Etsy

Dear Mom,
I did it.  I put my big girl pants on and got brave and opened an Etsy shop for my notecards. There is a link directly to the shop if you click on the etsy button over in the sidebar. For now, I am listing the notecards as a collection. I'm still considering whether or not to offer them individually.
It is bitterly cold out and Bumper still wants to go out every 15 minutes or so. At least last night he slept all night. I feel like I have a baby again. He is either getting a little addled in his old age or becoming that old man with prostate issues. Or both. But I don't even know if dogs have a prostate.
Patsy wants to be out there every time Bumper is, but her poor paws can't take the cold. She was skipping around on three legs I kept her in and bribed her with a rawhide chew the last time Bumper went out.
I've been knitting away on Bonnie Jo's wrap.

If you look verrry closely you will see a mistake. Don't worry. I fixed it.

It is a long boring stretch of garter stitch, but because it is a long boring stretch of garter stitch I can read while I knit and I finished one good book (Innocent by Scott Turow- the sequel to Presumed Innocent) and started another. This is one I've checked out of the library and need to finish. I am halfway through it and my good book streak continues. This one is A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George. It was her first and I am looking forward to reading them all. Mystery, so far nothing gruesome (even though I don't mind that at all), English countryside, great characters.
Unfortunately, Patsy likes the yarn I am using for the wrap. (Berroco Comfort- another stash buster)

Luckily, I have more than enough to finish the project, so Patsy can keep this ball of yarn.

Lots more going on here. Polska mittens see a few more rows added each day, I worked out the math and design for a new sweater and the seed for the scarf  that Merrilymarylee planted is germinating.

Bitter Bitter COLD on top of yesterday's snow meant the kids had a 2 hour delay this morning and I have errands to do. Family Bingo night tonight, too!

I'm off-

Love,

Kim

January's Socks

Dear Mom,
I've finished my January socks!

After finishing those, I pulled out one of the leftover yarn linen stitch scarf kits I made for myself and started working on that. I've also had a cardigan pattern brewing in my brain and did a little swatching and brainstorming on that yesterday afternoon. I love being productive!

A couple of weeks ago I talked with a local printer about having some of my photos turned into notecards and this morning I picked up my order. I am very happy with them.

Printed on white 80lb card stock, blank inside, featuring a variety of knitting related photos. I am entertaining the thought of opening an etsy shop and selling them. What do you think?

I need about 6 more hands. Merrilymarylee has given me an idea for a scarf design, and Bonnie Jo needs a wrap to wear in the morning- something to cover her shoulders with a button closure. I guess she got the idea from Golda. Marge and Gloria.

Love,
Kim

Finished!

Dear Mom,
Cast on February 22, 2009.
Completed January 14, 2011.

This is Veronik Avery's Notre Dame de Grace (scroll down) from Interweave Knits, Summer 2007.

Button from your button box.

I love the way the shoulder shaping and stitch pattern flow into the neck.

The only pattern changes I made were for personal fit. I lengthened the body by 2 inches and shortened the arms by the same amount.

Friday morning was spent much like Thursday morning. I returned some drapery shears (sheers?) I purchased out of desperation and 'just in case' I couldn't find anything better, returned library books, proofed some note cards I am having printed (more on that in another post), returned the fabric swatches and purchased the fabric I will need to make my window treatments, and returned some drapery hardware I purchased in another fabric store- again, another 'just in case' purchase even though they only had 3 of the needed 6. The reason I mention this, is that after making that return, I cheerfully said good bye to the ladies working there and somehow, not exactly sure how, Knitting was mentioned. (Okay. The word first came out of MY MOUTH. Big shock, that one.) I soon found myself giving an impromptu tutorial on double knitting (of which I have done only a minuscule amount) with slippery aluminum double pointed needles and sparkly acrylic yarn. Not that there is anything wrong with either the slippery needles or slippery yarn. I am not such a yarn snob that I can't acknowledge that there is a place for both. They are just not my favorite sort of knitting things. Up to that point my morning was clicking right along, and because I had taken Patsy to daycare I had an afternoon of laundry and spinning planned. If my life had a sound track I would have heard the screeching tire sound of car avoiding collision. I was happy to help, though, and if there is one thing common to knitters it is that we want to share the knitting love.
I did get home, perhaps a good hour later than I'd hoped, to find a Knit Picks package in the mailbox with the needles and yarn I ordered for my SpillyJane mittens. After a short visit with my spinning wheel, and before finishing that sweater, I cast on the first mitten.


