Thursday, March 29, 2007

We have a Winner!

The winner of ON THE CHEEP is
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. MB!! That's right, My sister! No nepotism here, it was a fair and square random draw.

Thanks to all who commented , it was fun!
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May's Sock

Here is May's sock in progress, VERY different from April's. This pattern from the book Favorite Socks is titled "two yarn resoleable sock." It's a utilitarian sock, not feminine or pretty, but unique construction, and practical. I chose colors with great contrast so it is easier to see the way it is put together.
My trouble with this sock is the same trouble I have with anything I knit that I expect to fit well..........GAUGE..... look at those tiny needles! I knit so loosely,,,the pattern recommends size 4 needles,,,,,, I am knitting on 0's, yes, ZERO'S to get gauge! And this is worsted weight yarn. I am on the home stretch, the instep is knit, the heel flap is done, heel turned, and gusset finished. Just the sole and the toe now.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

first time for everything

Learning to knit.......... Hmmmmmm, let's see.....must have been around 1966or 67... I was in

4-H. Head, Heart, Hands, Health.







I have only little flashes of memory about it.......the knitting teacher was a Swiss woman, and her accent was thick. Her house was in the back of a cheese factory, my Dad tells me her husband made wonderful cheeses. The house was a little dark and scary. Someone in the home must have been a smoker, the smell of cigarettes lingered and was quite exotic to me. Remembering these details may seem strange to you, especially since most of you know that quite often I can't recall what I ate for lunch only an hour earlier !



We knit on Wednesdays after school...... maybe my first project was a scarf, my memory doesn't include the details of any projects. The feeling and experience of Knitting is a strong memory. Making something useful , maybe beautiful,,,,,, from seemingly nothing,,,,,, was, and still is, magic to me. I loved those knitting lessons. The lessons did not last long, and we met for just a few weeks....



My next memory of knitting is a year or two later. My friend Keith told me that his aunt could knit hats. I boldly asked him to ask his aunt if she would knit one for me.......I had plenty of hats, I just wanted to see a hand knit one, and how it was made and maybe take it apart.................. Keith's aunt did knit me a hat, a beautiful red beret with cables. Sadly,I never wore it, and it was way too complicated for me to copy or learn from independently.



Then when I was thirteen or so, my parents gave me a "Learn to knit kit" for Christmas. Everything I had learned in 4-H came back easily and I from then on I taught myself.

The magic of knitting and creativity is so important to me now, I wish I could thank everyone who helped me in my youth,..........Maybe I can influence some kid..

Contest ends soon

ThE contest ends tommorow night,,,,,,,, just a reminder

I've lost it!

Recently, one of the men I live with (there are only two) has brought something to my attention. He is tired of doing all the cooking! Between you and me, I am tired of his cooking. :)



Since I opened the shop, I have done very little in the kitchen, besides sweeping the floor. I love to sweep. I don't feel that way about cooking. Still,I need to get back in culinary saddle, and give my dear husband a break, or there may be a revolt.




Just a few years ago, I was a fairly decent cook, not winning any gourmet awards or anything,,,,,,but we ate well. Well, they say "if you don't use it, you lose it"............I've lost it. It's not that I can't cook,,,,,I just can't think of anything different or out of the ordinary to make.



This situation in complicated by Dave working second shift, and his desire to eat his main meal of the day at 2 PM, while I am at the shop. Trust me, he has had this mealtime for most of his adult life,,,,,,I am not even going to try to change him. Dave eats at 2 , I eat at 5 and Ghen eats whenever he gets home.. Slow cooker meals, casseroles, etc,,,,must be made the night before. Cooking before I go to work in the morning is out of the question,,,,,,our house is tiny, Dave works very late and noisy pots and pans are not welcome before 10 AM.



Will any of you take pity on me and share some recipes or ideas? I welcome any and all input, Dave is threatening to whip up his infamous "noodles and corn"!!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Swine, Hydraulics & Song



Seeing a big snapping turtle the other day brings to mind some things from my childhood.


When I was a little girl, I was a bit of a tomboy,,,,,, but still, I was afraid of lots of things.




My dad had pigs in a pasture that was too far to carry food and water to,,,, so he built this platform thing that he hooked up to the hydraulic hoses on the back of the tractor. He put the feed buckets and a water barrel on the platform while it was down level with the ground, and then he would use the hydraulic mechanism to lift the platform up a few feet and drive the load to the pasture with the tractor. My sister and I called this rig, "the pig lift".




