Keeping Things Simple...

Midwinter sale at socksandmittens

2024-01-15T04:11:00.000-08:00

Mid winter sale at socksandmittens on Etsy! Get 10% off on any item in my shop January 15- February 1, 2024. No coupon code needed! Stop by to see if you need anything at https://socksandmittens.etsy.com

Sweet Christmas / Joyeux Noel

2023-11-15T05:35:00.000-08:00

A new addition to my shop: the sweet vintage framed calligraphy art picture that carries that lovely old fashioned cozy Christmas.

It comes with a small easel which allows you to display your new piece of holiday decor where it would look best. Holly leaves and berries, Joyeux Noel sign, beautiful festive colors, all are here, in a great set of 2.

Available in my shop on Etsy - https://agardencottage.etsy.com

Link to the listing: https://agardencottage.etsy.com/listing/1589795162

Stop the war in Ukraine

2022-03-02T05:58:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow it will be a week since the war started in Ukraine. Someone is still calling it a military operation and I can't believe people can be so blind. People are dying in Ukraine, children are being born underground in subways or hospital basements, beautiful cities, people's houses and some historical landmarks are ruined.

I spent last week glued to news and my phone saying goodbyes to my family and friends in Kiev as soon as bombing started. I cried a lot lately. I started to notice blue and yellow colors (Ukrainian flag colors) everywhere and feel the support. We went to an anti-war rally this Sunday and it made me feel little better but the fact is, the war still continued. The "brotherly nations" concept used in Soviet Union will never be applied anymore to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The horrific reality is here. That same people who claimed to remember the horrors of World War II are committing crimes against humanity right now. Shame on those who started it and for their supporters. I stand with Ukraine.

I am back :) happy Friday!

2021-05-28T06:44:00.012-07:00

Good morning everyone and happy Friday! I am back after a long break in posting, there was just too many things going on. Summer is almost here so I am preparing a new inventory for both shops for the coming holidays 2021.

Here is one of the new listings and a new addition to a vintage celestial jewelry collection in my shop, a Native American made sun and moon earrings. A very impressive design and a quality work! Marked with a Waletzko Sterling and a rising sun symbol. I only have 1 pair so please let me know if you are interested.

Listed at agardencottage on Etsy, please click HERE to go directly to the listing.

A Labor day sale, September 3 9PM - September 7 9PM, 2020

2020-09-02T09:27:00.001-07:00

The summer is over and I am celebrating Fall (my favorite season!) by offering a Labor Day sale. From 9PM on September 3rd to 9PM on September 7th, 2020 you will be able to get 10% off when you spend $35, in both of my shops on Etsy. This is a great way to start your Holiday shopping early!

If you are looking for sweet vintage finds, unique jewelry and home decoration items please stop by www.agardencottage.etsy.com

If you are looking for great quality hand knit and crochet items please stop by www.socksandmittens.etsy.com

Hope you will find what you are looking for at my shops!

The end of summer: get ready for Fall!

2020-08-24T08:02:00.002-07:00

The end of summer! It is maybe 114'F weather in Arizona today but it might be colder where you are at. Fall is almost here so it's time to get ready to warm up! Warm hands, warm heart, after all.

These gloves are hand knit in simple rib pattern in soft alpaca and acrylic mix yarn.

Add caption

Colors available: tan/ beige, black and military green.

These gloves are listed at socksandmittens on etsy, see listing details in my shop (link to shop below).

Happy Fall!

SocksAndMittens on Etsy

Father's Day gift ideas June 2020

2020-05-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

With Father's Day approaching, I've decided to combine some gift ideas I am offering in my shops.

So here is 1 handmade (knit fingerless gloves from www.socksandmittens.etsy.com) and 7 vintage items which I think would be fun to give and to get (listed at www.agardencottage.etsy.com).

Those are not your everyday items! Please follow the links to purchase or visit my shops to see more

Wilton Armetale decorative plate "Health, Love and Wealth, And Time to enjoy them" USA

2 ingot cards 24 k gold, 1 grain each. Foremost Wine Society 1981

Rubber training knives USA set of 2

Foldable magnifier with a metal stand Germany

Individual mixing glass, perfect for a home bar mixology

Commemorative sterling silver medal coin George C Wallace Franklin Mint 1974 presidential candidate memorabilia

Knit fingerless gloves. Available for a custom order in different size or color.

Vintage art glass globe paperweight Glass Eye 1992

Black Friday and Cyber week savings at agardencottage and socksandmittens shops on Etsy

2019-11-29T00:43:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year and I am having Black Friday/ Cyber week sales at both of my shops.