Polska

Those are the KnitPicks 6" double pointed needles, size 0. I have their Harmony wood interchangeable needles and love them. This is my first pair of their double points. I already have a set of bamboo size 0's, but they are 8" long and I find that length awkward. They get caught in my sleeves. Anyway, these new needles are wonderful. They are every bit as nice as my favorite set of rosewood sock needles. And the KnitPicks double points come in a set of SIX needles rather than the usual 4 or 5.
After all that activity away from home this week I desperately NEED to catch up here. And when I say need, I don't just mean that the house needs my attention. I also need to be Home.
Love,
Kim

Drapery Dilemma and a Sock

Dear Mom,
I have a headache. I just spent too much time away from home, which for most people wouldn't be much time away at all, but it seems that I have an approximate75 minute window before I start feeling edgy and want to get home -except when I am knitting with friends and then I totally lose track of time- and probably this means that everyday I take one step closer to being THAT lady who never leaves her house and is surrounded by wool and too many dogs. But today I was out searching for a window treatment solution for our triple wide porch door. And just like when we replaced the stove AND the refrigerator, it would seem that what "they" make and what I need are two entirely different things. My needs being way smaller than what is offered. With the stove installation, I channelled my dental hygiene skills and used my Dremel to cut the tile on the counter tops so we could slide the appliance into place. With the fridge we stopped shopping for features and started reading the fridge dimensions before we would even look at the thing. We had to push down some prejudices and purchase a Kenmore, the only brand - in fact the ONLY FRIDGE we could find that would fit.  And now it is window hardware. The windows on my doors are 21 inches wide and 67 inches long. A 25" rod is the max the doors can handle. Anything bigger and the rods will smack into each other when we USE the door. The smallest rods I find start at 28".
After searching too many places, I ended up having to special order the things. Without them I was stymied. I couldn't buy fabric without knowing whether I could even find the rods. I found rods in the right size at the fabric store but they only had 3 and I hated to buy them and HOPE that 3 more would come in. My headache is born of frustration.
I also made a few mistakes (when will I learn?) in my Porch Door window quest. One was getting input from My Hero (it might have been better to proceed and apologize)  and the second was to decide on what I wanted before I went to see if it was even out there. I wasn't finding it and losing hope. I envisioned a quilted fabric in a pretty pattern with navy or brick reds. All the quilted stuff I found belonged in a nursery or was a Vera Bradley wanna be and not something that belonged on my family room doors. I actually began to consider KNITTING a window treatment. That is how far gone I was. Plus I was feeling that Panicky Fringe starting to squeeze on me- guilt over leaving the dogs so long, pressure about the housework I wasn't getting done while I kept staring at the same fabrics and the same drapery rods hoping that something would jump out that I had missed during the first 45 minutes I had been looking. And mad at myself for feeling that way and always trying to do things myself and save money yaddayadda blahblahblah. I bought a knitting magazine, some ribbons, two pillow forms and I left.
HOWEVER! When I walked in to the Drapery/Upholstery Fabric store and asked about the rods, and which is where I ended up placing my order for them, I found the quilted fabric I was imagining and in a color/design I think will be perfect. !!!!!  No doubt the ladies who work there think I don't have enough thread wound on my spool, because my relief at finding what I had envisioned made it impossible to contain my enthusiasm.
And Now I Am Home, and the fabric sample I got is gonna be just right. I'll head back there tomorrow to make my purchase, get the sewing done and when the rods arrive we can get them hung and put this episode behind me.

Yesterday I finished the first January sock. Right on schedule. I even started its brother, but I did not do anymore knitting on the second sleeve of The Sweater that Kim Forgot. I'll get to that tonight.


It's not too often that I get a really good picture of either dog. Bumper is very camera shy and Patsy is, well, too happy to be still most of the time. So, when I get one this good I am compelled to share it.

a tired dog is a good dog

And finally, Primrose is published  and can be found on ravelry and on the Warm Thoughts blog.

Love,

Kim

A little spinning

Dear Mom,
Sunday was open spin at Tabby Tree and I was able to get away for a couple of hours. I decided to spin up some of the wool I dyed in the workshop there last spring. I didn't get much done while I was there, but I am loving what I've done so far.

Last night I finished knitting the first sleeve of the Sweater that Kim Forgot and I'll get onto that second sleeve tonight! Looks like I just might have a new sweater by the weekend. If I weren't so excited about getting this sweater done I would sit and spin the rest of that roving.

