shalom

 

I finished my first sweater just for me! This Shalom sweater was very easy, quick and fun to knit and I love the 3/4 length sleeves. The yarn is Cascade Ecological wool in Antique and the buttons are fabric covered buttons from JoAnn's.

Confession: I've turned into a crazy, obsessed knitter. Does anyone else knit fireside with a headlamp strapped to their forehead so they can see their work while listening to audio books? Surely there must be some kindred knitting spirits out there whose idea of a fun Friday night also includes these things? My sweet husband just laughs at my silly get-up and even humors me by checking out new patterns to try on Ravelry.

This week I'm working on a collection of forest critters and little red toadstools for the children's advent calendars. I'm listening to Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression. I've read this book before and I loved it then and love it now. For more Yarn Along inspiration, head over to Ginny at Small Things.

around here

Around here we've been busy crafting, knitting, decorating, baking and sewing. Between the Christmas station on Pandora and my Christmas decorating pinboard on Pinterest, inspiration has struck and we're getting in the Christmas spirit.

1. Vintage ornaments and chandelier crystals
2. A simple new table runner, stitched from burlap and linen
3. Little hazelnut gnomes being made by crafty little girls
4. A little knitted forest mouse on the needles for the children's advent calendar
5. A silver cup discovered at the thrift store and sprigs of rosemary from the garden

sunday nights

Now that I no longer work and don't dread Mondays and the start of another work week, Sunday evenings have become one of my favorite nights of the week. On Sunday nights you'll usually find us gathered around the coffee table for fruit smoothies, cheese & crackers and honey butter popcorn. Sometimes we'll play a game, watch a movie (tonight we watched It's a Wonderful Life) or America's Funniest Movies, read a book out loud or have a family sing along while Shane plays the guitar. During football season Shane has to work Sunday nights but now that football is over we're blessed to have him home again with us.

nature trail

When cabin fever strikes and we need to get out for some fresh air but don't want to have to drive anywhere, we head for this short little nature trail near our house. The trail, just behind a residential street a few blocks from us, runs along side Silver Falls Creek. It's not a long trail and it ends up at the city swimming pool and a public park, but it's just long enough to allow us to connect with nature and get away from the business of living in town. Today, my two girls, West and I headed out to the trail together with my mom and sister. It hasn't rained the last couple days which is rare for November in Oregon, so we're taking advantage of all the sunshine we can.

Thankful

 

 

 

 

yarn along: a little hedgehog

Joining today with Small Things to share my latest knitting project and book on my nightstand.

This week school books have made way for glitter, felt, yarn, beads and fabric scarps at our school table while the girls whisper plans and busily create Christmas gifts. And I've started knitting some secret Christmas gifts of my own in the late evenings. Here is my first little stuffie, a hedgehog,, for my 10 year old Mira who loves hedgehogs. I'm not totally happy with it because I think it looks more like a man's head than a hedghog, but I think she'll like it. I have plans to knit all the animals in the forest scene from the book, Little Knitted Creatures. I've just started reading Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Spain by Chris Stewart, a funny non-fiction read about the author and his wife leaving England to live on a dilapidated farm in Spain.

New

 

Yes, I have a new camera! I've been complaining for weeks, months even, to my sweet husband that if only I had a fancy manual camera I could take much more creative pictures than I can with my perfectly good little point and shoot camera. Knowing that we didn't have the money for a better camera, I tried to keep my poor-me whining to a minimum but Shane being the wonderful man he is, is always trying to make me happy. He talked to one of his coworkers, a sports photographer, and ended up buying from him a great digital SLR camera for only $50! Granted it's six years old and we had to buy a lens for it, but it's ours! I love that my husband works so hard to bless me and makes my dreams his dreams too. In fact, he's so excited about it he's been using it more than me. He took the above photos of our children.

Thanksgiving Squash Rolls

These delicious squash dinner rolls are my favorite no-fail bread for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other special dinner during the fall months. Made from scratch using any kind of fresh squash or canned pumpkin, they are oh so easy to make and always turn out perfectly soft. I get so many requests for this recipe I'm posting it here to share with you.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm milk
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 egg lightly beaten
3/4 pureed squash or canned pumpkin
5 tbsp real butter (room temperature)
4 or 5 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter melted
2 tsp poppy seeds

1. Combine milk, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Add egg and beat well to combine.
2. Add squash and 5 tbsp butter and mash with a fork until butter is all mixed in. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix with wooden spoon. Slowly add more flour by the cupful until dough collects and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Knead for 2 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Place in a big greased bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a warm location. I put mine in front of the wood stove or in a warmed up (and then shut off) oven.
4. Punch down dough, turn out on a floured surface and knead for about 7 minutes until smooth and supple. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Cut dough into 4 balls; cut each ball into 6 pieces (24 pieces total). Roll each piece into a round and arrange on a baking sheet so they barely touch. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
6. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Enjoy and let me know how they turned out for you!

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Soule Mama

my symphony

To live content with small means;  

 

to seek elegance rather than luxury,  

 and refinement rather than fashion;

 

to be worthy, not respectable,  

and wealthy, not, rich;

to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; 

to study hard; to think quietly,

 

act frankly, talk gently, 

await occasions, hurry never;

 

in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common

 

– this is my symphony. - William Henry Channing