Month: December 2021

Results

I found a cookie recipe for a shortbread cookie with chopped cranberries and orange zest and in the picture, they baked to 1 cm thick rounds, lightly browned on the bottom. I followed the recipe exactly, the dough seemed a good consistence, it was rolled into the log in parchment paper and chilled for several hours before slicing and placing on the parchment paper lined cold baking tray and put in the oven at the proper temperature. They took about 3 minutes longer than the recipe called for and they spread out to very thin shapes that had to be cut apart.

Shortbread is one of my go to cookie varieties that I make plain, topped with dark chocolate and toffee cumbles, and I thought this. Usually, I press the dough into a lined 8″ square pan and I wish I had this time as well. They are tasty, but so soft they don’t hold together well and may not be appropriate for my planned use. There are still cranberries, I will need another orange, I have the butter, sugar, and flour, so maybe I will try again and press them in the 8″ square pan to be cut into squares after fully cooled. I need a sturdier cookie that can be put in a tin or covered and kept overnight for an event.

My December breed, Charollais for my blanket is spun and almost all plied so I can knit it into a square. The rest of that wool will be used in Gnomes, a cowl or hat stripe. The second wool for the month is a repeat, but is a very dark gray, much darker than the two samples spun before and it is a lamb fleece. This wool is Gotland and I found the lighter gray samples rather coarse, but this lamb is so soft, it will make a pretty last square.

This was taken last night before plying began and before the smaller spindle of Gotland lamb filled up. I need to start a second spindle of it and get it spun and plied as well.

Though I am unhappy with the cookie results, I have thoroughly enjoyed the year long project of sampling breeds, spun on my Jenkins Turkish spindles, and knitting them into squares for the blanket. Soon the 42 squares representing 25 breeds will be fully assembled and shown off here. It seemed so strange to spend Saturday spinning on my wheel after a year almost solely using spindles.

We did it!

Daughter, GS 3, GD 2, hubby, and I drove to one of the local Christmas tree farms to hunt for and cut our trees. We took two cars so we didn’t have to untangle them here or retie theirs to her car. The kids typically walk much farther into the farm than we do when we go alone. Our goal was about a 6 foot tree and one was fairly near the entry, but we walked to the back of the farm, up and down the hills, searching for perfect tree for each house. They were looking for an 8 foot full tree. We both found trees way in the back, got ours cut with the bow saw and carried out to the tractor road to wait for the farm truck to come pick it up. It is in the 7.5-8 foot range. They took longer to pick one and by the time it was cut, the truck was gone. The truck came back by, but didn’t come down the hill. A young couple carried their’s to the cross road, so we took turns carrying DD’s tree up the hill to make it one pick up on the next round. On our walk out, we had some photo fun and got our walk in on the farm today.

DD took another photo here with the three of them and me too. The trees were already wrapped and tagged when we got back and ours had to be trimmed of lower branches and drilled for the stand we bought from the farm a few years ago. When we got home,the kids helped get the tree off the car while I retrieved the stand from the basement and then helped us get the tree into the stand in the place we wanted it placed.

The tree is watered, decorated, rug vacuumed and the stockings hung. An email notice was received that the last gift is due to be delivered tomorrow. One more wrapping session is on the schedule, some cookies baked for my spinning group gathering which due to the newest variant of Covid circulating, may be the last again for a while.

Then I am going to sit back and enjoy the decorations for the month and some family time as it is offered.

Last Vending Event

Today, I had the opportunity to set up my shop at the Wilderness Road Regional Museum Noel Nights Heritage Barn Bazaar. Dressed in my period outfit, with a spinning wheel for demonstrating spinning. The Bazaar was from 3 to 7 and I arrived about 2:15 to set up and was able to choose my spot. Outside the barn where we were set up was a trio of fiddle, banjo, and guitar, and inside the museum were other musical performers.

You never know what is going to be popular at an event. In the fall it was yarn and knits. I was sure the holiday soaps and Gnomes were going to be the popular items tonight but it was guest soaps and salves. Only two holiday soaps and 1 gnome, but also a scarf and fingerless mitts sold. It was a fun afternoon and other than holiday soaps and yarn, not too much stock left and I love setting up in this old barn. If Cabin Crafted is going to continue, some of that yarn will have to be woven or knit for next year and more wool spun.

Over the past week, Christmas gifts were wrapped except for a couple that have yet to arrive and a few small items for stockings. When I arrived home tonight and unloaded the car, the closet in which all of my stock and display items are stored was cleaned up and organized as most of the items were out giving me a clean start. Over the years, my set up has morphed and some early items no longer are used and removed. Some of them had already been sold.

Tomorrow, we will go with daughter and two grands to the Christmas tree farm. I guess our tree will go up a week or so earlier than most years. Later this week, we get to meet our newest granddaughter and see her siblings and their parents.

The holidays are coming. The house is decorated (except for the tree). I hope this will be a no stress holiday.