The pattern for the original Alder Neck Cozy was inadvertently thrown out with some of my old pattern notes.  At first I thought I would be able to reproduce the pattern from simply looking at the project but I was afraid that I would have too many errors that way.  I no longer had enough of the Alder yarn which is DK weight.  But I did have 2 skeins of Red Heart Eco Ways in Misty Violet which is worsted weight.

I quickly sat down to redo this project.  The Erika version uses fewer stitches but is made exactly the same way. I made it in two evenings.   If you want to make the Alder version with DK, just chain 63 instead of 51.  Then simply follow the instructions for Erika.  Your stitch count will be different but everything else will remain the same ( I think).

Erika Neck Cozy

Materials:  2 skeins of Red Heart Eco Ways, Misty Violet 186 yds, 170 m ( I only used a small portion of the 2nd skein so you might actually need about 275 to 300 yds.  Crochet hooks sizes H and J, 2 small buttons, yarn needle.

Size:  One size fits most

Gauge: 5  “petals” = 4″   and 8 pattern rows = 4″ using larger hook

Lower peplum

Row 1:  With J, ch 51. Sc into 2nd ch from hook and into ea ch to end.  (50 sc) Turn. This is the right side (RS) of your work.

Row 2:  Ch 1, sk 1 sc,( ch 1 sp made), [sc, ch 3, dc]  into next sc, * sk 2 sc, [sc, ch 3, dc] into next sc**, repeat from * to ** to last 3 sts. Sk 2 sc, sc in last sc. Turn. ( 16 “petals” made)

Row 3:  Ch 3, 2 dc  into 1st  sc, 3 dc into ea sc across ( you will be skipping all the “dc,  ch 3″ stitches) to las t ch 1 sp, 3 dc into ch 1 sp. Turn.

Row 4:  Ch 1, *sk 1 dc, [sc, ch 3, dc]** repeat from * to ** to last dc. Sc in last dc. Turn ( 25 “petals”)

Row 5:  (inc row)  Ch 3, 1 dc in 1st sc. * 3 dc in next sc, 2 dc in next sc** Repeat from * to ** to last ch 1 sp. 3 dc into last ch 1 sp. Turn.

Row 6:  Repeat row 4 ( 32 “petals”)

Row 7: Ch 3, dc into 1st sc, 2 dc into ea sc to end, 2 dc into ch 1 sp. Turn.

Row 8:  Repeat Row 4

Row 9:  ( inc row)  Ch 3, dc into 1st sc, * 2 dc into next sc, 3 dc into next sc,  2 dc into next sc** Repeat from * to ** to last ch 1 sp, 2 dc into last ch 1 sp. Turn

Row 10:  Repeat row 4 ( 38 “petals”)

Row 11:  Repeat row 7.

Row 12:  Ch 3, dc into 1st sc, *[2 dc in next sc, 2 dc in next sc, 2 dc in next sc, 3 dc in next sc}**  repeat from * to ** to last 2 sc. 2dc into ea of last 2 sc, 2 dc into ch 1 sp. Turn.

Row 13:  Repeat row 4. Fasten off.

Neck Band

Row 1 :  With H, on wrong side (WS) attach yarn with a sl st at neck edge corner into starting ch. Ch 1, working into opposite side of your beginning ch, sc 50 around neck edge to end. Turn.

Rows 2-7: Ch 1, sc into ea st around. Turn

Neck Ruffle

Row 8:  Working in front loops only (FLO) ch 1, sk 1st sc, [sc, ch 3, dc] into next sc, * sk 2 sc, {sc,ch 3, dc} into next sc**  Repeat  from * to ** to last sc. Sc into last sc. Turn. ( 17 “petals”)

Row 9:  ( inc row) Ch 3, dc in 1st sc, 3 dc into ea sc around to last ch 1 sp, 2 dc into ch 1 sp. Turn.

