Mr. Micawber's Recipe for Happiness

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

2012-02-28T14:04:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we stopped at Trader Joe's in Madison for a few necessities (and a few indulgences). Although I rarely buy cut flowers, I'm always tempted by their beautiful, reasonably priced bouquets. And when I saw they had small bunches of daffodils for only $1.69, I couldn't resist.

Here are the daffodils on Sunday:

Monday:

And ... drum roll please ... Tuesday:

Ta da!

The skies may be grey outside, but inside the sun is shining, and whiffs of April are drifting through the dining room.

Not bad for $1.69.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Squelchy Walk

2012-02-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

A cold, windy afternoon as I set out to walk the snowmobile-less trails today. Most of the snow has melted off - even the inch or two we got just the other day - leaving the ground mostly bare and the trails squelchy and damp. It's been a very up-and-down winter.

The geese have been back for at least a couple of weeks now, which is a sure sign that spring is on its way. All they require is open water - and here's some showing on the marsh around the corner. Winter is definitely losing its grip.

Somehow this milkweed pod has managed to hold on to its seeds (you can see the floss blowing in the strong wind).

Just a few drifts of snow edge the buff-coloured fields. (Hello, favourite tree. I haven't seen you for weeks.)

Across the field, in the little thicket, small clumps of moss have appeared on the track...

...but there are still plenty of tiny dried flowers to look at.

A lichen-trimmed tree trunk rises from a carpet of leaves.

The afternoon is so golden, it might almost be fall.

A gnarled old tree is dreaming of spring...

...while the ground below is covered with last year's empty nutshells.

The sky is high and blue today, with scattered clouds scudding by on a fast wind.

Shell-like fungus adorn the shady side of an oak.

This tree's branches are covered with rosy, berry-like clusters...

...just waiting to burst into leaf.

I took my walk as late as possible today, hoping to catch the sunset on my way home. And here it is:

The wind has quieted, and the air smells of clean, damp earth. It's good to be back.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Back In the Game

2012-02-25T20:52:00.000-08:00

After years of languishing on the culinary bench (or, to be precise, in a California kitchen drawer), my mom's rolling pin is back in action.

Tonight it rolled out some pizza crust...

...waited while the toppings were prepared and the crust bathed in olive oil...

Feta and muenster cheeses,
sun-dried tomatoes, chicken breast,
and a pile of mixed herbs
(also fresh garlic, not pictured)

...then looked on approvingly at the finished product.

Despite its age and years of disuse, the rolling pin works just fine. I look forward to rolling out many a crust with it.

Thanks, Mom.

Mrs. Micawber's Pizza Crust (yields 2 medium thin crusts or 1 large thick crust)

Starter:
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar or honey

Stir well, cover, and let sit in warm place for at least 15 minutes. Add:

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups flour (I use half whole wheat, half unbleached)
Generous 1/2 teaspoon salt

Knead about 5 minutes or until springy and elastic. Dough should be soft and slightly tacky; add a bit of water if necessary during kneading. Cover and let rise in a draft-free place until at least doubled. (Best if allowed to rise for a couple of hours.) Roll out to desired thickness and place on pizza pan(s) sprinkled with cornmeal. For thin crusts, dough may be used immediately. For a thick crust, cover and allow to rise a bit more in the pan while you prepare the toppings. Top as desired, and bake at 425º 13-18 minutes or until done.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Cheerful Au Revoir...

2012-02-23T18:14:00.001-08:00

...to February (almost)...

...to the worst of winter (I may be kidding myself on this one, but the geese are back and it feels as though we may for ONCE get an early spring)...

...and to Planet Penny's Reasons to Be Cheerful, which has brightened our wintry weeks and months, and, after today, is retiring for a time.

Here some things that brightened my week:

1. I won a giveaway! Liz (aka Astri) at Apple Blossom Dreams recently celebrated her blog's first anniversary by holding a generous giveaway. (Happy Blogiversary, Liz!) Among the prizes was a dozen Berlinerkranser - butter cookies baked by Liz from her father's recipe. Mine was the lucky name drawn to receive these buttery delights.

Liz's box arrived today - a rather larger box than I was expecting. I opened it up and saw:

A lovely note sitting atop lots of bubble wrap...

...which was covering two containers...

...filled with delicious berlinerkranser -
some dipped in pearl sugar...

...some dotted with cheerful
sprinkles of colour.

And when I pulled up the rest of the bubble wrap, I saw:

See's Candies (Molasses Chips and Bordeaux -
my favourites), AND 2 skeins of beautiful
Lavender Topaz sock yarn.

What a haul! (Liz said the extra goodies were included in case the cookies broke in transit, and the yarn was for cushioning.)

A very thoughtful gift that made me feel very cheerful.

2. Another reason for cheer: the lengthening days. It's no longer dark at 5 o'clock! Spring is surely on its way - a very gladdening thought.

3. My geranium likes the longer days too. It's sporting a huge cluster of fuschia-coloured blossom that brightens up the entire dining room.

I believe my very first Cheerful post featured this same geranium bursting into bloom last autumn, so it seems a fitting end to our season of appreciation.

What's chirking you up this week? Leave a happy comment below, or write a post of your own to share the joy. For more valedictory Cheer, head over to Planet Penny.

A Cheerful weekend to you all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Soup of the Evening

2012-02-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,

Waiting in a hot tureen!

Who for such dainties would not stoop?

Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Lewis Carroll

Here is the Soup (so rich and green):

...and here is the Evening:

Our Soup of the Evening was Curried Split Pea, a variation of Curried Green Lentil Soup (pictured last month on T's Daily Treasures, who got the recipe from The Cilantropist [great name!], who adapted it from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson. Whew.)

Topped with fresh cilantro (coriander) and generous amounts of crumbled feta, with fresh homemade bread on the side, it was indeed beautiful; also spicy, hearty, and filling. Click here for Cilantropist's recipe.

P.S. I used butter rather than coconut oil for sauteing (couldn't bring myself to spend $9-$12 on a jar of organic coconut oil), and scaled back on the red pepper flakes, as I don't like excessive heat. (Even with half the red pepper, it was pretty spicy.) Other than that I followed the recipe as given, using homemade chicken stock as a base.

Will I make it again? Oh, yes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Smelling a Rat

2012-02-20T19:14:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've all noticed Blogger's charming new word verification scheme: two words (one of them often illegible) to be typed into a box to "prove you're not a robot" and thus leave a comment.

Sometimes the illegible word is partly readable; sometimes it's visual gibberish - in which case I am forced to make a wild surmise and simply type in my best guess. Yet somehow, Blogger always accepts what I type, and never challenges me to try again.

I'd begun to wonder if it even mattered what I typed in. My suspicions have now been confirmed. Whilst leaving a comment over on Angela's blog tonight, one of the required verification words was... wait for it... in Greek. I kid you not. I don't mean merely a Greek word, I mean a word written in the Greek alphabet. (The only letter I even recognized was the Omega, which looks like a capital O with an open bottom and a little foot [serif?] sticking out on each side.)

How in the world was I supposed to type Greek letters on a Roman keyboard? (And why didn't I capture a screen shot so you could see what I was up against?)

So I typed in something that very vaguely resembled the Greek word, followed by the other more legible word, and Blogger accepted it.

Hmm.

Perhaps getting one out of two is all they require.

Seems a bit fishy to me.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cheerful Mementoes

2012-02-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

(Is it just me, or does "mementoes" look funny? Mementos. Mementoes. Perhaps we should just say memorabilia and be done with it.)

All winter long, we've been linking up with Planet Penny for Reasons to be Cheerful. Penny (who started this weekly review-of-all-things-happy mainly to get us through the dark days of the chilly season) has announced that next week will be the last Cheerful linky party for a while. So I'd like to start off by thanking Penny for this pleasant tradition. It's given me something to look forward to each week, and, more importantly, has helped me to look for (and appreciate) moments of joy - even when life seemed bleak. (I guess that makes you my first Reason this week, Penny.)

Of great comfort and cheer in the last two weeks have been the loving and thoughtful comments left here, by readers and friends around the world, in response to my posts about my Mom's death. Thank you all, so very much, for your prayers and kind thoughts during this difficult time.

All of my other Reasons came from my parents' house, and travelled home with me from California a few days ago. In the general clearout that accompanied my mom's transfer to a nursing home (and her unexpected passing away a few days later), I fell heir to some wonderful little treasures which give me great joy:

First, my mom's old juicer. I don't know where she got it, but I love the size and the heavy green milk glass - and the "Sunkist" inscription on the side. Part of my California childhood, now transplanted to Wisconsin, it will be used often and lovingly. (I suppose an electric juicer would be more efficient, but Mr. M and I like to use hand tools as much as possible.)

Next, Mom's darning egg. Family legend has it that once upon a time Mom used to knit sweaters and argyle socks for Dad. I never saw her knit anything, or darn anything for that matter, but this darning egg was always in her sewing basket and always fascinated me. Now it has passed to me, and who knows? Perhaps it will inspire me to knit a pair of socks (if only for the pleasure of learning to darn them with the help of this charming tool).

And here's a very useful item: my Mom's old rolling pin. This has been part of her kitchen equipment for as long as I can remember. As a child I learned to roll out cookie dough and pastry with this wooden behemoth, and now it will find a new life in my kitchen. (I actually needed a new rolling pin and had almost ordered one from Amazon. I'm so glad I waited.) I love the peeling red paint on the handles.

Then there's a beautiful little square plate covered with happy roses. (I'm a sucker for square plates.) No one in the family knows where this plate came from, or how old it is - I suspect it to be a memento from one of Mom's relatives. But it's pretty and cheerful and will remind me of Mom whenever I use it.

(Not pictured is a lovely soft grey cashmere cardigan from Mom's closet. Dad told all the female family members to help themselves to any of Mom's clothing they liked, as the rest would be given to charity. I wore Mom's sweater the day I flew home and felt just a little closer to her each time I looked down at it.)

Not a great inheritance by the standards of some; just a few useful, beautiful items that remind me of my childhood and my Mom. They make me cheerful.

What's making you cheerful this week? Share the joy by leaving a comment below. And don't forget to hop over to Planet Penny - where you may see her beautiful Valentine's bouquet and a cunning little Alice doll, and find links to other Cheerful posts.

A happy weekend to all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Isn't She Lovely?

2012-02-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

In preparation for my mother's memorial service, my niece A and I spent hours going through family photos, looking for pictures of my mom. (Niece A wanted to make some photo collages for the reception.)

Since I don't take after my Mom facially (in fact my baby pictures look exactly like my Dad in a dress), I can say without reservation that she was a knockout. No wonder Dad fell for her.

Today is Mom's memorial service. All my siblings are here, and most of my nieces and nephews. A sad and happy day.

Goodbye, Mom. I love you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Not Exactly Cheerful, but Very Thankful

2012-02-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

I've been wondering for days whether I'd be able to join Planet Penny's Cheerful party this week. If you read my last post, you'll know that I flew to California on Saturday for a visit to my parents, and that my mom had a massive stroke the day before I arrived. After lingering in a non-responsive state over the weekend, she died on Monday night.

So I'm not feeling exactly cheerful, but there are several things for which I am very thankful:

1. The kindness of the flight attendant on the second leg of my flight out, who could see that I was upset and asked if he could help in any way. When I told him that my mom was dying, literally dying as we spoke, and asked if there were any way I could get off the plane quickly when it landed, he moved me to a seat at the front of the plane, and ducked into the cockpit to speak to the pilot (we took off at least 30 minutes late for a 2 hour flight, but landed right on time - I'm pretty sure the pilot put the pedal to the metal for my sake due to the flight attendant's kindhearted intervention). The flight attendant, whose name was Thomas, kept a quiet eye on me throughout the flight (which I spent in tears), and was attentive without being obtrusive. I am so very thankful for the kindness of a stranger at such a difficult time. (I will be e-mailing the airline to let them know what a wonderful job he did.)

2. My mom was still alive when I reached California, and I was able to spend most of the next 53 hours at her side. On Monday morning and afternoon I had several precious hours alone with her. I was so grateful for this chance to sit with her and hold her hand; to tell her, over and over, that I loved her.

3. When my niece A came to watch with me Monday afternoon (a few hours before Mom died), we called my Michigan brother to ask him to play his guitar for her over the speaker phone. After he had played for some minutes, I happened to look away from my mom, and just then I heard my niece gasp. With hands to her face and eyes round with astonishment, she whispered, "Aunt Sue, she smiled!" (My mom had lain unmoving and unresponsive for 2 full days.) It was a small miracle. What a blessing for my brother and my mom. I am so glad that even across the miles he could add beauty and joy to my mom's last hours.

Monday evening, I left the hospital to get some rest and sleep at my dad's house. (My brother and my dad were planning to stay with my mom that night.) Just after 10 pm my brother called to say that Mom had slipped away quietly while no one was looking. He had suddenly realized that the room was very quiet, and when he looked at Mom, her pulse had stopped.

I am so very thankful that Mom had a quiet passing, surrounded by people and voices she loved. I'm thankful she had good medical care and the help of medicine to ease her dying. I'm thankful that by the grace of God I was able to be with her for her last days. Most of all, I'm thankful for her brand new heavenly body, and the joy she's now experiencing as she looks on the face of God.

(Photo taken by my niece when I wasn't looking.
Thank you, A, for this precious remembrance.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Watching the Sun Set

2012-02-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

More than a week ago, I bought a plane ticket for California. My sister had just been there, but my dad still needed help with getting my mom settled in a nursing home and with making his own plans for the future. It was my turn to go out and lend a hand.

My flight was scheduled for Saturday, February 4th. On Friday the 3rd, my niece called to say that my mom had had a stroke and was in the hospital. On Saturday, while sitting in the Denver airport waiting for my connecting flight to Orange County, I got another call to say that Mom was deteriorating quickly. I didn't know if I would reach her in time.

By the grace of God she was still alive when I reached Orange County. My
brother and niece took me straight to the hospital to see her, and except for a few hours of sleep at my dad's house, I have been at the hospital ever since.

As of Monday night, my mom is still hanging on to life by a very slender thread. The stroke was a massive one, paralyzing the left side of her body and causing bleeding into the brain. She is in a near-coma, with only hours or days left to her. At least one family member is with her at all times. We hold her hand, we talk to her, we pray for her, we sing to her, we read scriptures to her. We tell her it's okay for her to let go. We remind her of the wonders that are waiting for her in heaven.

She lies in a morphine-induced sleep. Every time she draws another laboured breath, I wonder if it will be her last. As I watch the sun go down, and the colour in the sky fades to grey, I reflect that her light is dying too. (But I know she will wake to a greater light than any this earth can boast.)

Meanwhile, we wait.

I love you, Mom.

Taken from my mom's hospital room window

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Heartsease (& Cuddle Me) Cowl Crochet Pattern with Phototutorial

2012-02-04T00:30:00.000-08:00

Hearts-ease and Cuddle Me are just two of the many charming names for the wild pansy, or viola. (Some of the others are: Love Lies Bleeding, Love in Idleness, Call Me to You, and Jack Jump Up and Kiss Me - all very evocative of romance.)

Heartsease

Cuddle Me

Here just in time for Valentine's Day is a quick-to-make and completely customizable cowl pattern. The Heartsease Cowl is trimmed with hearts top and bottom...

...while Cuddle Me features a simpler picot edging. Since they're stitched in the round, you can make these cowls as snug or loose as you like. Your starting ring will determine the size: use fewer motifs for a closer fit, and more for a drapier cowl.

All crochet terminology is American. You can click on any picture to see an enlargement.

Size: Custom

Yarn Requirements: 160-180 yarns of worsted weight (#4) yarn will make a smaller cowl (18"-22" diameter by 7"-8" tall).
Use more yarn for a longer or taller cowl.

Yarns I Used:
NaturallyCaron Joy in Cerise (1 entire skein) - finished size 18" x 7 1/2"
NaturallyCaron Country in Deep Taupe (1 entire skein) - finished size 22" x 8"

Hook Size: H or size appropriate for yarn

How Did These Yarns Behave?
Very well indeed. The Joy is a bit splitty, but very silky and slippery which makes it easy to work with. Joy develops a pleasant halo with wear, has lovely drape, and feels very nice against the skin. It blocked well, without undue stretching. Country is a wonderful yarn for the price. It works up well, gives great stitch definition, blocks nicely, and holds its shape.

I look happy because my
neck is nice and warm

Heartsease/Cuddle Me Starting Rounds Chart

Heartsease and Cuddle Me Cowl Crochet Shorthand Pattern

Stitch Notes:

Tr2tog (Triple crochet 2 together). Make a partial triple crochet in first area indicated, leaving the final loop on the hook, then another partial triple crochet in next area indicated, leaving the final loop on the hook. (There should now be 3 loops on the hook.) Pull through all 3 loops on hook to complete.

Ltr: (Linked Triple Crochet) Yo, insert hook in indicated stitch, pull up loop; insert hook into indicated space or stitch below; pull up loop; yo, pull through 2 loops; yo, pull through 3 loops; yo, pull through 2 loops.

