Month: September 2026

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I Want it That Way

I want it that way – Baked Spaghetti

I made baked spaghetti, and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to—even though I forgot part of my own recipe.

Apparently, writing the instructions does not mean I will follow them.

I started with a pound of Italian sausage, seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. While it cooked, I made sure to crumble it finely. Mr. Honey has texture issues, so I pay attention to things like that. A big chunk of sausage might be perfectly fine for me, but dinner is for both of us.

While the sausage was cooking, I diced an onion and four cloves of garlic. Once the meat was done, I drained the fat, added the onion and garlic, and let them cook for about a minute. Then I poured in a jar of meat-flavored pasta sauce I ordered from Amazon.

Nothing particularly fancy. Just things coming together in a pan and smelling like dinner. I used angel hair pasta—only four ounces, weighed dry. And before it went into the water, I broke it in half. I know that’s supposed to be a sin. I don’t know why. I’m making dinner in my kitchen, and I want my spaghetti shorter. So I break it.

I cooked the pasta just short of al dente because it still had some time ahead of it in the oven. Then I stirred it into the meat and sauce and transferred everything to a 9×13 baking dish.

Now, this is where knowing my own recipe would have been helpful.

The instructions called for mixing half of the eight ounces of shredded Italian blend cheese into the spaghetti and putting the other half on top. I put all of it on top. By the time I remembered, the cheese was already there. Into the preheated 350-degree oven it went for 20 minutes. You can see in the picture that nobody was going to have to search for the cheese.

I let it cool for about five minutes before serving, and it tasted great. The angel hair, finely crumbled sausage, sauce, onion, and garlic came together just as I had hoped, with that generous layer of melted cheese over everything.

What surprised me was how much it made. Four ounces of dry pasta sounds like such a small beginning, but with the pound of sausage, cheese, and everything else, it made enough for four meals. There was plenty left to enjoy again.

I could tell you I deliberately changed the recipe to try a different cheese arrangement, but that would be giving myself entirely too much credit. I forgot. It worked out.

Next time, I may remember to mix half the cheese in.

I will still be breaking the pasta.

 

New in the shops

The first tee from the At Dawn Collection has hit the shop! We Crochet at Dawn is ready with 14 colors and 6 sizes. If you know a crocheter who loves tees that celebrate the craft, click the link, heart it and share it!

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Faithfully

Faithfully

There’s an agreement every business owner wants to make with the public: I’ll make something you want – you buy it. Without that agreement, there is no business. 

It’s even more of a thing when you are asking people to give up their disposable income. I love looking at this piece. I love it in the photo and I love it even more in real time. Someone else looking at may love it, too. They can see the squishy and know it would feel great around their neck. If they didn’t just buy another cowl last week.

They may love the colors and it goes perfectly with that coat they got last year. But the $20 it takes to get it has to go into savings account because buying that car is more important.

As a person with not a lot of money, I faithfully consider all of that as I make something and consider if I am going to sell it. Of course I’m going to sell it – that’s the job. But how do I make it equitable for the buyer and for me? Because doing the work is part of the spiritual gift which also has to be considered.

I’m learning to listen as carefully as I design. I can be proud of what comes off my needles and still ask whether I’ve made a good offer. I can adjust the design, the photos, the description, or the price without pretending the work meant less. I’m learning to leave it up to someone else to take a look at it and decide ‘Is this a good choice for me?’

What’s new in the shops?

Aadi Cowl – ready to ship.
The We Crochet at Dawn Mug

 

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I Can See Clearly Now

 

 

I Can See Clearly Now.

The Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial and the Washington MonumentI took this photo in Washington, D.C., on July 17, 2012. It was probably the last time I was there.

At first glance, the tree in front of Martin Luther King Jr. seems to be the thing obscuring the view. We can see his face and parts of his memorial through the branches, but never all at once. Look across the photograph, though, and the Washington Monument is obscured too. The trees hide its base, so we can’t see its full length.

I like that about this picture now. We get a glimpse of each, but not the whole of either one.

Perhaps that is a lesson of history. We can study a person’s words and actions, visit the places that honor them, and still see only so much. The stories we tell about people are shaped by what remains in view and what gets left out.

And yet a glimpse can matter. Even through the leaves, King’s face holds my attention. Even without its base, the Washington Monument is unmistakable against the sky. We may never know all there is to know about another person. Sometimes, though, what we can see is great and rare enough to make us stop, look again, and want to understand more.