Row 10:  Ch 1, *sk 1 dc, {sc, ch 3, dc} into next dc** Repeat from * to ** around to last 2 dc. Sk next dc, sc in last dc. Turn.

Row 11:  Ch 3, dc into 1st sc, 2 dc into ea sc around. Turn,

Row 12:  Repeat row 10.

Row 13:  Ch 3, 1 dc into 1st sc. *2 dc into next sc, 3 dc into next sc, 2 dc into next sc** Repeat from * to ** around to last ch 1 sp. 2dc into ch 1 sp. Turn.

Row 14:  Repeat row 10.

Row 15: Repeat row 11.

Row 16:  Repeat row 10.  Fasten off.

Front Trim

Attach yarn with a sl st on WS of left front at corner of neck ruffle. Ch 1, sc in same st, working in sides of rows, place 13 sc down edge of ruffle, 5 sc along edge of neck band, and 20 sc along edge of peplum. Ch 1, turn.  Work 2 more rows.  Fasten off.

Attach yarn with a sl st on RS of bottom corner of peplum. Ch 1, sc in same st, work a row of sc along edge as for left front, placing 20 sc into edge of peplum, 5 sc into edge of neck band, and 14 sc into edge of ruffle. Turn.

Ch 1, work 14 sc to neck band, Ch 2, sk 2 sts, sc into next st, ch 2, sk 2 sts, sc into ea sc to end, turn. Ch 1, sc into ea sc to ch 2 sp, 3 sc into ch 2 sp, sc into next sc, 3 sc into ch 2 sp, sc into ea sc to end. Fasten off.

Weave in ends with yarn needle.  Sew buttons on left side opposite buttonholes.  My neck cozy benefitted from a little light blocking along the front edges to keep the corners from curling and to straighten the front bands.

Copyright: Carol Wolf, January 2012

I had promised to post the pattern for my Alder Neck Cozy.  Alas, the notebook that held my pattern notes has been accidentally discarded.  I was cleaning out my bookshelves and, noticing that several notebooks were full, I threw out the lot of them, not realizing that one of them still held my unwritten pattern!  The trash pickup came before I noticed my error. So it’s back to square one, trying to recreate what I did by just looking at my finished item and fiddling with my hook to try to remember the finer points.  I can’t promise that I will ever come up with the finished pattern but I will give it a try.  Now that I am learning how to knit, I’m finding all kinds of interesting knitting patterns I want to make! 

BTW The poncho shown here underneath the neckwarmer is Josi’s Poncho  by Josi Hannon Madera.

Budget Makeover

We purchased our “empty nester” ranch house in 2009.  It is located in a beautiful development adjacent to a small town in a rural section of southeastern Pennsylvania.  The house was 22 years old at the time.  The owner, a single man, had replaced all the major elements but had done nothing to improve the cosmetics. The wall-to-wall carpet in the hall and bedrooms was stained, the appliances were ancient, and each room had the ugliest ceiling fan ever manufactured.  We’ve updated our home in a modest manner, bypassing high-end finishes and concentrating on attractive and durable surfaces instead.

The guest room, never a priority, languished. We had moved in two old-fashioned studio couches so that the grandchildren would have a place to sleep but it was not a very welcoming space.  Below you see the “before” photo taken on the day we moved in.  We used it for storage for several months!

Before

Finally, perfectionist that I am, I became tired of the run-down look of the room.  I had painted it blue and we had installed grey wall-to-wall carpet in the hall and in the bedrooms.  It was looking much better but still not very nice.

After

I started with a pair of Ikea platform beds that I purchased on Craig’s LIst.  With some leftover plywood and scrap faux suede, I upholstered 2 headboards. I also found some black fabric on sale for the bedskirts which I worked so that they had box pleats on the corners and could be fastened to the platform with velcro.  They are both completely lined.  The comforter sets were purchased at Wal-Mart for $25 each.