Starting Row: Right side facing at all times.
Ch 3; tr in 1st ch; dtr in 1st ch (leaf made).
Ch 3, hdc under top 2 strands of dtr (do not turn; picot made).
*Ch 3, tr in picot sp; dtr in picot sp (leaf made). Ch 3, hdc in top 2 strands of dtr (picot made). Repeat from * to desired length, ending with picot.

(Heartsease has 14 leaves and picots, and is about 18" around. Cuddle Me used 18 leaves and picots, and is about 22" around. You can make whatever size you like by increasing the number of leaves and picots. Odd or even numbers are fine.)

Remove hook from loop. The picot edge is the top edge of the cowl. Bring ends of starting row together, wrong sides together (do not twist). Working yarn should be inside the ring. Insert hook from front to back through beginning ch st. Pull loop through beginning ch st.

For Cuddle Me cowl (picots only), proceed to Cowl Round 1, below. You will be working in the opposite direction, still with the right side facing.

For Heartsease cowl: Your hook will probably be pointing the wrong way. Remove it from the loop, and put it back through the loop so that it points towards the first picot (not back at the one you just made). The heart trim will be worked along the picot edge, right side facing. (The leaf rounds will be worked later into the dtrs along the bottom edge.)

Heart trim:
(This will be easier if your ball of yarn is above the ring. Pull it up through the ring if necessary.)
Ch 4, sc in next picot sp.
[*Ch 4; yo, ltr (insert hook in back loop of 2nd ch, yo, pull up loop; yo, insert hook in picot sp, pull up loop; yo, pull through 2 loops, yo, pull through 3 loops, yo, pull through 2 loops); sc in same picot sp. First lobe made. Repeat from * for second lobe, working in same picot sp. Heart made.
Ch 3, sc in next picot.]
Continue making heart trim around starting row, ending with ch 3.
Remove hook. Insert hook, from bottom to top, through beginning stitch of starting round and back loop of 1st chain from trim round. Pull loop down through these stitches. This will bring the loop from the top to the bottom of the row, in position for the next round. Gently snug up loop.
Bring ball of yarn back through ring so that it is below work.

Cowl Round 1:
Ch 2 (counts as first dc throughout), dc in picot sp (stem made).
*Ch 4, tr2tog in top strands of dtr and dtr sp (first partial tr goes in top sp of leaf dtr, where picot was attached; second partial tr goes in dtr sp - see photos below for clarification). Leaf made. Dc 2 in next picot sp (stem made).
Repeat from * around, ending with leaf. Join final leaf with sl st to starting dc of round. (Do not join to ch 2.)

Following Rounds:
Ch 2, dc in same st (stem).
*Ch 4, tr2tog in back loops of 1st and 2nd ch below (leaf made). Dc 2 in second dc below.
Repeat from * around. Join round with sl st in first dc of round.

Continue making rounds until cowl is desired height. On last regular row, join ends as follows:

Heartsease Final Cowl Round: Join with sc in top of ch 2.

Cuddle Me Final Cowl Round: Join with sc in second dc.

Heartsease Base Trim:
Make heart trim as at top of cowl (note: each lobe will be attached to a separate dc of stem):
*Ch 4, ltr, sc in first dc of stem; ch 4, ltr, sc in second dc of stem. Ch 3, sc in next dc.
Repeat from * around.
Join final ch to first sc with sl st.

Cuddle Me Base Trim:
All picots will be made in second dc of stems.
*Ch 3, sc in same dc.
Ch 4, tr in sc just made (inserting hook through left 2 strands of sc), sc in second dc of next stem.
Repeat from * around.
Join final leaf to first sc with sl st.

Cut yarn, weave in ends, and block.

Heartsease and Cuddle Me Phototutorial with Instructions in Plain English:

Starting Row: The right side will be facing you at all times.

Chain 3:

Triple crochet in 1st chain:

Now double triple crochet in 1st chain (leaf made). (Don't forget to yarn over 3 times for the double triple crochet.)

Chain 3,
half double crochet under top 2 strands of the double triple crochet below (do not turn).
Picot made.

*Chain 3,
triple crochet in picot space;
double triple crochet in picot space (second leaf made).

Chain 3,
half double crochet in top 2 strands of double triple crochet below (second picot made).

These are the basic elements of the starting ring: the leaf and the picot. Keep making them (leaf, picot, leaf, picot) until your starting row is as long as you want.

If you're wondering how big my samples are: Heartsease (pink) has14 leaves and 14 picots, measures about 18" around, and fits closely. Cuddle Me (taupe) has 18 leaves and 18 picots - 22" around - and is a bit drapier. You can make whatever size you like by increasing the number of leaves and picots. Odd or even numbers work equally well. (Just be sure to end with a picot.)

When you're happy with the length of your starting row, it's time to join it into a ring. Instead of slip stitching the ends together, we're going to cheat a little bit (for a closer join):

Remove hook from loop. (Remember, the picot edge is the top edge of the cowl.) Bring ends of starting row together, wrong sides together (do not twist). Working yarn should be inside the ring.

Insert hook from front to back through beginning chain stitch,

and pull the loop through.

Here's what it looks like in the taupe yarn.
Insert the hook through the very first chain stitch,
then pull the working loop through.

For Cuddle Me cowl (picots only), proceed to Cowl Round 1, below. You will now be working in the opposite direction, still with the right side facing.

For Heartsease cowl: Your hook is probably pointing the wrong way now. Remove it from the loop, and put it back through the loop so that it points towards the very first picot (not back at the one you just made). The heart trim will be worked along the picot edge, right side facing. (The leaf rounds will be worked later into the double triple crochets, along the bottom edge.)

Heart trim:
(This will be easier if your ball of yarn is above the ring. Pull it up through the ring if necessary.)
Chain 4,
single crochet in next picot space.

Now it's time to make a heart. We'll be using an easy linked stitch in each lobe. Take a look at the picture below:

Ready? Here we go.

Heart:
*Chain 4;
make linked triple crochet:
yarn over once;
insert hook in back loop of 2nd chain, pull up loop;
yarn over, insert hook in picot space, pull up loop;
yarn over, pull through 2 loops,
yarn over, pull through 3 loops,
yarn over, pull through 2 loops - linked stitch made.
Single crochet in same picot space. Your first lobe is done!

Making the linked triple crochet.
Don't forget - hook goes through the back loop only
of the second chain stitch.

The chain 4 and the linked triple crochet
bend down to make the lobe,
which is attached with a single crochet
in the same space.

Repeat from * for second lobe, working in same picot space. Heart made. (All the following hearts will be made this way - 2 lobes in each picot space.

Chain 3,
single crochet in next picot. Now you're ready to make the next heart.

It's pretty simple: make a heart in each picot space, then chain 3 over to the next picot, attach with a single crochet, and make the next heart.

Continue making heart trim around starting row, ending with a chain 3 after the final heart.

Time for another sneaky move with the hook and yarn. Right now, the hook and the working loop are on top of the starting row. We want to move the working loop down to the bottom edge of the ring so we can start making the cowl rounds. Instead of breaking the yarn and reattaching it, we're going to pull the loop through to the bottom.

Remove hook from loop.
Insert hook, from bottom to top, through beginning stitch of starting round and back loop of 1st chain from heart trim round.
Pull loop down through these stitches.

Now the working loop is in position for the next round. Gently tug on yarn to snug up the loop. Bring ball of yarn through ring, if necessary, so that it is below the work.

The rest of the cowl will be stitched from the bottom of the starting ring down, and will go very quickly. You'll be adding the bottom trim before you know it.

Cowl Round 1:
Chain 2 (counts as first double crochet throughout),
double crochet in picot space (first stem made).

Here's how the first stem looks
in the taupe cowl.

Take a look at your work, and at the picture below. Remember the small space you stitched into when making the picots - the space at the top of the double triple crochet? You'll be using that small space again in the next step, and the large space right next to it.

First stem made in the pink cowl.

Let' s make a leaf.

*Chain 4,
make leaf:
triple crochet 2 together in top strands of double triple crochet and in double triple crochet space;
(See Stitch Notes at top of shorthand pattern.
You're making one partial triple crochet in the top space of the double triple crochet, where picot was attached;
and a second partial triple crochet in the large space of the double triple crochet.
When both partial triple crochets have been made, you should have 3 loops on your hook.
Yarn over and pull through all loops.)

Leaf made!

Double crochet 2 in next picot space. Stem made.*

That's it: stem, chain 4, leaf. Stem, chain 4, leaf. Before you know it you'll be back where you started.

Repeat from * to * around, ending with leaf.
Join final leaf with slip stitch to starting double crochet of round. (Do not join to chain 2.)

Last leaf of this round...

gets slip stitched to first double crochet.
(Don't attach to the chain 2!)

The rest of the rounds are made the same way - the only difference being that you will attach each leaf to the chain 4 below, instead of stitching into a space.

Following Rounds:
Starting Stem:
Chain 2,
double crochet in same stitch.

Every round will start with a chain 2,
double crochet in same stitch.

Leaf:
*Chain 4,
triple crochet 2 together in back loops of 1st and 2nd chains below (leaf made).

Making the first leg of the leaf.
Hook goes through the first chain below.
(Be sure to stitch into the back loop only.)
The next leg of the leaf will go into
the back loop of the second chain.

Leaf made. See how neatly it's attached
to the chain 4 below it?

Regular Stem:
Double crochet 2 in second double crochet of stem below.

Both stem stitches go in the SECOND double crochet of the stem below.

Repeat from * around (leaf, stem, leaf, stem, all the way around).
Join round with slip stitch in first double crochet of round.
(Remember - don't slip stitch to the chain 2!)

Continue making rounds until cowl is desired height, or you're almost out of yarn. (My pink cowl was 12 rounds high, before adding base trim. The taupe cowl was 14 rounds high.)

When your cowl is tall enough and you're ready to add the bottom trim, finish the last regular round as follows:

Heartsease Cowl Final Round Ending:
Join with single crochet in top of chain 2.

This is the only time you stitch into that starting chain 2.

Finish last round with a single crochet.
Now it's time for some trim!

Cuddle Me Cowl Final Round Ending:
Join with single crochet in double crochet (again, skip the chain 2).

Cuddle Me ends in the usual spot, with a single crochet
instead of a slip stitch.

Ready to make the trim row? Just think - in 10 minutes your cowl will be done!

Heartsease Base Trim:
Make heart trim as at top of cowl (note: each lobe will be attached to a separate double crochet of stem below).

*Chain 4,
make linked triple crochet,
single crochet in first double crochet of next stem (first lobe made);
chain 4,
make linked triple crochet,
single crochet in second double crochet of stem (second lobe made).

First lobe is made in the first double crochet
of the stem below.

Second lobe is attached to second double crochet.

Chain 3,
single crochet in first double crochet of next stem.*

Chain 3, then attach to next stem for another heart.

Repeat from * to * around (heart, chain 3, heart, chain 3, all the way around).
Join final chain 3 to first single crochet with a slip stitch.

Cut yarns, weave in ends, and be sure to block. A good spraying and shaping will help those pretty hearts to flatten out and show their curves.

And you're finished! Isn't it beautiful?

Cuddle Me Base Trim:
All picots will be made in second double crochet of stems below.

*Chain 3,
single crochet in same stitch.

Chain 4,
triple crochet in single crochet just made (inserting hook through left 2 strands of single crochet),
single crochet in second double crochet of next stem.*

Leaf made, and attached to next stem, ready for another picot.

Repeat from * to * around (picot, leaf, picot, leaf).
Join final leaf to first single crochet with slip stitch.

Cut yarn, weave in ends, and block.

Now you're ready to make the next one...

You may do whatever you like with the items you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern or re-post it.

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

P.S. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below, or contact me in Ravelry, and I will be happy to help if I can.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

February Cheer

2012-02-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

Happy February! As Pa says to Laura in The Long Winter, "February is a short month, and March will be spring."

That thought is enough to make anyone cheerful - especially those of us who live in the snowy Midwest. (Although this week's almost spring-like temperatures have melted off some of the snow.) The birds have been chirping madly the last few mornings, and my osteospermum - also known as an African Daisy - has bloomed!

This morning the bud was still closed, but an hour after I got up, the flower had opened. (This is a potted annual I brought in for overwintering after it survived last autumn's early snowfall and several frosts.) The plant is a bit leggy, but there are several more buds. I'm going to keep it going as long as I can. It's like a tiny purple miracle in the front window.

"Sorry to tell you this, Snowman,
but your days are numbered."

The Snowman's days are indeed numbered. At our house, February means putting away the wintry decorations. The red and green give way to pink and rose:

Valentine's Day is coming

This quilt hangs in the dining room from February - November.

Here's something that brought a very big smile to my face this week:

Many thanks to Ginnie at Becoming, who posted this and dedicated it to me.

And I'm very cheerful about this month's free pattern (to be posted tomorrow). Here's a sneak preview:

Warmth and hearts - just in time for Valentine's Day. The pattern is fairly simple, but I must have made the darn thing at least five times over. I'd get to the last row, then think of some tiny tweak to simplify things or improve the construction, so I'd frog the entire piece and have to start fresh, photographs and all. I'm so glad it's finished and ready to go - and I'm looking forward to wearing it myself.

As always, we're linking up with Planet Penny's Reasons to be Cheerful. (Thanks, Penny, for hosting this happy occasion each week.) For more cheerfulness, head over to her blog, where you can leave a chipper comment or link up with a cheerful post of your own.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Heavy Laden - Being a Practical and Philosophical Enquiry into the Contents of my Handbag

2012-02-01T19:04:00.000-08:00

I've always rather envied women who carry tiny handbags. Not so much for the handbags themselves - although they're very cute - but for the attitude they seem to represent. Their owners toss in a few essentials - lip balm, driver's license, maybe a credit card - and sally forth with confidence, ready to meet life's challenges.

I can't do that. I seem to have an odd compulsion to carry my entire life around with me, slung in a bag over my shoulder. Though I have never been a Boy Scout (for obvious reasons), my handbag seems to embody the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared. In it I have something for every contingency: pen and paper for jotting down ideas; teabags lest I be stranded somewhere with only hot water and sugar available; stray vitamins (relics of past travels); ibuprofen, in case a headache strikes; crossword puzzles, in case boredom strikes; Altoids (peppermint), for potential tummy or breath problems; a comb; cough drops from my last cold, in anticipation of the next (I get about one cold a year); my pay-as-you-go cell phone which only gets turned on when I travel more than 30 miles from home, yet lives in my purse lest I forget to take it along on the few occasions it actually gets used. For years I carried my passport in my purse - just for the fun of knowing I could leave the country at a moment's notice if necessary. It gave me a sense of adventure. (I did finally put the passport away after our 2010 trip to England.)

My purse also contains a zip-lock bag filled with Almost Absolute Necessities: a vial of peppermint oil, again for headaches; tinted lip balm (2 shades); lipstick (2 shades, almost never used); an assortment of hair clips, scrunchies, and bobby pins in case I desperately need to re-style my hair (never happens); a tiny pot of mineral makeup for touchups which are seldom required; several safety pins for an unforeseen clothing emergency; glasses wipes - again, never used; dental floss; nail clippers; and a small unbreakable mirror (for the touch-ups and restyling that never take place). In short, everything but the kitchen sink. (I used to carry small bottles of body spray and hairspray, and felt quite proud of myself when I got rid of them.)

All this in addition to the true necessities of car keys, wallet, and gloves.

If this were not enough, my purse also seems to be a sort of Black Hole into which the detritus of my life is sucked - with a concurrent increase in mass and weight. Discount coupon from a department store? Toss it in - I may suddenly decide to go shopping during the applicable 3 days. Receipts from the post office? Keep them - the package may be lost on the way. Old deposit receipts from the bank? What if it burns down and I need to prove I really made a deposit? Punch cards from various bead stores? (Some of which have closed down.) REI membership card? Old gift cards with a few cents left on them? Pizza coupons? Hang on to all of them - I never know when they might come in handy.

An analysis of these contents would seem to reveal one of two things: an attitude of hope (something wonderful may happen! I want to be ready when it does!); or despair (something dreadful may happen - I want to be ready when it does). I incline to the more hopeful interpretation - after all, I put these things in my bag, assuming that I would actually remember to take them out again when they were no longer needed. If that's not hope, what is? (I seem to have a much higher opinion of my own diligence than is warranted by experience.)

Every so often (usually when I'm about to take a trip) I clean out my purse and start afresh. I get rid of the old coupons and receipts. I pare down the contents of the Almost Absolute Necessities bag by unloading some of the bobby pins and hair clips. My purse loses a few pounds, and I feel light and carefree - for a few weeks. And then, of course, the second law of thermodynamics kicks in, and once again I start hoarding useless paper and accumulating scrunchies. "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" (which as we all know is French for "you can't teach an old dog new tricks").

