Time Flies...

...especially when you are on vacation! I seem to not only be getting older, but correspondingly slower. I have the house all to myself this week, but just don't seem to be getting that much done. Of course, it could partially be because of the frequent breaks I've been taking for morning coffee, checking on the elk, checking email, reading the paper, lunch, knitting break, scanning old family photos into the computer, snack break, phone calls, checking Ravelry, getting distracted by Yard Crashers and/or Paula Deen, dinner, checking email again, looking up and importing recipes into The Recipe Manager, (my recipe program,) checking Ravelry again, running to town for cleaning supplies that I forgot to get when I was there over the weekend, soaking in the hot tub, and watching reruns of Bones. (Oh, and blogging, of course.) Still, I've only gotten about half of my to-do list checked off, and my vacation time is already three quarters over. Well, what's to be done, but soldier on. With frequent mental health breaks, of course. ;-)

A New Baby Arrives!

A new Sasha baby, that is. It is my 5 year old granddaughter, Ella's, first Sasha. Ella has named her new baby either Rose Amanda, or Amanda Rose, depending on her whim at the moment. Regardless, we have been calling her baby Rose, and not surprisingly, baby's favorite color is, well....rose! Baby Rose was adopted from Dorisanne Osborn. Dorisanne sent some cute little things along with her. The yellow crocheted dress she is wearing is one of those items. I have also contributed a couple of things I had on hand, including a white flannel diaper and a rose print receiving blanket, so at least baby Rose doesn't have to go around in her birthday suit. Undoubtedly, though, a suitable wardrobe must be gotten underway, and as far as Ella is concerned, the sooner the better!

I am off work for two weeks, and although I plan on doing some serious house cleaning, I also hope to find time to make a few additions to Baby Rose's wardrobe. Stay tuned for further updates!

Rescuing Harley

This is Harley, a seven month old chocolate labrador, who was recently staying here at the farm. His original owners took him without realistically considering how quickly he would grow from a cute little puppy into a rather large dog who needs a lot of exercise and room to run. I fell in love with him...who could resist those warm brown eyes, and that tongue-lolling doggie smile? Well, my hubby, for one, which is why he was only a foster-dog and not a permanent fixture!

I can't say it was easy to let him go, but I know it was best thing for Harley. During the brief time he was with me, though, I enjoyed his company more than I can say. When I sat outside on the old garden bench, he sat on the bench with me, his head, or sometimes his entire body, resting on my leg. When he wasn't trying to be a lap dog, he rolled around on the ground near my feet, playing with a toy made from a few old socks rolled up and knotted inside another old sock. He liked me to play tug of war with the sock toy, but his favorite game was fetch. I'd throw a tennis ball for him over and over, and he'd race after it and bring it back every time. He never tired of that game, even if I did! When my arm got tired of throwing, I'd distract him by taking a long walk over the farm. He was like Pooh's friend, Tigger, not running through the fields, but bouncing through them, in an exuberant display of unadulterated doggie joy.

Harley has since moved on to his new home, with a 20-something young man, who loves to go duck and pheasant hunting. He and his friend, who trains hunting dogs, were impressed with Harley's retrieving skills. For such a young dog, they say he is already displaying a lot of promise as a hunting companion. I'm thrilled that he's found such a good home and will be with someone who'll give him plenty of opportunity to do what he loves and was bred to do. He was only with me for a month, but he won't be forgotten. Have a great life, Harley...I'll miss you!

Summer Crochet for Sasha Baby

Earlier this summer, on the Ravelry "Sasha Friends" group, a few of us decided to do a Summer doll project. It could be anything we wanted, so long as it was for one of the Sasha dolls, and could be worn in the summer. I chose to crochet something for Sasha Baby. Although there are a number of people doing knitting patterns for the Sasha dolls, crochet patterns are a bit harder to come by, so I decided to try making one up myself. For inspiration, I looked through my patterns for real babies. I found a couple I liked that were worked from the neck down. I've done several lacy little doll dresses for the Tonner 10" Ann Estelle dolls that were worked that way, and I felt very comfortable with the style, so I decided to give it a try.

It came out rather well, and for once, I remembered to write the instructions down as I went along, so I'm sharing the pattern for those who might enjoy crocheting a dress or top for their Sasha Baby. Feel free to direct friends here to get the pattern, but please do not sell it! If you find a mistake in my directions, please let me know so that I can correct it, and keep in mind that I am not a professional designer! I will be adding a pattern for the diaper cover later, as it still has a few kinks that need to be worked out. For friends in the UK, please remember that here in the US we use different terms. Our double crochet is, I believe, your treble, and our single crochet is your double. (Or something like that!) Without further ado, here is the pattern:

Lacy Crocheted Summer Top or Dress for Sasha Baby

Materials: 1 ball #10 crochet cotton

#7 Steel crochet hook (1.5 mm)

Gauge is not critical, as the lacy fabric is pretty stretchy, and you can try the yoke on the doll for fit before you start the shells. Mine is 9 dc = 1" and there is about 5/8" from the center of one shell st to the center of the next one.

