Knit Pick

M. is in a music group with some friends; they have a cello, two violins, and he plays djembe. They perform at some local events like Pioneer Day at the Waterloo Farm Museum and the eleven week summer festival, Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights. Monday, I took him to the Common Grill where they were having auditions for this summer's festival. The restaurant is closed on Mondays so it made a great place for the auditions. Since auditions were first come, first served, I knew I would be waiting a while. I took my knitting bag and the yarn to start my next "Two Make a Pair" sock. It was going well, I knit and listened to the different groups who were auditioning. Then, I got to a cable row. I realized after digging to the bottom of my bag that I did not bring a cable needle. Not wanting to waste valuable knitting time, I searched around to see if there were toothpicks or something I could use and had to make do with this:

The Pattern:Aran Braided Socks by Susan Lawrence for Knit Picks. (Fourth pair in the Two Make a Pair Project)

Knit Picks Bare Essential Tweed 65% superwash wool 25% Nylon, 10% Donegal

This and That

Here are a few scenes from our weekend.

We have crocus blooming in the yard now.  P has found a piece of bark.

And glory-of-the-snow. (Chionodoxa)

Compost for the garden.

We found this dead ring-necked pheasant beside the barn. We think he flew into the barn and broke his neck. I am familiar with this behavior in song birds and glass windows, but the side of the barn?

! A county employee says that pheasants are not very smart and this behavior is not uncommon. Who knew.

The feathers were beautiful with different colors of iridescence. Each feather had just a bit but the effect of them all together was amazing. Pink iridescence on the chest, deep blue and green. Even the back feathers had a little of that look on the tips.

Quilts in a Series or Stuck in a Rut?

I have never really thought of myself as an artist, certainly not an artist who works in a series. That sounds so serious. But I seem to be doing just that with the exquisite quilt block.

It is such a simple block, a square with patches sewn on opposite corners. I use Gwen Marston's liberated approach to piece the blocks. This is one of the first quilts of this pattern that I made, with plain white background and all scraps on the corners. Next, came a little quilt with a color theme of pink and green, still the same design but the scraps are more controlled.  The "Be Mine" quilt was also from this pattern.

I pulled these fabrics for the little quilt I am making for the doll quilt swap.  I thought I would try a variation in the background squares with some different shades of cream and tan.

I also varied the shape of the base blocks. This time they are different size rectangles all cut from the same size strip of fabric.

The top is finished and now needs quilting and binding.  I am waiting for the quilting inspiration.

So, is an artist working on a series just someone stuck in a rut? Do artists set out to do series work or does it just happen?

Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls

We used to love going to visit my grandmother and finding that she had some of "Margaret's Rolls."  Margaret was one of my grandmother's neighbors and also used to be the cook in the two room school my mother attended as a child. They would have fresh bread every day at school. At home, Margaret baked bread in a wood stove.  Now, she uses an electric oven but she still can make great rolls.  She told me she made 100 for the church breakfast Easter Sunday!  We have her recipe; and I made them FOUR times last week.  The secret to making these delicious cinnamon rolls is patience!

Margaret's Cinnamon Rolls

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (one package)
1/4 cup warm water
4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk (or water)

brown sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling
powdered sugar, butter, and milk for topping

Dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup water.
Mix flour, sugar, and salt.
Add soft butter and yeast mixture to the one cup of warm milk.
Mix the liquid mixture with the dry ingredients.
Mix well and knead until smooth.

Put in a greased bowl and let rise for about an hour (or more).

Punch down the dough and roll out into a rectangle. Spread with softened butter and then sprinkle generously with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll up and cut into 14 rolls.
Place in two greased 9 inch pans and let rise again. 
Patience!
Bake at 400 for 13-15 minutes.

topping:
melt 2 tablespoons butter and add about a 1/2 cup powdered sugar to make a paste (I didn't measure) add a LITTLE bit of milk until the mixture is thin enough to spread easily. 
Put the topping on the rolls while they are still warm.
Devour them while they are warm.

When we made these yesterday we cut up an apple and added that with the brown sugar and cinnamon. That was also quite good.

