Small Amusements

Sometimes tending the chickens gets to be mundane. Give them food, give them water, collect the eggs, shoo them out of the flower gardens, let them out in the morning, close them up at night.  Some days, however, there are fun little surprises for us. The other day, P and I were out in the yard and stopped by the chicken barn on our way back to the house.  There were eggs in the nests and we gathered them in P's hat.  There was one egg that was much smaller than the rest.

Another day we went in the barn and saw three hens sitting in the same nest.  There were a couple of empty nests but for some reason they all wanted to be in that one.

I am easily amused.

Lots of Ideas

I was thrilled to learn that ‘Calamity Kim’ and I are swap partners for a mini quilt swap. I have been reading her blog and admiring her work on flickr for some time. Since we were assigned to be swap partners, I have been looking at her things with a new eye trying to get ideas for her little quilt.

I love this book she posted. I may just have to get one of these for myself.

In addition to great quilts and aprons, she makes some fabulous paper dolls.

I have had several ideas of things to try for her quilt.  My most recent idea involves these dolls

which I found on the back of this book.

So far I have this:

If it doesn't work out, I have other ideas.

Garden Walk

It is hard to believe how busy we are these days. The boys were scheduled to perform at an outdoor event with the Chelsea House Orchestra Saturday evening. We had a hail storm that afternoon and then rain. The festival coordinators canceled the event at the last minute. The sun came out again so we took advantage of our evening at home and the wet ground and set to work weeding our raspberry row.  With all of us working we were able to get finished fairly quickly.  We then came in and played cards.

Last night P. and I took a walk around and surveyed the garden areas. We saw little pears,

and our freshly weeded, 250 foot raspberry row along the side of the path.

We had the idea this year that we would stop mowing some of the areas that we usually mow. Since pumpkins are supposed to grow well where there was previously lawn, we decided to plant them in these areas. Here are some of our over 90 hills of pumpkins. I am not sure what we will plant in these areas next year. I would like to find something that the chickens can eat that requires relatively low labor.

We saw a little hail damage on our onions.

Not so much on the potatoes. Maybe it is the rye... We planted our potatoes in rows within the garden plot of rye. The rye was there already and was, of course, not ready to harvest. We left the rye and dug the rows for the potatoes. We have carried mulch down the rows. We have noticed that they are growing very well in this environment. The potato beetles have not found them there. I think that the tall rye protects them a bit.

Rummage Sale Day

This was the weekend of the BIG rummage sale. We look forward to it every year. This is the kind of sale where you can go with a shopping list and usually get everything on it. It is held in a school where they use the gym, the cafeteria, the entrance, and the halls, outdoor items are on the lawn. D. and I got there 10 minutes before they opened and the line was all the way to the back of the school. People know the layout of the sale from past years and when the doors open the line moves quickly as the people disperse to shop. D was looking for a bike but could not find one large enough for him; he's tall. He did find a nice tripod for me.

I spent a long time in the book hall and filled a bag there. I also found an old washboard that I will use for felting.  My favorite find was a set of seven linen dish towels. They are embroidered with the days of the week.

They have never been used!  I’ll wash them, but, I don't know if I can get myself to use them. I think I'll just use them as a reference for what to do each day. Tomorrow is laundry day. I should have cleaned on Friday.

This is what we should do each day of the week:

Monday - wash clothes
Tuesday - iron
Wednesday - sewing/mending
Thursday - market
Friday - dusting/cleaning
Saturday - baking
Sunday - rest/look out the window

Happy Trails

Sadly, the time for A. to move has come. I mentioned when we started making socks together that this would be a good way for us to keep in touch when A. moves away. A. and I are still working along on our socks. Our latest pair is a basic crew sock. A. chose this design to make for her teenage neighbor who shoveled her driveway each time it snowed last winter. He would not take payment so she decided that warm socks for next year would make a good gift. With the flurry of activity as school ends and summer vacation begins, my knitting time has dwindled a bit. Knowing that this pair had to be finished before she left, I gave A. the sock in progress almost finished...As the movers at her house packed everything in sight she finished it off in a hurry.