We loved to ride on the pig lift........and "help" our Dad feed the hogs. He would sometimes teach us a song while he drove, That's where I learned


So I climbed up the old apple tree
For a pie was a real thing to me
She stood down below
With her apron spread "so"
To catch all the apples, you see
It looked like a picnic for me
But just then the limb broke; holy gee!
And I broke seven bones
And half-killed Maggie Jones
In the shade of the old apple tree







and "SWINGING ON A STAR".
Or would you like to swing on a star


Carry moonbeams home in a jar


And be better off than you are


Or would you rather be a pig?


A pig is an animal with dirt on his face


His shoes are a terrible disgrace


He has no manners when he eats his food


He's fat and lazy and extremely rude


But if you don't care a feather or a fig


You may grow up to be a pig


Or would you like to swing on a star


Carry moonbeams home in a jar


And be better off than you are




In the springtime the barrel that held the water for the pigs often held something else.......Snapping turtles! As many as four or five, my Dad had a friend who liked to eat them, so whenever he saw a snapper on the farm, he would pick it up by the tail and throw it in the barrel. Of course, we thought our Dad was the bravest and strongest man in the world (I still do)......I remember him putting a broomstick in the barrel, a turtle broke it like a toothpick!




I was such a fraidy cat.......I knew the turtles were safely confined in the barrel.......but I didn't even want to look at them......but I was secretly thrilled to know they were in there!


Did you ever smell a snapping turtle? If you had, you would remember! P.U.!!!!


But the smell and my fear didn't stop me from riding on the pig lift,,,,,,,,,, and I learned some great songs, too. I have other stories about the pigs,,,,,,,,, next time, maybe.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Contest Announcement, again

In case you missed it..........Click here for your chance to win!

BIG BUCKS

The temperature right now is 73 degrees! This is MARCH! In Wisconsin! So, what am I doing on this beautiful day? I spent the morning in my basement, making a Santa.? It's my own fault, I procrastinated about this particular Santa for weeks,,, and tomorrow is the dead line. But who knew about this lovely weather,,,, It's hard to think about Santa, Christmas and all that stuff when spring is popping out all over.

Tomorrow night is Main Street Mayville's annual "BIG BUCKS" dinner. In the past, I served on the Main Street Board of directors, and I know the Big Bucks dinner is an extremely important event, in that it is a fund raising party that provides a majority of the money for the organizations budget. It is fun, a dinner, drinks, raffles, an auction. Last year, we played a game similar to "DEAL OR NO DEAL", and I won over a hundred dollars!!!


One of my Tootzle Claus Santas is always included in the auction. Here is this years boy..........fresh from my workshop in the basement. (Look how green the grass is.........THIS IS MARCH)


He will be sold in the auction tomorrow night, but if you are interested, and can not come to the dinner, I am sure you could put in your own bid through Lisa at the Main Street Mayville office, 387-1167. Bid high, Main Street is a great organization, non-profit and can really use the money.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Surveying my Fathers kingdom

Nooooooo, not my heavenly Father,,,,,,,,,,,the earthly one in Neosho........... While at the farm today, I saw a snapping turtle crossing the lane............

It truly must be spring!

Surveying the kingdom

In nice weather, Dave and I like to do something that we call "surveying the kingdom". We take a a slow walk around our domain (yard), and see what is growing, blooming, dying, or just sitting there.
Today was the first survey we have done this year. ..... Wait........Dave just reminded me that this was our first survey TOGETHER, he has been doing it for weeks already.
Signs of life are everywhere, including last years life..........A nut in the flower pot, last years nest in a tangle of bittersweet.Miracle lily's behind the garage.

Curly willow

A woolly bear caterpillar on a rock on the creek bank.
It rained hard during storms last night. The creek is up.
Crocus in bloom

Fungi,,,,,where a tree formerly stood.




Smoker?

Last evening I went to see Ghen perform in the musical "GUYS AND DOLLS". The school has so many talented students, but of course, I thought Ghen was the absolute best of the bunch!

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After the musical Dave and I went to the Kekoskee Fire Department's annual spring SMOKER. Our son, Clay is a member of this fire dept. What is a Smoker, you may ask? Before I attended a smoker,I didn't know either, so I looked it up, my trusty 1954 dictionary says:





The fourth definition applies. But women were in attendance.

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>>>>>.. After reading the definition of 'smoker"






I had to look up CONVIVIAL.
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Beer and pull tabs...............
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. Well, Anyway it was festive, Some of us were more festive than others, if you know what I mean.
Gambling was a dominating theme for the evening, both at the musical and the smoker. And fun.

