A Sweater and a Very Good Book

Lately knitting has taken a back seat to sewing.  Working with fresh, springy fabrics, creating items to be worn and used during the warmer seasons simply seems more appealing at the moment. I go through such phases with my crafting...knitting in fall and winter and sewing in the spring...it's the same every year.  I do, however, always have a knitting project on hand, even in the summer, for rainy afternoons spent on the porch.  Something about knitting while listenig to the pitter patter of rain is so very soothing. The last few weeks I have been working on quilts, summer nighties and even a few things for myself, and I can't wait to share those items with you. I, however, have been forcing myself to work on this sweater for Little #8, which will be very useful once the weather warms a bit. This wool sweater, with its adorable hood, will be perfect for the breezy days of spring when it's too warm for a winter jacket but not warm enough for shirt sleeves.  I am on the home stretch, really. The front and back panels and sleeves are complete.  All that remains is sewing the pieces together and knitting the hood.  I hope to complete it by the end of the month.  I guess I'll have to ignore those pretty spring  fabrics sitting on my sewing table for a few more days.

I have been thoroughly enjoying The Child From the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge.  This historical fiction engrosses us in the story of Lucy Walter and her relationship with King Charles II.  I have such a difficult time putting this book down at night, sometimes reading past midnight; it is just that good!

Joining with Ginny today.

Dear March -- Come In

March is the official month of spring, but it certainly doesn't look like spring will be arriving any day soon. We woke again to a thin layer of snow, shining in the sun like millions of tiny crystals, and although I am longing for the warm breezes of spring, I can not deny the beauty this winter has bestowed upon us.  As I'm writing this, a new bird has come to my feeder, possibly a redpoll, adding another little blessing to the day. So for today, instead of longing for spring, I am going to absorb the beauty of the winter around me.

Dear March - Come in - (1320)

Emily Dickinson, 1830 - 1886

March - Come in –

How glad I am -

I hoped for you before -

Put down your Hat -

How out of Breath you are -

You must have walked -

Did you leave Nature well -

Dear March, how are you, and the Rest -

I have so much to tell -

Oh March, Come right upstairs with me -

I got your Letter, and the Birds -

I declare - how Red their Faces grew -

The Maples never knew that you were coming -

But March, forgive me -

And all those Hills you left for me to Hue -

I will not be pursued -

There was no Purple suitable -

You took it all with you -

Who knocks? That April -

Lock the Door -

He stayed away a Year to call

And Praise as mere as Blame -

When I am occupied -

But trifles look so trivial

As soon as you have come

That blame is just as dear as Praise

Snowing, Knitting, and Reading

With the snow piling up outside and the temperatures hardly climbing out of the single digits, I find myself quite content to sit next to the fire with knitting needles in hand. My sewing room is a bit on the chilly side, and although I have a few sewing projects that I am anxious to work on, the lure of the warmth of the woodstove quickly draws me out of my sewing room and back to the coziness of the crackling fire.

I have been working on a sweater for Little #8 and have the front, back, and one sleeve complete, but yesterday after receiving an order of  the softest, squishiest, loveliest wool imaginable, I couldn't resist setting aside the sweater to start work on my chunky cowl.  What fun it is to knit with this bulky yarn using size 13 needles! It's amazing how quickly it knits up, and the yarn is ever so soft and warm, making work on this project perfectly comforting.  With another storm on its way for tomorrow, I will be very motivated to complete this project, so I can enjoy its wooly goodness around my neck as soon as possible.

And when the house is quiet and all are asleep, I try to sneak in a few minutes, before my own eyelids start to flutter, to indulge in a Victoria Holt gothic romance. The historical settings and intriguing characters are a bit reminiscent of Downton Abbey and Jane Eyre...a bit of a mystery and a gentle romance...a simple and enjoyable read when I'm feeling sleepy and looking forward to snuggling in for a good night's sleep.

Joining Ginny and Nicole.

Summer Thrifted Treasure

In an attempt to keep our home clutter free, I haven't had much of an opportunity to write a Thrifted Treasure post. I do love browsing at thrift stores and antique shops when I get the chance; however, I have been careful this summer to only bring home what I know we need or will use.  I prefer using natural and organic fibers and am always in search for useful things of that nature, and bringing life back to items that were once used and cared for by someone before me is so gratifying.  I thought it would be fun to share what I have found this summer.

1.  We have a small stack of "orphan" bowls sitting on our hoosier in the kitchen that we have slowly been collecting, one bowl at a time. Most of them have sweet little country scenes on them that we just couldn't resist.  They are perfect for a handful of cherry tomatoes freshly picked from the garden, a place to set a used tea bag, a dollop of homemade pudding, or whatever one may need a sweet little bowl for. It's been such fun finding these inexpensive treasures, never costing more than $.99 a piece, and watching our little stack grow as we add a bit of who we are to our home.

2.  At a recent yard sale, I found a large box of sewing bits and bobs...scissors of all shapes and sizes; vintage spools of thread; packages of bias tape, trim, and rick rack;  measuring tapes of all kinds; needles; snaps; buttons...all  organized in neat little bags.  I so enjoyed coming home and reorganizing my treasure on the shelves of my sewing room.  I'm especially excited about the vintage package of floral bias tape, originally purchased for only $.15, and am looking forward to finding just the perfect project to use it on.

3.  Three lovely children's books, picked up in a free box on the lawn of a local antique store, found there way onto our library shelves.  Who could resist the sweet little stories and the darling illustrations?  I just love the one with Mrs. Nibble sitting on her porch knitting.

4.  Finally, and probably my favorite finds of the summer, are my vintage wool blankets.  Some will be used on our beds when the winter winds start to blow, and others will be used for snuggling on the couch and in the chairs. I have picked them up from various places over the summer, and all have been gently washed, hung in the sun to dry, and packed away in the linen closet for cooler days.  With temperatures climbing almost to 90 this week, the wool blankets will have to wait a bit before we can really appreciate their warmth.

Linked with Living Well Spending Less

Sambucus canadensis L. (The American Elder)

"So repugnant to insects is the odor of the American elder that an eighteenth century gardener recommends that cabbages, turnips, etc., be whipped with young elder twigs to preserve them from insect ravages.  An infusion of elder leaves is often used to-day to keep bugs from the vines.

The clustered flowers of the elder remind one of mellow old lace. They give off a heavy, sweetish, and. to many people, a rather sickening odor...Elder flower water is much used by the confectioner...The young buds are sometimes pickled like capers...

The specific name is supposed to be derived from sambuke, an ancient musical reed instrument -- the prototype  of the crude hollow-stem elder whistle of the barefoot country boy.

The same hollow stalks of the elder play an important role in every maple-sugar camp.  Cut into appropriate lengths and inserted in the incisions of the tapped trees, they serve to conduct the rising sap into the waiting pail or sugar trough.

Other crops may fail, but this plant always produces a full harvest, never yielding to the caprices of the season, be it wet or dry, hot or cold."      ~The Book of Wild Flowers, 1924~

After being so inspired by my favorite British blogger and their elderberry cordials (here and here), I have become obsessed with finding elder bushes in order to harvest the flowers.  I spotted a few bushes in my travels, and last week I harvested enough blossoms to make my very first batch of elderberry cordial. I felt like a little kid that had just come home from the candy store with a bag full of treats. Making sure I had identified the flowers correctly, I pulled out one of my new favorite books, recently acquired from a library sale, Book of Wild Flowers, put together by the National Geographic Society in 1924.  I read the portion written about the American Elder and found it interesting and quite entertaining. I was aware of the medicinal properties of the berries and have made elderberry syrup in the past to help with cold and flu season, but I had not known that the older branches were hollow and used in early maple sugaring, nor that the plants were used by gardeners to ward off harmful insects. I was very  happy to learn of the other uses of this bush, and Hubby and I are already making plans for planting our own hedge of elderberry bushes next spring, ideally somewhere close to the gardens so as to preserve them from insect ravages.
I have since found more bushes in bloom and have plans of making another batch of cordial, hoping to return later in the year to pick the berries.  Many thanks to our British friends for introducing me to the lovely elderberry bush and the delightful cordial made from its blossoms.

Trip to the Coast (Part 2)

After leaving the beach, we spent a bit of time touring one of the oldest towns in New England, Castine, Maine, which predates Plymouth Colony by seven years. Hubby and I have such a fondness and respect for the old New England architecture that we would have been content simply driving leisurely up and down the streets admiring all the lovely homes and buildings, but the Littles aren't quite as impressed as we are with that form of recreation, so we made a stop at Fort Pentagouet, presumably the oldest permanent settlement in New England and one with a very turbulent history, being occupied at different times by the French, the Dutch and the English Plymouth Colony.  Of course the boys were immediately taken in by the old fort, and were instantly transformed into "soldiers" hiding out in the nooks and crannies of the remains of this ancient fortress.

As we were wondering the charming streets of Castine, we happened upon an old house that was being renovated by the Historical Society; its porch was full of books and old items that were laid out for free. I picked up a box of vintage, haberdashery items and also some fun, old books that will be a lovely addition to our home library, including a copy of Emerson's Essays; a lovely old (Italian) Italiana-Inglese dictionary, signed by its first owner in 1929, Rapallo, Italy; The Britannica World Dictionary (two volumes) which includes French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, and Yiddish; and old copies of Madame Bovary, an 1895 copy of John Keats Complete Poetical Works, Marie Antoinette, and Romola.  I just love old books and I'm looking forward to a quiet, rainy day when I can find the perfect spot on the shelves for my newly found treasures.  

Our last stop was at Woodlawn, a historical estate that happened to be on our route home.  I was completely in awe of the ten to twelve foot high rhododendron bushes that lined one side of the driveway; the only time I have seen them that tall was on trips we have taken south to the Carolinas. Hubby and I both loved the blue doors on the old carriage house, and we couldn't resist taking a photo of the dog house.  Such a perfect day...the beach, a bit of history, free books, sleeping children on the way home...one couldn't ask for a much better way to spend the day.  I'm so thankful for the opportunities we have to enjoy the wonders around us.