What do you keep in your purse?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another Use for a Mesh Bag

2012-01-31T18:29:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year we buy bags and bags of oranges. I hate to throw the mesh bags away - they're so stretchable and seem as if they must be good for something besides holding oranges.

Some people scrunch them up and use them to scrub pots (but I already have a stash of crocheted net scrubbies). Others store beach toys or bath toys in them (my beach and bath toys are generally books - which I prefer to carry in a cloth bag). One website suggested using the mesh bags as strainers - although I can't quite picture what I would strain through them. And one very good suggestion was to re-use them - at the grocery store or farmer's market - to carry food.

It struck me today that the mesh bag looked remarkably like a hairnet. Which gave me this idea:

I could use it to store yarny works-in-progress. It's just the right size for a skein or two; it keeps the yarn and the work tidy and safe; it allows me to keep the label with the work until the project is complete. No more yarn ends flopping loose; no more tangling of one project with another as they get jostled in my work basket.

What are your suggestions for re-using mesh bags?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Silent Trails

2012-01-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

A beautiful sunny day today - 25º with a strong, cold west wind as I set out to capture a shot of the thus-far elusive Wisconsin snowmobile. We got plenty of fresh snow this week, and I was sure the trails would be packed.

Right outside the door, squirrel tracks lead across the driveway towards the ash tree.

Detail of the empty building which stands at the start of the trail.

I see that someone has been here before me - but not today. These prints are several days old.

They turn aside at one point, and lead straight to a plant I was looking at only last week. Wait a minute - those are my footprints! (I can't believe I'm the only human that walks this path. Don't people realize what a great offroad trail we have right here on the edge of town?)

Warm days and freezing nights have put a deceptively firm-looking crust on the snow. At any moment you can break through the crust and find yourself knee-deep (as I did later on in my walk).

The field is lapped by frozen waves.

I seem to take a lot of pictures of this little copse. I love the trail that winds through it...

...and the interesting plants that grow to right and left. Here's one with a rather large seed pod:

These red-twig dogwood grow right on the trail. I'm surprised they haven't been run over by snowmobiles yet.

Speaking of snowmobiles, the trail is eerily quiet. Where is everyone? I thought I'd be dodging them right and left, but no one is out except me.

(Cheated of her photographic prey, the Purple Peril turns the camera on herself. Note the chic crochet headband and the casually windswept coiffure.)

A young moon is rising and can be glimpsed between the power lines.

Almost half-full.

The snow has drifted deeply on the edge of the next field, and I break through the crust at each step, wallowing up to my shins. (I am reminded of The Long Winter, with Almanzo and Cap falling through the snow crust on their dangerous sled trip to find wheat for the starving townspeople.)

Ooh - here's a side trail I hadn't noticed before. Where does it lead?

Past a derelict pickup truck...

...right to someone's back yard. Back to the main trail for me.

It's such a lovely day I decide to go as far as I can. The trail leads past a small quarry (to the left of this photo), up a short rise...

...and down through a long cornfield which contains a hunter's stand and a rather nice tree.

Shorn stalks cross my path at a pleasing angle.

The trail leads down to a road and turns to run parallel with it. I'm at least two miles from home, the sun is beginning to sink, and it's time to turn back.

A good time for a shadow picture - an action shot this week.

Blue-shaded snow under the lengthening shadows of trees.

Contrails, wide and narrow - a picture for Project :: Sky 365.

What would a Micawber Sunday walk be without a wildflower silhouetted against the setting sun?

And one last sunset photo, with clouds looking like ruched ribbon across the sky.

All this time, I hadn't seen a soul. I began to wonder if perhaps it was Super Bowl Sunday and I had somehow missed hearing about it (could I really be that far out of the loop?) Some major sporting event must be keeping people indoors on this lovely day. (I found out later it was the Pro Bowl.)

To each his own. I think I'd rather be outside, looking at trees and sky, breathing the cold crisp air, and enjoying the sound of snow crunching beneath my boots.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

More Reasons to be Cheerful in January

2012-01-27T15:08:00.000-08:00

This week has gone by in a blur. Overtime at work and a head cold took center stage, leaving very little room for cheerfulness (or cooking or housework or blog-reading). But today the sun shone, the work week came to an end (O happy day!), and the cold is on the mend. All of which has put me in a much better frame of mind for linking up with Planet Penny's Reasons to be Cheerful.

What's chirking me up at the moment:

1. The days are getting longer. My geranium, which has slept through December and most of January, is awake and blooming again. Hooray for more daylight hours!

And an osteospermum, which I couldn't bear to throw away after it somehow survived several frosts and a snowfall outside last autumn, is also sending out blossomy hints. (This plant is an annual, but it seemed so tenacious of life that I brought it in for overwintering, just to see how it would do.)

2. This smiling face, which belongs to J, one of my "honorary" kids from my babysitting years (I have no children of my own). J and his brother spent their early years in our home and are like family to us. Although J no longer needs a babysitter, he and his brother still visit regularly, and his mom and dad keep us involved in their lives.

Today is J's birthday, and since he's not my own child, I can say outright that he's a talented artist, a gifted Lego designer, and a cheerful, friendly, good-looking, intelligent guy. I should add that he loves crafts of every kind and is a true kindred spirit (in the picture he's holding a project we worked on when he and his brother came to visit in December - the Twiggy Star, courtesy of Flowers & Home). Happy birthday, J! I'm so glad you're part of my life.

3. The sinus headache which has plagued me for days is finally GONE! I feel like a new woman. (Headaches destroy me, I'm sorry to say. They render me helpless and whiny. Just ask Mr. M.) As a cheerful corollary, the cold I caught from my co-worker is not nearly as bad as it might have been. I seem to have escaped the worst symptoms. (Grapeseed extract to the rescue.)

What's making you happy this week? Feel free to leave a cheerful comment here or at Planet Penny, or write a happy post of your own and link it up there.

A cheerful weekend to you all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hopelessly Outnumbered

2012-01-25T20:02:00.000-08:00

~

She
sneezes,
then she coughs.
We share two phones,
two keyboards, and a
cribbed confinèd workspace.
Nor vitamins nor frequent
washing of the hands has quelled this
viral onslaught. Defeated by germs,
I raise the white Kleenex of surrender.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Taming of the Curl - A Crochet Tale with a Moral

2012-01-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a scarf. A lacy, feminine scarf. Made as a gift for a dear distant friend, in a soft drapey yarn of her favourite hue, with loving thoughts in every stitch.

It should have been beautiful. But instead, it was...

CURLY!

Alas, the unfortunate nature of crochet is to scrunch up and curl in upon itself, and this scarf was merely following its natural bent. 'Tis true, 'tis pity, and pity 'tis 'tis true. But all was not lost.

Enter the shining hero:

See, the conqu'ring water comes

Like a soft spring mist the droplets fell. Gentle fingers smoothed the scarf, and the curl began to recede. But the yarn was stubborn. A complete overthrow was necessary to tame its curly propensities - so the scarf was turned over and sprayed again.

Face down on the ironing board cover, chastened by moisture and time, our scarf yielded at last to its beauteous fate.

Here we see it, docile and lovely, ready to be wrapped and sent winging on its way to delight the heart (and warm the neck) of its wearer.

And the moral is: block your work! Often a good spritzing and shaping with the fingers is all it takes to turn your crochet from crumpled to sublime. Your projects are worth it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tracking the Wild Arctic Cat

2012-01-22T16:06:00.000-08:00

A light freezing rain was falling this afternoon, as I set off in hopes of catching a glimpse of Felix Polaris, more commonly known as the Wisconsin Snowmobile. The temperature was a balmy 20º, and several inches of fresh snow made for prime snowmobile stalking.

On the corner, a tree bears strange bean-like pods. For once I remember to take their picture:

Can anyone identify these?

This is what I see when I turn off the road and onto an old track which leads to the trails:

A romantic-looking building stands empty on the right...

...in a field dotted with these unidentified plants.

Up a slight grade to the favourite tree...

...through snow deep enough to bury my feet with each step.

Then a left turn and I'm on the snowmobile trail proper, which leads across a broad field. Along the way I am distracted by some frozen Queen Anne's Lace:

and a tiny perfect birds-nest, empty of eggs but full of snow.

Across the field is a small thicket, where the ground is covered with...

...snowmobile tracks! Yes, the beasts have been this way, and recently by the looks of it.

As I reach the far side of the thicket, I hear the distant snarl of snowmobiles at play. Perhaps I shall see them in the next field, which contains the prairie restoration project.

No snowmobiles, but plenty of fascinating dried flowers are there. These little beauties are tiny - each blossom less than 1/4" wide:

While this spiny fellow is much larger - nearly 2" tall. Teasel, perhaps?

A sign for the snowmobiles. I can hear them all around me at the edges of the field, but can't see any.

But I do see....

Oak twigs fooled by the recent warm spell into putting forth buds:

The warm peach hearts of empty milkweed pods, some single...

...some clustered like exotic birds.

A fascinating dried blossom draped over a tree branch several feet above the ground:

And an icy thistle drooping under a spreading oak.

I'm back at the road without having seen a single snowmobile. The freezing rain has left a film of ice, so I stop to put on my YakTrax. Just as my hands are fully occupied with the strappy rubber-and-coil contraption, a snowmobile zips across the horizon to my left and quickly disappears behind some trees. (The one that got away.)

Next week, weather permitting, I shall again set off in search of the elusive Wisconsin snowmobile. Perhaps I'll even get a picture.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Bowl of Sunshine

2012-01-21T21:55:00.000-08:00

Don't you love it when a kitchen experiment comes up trumps?

A few days ago I mentioned wanting to expand my soup repertoire to include more root vegetables. In pursuit of that lofty ambition, I decided to start with carrot soup. Having searched my small cookbook collection in vain for a suitable recipe (being sadly disappointed by Larousse Gastronomique - I thought that epic volume had a recipe for everything), and being determined not to turn on the computer with its manifold webby temptations, I decided to draw a bow at a venture (or do I mean shoot from the hip?) and come up with something myself. (Dear me, what a rambling sentence that was.)

The resulting concoction was warm, spicy, colourful, and cheering. I shall call it "Sunshine Soup". Here is the loose recipe:

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/8" slices
Salt and pepper to taste
~
1 quart chicken stock (to be divided)
~
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger (fresh would be even better but I was out)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
Dash of cloves
Nutmeg to taste
1 or 2 red pepper flakes
More salt and pepper to taste
~
White wine (optional but recommended)
Heavy Cream (preferably without stabilizers or preservatives)
~
Fresh thyme or rosemary for garnish
Sour cream or crème fraïche for garnish (optional)

Heat some olive oil in a heavy pot. Sauté the onion and carrots, with salt and pepper to taste, until onion is soft. Add about half the stock. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until carrots are very tender. Remove from heat and puree, using a blender or an immersion blender. Add rest of stock and spices, with a splash of white wine. Return to heat, cover, and heat through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and enrich with a tablespoon or so of heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Garnish each serving with a dusting of fresh herbs, and sour cream or crème fraïche if desired. (Envisioning a lovely dollop of white floating on a sunny sea of orange, I garnished ours with sour cream. It promptly sank, and is therefore invisible in the photos. But it was quite tasty.)

Sunshine Soup with garlic-rosemary focaccia
and spinach salad on the side.

There's nothing like a shot of orange to dispel the kitchen blues.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

More Reasons to be Cheerful in January

2012-01-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, cheerfulness seemed a bit out of reach at the beginning of the week. The Aged Parents have been going through some very tough times - another sudden and extreme downturn in my mom's health, resulting in pain and increased dementia for her, yet more exhaustion for my dad, and frustration for those of us who are far away, willing but unable to help.

However, (and this is Reason #1), my sister was able, at very short notice, to fly out to California (thanks to the generous gift of a family member), and we have great hopes that she will be able to help my dad make some tough choices that he's been avoiding for too long. I'm so grateful she could go. I'm also happy that our employer has been extremely understanding and supportive, telling us both to take whatever time we need, whenever we need it, for our parents. We're very lucky to work for, and with, such a compassionate group of people.

#2: This is outside...

(Fahrenheit. It's even worse in Celsius.)

...but we are inside, safe and warm. A heated house makes me feel very cheerful in January.

Reason #3: Even in the dead of winter, I can still look out the window in the morning and see these signs of life...

...in the very top of the Very Tall Tree next door. (I can't quite figure out what sort of birds those are - they don't look big enough to be the neighbourhood crows.)

How do the birds and the squirrel do it? Are they just better-insulated than I, or is it something to do with their metabolism? (It's hard to believe anyone could be better-insulated than I am in the weeks after Christmas, but despite the extra layers of blubber you won't find me climbing trees when it's -8º out.)

Somehow those perching birds, and the squirrel hopping blithely from branch to branch in the extreme cold of a January morning, add to my sum of happiness. The cold hasn't beat them - they'll hang on and keep moving until spring brings warmth to the air. A very good example to follow.

For more January cheer, head over to Planet Penny, where you can leave a happy comment or link up a gladsome post of your own. Here's to warmth within and without.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

January Kitchen Blues

2012-01-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

Its occurs to me that I haven't lately posted any pictures of memorable meals or beautiful food. Why and wherefore? Have I become a culinary slacker?

The answer (reached after some careful five minutes' thought) is yes ... and no. I've been spending a lot of time crocheting and designing - which consumes creative energy that might be otherwise directed towards cooking. Then there is the seemingly inevitable post-Christmas slump. When the sustained effort of holiday preparations is no longer required, I and my self-discipline deflate like a popped balloon. It takes a few weeks - just a bit longer than the leftovers last - to re-establish some semblance of household normalcy.

But I think there's another reason for the cold-season blahs. In my opinion, winter cooking just isn't as much fun (or photogenic) as spring and summer cooking. In spring, there's the excitement of fresh young growing things - chives and spring onions, radishes and new lettuce. Summer, of course, brings a rainbow of food to the table - which inspires all kinds of creativity, both culinary and photographic. The riot of fresh local colour lasts well into autumn - then dies with the leaves (at least where I live).

Of course we do eat vegetables in January - living in Wisconsin, we'll never be successful year-round locavores. Lettuce and spinach, broccoli and bell peppers are regular purchases, along with root veggies. But somehow a pepper from California isn't as exciting as one grown just outside the door or up the road. Our salads take on a certain sameness: tasty, yes, but not memorable. Steamed broccoli (even topped with grated Muenster) just isn't as much fun as young lettuce from the garden sprinkled with chive blossoms and lemon thyme.

One thing I really need to do is expand my soup repertoire to include root vegetable-based soups. I'm sure something of the carrotty and gingery variety would be both cheering and warming, and probably pretty enough to photograph. Things like chard and kale are worth looking into. (Perhaps the new management at our village supermarket will upgrade the produce section to include more winter greens.)

It also helps to remember that some wonderful fruits are in season now, including citrus and pineapple (and locally grown cranberries). Cranberry, orange, and chocolate, in combination, make sublime cookies and entirely delightful muffins:

A winter trifecta of flavour:
orange, chocolate, cranberry

And I mustn't forget my all-time favourite scones (orange-chocolate chip), which I only make during the cold months when oranges are cheap and plentiful.

Plays well with quiche

What are your favourite winter foods?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Sad Day

2012-01-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

I enter the dining room to be greeted by the resinous scent of fir, and a circle of floor dusted with bits of green. Then I hear a plink, and another. The sound of falling needles. The sound of inevitability.

Alas, the dreaded day has come - I can stave it off no longer. It's time to take down the Christmas tree.

To some, the removal of Christmas decorations is a relief and a tidying-up; a restoration of the blessedly normal. But I really hate taking down the tree - the room seems so empty without it. I miss the bright bits of colour, the crochet stars and snowflakes, the faded pink glass ornaments bought in our first year of marriage, the red velvet Tudor rose (souvenir of the best Christmas ever). I miss the tiny cheerful lights that brighten the days and warm the nights, shining out from the corner of the room, casting softly mysterious iris-tinted shadows on the walls.

Each year's tree seems more beautiful than the last - but beauty fades (and needles drop), and so we must move on.

Goodbye, dear Christmas tree. May your resting branches provide shelter to small creatures until the coming of spring, when your limbs will dry up and return to the earth to replenish the richness you drew from it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What a Difference a Week Makes....

2012-01-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday's walk on the snowmobile trail was a study in brown with spots of white. Today, thanks to Thursday's generous snowfall, icy white predominated. A fresh cold wind was blowing from the east as I set out to see what I could see.

The marsh around the corner no longer looks like a skating rink - the ice has a fresh coating of snow. The sparrows were hiding down in the grasses (trying to stay warm I presume) - so no bird pictures today.

Something has been walking across the frozen marsh....

As I turn off the road and onto the trail, I see that at least one deer has been there before me.

The favourite tree is looking good, with branches stretched out over its snowy carpet.

Wind-carved snow dunes ripple across the fields.

I love these feathery grass seed heads - they remind me of caterpillars.

