Hello to everyone. It's been awhile since I've posted anything; Brandy sent me an e-mail saying hi, and come back again. So here I am. Not sure what to post so I guess I'll just ramble - - - - 

I'm still knitting, mostly socks, mittens and hats. Last Spring I taught myself how to spin yarn with a drop spindle and using roving. My favorite yarn and knit site, Knitpicks.com, started selling a spindle and wool roving for the spinning craft, and that peaked my interest. I started with that spindle, learned some basics, and then branched out to make my own spindle, gluing together a wood toy wheel, wood thimble cup, and a dowel rod with a cup hook in the top of the thimble. It works pretty good and was cheap to make. Just my kind of project. Spinning is an interesting craft. Learning it can give you some insight into what ancestors had to go thru to produce warm clothing, and it also makes you appreciate being able to buy manufactured yarn, if your goal is more towards spending your time knitting instead of spinning.

 It's holiday time and once again I'm searching out basic recipe traditions like steamed puddings, Boston Brown Bread, stollen, bourbon balls, pie recipes, candy recipes. A few years back I posted about making a steamed pudding - (actually the finished product is more a tea-type nut bread and not at all a "pudding"), and this year I made it in the crockpot. Incredibly easy to do, and it can be made in cleaned soup or coffee cans filled with batter and set into the hot water in the crockpot. It's an alternative way to produce baked goods when your oven is already being used, or like mine, doesn't work. The finished bread/cake comes out more moist and doesn't have that dried crust that some nut breads get from oven-baking. 

Two good sites that I just found that are most helpful for holiday baking are: www.joyofbaking.com, and www.breadexperience.com. 

For Thanksgiving I made a beer batter bread for later sandwiches. Very easy to make up: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, melted butter and one 12 ounce bottle of beer.  Stir to moisten, put in loaf pan, bake, cool. YUM! Instead of beer make the same recipe only use chicken broth and replace 2 tbs. of flour with 2 tbs. of granulated onion. 

Happy Holidays to all, and hope that you have a Joyous Season.  Edey

It really is good to see you here again.

My mother makes some excellent Bourbon balls. We enjoy those every few years. The rest of your foods sound good though I have not had them.

Hi eday welcome back cheapchic wondered if you are off for good last week you guess were talking sewing once but don't remember that to well she is this goofie kid my sister cheapchic.

Eday since you have been off cindy my sister discovered nice web pages kinda like you posted here is one you and brandy get your daughter and you to check this out...

www.cyberseams.com and www.wisebread.com to nice web pages first one is sewing and knitting and crafts secound one I don't know to much about it yet but I read some blogs on it and its worth the reading.

 Thanks, Sissy, I hadn't seen those pages before. They look good. Thanks for sharing.Edey

 Thanks, Brandy for the invite, and the welcome back. Edey

Welcome back Edey!    Sounds real interesting all the stuff you have been doing!   I admit I still haven't touched my treadle sewing machine and that was almost 2 xmas ago! 

welcome back  Missed your wisdom and wit .. 

I started vamping up for Christmas baking .

MarthaMFI:

Welcome back Edey!    Sounds real interesting all the stuff you have been doing!   I admit I still haven't touched my treadle sewing machine and that was almost 2 xmas ago! 

 

ditto on what martha said and by the way martha hi there.... Welcome eday haven't seen you for a long time my sister is sissy I am still around.

 Thanks, Martha, Gayla and CheapChic. It's good to see all of you still here. It's good to be back. Edey