A friend of mine has been extolling the virtues of green smoothies and was trying to talk me into the 30 day green smoothie challenge. I figured I should probably eat one green smoothie before I committed to a month. She agreed and took one last opportunity to tell me how good kale was for me.

I read a quick guide on what I might put in my smoothie and got started.

Take 1:
2 cups of kale
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup blackberries
(smoothie is no longer green, I’ll add another half cup of kale just in case…in case of what? I don’t know.)
1 cup blueberries
1. 5 cup strawberries
2 tbsp. flax seed

Tasted it.

It’s not bad, but it’s not good. It doesn’t taste like anything I can identify.

Take 2:
Add 150g Chobani vanilla nonfat yogurt (13 g of sugar can’t hurt.)
Nope. Something is bitter? or something. Can’t quite put my finger on it.

Take 3:
Add a packet of stevia to each glass.
It’s getting there, but it’s too runny.

Take 4:
Freeze it.

The next day, I eat a smoothie with a spoon.
The day after that, I let it melt a little and drink the second smoothie.

Later that day, I realize that kale has more fiber than expected.

And so it was that I started the 6 week Crossfit at Home challenge (recommended by a friend) with a Kale Cleanse.
I think I need new friends.

Ps. When I asked my friend how she LOVED green kale smoothies, she sweetly responded, “oh……..I only use Spinach.”

Pps. Here are the green socks I’m working on. Pattern to be re-released by Hunter Hammersen sometime in the future. I’ll let ya’ll know when it’s available.

You’ll note the foods in these photos are not green smoothie in nature.

Ppps. To see what others are working on, check out:
Tami’s Amis
Small Things
Frontier Dreams

I forced this yarn to stripe/bend to my will and I’m terribly pleased with these socks. But, they no longer make me think of Muppets and Rainbow Connections. Now, they make me think of lessons learned, how happy I am that the person they’re going to LOVES them, and the one time in my life people compared me to a saint.


Pattern: Vanessa antiopa Socks by Hunter Hammersen

Size: Medium

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Solemate
When I hand washed/blocked these socks, they sank like rocks in water. I was surprised by this as my wool socks float. It seems that this yarn (55% superwash merino, 15% nylon, 30% viscose (rayon) fiber that interacts with your body’s microclimate to moderate temperature from being too hot or too cold) does not seem to have the water repelling properties of wool.
Colorway: Rainbow

Mods: The toes should have been all purled, but the giftee and I agreed that we prefer ribbed toes, so the toes match the cuff ribbing.

Needles: 2.5mm for the leg, 2.25mm for the foot


To see what other folks have finished, check out Tami’s Amis, Wisdom begins in Wonder, and Natural Suburbia.

I can be a bit of a self help nut. (It’s one of the reasons I’m such a happy person….well, besides the fact that I have no choice but to be awesome.)

I was recently listening to an audio book (The Charge) and if I’m being honest, the book is a bit on the fluffy side for my taste so far. But, while my mind was wandering around in self-help land, I came up with a new life goal. I will knit 50 pairs of socks for people in my life. Now, this goal isn’t about seeking out people to make socks for. It is about documenting people that inspire me to hand knit socks. These people are sock-worthy….possibly in 50 different ways. And it is a life project, not to be confused with a Resolution. I’m not in a hurry.

And because when making goals, I like to stack the odds in my favor, I’m starting with the ten or so pairs I’ve already made. They are:

1. Mom – No one on Earth loves me like my mom. Sometimes, only your mom can heal a hurt. She’s a powerful woman.


2. Dad – He’s one of a kind. His sense of humor is without equal and he’s one of the best storytellers on the planet…..which is the reason I still love him despite the fact that he took months to try on the hand knit socks I mailed him. Something about him needing his feet to be clean. I’m not sure why his feet weren’t clean for months, but there you have it.


3. The Husband – He puts up with me knitting ALL THE TIME. He’s a saint.


4. Grammy – She’s a heck of a lady and I hope she knows how much she means to me. She is my favorite garden consultant.


5. Grandma – Clark Gable once bought her a Coke. She’s the coolest.


6. Turtle – We’ve known each other practically since birth. She continues to be incredibly supportive of my knitting and me in general. She’s a fantastic person to have in your corner.


7. Jbird – Her love of math and her willingness to visit yarn shops with me inspired entrelac socks….doesn’t hurt that she puts up with my little brother.


8. Rebecca – She stalked the blog when no one else was reading it. I’m forever grateful.


9. me – we’ve already discussed that I’m awesome…plus my feet are the easiest for me to fit.


On the needles:

10. my hairstylist/therapist – I’m in my mid-thirties and even though I’m going gray, I’ve never felt better about my hair. She’s a magician.


11. Bonita – She loaned me Walking Dead DVD’s and taught me that it is ok if friends arrive for a party and the soup is still cooking. That’s why one needs true friends.


…so, we’ll see how this goes, shall we?

Ps. Here’s a link to ravelry if any of these patterns interest you.