I kept this photograph mainly because of King. There was such a pushback to his having a memorial in Washington. History doesn’t allow us to imagine such a pushback against one to Washington. I mean, the city is named after him and he is the ‘father of the country.’ Though history does have some things to say about how he conducted himself and his business. But history is written by mem. So, like the trees, we will get to see some parts of each other but not all.

 

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Ride or Die

Ride or Die

We Craft at Dawn: A Christmas Ornament for the Battle-Ready Crafter.

There are people who craft peacefully—and then there are those of us who approach a new project as if we have been summoned into battle.

We gather our yarn, fabric, thread, needles, hooks, scissors and other necessary supplies. We survey the pattern. We choose our colors. We prepare ourselves for whatever tangled yarn, missed stitches, uneven seams and late-night decisions may come.

And at dawn, we ride…eh..we craft.

That wonderfully dramatic spirit inspired the We Craft at Dawn ornament, the centerpiece of a new Christmas ornament collection from Stitch, Pray, Repeat.

The design features a richly colored craft box filled with yarn, embroidery, fabric, scissors, brushes and other creative treasures. Behind it, the sun rises over the mountains—as if an epic day of making is about to begin.

Because for a crafter, every day we get to use the blessing and the skill, is an epic day.

A Christmas Ornament for Every Kind of Crafter

“We Craft at Dawn” was created for the makers whose creativity cannot be contained within one particular craft.

Maybe you knit in the winter, crochet whenever the right yarn calls your name and pull out the sewing machine when inspiration strikes. Perhaps you quilt, embroider, paint, weave or spin—and have the supplies to prove it.

If your answer to “What kind of crafting do you do?” is simply “Yes,” this ornament belongs on your tree.

The round ceramic ornament measures approximately 2.8 inches and hangs from a gold cord. It is available with the design on the front only or with a message on the back:

Have a wonderful, crafty season! or whatever message you want to put there. You have 100 characters to say what’s on your heart. It makes a cheerful addition to your own Christmas decorations and a fun gift for a craft-loving friend, guild member, teacher or creative family member.

You can shop the We Craft at Dawn Ornament here. It would be so great if you can pop over and give it a heart!

The Rally Cry Began with Crochet

The first ornament released in the collection was We Crochet at Dawn, created especially for the crocheters who know that yarn and a hook can be serious business.

It has the same bold, playful rally-cry spirit, but celebrates the particular joy—and occasional chaos—of crochet. It is perfect for the crocheter who always has another project planned, another skein waiting and at least one work in progress nearby.

[See the We Crochet at Dawn ornament here.] Another heart would be greatly appreciated!

More Makers Are Joining the Charge

“We Craft at Dawn” and “We Crochet at Dawn” are only the beginning.

The collection will also celebrate knitters, quilters, seamstresses, cross-stitchers, spinners and weavers. Each ornament is being designed as a small tribute to the skill, creativity and determination that makers bring to their work.

These are not quiet little ornaments for people who occasionally dabble.

They are rally cries for the devoted makers—the ones who plan projects during dinner, carry supplies everywhere and understand that buying materials and finishing projects are two entirely different hobbies.

Whether you make gifts for everyone you love, sell your work, donate it, decorate your home or create simply because your hands and imagination need something to do, there is a place for you in this crafty little army.

Gather your supplies. Choose your project. Pour the coffee.

We craft at dawn!

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Bad Romance

This is Gisimo Merino. We’re having a bad romance. It is 100% merino and it will get its due diligence when I do the yarn review. But I am grateful yarn never reviews us. (At least that we know about. Can’t vouch what happens when we’re asleep.) I am convinced this yarn would hate me and want to return me to the crafter store from whence I came.

I’m not cheating on him- at least not with another fiber product. I’m not taking the Lord’s name in vain. But I have done what I always do when I am designing something or making something new: restarted the project several times.

The reason was simple: I want to carry the non-working yarn so I don’t have many ends to weave in and I couldn’t get it to act right. I finally had to go to the you and tube to see I was doing the twist the wrong way. So, with the last start, the twist went the way I wanted but the stitches weren’t even. I then remembered it was 100% merino and would need at least some light blocking and I also wanted to do the pattern as I went. So, I thought start it again one last time, track the pattern, work even stitches and get it right since this is a special order. Depending on how much yarn I have left over, I will be making another variation the hat and it’s best to work out the kinks as best one can. These skeins may hate me but their siblings will appreciate the sacrifice.

It’s the Signature tee. Stitch Pray Repeat on the front and the logo on the back.