Fruit of the Loom

Dear Mom,
This….

Exactly what I was hoping for.
And the weaver inside me cries out for MORE!

Love,
Kim

Caramel and Cream

Dear Mom,

I noticed that I am in a caramel and cream phase.
The napkins on Donna Reed-

And Big Brown Betty's new frock-

Betty's cozy is this pattern, without the stripes, and I used some of this yarn.

I also noticed that the yarn I purchased yesterday, for a summer project, would fit right in.

Things are warming up. Temps in the 40's are forecasted for the weekend! You know it has been cold when, 15 degrees feels so warm that you think you can get by with just a heavy sweater. Good sense prevailed and I did wear my parka. I bet we see people wearing shorts as soon as it hits 50 degrees.

Love,
Kim

It's Always Something

Dear Mom,

Just as we are clearing the post op hurdle on Olive's left elbow (her surgeon was very, very pleased, by the way) (I KNEW he would be!) - bald patches started developing on her sides about 2 weeks ago. While we were visiting with Dr. Spah on Monday, I asked him what he thought about them.
"You should have your regular vet look at these," he said. "They may be a sign of a thyroid issue."

Great.

Well. Thankfully, not.
We saw the vet yesterday and after close examination under a magic light and microscopic evaluation of tissue samples to rule out any creepy crawly stuff that made my scalp immediately start itching, Olive is either:
1. Allergic to something. Doubtful, but she is taking a daily dose of Zyrtec just in case.
2. OCD. Obsessively Compulsively licking the spots. Or- given the weather- Compulsive Obsessive Licking Disorder, aka COLD. Somewhat doubtful- we have not witnesses any licking, chewing, or scratching and the skin is not at all red or irritated. However, she could be doing the licking while we are not home to witness it and while she is bored and crated. For this, we have a powerful anti-licking, bad tasting concoction to sprinkle on the targeted areas. Like that thumb sucking preventative, but worse. I guess. I've not tasted either and don't intend to.
or…. and this one gets my vote….
3. A response to stress. The vet was quick to clarify that this is not a stress from last week sort of response, but a stress that may have occurred MONTHS ago…. Like 2 surgeries in 6 weeks? Yep. (And considering THAT, it is a wonder my hair isn't falling out!) The fact that the patches started to appear during a week that I was gone more than usual and Olive spent more time in her crate (missing her mama) makes me think this the more likely option. And for this, she gets a daily dose of Melatonin to wake up the exhausted, stressed out hair follicles.
Olive is going to need her own medicine cabinet. She is taking more supplements than I am! But, hey! If MelissaWhoSpinsButDoesNotKnit can have a whole closet for her cats, then I suppose a medicine cabinet for Olive is nothing.

I don't know if the flat screen tv's make it easier for dogs to watch or if Olive is just special, but we've noticed that Olive watches tv regularly. And by watching, I mean intently focused.  But nothing like she has the past two evenings during the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. There are nose prints on the screen. Several ! times she jumped up and trotted right up to the screen to investigate the dogs during the judging and then followed them as they skipped along the runway.  I tried taking video, but was successful only in taking photos.

Closer inspection of these photos reveals the thinning patches.

Frankly, I am not even sure these are spots she can reach to lick or scratch.

In addition to watching the dogs, the Purina Pro Plan commercials kept her riveted. Especially THIS ONE. (Although, I liked THIS ONE better.) If it were in her power, I think she would be purchasing some of that brand today.

Hopefully that beautiful black coat will be thick again soon. She is just such a pretty dog. I hate to see this.
Love,
Kim

Winter Weary

Dear Mom,
Okay. We've all had enough. I've lost track of how many school days need to be made up. I think we can probably count the number of FULL school days in January on one hand. And I am not sure that any of those have happened consecutively. I hope the Young Lady's Sophomore year ends before her Junior year starts.
The thought of double digits sounds warm. Strike that. The sound of temps above zero sounds warm. Double digits might feel tropical at this point. We will not be discussing wind chill.

At least the sun is shining. And snow is sparkly.

In the meantime…..

THIS is THAT Sweater is on the needles. I have my iPod loaded with good books.

I wound a warp and started dressing Donna Reed with a new ( and hopefully more successful) napkin project yesterday.

Fresh flowers were delivered over the weekend, from a thoughtful friend….

and My Hero brought more home last night to celebrate my birthday.

For variety's sake, I have a shawl in the works with some handspun yarn. This is pure comfort knitting.