And finally, one of those times I wish I had my camera...
Patsy as we all know, is the Alpha Gal. First one in, first one out, first one fed, etc. Part of Patsy's training regimen has her on her leash at all times for 4 months. We can have a "goodbye leash" party on March 9. The only times Patsy is separated from her leash is when she is crated. So inside, outside, all around the house, Patsy trots and leash follows. We have a small leash wardrobe for her now so that they can be cleaned. Aaannnnyyyway. Patsy always races to be first out the door and through the dog door, and Bumper just goes with the flow. He follows her out and being a gentleman, lets her be the first through the door on the way in. This morning when I heard the tell tale tapping that they were awaiting entry I briskly walked to the door, opened it and....nothing. They were both standing there, but nobody moved. Patsy did not enter, and good ole Bumper stood there. Waiting. "Come on" I chirped. Nothing. "Come!" I commanded. It is cold. It is snowing. We do not need to let cold air in and heat out. Still nothing. And then I see it. Bumper is standing on Patsy's leash. She cannot move unless he moves and he will not move until she does. This is, in more ways than I care to think, a pretty good summary of  my days. I grabbed the leash, tugged it free from under Bumper's paw and in they came.

Love,
Kim

Infected

Dear Mom,
The Yarn Harlot's  post last Friday gave me an infection. It's like she sneezed SpillyJane all over me. Before last Friday afternoon I had never heard of SpillyJane. But before the kids got off the bus I had downloaded 5 mitten patterns and ordered enough Knitpicks yarn and the size 0 double points to make them all. I couldn't resist. I think if you go take a look at her etsy shop or at her ravelry page you will see why. I have the patterns for Heather's Mitts (Shamrocks!), Carrots and Beets mittens, Cupcake mittens, Isidora mittens and the Polska mittens right here in front of me.
And I was hoping to knit only from my stash for awhile.
I'll still do that, though. It does feel good to use what is on hand rather than add to the load.
And speaking of knitting from the stash...
The poor Abandoned-for-Two-Years Sweater is so happy to have fresh air that she is being extremely cooperative and pleasant to knit. The Front and Back are finished, shoulders united and neckband complete.I just love this neck and couldn't wait to see it put together.

the actual color is more rust than orange

I found an excellent button in your button box yesterday and the first sleeve is about 1/2 way done. I imagine I should have this finished before the end of the week.
In the meantime, I've started writing up the pattern for Primrose and should have that ready soon. Sooner if I get off the blog and back to work.

Love,
Kim

A busy week and a really good soup recipe

Dear Mom,
It has been a busy, satisfying, productive week with the kiddos back in school. The house is pretty much back in order. I've managed to stay very organized, cook good meals, knit a bunch and take action on some ideas I've had brewing in this busy brain of mine.
I sold a record number (for me) of patterns to 2 local yarn shops, and let me just stop right here and say I love the ladies at the Village Yarn Shop.
I published two new patterns. They can be found here and on the Warm Thoughts blog.
After finishing my Daybreak scarf, I experienced a knitting.....fog... I guess that would describe it. I wasn't sure what to knit next. I have plenty of ideas, but couldn't get excited about any of them. I went back into the yarn/guest room (which had been recently purged and re-organized) and rediscovered a sweater that, when I looked back at my ravelry project page, I started in February 2009. I do not know why I set it aside. Possibly for a magazine deadline. I don't know if is scarier that I started it and let it languish for almost 2 years, or that I clearly remember buying the yarn and starting the sweater like it was 2 weeks ago. I would never have guessed that it had been in standby for so long. I hope I can finish it before its second birthday!

I have some random thoughts and things to share that will never fit into any one blog, so I am going to share them all here, all at once.
Books. I have had the absolute pleasure of reading some really good books lately. The bad thing about a really good book is the let down when it is finished and then the scramble to find another book that is just as good. Well, I've been on a streak. These books have nothing in common with each other, other than the fact that I like them.
The first took me months to read. Not because it is 900+ pages, but because I read at night before I go to sleep and some nights I only read about a page before I fall asleep. It is the new book by Ken Follett, Fall of Giants. This is the first of a trilogy, so we have more good books to look forward to! I have never been dissappointed by a Ken Follett book. The trilogy will cover the 20th century, following the lives of several families from the UK, Russia, Germany and the USA. I'll say no more.
I finished this next book last night. It is the second Flavia De Luce mystery, written by Alan Bradley. Flavia is our 11 year old heroine and the books are set in the 1950's, English countryside. I am charmed by Flavia, her spirit and her love of chemistry!! These are not scary mysteries and they are not bloody or gruesome, so they wouldn't give you bad dreams or anything. Just good entertainment. The first is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and the next (and the one I finished last night) is The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag.

