Have I mentioned that I recently took a felting class?

 Now don't laugh, this was my first attempt.  The process involves laying wool roving over a piece of cotton fabric, wetting it with soap and water, folding up the plastic and rolling PVC pipe back and forth to agitate the fibers so they cohere.  It will eventually become a pin cushion.  Wool lanolin is good for sharpening needles, or so I've read.

The shop offers a wide variety of colorful stuff for knitters, spinners, and weavers.

 Aren't these pretty?

 The next item coming up in the Baggie Brigade, "cue the trumpets", is a string piecing project that's about 10 years old.

From this book here.  Check with your guild members, someone is bound to have it.  It's an oldie but a goody.

Have a warm and sewful weekend everyone.  Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Old joke: What is black and white and "red" all over?

I don't know either, but they sure do like peanut butter.

If the polar vortex has once again found your county and come a-knockin' at your door, please remember to wear your hat and bundle up.  With a low of 19 last night, Spring has not found us quite yet.

Until then, keep stitchin'  . . .

Excerpts from 1922

Ordering Ice by Pounds

It is often a great annoyance to the busy housewife to accomplish the necessary household tasks and still keep a watchful eye for the ice man's arrival in order to tell him the amount of ice desired.  I have eliminated this inconvenience in the following manner:  I cut out the figures ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty, etc., from the large-typed calendar, and when I need ice, I attach the necessary figure to the ice card with a clip. 

A. C. W., Mass.

Good Housekeeping Cookbook 

To keep a timeline perspective, my maternal grandfather was an ice man in Philadelphia.  He carried huge blocks of ice up tenement steps for refrigerators.  Isn't it a wonder that our grandmothers had any time to quilt?

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .  

Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake

A recipe for hard times,

Or in case the storm keeps you at home while low on supplies.

Good Housekeeping Cookbook, 1922.  

Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake

2 cupfulls brown sugar
2 cupfulls hot water
2 tablespoonfuls shortening
1 teaspoonful salt
1 package seedless raisins
1 teaspoonful cinnamon
1 teaspoonful cloves
3 cupfuls bread flour
1 teaspoonful soda

Boil together the sugar, water, lard, salt, raisins, and spices for 5 minutes.  When cold, add the flour and the soda dissolved in a teaspoonful of hot water.  This makes two loaves.  Bake about 45 minutes in a 325 degree oven.  This cake is of good texture and will keep moist for some time.

Until then, keep stitchin' . .  .

On the lighter side of the news.

A bit of spring cleaning was done yesterday.  Unearthed was my paternal grandmother's 1922 copy of the Good Housekeeping Cookbook.

Which had the following suggestion:

"Evening Stocking Darning"

Darning dark stockings at night was quite an ordeal for me until I discovered that by inserting my electric spot-light in the stocking and darning the stocking over the illuminated glass end, the process was made quite simple.  Aside from the light enabling me to darn faster and more neatly, I found the glass surface an excellent darner.  

Mrs. W. G. H., Pa.

So for all of you darners out there looking for a better way to save stockings, please use a low-watt bulb and try not to burn your fingers.

For those of you who do not know what darning means, just Skype your grandma.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .