Jackie E-S is the owner of HeartStrings FiberArts, a showcase for her growing roster of original pattern designs. As a certified master knitter and teacher, Jackie continues to share her love of knitting and knowledge through design and publication of skill-building pattern instructions, and conducting workshops, programs and demonstrations. Her interest in the fiber arts extends beyond knitting and spinning to include weaving, dyeing and all needle arts. She also enjoys contract bridge and music.
Living in a swamp (basically), one of our most hideous unwanted plants is Dollar Weed. Now why do they call it that? I guess it is because of its silver- dollar-shaped leaves. But I really think it is because of all the dollars I have spent trying to control this stuff!
Spring in these Southern Louisiana parts has come even earlier than usual (in fact, some days have been like summer!). The Dollar Weed infestation is already rearing its mighty head. And so I will be heading out soon to the store to get the spring dose of Weed and Feed fertilizer for the lawn.
But look — Here’s something I came across on the internet. Have you ever heard of using sugar like this to get rid of lawn weed infestations? Like he says, I’d be really concerned about switching out the problem to an ant infestation, though?
If Dollar Weed weren’t so prolific in taking over why lawn and gardens, I could maybe enjoy its plump round leaves of bright green that look like miniature lily pads. (which, by the way, I want to wish you luck of the Irish on this green St. Patrick’s Day).
But getting back to the Dollar Weed, it tries to strangle my grass. And spreads at an astounding rate everywhere I see around here. Oh well. Another year fighting this. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Jessie in MA is our March 15th winner of the drawing for a Unicorn Fibre Rinse & Wash Gift Sampler Set. Congratulations!
Fibre Rinse & Wash Gift Sampler Set
Thank you everyone for entering and playing in our contest drawing for Unicorn Fibre care products to celebrate the start of Spring. Stick around as there are more chances to win.
There are still 2 drawings this month for prizes, courtesy of the gracious and generous prize donations of Anna Carner of Unicorn Fibre. Thanks Anna!
If you have not yet entered Celebrate Spring contest, just leave a comment here on the blog and/or on the HeartStrings FiberArts Facebook page about why you want to win. The more inventive or humorous your comment is, the more likely you will get ‘votes/likes’ from others. Read on to see how that will enhance your chances to win the grand prize. Here are some other tips:
Comment both on the blog here and the Facebook page, and you have a better chance to win.
The earlier the better, as there will be multiple drawings throughout the month for which you can be counted.
Share your comment with your friends and get “likes” for your comment. Each share and like will add to your contest entries for the grand prize at the end of the month.
Even if you have already left a comment earlier, remember that your entry still carries over to the remaining 2 drawings. But continue to share your comment with your friends and get “likes” for your comment. Each share and like will add to your contest entries for the grand prize at the end of the month.
I want to commend all of you on the thoughtful, creative, and sometimes humorous comments entered already about why you want to win a Unicorn Fibre care set. We’ve even had some poems! Please do take time to look through the comments and enjoy them. Some may bring a smile to your face, or even a big laugh to brighten your day. And remember to add your own comments, likes, etc., too.
Here’s the calendar schedule and the prizes for the remaining 2 drawings:
On March 20, 2012 (which happens to be Vernal Equinox, the start of Spring), another lucky winner will be randomly drawn from all comment entries since the beginning of the contest and receive a Unicorn Fibre Wash & Rinse Gift Sampler Set.
The Grand Prize will be awarded on March 31, 2012. The prize is the Unicorn Deluxe Fibre Wash & Rinse 16oz. Gift Set valued at $31. The winner will be the one with the highest tally of entries (taking into consideration that a like and share of a comment either here on the blog or on the HeartStrings Facebook page also counts as an entry). In the event of a tie, the winner will be chosen randomly from the top entries.
Deluxe Fibre – Wash & Rinse 16oz Gift Set
I’d love for you to win one of these. Be sure you have “liked” HeartStrings FiberArts on Facebook and that your email address was correctly entered when commenting here on the blog so I can contact you when you win and let Anna know to send out your prize right away!
Whatcha cookin’ for Sunday brunch? With the change for daylight savings time, I am already an hour behind on my usual get-into-the-day schedule. So today I’m serving up something really easy for you.
I call it Egg in a Hole Grits Style. It’s just a take-off on the simple Egg-in-the-hole recipe that substitutes a ring of grits for the usual slice of toast with a cut-out circle in the center.
I do LOVE home-cooked grits. The kind that takes 20 minutes to cook; i.e. not that mushy instant variety. Take some of your cooked grits and spoon into a hot buttered small frying pan in the shape of a ring. I think it’s best to use a shallow frying pan so that it’s easy to slide the finished concoction a plate.