If you thought of getting some warm knits or crochet items this holiday season please hurry, the stock is limited. We will be glad to see you at socksandmittens.

For vintage goods and baking supplies please stop by agardencottage on Etsy

Now through December 3, 2019.

Happy Thanksgiving

2019-11-28T00:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We are grateful to all our customers who supports our small business.

A toast to all of you for a Happy Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful time with your families this Thursday!

Harvest cooking: layered apple cake

2019-09-29T14:01:00.002-07:00

My friend gave me lots of apple (thank you, Carol!) so I baked a layered apple cake. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe so here it is.

Layered apple cake

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup farina cereal or semolina

1 cup sugar

1 table spoon baking powder

1/2 tea spoon cinnamon

a dash of salt

7 tart medium apples or 13-14 small ones / about 6 cups when shredded. If your apples are sweet you may want to reduce the amount of sugar.

1/4 tea spoon nutmeg

1 stick cold butter (has to be refrigerated until needed)

rectangular baking pan

cooking spray

wax paper or parchment paper

How to make an apple layered cake:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, divide the mix into 3 parts.

2. Prepare your apples: remove core, seeds and peel. Shred them with vegetable shredder, mix with a nutmeg and divide to 2 parts.

3. Preheat your oven to 350"F degree. Prepare your baking pan: spray it a cooking spray, line with a sheet of either wax or parchment paper and spray the paper.

4. Arrange the layers in your baking pan: spread 1st part of dry ingredients, then add apples on top. Repeat one more time, then add the remaining dry ingredients as a last layer. We got 3 dry ingredients layers and 2 apple ones.

4. Take your butter out of refrigerator, quickly shred it on the same vegetable shredder and arrange on top of last layer.

5. Bake at 350'F for about 45 minutes until the cake will turn golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool it down, slice and serve. It will pair well with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

What can fit in our unlined crochet tote bag

2019-06-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

I had a very reasonable question this morning regarding things which could fit in our unlined crochet tote bag: a beach towel, water bottle, wallet and a book at the same time and will still keep the bag cute.

So I did a little test for a customer and decided to share it with you. Here is the original listing of lightly filled bag (turquoise, 100% cotton yarn, no lining):

The photos below are of the same crochet bag filled with the 4 items that have a combined weight of 3lbs 6oz:

What's inside:

1. a thin beach towel 53" by 27",

2. a standard water bottle 16.9 fl oz/ 500ml,

3. a paperback book about 8"x5"1", 285 pages

4. a large wallet.

There is still room for some more.

The crochet tote pictured above is about 23 1/2" tall from the top of the handle to the bottom of the bag and the tote's body is about 13" tall and 13" wide (when it lays flat).

This and other totes can be found at www.socksandmittens.etsy.com.

Roasted red pepper pasta

2019-06-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

I first heard about this recipe while I was walking on a treadmill at our gym while watching an episode of Pioneer Women (oh, the irony of diet and exercise!). It seemed very easy to make so when I got home I pulled out the ingredients and made it for dinner. It was delicious. So, definitely a keeper for me. Try it and you will like it, too.

You can find a recipe here.

I made my version similar except I used a different brand roasted peppers, a different type of noodles, lighter cream (half and half), thai basil and water instead of chicken broth to make it lighter. Delicious and quick!

Pappardelle egg pasta

Tassos Fire Roasted Florinas Peppers

Thai basil

How to make a chocolate covered strawberries

2019-05-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here and so is sun, fun and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. My friend Tania* thinks there is nothing better then start your day with a light desert :) she loves strawberries and always makes small batches of this almost guilt-free desert when berries are in season.

Chocolate cover strawberries are quick to make, delicious and look fabulous. All you need to make it is some fresh strawberries with stems, white and milk chocolate and of course, some cooking inspiration.

As with all berries, this is quickly perishable desert so prepare it on the day of serving.

Here is how to make it:

1. Rinse your berries and dry them thoroughly on a paper towel.

2. Use chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate. Melt your white and milk chocolate separate, in a double boiler, stirring until it is melted completely. If you'd like, add about 1/2 to 1 tea spoon of neutral tasting cooking oil to make chocolate more flexible. Do not cover your chocolate to avoid a liquid condensation and dripping into your pan.

3. Remove the chocolates from the heat. Hold your prepared berries by the stem and dip them in either white or milk chocolate. Place on prepared baking sheet lined with a parchment or wax paper. Use the contrast color chocolate and a fork or culinary bag to drizzle over your berries.

