2020

 December...

Happy New Year from knit and pearl.

~b

 Handmade gifts are the best.

An embroidered flour sack towel and a labeled jar containing Russian tea.

Simple and thoughtful.

Daughter knit and pearl knows me so well.

I have homemade simmering potpourri in my crockpot today.

Lemons, oranges, cinnamon sticks and cloves...such an after Christmas treat.

~b

do you want to build a snowman?

 I got back in my little sewing sweatshop today

 but first it took a lot of straightening and putting away.

My box of felted sweaters was in the way so that was the first thing I tore into.

cabin socks

Did you ever wear a pair of these as a kid?

I really had to work to get all the pattern pieces cut from this one sweater.

I shortened the leg cuff but it all worked into a great pair of slippers.

They will be perfect to put on after coming in from building a cold snowman.

~b

spritz

 Yesterday the granddaughters and I made Christmas spritz cookies.

Spritz cookies are traditional Christmas cookies in Scandinavian countries. They are simple butter cookies, shaped by putting the dough through a cookie press. The name comes from the German word spritzen, meaning "to squirt" because the soft dough is squirted or pushed through a cookie press to make fancy designs.

There was no time to stage cookies with these girls because they were going fast.

Do you use newspaper when you make cookies?

One of our 12-year-old granddaughters made deviled eggs while she was here 

confirming she is my granddaughter. I love them too.

Now grandma needs a long winter's nap.

~b

plans

 Angels from the ruins of an old barn

and Mr. b's woodshop.

Things are busy here today.

There's menu planning, topping off decorations, cleaning and 

the beginning of baking.

~b

Christmas

 Today I wish I could be a kid again

and excited about the fact the Christmas is almost here.

If it just didn't come so soon every year.

I want another month...but for me when it's over it's over.

Time to move on.

Mr. b's newest paint-by-number might just be my favorite...

well until the next one that is.

~b

Friday Post Card

I must have been thinking about The Polar Express 

when I took this photo several years ago 

in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

I have a long train trip on my bucket list.

~b

a seed is planted

Mr. b was talking to our son a couple of weeks ago

when he asked his dad if he had a wood lathe.

 He didn't but a week later he did. 

This was his first project with it using a piece of wood 

out of his bits and pieces pile.

                                                       With a little bit of paint 

I turned all three pieces into santas.

He's out in his woodshop today again so stay tuned.

~b

in the eye of the beholder

 I go to Michaels when I need crafts for the granddaughters.

Their prices are always reasonable with a discount on top of that.

These pictures were on a stretched canvas 

with paints, paint brushes and paint tray included.

They enjoyed painting and I loved sitting there visiting with them.

(I wish I would have bought one for myself.)

~b

sweater to socks

 These sweater socks are fairly easy and fast 

to make from a ruined sweater.

And who hasn't accidently put a wool sweater in the washer and dryer?

They are very warm with a double layer on the sole.

So go ahead and wash that sweater...

I dare you!

~b

Kermit

The granddaughters and I worked on some pretty wild sleep shorts 

last week while we were watching them.

One of them loves Kermit the frog and they are both crazy 

about their three cats.

 

We drove home late last night under a meteor shower which was a nice surprise.

Now it is time to catch up with Christmas here.

~b

getting out

 

Today we are trying to find our routine 

as we take care of two of our granddaughters in the city.

It provides us with a little break from home

and we have a lot of fun remembering what it was like to be 12.

~b

Friday Post Card

 

When you don't have a local bakery 

you take things into your own hands

like I had to yesterday.

~b

I heard the bells...

 Today I am feeling festive and doing a little Christmas decorating.

I usually end up doing this up to the day of Christmas.

I love my tree this year. 

It is woodsy in a shiney sort of way.

Mr. b cut out the barnwood stars for me.

~b is for bells of Christmas

November

~b