Contest Announcement

Okay, here is the deal...all you have to do is comment to this post........ That's all.....no guessing, nothing but a comment to this post will enter your name into the drawing for,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Drum roll, please..................................
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This bit of spring whimsy,,,,made by me!
Does your doorknob need decorating? Or maybe hang it on your bedpost? Or wherever you need a little bit of spring-ness!
It's a little bitty "Art Quilt", and I use that term VERY loosely!
I have titled it "ON THE CHEEP"
( It's a bird. get it?) I made it on the cheap and in a hurry, all will stuff I found laying or is it lying? around in my sewing room,,,,,,,,,,,, There is lots lots of stuff laying/lying around in there. :)
Here is some of the stuff,,,,,,,,,,OLD ric-rac, silk kimono scraps, perle cotton and macrame cord.
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All you have to do is comment to this blog post for your chance to win "ON THE CHEEP"! Leave a comment, it's simple. You do not have to have a blogger or google account.........you can comment without an account by selecting the "anonymous" button.... but .....if you sign in as anonymous, make sure to include your name in the comment, of I won't know who you are. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your name,,,a code name will do...........but I REALLY want to know how many people read this blog. I am SO nosy!. Emails to me will not count,,,,,you must comment! If you can't figure out how to comment,just ask someone to help you, it's not rocket science.
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This Thursday I will make a random draw from all the entries and post the name of the winner. Or the code name, whatever. If by chance you read this blog,,,,,,,and I don't know you personally, and you are the winner, I will have to ask (at that time) for your mailing address, so I can send you the prize. ON THE CHEEP
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Why am I doing this? I want to know if anyone reads this stuff........ and it's fun! And it's spring! You have 4 days, one comment per person, please,,,,,,, but people from the same household , may each enter once,,,,,,,,,,, like Jane and Dan (I love those glasses) .

Saturday, March 24, 2007

A clue

Another peek......
the contest will begin soon!

Step by step

Start with this.
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Add this.

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Add some of this.

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To get this.

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What does my beloved do while I am spinning? See for yourself!


Thursday, March 22, 2007

Too bad I don't type

Lauren is my daughter who works in a Medical Office and types everyday both in Spanish and English.... I can barely type in English.



My typing consits of two fingers, searching for the correct keys and backspace, backspace, backspace when I make a mistake. It takes me much longer to type my blog then to actually compose it.



In high school, when most of the other girls were taking typing and secretarial courses, I was in the agriculture classes (with the boys). IN 1975 I was the first female chapter president of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Am I farming now???? Heck no, I married a "city" boy and now I run a yarn shop. I do regret not taking typing classes, but in 1975 who knew that PC's would be as important as they are today. The things that I learned in agriculture classes are still with me and the leadership skills that the FFA taught me have been important throughout my life.



So I can't type...... but I know what kind of corn to plant and how to milk cows. My fingers are destined to knit...and are too old to learn to type...oh well.



Thanks to Lauren, for typing these paragraphs about typing. Her fingers don't knit at all, but they sure fly across the keyboard!





The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog....

What is this?


What's this? I'm not telling,,,,,,,,it's a secret. All you readers (all 3 of you) should watch for an announcement of AN UPCOMING CONTEST!!! Don't worry, you don't have to do anything.........all will be explained in due time......

Weekly cute cat photo


Wednesday, March 21, 2007

What I did on my day off

Here we are with our " wheels" for the day, at my parents house. MB (my sister) and I have the traditional Japanese photo pose, the two fingered "peace"sign.




Here is our destination


We both had an urge to spend lots of time at the bookstore. As it happened, it was lots of money, too. I love to shop at Bookworld in Beaver Dam, and keep my dollars in the local economy, but once in while, the huge bookstore calls me. The bargain book section kept us busy until lunch time, when Megan arrived.


We had a nice lunch and visit with Megan. She looks good for just rolling out of bed, doesn't she? Megan works 3rd shift. MB and I were entertained by Megan's hilarious stories about her workplace. I wish that I could share some with you,,,,,,,, let's just say some people do funny things when they are desperate.


After lunch, it was back to the bookstore, more shopping. Then Megan left us.


Why is Megan grinning while holding up a bottle of pills? No, they are legal........Megan, like all the females in our family, is plagued with frequent migraines. This is a new prescription that is working well for her. If you have ever suffered with a migraine, you can understand why she is grinning.



Why is MB grinning in this photo? I have no idea, we were just having fun, I guess.


She is checking things off of her list. While in America, she buys things that are not readily available in Japan, and takes them back with her.




Look at all the stuff I bought! Magazines, books for Emili, a booklight, and a "sheep" bookmark! (on the left in the shot) And books for me.


I got some books to give as gifts, they are strategically placed at the bottom of the pile in this photo.