So, here they are, pair eight in the "two make a pair project."  Nothing spectacular in the pattern but that was not called for here.  Socks for a teenage boy shouldn't be fussy.  These say, "thank you." Thank you for being a good neighbor, for being a friend.  Thank you for going along with my knitting together idea, and for not making me feel bad for not finishing the sock.  Who knew all that could be said with "just socks."

The movers packed everything except the needles A. was knitting with so I am sending her on her way with some yarn and sock designs to work on until she unpacks her supplies.

Happy Trails to you.

Sew Handy

O.K. Call me a softy. I saw this toy sewing machine and had to get it for P. It would have been silly to get it for myself so I say that it is for her. We gave it to her last night and she said she did not want to go to bed; she wanted to sew. The poor dear. I know just how she feels.

She has a real sewing machine; one that I think will be safe for her to use.  It is hand crank powered.This morning she got right to work.

She made a pillow with fluffy stuff inside and a smaller "bean" bag filled with rice.

Later, I found the pillow on her bed in her room, right where her head would be.

She has plans for more projects.  She wants to sew a hat, a sweater, and she says her doll needs and apron that can tie in the back. I may not have a problem with scraps building up any more.  I noticed that P knew just were to go to get the squares she used to make her pillows.

The Singer Sewhandy sews with a chain stitch.  I think I may be trying it out myself. We can try it with different threads, or sew from the back so the chains end up on the front, or maybe even try some quilting on a doll quilt with it.  Oh, the possibilities.

Strawberries- Pie, Jam, and Shortcake

Each year when the rhubarb is ready for harvest, we wait for the strawberries. Sure there are some in the supermarket but they have traveled a long way to get here.  They are a different kind of berry.  They are very big and look like strawberries on the outside but the inside of them is white and they taste like apple. So, we wait.  In mid June the Michigan berries arrive.

They are here!  It is time to start filling the freezer!  Friday, we made 8 pie fillings.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I have a system for making the pies. I line up gallon size freezer bags on the table. Chop up 3 cups of rhubarb and 2 cups of strawberries for each bag.

Then I mix 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons tapioca, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg and add to each bag.

Shake the ingredients in the bag to mix them up. Hold the bag upright and roll up like a log and close the bag.

Stack the bags like firewood in the freezer for use all year!  When I want pie in the winter I just pull out a bag to thaw and make a crust. Dump the bag contents into the the pie, add top crust, and bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Yesterday B made a batch of strawberry jam for the freezer.

Today, strawberry shortcake.

This is a Sally Lunn base with strawberries and whipped cream on top.

Sally Lunn

1/2 cup butter
1/3 sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Cream the  butter and sugar. 
Add the eggs. 
Combine dry ingredients.
Add the milk and dry mix alternately.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Time for more berries.

P. Jammies

I have used my favorite pajama pattern and made some summer pajamas for P. These are the ones I cut out just before we lost power last weekend. I have been working on the never ending process of cleaning up my sewing room. P and I went through some fabric stacks trying to find some fabrics for her pajamas.  We found three prints that she liked but there was not quite enough of any of them. We then went through the stack of solid fabrics to find coordinating fabrics to finish them up. Each pair ended up with a different fabric plan.

I think she likes them.

The fabric in these pajamas is now in P's dresser. The scraps are in the scrap bin for other projects. I created a small amount of space in my fabric cupboard where I have put fabric from one of the piles on the floor. And so it goes; progress.

On to other projects.

Good News

Sometimes it is nice to list out the good things in life.

We have our electricity back. We are all scrubbed and clean. The house has been vacuumed.

Also, I said I would let you know about the banana bread. Well, it turns out you CAN bake banana bread batter that has been in the fridge for two days. And it still tasted good.

We may have a great crop of plums this year. I guess our frost prevention plan worked.

Yesterday was also the last day of school!I reached the "100 sales" milepost on etsy.

The weather today is supposed to be beautiful.

Plucked from the Past

It is funny, you grow up and hear the same family stories over and over. You think you have heard them all. Then, something happens to open up a flood of new stories from family members.