In the corner of the room, I placed a tall chest that I purchased at auction along with the nightstand for $5.  The chest and nightstand are also Ikea and both were in excellent condition.  The ornate mirror was a Goodwill find that cost $10.  It is very good quality and I hesitated about painting over the gold frame but decided it would look better black.  The round end table was from Target.  It was $79 and I added a glass top for $6.  I placed a small paper doily between the glass and the table.  The wicker chair was another Goodwill find for $25 and was brand new with the tags still on it when I bought it.  I found some blue print fabric on sale at JoAnn’s and made the chair cushion as well as bolsters for the beds.  The sheers at the window are also from Wal-Mart and were $9 per panel.  The floor lamp can be adjusted  and  the light can be lowered by only turning on 3 bulbs at a time–another Wal-Mart item. (My nosy pup, Frazier, had to see what I was up to!)

There’s nothing fancy about any of this but little touches bring warmth and coziness to the room.  A couple of knob racks to hang clothing, coordinating teddy bears, a bedside alarm, and a clothes hamper in the closet all contribute to a good experience in the guest room.  I found an old calandar of Ansel Adams black and white nature photos in a thrift shop and framed them with inexpensive snap frames. And because the makeover was so inexpensive, I don’t have to be concerned about breakage when the grandchildren stay over.

Bodacious Bagel Breakfast Bake

Here’s a great breakfast casserole that will wow your family but is also pretty enough to serve as a brunch for company. I can’t take all the credit for this recipe since I cobbled it together out of several that I found on-line but I’ve renamed it Bodacious Bagel Breakfast Bake in recognition of the changes I made.  Now mind you, this is not a low calorie or low fat dish.  If you are concerned about this, then 1/2 portion plus a small bowl of fruit should keep those pounds in line.  After all, isn’t it all about portion control?

Oven 400 degrees–Makes 8 normal portions or 16 small portions

1 lb. bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 “ strips

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 bagels ( I use “everything” bagels but you can use the flavor of your choice)

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

12 eggs

2  cups milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon  black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1.  In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion on medium-high heat until bacon is browned. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towels to drain.  Slice each bagel into 4 thin slices crosswise.

2. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Place 6 bagel slices into the bottom of the pan. distribute bacon and onion mixture over the bagel slices. Cover with the cheddar cheese.  Place remaining bagel slices on top. (You should have 6 bagel slices on the bottom and 6 on top but I found that the bagel store bagels are too large to do this so I had to stagger them.)

3.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, parsley, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl.  Pour this mixture over the bagels in the pan.  Cover and refrigerate  8 hours or overnight.

4.  Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven 45 minutes or until eggs are firm. ( mine took an hour).  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Serve warm with fruit as a side dish.

This casserole is also wonderful re-heated for the evening meal with a salad or for the next day’s breakfast.

When I saw that Kim Kuzman  was giving on-line knitting classes over at Crochetville, I decided to sign up. I had tried my hand at knitting many times previously and always gave up.  Somehow it seemed that I had a mental block against this craft.  I bought books, watched videos, and even took lessons from Lisa Gentry at one of the CGOA Chain Link Conferences, all to no avail

When I sat down at my computer yesterday and tried my first row, I was all thumbs. Casting my work aside, I immediately gave up and complained to my husband about how inept I was.  He agreed that I seemed to have a strong resistance to learning how to knit.  Later on that evening I steeled myself and tried again.  Eurika! I managed to make the small swatch pictured above.  I know, I know, it’s really awful.  I’m having a big problem with yarn splitting, tension, and dropped stitches, but I think I’ve finally overcome my aversion to knitting!

We’ll see what the next week brings. My goal is to learn how to make ribbed knit cuffs for my crochet sweaters. Who knows, maybe from there I can actually learn how to knit the whole sweater!  I’m not striking this off my bucket list yet–it’s too soon to see if I will actually stick with it.  But at least I’m on my way!

