Veteran Lap Robe

I knit the lap robe for a veteran. I used 2 skeins of Red Heart yarn color Blue, and size 10 needles. I cast on 120 stitches, and knit every row. Size about 31 inches wide x 33 inches long.

Fall Scarf

Scrunchable scarf same pattern as last post. Galway wool one skein orange. 5x50 inches

Scarf Stitch

I found a fun knitting stitch for a scarf on Ravelry (Scrunchable scarf) .It is reversible and has a nice finished edge. I cast on 29 stitches on size 8 needles. Slip the first stitch as if to purl, then  
  ( Knit 2, Purl 1)
The very last stitch is Knit. This creates a smooth chain edge for the scarf. Any multiple of 3 stitches plus
2 stiches for a selvedge edge. Patons worsted wool 210 yards color magenta.

Chocolate Crinkles

These chocolate crinkle cookies taste like brownies, and make pretty Christmas cookies.
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-crinkles/941e22b3-9a48-4fb1-bdb0-27479e76d484

Christmas Cactus

My Christmas cactus is blooming for Thanksgiving. I have seen them blooming in the garden centers and floral departments now. They come in red, pink, white, salmon, lavender, and gold. Red is my favorite.

Tabasco Vinegar

Tabasco vinegar is easy to make. Pour one cup of boiling vinegar over some stemmed
tabasco peppers in a glass cruet. Add 1/8th teaspoon of salt to the cruet . This tabasco vinegar is good
served with collard greens. My Bonnie tabasco pepper plant that I purchased from Lowes has been very productive.

Stocking Stuffers

I saw this tea on sale at the grocery store, and thought it might make good stocking stuffers for Christmas.
A bonus is the free tin inside the box. The sleepy teddy bear on the green box is wearing a red hat.

Pea Soup Cloth

Fall is the time for Split Pea Soup. Soup in the Crockpot is comforting on a rainy day.
Recipe for the Pea Soup dishcloth: Cast on 35 stitches with #7 size knitting needles.
Knit every row in garter stitch until square, and bind off. Cotton yarn is Lily Sugar' n Cream.
Color is Hot Green.

Knitting TV Slippers

I have been knitting TV slippers while I watch television. I was trying to use up some old
discontinued Lion Brand Chunky USA yarn . Pattern is here:
http://www.deborahsknitting.com/Knitting/Cuddlemocs.pdf
I used size 10 knitting needles.

These vintage Vogart transfers (656) would make some cute kitchen dish towels. There is something charming about dancing dishes and animated vegetables. I may try to embroider these musical motifs
with  DMC floss on some white flour sack towels for my  kitchen .(click to enlarge image)

I love Jell-O ! I enjoy making it and eating it during hot weather. My favorite flavor of Jell-O is lime.
I like all the colors and all the flavors. Jell-O is a great retro dessert. For extra jiggle in my Jell-O, I add
a packet of Knox unflavored gelatin to the cup of cold water. Jell-O ad is from 1948.

I am trying a new yellow Summer squash as a companion to my green zucchini this year. This Butterstick hybrid variety got good reviews on the Burpee web site. I have had good luck with Burpee seeds. Burpee has a free seed catalog you can request. Butterstick Zucchini Hybrid Summer Squash Seeds and Plants, Vegetable Gardening at Burpee.com

Zucchini

   I planted some zucchini seeds. This heirloom variety is called Black Beauty. Zucchini grows very fast, and is very productive. It's fun to bake zucchini bread from your own home grown zucchini .

Chocolate Mint Plant

I bought this pot of chocolate mint at Lowes today for my herb garden. The chocolate is for the brown stems. I also bought a pot of spearmint. Butterflies and bees like mint. More info is here: Chocolate Mint - Herbs
Reminds me of Girl Scout cookies!

Shamrock Plant

Last year I bought a shamrock plant at the grocery store. I have managed to keep it alive, and it is still blooming.
Owning the shamrock plant did not improve my luck. The plant is really an Oxalis, but the leaves resemble lucky shamrocks. They are sold around St. Patrick's Day.