Shell St = (2dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same st

Picot St = (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch 2 space

Row 1- Ch 43, sc in 2^nd ch from hook and in each ch across, (42 sc) ch 3, turn

Row 2- Dc in next 2 sts, *(2dc in next st, dc in next 4 sts,) repeat from * 9 more times, dc in last 3 sts, (53 sts) ch 3, turn

Row 3- Dc in next 3 sts, *2dc in next st, 1dc in next 4 sts,) repeat from * 9 more times, dc to end, (63 sts) ch 3, turn

Row 4- Repeat Row 3, (75 sts)

Row 5- Dc in bottom of ch 3 turning, (1/2 shell made,) *(skip next st, shell in next st,) repeat from * across, ending with 2 dc on top of ch 3 from last row, (35 shells, plus ½ shell at each end) ch 3, turn

Row 6- Dc in bottom of ch 3, shell in next 5 shells, ch 3, (forming underarm,) skip nine shells, shell in next 7 shells, ch 3, skip nine shells, shell in last 5 shells, 2dc on top of ch 3 from last row, ch 3, turn

Row 7- Dc in bottom of ch 3, shell in next 5 shells, dc in each of 3 underarm chs, shell in next 7 shells, dc in each of 3 underarm chs, shell in last 5 shells, 2 dc in top of ch 3 from last row, ch 3, turn

Row 8- Dc in bottom of ch 3, shell in next 5 shells, shell in center dc of underarm sts, shell in next 7 shell, shell in center dc of underarm sts, shell in next 5 shells, 2 dc in top of ch 3 from last row, ch 3, turn.

Row 9- Dc in bottom of ch 3, shell in each shell across, 2 dc in top of ch 3 from last row, ch 3, turn.

Row 10 and subsequent rows – Repeat row 9

Work a total of 13 rows for a top or 17 for a dress.

Edging: Attach thread at neck edge on Right hand side of dress back. With outside of dress facing you, work a row of sc down the back edge of the dress. When you reach the bottom corner, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner st, (picot made,) then working across the bottom of the dress, *(sc in top of each dc of shell, picot in ch 2 space of shell,) repeat from * around to left corner of dress back, work picot in top of ½ shell, then turn and sc up the left back. When you reach the yoke, make a button hole at the bottom and another at the top neck edge, by working a sc, ch 2, sk a space, sc. Fasten off and work ends in. Sew tiny buttons to right back yoke under button holes

Knitting for Sasha

I've loved and collected dolls nearly from the time I was big enough to hold one. One of my all time favorite dolls is the Sasha doll, designed by Sasha Morganthaler, and manufactured at various times by Gotz, in Germany, and Frido or Trendon, in England. Sadly, these dolls are not in production at this time, but they are still widely available on the secondary market, and have an enthusiastic following on the web.

A large part of my enjoyment of the dolls I collect is derived from clothing them and collecting or making accessories for them. Sewing and knitting for Sasha and her brother, Gregor, is particularly satisfying, as the dolls are both well proportioned and easy to pose. They do not require a stand and are so well balanced, they can even stand on their heads!

Recently, I have been participating in a KAL with the Sasha group on Ravelry, and have just finished this sweater for my latest Gregor, a brunette boy from the 1969 Trendon production. He has had a rough life up until now, and has the scars to prove it. His hands and feet have slight chew marks, there is a dent on his upper right shoulder, and when he arrived, he had several ink and marker "bruises", which have finally faded with repeated applications of Oxy 10. He's apparently been the client of a young barber-in-training at some time or another, and still has a spot of shorter hair at the back of his head as a souvenir of that adventure. He also has a few spots where the hair just wants to stick up, no matter how long I keep his nylon stocking cap on, in an effort to convince it to lay flat. He is still a very handsome boy, though, and I'm happy to have him. He tells me that his name is Harry.

Anyway, getting back to Harry's new sweater, it is made of Telemark wool, from Knit Picks, in a nice shade of blue green, called Fjord Heather. The pattern I used is "Guernsey Fest" from Sirikind.com. I really love this pattern, and think I will be using it a lot. It is fun to knit, has lots of style options, sizes to fit both the Sasha dolls and American Girl dolls, and at the time of this writing, at least, the $5.95 purchase price is being donated to "Room To Read."

I started my sweater on October 5th, and finished it on October 12th. I primarily knit on it during my lunch hours at work, and for the occasional hour or so on the few evenings that I had something I wanted to watch on television. I knit the turtlenecked version. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the crocheted cast off that was used to finish the turtleneck collar. It does give a nice stretchy edge, but I just don't like the way it looks. In all fairness, it's the first time I've ever done a crocheted cast off, so maybe I'm just not doing it correctly. I'll have to do a search and see if I can find video instructions. In the meantime, Harry thinks it's lovely and warm, and is not as picky about the finishing details as I am!