Neck Cozy Project

Having just completed the No Bobble “Bobble” Scarf, I became curious about how that “faux bobble” stitch would translate into a solid color yarn.  I still had several skeins of the Purelife DK yarn left over that I had used to make the Alder Buckthorn Fitted Jacket.  An hour with my crochet hooks convinced me that size K was the right hook to use for my new project.  The resulting fabric was lightweight and airy.  The “bobble” texture from the scarf I had made previously was not really in evidence here.  This time, the stitch looked more like layer upon layer of petals.  Cascading petals seemed perfect for a little round neck cozy with overlapping collar.  I’ve never been a person who enjoys keeping yarn stash ( I get tired of looking at it by the time I figure out a project!) so I grabbed those remaining Purelife skeins and got to work.  The end result is as pictured below.  Now I just need some time to write up the pattern.  Stay tuned!

No Bobble "Bobble" Scarf

Materials:

3 skeins Lion Brand Tweed Stripes, Woodland; Bulky (5) 144 yds/132 m, Crochet Hooks size K (6.00 mm) and L (8.00 mm), Yarn needle

Measurements:

Without Fringe: 60″ X 10″

Gauge:

In pattern, 10 dc = 4″, 6 rows = 4″

Stitches Used:

Slip Stitch ( sl st)     Single Crochet ( sc)     Half-Double Crochet  (hdc)     Double Crochet  (dc)

Double Crochet 2 Together  (dc2tog)

Note: The beginning ch 3 counts as a dc throughout this pattern.

Row 1:  With L, Ch 26.  Switch to K. Dc in 4th ch from hook and into ea ch across. Turn (24 dc)

Row 2:  Ch 1, sk 1st dc, (sc, ch 3, hdc) into next dc, *sk next dc, (sc, ch 3, hdc) into next dc**.  Repeat from * to ** to last dc. Sc in last dc (tc). Turn. NOTE:  If you are finding it a problem to make a hdc after making a ch 3, you can make a dc instead.  This uses a bit more yarn but does not change the look of the project.

Row 3:  Ch 3, sk dc in in base of ch 3, *sk next (hdc,ch3), 2 dc in next sc**. Repeat from * to ** to last (hdc,ch3). Sk (hdc, ch3), sc in ch 1 sp from prev row (tc). Turn.  (You will be placing 2 dc into ea sc in the row.  11 “bobbles” made)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for pattern until scarf measures 60″ without fringe. End with row 3  as the last row worked. Do not fasten off.

Fringe: ( Optional)   *Ch 12, dc2tog in 3rd ch from hook, sl st in same ch, sl st in ea of remaining 9 chs, sl st into next st on scarf.**  Repeat from * to ** until you have worked 23 fringes. Fasten off.  On other end of scarf, attach yarn with a sl st on RS in first st. ( You will be working on the opposite side of your starting chain) Repeat from * to ** until you have worked 23 fringes. Fasten off Weave in ends with yarn needle.

Well, do I have a great pattern for you bobble-haters!  As I was browsing my craftroom bookshelves for a new and interesting pattern, I noticed a little pamphlet stuck behind a larger book.  This little pamphlet, a booklet with two baby blankets on the cover, was something I had inherited from my mother-in-law.  At first I was struck by the pretty shell design of the Boys’ Afghan.  But upon closer inspection, I noticed that the Girls’ Afghan had a very interesting texture.  It was difficult to see in the photo but I quickly got out my worsted weight yarn to work up a swatch.  I was delighted to find that the stitch pattern approximates  the bobble pattern but that the “bobbles”  are actually three chains squeezed between the neighboring stitches. Wow! I really loved that pattern!