February Hat

I used one ball of Lion Brand Jiffy yarn in color country green to knit this roll brim hat. Jiffy is a bulky weight yarn, and fast to knit with on size 10 circular needles. Pattern is Ann Norling's The Big Hat # 18.

Early Daffodils

Daffodils are a welcome sight. This variety of daffodils is February Gold.
The daffodils are blooming early this year due to warm temperatures in January.

Ribbed Neck Warmer

This ribbed neck warmer is knit in the round with a circular needle. It forms a stretchy tube that will fit anyone.
CO 112 stitches with size 7 circular
needle. Knit 2 Purl 2 ribbing for 9 inches-bind off. The neck warmer takes less than one ball of wool-ease
worsted weight yarn.

Spiced Tea Mix

Jars of spiced tea mix (friendship tea)
make great gifts. This orange/lemon
flavored tea mix may even cure a Winter cold. Here is my version:
1 jar of Tang powder
1 cup of Country Time Lemonade mix
1 cup of instant tea powder
1 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Mix well and divide into gift jars.

Christmas Cranes

December is a great time to watch migrating cranes. The cranes stop to rest at Hiwassee Refuge in Birchwood Tennessee near Cleveland.
On a recent visit I observed thousands of Sandhill Cranes, and four white Whooping Cranes. An added bonus was seeing four adult Bald Eagles. Crane Festival January 14-15 2012 is here:
Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival Home » Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival

Pearl Harbor Knitting

Knitters were encouraged to knit for the military after the attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago today. Knitting was considered a patriotic activity.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite Christmas cookies to bake and eat.
No fancy ingredients required.
Snickerdoodles Recipe from Betty Crocker

WWII Muffler Knitting Pattern 1942

During WWII The Red Cross handed out free knitting patterns to encourage knitters to knit warm garments
for soldiers. The Red Cross formed an army of knitters on the home front to knit socks, sweaters, mufflers, and gloves for the military.

Knitting Lap Robes For Veterans

Lap Robes are great TV knitting projects. You can keep warm while the lap robe grows longer in your lap.
130 stitches on size 10 needles is slow knitting. Lap robe takes 3 skeins of Red Heart yarn. (size 36x36 inches)
Garter stitch is mindless knitting.
This lap robe is for a WWII veteran.

Caramel Frosting

I made caramel frosting for a boxed
spice cake mix . Caramel frosting is easy to make. Recipe is here
Cooks.com - Recipe - Easy Caramel Frosting I used a 9x13 inch pan.

Television and Radio Scarfs 1950

Who knew we were supposed to crochet doilies for our televisions and radios ? Notice the crochet mat on top of the refrigerator ! No home is complete without these crochet accents covering all surfaces.

Davy Crockett Cookies

These Davy Crockett bar cookies are
one of those school lunchroom desserts. I do not know why they are called Davy Crockett cookies, or what is the history of the recipe. They are baked in a jelly roll pan , and cut into
squares when cool. Recipe is here:
Davy Crockett Bars Recipe - Food.com - 98981

Knit For Defense

Knit For Defense a 1941 knitting pattern booklet encouraged knitters to knit sweaters and woolen accessories for servicemen during WWII. "The popular V-neck pullover is welcomed, and accepted in every branch of the Service." There are patterns for gloves, scarf, chest protector, helmet, cap , and socks using Red Heart Knitting Worsted yarn in regulation Service colors.

Civil War Sock Knitter

Mary Chesnut knit socks during the
Civil War. She was the wife of General James Chesnut aide to President Jefferson Davis. " I do not know when I have seen a woman without knitting
in her hand. Socks for the soldiers is the cry." Relive the Civil War through
the pages of Mary's diary as her world
crumbles. Known for her Southern hospitality, Mary tried to keep some sense of order in her household in spite of the chaos of the Civil War.

