Third Pair....getting better.

Well here is my third pair of knitted socks.....It seems to be getting a little easier..I sure wish they didn't take long to make because they are so comfy. If I start now, maybe for Christmas next year my friends might.......but I doubt it.

Have a great Christmas!!!!

Paper Snowflakes

Look at these cute paper snowflakes that my friends made at our "Rug Hooking" Christmas party. The girl who hosted the party is quite the party planner and had this little make and take craft all organized for us. We'd like her to host every year but that doesn't seem quite fair.....

Too Fun!!!! Linda

Going to a good home!!!!!

I've been working diligently on this little Merry Christmas Sampler (by Pineberry Lane) over the last month and a dear friend of my received it in a Christmas Gift Exchange. I'm glad to know it's going to a good home!!!!! I think I might have to make one for myself.

We be jammin!

This last weekend some of my "Camping buddies" got together and we canned Jelly. Wow I have to give my grandma credit that is hard work. We started around 9:30 and canned till 4:00....probably did 60 pints. It was pretty fun.....now I have little jars to give as Christmas gifts. We made Mixed Berry, Apple Pear, Strawberry Rhubard. I might be crackin open a jar as we hunker down for our big snow storm that is suppose to hit tomorrow....they say 10-12 inches. Linda

Happy Thanksgiving!

When I asked my five year old what he is thankful for this Thanksgiving he said:

1. Grandma
2. Grandpa
3. Mom and Dad
4. Chicken Nuggets
5. Fruit Snacks

I think it was in that order too. Hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!!!!!! I'm looking forward to the four day weekend and focus on my unfinished projects. If I'm lucky I may even start on the Christmas cards.

Linda

TAG PARTY!!!!

Here's a picture of some of the great tags I got from a Tag Swap party I went to on Friday night. We each made as many tags and we wanted to and then we swapped with friends. It was a great time. Now I think I should focus on my Christmas Shopping.

Other than making my tags, I have been working on another pair of knitted socks and reading the book "Swapping Lives". Pretty good, book! Just finished it last night.

Have a great week! Linda

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

There are so many fun things to do this time of year - pumpkin patches, carvin pumpkins, makin scarecrows. Here is the pumpkin and scarecrow that my husband and son made. Hope everyone has a great Halloween! Linda

SNOW Stitched Mitten

This is my Stacy Nash Girl's Club project. I just got it in the mail last week and had it stitched up in no time at all. I love it.....can't wait for Christmas! This is the 4th project we have received this year as part of the Girl's Club offered through http://www.sgcountrysampler.com/clubs.html

it's so exciting to wait for the mail to see what your project is going to be. Happy Stitchin everyone!!!!!

Halloween Goodies

Check out these cute little coffin's I'm going to give to friends for Halloween! I found the template on Martha Stewart's website. I still need to fill them with chocolates but I don't want to buy the chocolates till the end of next week. I would probably eat them before I filled the coffins. Happy Fall!!!! :)

Cherry Bread Pudding

This is a Cherry Bread Pudding receipe that my good friend "Terri" made for a get together several weekends ago. It is awesome!!!!

1/2 cup dried cherries

2 T Orange Juice

6 cups cinnamon raisin bread

1 1/2 c milk

1/2 c cream or half/half

5 Large Eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Combine cherries and orange juice in a microwave safe cup. Heat in microwave till very hot, then set aside for the fruit to soften.

Butter a 1-2 qt. baking dish. Spread the bread cubes in the dish. Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, flavorings, salt and a dash of cinnamon.

Sprinkle the cherries of the bread crumbs. Pour the mixture over the bread/cherries, pressing the bread down into the milk. Let sit for an hour or so at room temperature or overnite in the refrigerator, covered. Just before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover the pudding and bake for 45-55 minutes, uncovered, until the top is browned and the middle springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven, grate gresh nutmeg over the top if desired. Serve warm with ice cream.

Serves about 8.

FFMF.....Fun Flea Market Find

Here is an Alphabet Stitchin book I found at a flea market this weekend. The lady I bought it from said it came from an elderly ladies estate. The house was over 120 years old....the book is very brittle and needs work done to the binding. It has some great pattern ideas. I also found a couple of needle books to add to my collection. The indoor flea market was a great thing to do since there was snow on the ground...I was praying that soccer would be cancelled. Can't even imagine the winter we are going to have if it is already snowing by October 10th....YIKES. Have a great week!!!! Linda

Pumpkin Muffins

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup nonfat milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, oil, and milk in a medium bowl. Make a well in dry ingredients; add pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined. Fill muffin cups and bake for 22-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

From the Heart

This is a little make-do from the Need'l Love book, Folk Heart Threads. The pattern was Designed by Maggie Bonanomi and is called "From the Heart". Super easy to make so I plan to make more........scored big on the candlestick by hitting the goodwill on 50% off day.!

Have a good one!

Linda

Hubby says "It's a Keeper"!!!!!

This weekend I decided I would try a new receipe. Most of my friends know that cooking is not a natural talent for me. I found this recipe and the key word was "Easy" so I thought I'd give it a try. Rarely do I hear my husband say "that's delicious" or "that's not too bad". So when he said, this is "pretty good stuff" - I knew I had a keeper!