Use a ring of grits rather than a slice of toast with a hole cut out
Let the grits “fry” until becoming a bit browned and bubbly on the underside. Then crack an egg into hole and cook until of desired doneness. Personally, I like a runny yolk because I can mix in some of that yummy goodness with the grits later when I am eating. Slide the finished concoction onto a serving plate while preserving the look and shape (unless you just want to serve it in the pan!).
Which reminds me of one of my favorite movies My Cousin Vinny. I swear that my friend John knows every line of that movie. The one we like most to cite is where Vinny challenges the testimony of the self-respecting Southerner witness who would never cook instant grits by asking him: “how could it take you 5 minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit eating world 20 minutes?” 🙂
Thank you so much to those supporting WomenHeart by purchasing the HeartStrings Thinking of You Scarf pattern through Patternfish in the recent charity campaign. I wanted to let you know that almost $400 has been donated between the matching contributions of Patternfish and HeartStrings FiberArts.
Thinking of You Scarf
There was a lot of positive response about both WomenHeart and the support that Patternfish and me were providing. I am thankful to all of you on behalf of the women who will receive crucial support services, programs, and educational materials for heart disease in women.
We even had a knitter who wanted to gift the pattern even though she already had the pattern herself. Patternfish does not yet have a Gift option set up in their system, but Gayle “the Ambassador” at Patternfish took care of the gifting manually to make it happen!
And just as important as all that, I heard from so many people who had previously purchased the pattern and were using it to “Knit Red” or gift to a friend or family member in need or comfort.
Life and our loved ones are such a precious thing.
Let’s celebrate the upcoming start of Spring with a multi-prize drawing! Think spring cleaning as a spa treatment for your yarns and fibers, and the pleasure you will have when using Unicorn Fibre care products.
I have been meaning to tell you what a joy it has become to prepare yarn skeins for my kits since I was introduced to Unicorn a few of years ago. Not only am I providing my customers luscious-feeling yarn (and we all know how touchy-feely we knitters/crocheters can be), I love the way my hands smell from the fibre wash and rinse. Normally I would not like working with a scented product, but the light scent of Unicorn is subtle and smells refreshingly natural and clean.
And, oh boy, are the results fantastic. It’s like a spa treatment to enhance the softness and luster of your finest fibers and garments. I was so satisfied that I agreed to speak on behalf of Unicorn Fibre care products in an ad a couple of years ago (and as testimonial to using these products myself, my White Lotus Lace Shawl in Colinton Angoras yarn which received exactly the spa treatment I am describing here for softness and luster is pictured in the backdrop).
With the gracious and generous donation of Anna Carner of Unicorn Fibre care products, I am able to offer 3 prizes in this month’s contest drawing. Thanks Anna!
Just leave a comment here on the blog and/or on the HeartStrings FiberArts Facebook page about why you want to win. The more inventive or humorous your comment is, the more likely you will get ‘votes/likes’ from others. Read on to see how that will enhance your chances to win the grand prize. Here are some other tips:
Comment both on the blog here and the Facebook page, and you have a better chance to win.
The earlier the better, as there will be multiple drawings throughout the month for which you can be counted.
Share your comment with your friends and get “likes” for your comment. Each share and like will add to your contest entries for the grand prize at the end of the month.
Here’s the calendar and the prizes:
On March 15, 2012, a lucky winner will be randomly drawn from all comment entries so far and receive a Unicorn Fibre Wash & Rinse Gift Sampler Set.
Fibre Rinse & Wash Gift Sampler Set
On March 20, 2012 (which happens to be Vernal Equinox, the start of Spring), another lucky winner will be randomly drawn from all comment entries since the beginning of the contest and receive a Unicorn Fibre Wash & Rinse Gift Sampler Set.
And the Grand Prize will be awarded on March 31, 2012. The prize is the Unicorn Deluxe Fibre Wash & Rinse 16oz. Gift Set valued at $31. The winner will be the one with the highest tally of entries (taking into consideration that a like and share of a comment either here on the blog or on the HeartStrings Facebook page also counts as an entry). In the event of a tie, the winner will be chosen randomly from the top entries.
Deluxe Fibre - Wash & Rinse 16oz Gift Set
I’d love for you to win one of these. Be sure you have “liked” HeartStrings FiberArts on Facebook and that your email address was correctly entered when commenting here on the blog so I can contact you when you win and let Anna know to send out your prize right away!
Related Images:
Behind the scenes with Jackie E-S and life at the HeartStrings FiberArts studio.