Now before we all get too excited, I should say that you will be making a half-double crochet stitch after your three chains.  As we all know, working a half-double after a long chain can be a pain because the chain has a tendency to twist around the hook.  On the other hand, by now all of us “intermediate  and above” crocheters have come up with a method to solve this problem.  I simply work my HDC in 2 stages, holding my chain out of the way with my right hand.  I still feel that this is much easier and goes much faster than making bobbles!  Lickity split I decided to work up a scarf in this new stitch.  I call this the No Bobble “Bobble” Scarf.  It is a nice comfy 10″ across and 60″ long without the fringe.  If you like the chunky fringe, adding it also adds a lot of pizzazz.  The pattern will be available tomorrow but here is a little preview to entice you!

Alder Buckthorn Fitted Jacket

The stitch pattern for this jacket is comprised of alternating single crochet and double crochet stitches. However, you will place a single crochet stitch at each edge.  This will give you a single crochet stitch at the beginning and end of each row. Your edge stitch is always independant of the pattern that you are working.  In other words, place your edge stitch and then work your pattern. Once you begin your pattern, you will always be making a single crochet stitch into a double crochet stitch from the row below and a double crochet stitch into a single crochet stitch from the row below. When you are working increases and decreases you will have to be aware of which stitch (sc or dc) is next in the sequence.

Difficulty:  Intermediate

Size:  Finished measurement: 46″ bust 

Materials:   Yarn: 12 skeins Rowan Purelife Organic Wool Naturally Dyed (DK weight) 50 g, 137 yds per sk., Crochet hooks sizes J ( 6.00 mm) and K ( 6.50 mm), (7) 7/8″ buttons, yarn needle

Gauge:   12 stitches in pattern stitch = 4″,  13 rows in pattern stitch = 4″

Back

With K, ch 66.  Switch to J. Sc in 2nd ch from hook *dc in next ch, sc in next ch,** repeat from * to ** to end. (65 sts) Turn.

Row 2:  Ch 1, sc in 1st st (edge st made) *sc in next st, dc in next st**.  Repeat from * to ** to last 2 sts. Sc in next st, sc in last st (edge st made). Turn.

Row 3:  Ch 1, work edge st, *dc in next st, sc in next st**. Repeat from * to ** to last st. Work edge st in last st. Turn.

Rows 2 and 3 make up the stitch pattern.

Rows  4-10:  Repeat rows 2 and 3.

Row 11:  (Dec row) Ch 1, sk 1st st, work edge st in next st, work in established pattern to last 2 sts. Sk next st, work edge st in last st. Turn (63 sts)

Rows 12-19:  Work even in established pattern, working a decrease row every 4th row (2X)

Rows 20-25:  Work even in established pattern.

Row 26:  (inc row) Ch 1. Work edge st and 1st pattern st into ist st from previous row (inc made). Work in pattern to last st. Work last pattern st and edge st into last st from previous row (inc made) (61 sts). Turn.

Rows 27-29:  Work even in established pattern, working an inc row (2x).

Rows 35-38:  Work even in pattern.

Shape Armholes

Row 1: Sl st across 7 sts, ch 1, sc in same st as last sl st, work in pattern to last 8 sts. Sc in next st, turn. (53 sts)

Row 2:  (dec row) Ch 1, sk 1st st, sc in next st, work in pattern to last 2 sts. Sk next st, sc in last st. Turn.

Row 3-6:  Work even in pattern including edge sts, working a dec row every other row (2X). Turn.

Continue to work even in pattern on 50 sts until armhole measures 8″ from beginning, ending on a WS row. Turn.

Shape Neck

Left shoulder

Row 1:  Ch 1, work edge st, work in pattern for 11 sts to last st. Work edge st. Turn. (12 sts)

Row 2:  Ch 1, work even in pattern. Fasten off.

Right shoulder

Row 1:  Sk 19 sts, attach yarn with a sl st in 20th st. Ch 1, sc in same st. work in pattern to end. Turn.

Row 2:  Ch 1. Work even in pattern on 12 sts. Fasten off.

Right Front

Row 1: with K, ch 38. Switch to J. Work in pattern. ( 35 sts and 2 edge sts.)