Why I feel compelled to share this next bit of info with you I am not sure, except that these are two things in life that give me a disproportionate amount of joy.

#1. Dog paws.

I love them.

#2. The sound of a dog sniffing something thoroughly. Like they can't get enough of whatever it is they smell.

Like a sniffly giggle.

After that, do I dare give you a recipe?
yep.

I made this soup last night, and it may very well be the best ham and bean soup I've ever tasted. It'll be even better today after all those flavors have blended.
It is not complicated or fancy. I am just not that kind of cook. But is is GOOD. Served with a spongey, fresh white bread to clean up the bowl and it is heaven. Especially on a snowy day like today.

The Best Ham and Bean Soup I've Ever Tasted
makes a bunch

1 1/2 cups dry mixed beans ( I used Hurst's 15 bean soup beans, but didn't use the seasoning packet)
5 cups water
1 meaty ham bone
1 cup chopped celery  
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onions
( confession- I did not measure the celery, carrots and onions. I used 3 carrots, 3/4 of an onion, and about a 4 inch section of a whole celery bunch and chopped them all up really fine)
2 cups water
1 t. salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried thyme
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes ( I used a pint of the tomatoes I canned from the garden and put them in the blender)

Combine the beans, 5 cups water and ham bone in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let them sit for 1 hour.
In another saucepan, combine the celery, onions, and carrots with 2 cups water and cook until soft.(About 20-25 minutes) Mash slightly. ( I gave them a quirk burst in the blender.)
Combine all ingredients in a crockpot. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours then on low for 2 hours.

Love,
Kim

The Last Finished Project of 2010

Dear Mom,
Cast on sometime before Christmas and cast off last night, this is Daybreak, designed by Stephen West.

I used Claudia's Handpainted fingering weight wool and needed a little more than one skein of each color to finish. I can't find the tag for the lighter colorway, but the darker one is called Caribbean blue. I think I may have thrown the other label away along with wrapping paper.This was a pleasant, soothing project, with just enough to going on to keep it interesting but not too much to require total concentration. Plus it was a small enough project to have the end in sight, which is a total motivator to keep me knitting as fast as I can. 

Family fun and games tonight, so as much as I would like to knit in the New Year, in all honesty I know it isn't gonna happen.

Happy, Healthy, Safe and Serene New Year!

Love,

Kim

Now That it's Over

Dear Mom,
With only wrapping paper shrapnel littering the house and the much anticipated Un-Decorating that remains of Christmas 2010, I can reveal some of the gift knitting I've been keeping secret now that the gifts have been opened.
I now realize that I neglected to photograph everything, like some texting gloves and the Marksmans mitts I knit for the hunter in the family. But I did take a picture of this hat, modeled reluctantly by the Young Lady.

This is the Inishmore Hat I made for a nephew. It used about 1 skein of Lamb's Pride worsted and I want to make another for My Hero. I have my eye on a skein of mossy green Donegal tweed in the stash.

I gave you one of these silly Kleenex cosies. I don't know why I am so charmed by this little dude, but it took a tiny amount of time and yarn and I want one for myself.

I am most proud of this sweater, though.

This is my latest design, Primrose. Elle is modeling Primrose with the skirt (Violette) and scarf I gave you last year.

Primrose is knit from the top down, in the round, with modified boat neck, and blousy full sleeves. She is a nice compliment to Violette's fitted silhouette. The sleeve cuffs and body are finished with a garter stitch border that mirror the neckline. I used Knitpicks Gloss yarn- it was a dream to work with.

My goal is to get the patterns for both Primrose and Violette polished up and available before the end of January.

I feel like my after Christmas knitting list (which is mostly selfish knitting) is almost as long as my Christmas knit list. I still need to make some fingerless mitts for myself and finish projects already started. In the Village Yarn shop, I was inspired to use leftover fingering weight yarns to make this scarf. I did some desperately needed stash purging and re-organization last week and made some scarf  kits for myself. I finished this narrow scarf in the wee hours of this morning.

It is about 3 inches wide and 60 inches long. Just right for wearing like this:

And you know what the REALLY good thing about this pattern and its use of leftovers? Chances are pretty good that there is a sweater made out of one of those yarns and the scarf is guaranteed to go with something.  See what I mean?