My first needle punch project is back from the framer. I was unsuccessful in finding a new project at any local shops. Very discouraging. Especially, after calling my NOT FAVORITE quilt shop (name withheld to protect the guilty) and was told "Yes, we have needle punch" only to drive the 30 minutes ONE WAY and discover that they literally had the punch needles and NOTHING ELSE. As if THAT makes any sense. I should have asked if they had needle punch projects. I drove back home all disgusted and fuming mad. Needless to say, I am Not Going Back There Again. I ordered three small kits online, and they've arrived, but don't have the nice Valdani floss that this first project had. Still, I like the change of pace this needlework offers. I'll work on these and keep my eyes out for more kits.

I received a new tea cup and a new tea pot for my birthday, too. Isn't that cup pretty? The colors are perfect in my kitchen. They are "me" colors.

Sometime before Christmas, my dear Brown Betty suffered an accident when something- I can't remember what- threw itself out of the cabinet and landed on her. I thought we'd escaped tragedy when I saw no obvious damage. Unfortunately, over the next few days, I noted a slight incontinence issue with Brown Betty. In denial, I convinced myself that the puddle was just a little overflow from brewing and steeping the pot, and that it was all my fault. I told myself this story more than once and kept Betty on duty. She is was? my favorite teapot, after all. Sadly, I could not continue this fairy tale and on closer inspection saw a hairline fracture under Betty's handle. She would have to be retired- but not thrown away. Betty deserves a quiet, dignified retirement after all her faithful service. I can always line her with a cup and use her to display flowers. I am sure we will come up with fun things for Betty to do. Hearing of Betty's disability, you, My Mother Dearest, so thoughtfully gifted me with a new, bigger, 8 cup Brown Betty for my birthday.
Big Brown Betty and I have become fast friends. Don't tell the other Brown Betty, but Big Brown Betty's spout is actually better. It stands straight up so I can fill her to the brim and she doesn't spill over! I need to knit a new tea cosy for Big Brown Betty because the cosy I have is too small. There are LOTS of tea cosy patterns out there to peruse. ( More distraction from the weather and from the housework I should be doing…..)

Fresh flowers work miracles.
Especially on winter weary days.
Keep warm. Daydream about digging in the dirt and planting vegetables, and about Branson and Mrs. Hughes, and smocked dresses on little girls, and windows open to warm breezes, Olive laying in a sunny patch on the patio, reading in a comfy chair on the screened porch……
Those days are coming. Hang in there, everybody!
Love,
Kim

The Fringe

Dear Mom,
The Fringe.
Of my Sanity, you may wonder, as we find ourselves confronted by ANOTHER snow day. But not yet. This Fringe I am wondering about is the fringe on a shawl.

I did not keep track of, and probably do not care to know, how much time went into the spinning of the fiber for this shawl. But at last, the spinning and plying is done and I wove the shawl this yarn was intended to be.

The fringe has been trimmed to 10 inches.
I experimented with twisting the fringe, but it seemed too heavy for the shawl. I felt the same about the look of braiding it. The ends of the shawl are hemstitched with the fringe in clusters of three strands. The body of the shawl measures 17" x  60".
Sooo- do I leave the fringe as is? Trim it shorter? Knot the ends? Suggestions are welcome!

Love,
Kim

Learning

Dear Mom,
I've been happy dancing for the last three days, with everyone back at work and school as they should be and the house to myself (and Olive); restoring everything to order. I was craving my solitude after that extra long Christmas break. I learned that 19 days is the longest I can last without Quality Alone Time. Day 20 and the cracks begin to show. Day 21 dawned with the promise of a 2 hour school delay which then became a no-school day, and, mentally, things got dicey. So, yeah. I am soaking in the solitude and quiet and order that this week brings me. Add *A Predictable Schedule* to * Solitude Required*.

Riding high on the success of my recent handwoven kitchen towels, I immediately started my next weaving project: dinner napkins. (I have a serious weakness for kitchen linens.) Quite some time ago, I purchased a hemp/cotton blend in a natural color, for just this purpose. I did the math and wound a warp for what I hoped would be eight 12x12, fringed napkins. Then several warp threads broke as I was dressing the loom. The fiber was very sticky, with the fuzz tying itself into knots around the threads. It was frustrating, but I re-calculated for eight 10x10, fringed napkins, finished dressing Donna Reed, and started weaving.
Such was my motivation that I wove about 4 napkins worth in that first evening. I only stopped so that I would not be crippled the next day. I sensibly paced myself over the next couple of days. I took note of ways to improve my next batch of napkins. Either I have an overactive imagination or was suffering a serious Weaver's Buzz, but I was envisioning dozens and dozens of napkins coming off the loom. Hand Woven Napkins for ALL on my Christmas list next year!!!!! The shuttle was flying!
The napkins came off the loom. I finished the edges on the sewing machine and trimmed the fringe. I started thinking that maybe napkins for just this house would be enough and removed Napkins from the Christmas gift list. And then I washed them.