Rows 2-9: Work even in pattern as for back.

Row 10:  (make buttonhole) Ch 1, sc in 1st st, ch2, sk 2 sts, sc in next st (buttonhole made), work in pattern to end.

Continue to work a buttonhole in this manner on every 10th row.

Shape Waist

Row 11: Ch 1, sc in 1st st, (dc,sc) in ch 2 sp, work in pattern to last 2 sts. Sk next st, sc in last st. (dec made). Turn.  (34 pattern sts and 2 edge sts)

Rows 12- 19:  Continue to work as for back, decreasing every 4th row 2 more times.

Row 20:  Work buttonhole, work even in pattern.

Rows 21-26:  Work even in pattern.

Row 27:  Ch 1, work in pattern to last st, work next pattern st and edge st (sc) into last st. (increase made).

Rows 28- 35:  Work in pattern, working buttonhole on row 30 and increasing at waist on row 31.

Row 36-43:  Work even in pattern. Work buttonhole on row 40. Turn.

Shape Armhole

Row 1:  Sl st across 7 sts. Ch 1, sc in last sl st made, work in pattern to end of row. Turn.

Row 2:  Ch 1, sc in 1st st, work in pattern to last 2 sts, sk next st, sc in last st, turn.

Row 3:  Work even in pattern.

Rows 4-8: Repeat rows 2 and 3 (2X).

Rows 9-21:  Work even in pattern.

Shape Neck

Row 1: (WS) Ch 1, sc in 1st st, work in pattern 14 more sts, sc in next st, turn. (leave remaining sts unworked)

Row 2:  (Dec row) Ch 1, sk 1st st, sc in next st, work in pattern to end of row. Turn.

Row 3: Work even in pattern.

Row 4-7:  Repeat rows 2 and 3 (2X).

Rows 8-10: Work even in pattern until armhole measures the same as for back. Fasten off.

Left Front

Work as for Right Front, reversing shaping and omitting buttonholes. Note: Begin your waist shaping at the beginning of the 11th row instead of at the end.  This will then be your side seam and the same edge where you will work your armhole shaping. When you get to the neck, sl st across 12 sts. Work on 16 sts and dec 1 st every other row (3X). Then work even until armhole measures the same as for Right Front.  Fasten off.

Sleeves ( make 2)

With K, ch 30. sc in 2nd ch from hook,( edge st)  dc in next st, work in alternating sc and dc to last ch, sc in last ch (edge st) Turn. (29 sts)

Row 2: (Inc row) (Sc, 1st pattern st) in 1st st, (increase made) work in pattern to last st, (last pattern st, sc) in last st. (increase made) (31 sts)

Row 3-4: Work even in pattern.

Row 5:  Work increase. Note: You will be working an edge st and the next applicable pattern stitch ( either sc or dc) into the 1st st for the increase. Work even in pattern to last st. Work increase. Turn.

Rows 6-48: Work in pattern, making increases on each edge every 4th row. (55 sts)

Shape Cap

Row 1:  Sl st across 7 sts.Ch 1, sc in last sl st made, work in pattern to last 6 sts. Turn. (leave remaining sts unworked.

Row 2:  Work in pattern, decreasing 1 st at beg and end of row. Turn.

Rows 3-10: Work even in pattern, decreasing 1 st at ea edge on row 4 and on every other row. Turn.

Rows 11-17: Work in pattern, decreasing 1 st at ea edge every row. Fasten off.

Assembling

With right sides facing each other, sew fronts to back at shoulder seams. With right sides facing each other, sew sleeve caps to fronts and backs, centering caps at shoulder seams. With right sides facing each other, sew sleeve and side seams from wrist to hem of jacket.

Cuffs

Ro 1:  With J, attach yarn on RS of sleeve hem at seam. Ch 1,working in starting chain, sc in ea ch around to beginning ch 1. Sl st in beg ch 1 to join. turn.

