3-way Giveaway

July is the month I'll be celebrating my 10 year wedding anniversary and I'd love to share our happiness with you! So, I'm hosting a huge, huge, huge giveaway! THREE of them, actually!

Enter 1, 2, or all 3 giveaways! To enter, just answer a question in each Rafflecopter widget. That's it! Want bonus entries? Fill out the other options: like Toppled Turtle on Facebook, Follow Toppled Turtle on Instagram, and/or sign up to receive Toppled Turtle Newsletters.

Giveaways end at 11:59 pm on July 31, 2014

Now, let's discuss the giveaways, shall we?!

GIVEAWAY #1
Photographer's Giveaway!
3-piece newborn photography set:
mini bump blanket in cream, 2 coordinated cream and sky blue hats
These are super soft photo props!
Retail value: $86

a Rafflecopter giveaway



GIVEAWAY #2
$50 Toppled Turtle Gift Card!
Winner will receive a coupon code good for any ready to ship/in stock item in my Etsy shop!
No expiration!
*shipping charges will apply for items purchased with gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway



GIVEAWAY #3
Yarnie Giveaway!!
Win 4 skeins/hanks of some of my favorite yarn, including 2 balls of kid mohair blend, Berroco Vintage (my go-to yarn!), and Schachenmayr Aventisto!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!!!

Parenting lessons - our children are the best teachers

Every once in a while something happens that really knocks the air out of you. Usually, this is born out of an unpleasant, surprising, or devastating situation or experience. But it's not always bad - sometimes it's just pure love, an overwhelming sense of awe, or a happy surprise. About a month ago, my 6 year old completely took my breath away with her words. After I processed what she'd said and responded calmly, I sent her out to play and the tears came. These were not sad or hurt tears, but tears that resulted from complete, overwhelming, breathtaking love. I was so proud of her, so emotionally raw, so in love.

What did she say that caused such an enormous emotional reaction?

To set the stage, first you need to understand that Olivia is my mild-mannered child. She's calm, methodical, deeply caring, and sensitive. She doesn't do things in a big way, like her little sister. This isn't to say she doesn't do BIG things, she just doesn't do them in a big way; she's understated.

This particular day, she got up from the table where she had been working on her homework and approached me. I was sitting in the living room, laptop open, taking the opportunity to squeeze a few more minutes of work in while she was occupied.

"Mommy.."

I looked up, expecting some short, seemingly unimportant statement before shooing her off so I could keep working.

"Mommy, for my birthday - " Oh boy, I thought, here comes the laundry list, "- I'd like people to help drill a well for clean water."

I paused. For a long time. Where did this come from? As a social worker, I take advantage of teachable moments to try instill a sense of caring for others and our world in my girls, but I new, this had nothing to do with me or those lessons. I was so caught off-guard, I needed a moment to process before responding.

"What do you mean?" She had my full attention now.

She went on to explain that some people didn't have clean water and she wanted to help them have clean water. She had learned about this global issue at school that day - she attends an international bachelorette and Spanish magnet elementary. She continued by stating that she'd learned about another child who'd done this for her birthday and she wanted to do the same.

"You understand that if people do this for your birthday it will be instead of giving you birthday gifts, right?"

She nodded. She understood. And then, meekly, "well, maybe I can still get something small?"

Yes, sweet child. Yes, you can still have something small to open on your birthday.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of research, information gathering, and setting up a gofundme site - continuously checking in with her that she was SURE this is what she wanted for her birthday. She was steadfast in her reply.

Through this process, Olivia has taught me so much - things I thought I already knew. She's opened a window into what it means to be selfless, at a time when children are developmentally self-centered. She's shown grace, love, sacrifice. I am humbled by her example and have been reminded that being a social worker is more than just getting a degree. It's looking for opportunities to serve others, lift communities, lighten the burden of others everyday, be it a small gesture or something on a larger scale.

We've partnered with a wonderful organization, Love One Another Project and are working to raise $7000 to drill a borehole (deeper than a well and therefore doesn't run dry) in Busega, Kampala Uganda. You can read all about it, see the faces of the individuals who will be impacted by Olivia's gift and donate directly on Olivia's gofundme site. Please consider supporting this selfless wish and help us spread the word through facebook, twitter, pinterest, etc. I would really appreciate it. Olivia would really appreciate it.

