The blanket is the star of today’s post, but it’s not the only thing going on. Stick around for the full story behind the knitting, plus cookies, soup, flowers, and a few other bits. This one’s a full plate—being frugal and using up what we have in the best way.

I gathered every black, white, and shade in between, tossed them into a basket, and cast on just two stitches to begin the journey of knitting a wool blanket for our queen-size bed. The “recipe” was simple: two rows of dark, two rows of light, all in garter stitch, with an increase at the beginning of every row. Once it reached the size I wanted, I reversed course and began decreasing at the beginning of each row until it was finished. The pattern is free, linked below.

Winter and spring of 2025, I worked on it here and there, loving the warmth across my legs. But by summer it was too big (and too warm) to handle, so I set it aside until fall. Then a week after Christmas, with just 180 stitches left and knowing that winter wouldn't last for ever, I thought if I wanted to use it in 2026, I had better get cracking. 

The final blanket measures 85 inches square. My husband loves the weight of it—and has said, more than once, how much he loves it. I did eventually run out of blacks and whites and had to invite in some pastels along with a few dark blues and greens, but from the first stitch to the last, it’s entirely scrappy.

As for my leftovers going forward, I’m establishing a new relationship with them. I now have a single drawer set aside for scraps, and when it’s full, I’ll donate the contents. I’ve had my turn with scrap projects—now I’ll let someone else enjoy the adventure.

My Ravelry Project Page

Comfort Diagonal Blanket, free pattern

Cleaning has been going well! I’ve finished our bedrooms, bath, and closets, and I’m now about halfway through the large hall. I don’t have much to declutter these days, but I did winnow out quite a bit of unused stuff from the three travel drawers below.

This is what “drawer dumping” looks like! I emptied all three drawers of travel supplies onto the bed, keeping my trash can close at hand. I always lay down an old sheet, just in case anything gooey or messy appears. I like dumping because it means I have to touch each and every thing. No ignoring anything allowed. Even though I’ve stopped taking those tiny hotel bottles, there were still plenty of outdated and unused items that had to go.  Now, next time we take a trip, I can just grab and go!

I called a friend, put the phone on speaker, and by the time we finished catching up, I had unwrapped every piece. It took forever, but we had a nice chat!

Then came the chopping. Twelve cups of chopped candy later, I used four cups for cookies and tucked the rest into the freezer—enough for two more batches. Our favorite recipe for this cookie is the Original Tollhouse Recipe which we both grew up on and can't be beat!

Finally, I rolled the dough into balls, froze them rock solid, and stashed them in a freezer bag so my husband can “responsibly” parcel them out whenever a sweet tooth strikes.

This batch started out as an unglamorous collection of leftovers: a glop of lentils, the tail end of a potato casserole, some zucchini, rice, and two mushroom toasts. Hidden underneath were two small red peppers stuffed with cheese and a bit of cheese enchilada—rescued and saved over the course of a month or two.

Making soup is simple: dump everything into a pot, add some stock, canned is fine, heat it up, give it a whirl until smooth, then taste and adjust. This one had a faintly Southwestern vibe, so I leaned in with taco seasoning and a pinch of cumin.

Proof that leftovers, when given a second chance, can become something pretty wonderful.

        Crazy Soup Rules

• Nothing is off-limits. If it’s been cooked and safely saved, it’s invited.

• Ugly is expected. This soup will rarely win a beauty contest—and that’s fine.

• Dump first, judge later. Use a big freezer safe container and fill it up day by day.

• Time to make soup. When the container is full, it's time to make soup and start a new one.

• Stock is the great unifier. Add enough water or broth to thin it out.

• Blend (or don’t). Smooth, chunky, or somewhere in between—cooks choice.

• Taste before seasoning. Let the soup tell you what it wants to be.

• Lean into the vibe. Italian? Southwestern? Go with it.

• No two batches are ever the same. Replication is definitely not possible.

• Compliments from your spouse count—even if they say the same thing every time.