All posts by Jackie E-S

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.

April Giveaway at KnitHeartStrings

Zephyr-In-A-Net Lace Yarn and Shawl Pattern

Are you ready for another giveaway?

For April, I have another specially prepared prize to award some lucky knitter of this month’s KAL being held at KnitHeartStrings.  Good luck to everyone participating in the KAL and Giveaway!

April Giveaway: Zephyr-In-A-Net Lace Yarn and Shawl Pattern

This prize includes:

  • 500 yards of Jaggerspun Zephyr 2/18 Wool/Silk Lace Yarn in color Garnet Red. This yarn is wound into a center-pull ball and ready for you to knit. The center-pull ball is  cradled in a squishy net mesh sleeve to help the fine yarn feed smoothly.
  • Autographed copy of the Elegantly Simple Triangle Shawl pattern.
  • After you finish the yarn, the net mesh sleeve can be re-used when washing small delicate items or keeping socks sorted.

Jaggerspun Zephyr yarn is a favorite of lace knitters. If you’ve used Zephyr before, you already know the treat that is in store for you. If you haven’t tried this yarn yet, be prepared to be thrilled with how pleasant it is to knit and wear. Zephyr-In-A-Net lace yarn is also available at the KnitHeartStrings online store.

Elegantly Simple Triangle Shawl pattern is a lovely, fan-shaped design that begins at the point and is knit in one of those lovely laces based on the Shetland feather and fan stitch. The bound-off long edge can be finished in your choice of dramatic points or graceful scallops. There is enough Zephyr yarn in this prize to make a shoulder wrap size.

Elegantly Simple Triangle Shawl

With so much movement and interest in the design of this shawl, it might look more difficult to do than it really is. Hint-hint: You’ll have a chance to practice the basic pattern stitch for the June KAL, although we will not be knitting this shawl pattern itself for the KAL.

How to Win

Want to win? Simply hop on over to the KnitHeartStrings site to read about the different ways you can rack up entries. The winner will be drawn at the end of April 2014. Good luck!

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Happy Lundi Gras! and Joanne’s Mardi Gras Beaded Ball

When Joanne Conklin visited me in Colorado last summer, she gifted me with a Mardi Gras Ball https://www.prosco.com/ that she knit! This very special treat takes a prominent place in my “all things Mardi Gras” collection. It is such a nice reminder of our time together.

Mardi Gras Ball knitted by Joanne Conklin

Joanne – I’m thinking of you today (Lundi Gras) as we head into the finale of Mardi Gras (tomorrow). Wish you were here with us in New Orleans to join the festive craziness. Still love the Beaded Ball you made me. Thank you!

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p.s. You can read about the making of the Mardi Gras Ball at Joanne’s blog here. p.p.s. The pattern is HeartStrings #H18 Beaded Stress Ball.

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March Giveaway at KnitHeartStrings

Black Watch Special Edition Yarn and Beads Kit Prize

I’m pleased to offer another specially prepared prize for the wonderful members of KnitHeartStrings. Good luck to everyone!

This prize includes:

  • 2 oz/215 yards of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock 4-ply fingering weight 80% superwash wool and 20% nylon, in color Black Watch, wound into a center-pull ball and ready for you to knit; the yarn is luscious-feeling, yet sturdy — if you have not tried Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock yarn yet, you are in for a treat
  • 20g size 6/0 Miyuki beads in your choice of either #277 Green-lined Crystal AB or #269 Ice Blue-lined Crystal AB; these are my favorites to give sparkly tone-on-tone accents with this yarn (or you can also make your own color selection from the other in-stock beads listed here)
The yarn and color is the same as used to knit the sample scarf shown  for March’s KAL of Narrow Lace Leaves Scarf shown here.

Of course, you don’t have to use the yarn you win for this particular scarf. There is plenty enough yarn to use for  1-skein projects such as  hats/berets, other small fashion scarves, etc.

The glass seed beads are high quality Miyuki size 6/0 (4 mm diameter), the size suitable for placing on fingering weight yarn with the crochet hook method. The Narrow Lace Leaves Scarf  pattern does not include instructions for beading, but I will be including a bonus support article for this during the March KAL, and you can also get other ideas from previous KAL projects such as the Pretty Awesome Yarn Pouch and Dolly’s top-Down Tri Shawl). A listing of all previous KAL’s and the supporting articles is here.

How to Win

Want to win? Simply hop on over to the KnitHeartStrings site to read about the different ways you can rack up entries. The winner will be drawn at the end of March 2014. Good luck!

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3 Healthy Rice-Based Recipes To Lose Weight And Look Beautiful

Becoming a perfect Masterchef is not impossible, yet it takes a long time before you are able to use ingredients and mix them in a correct way. You have to know what each ingredient at your disposal contains in terms of nutritional properties. For instance, fish contains a high amount of omega-3 minerals and other important nutrients which you can use to build the perfect healthy meal.

If you are new to the culinary universe then you are more than welcome on board! You are about to discover the importance of eating healthy food and the joy of preparing it in a quick and enjoyable way… yeah, preparing food is, after all, like playing a game!

Look Younger, Lose Weight And Eat Tasty Food… All At Once!

Do you believe that you can eat the best food while losing weight and becoming more beautiful? Well, it’s not a dream or a joke! It’s what you can actually do in your kitchen, every day when preparing your meals.