For us, it was getting chickens. Once we had our own chickens it was like we were members of a family club and could be let in on more of the family tales. Either that, or family members were just reminded of things from their past.

From my maternal grandmother I learned many new things. She shared the story of when she got married and her friends and neighbors threw a shower for her. It was a "chicken shower" and each guest brought a chicken to start the chicken flock at her new home.  She said that one of the chickens was not very friendly and did not get along with the others. It was not long until that chicken went in the stew pot. My grandmother guessed that enough time had passed that she could share that part of the story. She never wanted the original owner to know she had done that.

She also shared stories of her mother's chicken flock such as which breeds were her favorites.  My great grandmother apparently had very tame hens.  I learned from my grandmother how her mother would put a hen in a sleep-like trance by turning it on its back and rubbing her chest and stomach. That is what I have done to this chick.

Doing this before taking the hen to the chopping block supposedly results in more tender meat.  At least, it seems more humane.

My father grew up on a farm too, although they did live in town for a short time when he was very young (about 5 years old).  While in town, they raised chickens in their garage. It was his job to tend to them and collect eggs. He told me that one time he when he put his hand in the nest to gather the eggs that there was a snake curled up in the nest. He also delivered  chickens to customers in the neighborhood. He said he would put one in a cage and transport it to the customer in his wagon. After delivery to the kitchen door, the neighbor would kill it, pluck it and cook it for dinner. How is that for fresh food?

I think it is interesting that I had never heard these stories before.

I am left wondering what other stories I never heard. What if I had gotten pigs?

Stripe Socks - pair 7

We have been dealing with a power outage the last few days.  We said we needed rain and I guess we have gotten it. Every day!  They say we are supposed to have power returned by 11 pm Wed. (tomorrow night).So, here I sit in the library parking lot AGAIN (see below) with my laptop- so that I can show you my new socks.  These are the seventh in the "Two Make a Pair" project.

These socks are knit with Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Multiringel 45% cotton, 42% wool, 13% polyamid.

The pattern is my own design.  Since there is so much cotton in the yarn I wanted a design with ribbing to help them have some elasticity and stay up.  I added a little lace work to the ribbing. I like the way the stripes match all the way to the toe. Thanks A.!

Lynn's Stripe Socks
size 1 double pointed needles and fingering weight yarn
Cast on 64 stitches.
10 rows of K2, P2.
Rnd 1: K2, P2, SSK, YO, P2; continue around
Rnd 2-4: K2, P2
Rnd 5: K2, P2, YO, K2tog, P2
Rnd 6-8: K2, P2Repeat this sequence 5 more times.
Knit one stitch from needle one onto the last needle to center the pattern on the instep.
Heel Flap:
Row 1: (S1, K1) across.
Row 2: S1, P across.
continue for 30 more rows (16 large chain stitches at the side of the flap)Turn Heel:
Row 1: Knit across 18 stitches SSK, K1, turn work.
Row 2: S1(pwise), P5, P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 3: S1(pwise), P to 1 stitch before the gap, SSK (close the gap), K1, turn.
Row 4: S1(pwise), P to 1 stitch before the gap, P2tog (close the gap), P1, turn.
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all stitches are worked. End with a WS row. (18 stitches)
Heel Gusset:
Knit across all heel stitches and pick up and knit 18 stitches along the side of the heel flap (needle 1). Knit in pattern across instep (needle 2). Pick up and knit 18 stitches on other side of heel flap (needle 3).
Knit 9 stitches from needle 1 onto needle 3. (start of rnd)
Rnd 1: Knit to last 3 sts on needle 1, K2tog, K1, knit across instep on needle 2, at beg of needle 3, K1, SSK, knit to end.
Rnd 2: KnitRepeat rnds 1 and 2 until 64 stitches remain (16 each on needles 1 and 3).
Foot:
Work even in pattern until 15 total pattern repeats are worked (or until desired length before the toe).
Toe:
Rnd 1: On needle 1, knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1; on needle 2 K1, SSK, work to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1; on needle 3, K1, SSK, knit to end.
Rnd 2: Knit
Repeat rnds 1 and 2 until 32 stitches remain.
Repeat rnd 1 until 8 stitches remain.
Close with grafting stitch.
I lost this whole pattern when I tried to post from the library this morning. I'll try again and hopefully it will work. If it disappears into cyberspace I will not type this again. It is rather tedious. If you can read this - consider yourself lucky!