4. Place strawberries in a refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour until the chocolate is set. Your fabulous chocolate covered strawberries are ready to serve!

*Tania is one of the owners of the cozy guest house by the Black Sea. If you'd like to have a summer vacation right next to the one of the best Crimean beaches, Belyaus, please contact her through her Instagram (@belayus_homesweethome) She will be happy to hear from you!

Hygge

2019-01-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

It's a middle of calendar winter. We are lucky to live in a warm climate but I remember those times when you just want to crawl under the blanket with a good book to read and a cup of tea.

Despite the warmer weather, I am still cold when the sun goes down. I love my warm clothing and my absolute favorites to stay warm at home is a knit socks and an oversized sweater. What's yours?

Oh, and by the way, it is a winter clearance sale in my shop, 25% off on selected items. Stop by to see if you'd like anything, socksandmittens on etsy. This sale will last until January 31st, 2019.

Cyber Monday deals at SocksAndMittens

2018-11-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

Cyber Monday deals: enjoy 10% off on everything plus free US shipping. Thank you for shopping with us! https://www.etsy.com/shop/socksandmittens

How to measure your feet for a custom pair of socks

2018-11-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like a good pair of socks in winter. The chunkier ones are perfect to wear around home or garden and the finer socks are perfect for everyday wear in your shoes.

We have lots of ready-to-purchase knitted yoga, bed socks and knee-high socks at our shop on etsy ( socksandmittens ). If you don't see your size or desired color, we will be glad to make a custom pair for you. The price on custom orders will depend on chosen type of yarn and size of the finished product. The regular order completion time is 3 to 4 days but it might take longer November through December due to the high volume of custom orders.

* If you'd like us to knit you a pair of custom size bed socks for you, we will need 3 of your measurements, the length of the foot and the circumference of the foot and ankle.

1. To measure the total length of your foot: place a yard stick/ tape measure on the floor. Position the back of the heel at the zero mark on the stick/tape, then measure to the longest toe.

2. For the foot measurement: step on a piece of string, wrap it around your widest foot's part and then lay it on a measuring stick to find out the circumference.

3. For the ankle measurement, wrap a string around your ankles where the joints are ( where the bone sticks out). Lay the string on a measuring stick to find out the circumference.

* If you'd like us to make you a below-the-knee socks, we will need 2 more measurements in the addition to 3 above:

4. Measure the distance from your ankle to your knee (above the knee cap for thigh high leg warmers, or at the narrowest point just below the knee cap for knee high)

5. Measure the circumference of your calf at it's widest point

* The custom yoga socks are standard in calf length so all we need to know is your shoe size.

Ready to order? Let us know your numbers and we'll start working on your new socks as soon as possible.

To visit socksandmittens click here

Goodbye summer

2018-09-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Summer is gone and so is vacation. We had a wonderful time in Washington state this summer. The weather was cooler than in AZ and it was so nice to see all the beautiful flowers. It was a short vacation but we were able to stop by my favorite lavender farm in Sequim, shop and eat delicious foods in Leavenworth and stop by wineries and distilleries in Woodinville and Whidbey Island. Quiet a few stops for 5 days, isn't it?

So here is some fun photos from Sequim and Anacortes:

Make-it-yourself bouquet

2018-08-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Flowers are a perfect gift for many occasions. If you'd like to make a pretty bouquet for your event yourself, here is some tips from Motley Grass floral studio* on how to make a pretty bouquet using white roses, purple lisianthus and sedum.

1. Prepare your plants, flowers & greens .

Clean their stems from extra leaves:

2. Use the large flower of your choice as a center of your future bouquet.

Surround it with other flowers and greens in a spiral direction.

3. Add more greens in between of large flowers that they would be visually separated.

4. Make sure there are no leaves in the points of where the flower stems are meet.

If you made everything according to the tips above, you should get a nice round top bouquet with a cones like stems at the bottom.

Use a twine to snugly tie the stems. Tie a nice satin ribbon on top of the twine to cover it.

Enjoy your work or give it as a gift!

*The Motley Grass floral studio delivers fresh flowers in Moscow, Russia region. If you'd like to send some beautiful fresh cut flowers to someone in that region, please visit their online shop to order.

Miniature crochet from FancyKnittles

2018-07-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Can you resist cute and tiny? This post is for lovers of sweet miniatures and small dolls. I'd like to introduce FancyKnittles shop today, it is full of charming crochet dolls, animals, flowers, vegetables and holidays ornaments. All of them are made by Irina, miniature crochet dolls designer. She manages to combine the creativity and high quality in a tiny shape. Visit her shop to see for yourself!