Easy Tortellini Soup

1 T olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 T minced garlic

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomoatoes

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 T White sugar

1 T Italian Seasoning

1/4 cup red wine

1 dash hot pepper sauce

1 (11 ounce) can white corn, undrained

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces cheese tortellini

In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion, zucchini and garlic in oil three minutes, until onion is translucent. Stir in remaining ingrediants. Cook in crock pot on low for several hours.

We have a pair.......

I'm not exactly sure, but I guess these socks took me about two months to make......in between trips to the yarn store to help me repair my mistakes and then just working on other misc. unfinished work.

I would not consider myself an expert yet as I have only made two pairs of knitted socks. As I was getting toward the end I was thinking -really socks are not that expensive to buy but they are pretty fun. Well off to my next project. Linda

Hooked Rug Finished

Well I finally finished my class project from a weekend workshop I took this year with Rhonda Manley in Kansas City. The pattern is a Magdalena Briar -McCue Eagle. It was a very fun pattern to do and it was great getting to work with Rhonda! I think I just might have to hang it in the living room.

Cool, Cool Scissors!!!!

Check out this nifty scissors I found this weekend! Me and the fam were camping for the three day weekend and on a side trip went to an antique store and found these adorable scissors. How fun - now I have one tool that will measure and cut. I've also been busy working on my second knitted sock so hopefully will have that to show you in a couple of days. I love these three day weekend feels like you get so much done and we couldn't have asked for better weather!

My latest PinKeep....

This is my latest pinkeep.....from Stacy Nash's book "From Hollyhock Farm". It just might be my favorite! I like these little stitching projects that I can just throw in a bag and keep on hand. I plan to work on a few of these types of projects this weekend when we head camping. Too many projects....too little time.

Linda

Peach Scones

2 tsps baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 c sugar

2 3/4 c flour
2 medium peaches, peeled & sliced, about 1 c.

1/2 c butter

1/2 c buttermilk

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, mix flour & cinnamon. Using pastry mixer, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk, egg & vanilla. Stir into flour mixture with peaches until just mixed. On lightly floured surface knead dough 5-6 times. Pat dough into 3/4" thick circle. Cut into 10 wedges. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy the scones!!!!!

Fun little notebooks for your friends.....

I recently made these little notebooks for some of my rug hooking friends. I took the spiral binding off a small 4x6 notebook (you can get at Walgreens); took the cover laid it on top of a 4x6 picture and made hole punches based on my cover then rebound the notebook with the spiral binding. What a fun little personal gift.......

Cast Your Spells....

Feels like I stitched on this all weekend....but I love it. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it.....pumpkins, corn, trick or treating, the farmer's harvesting. This is another pattern by Stacy Nash of Stacy Nash primitives. I've had several of her patterns on my shelf to do and I finally feel like I am getting into the groove of getting some stuff done.

My little boy heads to Kindergarten

I really feel all, in all, I did pretty good in respect to some of the other bawling mothers as they left their kids behind and headed to work. Ryan's favorite part of the whole day was getting to ride the school bus, the graham crackers and recess. I wish this age would last for a long time!!! Many of my friends are sending their kids off to college and that day seems so far for me but probably not...they say that time flies.

Never leave the polyfill bag unattended.......

So I've been working on some pinkeeps for some friends and left the room to do a little machine sewing only to return to this......moral of the story never leave the polyfill bag unattended. Ryan sure had a good time with it though.

Ever wonder how needles are made?

How traditional needles are made:
Steel is made into wire.
The wire is straightened and cut to pieces equal to the length of 2 needles.
Points are ground onto each end of these pieces.
Two holes are stamped in the middle of the wire to make two eyes.
The two needles are separated.
The eyes are cleaned in a process known as cheeking.
The needles are then hardened and tempered.
Burrs are removed and the needles are polished.
The needles are then plated in nickel to prevent rusting and make them shiny and smooth.

Another One Finished

Here is a pattern that I stitched "Two Birds" Sampler designed by primitivebettys. One can never have enough needle books.

Let's Tank!

Thought I'd share pictures of my trip to the Burwell Rodeo this weekend. We had a great time - we camped, we rodeo'ed and we tanked! And who says people in the middle of Nebraska don't have anything to do.......the trip down the river took approximately 3 hours but was a blast. I had lots of plan to stitch, read and rug hook this weekend but with all the activities going on...didn't even get it out of the camper.

I'm on a roll now......

I've just completed unfinished project #2 - Ann Neetle Sewing Book by Stacy Nash Primitives http://www.stacynashprimitives.com/. It's such a good feeling to take a bag off the shelf that contains an unfinished project and see it completed. I think I only have 50+ to go. On my way to work this morning as I'm traveling the country roads I found it funny how many "older" people were walking their driveways either to see if the paper had arrived or just out to get their morning exercise. How ironic is it that during our "working years" we dread having to get up so early and these retired folks love it. Maybe when I get to their age it will give me the extra time I need to crank some of these unfinished bags off the shelf.

My very first post......

I've been wanting to start a blog for months....I'm hoping it will help me share my love of all my favorite fiber hobbies. Here is a picture of a pinkeep that I just finished....the pattern is designed by Stacy Nash of Stacy Nash Primitives. It was so fun to do...I love the DMC colors she choose.