Fancy Silk Sock in Cotton

We are glad to be finished with this pair of socks!

The pattern is "Fancy Silk Sock for a child of 5 or 6 years" in Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. We knit the pattern as written in the book except that we put two rows of purl as shown in the original Weldon's drawing instead of two rows of knit between the two lace patterns at the top.

I don't know what the yarn was as I lost the label before starting the socks. I do know that it is a cotton yarn that neither A nor I liked knitting. It must be because the cotton yarn did not "give" and was tiring on our hands. Don't look too close. There are mistakes on both socks that neither one of us wanted to take out and reknit. If it weren't for this "Two Make a Pair" project I know I would never have a match to my sock! I like the stretch that wool has as you knit.

We are already working on the next pair - using a nice superwash wool from KnitPicks.

Beauty in Decay

I ran into a bit of a snag with posts this weekend. My camera memory card died- with photos on it.

I tried but, alas, could not retrieve them.

We had lovely weather and planted peas and carrots in the garden. We tidied in the flower gardens and other areas of the yard and found a few bits of color. It was good to be outside.

Think Pink

I made a couple of aprons yesterday. My sister had sent some coordinating "sweet shop" fabrics from Super Buzzy so when I went to the sewing room to choose fabrics they were right on top. P loves pink so she was happy with that choice. I thought she needed another apron as she wears them all the time over her clothes. One must be ready at a moment's notice to do some baking or other apron requiring task. She wore her "egg gathering" apron when we shoveled out the barn so I didn't want that back in the kitchen until after it was washed. I used the same pattern for the new aprons.

The best aprons, of course, include rickrack.

Wouldn't you know, in my GINORMOUS box of rickrack and bias tape there was not enough matching bias tape to trim the aprons. I made my own from the pink fabric and I like the way that turned out better. I like that it is a bit wider than manufactured bias, and it has the same look as the fabrics.

Can't See the Forest for the Trees

B is a steward for a nature preserve near us. He was there working on a trail the other day and took some great photos of tree bark. Look at all the different textures!

Shagbark Hickory

Beech

Black Cherry 

Black Willow

Isn't it interesting how different they are, all growing together in the same little bit of forest. At first glance one just sees the forest.

Gwen Marston, a quilt artist friend, was asked about her work and how she developed her style. Her answer was that she grew up in Kansas. She said that in Kansas, especially in winter, you have to notice the tiniest of differences in color shades and texture to fully appreciate your surroundings. I think this is good advice wherever one lives.

Take time to enjoy and really see the world around you!

Why Didn't I think of That?!

Although I have been knitting for years and gotten pretty efficient at it, I still love it when I learn a new trick that makes the process easier.  My favorite trick has really changed my knitting process. I used to always carry paper and pencil and make little marks or tallies on my pattern to keep track of where I was. My friend A. shared this little tip with me:
When knitting a pattern with multiple rows, write the directions for each row on an index card (I use 1/2 index cards as they are more compact). Punch a hole in the corner of the cards and hold them together with a key ring. When you finish knitting a row, flip that card to the back. Now, when you pick up your knitting you will know what row you are on! It seems so simple!

Why didn't I think of that? This tip is especially good for sock projects where the rest of the pattern is a formula that is pretty easy to remember after you have knit a few pair.

I was knitting socks with A. the other day; she was knitting the foot of the sock and had the leg part folded up. I knew there had to be a reason for this, so I asked. Well, it turns out that it is easier to knit the sock when the leg is folded up. The yarn doesn't get caught and it can turn around easier if it is not down in your lap.  Go ahead, try it!  So simple, yet it really speeds things along.

Really, why didn't I think of that!?

It Finally Came

Spring finally came. Yesterday was our first real outdoor day since fall. We slept in and had a late breakfast.  It was sunny and in the low forties and we thought we should take advantage of the nice weather as the rest of the week is predicted to be wet and cloudy. We even found some rhubarb coming up in the garden.

We got out and shoveled a truckload of manure out of the chicken barn and spread it on the garden. We fixed the wire on the chicken barn windows and replaced a missing pane on the milk house where some of the hens had been getting in to lay eggs. We also scythed down last year's raspberry canes.