After re-organizing my yarn stash and finding yarn I forgot I had, I faced the cold hard truth of my yarn gluttony. I have more than enough to knit myself well into next year and vow to clear much of it ( notice I am being realistic here and not saying ALL of it) off my shelves before bringing any new yarn home. I failed on last years Sock-a-Week resolution, so there is still plenty of sock yarn waiting for me, too. Maybe a more realistic goal this year would be a pair of socks each month. Maybe I should pick a sock yarn and put it in a brown paper bag, assign a month to each bag and surprise myself. Yeah. I think that is exactly what I am going to do. So maybe this year it will be a scarf and a pair of socks each month along with the big projects I would like to work on too. Sounds like a plan.

Love,

Kim

Chicken Sweaters and Fingerless Mitts

Dear Mom,
Aren't Bonnie Jo's chickens smart! Not only have they figured out how to log onto the blog, but they also know that Aunt Kim will stop just about everything to knit for a niece. Even if that niece is a chicken.
The Chicken Sweater Pattern I used is this one. After seeing how lovely Gloria, Marge and Golda look in their jumpers, I imagine that there will be more hens asking for sweaters this Christmas.
The sweaters required less than 50g of yarn and these fit Bonnie Jo's robust ladies just right. I don't know how her girls fit into the scheme of Hen Sizing- are they Average? Plus size? All I can say with certainty is that they are not petite, so if knitting for a petite chicken niece, a knitter might want to scale the pattern down a smidge.
Knitting the sweaters was the easy part. The Chicken Photography was not. (But it was fun!) Chickens do not hold still. I took over 200 photos and Bonnie Jo had to do some deep knee bends.



multi-tasking one handed deep knee bending photographer/chicken whisperer



 I am beginning to think that putting a camera in Bonnie Jo's hands turns her into Super Stretchy Limber Woman!
Our patience, gymnastics, low batteries and rapidly filling memory cards were rewarded with some excellent (or should I say eggcellent?) shots.


Chicken sweaters aren't the only thing I've been knitting. I feel like I am late to the appeal of the fingerless mitts, but having made one pair for the Young Lady, I can't seem to stop. I can knit a mitt a night. They don't require much yarn, and they've been good stash busters.
I've made some with self-striping  and variegated yarns and they look good on their own, but the few pairs I've done out of solid colors needed some embellishments. I pulled out my Colorful Stitchery book and some sock yarn leftovers and had some fun.

I made this pair for Bonnie Jo: (she already opened them so I can show them off )



And I finished the first of this pair last night:

I knew the mitts were a hit when the Young Lady approved my making a pair as a birthday gift for her friend. She chose a bright variegated yarn from the stash for that pair. I also want a pair or three for myself. They are cozy for hugging a warm mug of tea, or for right now when my hands are cold as I sit at the computer keyboard. I don't have a pattern for these- it is in my head- but I probably should write down what I've done somewhere. Right now I am just enjoying the satisfaction of finishing projects.

It amy be cold and snowy, but life is good. I've got hot tea in front of me and two sleeping dogs on the floor beside me.

Keep Warm!
Love,
Kim

Favrit Ant

Deer Ant Kim,


U r a good nitter!  and fast!  thank u for nu sno soots.

Look!  We r playing in sno togethr!

U r favrit ant.  We feel speshul.  We wil giv u egggs.

Luv,

Golda, Marge and Gloria

p.s. We lik cow buttens.  pleez eet mor beef.

Deer Ant Kim

Deer Ant Kim,

Kan u maak us a swetter sno soot? 

Gloria wont shar. 

Mom sed if we ask nislee u will nitt a sno soot for us.

p.s.  we lik chikin buttens too.

Luv,

Golda and Marge

An Animal Lover's Must See

Dear Mom,
I know I've already posted today, but I was just sent this and had to share it.

I love the voices they've given these animals. Very clever.
Love,
Kim

Flurries

Dear Mom,
One of the best things about being done with Christmas Knitting (or at least the have to's) is that when your friend GinaWhoCanParallelPark gives you a skein of to-die-for Tilli Tomas yarn you can stop everything and knit with it.
The yarn is called Flurries, which considering today's weather and last night's snowfall is totally appropriate.

After a very brief ravelry search- and can I interrupt myself here to say that after sheep and local yarn stores, ravelry may be the next best thing to happen to knitters?- I found this pattern. Perfect.

I cast on and finished the scarf in an evening, blocked it before I went to bed and woke up to this lovely scarf.
                                        
This yarn is embellished with glass beads. Just the sort of sparkle you see when the sun comes out after the snow storm.