Picking Peppers

It is too hot to knit, but just right for growing peppers. The red peppers are cayenne, and the green peppers are jalapenos. I will string the cayenne
peppers to dry, and use the jalapeno
peppers in cornbread. I bought my Bonnie pepper plants at Lowes .
Bonnie Plants Varieties - Vegetable Plants and Herb Plants Gardeners Trust

Growing Zucchini

Zucchini is fun to grow. I am growing
an heirloom variety called Black Beauty. Zucchini grows very fast, and is quite productive. You can bake
zucchini bread which freezes well.
Zucchini bread was popular back in the 70's.James Beard’s Zucchini Bread Recipe from TasteBook

Amish Sugar Cookies

These tender cookies are simple and easy to make with ingredients on hand in your pantry. I used a melon ball scoop, and rolled the balls of chilled dough in granulated sugar, then flattened
them with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. I baked them on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
Amish Sugar Cookies Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

Civil War Era Knitting

Here is a another knitting project I plan to start and never finish. It is a Civil War era sontag or bosom friend. The sontag was a common article of women's clothing. It was worn for warmth, and tied leaving the arms free.

Royal Wedding Hat

This is the vintage hat I will be wearing for the royal wedding.
It is made of black velvet with a satin bow, and has a black net veil.

More Tulips

Every Spring visitors flock to my yard
which looks a lot like the Atlanta botanical Gardens.

Thalia Daffodil

Thalia is a pure white daffodil. It is sweet-scented, and blooms later than
most daffodils. Thalia is deer and rodent resistant. It has multiple blooms per stem.

Teacups With Roses

I started collecting teacups with roses
and now it is hard to stop. These cups
and saucers are bone china made in England. Collecting china is addictive.

Meyer Lemons

Meyer Lemons are sweet lemons. They are very juicy and thin skinned.
I planted the seed from a Meyer
lemon after I squeezed some juice into my tea. The Meyer lemon seed sprouted into a tiny seedling with two leaves. Meyer lemons are available at Kroger.

African Violets

I enjoy growing African Violets. They
do not take up much space, and will thrive on any windowsill. African Violets bloom year round, and are available at most garden centers.

DAR Lap Robe Knitting Project

I finally finished this blue lap robe that I knit for a veteran as a DAR
project. I cast on 130 stitches on size 10 needles, and knit until I ran out of yarn. I used 3 (7 ounce) skeins of Red Heart Yarn. The lap robe measured 36 inches wide by 36 inches long.

Civil War Bride

My husband's great great grandmother married during the Civil War. She grew the cotton that she used for the quilt batting. There is a
lot of hand quilting on this old quilt.
The pattern seems to be a variation
of Drunkard's Path.

Apple Stack Cake

My grandmother, aunt, and mother-in-law all made the best apple stack cakes. They used real dried apples
for the cooked filling between the layers. I just use a jar of apple butter.

Civil War Knitting

2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil
War. Knitters in both the North and the South joined soldier's aid societies to knit much needed socks for soldiers. Knitting for the Blue and the Gray was considered a patriotic duty.

Cherry Winks Cookies

Cherry Winks cookies are an old Pillsbury Bake Off winner. I have been baking Cherry Winks for years.
They make a festive Christmas cookie
made with marashino cherries.
Cherry Winks from Pillsbury.com

Little Golden Christmas Books

These old Little Golden Christmas books are fun to collect. I put them under the Christmas tree every year.

Holiday Raggedy Ann and Andy

Several years ago I found this holiday
edition of Raggedy Ann and Andy.
They are dressed in Christmas fabrics. More red theme posts here:

It's A Very Cherry World!

Merry Meerkats

The meerkats at the zoo are fun to watch. They enjoy watching people.
I want to knit sweaters for them.

Brandied Fruit

This is an old recipe clipping from Southern Living magazine for brandied fruit.
It is good over ice cream or pound
cake. I use peach brandy.

Home Front Knitting

Knitters were encouraged to knit warm garments for soldiers during times of war. The American Red Cross
furnished knitting patterns and yarn to volunteers.
The Red Cross Museum has some vintage knitting patterns posted at this link.

American Red Cross Museum

Rednesday

This Sadler teapot reminds me of my favorite Red Rose Tea. See other red
theme posts over at this cute blog.




It's A Very Cherry World!