I was curious about how this all has started for Irina, so I approached her with some questions to share with my readers.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Irina and I live in picturesque South Wales, on the border of a small town in a valley. I love the countryside, traveling and photography and I think I'm quite a romantic person.

I would like to do what I love and earn some money at the same time. I was an architect when I lived in Russia and I think this profession generally helps me to see the harmony and beauty all around me. I gave up my profession when I moved to the UK. Here I started to make small crochet dolls and a lot of cute things that make dolls lives look similar to peoples lives. I've been crocheting all my life so it was quick and easy choice. Crocheting was a hobby at the beginning and step by step it transferred into business.

What is it about making small objects that intrigues you?

I don't know exactly why I love small things. Probably it's about my personality. A lot of people love small things, collect and play with dollhouses and little fairies.

How did you get started?

I've been crocheting as long as I can remember. I love small forms and enjoy making cute tiny things that mimic a real big-scale subjects. Every doll I make needs some accessories to give her charm, unique character and tell a little story about her everyday life.

This is how I start making tiny flowers, potted plants, fruits and vegetables, tiny dolls, bears, bunnies, cats, dogs ... even umbrella and miniature Christmas trees. I love to hold them in my palms and imagine those things are real.

What are your favorite items in your shop?

I love my tiny plants and flowers but dolls will always be my favorites. Sometimes I get so busy with my orders that I don't have time to make new ones but summers are an inspirational time for me. People are busy with their daily lives, vacations and will come back soon for their Fall and Christmas shopping. So I am working on my new dolls right now and my shop's doll section comes to life again.

Have you ever had a custom order that was especially meaningful for you?

I love my customers, they help me create some great things from time to time. Last Christmas my customer wanted to order a group of Angels to give them as a gift to friends and family. What a fun order! I made nine of them, they were all different with their own personalities.

The other memorable order was four hats, one for each season, for my return customer's felted mice collection.

What are your hopes for the future of your business?

Life is always changing and you can not predict the future. I hope I will continue to create my tiny girls, boys and their fancy stuff and surprise my fans with new interesting ideas.

Visit Fancyknittles shop on Etsy to see more of Irina's creations. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

How to prolong life of your fresh cut bouquet of roses

2018-07-21T07:15:00.001-07:00

Roses are one of the favorite flowers to give and to receive. How to care about your bouquet? Here is tips from Motle Grass floral studio*:

1. Use lots of icy cold clean water for your bouquet.

2. Change your water daily. Cloudy water in your vase will kill your roses.

3. Re-cut the stems at a 45' angle every time you changing your water. This way your roses will feed from it.

4. Do not remove the top petals from your flowers, it will prolong their life.

5. If you used the special chemicals for your bouquet at least once, continue to do it during all life cycle. If you stop, they will fade fast.

6. Do not place roses next to a heat source or on direct sunlight and protect them from a draft.

7. White and pink roses have to be transported careful to avoid the damage to its petals. Red roses are more resistant to it and also will tolerate cold weather better.

Enjoy your flowers!

*The Motley Grass floralstudio delivers fresh flowers in Moscow, Russia region so if you'd like to send some beautiful flowers to people you care about in that region, please visit their shop to order.

How to prolong life of your fresh cut bouquet of peonies

2018-07-10T04:45:00.001-07:00

So you just received a beautiful bouquet of peony buds as a gift and you want them to last as long as possible. What to do? Here is some tips on fresh cut flowers care from Natalia, the owner of Motle Grass floral studio.

Leave you peonies in a cool place for several hours to let them recover after the transportation.

Prepare your glass or ceramic vase: clean it thoroughly, pour some clean warm water in and add a cut flower food provided with a bouquet.

Take your flowers out, place them in a separate container with warm water. Re-cut the stems at an angle about 1" above the old cut with a sharp clippers. Remove the leaves from the stem's bottom up to the point where they will be exposed to the air when placed in the vase. Do not remove all the leaves, only the ones sitting below the water line in the vase. This needs to be done to prevent bacteria and fungi growth in the water.

Transfer your peonies into prepared vase and place it in a cooler room for 1 or 2 days until the buds will open. Check your water daily and top it up.

If your flowers are intended to decorate an event, try to keep them in a cold place as long as possible to prolong their life. Do not put them close to the heat source or direct sunlight and bring them out only as needed.