I now have eight 8x8, fringed napkins. Wow, Did that Stuff Shrink.
The photo below shows the handwoven napkin laid out on top of a worn out napkin in the size I was hoping for. When folded, my napkins are more cocktail size than dinner size.  I felt deflated.

BUT. I have not given up. I ordered some fiber that is the same weight as the napkins, but is the same 100% cotton as my dish towels. I made even more notes for improving the next batch. I will aim for a much bigger pre-washed size. Maybe, if they turn out, napkins will be back on the gift list. And seriously, I have the lofty  unreasonable  delusional goal of having only handwoven dish towels and napkins in this house someday.

After patiently waiting in a 1/3 finished state for a year or two, this punch needle project was finished last week. It is off being framed right now. I really enjoyed working on it and plan on making another. This never should have taken so long to finish, because it is a pleasant diversion. I just kept picking up my knitting instead. This turned out to be a nice change-of-pace sort of needlework. Like coloring with pretty floss.

Last night I finished a pair of Thrummed Slippers. These things are wonderful! Warm and comfy. Thrums are bits of unspun wool that is knitted in with occasional stitches to create a thick, warm lining- like sheep's down.  As they are worn, that fleece lining felts and conforms itself to the bottom of the wearer's foot.

The pattern is Retro Thrummed Slippers. I am teaching this as a class at Village Yarn Shop. I've been experimenting with different non-skid, sole strengthening options for finishing the slippers. These are not, but could be easily embellished with pompoms or buttons or embroidered stitches. I've been so cold lately that I am tempted to make knee-high, thrummed boots for myself! There are some cheerful thrummed mittens patterns out there, too, if you could just sit there with warm hands and not actually need to use your fingers for anything….


Keep warm!
Love,
Kim

Where I Am Sitting

Dear Mom,

The sun reflects off the snow and shines in through the kitchen window 

and upon Donna Reed, giving perfect lighting to start threading the heddles for my next project.

These dishtowels are fresh off the loom and were finished yesterday.

We've been fortunate to have not lost power (or the internet connection!) and we are all safe and warm. My Hero was able to get in to work today, and so far, school has not been cancelled for tomorrow. Things just may start getting back to normal.

Love,

Kim

....  I spoke too soon. No school again tomorrow. The Young Lady says her brain is going to rot!

Winter Storm Warning

Dear Mom,
Preparing for the predicted Winter Storm …. from the heavens, it must look like ants scurrying around a crushed hill.
To heck with Bread and Milk, I say. Make sure you have heavy cream and whiskey on hand, because Homemade Irish Creme will keep you a whole lot warmer than french toast.

Homemade Irish Cream

1 c strong coffee

1 1/2 c heavy cream

1 T dark cocoa

1 T sugar

1 T honey

1 T vanilla extract

1 T almond extract

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 c Irish whiskey

Thoroughly whisk cream, cocoa, sugar and honey into a saucepan of simmering coffee. Simmer for about 20 minutes, whisking frequently. 

Pour into a glass or ceramic pitcher and whisk in the sweetened condensed milk. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Whisk in the whiskey until completely blended. Allow to cool to room temperature* and serve over ice.

May be kept refrigerated for up to one week.

*I made some of this just before Christmas and Bonnie Jo stopped by to sample. We may not have actually waited for the "cool to room temperature" part. And please note that the empty glass in that top photo is Bonnie's.

Be safe and warm. 

Love,

Kim

Merry Christmas

Love,
Olive, The Other Reindeer

Ho, Ho, hmmmmm

Dear Mom,

They did NOT look like this on Pinterest.

Love,
Kim

Favorite Things Friday

Dear Mom,
This time of year, I want to say my favorite things are brown paper packages tied up with string!
Today's favorite thing is a shop with some bright copper to tie up in those packages.

Spindle Cat Studio

Last year, I gave 5 Golden Rings (stitch markers) to some knitting friends.

I won't share what this year's gifts will be because I don't want to ruin any surprises. Everything I've ordered, all the pretty things I have from this shop- from stitch markers, to marker holders, to a charming necklace- are exquisite in their beauty and craftsmanship. Kate is a generous, gifted artist.

Love,
Kim

YUM.