I may be breaking out the treadle sewing machine this afternoon. I have a pile of projects to be sewn. I had just cut out 3 pair of summer pajamas for P when the power went out. Actually, I had set the pajamas beside the sewing machine and was going to work on them while some banana bread was in the oven. I'll have to let you know how four day old bread batter bakes up.

Scrumptious Chocolate Pound Cake

This chocolate pound cake recipe has been in the family for years. I understand that my great grandmother used to make it. I have changed it a little bit since I started making it but it is still mostly the same.  I am lucky to have my great grandmother's cast iron bundt pan to cook it in.  It is quite heavy to put in and out of the oven but it is worth it!

Chocolate Pound Cake - basic recipe

3 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa (I use 1/4 cup Dutch-processed and 1/4 cup black cocoa)
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs.
Mix dry ingredients together.
Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to butter and egg mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for one and a half hours or until toothpick tester comes out clean. 

When I use the cast iron pan, I preheat the pan and cook for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.
Variations to add: mashed banana, grated zuccini, raspberry sauce, chocolate chips, frosting (only added for birthdays)

Some members of my family make a meal of this cake. They put a slice on the plate and put peanut butter on it, then a banana cut in half, lastly they smother it in vanilla yogurt. Now THAT is a breakfast. I prefer the cake with just vanilla yogurt.)

P wanted a pink cake for her birthday. We made the basic recipe plus a mashed banana and sprinkled chocolate chips on the cake before baking.  It is frosted with pink frosting and sprinkled with mini m & m baking pieces.  She likes the frosted donut with sprinkles look.

Happy Birthday P.

Three years ago, at 11:11 on 6/6/05, we heard the delivery nurse and the anesthesiologist argue across me as to what time would be the official birth time.  The anesthesiologists laptop said 11:10; the wall clock said 11:11.  The nurse insisted that 11:11 was a much better birth time.  She won.edit: a stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, 1/2 cup, or 1/4 pound.

What's in a Name?

We have been enjoying the baby chicks. These chicks are getting handled a lot. I hope this means that they will be tame adult hens. Our first chickens were very tame because the boys spent a lot of time with them; they would even sit on M's head.

We also named our first chickens. There were three Rhode Island Reds that were named Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Ginger - the "Spice Girls." A white hen was named Hedwig and our regal rooster was Dumbledore. Hedwig was somewhat of a genius as far as chickens go. She was very inquisitive. That is  Hedwig up on  M's head.

We have learned that naming farm animals is not the wisest thing to do.  We get new chickens each year so that we continue to get fresh eggs. Well, when those old hens quit laying they become expensive to feed so we make soup.... I am sure you can see the problem here. Those first hens lived much longer than any others. P is not aware of how it all works yet- that circle of life on the farm. I think just calling the chickens the girlers is a good start there.

Quilt Binding

I use a single thickness binding for more drape at the edge of a quilt. I think this is especially important for the smaller doll quilts. I have never had a binding wear through on a quilt and I like the way the thinner binding gives a soft edge and allows the quilt to drape. If the binding were to wear through it would be easy to replace it.

For quarter inch binding cut straight grain strips that are one and a quarter inch wide.  Lay the strip ends right sides together at 90 degrees to each other.  Sew across the diagonal.  Continue until all strips are joined.  Trim seams to one quarter inch.

Start with a quilt that has been trimmed and the corners square (90 degrees). I start in the middle of one side and leave about 8 inches of the binding strip before I start to sew.

Sew  a quarter inch seam until the needle is one quarter inch from the end of the quilt.  Stop with the needle down.

Pivot the quilt 90 degrees and stitch backwards off the quilt.

Remove the quilt from under the presser foot and fold the binding strip back so that the right edges are even.

Next, fold the binding strip back down with the folded edge even with the side just sewn while keeping the right edges even. Sew a quarter inch seam.