Flowers

2018-07-05T07:56:00.002-07:00

It happened that we had lots of pretty fresh cut flowers last June. It was a very very sad reason for that but flowers soften things a little. They made me feel better.

Some flowers lasted longer than the others and some were so pretty that I dried them to use for my photo shoots. Some of them inspired me to get some seeds for maybe planting them in our garden. But I still wanted to know more about how to prolong a life of a gorgeous fresh cut bouquet.

While browsing the Internet, I came across an interesting website ( https://centre-flower.ru/ ) with beautiful floral photos and good info. I read some of their posts, liked their tips on fresh cut flower's care and contacted Natalia Kanunnikova, the Motley Grass floral studio owner, for permission to share it with my readers. Natalia agreed and I will be happy to post some of it this summer.

The Motley Grass delivers flowers in Moscow, Russia region so if you'd like to send some pretty flowers to people you care about in that part of the world, please visit their site to order. They do beautiful bouquets for any occasion.

Summer is here!

2018-06-01T03:18:00.000-07:00

The first calendar day of summer is here! Welcome June!

We were so busy lately that we almost did not noticed that the spring came and went. But with our AZ 3-digit temperature numbers we realized it's time to brace ourselves :) I see lots of dry heat in our near future !

While working on our traditional winter assortment, I crochet some new handbags and totes in bright summer colors. They will work for a trips to a beach, music festivals and of course, our crochet totes are great for some light shopping.

The newest creation is this small handbag made in a shape of pineapple. It is roomy enough to hold your essentials like cell phone, keys, wallet, small beach cover up or sun glasses.

Please stop by our shop ( socksandmittens.etsy.com ) to see our summer assortment.

Intricate Irish knots jewelry for St. Patricks Day

2018-03-13T06:16:00.001-07:00

Are you ready to celebrate St. Patricks Day? Are you getting ready to party or simply have some green beer with corn beef and cabbage?

I love St. Patricks decor and decorate a part of our house with faux shamrock leaves (good luck symbols) and green hats. I also love to wear St. Patrick's related accessories or some Irish jewelry to celebrate.

I like to wear jewelry because it is easy to show your Irish spirit and the jewelry is pretty.

For those who love vintage jewelry and intricate Irish knots, I'd like to present a small collection of Irish jewelry you can purchase in my online shop (agardencottage.etsy.com). These vintage necklaces are lovely and can be worn all year round. They are true finds, see for yourself! (click on photo to go to the listings)

Mixed citrus marmalade recipe

2018-03-08T03:28:00.002-08:00

Since we have 3 citrus trees in our garden, I am trying to find some good ways to preserve it. Last year my favorite was preserved lemon Meyer (lemons with salt), this year is new quick mixed citrus marmalade and lemon Meyer curd bars. I will be happy to share all of them.

Let's start with mixed citrus marmalade.

You will need:

1 lbs of lemon Meyer

1 lbs orange

3 cups sugar (or add some more if you feel that the mix is not sweet enough for you. I'd say, to taste :) )

2 tablespoon pineapple rum (I used Captain Morgan Pineapple rum)

water (to boil the peel)

Wash your citrus with warm water and wipe it dry. Peel them, then remove the inner white lining with a flexible knife. Discard the lining. Use the electric chopper to chop the peel to a small pieces.

Place the chopped peel into a small pot, cover it with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook on a medium heat for about 1 hour. Strain and discard the liquid.

While peel is cooking, prepare you citrus. Cut fruits in small pieces on a plate, remove the seeds, leftover of white linings and membranes, transfer it to a wide stainless steel pot. Add sugar, mix it and let it stay at the room temperature until the peel is done.

Prepare your canning jars. I am washing mine with warm water and dish soap, then cleaning jars with baking soda, rinsing it well and drying it on a clean kitchen towel. Then I am placing jars without the lids to a baking tray, placing it in the oven and heating it to 200'F to sterilize. They sits there for about 10 minutes or a little longer, so the cooked marmalade will go to a warm sterile jars.Meanwhile, I will place the lids to a glass bowl and add some boiling water on top to cover them. I will let them stay there for about 5 minutes, then transfer them with a kitchen tongues to a clean paper towel. The lids and jars have to be dry so wipe the excess water with a clean paper towel.

Add strained peel to the pot with citrus, mix it well with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook on low for about an hour. Add pineapple rum, stir into mixture and let it cook for another 10 minutes. Pour the marmalade into prepared jars and top with lids and rims. Close them tight and turn them over to cool on a clean kitchen towel.

Store in refrigerator.

Try it, it's delicious.