P skipped her nap so that she could join in on the outdoor fun. She loves to visit the "girlers" in the chicken barn and feed them corn.

P had her bath and then we had dinner. We were all chatting and then noticed that P was very quiet.

The boys went out in shorts to play badminton after dinner - with a little snow still on the ground!

Pink Panther

Here they are, the second pair of socks in the "two make a pair" project.

A. chose Gems 100% merino Pink Panther by Louet to knit the pattern "Girly Girl" Socks by Robin Fauquette in Socks.  We knit them by the pattern except used the knit one, slip one heel variation for longer wear.

They knit up quickly despite the fact that I had to knit the foot on mine twice. Thinking that I would make good use of my time, I took my knitting project to teacher conferences. Alas, I miscounted the decrease and didn't realize this until I was almost finished with the toe. At least I got good reports from the teachers.

Anticipation

It started snowing before we went to bed last night and we woke to a fresh blanket of snow. This is spring snow- wet and sticky. It looks and behaves different than winter snow.

When I look out the back window, I am grateful that we have indoor plumbing. I do sometimes think about the original people who lived here when using the outhouse was the "normal" thing -all year.

All that blue sky is SURELY a sign of spring.

Lilac leaf buds.

Anticipation.

This is the start of the boys' spring break. Yeah!

Tree of Life

Here is more inspiration from our trip last April. These are doors on the cathedral in Strasbourg.

I can see this design as a "tree of life" appliqué or even a quilting pattern.

I have more ideas than I will ever make, so, I thought I would share some of the things that inspire me.

What inspires you to create?

Color of Eggs

I was just looking through our pictures of our big spring break trip to France last year and this one jumped out at me.

These stained glass windows remind me of the colors of our eggs.

I think a quilt in solids like this would be beautiful. If only I could find that swatch card for Kona Cotton fabrics...

Hello?

I think I may be the last person I know who does not have a cell phone. But, then, I don't want one so that's good news. I like my old rotary phone, though I do wish it were black and a bit heavier. I like that it is simple; it doesn't break. I don't have to program it and I don't have to worry about accidentally dropping it in the toilet. It sits next to my computer on my desk. 

I don't really like to spend a lot of time on the phone. I hesitate to have phone time bleeding over into other things that I like and want to do. 

I remember my mom using a pen to dial the rotary phone that we had when I was growing up. If the conversation was very long, she would sit on the stairs behind the wall where our phone was kept. We had a heavy black phone that would not budge even if the receiver cord was stretched across the room.

My sisters and I had the job of reserving a racquet ball court for our father each week. The lines at the local university gym would open at 7:00 in the morning and we would have to call continually to get through to get a court. There was no redial and, of course, we would have to wait for the dial to tick back to its starting position after each number. I still like that sound; it gives me time to gather my thoughts as I dial.

We were also forced to remember phone numbers. I still remember numbers of my childhood friends, even some of my sisters' friends. It is interesting how times and technology have changed though.

How strange the first phone conversations must have been and how very special it must have been to keep in touch with far away family. Instantaneous and vocal connection to distant loved ones was not possible before. The reasons for phone use have changed a lot over the years and I am not sure they are all good.  I like to keep my phone conversations close to the purpose of keeping in touch with far away friends and family. For friends and family who live close, I would rather arrange for a time to meet in person and have a visual connection while talking.

Sometimes, I have business for which I need to call. I call and rarely get a human  ("Press one, two, three, four...").  Most of these prerecorded or computer generated messages used to end with "If you are not calling from a touch tone phone, please stay on the line..."  They don't anymore. They just hang up on you in a very impersonal way. Sad, don't you think? I have learned to make business calls from the kitchen on our other phone which is a touch tone and also has an answering machine in it.

A cell phone could make some situations easier, but I am not sure that easy is what I want. My oldest son and his father recently attended a scholarship awards dinner an hour and a half away. I was eager to hear news of the outcome, but, it was also fun to wait and wonder (even if they didn't get home until midnight).  Cell phones would allow me to communicate with my teens to coordinate after school activities, but, I like that we make a plan in the morning and stick with it. I think it is important for them to think about their plans and how they fit in with the rest of the family. If phone use were easier, I would probably use it more. I might take it with me. I might talk on my cell phone at the park instead of playing with my daughter or meeting other parents.