Repeat for all corners and sew until you are a few inches from where you started. Remove the quilt from the machine.

Fold each of the binding strips back on themselves leaving an eighth inch space between them. Pin the fold at the center of the strips.

Fold the quilt so that the two binding strip ends can be joined.

Match the pins with the binding strips at 90 degrees to each other

and sew.

Trim the seam and sew the rest of the binding to the quilt.

When turned to the back the corner should look like this.

Fold under the raw edge and pin the binding to the back. The folded edge will just cover the stitching line. To distribute the bulk of fabric in the mitered corner pin the corner in the counter clockwise direction.

When you stitch the binding down make sure to stitch the miter closed on both sides. This gives a more finished look.

I do only pin about five pins ahead of where I am sewing. This way my thread does not get tangled in the pins.

Here is the finished corner on the front of the quilt.

———

Edit to add

I now finish all of my full size quilts with a 1/2 inch finished binding.

To make the wider binding, trim the quilt so that the backing and batting extend 1/4 inch past the edge of the quilt. Use binding strips that are cut 2 1/4 inches wide. Follow the above directions using a 1/2 inch seam allowance when attaching the binding.

Wild Cherry Socks

Here are the finished Wild Cherry Socks.

These were a little different to knit as they have the pattern going down the heel.

They also have a round toe decrease.

I am so glad they are both safely in A's care now.

The pattern is Jane's Hedgerow Socks. The yarn is Wild Cherry by Cherry Tree Hill Yarns. The yarn is very soft and great to knit with as long as you don't get it caught in your car door.

I am now trying to finish P's quilt in time for her birthday. I almost finished it while she was away. I have three sides of the binding left to sew but can only work on it while she is sleeping. The problem is that I have too many projects saved up for her sleeping time.

They Came! Peep, peep.

B and P returned yesterday with our new laptop. All of our files have been transferred from the old laptop and I am back in business!  I am still figuring out the new system but it is nice not to have to go to the library every day to check my mail.

P was eager to get home to see the new baby chicks.  Some years they get delivered on Sunday but this year they came Monday. The post office called this morning at 7:30 to let me know they had the box.  I heard them peeping in the background and didn't want them to have to be in the delivery car all morning so I drove to the post office to pick them up before P was awake. I took the peeping box up to her room to wake her.  She said, "I have chicks. I am three."  Well, I don't know why she thought both of those things were going to happen on the same day. It is still a few days before she is three. But, yes. We have chicks.

There are twenty seven little chicks in that box. There are 9 cuckoo maran, 9 araucana, 8 silver laced wyandotte, and one free mystery chick.

This was almost too much excitement before breakfast.

They are settled in a dog crate in the basement. They will stay there until they are a little older and the nights are warm enough for them to stay in the barn with the big girls. We will take them for outings in the sun every day.

They will be getting a lot of attention.

Unraveling the Mystery

Things were going great. Really.

I had been working on A's sock for our next pair in the "Two Make a Pair" project. The yarn she chose was Wild Cherry by Cherry Tree Hill. I was enjoying knitting with this wonderful fingering weight merino yarn and my brand new 5 inch bamboo double point needles that I am SURE will make sock knitting go even faster. Yesterday, after turning the heel and starting the gusset, I realized that I had forgotten to add the wooly nylon when knitting the heel. I sat and pulled it out and then reknit the heel flap. When it was time to pick up M from track practice I put the whole project in my bag and headed to the van. I pulled up to the front of the school and did not see M waiting, so, I thought I would continue knitting on the sock. I reached into the bag but the sock was not there. I saw that the yarn end was going behind me in the seat. Funny, it didn't feel like I was sitting on the sock. I followed the yarn behind me and - out the car door. 

How embarrassing! I must have driven all the way to town with a half knit sock hanging out my door. I opened the door so that I could quickly pull the sock in and start knitting before anyone I know noticed my error. Well, I opened the door, got out, and followed the yarn halfway across the parking lot to find that it just ended. No sock.