Dear Mom,
I have been on a winning streak in the Try New Recipe department. We (meaning I) have changed a lot about how we eat around here. Mostly because we'd  (I) stopped recognizing ourselves (myself) in photos. We were in there somewhere, but Fat People were in the way.
I am not done yet, but today there is 30 pounds less of me than there was 6 months ago when, after stepping on the scale at my ahem "annual", I drove straight to the closest Weight Watchers and declared that to be my Last Fat Day. I will never be embarrassed to step on a scale again.
So, motivated by Good Health and Weight Loss, I've discovered some very delicious new recipes. But actually, the one I am going to share with you was one My Hero grabbed in the seafood department at the grocery store. I tend to ignore all those little recipe cards. I just want to get in and outta there as fast as I can. My Hero inherited the shopping gene from his mother, however, and even the grocery store is good shopping for him. He can find stuff at the store that I didn't know existed. He looks in refrigerated sections and on shelves I would never. Neh-verrr. We often do our weekly grocery run together. Sometimes I get irritated when his "let's take our time and shop"  collides with my "GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!!!". But most times it is very good. I can ask what he is hungry for, how is our egg supply, which is the better deal, etc. He is there to help load and unload.
So, one of those times, he handed me a stack of recipes he'd browsed through in the seafood department. I must have been in a generous mood, because I saved them rather than immediately pitch them as if they were unwanted solicitations. This one had me at the Title. Thankfully, it did not disappoint.

Salmon and Wild Rice Salad

serves 4

Wild Rice Salad

1 cup wild rice, prepared according to package directions- I used Uncle Ben's fast cooking wild rice

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 T. olive oil

3 cups chopped baby spinach leaves

1 cup finely chopped cucumber

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T chopped, fresh dill

Salmon

4 (4-5 oz) salmon fillets

1 t paprika

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes  [I used a pinch. I am a red pepper wimp]

1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Place rice in a large bowl. Add vinegar and oil; toss well. Add spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, garlic and dill. Toss to combine. Set aside until ready to serve.

2. For the Salmon: preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle fillets with paprika and red pepper flakes. Drizzle with lemon juice. Broil fillets 5 inches from heat source for 7-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Per serving: 360 calories, 11 g fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 90 g sodium, 39 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 29 g protein. 9 WW points.

Enjoy!

Love,

Kim

Favorite Things Friday

Dear Mom,
I don't know where November went. It was lost in a flurry of airport runs, family visits, a very bad cold,  Thanksgiving here which involved a whole lotta much needed long overdue house attention, and a blissful long weekend away, in a cabin in the woods, with my 3 dearest of knitting friends.

I have lots to catch up on….

But first!
Favorite Thing on This Friday- Two Hour School Delay!

Oh, how we love 2 hour delays! For me, they are better than snow days. We get to sleep in, our mornings are more leisurely, and I still get a good part of the day to myself! Added bonus- the roads give me all the reason I need to stay home and snuggle in.
I'll pull some Roasted Tomato Soup out of the freezer (made from the summer's tomatoes) and we will have that with grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner tonight.

I took advantage of the snow scene this morning to take a Christmas card photo, featuring Olive. Despite my intentions, I never got a photo of the family or of the kids during the Thanksgiving Break and decided on a clever use of Olive.  What a dear, patient, dog she is- especially when Milk Bone Dog Biscuits are involved.
Earlier in the week- before inspiration struck- I took a series of photos like this one ( inspired by something I saw on Pinterest).

Total Sweetness.
Yes, Santa, I have been a good girl.

Olive and her left elbow are doing well. We can't let her get too wild, but she is a dog who likes to chase squirrels. She's had Rimadyl evenings, but not many. We've done as much as we can for her, surgically. She gets a daily dose of Glucosamine/Chondroitin and fish oil.  Rimadyl on the days she needs it. And there are further pharmaceutical options if we need them, but I am hoping not. She won't be a marathon runner ( but then neither will I!) but not a long walk dog, either. This makes me a little sad, but she is such a good dog and the best sort of snuggler that I willingly give up walking her just to have her with me. She is my car-riding companion, nap-time buddy, and curled-up-at-my-feet or next to me on the couch faithful friend. I've loved all my dogs, but Olive has been a gift.

In November, I did knit a bee sweater for Bonnie.

The rest of my knitting has been gift knitting and therefore, secret.

I've tried some delicious, healthy new recipes over the last weeks and I'll share those later.

The past few evenings I settled in with my knitting and started re-watching Downton Abbey from the very beginning. I will never tire of looking at the hats, beautiful dresses, aprons and the lace edging on Mrs Hughes collar. I'd forgotten how much happens in those episodes and how much I did NOT like Mary in that first season. I watch and want to wear Mary Poppins-ish shoes and long skirts with thick warm tights. And aprons. And hats.