Ro 2:  Ch 1, sc in ea of 30 sts around, join to ch 1, turn.

Ro 3: (increase ro) Ch 1, 2 sc into next sc, sc around to last sc, 2 sc into last sc. Join and turn. ( 32 sc)

Ro 4-5:  Ch 1, work even in pattern, join, turn.

Ro 6:  Repeat round 3. (34 sc)

Ro 7-8: Repeat rounds 4-5.

Ro 9:  Repeat round 3. (36 sc)

Ro 10-11:  Repeat rounds 4-5.  Do not turn at the end of ro 11.

Ro 12:  Sl st into 36 sc. Join to 1st sl st. Fasten off, leaving an 8″ tail.  Turn up cuffs and tack into place at seam with yarn tail. Fasten off.

Collar

With J,  attach yarn with a sl st on RS of right front at neck. Ch 1, sc in ist st, sc in ea st around neck.  Work a sc2tog at front and back inside corners,  (70 sc) Fasten off.

Place a marker at the 7th stitch from the center front at each side. Attach your yarn at the 8th st with a sl st, Sc into same st, sc around neck to next marker.  Do not sc into marked st. Turn. (56 sts)

Work about 14 rows of sc or until collar measures about 2 1/2 “.  Fasten off.

Finishing

Attach yarn with a sl st at right front hem corner (RS). With K, sl st along right front, placing a sl st into the end of ea row. Sl st along lapel and around collar, along next lapel and down left front. Sl st along hem, working into the other side of your starting chain. Join with a sl st to beg sl st. Fasten off.

My jacket needed some light blocking at the collar and lapels.  Sew buttons onto left front opposite buttonholes.  Try on jacket and pin collar points as desired and sew buttons in place on collar. I also tacked my lapels down lightly. Weave in all ends.

Copyright: Carol Wolf, January 2012

I wanted to begin the new year with a brand new project but alas, the bustle of the Christmas holidays conspired against me.  I also found myself with a decided lack of inspiration.  But not to worry! My Alder Buckthorn Fitted Jacket was lingering patiently in a basket waiting for me to finally finish it.  As with all the projects we start and then drop, this one is posing a bit of a puzzle for me.  I made copious notes about my pattern as I went along but 10 months later, it all looks like Greek to me!  Bear with my while I decipher my scribblings from last April.  I’m hoping to be able to post a pattern soon!

 Casual Soup Supper Table Setting

Now that the holiday festivities are behind us, I decided to invite some good friends over for a casual supper of soup, salad, and some crusty bread. I love entertaining this way. When Paul and I stopped traveling in our RV and bought a house, we had to re-buy everything that we had given away in 2002.  I decided to keep our lives simple so I have but one set of dishes for all occasions.  White goes with everything so I try to pair it with interesting scarves and napkins and simple centerpieces.  I placed a black and white Pashima scarf on my bare table and added plain red cloth napkins. A quick trip to Pier One yielded three black, white, and red bowls that were marked down to $3 each.  I already had some white pillar candles on hand.  The three bowls make a nice centerpiece and coordinate well with the white square plates. The remainder of my extra dishes are glass. My menu for the evening is as follows:

Various Munchies (Poppycock, nuts, Chinese snacks)

Cream of Crab Soup

Black Bean Soup

Fresh Tossed Lettuce with an Array of Toppings

A Loaf of Crusty Artisan Bread

Carrot Cake

Assorted Cookies

There’s nothing like a casual supper to keep the prep work to a minimum.  I have two fairly new slow cookers that will look presentable on my kitchen peninsula and will work as perfect soup serving dishes. A big glass bowl for the salad and a small divided dish for the toppings also work well. All I need then is my big bread board for the loaf and a lazy susan for the bottled dressings.  Voila! Finished!

To all my friends in Crochetland: Have a wonderful Christmas Holiday and a very Happy New Year! January will bring some new original patterns as well as my usual crafty projects and commentary on all and sundry.