My first thought was of A; this was her sock and her gorgeous yarn. I did not have enough left in the bag to knit her another whole sock. My second thought was my new needles. They must be tiny splinters in a mess of dirty cherry color yarn that at one time looked like part of a sock. I jumped back in the car to retrace my path. M would just have to wait. Maybe I could save the sock before it was run over. Maybe the sock wasn't in too bad of shape. I drove slowly looking for a pinkish red blob on the road. I saw a dead squirrel but not the missing sock.

I drove all the way home. No sock. I wondered if someone had picked it up. Maybe even someone I knew.  Maybe they would return it to me. I could handle the embarrassment if I had the sock back!

I walked up to house and there it was in a puddle on the porch. 

The extra yarn that I had pulled out earlier had gotten closed in the door. Still, I had driven all the way to town with a long tail of yarn flapping behind me. What a sight. I went back to get M but he was waiting so I didn't even get to knit!

To Grandma's House

P and her dad are on a trip to Grandma's house.

She was very excited when she left. She had one of her blankies and one of the "Esthers" in the truck.  Esther was going to look out the window. I am not sure how long that lasted.

B said she has been asking where the chickens are!  I guess he could have taken them in the back of the truck;  too bad we didn't think of that. I have to admit, they are missing her too. They are not getting nearly as much cracked corn each day.

They took the laptop with them so I will be reporting from the library.  We shall see how that goes this week.

Blast from the Past

I have been wanting to share my first quilt.

I don't want to share it because it is anything spectacular; quite the opposite, actually.  I want to share it because of it's simplicity.

Simple 4 and a half inch squares. I like it not for its aesthetic beauty but for the memories it holds for me. I remember tracing around a cardboard template with a ball point pen and cutting out the squares with my scissors. I love that there is no doubt when these fabrics were collected.  I would sit on the couch and pin the squares together with pins every quarter to half inch.  I can't believe I pinned them!  This quilt was finished in 1976.

It is made from fabrics left from clothes that my sisters and I made for ourselves and some made by our mother. There are even a couple of fabrics from my friend P in our 4-H club.

My oldest sister made a dress out of that kelly green and a pinafore out of the castles in the sky fabric.  I could not wait until she had out grown that set and I could wear it! I had to make sure that the two fabrics were together in the quilt.

I look at these fabrics now and can't imagine any middle schooler today wearing anything made out of these.

All three of us had dresses and matching shorts out of this "little bird" fabric.

It wouldn't have been the 1970s without the mushrooms.

Does anyone else remember a fabric called kettle cloth?  That linen look polyester that came in sooooo many colors.  It would never wea rout.  This whole quilt is backed in beige kettle cloth.

Can't you picture it- on my bed in my basement room with the kelly green built in desk and shelves and green and white paneling.  The gold shag carpet pulled it all together, I think.  Yep. It was the 70s.I don't use it anymore because all that polyester makes me sweat. But, it is fun to get it out and look at it every once in a while.

Tiny Quilt

Crazy woman that I am, I joined the mini quilt swap group on flickr. The idea for this group is to use some of the leftover blocks from other quilts and make tiny quilts from them.

A year or two ago, I was in a quilt workshop where we brought "parts" and fabrics and tried to put them together in one quilt.  I was inspired by a picture of a wonderful antique quilt that had a very spontaneous style to it. The method did not work for me. My hope for a beautiful spontaneous quilt ended up in a mess that was folded up when I got home. Over time it became buried under other projects and piles of fabric.  While looking for some leftover blocks for this swap, I came across it again. After looking at it, I decided that I liked the parts better than the whole and took a corner out of it for my mini quilt. I will continue to "free" other parts of this quilt. They just don't look happy together here.

I quilted it with variegated thread and squared it up and  moved on to other tasks like fixing dinner, reading stories, or gardening.

When I was ready to put on the binding last night, I couldn't find it.

Bother.

I never can remember where I put things. Last night, when I was getting ready to go to bed, I saw this in the doll cradle. Notice that it has no binding.

P's little dolls must know that one must have at least 10 quilts before one gets married.

This quilt is 8.75 x 9.25 inches. (The quilt really is rectangular; the photo makes it look a bit wonky.)Tomorrow this quilt will be on its way to Nebraska, not quite as far as the other doll quilt which went to Finland.