So for today, on this snowy day, after catching up here, I'll be drinking hot tea, puttering and tending to the house and laundry, with hopes of spinning and weaving and knitting, too. Thankful to be warm and with nowhere to go.

Love,
Kim

Happy Halloween

Dear Mom,
Last night, My Hero and our Young Lady teamed up again this year to carve pumpkins. Needless to say, they are pretty pleased with their efforts!

They loved the Minions from Despicable Me 2 and have been planning their pumpkins for weeks.
Love,
Kim

Fingerless mitts

Dear Mom,
As a gift for someone dear to me, someone whose heart is so warm that her hands Must Be Freezing, I've knit some pretty fingerless mitts.
The pattern is from the book Knitting Everyday Finery , and the pattern is Flying Geese Mitts.

The pattern instructions are well written and the mitts were knit quickly in a couple of evenings. I used worsted weight Shepherd's Wool. I cannot say enough very good things about this wool. Made in the USA (Michigan), Very Soft, excellent price, lots of yardage. I can probably get a second pair of mitts from the skein. In fact, I think I need a pair for myself, especially with the weather having taken a preference for cold and damp.  Blobs of fat almost-snow drops have been plopping out of the sky on and off the past couple of days. And the only good thing I can say about that is I have lots of warm hand knits I enjoy wearing!
Love,
Kim

To Everything There is a Season

Dear Mom,
There is a Frost Advisory tonight, which means today is the day they plants come in off the screened porch and find their spots inside for the winter. I like making things cozy, but I will miss using the porch. I spent many relaxing hours out there this summer.
The coming frost will be the end of the zinnias. I snipped a huge bouquet of the last of the best of them and brought that inside, too. I've harvested the dried seed heads for next year's garden.

This summer I filled the flower box outside the kitchen window with lavender. I do enjoy looking out at the flowers there, and this year had the added pleasure of smelling the lavender. Emptying that flower box is depressing. And looking out at the barren flower box all winter makes me feel the cold weather even more. I decided to fill the box with the beautiful things Mother Nature has in my yard. I don't know how long it will stay looking nice, but I am pretty proud of how it looks right now.

I clipped some Norway spruce branches that were laden with pine cones, picked pine cones off the ground,

added some colorful oak and maple leaves

and some hydrangeas and poked in a few dried Black-eyed -Susan heads.

I harvested a bit of basil before the frost hits it- enough for a new recipe I'll try this week. I am not ready to buy "fresh" basil at the grocery store yet! In hopes of keeping it through the winter, I brought in small pots of basil, chives and oregano despite my not having any luck with that in the past.
More evidence of my reluctance to let go of fair weather: I have things drying out on the clothes line. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I am pretending to dry things out on the clothesline. There are a few items out there right now, probably wondering how long I'll leave them hanging, all cold and damp. It may have started sunny, but it is definitely grey out there now. And NOT getting warmer.
As much as I don't like the snow....the days ahead are the days that completely validate knitting and  wearing wool sweaters and socks and shawls, and knitting more and more wool sweaters and socks and shawls.
Love,
Kim

Happy B-Day

Dear Mom,
Today was damp and drizzly and little bit cold. I barely roused myself to do much more than nap. But napping with a dog curled behind your knees is the best sort of nap I know. (And yes, napping with Olive curled behind my knees means I let her on the couch. Just this one time. Until she is fully healed and then she can nap there as much as she wants!)
Now that it has been gifted to you, I want to share the Bee version of Chickadee that I knitted as your birthday gift.

Except for the dark brown used for the bee motif, all the yarn in this sweater is my own handspun. The body is lambswool dyed with Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum) harvested last fall from your gardens.

I stumbled upon some bee motifs  HERE, and the knitter generously shared her charts. I used one of those, and tweaked it to fit within and replace the chickadees in the original pattern. This way I could change the motif without changing any increases in the yoke and the fit of the sweater.

don't know why this is blurry

The buttons are salvaged from a Goodwill sweater.

And Bonnie Jo? I know you want one. I have the yarn for it already. ( Not handspun though. I don't want to make you wait that long.)

We had chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight. Delicious homemade soup made from scratch and instinct. Four skinless chicken thighs simmered until the meat fell off the bones.  I glopped a healthy spoonful of vegetable broth base in the water while the meat was simmering and I gave it a couple of glubs of some cranberry apple wine.  I used about 3 T of the homemade onion soup mix I keep on hand and chopped up 3 carrots and about 2 cups of celery, added the rest of a box of penne pasta, and man-o-man is this soup wonderful. 

Be warm!

Love,

Kim