Irish & Linen Stitch

1. I have had this pattern for awhile and it is looking like time to start on it. I am still collecting some koigu yarn ... enough for three separate scarves. One in green, another in blue and also plum. The scarf is worked entirely in a linen stitch and can be knitted from almost any stash of odds and ends. You can find this pattern at Churchmouse Yarns & Teas.   Oh and Happy St. Patty's .... I've shamrocks in the window and on the table and I have been planning my;

St. Patrick's Day Menu 

Guinness,

Chicken Sausage

Scalloped Potatoes & Spring Peas

Irish Soda Bread 

  Irish Coffee &  Oatmeal Cookies

The Irish Soda Bread Recipe came from a very dear little Irish Grammie who makes the bread for the Irish festival at the Hagley Museum every year.

Irish Soda Bread

3 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

1 t. salt

2 T melted butter

2 eggs

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 1/2 c. raisins ( I like golden)

1 3/4 c. buttermilk

1 T. caraway seed (opt.)

Sift all dry ingredients. Stir in raisins and caraway seed. Combine beaten eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork till just moist. Don't over stir. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from pan immediately.

Homecoming Christmas 2011

Above are some pic's of our Christmas tree .... cut, as always, from Pusey's Farm in Rising Sun, MD. The trees still cost $22. I thinned the blue spruce to squeak out a wreath for the front door. I loved the tree this year .. it reminds me of a little fruit cake. Some new children's faces were added last year and this .... Samira, Sandy and my grandchildren, James, Lauren & Asher.

The Christmas holiday finds us with one son home from college and another home from the Navy. Jonathan and Jesse both arrived home on December 16. Jesse will be transferring to a job in the Washington D.C. area. Much closer then Hawaii. Needless to say, I have been doing a lot of cooking for my company.

My Santa workshop was busy too, making hats and mitts for grandchildren and relatives. Wish I had pictures but I was doing good to get it all wrapped and under the tree. I did begin a rather ambitious project to knit an entire set of new Christmas stockings. I have yet to finish the one as I have been stuck turning the heel (I am self taught on this project). But it is turning out nicely and I think I will stop at two and just wear them. I'll post pictures soon.

Christmas Day we visited with the rest of the family at Caelen and Samantha's downtown urban nest. A lovely time was had by all.

A Long Time In Coming

 

Jesse spent Christmas week with us. He is currently stationed at Pearl Harbor, HI. It has been 2 & 1/2 years since he has been home. Last year he planned to make it home for Christmas but was deployed by submarine at the last minute. He just received a promotion and is now Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Jesse Bird.

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We were joined for dinner on Christmas Day by Caelen, Samantha & their daughter. It was her first Christmas.

A Cotton Ginnie Christmas

I completed a special order for Linen Christmas Stockings for Caelen & Samantha. You may notice that she requested 4 (?). I have other Christmas projects under way. I'll have to blog later. Also, this is the first time we will be visiting with my kids Lieutenant Jesse Bird and his wife Gabrielle in two and a half years. Jesse has spent the last two Christmases at sea.

Christmas Weekend I

Mom & Dad took the family out to the Szechuan Restaurant. When I was just an infant myDad was trained by Wycliff in language study before being sent with Mom and I to Taiwan to create a written language for the mountain people. The Atayal or mountain people had been headhunters up until WWII when they were largely converted by a frail and elderly Chinese woman who had to be carried up into the mountains. The Atayal religion taught that when a man dies he climbs up the rainbow and must show God that he has blood on his hands in order to enter heaven. So each man would hunt heads with their long hunting knives. There are old national geographic photos that show stacks of skulls in tiny huts. The old woman explained to them that blood had already been shed with the atonement of Christ. The mountain people became Christian almost overnight and head hunting ceased. But they had no written language and so no Bible.

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There is a tale of Dutch missionaries who first came to Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa). The story includes the missionary's beautiful daughter and a ruthless Chinese warlord but that is another story .... okay ... I'll get Dad to write it down for us. Above he speaks Chinese for his grand kids.

My sister Melissa, who was born in Taiwan, was there with her husband Bryce Craig, and children, Charles, Cherith, Julia & Sam.

Dave & I were also there with Jon and Gabs. Caelen & Samantha were Christmas visiting with the Walsh Family.

The Rest Of Christmas Day

It was a white Christmas.

Caelen & Samantha came over in the afternoon to exchange presents and stay for dinner. Later they left to meet freinds at Longwood Gardens then came back again and ended up staying the night. So glad I had a couple of extra toothbrushes!

Scout & Trouser had baths .... not really a Christmas tradition ... more of a monthly thing. Caelen brought his guitar and we had some live carols.

Mom and Dad came over in time for dinner and more presents. Jeffrey & Jessica joined us too. Thank you Jesus for having a birthday!

Christmas Morning

Slept in .... 7:00 AM.Waiting for Dad.
Christmas Stockings first ... there is no picture of me with stocking because I didn't get one .... honestly Christmas would fall apart without me. In any event I was aware that this might happen so I placed a charge on my credit card just for me. So I expect there to be no complaints when the bill arrives ..... and yes I was very practical ... it was underwear ..... er Victoria Secrets.
Yes, I did some knitting .... Jon would like his hat to be bigger .... he really likes my hats. I was going to sell them online but every time I finish one he carts it off .... and he's taken to making requests.

Jon got homemade peanut butter cups and a PS 3 NBA Game .... David got a scrapbook and some cough syrup.

David gave me a beautiful antique piece of Ironstone and Jonathan gave me a Susan Boyle CD .... they did good.