Blocking Hand Knits - How & Why

BLOCKING - Yes, you should!

 

I am always surprised by the number of knitters I know who've a) never heard of blocking or b) don't bother with it. Let's demystify this easy step that will make a huge impact on your hand knits!

What is blocking?

Blocking is a simple process of setting the stitches in your hand knits. You've worked hard, spent many hours, perhaps shed some tears, and I know it's really tempting to take it off the needles and consider it done, throw a party, never look at it again, wear it immediately, or whatever it is you're in the mood to do. But, it's not done yet. Really, it isn't - don't get ahead of yourself. Blocking only takes a few minutes of your time and some drying time - trust me when I tell you the minimal effort and wait is well worth it!

There are many different methods of blocking. I'll discuss my favorite below.

Why is blocking beneficial (aka why bother)?

Yarn is a fickle thing. It feels one way on the skein, another way once it's knit up, and changes again once it's been blocked. I cannot tell you how many times I've selected a beautiful yarn and been surprised by the stiffness of it once it was knit. But, guess what? I'm often surprised by how soft and supple it becomes again once it's been blocked.

 

Here are the most compelling reasons to block:

• Softens up hand knits
• Sets/evens out minor variations in gauge
• Items can be stretched slightly to correct size (especially useful in garment construction)
• Keeps edges from folding, twisting, furling, or otherwise being malformed

See the difference here - it's huge!
Curly cue beforehand, nice and flat afterward

How to block

So, let's get down to the knitty-gritty.

First, your supplies:

• Blocking mats or cardboard. My favorite are Knit Picks blocking mats. They're basically foam puzzle pieces that you can set up to whatever configuration you need. Long and narrow for a scarf? No problem. Large square/rectangle for a blanket or sweater? Yes, you can do that to. Just need a small surface, no problem, just use 1 of them. Easy to use, easy to store!

See how many you can fit on 1 square?
Here I am blocking 4 newborn photo props

• Pins (preferably ones that don't rust). Again, my favorites are from Knit Picks, but really you can use anything. I just prefer the T-style because they are sturdy and don't bend on me when I'm pinning my work
• Water
• Towel

 

Steps

1. Take your finished, curled up, too small, and/or stiff knit to a sink

Poor curled layering blanket.
Fresh off the needles and completely useless as is

2. Hold it under running *cold* water until it is nice and wet. Some blocking instructions will tell you to use a water bottle and lightly spritz your work. Nay, I say! Spritzing results in uneven application and often cannot get all the way down into the knits. And, don't even talk to me about overspray. Just use the sink - you'll be happier.

3. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Don't wring it out - you don't want to stretch it oddly and unevenly. Squeeze and move on.

4. Lay out your towel and spread your wet work onto it. Roll it into the towel and press & squeeze and get as much water out of it as you can.

See how the edges are already behaving themselves more properly?!
I haven't even rolled it yet!
As I rolled it into the towel, I tried to keep the edges uncurled,
but it's not necessary to be precise here

5. Spread your work onto the blocking mats (or cardboard covered with a fresh/dry towel).

6. Start pinning. I start across one side to anchor my work. If you are going to stretch it slightly, pull gently and pin on the opposite side as your anchor pins. Then, pin the other sides.

I stretched this piece slightly, so pins are a-plenty!

7. Let your work air dry. The amount of time it will take will depend on a lot of factors, including the fiber content, temperature of your house, thickness of the knit, how much water you extracted when you rolled it into a towel, etc. Plan 1-3 days and check it periodically.

8. Once dry, unpin and you're ready to go (and be amazed)!

Unpinned and uncurled.
MUCH BETTER!

Notes:

- The number of pins you'll need to use will vary depending on if you're stretching it or dealing with rolling. If you're just blocking to improve the texture, you won't need many.
- Don't over stretch. You can only accomplish so much with blocking. Use a lot of pins when stretching and be careful it's not causing it to pull where the pins are and nowhere else (this will create somewhat of an unnatural, scalloped edge).

Sulfate Free Soap in 15 minutes

We decided over a year ago to limit our use of sulfates, especially in skin and hair care products. Why? Sulfates are harsh and drying and some say they're carcinogens (the evidence here is murky, at best). With dry skin and curly hair, the last thing I need is a harsh, drying ingredient in my soap & shampoo (more on that later).