The shadow picture is becoming a habit....

Across the field and next to a pond, young birches are peeling most interestingly, with smudges of rose and tiny flecks of a pale bluish-gray against the brown bark.

Nobody seems to be home today in this birdhouse. Bits of the deserted nest hang out of the cracks.

I fall in love with this tree and the bit of winding trail that skirts it....

Bittersweet grows at its base, with berries glowing bright in the westering sun.

Trudging through several inches of snow is good exercise. At the end of the third field I decide to turn back.

Vapour trails have been twisted by the wind into ribbons across the sky. (A good picture for Annie's Project :: Sky 365. See Knitsofacto for more information on this worthy project. And Annie, you have no idea how hard it was for me to keep the trees out of this shot. :) I do love trees.)

Today's sun is setting - not in flames, but in soft smoke - making a rather Impressionistic backdrop for the various dried flowers of the prairie restoration project...

...and some shots inspired by Deb at Snowcatcher (who loves to capture flowers against the sky).

Here are the trees I had to leave out of the vapour trail shot - lovely and lacy, with a misty sun sinking behind.

Miniscule plants on the homeward trail - just a few inches high, but beautiful and perfect in the light of the setting sun...

...with tiny leaves gracefully bearing a delicate icy burden.

Another good Sunday walk on the snowmobile trail.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Coming Clean

2012-01-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make: I haven't shampooed my hair for a year.

(Waves of consternation roll over the web. Horrified readers, reeling with shock, click frantically through their "Blogs I Follow" list, searching for the "delete" button. Meanwhile Marigold, calmly ruminating upon her stump of wisdom in western Washington State, remarks "What the hay? I've never shampooed my hair, and no one gives a peanut!")

Yes, you read that right. No shampoo for a year. That's not to say I haven't washed my hair. I have - but not with shampoo.

Last January I went no-poo: which is the common term for washing one's hair by means of something other than shampoo. There are various methods available: water only, which I haven't tried; conditioner only, which I also haven't tried, as it's recommended for naturally curly-headed types (and oh how I wish I were one of those). Then there's the baking soda / apple cider vinegar (charmingly abbreviated as BS and ACV) method - what I use - in which the hair is washed with a baking soda/water solution, and rinsed with vinegar and water. I keep small containers of baking soda and vinegar in the tub, with empty cups, and mix up just enough every time I shower.

Having written two earlier posts on this topic (which you can read here and here), I shan't repeat what I've said before. I will only say that after a happy year of clean, soft, shiny, shampoo-free hair, I will never go back (nor will Mr. M, who actually grew back some of the hair on his bald spots after giving up shampoo). Wintertime static is almost non-existent; my hair never needs conditioner; and though I regularly use a curling iron on my bangs and the ends of my long hair, I have no split ends.

(Warning - perspiration ahead. The squeamish may wish to skip this paragraph.) Since my no-poo journey began in wintertime, I did wonder how my hair would behave through a summer of sweaty outdoor exercise. Wouldn't I be tempted to wash it more often, or slip back into shampooing? Quite the contrary - my hair actually stayed cleaner this past summer. If my scalp got sweaty on a non-hairwashing day, all I had to do was let the perspiration dry, then brush thoroughly with a natural bristle brush - and the hair looked and felt as clean as it had before I exercised.

As with any alternative cleaning method, no-poo isn't for everyone - but it certainly works for me. (My only regret is that I can't come up with a replacement for commercial hairspray too - or one that works as well. I've tried all the recipes out there, but they lack the muscle of the storebought stuff.)

If you've read this far, and would like to find out more about going shampoo-less, click here for a link with very comprehensive information. Or you can just Google "no poo" and see what comes up. Those of you with naturally curly hair (lucky you!) might be particularly interested in the conditioner-only method.

Happy anniversary to my shampoo-free (but still clean) hair!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reasons to be Cheerful in January

2012-01-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Old time is still a-flying - can you believe the year is already 12 days old? It will be spring before we know it. And right now it's time to link up with Planet Penny for our weekly review of happiness and cheer.

Speaking of spring, here in Wisconsin we've just finished enjoying (and feeling superstitious about) a week of warm, springlike weather. The sun shone, temperatures soared to 50 degrees, and I TOOK A BIKE RIDE! In JANUARY! I hadn't thought to be back on the road until March at least, but wonders never cease. What a glorious treat when I least expected it.

On the road again - if only for a day

But, however temporarily pleasant, warm dry winter weather does not help the fields to get their required levels of moisture for the coming crops. So I'm also cheerful that the dry ground of the last week has turned into...

...the snowy ground of today. About 4 inches of snow have fallen since last night, with a few more expected by Friday morning. Much more January-like.

Another reason to be cheerful:

A good pair of winter boots (which are barely visible under all that white stuff). These blue suede beauties, waterproof and sheepskin-lined, have kept my winter feet warm and dry for several years now - and they look set to last for years more. Bought on clearance from Sierra Trading Post, they've been a great investment in cold-weather comfort and cheer (because it's hard to be cheerful with chilly ankles and wet feet).

I seem to have skipped right over my other reason to be cheerful, which happened between last Friday's bike ride and today's snow:

Glancing out the window the other night at just the right moment to see the evening star, framed by darkling pines, in a steel-blue sky that faded softly into palest apricot. Such beauty never fails to lift the spirits.

~

For a further dose of January cheer, head over to Planet Penny. She's got a knitted bunny guaranteed to bring a smile to any face. And if you'd like to contribute to the merriment, leave a happy comment there, or write a cheerful post of your own and link it up.

Here's to a comfortably warm and contented end-of-week for all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Superstitious

2012-01-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This
weather
is too nice -
which leads me to
suspect some wintry
horror lurking round the
bend: some blizzardry of ice
to darken March and April; some
misery of damp through May and June.
Why can't I just enjoy the sun today?

~

For Lolly, on whose poetry blog I first encountered this verse form

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Walk on the Snowmobile Trail

2012-01-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

A beautiful, sunny day today. Five degrees warmer, and I'd have been on the bike - but the wind was just a tad too chilly for riding. Perfect walking weather, however, so I set out to further explore the snowmobile trails I discovered last month.

Out of the house, around the corner, and past the icy marsh - where the cattails are full of perching sparrows...

...into the field and up the trail towards my new favourite tree (the one in the center)...

...turn left at the tree to cross the field, and whoa! Photo op. (This is why I like afternoon walks and rides - great shadows.)

I follow the orange signs that mark the snowmobile trail, which winds through a small wood...

...and emerges at the prairie restoration project behind the local high school.

Come summer I shall return and see what these plants are:

This is why I have the trail all to myself - most of the snow melted off in last week's warm spell. Doesn't the grass look like a little wigwam?

All around are the remnants of last year's blossoms. This one is goldenrod.

I don't know what these were (asters?)...

...but they must have been lovely in colour. Even the dried blooms are beautiful.

Attenuated milkweed pods, with just a bit of ghostly floss hanging on.

Behind the prairie restoration project are more empty fields. The dry grasses mark a property line.

Around another corner and over an icy patch of field, and the trail turns right into this little wood. A solid carpet of leaves underfoot lends an autumnal feel...

...until I come out the other side to find that it is indeed winter after all. This snow has survived in the shadow of the trees.

Out in the sun again. Another mysterious dried flower.

I find myself wandering through a large field which has been sprayed with manure. Ugh! It's time to head back anyway, as the sun is sinking quickly into the west.

Clumps of these lovely ribbon-like grasses border the prairie restoration project.

The sun is even lower than I realized.

This shot seems like a metaphor for life:

I bypass the winding trail, choosing instead a straight shot towards the high school - behind which lies an icy pond...

...with a fiery reflection of the setting sun. So beautiful.

A happy week to you, and may your paths be full of beauty.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wickerwork Mitts ~ Crochet Pattern and Phototutorial

2012-01-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Even after 19 winters in Wisconsin, I'm still learning how to keep warm during the chilly months. This year's lesson: cover the pulse points! Not all the sweaters in the world will help if one's neck and wrists are bare. But put on a scarf (or turtleneck) and some snug wristlets, and you feel cozier all over.

Here for your crochet warmth (and pleasure) are the Wickerwork Mitts. They're quick to make - my last pair took an hour, including finishing - and easy on the yarn (50 yards makes a Small pair). I find them rather addictive - I've made 3 pairs so far.

The Wickerwork mitts are easily customized to fit a larger or smaller hand. You can try them on as you go, and make them as long or as short as you like - mine go just past my wristbone. Also optional is the use of linked stitches for a slightly more solid palm to your mitt. (And if you really like the linked stitches, you could do an entire round of them.)

A tip for keeping your mitts in good shape: to remove, put your hand around your wrist just below the mitt, and gently push it off.

All stitch terminology is American.

Pulse points covered!

Size: Small (M,L)

Yarn Requirements: 50-60 yards of worsted weight yarn (more for longer or larger mitts)

Yarns I used: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Worsted Weight (red)
Cascade 220 Wool (black)
Stitch Nation Washable Ewe (green)

Hook Size: I

We'll start with a chart, followed by a shorthand pattern and photo tutorial with instructions in plain English.

Wickerwork Mitts Stitch Schematic

Please Note: Although not a complete chart, this schematic does show the various stitches and rows. You'll have to read the pattern or follow the tutorial for things like thumb hole placement and how to make the foundation row.

The author at work...

Wickerwork Mitts Shorthand Pattern

A special thanks to CrueHead on Ravelry who pointed out a pattern typo in Round 2.

The typo has been fixed as of January 9th (corrections are in bold type).

Thanks so much, CrueHead!

(Don't be put off by the imposing stitch list - most of the stitches are normal, everyday crochet stitches, with some rows made in the back loop. There's really only one funky stitch used - and it's optional.)

Stitches:

Fdhc - Foundation half double crochet. See beginning of phototutorial for instructions.
Scbl - Single crochet through back loop
Hdcbl - Half double crochet through back loop
Dcbl - Double crochet through back loop
Trbl - Triple crochet through back loop

Ltrbl (Optional stitch - Linked Triple Crochet through Back Loop) - Yo, insert hook through one strand of 2nd loop from base of row and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yo (4 loops on hook), insert hook through back loop of next stitch (5 loops on hook); yo, pull up a loop; yo, pull through 2 loops (4 times).

Short Hdc Decr (short half double crochet decrease) - Yo, insert hook through next st, pull up loop. Insert hook through next st, pull up loop. Yo, pull through all loops.

Please Note:

~ Beginning chains do NOT count as the first stitch of a round, unless otherwise indicated.
~ Final stitches of each round will be made in the joining slip stitch of the previous round, unless otherwise indicated.
~ New rounds will start in the 2nd stitch of previous rounds, unless otherwise indicated.
~Joining slip stitches are always made through two strands, even on back loop only rows.

Starting Round: Fhdc 22 (24,26). Right side is facing you. Remove hook; flip foundation chain over; re-insert hook. Bring ends together, keeping wrong side to inside of ring, and join with sl st to form ring (see photos below; gap will be sewn closed later). Do not turn. Right side will be facing you at all times.

Round 1: Ch 1. Starting in 2nd stitch, scbl around = 22 (24,26) stitches. Final stitch will be made in slip stitch of previous round. Join with sl st.

Round 2, both mitts: Ch 5 (counts as first stitch). For a lacy palm, trbl 7 (8,9). For a solid palm, ltrbl 7 (8,9) (see Stitches above or photo tutorial below for instructions). Total 8 (9,10) stitches so far.

Round 2 continued, Left Mitt: Trbl 12 (13,14). Ch 2 (sk next 2 st) - thumb hole made. Join with sl st in 5th ch of beginning st = 22 (24,26) stitches.

Round 2 continued, Right Mitt: Ch 2 (sk next 2 st) - thumb hole made. Trbl 12 (13,14). Join with sl st in 5th ch of beginning st = 22 (24,26) stitches.

Round 3: Ch 1. Starting in next st, scbl around = 22 (24,26) stitches. Join with sl st.

Round 4: Ch 1, hdcbl around = 22 (24,26) stitches. Join with sl st.

Round 5 (decrease): Ch 1. Hdc 6 (7,8). Short hdc decr 1 (see Stitches, above). Hdc 10 (11,12). Short hdc decr 1. Hdc 2. Join with sl st = 20 (22,24) stitches.

Rounds 6-9: Ch 1, hdc around = 20 (22,24) stitches. Join with sl st. (Additional rounds may be added here for a longer glove.)

Round 10: Ch 1, scbl around = 20 (22,24) stitches. Join with sl st.

Round 11: Ch 2, dcbl around = 20 (22,24) stitches. Join with sl st.

Round 12: Ch 1, scbl around = 20 (22,24) stitches. Join with sl st or invisible join.

Cut yarn and weave in end. With starting tail, sew top of starting round together and weave in end.

Try on your new mitt and admire the neo-Victorian vibe. Pretty toasty, isn't it? The next one will be done before you know it.

Wickerwork Mitts Photo Tutorial with Instructions in Plain English

Important Notes:
~ Beginning chains do NOT count as the first stitch of a round, unless otherwise indicated.
~ New rounds will start in the 2nd stitch of previous rounds (I'll tell you if they don't).
~ Final stitches of each round will be made in the joining slip stitch of the previous round, unless otherwise indicated.
~ Joining slip stitches are always made through two strands, even on "back loop only" rows.

(Don't be surprised if I repeat these things during the tutorial.)

To start the mitt, we'll be using the Foundation Half-Double Crochet stitch, a very cool way of making the starting chain and first row all at the same time.

If you've never tried this stitch, just take your time. It's not as fast as a plain chain stitch, but it gives a much stretchier edge and is easier to stitch into when you make the next row.

Here we go.

Starting Round
Chain 2:

Yarn over, and insert your hook into the back loop and the back bump of the first chain;
yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops now on hook);
yarn over, pull through 1 loop (still 3 loops on hook);
yarn over, pull through all loops on hook. That's it! First stitch done.

The edge with the starting knot is the top edge. The hook is at the bottom edge.

For the second and following stitches:
Yarn over,
insert hook under 2 crossed strands at the top of the previous stitch,

yarn over, pull up a loop,
yarn over, pull through 1 loop,
yarn over, pull through all loops on hook.
Second stitch done!

Tip: If you are a tight crocheter (like me), here's how to make a nice even foundation chain.

Every time you pull up a loop, bring the hook out far enough so that it's at a right angle to the work. This will give you an even tension, the top and bottom edges will match, and your foundation chain will be nice and straight.

If your hook stays angled in towards the stitches as in the below photo, your foundation chain will be tight on top and loose on the bottom. The tighter stitches will pull in and make the whole thing curvy.

Keep making foundation chain stitches until you have 22 (24,26). The side facing you is the right side.

To join into a ring:
Remove hook from loop.
Flip the foundation row over so that the top edge is now on the bottom. Re-insert hook.
Lay the working yarn on top of the strip,
and bring the starting edge over to the ending edge to form a ring.
The working yarn should be inside the ring.

Insert hook from front to back through 1st stitch of starting edge. Join with slip stitch to form ring.
(The starting edge corner and the other edge corner will be sewn together when the mitt is done.)

Do not turn. Right side will be facing you at all times. The star in the above photo shows where the first stitch of the next round will go.

Try on the ring to make sure it fits your hand. It should be comfortably snug and slightly stretched. If necessary, undo slip stitch and adjust up or down a size by adding or removing foundation stitches.

The rest of the mitt will go much more quickly.

Round 1
Chain 1.
Starting in the NEXT stitch, single crochet in back loop only all the way around = 22 (24,26) stitches.

Your final single crochet will be made in the back loop of the slip stitch from the previous round.

Join with a slip stitch to close the round. (Be careful not to slip stitch in the chain 1. The star in the photo above marks the first single crochet of the round. Slip stitch to that.)

A note on joining with slip stitches: For this pattern, always slip stitch through both top strands to close a round, even if all your other stitches were "back loop only".

Round 2

Here you have the option to make a lacy palm - triple crochets all around - or a solid palm, keeping the lacier triple crochets on the back of your hand. (I made my mitts with solid palms.) Or, if you really like the way the linked stitches look, you could make the entire round linked. The choice is yours.

Chain 5 (this counts as the first stitch).

For a lacy palm, make 7 (8,9) plain triple crochets through the back loop, and skip to "Round 2, continued" below.

Lacy palm

For a solid palm, make 7 (8,9) linked triple crochets in the back loop as follows.

Yarn over and insert hook through left strand of 2nd chain;
yarn over and pull up a loop.
Yarn over, and insert hook through back loop of next stitch.
Yarn over and pull up a loop;
Yarn over and pull through 2 loops (4 times) to complete stitch.

For the following linked stitches:

Yarn over and insert hook through left strand of 2nd "bump" of previous stitch (see photo below);
yarn over and pull up a loop.
Yarn over, and insert hook through back loop of next stitch.
Yarn over and pull up a loop;
Yarn over and pull through 2 loops (4 times).

