Peppermint Berries Box

Raymond Crawford's Peppermint Berries is finished!  It looks beautiful mounted in one of Sudberry House's boxes.  I love the graphic needlepoint design and the challenging fibers and stitches I used which give it so much dimension.  Its candy cane border is all glittery and a delicate red braided stitch surrounds it.  What fun!

Boston by the Bay

I didn't realize how many projects I am completing lately.  Nice!  Here is a cute little nautical needlepoint ornament I made recently completed with a little flannel lobster tucked inside - Boston, of course!  Lots of memories grace our tree each year for sure - favorite places, special events...so many good times.

Knit Two, Purl Two

I like how quickly doll clothes knit up.  I can do fancy cables and rolled collars and the garment is still finished in less time than it takes to rake the yard.  I made this adorable poncho and cable scarf for my granddaughter's new Christmas doll from the leftover yarn I bought in Lucca, Italy for her baby sweater five years ago.

I always loved the continuity of using remnants from handmade garments for family gifts.  The first quilt I made - for my son when he was a baby - included bright colors from other projects and the 'filling' is not batting, but a well worn baby blanket from my early childhood. Subsequent quilts included leftover scraps from hand sewn garments my mother made for me over the my childhood. I can remember the meticulous planning she did to get the plaid pattern to go evenly across the arms and bodice of a favorite red plaid dress with white collar and cuffs in junior high school.  I remember, too, snagging the pocket on a trash can while running to my next class and being worried she'd be mad after all the work she put into it.  The stiff patch material she ironed onto the inside of the dress held the tear closed so it couldn't be seen from the outside and all was well again.

The Most Amazing Cookie Ever Eaten

If you are making cookies this year, you just have to try these.  The rich chocolate, just the right touch of peppermint and a dusting of powdered sugar that gets all over your black pants but you don't care.  You're reaching for another cookie.

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies from Naomi at Bakers Royale have a surprise in every bite.  She's amazing!

I have been craving the ultimate comfort food.  I can't imagine one more satisfying than cookie dough. Dip it in chocolate and it is totally decadent.  I don't know about you, but I have scraped the last bits from the bottom of many a bowl and licked the spoon clean, so imagine if I had a private cache like this one from Joy, the Baker, tucked in the freezer for just the right moment?  Heaven!  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Rearrange for a Change

Getting up really early on a Sunday morning gives you lots of time during the day.  We went to the firehouse to fill Thanksgiving baskets for the Lions Club at 7:30.  There was so much help that we were easily done by 9:00.  96 families this year - up from last year.  Still a lot of families are struggling to keep afloat.  News reports banter about 'recession over' - 'wasn't really a recession' - 'unemployment down' - no, it is up, like it is fodder to be juggled to fit the relentless broadcast schedules.  The point of view shifts with the uninformed opinions of the newscasters searching for anything to fill the time.  I thought they were only supposed to report news, not create it. Not worth listening to - have to take everything with a grain of salt.  I can get the real news from the 96 families who need help right now.  Repeat a number like that in every town in Massachusetts and it is unfathomable.  30% of the homes in Ashburnham are in foreclosure and close to that in Fitchburg.  Similar stories overseas.  What is happening to our world?

I am trying to create some order in my little piece of it (the effort of which seems inconsequential now that I wrote that).  Wasn't where I planned to go when I sat down a few minutes ago.  I cleaned, moved some furniture to make room for my paints and easel which need to come inside for the winter and made two batches of grape jelly with the last of the juice from the summer.  It is autumn and my efforts touch both the warm summer and chilly winter.  My bridge spans the seasons.

My Winter Digs

A New Pair of Socks

My first hand-knitted socks!

With tiny needles in hand and soft merino wool flecked with the sparkle of sunlight on sea waves, I knit my first pair of socks. With every challenging step - heel flap - turning the heel - reducing stitches to make the toe, I was thrilled when I crossed each hurdle.

After I finished the first sock, I couldn't resist slipping my foot into it while I was knitting the second. Unlike any purchased sock I have ever worn - it fit perfectly. A cable runs subtly up the back - a secret pleasure since it is fairly well hidden by my slacks. I like that about them.

I finished the second sock while I was in France. For just being completed, they are very well traveled.

A Fond Farewell

My mother-in-law passed away last Sunday.  We were far away in France but she was never out of our thoughts.  She was much loved and will be missed by all of us.  We celebrated her 90th birthday earlier than her August 11th birthdate and it was a wonderful visit - all of us together at Kathy's house.  She basked in the love surrounding her and gave us her heartfelt smiles all afternoon.  What a treasure that visit was!