At first, we bought sulfate free soap from the Farmer's Market, but with a price tag of $5 per bar, it wasn't sustainable. So, I set about doing some research and discovered just how easy it is to make your own soap. Off to the craft store we went to see what soap making supplies they carry. I was giddy to see glycerin soap, a small selection of scents, molds, and colorants. Everything I needed to get started, right? Wrong. Here's what I bought:

Craft Store Soap. Sulfate Free FAIL

 

I thought I was in the clear. I couldn't find any "ingredients" so took the "Glycerin Soap" at face value. I even made up a batch of the soap and tried it out, but something seemed off (i.e. my skin felt drier than it had when I was using the soap from the Farmer's Market). So, I read over the label again and found it....the smallest writing on the entire packaging that has, admittedly a lot of text. See it, there? I underlined the fine print, for your sake - sulfates x2.

 

Out of local options, I took to the internet. Enter Bulk Apothecary. They have a large selection of raw materials, including many options for sulfate free melt and pour glycerin soaps. Each of their items has a clear list of ingredients - be sure to read them. They do offer Crafter's Choice (the same brand you'll find in craft stores, like the one shown above), so be sure you're buying what you think you are by reading everything. They also have lots of nicely concentrated, yummy smelling scents.

 

Ok, so now you've got your supplies. How do you make the soap? Simple. Gather your supplies.

 



Pyrex measuring cup, glycerin soap (these are 1 lb bars), molds, colorants (optional), scents (optional), dropper, & rubbing alcohol. You can get most of this (except the sulfate free glycerin soap) at the craft store - don't forget those coupons!

Step 1: Cut the 1 lb glycerin bar. I cut it into 6ths. You don't *have* to cut it, but if you don't, it takes longer to melt and ends up hotter. Hotter glycerin means you stand a risk of burning off the scent, but even worse, of melting your molds (if you have the cheap plastic ones like I have). Trust me, melting your molds is a messy situation.

Step 2: Throw your pieces into a large pyrex measuring cup and put it into the microwave for 1.5 min. Swirl it around and nuke it for another 30 seconds or so. At this point, I prefer to just stir the melted glycerin until the last of it melts. (I might be afraid of melting another mold - maybe).

Step 3: Add you color, if you opt to color your soaps. I like to color them because I make a different scent for me, hubby, and the kids. Colors make it easier to differentiate without having to take the additional time to print up labels. Adding your coloring in first allows the glycerin to cool off a bit before adding the scent, thus minimizing the risk of burning off some of the scent before you even have a chance to lather up in the shower.

Isn't it pretty?

Step 4: Add your scent(s). Feel free to get creative here! The amount of scent you'll add depends on how concentrated it is and will require a little experimentation. I use about 10 drops of the scent I buy off of bulk apothecary and 20+ drops of some less concentrated scents that hubby bought online from another site. You can also use essential oils (I've done a citrus scented soap using my oils)

Step 5: Pour the melted, colored, and scented glycerin into your molds. Here is where using a measuring cup to melt your glycerin comes in handy! A 1 lb bar of glycerin almost perfectly fills a craft store mold of 4 bars. The mold will be brimming, and I tend to fill them to what appears full and then go back and top each of them off with the remainder.

Step 6: Spray with rubbing alcohol. This pops the bubbles that will have formed on top of the bars and make your bars pretty.

Step 7: Let it harden (1-2 hrs or so). Release the soap from the mold by turning over and pressing on the bars out of the mold.

Step 8: Let them cure overnight. This is probably not necessary, but I find it helps them harden. The next morning, you can wrap each of the bars in plastic wrap and store until needed. The plastic wrap will protect the bar from moisture while in storage.

Now, unwrap a bar, hop into the shower or bath, and lather up. Enjoy that fabulous scent while your skin screams thank you! Oh, and feel free to donate all of those expensive lotions - you're not going to be using them much anymore.

And, on a final note, let me reassure you about the lather in these soaps. A friend of mine was asking about them and said her hubby was a lather lover. One of the primary complaints of sulfate free is lack of lather. But, the soap from bulk apothecary contain a saponification agent, so they still lather nicely. Still hesitant? Let me demonstrate what clean up look like:

I don't think anyone will be complaining about lack of lather here, do you?