For the solid palm mitt, you should have a total of 8 (9,10) linked stitches. (Remember, the chain 5 counts as the first stitch of this row.) Finish as directed in "Round 2, continued" below.

Solid palm - a tad warmer and less likely to snag on things

Round 2, continued

Left Mitt (thumb hole at end of row): Triple crochet through back loop 12 (13,14).
Chain 2 (skip next 2 stitches) - thumb hole made.
Join with slip stitch to 5th chain of beginning stitch = 22 (24,26) stitches.

Right Mitt (thumb hole in middle of row): Chain 2 (skip next 2 stitches) - thumb hole made.

Triple crochet through back loop 12 (13,14).
Join with slip stitch to 5th chain of beginning stitch = 22 (24,26) stitches.

Now the fussy part is done. From here on in it's easy peasy.

Round 3:
Chain 1.
Starting in NEXT stitch, single crochet through back loop around = 22 (24,26) stitches. (Don't forget your final stitch will be made in the slip stitch of your previous round.)
Join with slip stitch. (Be careful to skip over the chain 1 that started the round.)

When finishing rounds, watch out for that chain 1 - don't slip stitch there
by mistake

Slip stitch made. The star marks where the first stitch of the next round
should go.

Round 4:
Chain 1.
Starting in next stitch, half double crochet through back loop around = 22 (24,26) stitches.
Join with slip stitch.

Now's a good time to try on your mitt and see how it feels.

Mine feels pretty good

I like the solid palm

Round 5 (decrease round):
On the next several rounds, we're making regular half double crochets. (No more "thru the back loop" - for a while.)

Chain 1.
Starting in next stitch, half double crochet 6 (7,8).

Make short half double crochet decrease as follows (it's really just a half double and single crochet decreased into one stitch):

Yarn over, insert hook through next stitch;
pull up a loop;
insert hook through next stitch,
pull up a loop;
pull through all loops on hook.

Half double crochet 10 (11,12) more.

Make 1 more short half double crochet decrease.
Half double crochet 2.
Join with slip stitch. You should have 20 (22,24) stitches.

Now the rounds will start to fly, and you'll be done before you know it.

Rounds 6-9:
Chain 1.
Starting in next stitch, half double crochet around = 20 (22,24) stitches.
Join with slip stitch.

After Round 9 (when you have 6 rows of half double crochet), try on your mitt to see if you like the length. I wanted mine to just cover the wrist bone, so this was perfect for me.

If you'd like a longer mitt, make some extra rounds of half double crochet until you're happy with the length.

Round 10:
Chain 1.
Starting in next stitch, single crochet through back loop around = 20 (22,24) stitches.
Join with slip stitch.

Round 11:
Chain 2. (This does NOT count as a stitch.)

Starting in next stitch, double crochet through back loop around = 20 (22,24) stitches.
(Your final double crochet will be squished in through the back loop of the stitch that contains the chain 2. That's okay.)
Join with slip stitch. (Be careful to slip stitch in the first real double crochet, not the top of the chain 2.)

1 more stitch to make in this round -
it will go in the same space as the chain 2

Look! No gaps!

Round 12:
Chain 1.
Single crochet through back loop around = 20 (22,24) stitches.
Join with slip stitch OR invisible join.

What's an invisible join? Read on (because this tutorial's not long enough already). :)

For invisible join, cut yarn and leave a 4-5" tail. Gently pull yarn up and out of final single crochet.

Insert hook from back to front through next stitch (not the chain 1);
pull yarn end all the way through.
Insert hook, from back to front, of back loop only of final single crochet (the stitch the yarn came from in the first place);
pull yarn end all the way through.

How's that for a neat finish?

Weave in end.

At the top of the mitt, using starting tail, sew top of starting round together and weave in end. And you're finished!

When you're done admiring your lovely new Wickerwork Mitt...

...put it on and see how nicely it fits. Now your wrist will be warm while you crochet the second mitt. (Don't forget to put the thumb hole on the opposite side when crocheting the other mitt.)

Remember, the best way to remove the mitt is to put your hand around your wrist just below the mitt, and gently push it off. (Better than tugging on the top edge.)

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me in Ravelry. Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

You may do whatever you like with the items you make from this pattern, but you may not sell all or part of the pattern.

P.S. To sharp-eyed crochet purists: AFTER writing the entire post (and hand-drawing the chart), I realized that what I call a "linked triple crochet" is technically a linked double triple crochet. Sorry about that. (I'm not changing it now. Let us call this an erratum.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Stealing a March on Spring

2012-01-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

...or perhaps I should say on March. After two days of oddly spring-like weather and melting ice, today was so temptingly warm (in the 40s!) that I was able to do something completely unforeseen.

And so, without further ado (drumroll please)...

Three Great Things About Today's Ride

Taking a ride in January
Taking a ride in January
Taking a ride in JANUARY!

(Perhaps less poetic than my usual cycling effusions, but accurately reflecting the sheer joy of being on the road.)

What matter the snowy verges?

The ice-edged ponds?

The leaden ceiling of northern clouds?

These could not damp the Micawber enthusiasm. All that mattered was being able to ride when I least expected it - and visiting all the dear old spots.

Hello, picturesque willows-by-winding-stream...

Icy brook with bridge...

...(and bridge with icy brook).

How are you, favourite bend in the road? I didn't think to see you again until March.

Hello, unused silo...

...and romantic tumbledown vine-covered shed.

Beautiful corner of maples and marsh, how have you been?

Here linger the flowery ghosts of summer - Queen Anne's Lace which flourished even into late autumn in this sheltered spot. (Shots inspired by Anne.)

Red berries now hang over dark water where once the maples burned.

The berries may look warm, but the day is drawing in. Temperatures are falling and it's time to head home. (Happy sigh.)

A damp, chilly, wonderful ride.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Cheerful New Year

2012-01-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

How is the New Year going for you? Quite Cheerfully, I hope, now that the Christmastide rush and rumble have faded away.

Speaking of Cheer, it's time to pick up where we left off in December, and link up with Planet Penny for her weekly Reasons to be Cheerful. Here are some of the things that brightened my week:

1. Sleep. SLEEP! Glorious, long nights of it, with no visions of sugarplums or other Christmassy things-to-be-done dancing in my head. I do love sleep, and this week I've been getting a-plenty. (I'm also very grateful that I never have trouble sleeping.)

2. Ideas. The tide of creativity, at extremely low ebb in December (with what little there was diverted into Christmas channels), has come roaring back in a flood. The Micawber head is seething with yarny thoughts which I only hope the Micawber hands can successfully execute. Speaking of hands, here's a glimpse of one of the aforesaid ideas, peeking out from under my sleeve:

Pattern to be posted this week

3. This glorious sunset.

A sky like this fills my heart with quiet gladness that only deepens with the colours of the clouds. The trees in lacy silhouette are the perfect, delicate counterpoint to the wild, rich tones of the sky.

For more Cheerfulness, hop over to Planet Penny's. Be sure to leave a comment there or, better yet, write a Cheerful post of your own and join the gladsome crowd.

Here's to a joyful end-of-week for all, and a happy and productive New Year.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Very Tempting Craft

2012-01-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

You may (or may not) remember that Mr. M and I went to Michigan for Thanksgiving, to be with my brother and his family. My brother's wife, P, is a true Craft Queen who can turn her hand to anything. Having graduated from a fashion institute, she is able to draft patterns and design clothing; she creates costumes for the local theatre company and banners for local churches. She can knit and crochet; refinish and reupholster furniture. She's also a skilled decorator, amateur picture framer, and artist. In short, no craft mountain is too high for her to scale, and she excels at whatever she attempts.

P's latest crafting passion is for painting and firing ceramics. She has a kiln in her basement, and enough greenware (unfired clay pieces) to open her own store. Luckily for me, she's also very generous. While we were there, she took me downstairs and said, "Pick out anything you like to paint, and I'll fire it before you go home."

Her basement was full of fun and temptation: all kinds of plain greenware, with many gorgeous samples of her own work to provide inspiration. A table held pieces (painted by local home-school groups) waiting to be fired.

There were shelves of little boxes, and figurines galore....

All kinds of tempting plates and bowls....

Mugs of every shape and style....

And this, my favourite section, filled with lovely curvy pitchers and pots.

So many beautiful things. (So many things I didn't need.) Finally I settled on a little pitcher which would be perfect for holding my crochet hooks. Then I fell in love with a little square plate and carried that upstairs as well.

The little pitcher had a charming design of molded leaves at either end of the handle - it only remained to add some sprigged flowers or other small motifs around the body. The plate was another story. How do artists, faced with a blank canvas, ever get started? I had the hardest time thinking of something to put on that blank plate. Finally I sketched out some tulip-ish shapes and proceeded to ~~agonize over~~ choose paint colours. (You can draw on the greenware with a pencil, and the marks will burn off when the piece is fired.)

My sister-in-law has several paint colour sample boards (sorry, I didn't take pictures of them), which feature small glazed circles of available shades, identified by numbers which can be matched to the paint bottles. The liquid paints are paler than their finished, fired selves, and dry to a matte and chalky finish on the clay. It is recommended that the painter apply three coats of every colour being used. This can become complicated if one is layering colours; the paints must be applied in a certain order or they will not show up correctly.

If the painter makes a mistake, or is unhappy with how a piece looks, the dry paint can be scraped or sanded off to allow a fresh start. This worked out well for me, because my tulips, when the three coats of paint had been applied, looked less like flowers and more like eggs on a stem. So my sister-in-law sanded them down and I painted some daisy-like shapes instead.

After the tulip fiasco, I felt less than confident about painting flowers on the little pitcher. So I settled for trios of dots, with green handle, leaves and trim.

The pieces dried overnight, and the next morning P put them in the kiln for firing. The process would take about 24 hours, and they'd be ready for me to take home the next day. Unfortunately, the kiln chose that day to misfire, so my pieces had to be left behind in Michigan. (P promised to mail them to me once the kiln was repaired and the firing completed.)

And here they are, having arrived a few days ago.

My cheerful little square plate, about 5" across:

And the little pitcher, already sitting on the lamp table and keeping my crochet hooks handy:

(I think the dots came out rather well.)

I dearly love my brother and his family, but perhaps it's just as well we live some hours apart. Any closer, and I'd be in their basement every chance I could get, painting more ceramics than I could ever use or give away. A very tempting craft indeed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Retrospective, An Award, and a Baton to Pass

2012-01-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

2011. What a year! Last January I had no more idea of starting a blog than I had of sprouting wings and learning to fly - but the second seems to have followed upon the first, and I've flown all around the virtual world in the last 9 months: making new friends, learning new things, admiring, marvelling, commenting (often at too great a length), being inspired, connecting.

Why start a blog? For me, the surface reason was a severe cutback in (paid) work hours, resulting in idle hands and mind seeking a creative outlet. Beneath that was the desire to give back some of what I'd been enjoying for so long from others: recipes, patterns, tips - the free and generous exchange of ideas. And so Mr. Micawber's Recipe for Happiness was born, and became so much more than I ever dreamed it could.

As iron sharpens iron, the rubbing of so many virtual elbows and the contact with so many talented minds sparked my creativity, and I found myself doing things I had never done before (or done but rarely): composing haiku, designing crochet, writing. Writing! How much fun it was, and still is, to sit down and pour out my thoughts like seeds; to water and hoe and weed the words; to thin and pinch back and leave only what is best, hoping that in the end a pleasant posy of ideas or some wholesome dish of the mind might result, to the enjoyment and benefit of all. What a joy it's all been, and how the year has flown.

Back in November (B.C. or Before Christmas, which now seems part of the dim and distant past), Annie of Knitsofacto very kindly bestowed upon me a Versatile Blogger Award - which lovely button has since been decorating my sidebar.

On the topic of blog awards, I can do no better than to quote Annie's excellent words:

"Contentious things, blog awards, not welcomed by some.
Validation arriving hand in hand with obligation. The obligation
to post a response that might require you to dance to another's tune,
the obligation to pass the obligation on."

With the award (thank you again, Annie!) came the option to "bin it, merely bask in the glory for a while and move on, or bestow it upon others you believe to be worthy...."

Basking done, it's time now for bestowal. Many of the bloggers I most admire have already won this or similar awards, but here are six talented women I simply must honour:

Anne at Andamento
Astri at Apple Blossom Dreams
Deb at Snowcatcher
Ginnie at Becoming
Lolly at This Domestic Life and Look for a Lovely Thing
Regula at Babajezas Wundertüte

Crocheters, cyclists, poets, cooks; knitters, photographers and patient dreamers; all amazingly talented and creative; all (again amazingly) my friends, thanks to their own generous natures and the cobweb magic of computers.

Ladies, I salute you. Take the button (or not) as you please. Wear it, pass it on, or decline if you prefer - the choice is yours. Thank you for all that you do and give.

And a Happy New Year to everyone!

P.S. Previous bloggers have, upon acknowledgement of this Award, indulged in the revelation of a few personal idiosyncrasies. While the practice is not mandatory, it seems to add to the general mirth. So here are some of my own quirks:

I like to drink my hot tea out of a pint glass jar. (Like C.S. Lewis, I can never get a cup of tea large enough to suit me.)

I crochet in public. Who wouldn't?

I carry a stash of New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles in my purse, against times of tedium while travelling or standing in line. (And for the times I forget to bring crocheting along.)

I have never sent or received a text message, and couldn't tweet to save my life. (My pay-as-you-go cell phone only gets turned on when I travel. I like being unreachable for large chunks of time.)

Although I love flowers, I can't bear to pick them. (But I gladly accept bouquets from others.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Frosty Walk to the Post Office

2011-12-31T19:51:00.000-08:00

There are two ways to the post office from where we live. The shortest and most direct route is to go straight down Main Street, past several blocks of houses and businesses, with constant traffic for company.

Then there is the road less travelled - a circuitous route which winds through the neighbourhood and out into open country, finishing up on a quiet back lane which eventually leads to the post office.

Guess which route I prefer?

Having a birthday card to post, a head fuzzy with fatigue, and some tens of thousands of Christmas calories to work off, I set out with card and camera this morning to combine virtue with economy, and get a bit of fresh air and exercise. Snow fell yesterday, and today's sky is grey with clouds and damp.

The twigs and grasses are all furred with frost. Some look like velvet:

And some like lace.

The chains under this parked semi remind me of corsets.

Frosted grapes hang from a chain-link fence...

...and their wild vine loops and curls along the wire.

The trees look blurred and softened in the moistness of the air.

Even the plainest weeds on the verge are glorified by their coating of frost.

Champagne-coloured grasses stand out against a misty backdrop of bare branches...

...and glimmer with dainty fairy-like beauty before this bright blue-sided house.

A weed hanging out over the curb has a stylized, elegant line.

This small tree stands naked and dignified in the snow...

...in the lacy shadow of its larger brothers...

...while dappled leaves lie around their feet.

Back in the neighbourhood, oaks rustle leathery brown leaves which will hang on until spring.

This snowy stepping-stone leads seemingly nowhere.

Snow on the side of the water tower (which I always thought was white) looks like Chantilly lace over pale blue velvet.

Since the sidewalks are icy and I forgot my Yaktrax, I stay on the grass until I get home.

Full of fresh air, I'm awake and ready to tackle the housework. I could have put the card in the mailbox for the carrier to pick up - but this was much more fun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Clean Start

2011-12-29T19:23:00.000-08:00

The guests are gone, leaving warm memories and a pile of sheets to wash - which seems somehow appropriate. Christmas behind, the New Year ahead: a good time for cleaning up and making fresh starts. (Although heaven knows I did enough cleaning before and during Christmas.)

Somewhere in the last month or two I came across a reference to homemade laundry detergent. (I really thought it was on Mrs. Thrifty Household's excellent blog, but I can't find any related posts there. Perhaps it was in a comment.) Mr. M and I love to make our own cleaners - thus saving money, sparing our allergies, helping the environment, and politely thumbing our noses at Dow and Messrs Procter & Gamble, all in one happy chemical-free swoop. So you can be sure that when I read the words "homemade laundry detergent" I perked up my virtual ears and followed the Google trail of soap crumbs (mixing metaphors as I went) to this recipe for powdered laundry soap at the "Make Your Own" zone.

Nothing could be simpler: grate a bar of Fels Naphtha soap...

...add a box of Borax and a box of Washing Soda (washing, mind you, not baking)...

...mix well, then put into any handy container. Add a spare scoop or measuring cup, and there you are!

2 tablespoons will wash an entire load.

I mixed up my batch in a large bowl, which did make me sneeze a bit as the borax got into the air. Next time I'll probably shake it up in a (recycled) plastic bag.

We've done five or six loads with our new laundry soap, and the clothes and towels came out clean and fresh-smelling. One less plastic bottle in our lives; a bit more money in our wallets; fewer surfactants, optical brighteners, and other nasty things in the water supply. A win-win situation.

This mixture also makes a dandy all-around cleaner for heavily soiled floors and sticky baked-on stove grease. (Use sparingly, scrub with a damp sponge or rag, and rinse well.) I plan to try cleaning the bathroom with it next.

