipped cream on top. Will keep for 2-3 days.

SCA events are not quite camping, but not hotels either. Packing tables, chairs, favors, bulky tents, etc is normal, but so is rain, hail, high winds, and ants. Packing well means sitting in your tent during a rainstorm, curled up in wool blankets and watching the show, instead of trying to hold the tent down in a downpour. I keep separate, labeled rubbermaids for each of these categories.

Minimal, Personal Gear:

• Cash money for gate fees.
• 2 sets of mundane clothing. Pants, shorts, two shirts, jacket/cardigan. Hat or head kerchief. Comfy closed-toe shoes. Clothes you can move in for driving/set-up.
  • Rain (black looks vaguely period) poncho, wool socks, wool gloves or mittens, umbrella. Fur mufflers are very nice.
  • For vaguely period but cheap: Girls – go for black mary-jane style shoes from Target and put in padding. Guys – black work boots, especially engineer boots.
• Sleeping bag, pillow, 1 soft blanket, 1 wool blanket.
  • Optional: Air mattress and pump, or a mattress on top of your car!
• Tent, in good repair with waterproofing intact.
  • Tent stakes, poles. Tent repair kit (glue, fishing line, fine needle, waterproofing spray) – you will be glad you brought it. Extra guy lines/ropes.
• Prescription medications. Bring the minimum you need, plus 3-5 each. Double bag in good ziplocs – I’ve had dollar store ones fail too often.
  • Pepto bismol, milk of magnesia, Tums tablets (Tropical flavors are not gluten free), Q-tips, burn ointment, antibiotic ointment, painkiller, nail care kit for those hangnail/broken nail moments. Bandaids.
• Toothpaste, travel toothbrush, mouthwash, dental floss (also useful for emergency sewing). Shampoo, hairbrush. I use free samples.
  • Loofah, washcloth, or other self-scrubbing device.
  • Sunscreen, bug repellent.
• Garb – either borrowed or owned. One tunic, one undershirt, socks, and hat are the minimum.
• Cloak or small blanket – this is important enough to warrant its own entry. Newcomers often underestimate how cold they’ll get.
  • Wool will keep you the warmest, but I’ve seen many folks with polyester flannel that works just fine and require no sewing. Just don’t go electric blue.
• Towel – always know where your towel is. It’s a bag, pot holder, blanket, etc. $5 Kohl’s blankets work great.
• General: Safety pins (medium and large), bobby pins, duct tape, baby wipes, 4 clothespins, mini flashlight on a band. Extra pillowcase for dirty laundry.
• Fire extinguisher.
• Food, cooler, etc, if you aren’t on a meal plan. I like to bring frozen Naked juices to make sure I’m getting vitamins. Salty snacks like jerky and granola bars are good as well.
  • SPECIAL BONUS TIP: Instead of ice, fill freezer ziploc bags with tap water and freeze. Empty a little water from water bottles and freeze. Use these to pack your cooler, so you have cold water all through war.

“Luxury” Personal Gear:

• Lantern, candles, etc. Citronella will repel bugs. Never have any fire in your tent!
• Mug, horn, whatever for drinking container. Be careful of vintage mugs, as older pewter contains lead.
  • Steel > Pewter > Ceramic > Wood
• Garb: 2 linen tunics, 1 linen undershirt or chemise, wool/polyester brocade cold-weather clothes, flannel pants, wool cloak with hood, wool socks, gloves or muffler, hat. Cotton flannel PJ’s. If it’s going to be cold, bring more and layer up.
  • Accessories: Belt, pouch, simple jewelry.
• Money for buying things. Cash is best, and keep it on your person in various places.
• A bottle opener, can opener, and cork screw combo. Lighter. Cigarettes (which can be smoked or traded). Notepad and pen. Carabiner.
• Earplugs. Hand sanitizer.
• Travel alarm clock. Camera. Cell phone and car charger. Solar chargers are awesome and can be cheap.
  • For longer wars or trips, or wars that will have foul weather, I like to bring a laptop and solar laptop bag for charging the laptop + other stuff.
• Batteries – AA, D are the most common.
• Toilet paper.
• Thick, felted wool bag and large stone – the stone can be set in the fire and heated, then placed in the bag to keep you warm. Just don’t put it directly on your bed or skin.
• Extra blankets. Folding chair.
• Certain Sites: Swimsuit.

To Help Out Your Group:

• 2 Plastic wash tubs for doing dishes. Dr. Bronner’s soap. First is soapy water, second is rinse.
• Full first aid kit.
• Flat of water. Everyone needs to stay hydrated, and bringing a $2 case of water helps a lot. You can alternatively get bulk Kool-aid or lemonade mix, which is easier to take with and will help with things like Estrella’s green-tasting water.
• Solar Shower Bags. Big black bag you can fill with water, available cheaply.
• Games – Munchkin, Settlers of Catan, Aye Dark Overlord, Apples to Apples, etc. Nothing that takes longer than 1 hour.
• Propane tanks, firewood.
• Extra fire extinguisher.