Thanks to Betty for keeping the shop open and running,,,,,,, I almost wrote "keeping the home fire's burning",,, but after yesterdays post,,,,,,,,,,,not a good idea

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire

Burns, burns, burns

One of my absolute, best, all time, favorite, songs is "Ring of Fire", by Johnny Cash. Some of you have heard me sing this song, mostly while under the influence . (One beer will do it!)
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire
The ring of fire




Well, tonight I am singing, burn burn, burn for a different reason. It must be the equinox.........or is it solstice? I want to light a fire.! Dave chopped up a bunch of garden debris today, I seriously thought about dumping it all in the bird bath and setting fire to it! Then, while cleaning, I found a bunch of fabric scraps, and fought back the desire to burn them.



When I was a kid, we would burn the asparagus patch in spring, and as an adult I would always burn the fenceline in my backyard, to clear away tall grass,,,,,,,,, Then the city annexed the back for the Tag center,, now it's against the law to have an open fire in the yard. I know ( in my brain) that spring and Easter are associated with "new fire", and Druids have ceremonies with fire to mark the solstices,,,,,,, but this is much more visceral than that...What's up with me?



I lit a some candles, and cleaned out the sewing room instead. And finished the sock.
Don't worry, the pyromaniac urge has passed.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Sock in progress, part 2

More progress on April's sock.
This is the "eye of partridge" heel flap. This style continues the pattern through the turning of the heel. I like it.
I collect sock darners,
but I don't darn socks,
so this photo seemed like an opportunity to use one.
The Japanese have very cool craft/ needlework books. The photographs are all so artfully done.

My sister gave me this one.








All the patterns are in Japanese, but the photos and diagrams are so good, I think I can just wing it without understanding the text.





Very nice crocheted buttons.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

woooo-hooooooooo

Check it out! KNITTED PEEPS !!! Ther pattern is here, I have not made any yet, But you can be sure I will!

Sunday Spin

Weeks fly by so fast. Here it is Sunday again.
We usually spend our Sunday afternoons at my parents farm, but at this time of the year there are lots of birthdays on Dave's side of the family. That means birthday parties on Sunday afternoons. These gatherings are usually rather sedate affairs, often I am the youngest person present. There is sometimes a game of sheepshead,* and always lots of good food. Desserts are featured, at least 4 kinds of cakes, tortes, or sweet treats. A person could easily slip into a diabetic coma.

*the sheepshead game in Daves's family is also quite sedate, cards are laid seriously, with careful strategy. When my family plays sheepshead there is lots of table talk, nudging under the table, and cards are laid willy-nilly, leading to general mayhem!

Today's party was quite rowdy compared to years past. The birthday girl (who is 62) has 9 grandchildren, 7 of whom are UNDER 7 years old! All these kids made this party fun! Someone was always running about, doing or saying something cute. These kids were GOOD, just having fun, not crabby or fighting, almost unnaturally so. No drippy noses or smelly diapers, either! The 2 grandchildren who are over 7 years old are teenagers, and they acted like normal people, too, not a sign of sulking or surliness. I think there must have been something in the water,,,,,,,,,,

Here is a photo of some spinning I have done in the last few days. Kay bought some roving while on vacation in Canada last summer, I spun it for her. I have done little spinning in the last year and had forgotten how satisfying and soothing spinning can be. 182 yards of relaxation.

April's Sock In Progress, part 1


Saturday, March 17, 2007

Day of the Irish

A Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all who read this!
This day was always a big deal to me as a little girl. I went to Catholic grade school and Saint Patrick's Day was something to celebrate, both with prayer and reflection, and a party! The nuns taught us Irish songs and dancing, or a least a Americanized version.
The year that I was in second grade, I remember wearing a green dress with white pinafore that my Nana had made for me, my little sister wore a matching outfit. We had a Saint Patrick's Day program in the evening in the church basement. Before going to the program we stopped at my other Grandma's house to show her our outfits and sing our songs for her.
Amber was my father's mother, and it is from her family that we get our Irish heritage. ...........(Every little bit of Irish-ness counts on Saint Patrick's Day).........My Grandma Amber's grandparents included Ellen Eagan and Patrick Lacey. Now those are Irish names!
Elder family members tell me that I resemble my Grandma Amber. I remember that she liked to have a good time, and was fun to be with. And her hair was so pretty,,,,,,,
We sang our songs for her and she admired our costumes, ......Grandma Amber could not come to our program because she had recently become ill. She died just six weeks later, the week of my First Communion. I was just a little kid, I don't remember a lot about her, but I always think of her on Saint Patrick's Day.
So, have a green beer, eat some corned beef and cabbage, and have a good time, we are all Irish today!

Friday, March 16, 2007

Emili's new Do


Emili is spending the day with Grandma, first we went to the salon and got a haircut!

A visit to the Tag Center for swimming was next. Aunt Mary took her there.

After lunch she made another diorama with stuff she found in my basement, and some birds that Aunt Mary bought at the Ben Franklin. Quite the fantasy forest scene!







All this activity leads to a nap for both Emili and Nick.