The Good Things about a Snow Storm

A winter storm blew through yesterday and we were left with 8" of snow after the storm passed. Another storm is predicted for tomorrow for possibly another 3-6" of snow.
Some think the arrival of these storms couldn't have come at a worse time.....I found some good things about the storms.

pretty scenery......

more socks and sock blockers got finished.......



long cozy, naps were taken.......





and snowman preserves got made :D !!

It will be a white Christmas and my first Christmas here at the cabin in the woods.....both very special gifts and good things indeed!

I wish all of you a VERY Merry Christmas and Holidays filled with love and peace.

Kniepertjes and Sit and Sew Time

My Mom and Dad came to my house for a visit, for what they thought would be a restful and relaxing time spent at the cabin in the woods.....WRONG!

There's no time for sitting around and relaxing this time of year, cookies need making!

I decided this year to make some Kniepertjes, a Dutch rolled (or flat) cookie. Now I really didn't know about these cookies until recently, when someone commented here on the blog about them.

I called Mom and said "what are Kniepertjes?"

She said "oh yea Kniepertjes I know about them, your Oma (Dad's mother) used to make them." I said "kewl, I want to make them too and you can help me." :D

Mom never made these cookies while I was growing up but she did make other Dutch baked goodies.

Kniepertjes are a delicate crisp cookie that can be eaten plain or if rolled filled with whipped cream. The dough is made from flour, sugar, butter, eggs and cinnamon. Some recipes call for a little lemon or orange zest.

I mixed the dough and baked the cookies in a "pizelle" maker, not quite the right waffle/cookie maker, but it worked. In Holland the cookie irons are slightly different but electric now a days like my "pizelle" maker. Mom said Oma would make them in a special hinged waffle iron (not electric) with a long handle, that she held over a flame on the stove.

Apparently where you live in Holland depends upon whether the cookies are left flat or rolled after baking. I decided I would like them rolled.

Mom got the rolling job and as you can see a very practical kitchen tool is used....the infamous wooden spoon!

I run an equal opportunity kitchen with no discrimination and certainly no "slackers".

I needed a taste tester.........Dad got the job!

I think he liked them! :D

I hope Oma was looking down upon us with a proud smile, while making the cookies. I only met Oma a few times when I was younger and don't remember too much of her, but at least I can honor her in a small way by carrying on a few Dutch traditions and making the same cookies she used to make.

Yesterday the gals and I got together for our monthly sit and sew. This month we finished up some individual projects. Dolly and Deb worked on some yo-yo's. Deb also worked on some basket blocks. Dolly actually completed a table runner made from the yo-yo's for a Christmas gift....very pretty made with batik fabric (sorry I don't have a picture) Audrey was hand quilting the Anka's treasure table topper from last month. I sewed a quilt binding.

For lunch, we had broccoli and cheese quiche, broccoli salad and a lemon fluffy dessert (sorry Audrey I forgot the real name of the dessert). Everything was delicious! We also exchanged some Christmas gifts.

Deb gave us each a spool ornament and Christmas tea mug.
Dolly gave us each a punch needle picture.
Audrey gave us each a hand stitched scissor case.
I gave the gals the cross-stitched needle books, seen previously in the blog.

Thank you gals for the AWESOME gifts! I will treasure them always, as I will treasure our friendship and Sit and Sew time.

Love,

Socks, blockers and books

Pheeeww! One pair socks knitted, one more pair to go by Dec 25th.
I'm teetering on the edge of this "Vrede" thing but I must admit the gifts are getting made.
I'm really looking forward to giving them away and passing along the joy.

I finished the socks for this other guy I know and decided to make some sock blockers to go along with the socks.....men....hand-knit wool socks....washing them....laying them out to dry....I started getting a little nervous and in-visioned felted socks.....so I thought, "I'll also give him sock blockers". What could be easier? Soak the sock in some no rinse sock soap, place it on the blocker and hang to dry. :D

I started shopping for some sock blockers and I didn't like what I saw "out there". You could buy wood or plastic ones, neither of those intrigued me....so I started thinking......why not make your own.....so I did!
Now as a seamstress/quilter I must ALWAYS play with fabric ( fiber too lately :D) So I got out my fabric and started playing. I traced the finished sock onto 2 layers of very heavy duty fusible interfacing, (the fabric bowl stuff) cut it out, stitched some fabric onto the interfacing, finished the edges and wa la sock blockers. I choose the nautical themed fabric because this other guy I know spent many of his years on a boat and volunteering for the Coast Guard Auxiliary and I thought he would like it...besides it's "guy" looking fabric.

(Click on the picture if you want a better look)

In between knitting sessions, I read. Actually I like to read a little every day while eating my lunch.

This is what I read. I mention this only because I REALLY like these books and wanted to share them with you...maybe they might find a place on your gift giving list.

The first book "The Christmas Sweater" by Glenn Beck....all I can say is wow!

It's not what you think it is...it's not just a simple story about someone knitting a sweater for Christmas but a great, terrific, thought provoking, warm, cozy, sad, happy, story about someone receiving a hand-knit sweater for Christmas and what they did with it and how it changed their life....yes changed their life....a sweater did that....read the book.

The second book is "The Westbrook Diaries- 1876 Life on a Pennsylvania Farm" and is a transcription by Grace Hatton. These diaries were written by two boys ages 16 and 13 during 1876 who lived in Pike County, PA. (that's where Grace and I live) This book was SO interesting and informative. Grace did an excellent job on researching area history and of course transcribing the boys' diaries......what a great glimpse into the past and of what it was like to live back in 1876. Don't miss this book, you can get it here http://antique-spinning-wheels.blogspot.com/

The third book I found while shopping at the Four Corners Yarn shop in Narrowsburg, NY.... "Knitting from the Netherlands" by Henriette van der Klift-Tellegen. I had to have this one! This book is loaded with knitting patterns, information about traditional Dutch fisher-men's sweaters and the villages these fishermen lived in....great pictures too. As many of you know my parents are from the Netherlands, I was born in the US and any information I can find about my Dutch heritage especially when it involves stitching of some sort is always welcome and makes me a happy gal :D

Speaking of stitching I better get back at it.

I wish you "Vrede" and Happy Stitching!

Baubles and Boughs

I was able to finish these knitted, beaded bracelets over the past week.....I was hoping the picture would show the bead "glitz" better, the beads are so pretty especially in the sunlight. (you can click on the picture for a better view)
The bracelets were knitted with metallic thread and size zero needles.....a little tedious but "playing" with the beads made it all worth it :D
These little baubles will get wrapped up for Christmas gifts very soon.

Now back to some very serious and intense sock knitting.....

Happy Stitching everyone!