And now I have a date in the laundry room with a pile of dirty sheets...

P.S. If you decide to try this recipe yourself, give the box of borax a good allover thumping and massage before you open it. This will help eliminate lumps.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Merry Christmas to All!

2011-12-25T14:55:00.000-08:00

(Hand-quilted tree skirt made by my sister)

Somebody got crocheted slippers for Christmas...

Our littlest reveller

Christmas red and green

After-dinner walk with niece and nephew

A beautiful afternoon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Making Even More Winter: Tiny Mitten, Crochet Version

2011-12-23T21:49:00.000-08:00

Just in case you've got some extra time on your hands this weekend (HA!) - here's the crochet version of the Tiny Mitten. At just 1½" long, it's fast, fun (and only a bit fiddly about the thumb), and can be embellished or simply left as is.

I used some leftover NaturallyCaron Spa yarn and a G hook. You may use any yarn you like, with the appropriate size hook.

Make a Magic Ring, and chain 1:

Double crochet 9 in the ring:

And pull yarn end to tighten. This is the tip of your mitten.
The side facing you will be the WRONG side (or inside) of the mitten.

Join last double crochet to first double crochet with a slip stitch.
Chain 1, and single crochet in same space. DO NOT TURN.
Look at the two left "legs" of the single crochet you just made:

And insert your hook through them like this:

Make a single crochet in the "legs" (yarn over, pull through, then yarn over and pull through all loops on hook ).
I don't know the official name for this stitch, so I will call it a "stacked single crochet".
It's a different way of starting a double crochet row.

The stacked single crochet counts as your first double crochet.
DO NOT TURN.
Make 8 more double crochets around:

Close round with a slip stitch,
Chain 1, single crochet in same space,
and make another stacked single crochet to start a new round.

Crochet 8 more double crochets around.
Do not slip stitch this round closed: we're going to make the thumb now.

Look at the mitten: see the "U" shaped opening?
You will be crocheting down the side of the last double crochet you just made,
and up the side of the stacked single crochet which began the round.
(It will look like there are some empty stitches at the base of the "U". Ignore them.)

Thumb Row 1:
Chain 1 and get ready to go down the side of the double crochet you just made.
1. Single crochet 1 in the top "half" of the double crochet. Be sure to insert your hook through 2 strands only, not under the entire stitch.
2. LOOSELY slip stitch in the bottom half of that same double crochet. (Remember, go through 2 strands and not under the entire stitch.)
3. LOOSELY slip stitch in the bottom half of the stacked single crochet.
4. Single crochet 1 in the top half of the stacked single crochet.
5. Chain 1, TURN.

Thumb Row 2:
Working across the 4 stitches of Thumb Row 1,
make a partial half-double crochet (yarn over, insert hook in 1st stitch, yarn over, pull through);
then a partial single crochet (insert hook in next stitch, yarn over, pull through);
then another partial single crochet;
then another partial half-double crochet.

You should have 7 loops on your hook, like this:

Now yarn over, and draw through all the loops to close the tip of the thumb:

And gently tug on the yarn to tighten things up.

Chain 1, and slip stitch the thumb closed, working back towards the mitten.
The first slip stitch will go in the sides of Thumb Row 2.

First slip stitch made; here I am about to make the second slip stitch in Thumb Row 1:

And we have a thumb!
Do not turn work.
Make a stacked single crochet in 1st stitch of previous round;
double crochet 8 more around.
Slip stitch this round closed.
Only 1 more round to go.

Chain 1, TURN,
then single crochet around in the back loops only (where the dots are).

Join with slip stitch or invisible join, cut yarn, and weave in end.
Pull starting end of yarn to inside of mitten.
That's it!

Pretty cute, isn't it?

Now you can add whatever trim takes your fancy. See the Tiny Knit Mitten post for some embellishment ideas.

(Note: If you decide to do the lacy crochet thread trim from the Tiny Knit Mitten post, observe the following changes. Row 2 should be (sc, ch 3, sc, ch 5, sc) in each ch-3 loop. Since the crocheted mitten has an odd number of stitches around, this stitch pattern will work best and give the same effect.)

Here's to Happy Wintering and warm hands! (All this crocheting will help keep the blood flowing.) This post will be linked to December's Making Winter blog hop at Mrs. Thrifty Household. Hop on over and check out all the wonderful crafty projects featured there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Just in Time for Christmas

2011-12-22T21:23:00.000-08:00

It's been an unusually dry December for us. Most years, by this time, we've had at least one good winter storm to lay a foundation of snow - but not this year. (Early November's freakish four inches melted off quickly.)

The weather forecast held very little promise of precipitation - a dusting of frosty flakes, but no more. However, as if to celebrate the coming of winter and lend a proper Christmassy air to our revels, last night's skies dropped a soft white blanket over our little world and we woke to a fluffy covering of snow.

The trees behind the house were outlined in white, their branches forming intricate lacy patterns against the pale winter sky.

The pine branches bore their burden with grace...

...while the trunks looked as if Nature had been throwing snowballs at them.

Dried plants were bowed down under the weight of snow...

...which performed marvellous feats of balance on slender twig and vine.

It's beginning to look more like Christmas!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Solstice

2011-12-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bare-fingered oaks cast
nets across the sky to catch
the lengthening days

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Different Kind of Tree Farm

2011-12-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

Most Christmas tree farms are manicured and neat, with long rows of perfectly shaped firs and spruce which have been clipped and dyed into near-perfection. Our favourite tree farm, a few miles outside of town, is different.

If you were to drive by you'd have no idea it was there - it looks like a large clearing surrounded by woods.

Here's a picture from last summer.

When we first started going there for our trees (more than 10 years ago), it was owned by an elderly couple, both of whom have since passed away. Now their children run it - although that may be too organized a word for this very casual operation.

The trees are planted and left to grow naturally - I'm not sure they're even trimmed. Where they've grown too tall or too close together, they become lopsided - fuller on one side than the other. Where the woods are thinner, the trees are more well-rounded. The owners do replant, and occasionally cut down a tree here and there that has become too large, but otherwise Nature is left to take its course.

The next generation of Christmas trees
is scattered throughout the grounds.

Grasses grow up between the trees; deer and rabbits wander under the branches and make their homes nearby; birds build nests there. (One year I was lucky enough to get a tree with a small perfect nest tucked away in its branches. I left it there as part of the decorations.)

And there are tiny pine cones too.

It's definitely my kind of tree farm. Because it is so casual and loosely organized, and because the owners love the land and the trees, their price is very reasonable - only $15 a tree. Big or bigger, 6 feet or 12 feet, the price is the same regardless. (They charge even less for small trees.)

Most years there is snow on the ground when I go to find and cut down our tree, but this year it was dry. Here are a few more pictures of my tree-hunting expedition:

I parked the car just here, at the edge of the field.
It was a beautiful afternoon, cold and clear and windy.

This path leads to a second growing area.

The dead grasses were all covered with frost...

lacy and sparkling in the sun...

like crystalline flowers of marvellous workmanship.

Here's a likely-looking tree - but too short.
We have high ceilings, so I'm looking for
something taller.

Of course I have to stop and admire these birches,
and take their picture.

More pretty trees, but again too short.

I really like this tree, but ... it's too tall.
(I'm beginning to feel like the Goldilocks of the forest.)

I pass a rather gorgeous stump looking like a craggy cliff
with a sea of leaves washing up at its base.

This magical avenue of pines leads
to an impassable wall of trees.
I turn back and go around a few more corners...

And there it is! Our Christmas tree.
This year's quest has ended.

After bringing it home, I had to
cut a bit off the bottom.
Look at the lovely moss
growing at the base of the trunk.

Here it is in the stand, awaiting adornment.
It's not a perfect tree, but I rather like it
that way.

All gussied up. I turn the lights on
first thing every morning and leave them on
until we go to bed at night.
I love to look at it, all shining and beautiful
and decked with memories.
(And plenty of crochet.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spreading Joy, Part 4 ~ The Best Christmas Ever

2011-12-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

This is the last in my Advent series on remembered joys of Christmas past.

Today's story requires a bit of background.

My sister is almost as much of an Anglophile as I am. Back in the early 90s, shortly after my move to Wisconsin, she and I both fell in love with Baroque music. This naturally led us to public radio, which, when December rolled around, in turn opened our ears to a whole new kind of Christmas music: what I will call classic English carols, a rich heritage of music (much of it centuries old), much more varied than the handful of Christmas carols known by most Americans. Also thanks to public radio we discovered the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, a Christmas Eve service broadcast live around the world from King's College Chapel, Cambridge.

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is, to my mind, an almost perfect worship service, consisting of nine Scripture readings - given by students, college and university representatives, and townspeople - alternating with Christmas songs sung by the Choir of King's College (and sometimes by the congregation). There is no homily or sermon; simply the Word and the music. All of this takes place in a building of great beauty and antiquity and, as I said, is broadcast live around the world each Christmas Eve.

My sister and I started getting together each year to listen to the Festival of Nine Lessons, and before we knew it we had a mini-tradition going. She would bring cinnamon rolls or some other yummy baked goods over; I would provide eggs, coffee and tea, and we'd sit and listen and enjoy the beautiful singing and the familiar readings which never got old. When the service was over, we'd sigh and say to each other, "Can you imagine what it would be like to be there in person? Maybe someday...."

Skip ahead to Christmas of 2003. As usual my sister and I had listened to the service together, probably for the ninth or tenth year in a row. That afternoon my nephew P (my sister's son) called and asked, "How was the radio service?" "Wonderful as usual," I replied. "How would you like to go next year?" he said.

I laughed and said, "You're kidding, right?" "No, I mean it," he said. "I'd like to take you and Mom to England next Christmas so you can go to hear it in person."

! ! !

I remember feeling slightly giddy, and having to lean up against a doorway. "Are you serious?" I kept asking. (I should add that P has a job which requires a lot of travel; consequently he has about a gazillion frequent-flyer miles which he uses for trips abroad - trips which occasionally include his lucky female relatives.)

He was quite serious, and the plans were set in motion for the best Christmas ever.

To say that I was excited would be an understatement of the greatest magnitude. To think that I would be going to London, that we would visit Cambridge and set foot in King's College Chapel, that we would hear the glorious organ and the choir firsthand, was overwhelming and joyful and a little bit frightening to one who had never travelled out of the States.

For my sister and me, that year seemed an awfully long time to wait. Needless to say we spent the next eleven and a half months thinking of, talking about, and planning for, the grand voyage. We applied for, and received, our passports - with their exciting blank pages hinting at exotic and as-yet-unknown destinations. We bought clothes we felt would be appropriate for the trip (my major purchase was a decent overcoat.) My niece, Mr. M, and my sister's beau entered into our excitement, contributing financially to the enterprise and giving us trip-related birthday gifts. Meanwhile, my nephew was making all the arrangements, which included business-class travel (also known as the Avionic Lap of Luxury) and a stay in a very nice London hotel.

Finally the great day arrived - or perhaps I should say evening. We drove down to Chicago on a Tuesday (my sister, Mr. M and me) to my nephew's apartment, where we would leave our car. A stretch limousine had been ordered to take us to the airport and start off our trip in style (my niece and nephew really know how to treat their elders well). The four of us rode to the airport together - Mr. M was going to California to spend Christmas with his family while we disported ourselves across the pond.

And so, after flying through the night - a mostly sleepless night - my sister, my nephew and I landed in a new day and a new country.

We took the tube in to London, found our hotel and checked in, then stumbled sleepily out to find some food. We recruited the inner man (and woman) with a classic English breakfast, and then we were at a bit of a loss. We'd been thinking about very little else than this trip for some eleven and a half months, but we hadn't made any specific plans other than going to Cambridge on Christmas Eve - which was two days away. I pulled out the London A to Z (one of the thoughtful birthday gifts that year) for consultation, and my eyes fell on the words "Nelson's Column".

"Let's go to Trafalgar Square!" I said. I knew nothing about Trafalgar Square except its name and reputation as a gathering place in times of joy, so it seemed like a good place to start. We got back on the tube and made our way to Charing Cross station (oh, the thrill of these familiar names!). Climbing up out of the station, we were surprised to find ourselves confronted with the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. (Somehow I'd never pictured it as being in the middle of the city like that. The name suggested a more rural setting.) We turned left, crossed the street, and found ourselves in Trafalgar Square, looking down Whitehall towards the Palace of Westminster.

That's when it hit me - I was really in England. It sounds very silly, but I started to cry. For years I had read about this land, this city, this place - and now, all at once, the whole of its great history and beauty seemed to come alive and to spread out before me in that first view down Whitehall. I walked over to my nephew, hugged him, and thanked him for the trip.

The nicest of nephews

We wandered happily around central London all afternoon, making delightful discoveries, amazed at how many iconic and historical sites are crammed cheek-by-jowl into a relatively small area, enjoying a festive tea / supper at the excellent Cafe in the Crypt of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. We grew ever sleepier, but were determined to stay awake until at least 7 o'clock - by which time we were very nearly comatose with sleep deprivation and physical tiredness. Finally we headed back to our hotel, to fall into deep and immediate sleep and awake much refreshed the next morning.

Thursday was spent sightseeing, taking in, among other things, the fascinating Imperial War Museum, and finishing up at night with a concert at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. ("Baroque by Candlelight" was the program name - doesn't that sound delightful?)

Friday morning, Christmas Eve, we rose early and breakfasted at the train station. We knew we needed to get to Cambridge early to stand in line. The Chapel service starts at 3 pm, but public seating is limited and many people are turned away each year when all the seats are filled.

We reached Cambridge at perhaps 9:00, took a bus into town, and, due to some misunderstood directions, ended up at the river behind King's College, thus approaching it from the rear - probably the best way to see the beautiful and remarkable Chapel.

A photo of my photo taken from the river - if you look closely you can see
the queue of people at the base of the Fellows' Building
to the right of the Chapel.

My nephew's much better digital photo

We made our way around into the quad, passing a long line of people waiting, to find hundreds more standing in an orderly queue that stretched around the quad and back to the entrance gates. (Some of the people at the head of the line had spent the night there.) Taking our place, we wondered how many people were in front of us. A helpful porter told us there were between five and six hundred people in line already. When we asked him if we would make it in, he shook his head and said "Maybe."

At the end of the queue, looking back at the side of the Chapel

We settled in for a long day of standing in queue, taking breaks in turns. At one point I walked over to the street market around the corner, where I bought some almonds and some California raisins for snacking. (It seemed ironic that I, who come from California, was buying this fruit of my former home in a place so far away.) The weather was luckily fairly fine although we had a few drizzles here and there - but we had come equipped with brollies so the rain didn't bother us.

At intervals friendly bobbies would come around with even friendlier bomb-sniffing dogs, to make sure there would be no unpleasant surprises. (We were surprised to learn that English Labradors are shorter and more barrel-chested than their American cousins.)

To while away the time, we chatted with the people around us in queue. The family in front, from Surrey I think, had brought their 80-year-old mum, a delightful lady who remembered listening to the service on the radio each year while baking mince pies for Christmas. Her daughter said they had thought it would be a treat for Mum to see the service live (and to have a break from a day of baking).

The lady behind us was a Cambridge resident, and had been to the service many times before; some years she got in, she told us, and other years she was too far back in the queue. One year she had reached the very gates, only to have them shut in her face as the building was full. She told us that if we could make it past a certain set of barricades we'd stand a very good chance of getting in.

Members of the King's College choir also came around every now and then. Wearing coats and long scarves, they would take up various positions along the queue and sing carols to cheer the waiting crowd.

Meanwhile, a second queue had formed in front of the Fellows' Building - a queue of those with reserved seats inside the Chapel. Early in the afternoon, these began slowly to enter the Chapel by the (I believe) South door. At long last our queue began also, very slowly, to move as the public began entering by the North door (which was out of our view, being around several corners).

By this time we were growing nervous and apprehensive about whether we would make it in. Had we left London too late? Had our misguided wandering to and from the river lost us just those few precious minutes that would make the difference? Only time would tell. We knew that if we didn't make it in, we could attend Clare College's chapel service next door. But, however nice to have a backup plan, we really wanted to get in to this Chapel - after all, we had flown across an ocean to do so.

As the queue moved ever more slowly (it seemed), we gradually made progress - around the side of the quad, behind the Fellows' Building, and finally past the barricades. We tried to tell ourselves that we were safe, that we would make it all the way. But porters were constantly (it seemed) coming by, counting heads, and it was always at our place in the queue that they began to shake their heads and turn back towards the Chapel.

Finally, finally, we were within sight of the North Gate. Around ten or fifteen of us were admitted past the last barrier and were standing clustered by the Chapel door, which had now closed. At intervals someone would open the door, give a number to the porter, and he would allow that many more people in. All agreed that the 80-year-old Mum should get the first seat available, and I'm happy to say that she and all her family made it in.