First of all, let’s talk a little about rice. We all know that rice is an important element of our everyday diet, it’s almost always recommended by doctors to patients who have to lose weight. Rice gives you a sensation of satiety but without the high volume of carbohydrates or fats like other seeds and grains. Rice doesn’t contain any fat or any sugar, which is what makes it the perfect basic ingredient for your meals.

Moreover, rice is proven to make your skin softer and healthier thanks to vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B9, and thanks to minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, and others. So, what are waiting for more?

Now we get to the part where we get to learn how to prepare excellent rice-based recipes.

Easy And Tasty Everyday Rice-Based Recipes

We’ve come up with a bunch of easy and very good recipes that are rice-based and quick to prepare even for a first-time young cook. As you can see, you can mix ingredients matching your personal tastes if you want as rice lends itself well to creating new variants from popular recipes.

  1. Tuna fried rice
    Use sesame oil to heat a wok, then add some onion and soften. At this point, you can add mushrooms and garlic or any other ingredients that you like. Finally, add cooked rice and mix all the ingredients in the wok. Add tuna in slices (or you can also put some salmon instead of tuna) and serve.
    An average serving of this recipe gives you about 370 calories, 27 g proteins, 4,8 total fats, and 50 g carbohydrates.
  2. Italian tuna pilaf – Italy is one of the main places in Europe where rice is produced, so expect to find numerous rice-based recipes in the Italian culinary tradition. One of the tastier recipes is tuna pilaf. Heat some oil of olive in an oven pot or fry pan with some onion until it softens. Add rice and some optional spices (herbs or garlic) together with small slides of tomatoes, small portions of broccoli. If needed, add also some water and stir to mix all the ingredients. Now, place in preheated oven to 180°C for 20-to-30 minutes. Stir a couple of times during oven cooking, then take out and serve.
    A serving contains about 480 calories, 41g proteins, 11 g total fats, 50 g carbohydrates.
  3. Spring pea risotto –
    Another Italian recipe to keep in good shape and lose weight in a fancy way. Use arborio rice to have a low-fat dish of this recipe. Place a few small tiny slides of butter in a frypan, add rice and some onion, garlic and small cubes of ham. Stir the ingredients overcooking (you can add optional spices if you like) and add water as the rice absorbs it all. Add frozen peas and stir until rice is cooked. Then, serve each dish topped with some parmesan.
    An average portion results to give you no more than about 300 calories, 14/15 g proteins, 10 g total fats, and 29 g carbohydrates. As you can see, this is a very low-fat recipe.

Oriental rice-based recipes are also very good for weight loss while eating excellent dishes. However, you might find it difficult to find oriental ingredients if you don’t have a specialized store near your place of residence.

You can also go to Chinese, Korean or Japanese restaurants to try Asiatic rice-based dishes. If you go by car, make sure not to lose your car key – which happens to many people when going out for a meal. Experienced car locksmiths suggest to use a heavy keychain for your car key, so you are more likely to notice your car key if it falls somewhere. Another thing you can do is add a key finder to that same keychain, this way you can use your phone to locate it.

Anyway, if you still can’t find it anywhere, call a car locksmith service by Locksmiths Pros to have your car key replaced in less than 25 minutes. Locksmiths Pros locksmiths are nationwide service providers who specialize in all types of car locksmith problems and have the knowledge to assist you in a short amount of time.

Don’t let a small thing such as lost car keys discourage you from moving forward with your diet. Use the recipes we provided you and find new ones or even make up your own!

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February Giveaway at KnitHeartStrings

Celebrating Valentines, the February prize  at KnitHeartStrings is Heart’s Desire yarn and bead pack.

Heart’s Desire Special Edition Prize

No other month of the year says “pink” to me as much as February. How about you? So, for the February giveaway, I’ve put together a special edition kit of yarn and beads for some lucky winner to play with and create whatever your heart desires.

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This prize includes yarn and beads to play with in whatever way you want:

  • 2 skeins of  yarn, each in a different, yet compatible colorway
  • beads in contrast color for bold design accents
  • beads for sparkly tone-on-tone accents

Each skein is 2 oz (57 g) /  215 yards of Lorna’s Lace Shepherd Sock 4-ply fingering weight 80% superwash wool and 20% nylon. 4 oz (114 g) / 430 yards total.

The colorway on the left is called “Girly Stripe”; the one on the right is “Tickled Pink”.

This yarn is luscious-feeling, yet sturdy. There is plenty enough yarn to use for separate 1-skein projects such as scarves, hats/berets, etc. Or use together for one-of-kind, serendipitous color play.

The glass seed beads are high quality Miyuki size 6/0 (4 mm diameter) in 2 colors of 10 g (approx 120 beads) each: silver-lined violet and silver-lined crystal. A total of 20 g (approx 240 beads).

If you need inspiration or guidance on using beads, there are lots of ideas in lessons we’ve had for  KAL’s at KnitHeartStrings. A listing of all previous KAL’s and the supporting articles is here.

How to Win

Want to win? Simply hop on over to the KnitHeartStrings site to read more and enter. The winner will be drawn at the end of February 2014. Good luck!

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April 1, 2014 Update:

Congratulations go to Pat M, winner of the February Prize Drawing. Thanks to everyone who entered.Pat wrote; “I am tickled. One of my first yarn-loves was the Lorna’s Lace line. I have several pairs of socks that I’ve knitted from LL’s Shepherd Sock. Also, I’m enjoying the St. Paddy’s Day cozy. I’d forgotten how much pleasure I derive from working with beads and yarn together. You are feeding my addiction.

Thank you very much. This is the proverbial icing on the inspiration cake that you serve to us regularly!

 

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