I modified the pattern slightly to taper the ends to points. I preferred that to a blunt beginning and end. Other than that change, the pattern was easy to follow with both charted and written directions. Starting and finishing such a beautiful project in an evening is very satisfying.and I can't wait to wear my new scarf. I may just have to wear it today while I vacuum!
Love,
Kim

Snow Day

Dear Mom,

I've taken advantage of this snow day with the kids home to use my baker's helper (aka The Young Lady) and do some scone baking. We popped out 70 scones this morning. Yes. sev-en-teeee. Thank goodness for my convection oven. We made every variety we could think of and had the ingredients for: blueberry lemon, cranberry orange, butterscotch, chocolate chop, chocolate cherry, and cinnamon raisin. We made a small last batch with a butterscotch and chocolate chip combo that will stay here at home.

About half of the baskets have been delivered. When I had the brainstorm to do this today, I thought it would be the perfect day to catch everyone at home. Not so. For me days like this are the perfect excuse NOT to leave, but I obviously have neighbors with important things to do, 4-wheel drive vehicles and/or more courage than I have.

We put up our Christmas tree over the weekend. So far, except for one appealing ornament, Patsy has left the tree alone. I had visions of her dragging the tree OUT the dog door much like she has dragged sticks IN. The ornament in question has been relocated to a higher branch.

 Our string of lights is plugged into an extension cord that has an on/off switch. Instead of bending over to plug the cord in I can just tap the switch with my foot. Patsy witnessed me tapping the lights on to water the tree early Sunday morning. After emptying my watering can, I tapped the lights off. Patsy looked at the red button and used her big paw to tap the lights back on. I am considering teaching Miss Smarty Paws two new commands: Lights On! and Lights Off !

I somehow managed to get ahead and actually finish the important Christmas knitting. Now I'll have time to do some of those fun smaller Christmas knitting projects that I've been thinking about, but didn't dare hope to have the time for.

Like these- I really like this one.And this cute thing. And maybe some of these, and definitely some more fingerless mitts.
Love,
Kim

Grandpa's socks

Dear Mom,
A good friend just pointed out that I have a pattern published in the January 2011 issue of Creative Knitting magazine and haven't mentioned it. I guess it feels a bit anti-climactic to mention a sock pattern after having a design land on the cover.
Anyway, my Manly sock pattern "Grandpa's Socks" is right there on page 66. Instructions include a smaller lady like size, too.

photo courtesy DRG publications

Love,
Kim

Scones

Dear Mom,
Every year I agonize over what sort of baked goods to give my neighbors for Christmas. I can knit under pressure but cooking and baking under pressure doesn't work for me. Plus I am surrounded by good cooks. I cannot compete with their delicious cookies, candies and that mouth-watering spiced pumpkin nut bread that Michelle brings over every year. (There might be a cul-de-sac riot if Michelle did not make that bread.)
Finding the right recipe that is tasty/easy/holiday-ish but not a duplicate of what my neighbors are already baking has been my annual challenge. I even pressure myself further by feeling that I should have a "signature holiday treat" for my neighbors.

A few weeks ago I stumbled across this recipe for "Super Simple Scones" in the Harvest Kitchen Gooseberry Patch Cookbook. I have grown to love these cookbooks. They are full of recipe winners and completely support your theory that any cookbook that tells the name of the person contributing the recipe is bound to be filled with only the best recipes. Nobody wants their name associated with a bad recipe.
The Young Lady and I have given this recipe several test drives. We've made several variations and can think of more to try. We haven't had a bad scone yet.
This year my neighbors will be receiving a cloth-lined basket filled with a variety of scones. And if all goes as well as I hope it will, this may become our annual gift.

Super Simple Scones
makes 8

1 1/2 cups biscuit baking mix ( We used Bisquick)
3/4 c. whipping cream

Optional ingredients: orange zest, lemon zest, dried fruit, chocolate chips, cinnamon, etc.

That's it! Can you believe it!?

Place biscuit mix in a bowl and slowly stir in cream. Turn mixture our onto a floured surface and  knead in optional ingredients. Roll and shape into an 8- inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet ( I always use a silpat) at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

So far, my favorite combination of optional ingredients is the zest of 1 lemon and 6 oz dried blueberries.  The chocolate chip scones were gobbled up quickly and I was afraid there might be a fight over the butterscotch chip scones. We've also made cinnamon raisin scones, cranberry scones and a cranberry/orange zest combination.
The recipe is easily doubled. In fact, I think we've doubled it every time and divided the dough so we could make several combinations with one batch.

Love,
Kim