We were next in line. The call came for "One". We looked at each other, and my sister and nephew said, "You go." I walked in, hearing the sound of the organ prelude. Down the long aisle, past the hundreds of people who had been waiting all day and were already seated, past the wooden screen which separates the choir from the ante chapel, past the choir stalls, to an empty seat pointed out to me by yet another porter. (My seat, one of the "reserved" seats whose occupant had not come, was actually much better than those of the people at the front of the line. "The last shall be first" indeed. Very humbling.) Next to me was a young man wearing a York University sweatshirt, who told me that his brother was a member of the choir, and was to be one of the readers.

I looked up at the stunning stained glass, soon to grow dim in the winter twilight. I looked left and saw the famous Rubens painting The Adoration of the Magi. I looked up again, and up and up, at the delicate strength of the beautiful fan-vaulted ceiling. (If only Mr. M could see this, I kept thinking. And if only I could be sure my sister and nephew would make it inside.) Finally I looked right, and when I saw them coming down the aisle and being seated together a few rows away, tears of relief and joy came to my eyes. (I found out later that only two more people made it in behind them. So we were three of the very last five who got in the door. The Chapel seats more than a thousand.)

Then the music started - the music I had heard every year on the radio, and was now incredibly hearing in the flesh. A boy's high clear voice began to sing "Once in Royal David's City". Soon he was joined by the choir, then the congregation, with the organ behind and below and around, and the choristers' voices soaring above in glorious descant.

And then happened what is perhaps the very best thing of all. A hush fell over my spirit; the excitement and tension drained away; I was no longer in an exotic setting but, quite simply, at church, worshipping God in company with others both far and near. Which is right and proper and how it should be every time we go to church.

(Pause while the blogger wipes tears from her eyes in order to properly see the screen.)

The service continued, and concluded as it always had, with the Dean's blessing followed by congregation, choir and choristers singing "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" and the jubilant organ resounding. As choir and clergy processed out, the organ broke into Bach's glorious setting of "In Dulci Jubilo" (which on the U.S. radio broadcast is ALWAYS cut short by the announcer, but which I could now at last hear in full).

After chatting to our neighbours and wishing them Merry Christmas, we shook the hand of the gentleman at the door, thanked him, and left the Chapel. As in a trance of tiredness mingled with joy, we took the train back to London.

The next day being Christmas, my sister and I walked up the street to the nearest church for Holy Communion. Later the three of us enjoyed a quiet (and delicious) meal at an Indian restaurant, then went back to the hotel for the Queen's Speech, an evening of British television, and phone calls to family members.

We had one more day in London before we headed home. We took in as many sights as we could on that last day, including Camden Town, Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden market, Leicester Square, the guitar-filled basement of the Hard Rock Cafe, and finally the Wellington Arch. And on Monday morning we were back at the airport waiting for our flight home as news of the Boxing Day Tsunami filled the television screens.

When we reached Chicago and went through U.S. Customs, the agent stamped my passport and said "Welcome Home." A very nice custom, I thought.

And then (to quote Laura Ingalls Wilder) Christmas was over. But what a happy Christmas it had been!

P.S. to my nephew P: I know I say this every year, but thank you again for your generous gift of this trip to England and the fulfillment of a dream. It was definitely the best Christmas ever. (And thanks for sharing your digital photos too.)

P.P.S. This coming Saturday morning, my sister and nephew will be over to continue our mini-tradition of listening to the live broadcast of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. If you've never heard this broadcast but would like to listen in, check your local public radio station. Or you can go to the American Public Media website for information about listening online.

~

Thanks to all of you who have shared in Spreading Joy this Advent season. Your comments and the stories of your own remembered joy of Christmas Past have given great joy to me. If you have a special tradition or Christmas memory you'd like to share, please leave a comment, or write a post of your own (as Ginnie and Snowcatcher have so delightfully done).

A joyful Christmas to you all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reasons to be Cheerful

2011-12-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Planet Penny for her final "Reasons to be Cheerful" post of the year (the merriness shall resume in January), I find that all of this week's reasons start with a C. Which is highly appropriate, since Christmas is filling the thoughts of many at this time.

1. Carnations from my husband. Mr. M is not usually a flowery guy, but every so often he gets the urge to buy a bouquet. Knowing I love carnations, he gave me these last week. Simply beautiful.

2. Candles on the windowsill. Following this excellent tip from KatEzat which I found on the December Making Winter Bloghop, I invested in a package of tea lights and popped a few into empty jam jars. Look how they Cheerful'd up our evening windowsill. It's amazing how much joy a tiny flickering light can give.

3. Christmas Decorations about the house. I love getting these out every year and filling the house with Cheer.

(I think I need a few more Christmassy quilts.)

A Cheerful and peaceful end-of-year to all. For more merriness, hop over to Planet Penny's.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Making More Winter: Honey Caramelcorn

2011-12-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

I've been making this caramelcorn and giving it away (and eating plenty myself) every Christmas since I was in high school. It's my all-time favourite Christmas sweet, ranking even higher than the precious See's Candy which is sent to us every year. If I don't ration myself very strictly I can easily polish off a few quarts of this caramelcorn in a single sitting.

The original recipe from Jolly Time Popcorn calls for corn syrup. I think honey tastes better, and lends a comforting illusion of healthiness. Nuts could be added, if desired, to up the protein content and assuage dietary guilt.

Warning: This caramelcorn is highly addictive. Make twice as much as you think you'll need. Packed in jars or canisters, it makes a quite attractive gift.

Single Recipe (Double) ~ Oven 250º

7-8 quarts popped popcorn (15 quarts) in large roasting pan(s)

A single batch can be made in two 9"x13" pans.

Hot-air popcorn works best. I usually pop the corn and make the syrup at the same time, running back and forth between stove and counter. This makes me feel efficient.

Popcorn action shot!

Awaiting their caramel baptism

In heavy pan, combine:

2 sticks or 8 oz. butter (4 sticks or 1 lb.)
2 cups brown sugar (4 cups)
1/2 cup honey (1 cup)
1 teaspoon salt (2 teaspoons)

Honey-sweet and full of butter

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly (or as constantly as you can while popping gallons of popcorn). Let boil for 5 minutes (7 minutes for double batch) without stirring.

Remove from heat and add:

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon vanilla (2 teaspoons)

Stir well. Mixture will foam.

Soda makes it foam

Pour over popcorn and toss well to coat evenly. (Take your time on this part - the better you stir it now, the less you have to stir it later.)

Silicone spatulas make dandy popcorn tossers

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. (For even baking, I also rotate the pans from top shelf to bottom with each stirring). The cook is allowed to eat any popcorn that falls out of the pans. After 1 hour, stir once more, then turn out onto clean counter and cool.

Heaps of golden deliciousness

Break up and store in airtight containers. Try not to eat it all yourself.

For more Making Winter ideas, check out the blog hop at Mrs. Thrifty Household. (Does blog hopping burn calories? Let's hope so.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Concerning Hobbits

2011-12-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

Mr. M and I have divergent tastes in movies. He, being a guy, is drawn to films that feature explosions, combat, and plenty of vehicles - which may or may not metamorphose into something larger and more menacing - racing down streets and around corners and generally contributing to the overall mayhem. He is also drawn to almost anything based on a computer game, or an inspiring sports story of the underdog-triumphant variety.

I like quiet, character-driven movies, with witty dialogue and (if possible) careful costuming and production design. Romance is optional; good writing is not. Parodies and unabashedly silly movies also have their appeal. While Mr. M usually likes the videos I choose, I don't always like the ones he picks out - which is fine. Variety is after all the spice of life.

Luckily there are plenty of movies we both enjoy. Pride and Prejudice, for instance (the BBC version featuring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle), is one of our favourites. (Yes, she says proudly, my husband loves that film. It kills him that the first disk ends with Mr. Darcy's spurned proposal. Even though he knows a happy ending will ensue, he can't rest until he puts in the second disk and watches it through to the end.)

Another of our very favourite films is The Lord of the Rings, which we fell head over heels in love with from our first viewing of The Fellowship of the Ring back in December 2001. I can still remember walking out of the theatre thinking despairingly of the yearlong wait for the next installment. (Of course that year flew by and before we knew it we were in the theatre again on the opening day of The Two Towers, and again a year later for the spectacular final segment The Return of the King. And I had recourse to the books.)

Now, each December, in honour of the original release dates, we hold a mini-marathon viewing of the entire set (extended versions, of course). It takes us a week, sometimes two, of evenings to get through Peter Jackson's epic production - and we both enjoy every minute of it.

Of course no movie based on a book can be completely satisfying to one who reads and re-reads the book (which in this case would be me), but the film version of LOTR comes close. Yes, the plot has been tweaked and massaged in spots to make it more Hollywood-palatable. The makers left out huge chunks of story, and interpolated others from the appendices. (Where are Tom Bombadil and Glorfindel? Why not leave Arwen in Appendix A where she belongs and include more of the central if less romantic characters?) But I still feel that they captured the spirit of the original and brought it to stunning visual life. The sets, the costumes, the miniatures, the breathtaking natural scenery of New Zealand, all combine to create an easy suspension of disbelief and a total immersion in what C.S. Lewis called "Story". The book itself is even more absorbing, of course - and how nice, after seeing the visually excellent films, to be able to "see" in my mind Minas Tirith and Hobbiton and Helm's Deep and Barad Dur, as faithfully represented via the illustrations of Alan Lee according to Tolkien's descriptions.

A scriptwriter adapting a book to film, who does not make full use of the author's own voice wherever possible, is presumptuous to say the least. One of the things I enjoy most about the LOTR films is their use of plenty of authentic dialogue and poetry from the book (although words are sometimes put into the wrong character's mouth). There are some manufactured lines ("Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!") but they're usually appropriate to the story and characters involved.

It occurs to me that LOTR offers Mr. M and me plenty of what we both like in a movie: battle, murder and sudden death for Mr. M, and the satisfaction of watching the (literally) little guy triumph over seemingly overwhelming odds ("Even the smallest person can change the course of the future") - with enough good dialogue and outstanding costuming to satisfy me. I will say nothing of the theology which quietly underpins the whole, save that its presence (faint yet discernable) deepens our enjoyment.

Tonight we embark on The Two Towers, in which Frodo and Sam are wandering lost in the rocky impasse of the Emyn Muil, tracked by the devious Gollum; Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are hard on the trail of Merry and Pippin who have been kidnapped by the exceedingly nasty Uruk-Hai at the behest of evil Saruman; and Gandalf, seemingly lost to the Fellowship after his deathly encounter with the Balrog of Morgoth, has yet a role to play in their quest.

This is my favourite of the three segments, with its lovely depictions of Rohan's court, the stunning battle sequence at Helm's Deep (which in the book is a rather minor battle but becomes a major set-piece of the film with bonus elves joining the fray), the beautiful bits of Tolkien's poetry worked in by the scriptwriters ("Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? ... They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow; the days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow...."), the wholly engaging voice-over of Treebeard by the talented John Rhys-Davies (who also played Gimli the Dwarf), and the simply outstanding performance of Andy Serkis as Gollum (whose computer-generated character completely steals the show).

As I see this post threatening to become as long as the book and movie it concerns, I will close with this:

The other night I asked Mr. M what he liked best about the LOTR films, and his answer was so surprising and delightful I had to pass it on. This is what he said: "Everyone has a place, and they know their place. There's order. And within the order, there's courtesy and bravery."

A very good review of a very good set of films.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Making Winter: Tiny Mitten Ornaments ~ A Knit Pattern with Optional Crochet Trim

2011-12-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

In this post, we're joining up with Silverpebble and Mrs. Thrifty Household for

Making Winter, a fun and creative blog hop of activities and crafts
designed to help beat the cold doldrums.

Here's a pattern for dainty little lace-trimmed mittens that will help use up those extra bits of yarn. These mittens would make lovely tree ornaments, gift attachments,or even bookmarks. They knit up very quickly (even for a haphazard knitter such as myself), and offer plenty of potential for trim variations.

If crochet lace is not to your taste, try a row of fun fur or eyelash yarn around the top. Or you could start your mitten with a few rounds of seed stitch or 1X1 ribbing and eliminate the crochet altogether.

Crochet terminology is American. A chart for the crochet trim will be added later.

Mitten Size: about 2" long

Materials:
For mittens, small amount of DK weight (#3) yarn, or yarn of your choice
For lace trim (if desired) No. 10 crochet thread
Embroidery thread for flowers and leaves (if desired)
Decorative thread for hanging cord (I used silver metallic No. 10 crochet thread - purchased cord would also work)
Sewing thread, or fabric glue

For mittens, Size 6 or 7 double-pointed knitting needles, or needles appropriate to your yarn
For lace trim, Size 7 steel crochet hook
Sewing needle

Mitten:

Cast on 12 stitches over 2 or 3 double-pointed needles. (I crocheted a chain of 12 stitches and picked up my stitches from the back bumps of the chain.) Be careful not to twist stitches.

Rows 1-12: Knit*. Cut yarn, leaving an 18" tail. Draw yarn through last row of stitches to gather top of mitten. Take yarn tail through one more stitch to make it more secure.

*Tip: If you cast on to 2 needles only, with 6 stitches each, knit through the back loop on the first and last stitch of each needle. This will tighten up those stitches and help prevent ladders between the needles. The stitch pattern for this would be Ktbl, K4, Ktbl; repeat on second needle.

Thumb: After gathering mitten tip, gently pull yarn end down through the mitten, and out the side between side stitches of Row 4. (A crochet hook works well for this step.)

Working upwards from the 4th row, pick up 3 stitches on one side of mitten, through 1 loop of each stitch, then take yarn across and pick up 3 stitches on the opposite side, working downwards. (Stitches are divided over 2 needles).

Thumb Rows 1-2: Ktbl.

Draw yarn through last row of stitches and gently tighten to gather thumb. Take yarn end through one more stitch to secure, then down to the inside of the mitten.

Using starting tail of yarn, join ends of cast-on row. Bring yarn to the inside and tie starting tail to ending tail inside mitten. Don't pull too tightly; we're just trying to secure the yarn ends and hide them.

Here's our tiny mitten ready for some trim

Trim mitten as desired.

Optional Lacy Crochet Trim:

With right side of mitten facing you, using the #7 steel hook, attach crochet thread with single crochet to top edge of mitten on the thumb side.

Row 1: *Ch 3, sc in next stitch. Repeat from * around. Attach last sc to first sc with double crochet. (Dc equals final ch-3.) There should be 12 ch-3 spaces.

First row of crochet trim done

Row 2: Do not turn. Ch 1. (First picot will be made in this space.) *Sc in next empty ch-3 sp, ch 5, sc in same ch-3 sp. In next empty ch-3 sp: sc, ch 3, sc, ch 5, sc, ch 3, sc. Repeat from * around. Connect final sc to first sc with sl st. Cut thread, tie off, and hide ends inside mitten.

Second row of crochet trim done

Block lightly.

Tiny Crochet Rose:

Use embroidery thread and the #7 steel hook. Leave a 4" tail.

Ch 11. Turn and sc 2 in each ch, starting with 10th ch. Cut thread, leaving 4" tail, and tie off. Coil rose and use thread tails to sew base of rose together and for attaching to mitten.

Tiny Crochet Leaves:

Use embroidery thread and the #7 steel hook. Leave a 4" tail.

Loosely ch 5. Turn and *sc in 4th ch, hdc in 3rd and 2nd ch, sc in 1st ch. Loosely ch 5 more, turn, and repeat from *. Cut thread, leaving 4" tail, tie off, and tie ends together. Block leaves if desired.

Hanging Cord:

With silver or gold crochet thread (or desired colour), ch 60 or to desired length. Cut thread and tie off. Block lightly if desired to get any kinks out of the chain.

Assembly:

Sew leaves and roses to front of each mitten.

Make overhand knot in one end of hanging cord. Insert free (un-knotted) end through top knitted row of one mitten, from the inside to the outside (on the non-thumb side). Insert free end through top knitted row of other mitten, from outside to inside (again on the non-thumb side). Tie overhand knot in that end of hanging cord. Pull gently to snug up the knots on the inside of each mitten.

With needle and thread (or you could use fabric glue), tack lacy trim together at the center of each mitten just above top knitted row. This will keep all those loose yarn ends inside the mitten.

Here's another mitten I made using slightly larger yarn with fun fur trim. (I had to give the fun fur a bit of a haircut as it threatened to overwhelm the tiny mitten.)

Don't forget to head over to Mrs. Thrifty Household for more Making Winter fun. Here's to a happy winter!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spreading Joy, Part 3 ~ A Goodly Heritage

2011-12-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

This is the third in my Advent series on remembered joy - the joy of Christmas Past. Each week I've been writing about a favourite Christmas memory or tradition, something that comes to my mind every year at this blessed time, something the remembrance of which brings me joy.

This week's memory is a bit different from the last two. It concerns a family Christmas tradition I didn't fully appreciate at the time, which has since become very precious to me.

