Merry Christmas

 

 

 

 

Wishing everyone a very Happy Holiday season and many blessings and good health in the New Year :) 

Fall Harvest Table Runner

 

Just finished this fall harvest scene table runner as a special order for a Christmas gift.  Think I'm going to have to make one of these for myself.........

Snow Days

It's a beautiful day.....

 



Pulse Purse

Last year I made my first ever purse.  I've always wanted to crochet a purse I just didn't know how to go about doing it.  It all looked so complicated to me.  Barb gave me the DVD for Christmas 2 years ago "Mosaic Crochet" with Lily Chin.  Loved the patterns this technique created and just had to try it for myself !! 

 

I thought I'd make a large potholder.  This is side one....

 

This is side two.  Loved the technique and while working on it thought why can't I make this into a larger rectangle, seam it down the sides, square off the bottom and add handles and a lining!!

 

 

So I did and this is my first ever purse !!! It is worked it in Navy, Forest Green and Natural size 10 Aunt Lydia's crochet thread.

 

 

It even took first place at The Great Frederick Fair !!

So I submitted the design to Interweave Crochet magazine and was very surprised when they contacted me interested in buying the pattern.  Marcy Smith chose the colors they had in mind for the Winter 2014 issue and sent them to me.

 

They are Burgundy, Peacock and Silver

So I got busy on it and in every spare moment I had was working on it to meet the deadline.

 

 

About 3 weeks later here is the finished product !!

Love how the colors look together. 

 

(Photo by Harper Point)

 

And here is the purse as it was shown in Interweave Crochet Winter 2014 issue which just came out this week. 

 

A special thank you to Marcy Smith, Lindsey Jarvis, Sonja Rosenberger, Allison Mackin, Sarah Read, Connie Goldstein and the many others who were so easy to work with and so helpful.  I'm hoping we can work together in the future. 

 

This pattern is also featured as a Crochet-Along at the following link.

Also the magazine can be purchased at local craft stores or by going to:

 

 

http://www.interweavestore.com/interweave-crochet-winter-2014?_iwcspid=146932

 

 

http://www.crochetme.com/content/Crochet-Along.aspx

 

 

 

Fried Soybeans

I got around to frying some soybeans we saved off the combine today.  It's pretty easy to do, just takes a little while.  First you soak them overnight, 1 cup soybeans in 4 cups water and 2 T salt. Then next morning drain them and put them on some paper towels, I spread them out over a cookie sheet and wait an hour. Then turn up the heat on the fryer to high and lower them in....

 

 

When they are getting done, after about 10 minutes, they will slowly start rising to the top of the oil. 

When they are all to the top take them out and put them in a bowl with some paper towels in the bottom to absorb the extra oil.

 

 

Sprinkle with a little Popcorn salt and enjoy !!  They are really good when warm but will keep a long time in glass jars also.  They make great gifts :) 



Beautiful Fall Days

We have had some beautiful days lately.  Last Monday morning we had a huge frost.  This is down off Renn Road where we were working.

 

 

I believe the mums were at their peak this week before the rain this morning.

 

 Was able to get the plants cozy in the greenhouse week before last....

 

 

.....and also my chair collection in the barn for the winter.

 

 

The town of Burkittsville was very pretty the evening we were shelling for a neighbor.

 

 

And also a very pretty sunset coming home from Renn Road one night. 

 



Shelling corn

 

Even tho we had almost 6 inches of rain it was fit to combine again today.

 

 

The trailers filled up pretty fast so we each shelled our own loads and took them to the mill so the combine didn't have to be sitting so long.

 

 

It was hard to believe the yield monitor at times it really got up there going across the field. 

 

 

What a shame to have such good yields and the prices are half of what they were just two years ago !!!  That's farming !! 

 

Another busy week

It's been another busy week around here.

 



 

 

I got a couple of crochet lampshades finished...

 

 

and a purse. Needs some tweaking on this pattern but I like it and it's very quick and easy to make

 

Since we got a little shower of much needed rain on Monday and it wasn't fit to cut soybeans Rick sowed some wheat.

 

 

Charlie rode a little while but he seemed to like watching better.

 

 

and also playing.

 

 

Addie and Charlie picked their Jack B Little pumpkins in the afternoon

 

 

We have had some of the most beautiful sunsets lately

 

 

 

Then on Thursday we got more rain..... a LOT more rain.... over 5" and still getting some showers !!

 

That gave me time to do some wood crafting

 

and also rearrange some shelves to display some salt & pepper sets

 

 

Then yesterday we went to a farm auction

 

 

I got another chair to add to my collection, this one needs some paint....another project !!

 

Also bought a box lot and these were just some of the goodies in it.

More rain in the forecast for this week so maybe I can get lots more crafts made for the upcoming shows.