I like that my rotary phone makes me think about my telephone time.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Guess who helped me baste this quilt.

I remember the boys used to love helping with my quilt projects. They would sit on the floor behind me and play with the fabric pieces. Some of their first math skills came from quilt designs. They would "help" me figure out how many of each block I would need to make for a quilt of a certain size. They would arrange the pieces so that they had different kinds of symmetry. Sometimes they came up with great designs that were better than what I had in mind.  They would choose different fabrics that looked GREAT. As they grew older and started school I got used to having my own time. I could start in on a project and go with it. I could work all day and not worry about lunch.  Sometimes I just want to get a project done without P's help, whether it is making dinner or a sewing  project. That was my plan when I started the basting project. I was going to get it done during her nap. I am glad now that she woke before I finished. All of those pins stuck in the quilt make me smile.

I need to remember that making cookies, fixing dinner, whatever I do is an event. I shall try not to rush through the everyday things. They are, after all, what it is that I am doing- what I want to be doing.

Easter Surprise

I took an egg decorating class in Ann Arbor about 20 years ago. We learned how to make Ukrainian pysanky eggs. I made some with the boys a few years ago. I love how the colors are so rich and vibrant. That color is very welcome on a white Easter day like today.

The Easter bunny visited our house last night. He hid eggs all over the house, put some goodies in the baskets, and left a little surprise on the back porch!

I don't think the Easter Bunny gets to do this very often.  P likes it.

Spring Chickens

In addition to providing us with fresh eggs and meat, our chickens provide entertainment. Yesterday they ventured out of the barn to get some fresh air and scratch around the yard. When it started to snow, they took refuge under the back porch. Every day at dusk, they come back to the barn to roost. Yesterday, they knew it was time to go to the barn for the night but they did NOT want to go out in the snow. They tried to fly from the house to the barn but, alas, chickens are not good fliers. Plop, they would land in the middle of the yard in the snow and would not want to move. These two made it as far as the old water trough.

Brrrr.

A few tried roosting in the trees. The boys went out and chased them into the barn. Oh, it was fun to watch. Chickens do not like to have their feet in the snow.

I looked out the back door last night before I went to bed and noticed that one of the hens had not made it back to the barn.  She was roosting on a brush pile up by the house. This morning, when I got up, she was still there.  A little later, I noticed that she was out in the middle of the driveway. There were no tracks around her.  She had flown from up by the house and was stuck in the snow.

I went out and shooed her into the barn. She left interesting tracks in the snow as she used her wings like ski poles.

We are hoping for more spring like weather soon.

Spring Eggs

Our chickens like to get outside in the spring. It doesn't seem as if there is much for them to eat yet as they scratch around the yard and garden areas, but we have noticed that they are eating less purchased feed.

The biggest change is in the taste of the eggs!  The egg yolks have much more color and taste when the chickens can get out and forage for food. Yum. Now, THIS is why we raise our own chickens.

And the bonus for Easter is that we don't have to fuss with dyeing eggs.

I hope that they enjoyed their jaunts in the yard this past week, as it is snowing today. We have several inches already, and a total of 6-10 inches of snow is predicted to fall by morning.

The First Pair

Happy spring!

We are getting a bit of sun on the first day of spring. It is a great day to photograph my new socks.

This is the first pair of socks in the "Two Make a Pair" project I am doing with a friend. I knit one, A knit the other, and they both fit!  The pattern is Cabled Sweat Socks by Claire Ottman in Socks by Rita Buchanan and Deborah Robson. The yarn is Bearfoot Lupine by Mountain Colors.  We are calling our sock project a success so far and will continue with more socks. The second pair will be the Girly Girl Socks by Robin Fouquette in the same book.

On the first day of spring, our grass is still brown but at least the chickens are venturing out of the barn. They have been scratching around in the flower gardens.

We took a walk around the yard and still, the only signs of growth are our snow drops.

What did the first day of spring bring to you?