When I was young, our Christmas morning didn't start with a mad rush to the fireplace for stockings filled with treats, or with a special breakfast, or a tinselly scrabbling through piles of presents. It started quietly, with a fire in the fireplace, siblings and parents in pajamas and bathrobes, and a Bible in every lap. Before we opened any gifts, we would read through a series of Scripture verses that spanned the story of redemption. We started in Genesis with the Fall, skipped ahead to the major and minor prophets who foretold the birth of Christ, read passages from the Gospels which pertained to His birth and nature, and concluded with various New Testament verses concerning His return and the future of His church. Each person had a "script" - a list of the verses to be read, with his or her part highlighted in red.

I can't remember how long these readings took - half an hour, or perhaps 45 minutes.You might think that as children we would either resent this practice or be impatient of it, but I don't remember ever feeling that way. Of course we were anxious to get to the gifts, but the readings were accepted as a normal part of the day. I do remember feeling excited (and nervous) about taking my turn when I grew old enough for active participation - much as one would before a school program or the giving of a speech.

As my siblings grew older and married, the Christmas readings were expanded slightly to include the new family members. And as, one by one, we began to move farther from home, the readings eventually stopped.

I don't remember very many of the Christmas gifts I received as a child, but I do remember those quiet Christmas mornings by the fire, and the verses we read every year. Though our family life was not ideal, and my parents made plenty of mistakes in our bringing-up, they were careful to pass on to us what they valued most - their faith. I think that's the most precious gift they could ever have given us.

I'm grateful to my Mom and Dad for teaching us, year after year, to focus on the real meaning of Christmas. I may not have fully appreciated it at the time, but I appreciate it now. (And I called them this afternoon to tell them so.)

An old Christmas morning "script" in my sister's handwriting

Next week, to finish this series, I'll be writing about the best Christmas I ever had (which took place not in my childhood but more recently). Do you have a favourite Christmas memory or tradition? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Leave a comment, or use the button from the sidebar and write a post of your own about a Joy of Christmas Past (or Christmas Present).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reasons to be Cheerful

2011-12-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

It's time once more to link up with Planet Penny for a look on the sunny side of life.

All of today's Reasons seem to deal with warmth in one way or another. This is quite unintentional, yet not surprising, for our temps have been in the teens and low twenties all week long. (That's -5 to -10 for you Celsius folks. I think I'll stick with Herr Fahrenheit - the weather doesn't sound so cold his way.) A very good excuse for thinking cheerful thoughts that will warm our hearts, if not our hands. So here we go with 3 Reasons to be Cheerful:

1. Abundant hot water. This is something I think about every winter, as I love hot showers and baths. I am so grateful to have plenty of water and the means of easily heating it, especially when I consider that so many around the world lack both water and warmth.

2. Speaking of hot water, here is something that makes me VERY cheerful:

Tea and scones on a chilly afternoon

Earth hath not anything to show more fair.

3. And the best (I think) has been saved for last: a pattern I designed has been published. Back in October, I was invited by a small publishing house (InknBeans Press) to donate an original pattern for a very special book they were planning, the profits of which would go to support homeless people via the Los Angeles Mission. The book came out this week, and here's the cover:

"Keeping America Warm"

This is the pattern I contributed:

Laurel Leaf Scarf

Keeping America Warm is currently available in e-book form, and the print copies should be out shortly. Again, all profits from the book will go to support the Los Angeles Mission.

I am so glad to have been invited to help such a very good cause.

That wraps up (ha! scarf pun) our Cheerfulness for this week. Don't forget to hop over to Planet Penny's for more warmth and good cheer, and feel free to leave a Cheerful comment below.

Here's wishing you a wonderful rest-of-the week.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Not Dead, but Sleeping

2011-12-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blossomless and brown

yet full of purple promise

lilacs bide their time

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Wintry Sunday Walk and a Delightful Discovery

2011-12-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

Around the corner from our house, on a quiet back street which ends at the local high school, is a marshy lake backed by acres of what I always assumed to be farmland.

I almost never go down this street - I see plenty of marshes while cycling - but on Sunday I decided to take my camera for a walk by this particular marsh, to see what I could see, and to try to fill the gap left by the end of the riding season. (Oh, how I'm missing my weekend bike rides.)

Remarkable in spring and summer mostly for mud, mosquitoes, and the brush which obscures the view (and for occasionally flooding the surrounding streets when too much rain falls), this marsh comes into its own in late autumn. An austere beauty hangs over the buff-coloured grass, and silvery waters reflect ghostly grey trees.

Deep leaves cushion the verge, with an occasional splash of fresh piney green to relieve the wintry browns.

The cattails are shedding their woolly seeds and reverting to their brown velvet selves.

Dried flowers line the marsh's edge. Here's what they look like from below...

...and above.

A mysterious seed pod, prickly and fascinating, hangs from a spindly branch.

Past the marsh, near the end of the street, I see a track leading into the fields. Normally such tracks are festooned with "No Trespassing" signs, but this one is temptingly free of warnings. So I decide to walk down it and see where it goes.

A little way down, and here's a sign - which says nothing at all. Whatever message it once bore has been effaced by time and moisture and moss. It stands amidst tangled vines that are tinted a rosy grey.

Ahead is a most promising picturesque building, abandoned and surrounded by trees...

...with an empty corn crib (or chicken house?) behind. It must have once been a farm outbuilding.

I like its back door and stone foundation.

The fallen log next to this building bears small lacy fungi...

which look like sea creatures when viewed from below.

The track goes on into open fields. I spy small orange signs dotted here and there, and realize to my delight that I'm on a snowmobile trail. Perhaps this is public land, or simply unused land made available to the public by a benevolent landowner. The track I'm on has clearly been mown to provide for walking (and snowmobiling when we get enough snow).

The fields stretch out ahead of me, crossed and re-crossed with trails waiting to be explored. Since the cycling season ended, I've been feeling starved for the freedom and solitude of open country - and here it is, just a short walk away. (Of course our village is surrounded by open country, but most of it is private land and therefore inaccessible.) Now I can look forward to a happy winter of walking these fields and following the trails - and taking pictures for posting here.

Stretching out ahead is a lovely treeline, with gnarled oaks backed by misty-looking trees.

Three giant hay bales dot the field to my left. This one reminds me of Shredded Wheat.

A snowmobiler's directional sign seems to point to a birdhouse.

And another sign stands at the edge of a dried-flowered field. I've stumbled across a prairie restoration project. This walk keeps getting better and better.

The prairie is simply covered with flower seed heads. I can't wait to come back in the summer and see what flowers produced them.

At the edge of the field, as I walk under some trees, I hear a quiet tap-tapping over my head. Sabbath or no, a downy woodpecker is working away at a tree branch. This is the best photo I could get - the little guy wouldn't sit still.

By now I had circled around and come up behind the high school, on the very edge of the village. Time to take one last dried-flower photo and head home for supper.

There are many trails here yet to explore, and a winter full of weekends in which to explore them. A good walk and a happy discovery.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spreading Joy, Part 2 ~ Under the Tree

2011-12-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Last week I wrote about the Christmas trees my grandfather mailed us each year from his mountain ranch in Northern California. This week I'd like to tell you about what went under those trees.

My father is and always has been a train nut. Supporting a wife and a family of five children didn't leave him much discretionary income, so Dad's passion for trains found only very modest outlets in the occasional purchase of a Model Railroader magazine, and in photographing every train he saw (though we didn't see many in suburban Southern California).

Every year, however, Dad found a grand way to let off his train-loving steam: by building an HO gauge train layout to go under the Christmas tree. And what a layout it was. Dad would work on it every Saturday throughout the autumn, designing and building it from the sawhorse up (using parts from the previous year's effort). He laid the tracks and wired it, then painted and embellished it with tiny trees and buildings, cars and houses. There was always a mountain in the center or at one end, painted in shades of white and brown to represent snow and rocks, with the Christmas tree rising from the top (the mountain was hollow to hold the Christmas tree stand). And of course there was always a tunnel under the mountain for the train to go through.

Dad was good at sharing his toys, and let us kids run the trains as often as we wanted. It was great fun to switch on the controls; to choose an engine and cars from the siding - with delightful dithering between freight and passenger train - to place them carefully on the rails, engage the couplers, and set them going.

The size of the layout changed every year - sometimes smaller, sometimes larger, according to Dad's fancy or ambition (or available time and funds). One memorable Christmas it stretched across the entire width of the living room, and we had to climb over the tracks into a sort of well in the middle to get to the control panel. That year's layout had at least 4 separate tracks on which the enterprising model engineer could run several trains at once. What a thrill it was to see the trains pass each other, go into the tunnels and come out the other side. (Occasionally the trains would derail while in the tunnels, which required careful extraction and re-assembly. It was all part of the fun.)

Dad is in his 80s now, and still loves model trains, although he hasn't built a new layout in years - preferring instead to re-use the same one. On my visit to California last July, I saw it sitting shrouded in the garage, waiting for Christmas and its brief foray into daylight and the living room.

But there will be no train for Dad this year. Health problems, both his and my mom's, have taken center stage and he simply doesn't have the time or energy to clean the tracks and get the layout ready to go. This is the first year I can remember without a train under Mom and Dad's Christmas tree. (In fact, they aren't even putting up a Christmas tree - my mom's hospital bed is taking up the space the tree would have occupied).

When I called my dad today to tell him I was thinking of the trains we always had under the tree, he laughed with pleasure. And when I thanked him for letting us play with what were essentially his toys, he replied (in all seriousness), "They're not really toys. They're considered a hobby."

Thanks, Dad, for sharing your hobby with us, and giving us joyful memories of Christmas.

~

Do you have a favourite Christmas memory or tradition? If so I'd love to hear about it. Leave a comment, or use the button at the sidebar and write a post of your own about a Joy of Christmas Past (or Present).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Birchbark Slippers Pattern & Tutorial

2011-12-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

Doesn't everyone want a pair of slippers for Christmas? The Birchbark Slippers would make a wonderful gift for yourself or someone else. (I'm wearing mine right now.) They stitch up quickly and are very straightforward: just an easy rectangle of Tunisian Simple Stitch. One end is seamed to create the heel, and the other end is folded to form the toe. Adornments are up to you and are limited only by your imagination.

Because this pattern is customizable, the instructions may look a bit wordy. Don't let that put you off - this project is really very simple and quick. The hardest part is deciding how to embellish the slippers.

Since the slipper is made from a rectangle, you can of course use any stitch you like - you could even knit it. I chose Tunisian crochet because it yields a thick and sturdy crochet fabric - perfect for cozy slippers. (If Tunisian Simple Stitch is new to you, see my tutorial here.)

Stitches used: Tunisian Simple Stitch, single crochet, slip stitch

Size:
Custom.
Adult slipper is made from a rectangle, 6" wide by 1" longer than the foot it's destined for.
Children's slipper: to be posted when I get the width measurement figured out! (I'd guess 5" wide for a child, and a bit smaller for a toddler.)

If you're making gift slippers and you don't know how long the recipient's foot is, try to find out her shoe size. Then click here for a handy shoe size conversion chart.

Yarn Requirements for Adult sizes:
About 100 yards of a Bulky (#5) yarn
(May also be made with 2 strands of a #4 yarn held together)
OR about 70 yards of Super Bulky (#6) yarn

Yarns I used:
Premier Serenity Chunky Weight (Bulky), Red Bayou, 1 skein with yarn left over
Patons Melody (Super Bulky), Rainbow Run, 1 skein with yarn left over

Hook:
Size N & K for Bulky (#5) yarn
Size P & N for Super Bulky (#6) yarn

Gauge:
Bulky yarn, Size N hook - 18 stitches = approximately 6".
Super Bulky yarn, Size P hook - 14 stitches = approximately 6".

Note: Do a few test rows, then measure the width of your swatch. It should be 6" wide. Adjust number of chains if necessary to achieve gauge. (You may also adjust the width of your rectangle to fit very narrow or very wide feet. When your rectangle is about 3" long, try it on by pinching one end together and holding it up to your foot. It should cover the heel and come about halfway up the side of the foot.)

This pattern is so simple, no chart is needed.
I've decided to combine the instructions with the photos

and write the whole thing in plain English.

The only abbreviation used will be Tss for Tunisian Simple Stitch.

Super Shorthand Pattern

Make a rectangle in Tunisian Simple Stitch (or stitch of your choice) measuring 6" wide by length of foot + 1". On last row, shape heel by making decrease of 2 stitches (or 3 if your rectangle is an odd number of stitches wide) in center of row. Bind off, then follow edging and assembly instructions below.

Pattern Instructions with Photos

Numbers in parentheses refer to slipper made with Super Bulky yarn.

Base Row, Forward Pass: Use larger hook. Leaving a 12" tail, chain 18 (14 if using Super Bulky yarn). Working in the back bump of each chain, pick up 17 (13) loops. (See the Tunisian Simple Stitch Tutorial if you need a refresher on this part.)

Do not turn the work. This is the right side; keep it facing you at all times. The base row will become the toe of the slipper.

Return Pass: Yarn over, pull through 1 loop. *Yarn over, pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * until 1 loop left on hook.

All return passes will be made like this one.

Here's the rectangle with 1 row done,
and the loops for the second row
drawn up and sitting on the hook.

Regular Rows: Starting with second stitch, work Tss in each stitch across (Tunisian Simple Stitch - insert hook from right to left under vertical bar, yarn over, and draw up a loop). In last stitch, insert hook under vertical bar AND strand behind it. You should have 18 (14) stitches on the hook. Make return pass as above = 18 (14) stitches.

Adjust number of stitches as necessary to get proper width.

Continue making rows of Tss until rectangle is just under desired length (foot measurement + 1"). Decrease for heel as follows:

Final row (decrease): Tss in 2nd vertical bar from hook AND next 5 (3) stitches. You should have 7 (5) loops on your hook.

Ready to decrease

Tss 2 together (insert hook under next 2 stitches; draw up loop - decrease made).

Insert hook under 2 bars at once

Yarn over, pull through

Make 1 more decrease (Tss 2 together), then Tss to end of row.

2 decreases made

Make return pass = 16 (12) stitches.

Note: If you changed the number of stitches in the rectangle,

adjust as necessary to place your decreases in the center of the final row.

(If your rectangle is an odd number of stitches wide, make 3 decreases instead of 2.)

Bind off final row. (Forgot how to bind off? Instructions are in the tutorial. Click here.)

Binding off

Change to size K hook for bulky yarn, or size N hook for super bulky yarn.

Change to regular size hook, and get ready
to crochet down the side of the slipper.

Border: Chain 1. With right side still facing you, turn rectangle and work down the side. Single crochet 1 in each edge stitch until there are 3 stitches/rows left.

Single crochet edging has been added to 1 side.
Stop when there are 3 stitches left.

Look at the opposite edge of the rectangle and find the 3rd row edge stitch. Overlap first side of rectangle (the one with the border) over the opposite side, aligning the 3rd row edge stitches. This will form the pointy toe. The corners of the rectangle now look like flaps - one on the inside and and one on the outside of the slipper.

Make next single crochet through both 3rd row edge stitches at once to connect the two sides. (The starting tail of yarn will be on the outside of the slipper.)

Insert hook in next edge stitch, AND 3rd edge stitch of opposite side.
Single crochet both stitches together.

A reminder: When making the border on the second slipper,

remember to place the OPPOSITE side of the rectangle on top,

so toe flaps will be mirrored when slippers are worn.

(Starting tail of yarn will be on the inside flap of second slipper.)

Now single crochet up the other side of the slipper, 1 in each edge stitch, until you reach the end. The right side of the work is still facing you.

Stitching continues up the other side.

Last single crochet. Ready to cut yarn and sew heel together

Cut yarn, leaving a 12" tail. Pull yarn up through last stitch. Thread yarn on darning needle and whipstitch heel ends together from the outside.

Hold the edges together for whipstitching.
Stitch the very top stitches together first.

Stitch through the back loops of the stitches until you reach
the bottom of the heel.

Hide yarn end in slipper and trim excess. Admire the neat heel with its little ridge of stitches and the zigzagging seam between.

At toe end, using the long tail of yarn, sew the flap edge down with a shallow running stitch until you reach the tip.

Shallow running stitches

Pass needle through fabric and down through the very tip of the toe...

...then bring the yarn around a stitch and back up through the tip to gently hold it closed. Do not pull too tightly. Keep your hand down inside the slipper to ensure that you don't accidentally sew through the space reserved for your toes.

Pass yarn back into slipper fabric to hide end, secure, and trim. And you're done!

Embellish as desired, and enjoy your new Birchbark Slippers. (Here I am, relaxing in mine. Notice the stylish socks and leggings.)

What the Wisconsin Blogger is Wearing This Winter.

Or make a pair for someone else, and share the enjoyment.

This pair is a gift for a dear friend.

You may do whatever you like with the slippers you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern. If you have any questions, feel free to use the comment space below, or contact me in Ravelry.

Happy crocheting!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~