Winter Warmth

Okay, I admit it. Winter has never been my favorite season, and now that I’m older, it’s pretty much lost any attraction it ever held for me. The cold is not invigorating as it once was. Now it just bites unpleasantly. The lack of sufficient sunlight hours leaves me feeling lethargic and reluctant to leave my warm bed in the mornings. Although I still think that snow falling silently to the ground is beautiful to behold, I no longer want to get out and play in it. I’m more than content to watch it from inside the house. Ice is no longer a venue for winter sports, but has instead become the enemy, having dropped me unceremoniously to the frozen ground twice this year...so far. No permanent damage done, but I don't like to tempt fate, so I've ordered a pair of "Yak Trax" for my boots, as insurance against the third time being a charm.

Having said all that, there are some things about winter that I do like. For instance, a nice, long soak in the hot tub will leave you pleasantly warm and toasty just before bed in the winter. In the summer, it will leave you gasping for breath and cranking up the air conditioning. The warmth of a fire in the woodstove is hard to beat at the end of a cold winter’s day. It’s wonderful to be able to pull a rocker up in front of the stove, prop my feet on the hearth, and read or knit away an afternoon or evening, with a mug of tea or hot chocolate and a plate of warm, fresh scones close at hand. Add a cozy afghan and an Ott light, and winter becomes downright inviting!

Speaking of knitting, I’ve been doing quite a bit of it lately. My mother has new hand knit cotton dishcloths made from two different patterns, Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth, and Home Spun Living's Waffle Knit dishcloth. Many members of my Sasha family are now attired in warm winter woolies. Most recently, I’ve been working on knitted toys for my grandchildren for Easter. The two middle boys are getting knitted Sack Boys from a pattern by Alan Dart and the two youngest are getting knitted animals from patterns by FuzzyMitten.com. My first one, a Chocolate Bunny, is finally finished, and pictured above. The Fuzzy Mitten patterns are so cute, and so much fun to knit, I’m afraid they could easily develop into an addiction!

Another pleasant, but far more dangerous activity for a cold winter’s day is baking. When I have the time, I really love to bake. Lately, cakes, pies, hot rolls, brownies, and multiple batches of fudge have been rolling out of my kitchen with alarming frequency. For the past week, I have been thinking longingly of fresh, hot from the oven cinnamon rolls, and my Mom’s apricot fried pies. Mmmmmm! Fortunately, I know from experience that once it begins to warm up, and stay light longer, the baking gene will go dormant again. I just hope that happens before I have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe!

In the meantime, I’ll share with you my Mom’s recipe (which came from her Mom,) for her wonderful fried pies. We love the cooked filling, made with dried apricots or apples, but you can actually use any fresh fruit pie filling recipe, or any canned fruit pie filling.

Fried Pies

3 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Cup Crisco shortening
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda

Mix flour and salt, cut in Crisco until the consistancy of cornmeal.

Add baking soda to buttermilk. Add a little at a time to flour mixture until a soft dough forms, (you may not need to use all of the buttermilk mixture.) Pinch off pieces of the dough, and roll into saucer sized circles. Spread pie filling onto center of each circle, fold over, wet the outside edge and seal with fingers or a fork. Fry in a small amount of crisco, preferably in an iron skillet, until brown. Turn over and brown other side. Remove to paper towels to drain and serve warm.

Happy Fall!

Fall has hit Central Illinois in full force. The leaves have changed color. The wind howls around the eaves of my cottage, and rattles the windows, as if longing to come in out of the darkness. I love this time of year. I revel in the crisp fall air, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the juicy red apples, and the bright, heartbreakingly beautiful days. 

Here on the farm, the harvest is winding down. One by one, the surrounding fields have given up their bounty of corn and beans. The last cutting of hay is stacked in the barn. From the upstairs windows, I can now see a patchwork of empty fields, stretching endlessly out, like a quilt worked in brown, gray, and beige, broken up here and there with borders of orange, red, and gold leaved trees.

Thoughts of cold winter nights have me washing flannel sheets, checking to make sure all the storm windows are closed, and making myself a note to call "Mr Chimney" to get the wood stove ready for the winter season. Soon I'll be coming home in the dark, and staying there to knit, bake cookies with my grandchildren, or just sit by the wood stove with my feet propped up, looking at seed catalogs, and dreaming of Spring, but I am not quite there, yet. For right now, there are still leaves to be jumped in, hot cider to be sipped, and hot dogs to be roasted, so this weekend, I'll wish my sister a Happy Halloween birthday, and wish all of you a happy fall!