A LOVELY HALLOWEEN

A recent sunrise

Halloween was a lovely autumn day, and so is today. I would wish you a “happy Hallowmas,” but I’m not sure that’s appropriate.

Witch Costumes -- Finished!

I spent Halloween sewing a second (actually a third) witch’s costume from a fabric panel (“Eek Boo Shriek” by Carina Gardner for Riley Blake, 2017). The first went to Hazel. The other two will go into my inventory. By the time I finished the third one, I was getting pretty good, if I do say so myself, an example of practice makes perfect. I had a lot of fun making them and remembering happy Halloweens spent with children and grandchildren. And now these costumes are finished and no longer on my “to do” list – a wonderful feeling.

Sophronia (Phronsie) and Lexie were overjoyed to be asked to model the costumes. These dolls are not American Girls, but I refuse to call them “knock-offs.” They are wonderful in their own right. Phronsie is a Tonner “My Imagination” doll, and Lexie is of the Madame Alexander “Favorite Friends” line.

Nick & Hallie

Halloween Fun

I do enjoy a bit of imaginative Halloween spookiness – you know, not the macabre and suspenseful but jack-o-lanterns, candles, moonlit nights, shadows, and friendly ghosts and witches running about. I like the pairing of deep colors – orange, black, purple. And in the kitchen, I like spiciness – gingerbread, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread tea, spicy apple cake, and chili. Oh! – and don’t forget zucchini bread. The gingerbread, pumpkins, and autumn colors get to stay, but the witches must be put away. 

This Halloween is memorable for its “Blue Moon,” the second full moon in a single calendar month. And it’s also the close of daylight savings time. Today we returned to standard time. KW

Until next year

 

HALLOWEEN PASSES QUIETLY -- AND THE END OF THE TAIL (TALE)

Arriving at the farm last Sunday (Oct. 27), we couldn't help but notice that Blaze the Horse was still visiting our yard. Mike even found that he had been in the barn, perhaps to get out of the weather. Clearly, Blaze had more than one point of access from the canyon. So, Mike called Farmer Kyle, who came over Monday morning just as we were getting ready to leave.

We didn't hear from Kyle again until Wednesday morning when he called Mike to suggest that we report the horse to the state brand inspector, which Mike did, requesting any help in removing the horse. The brand inspector's office evidently called the Clearwater County Sheriff, and in turn he called Mike. He said he likes horses and would take care of it tomorrow. Who knew it could be so easy? In the past, it has not been.

*****

Can you believe Halloween is over? I had plans. I was going to finish my Halloween afghan and set out more decorations. No use to think of that now. When Halloween is over, it's over. Out with the ghosts and goblins and ghouls. Back to the shed with the witches, bats, and Halloween fabrics. Now it's time to celebrate autumn with gratitude. Bring out the pumpkins, turkeys, and Pilgrims.

I'm most disappointed that I still haven't finished the Halloween afghan. I'm tired of storing it as an unfinished project. I'd like to put it away on a shelf like a regular blanket. This ripple pattern is simple enough but slow-going in single crochet -- or maybe it's just that my crochet hook isn't speedy. I also feel guilty if I just sit and crochet during the day. At any rate, I can't linger long over it because Christmas is coming. And we must keep in mind that Thanksgiving is late this year -- November 28 -- so we have no window between Thanksgiving Day and the first of December. Ina has realized this, too. She must get organized. KW

BOO!

Halloween is less than a week away. I enjoyed putting together this generic outfit for Hazel -- not any certain character but just an outfit in the spirit of Halloween. And that's the way it was when I grew up. I never had  a costume -- just a mask, and the mask was problematic because of my glasses. They fogged under the rubber of the mask, and I couldn't see. I don't remember that my candy sack was special either -- probably just a paper bag. I kinda envied the kids whose mothers let them carry a pillowcase. My mother never would have gone for that.

The t-shirt embellishments shown here -- the jack-o-lantern face, #toocute, and Washington girl, as well as the mask -- are machine embroidery designs from appletotes.com. The flowers are a border design from Embroidery Library. I love the knit fabric, a remnant from JoAnn's, because it's soft but heavier than jersey and easy to work with. I liked it so much that I used it for all the shirts, and I hope Hazel doesn't mind. The leggings were made from an over-the-knee sock. It wasn't difficult to fashion a candy sack. Her shoes are a genuine American Girl item.

I had a great time with these things and I don't want to move on. Technically, I could make Halloween outfits until next Thursday, but other things will take me from the sewing room, and it's time to look ahead. It's scary how fast time flies. KW

STAYCATION IS OVER

Filigree design on back of my shirt

Mike and Bess returned Friday evening (Oct. 12), and so my staycation with Nellie is officially over. However, Saturday morning Mike and Bess were out early for the opening of Idaho pheasant season. In a sense, staycation continues on a smaller scale, meaning that rewards are always appropriate.

Mike and Ken were disappointed in the southern Idaho / Oregon hunting trip. Mike says he always remembers the wonderful hunts in past years and forgets it just isn’t the same now. The bird population is down everywhere. Not only that, star thistle makes hunting difficult in our region.

Yesterday, I accomplished a machine embroidery project that had become a “buffalo.” Five years ago or so, I tried to embroider a lovely filigree spider web on the back of a t-shirt. I had a horrible lapse of judgement in the hooping and the project went awry. The loss of the t-shirt was no big deal. I immediately returned to the mart and bought another, and the original shirt was repurposed. However, the new shirt just hung in the closet waiting for me to get up my courage to embroider it. Let’s face it – I’m not going to wear a pumpkin orange shirt unless it’s clearly embellished for Halloween!

Web design on Mike's shirt

Machine embroidery is easy, but placement and hooping can be a challenge, and when I’m challenged, I need to concentrate, and this means I should probably be alone. This October staycation was the perfect time to face this buffalo. I watched a video tutorial, read a written tutorial, and then cleaned off the kitchen counter and set to work with the shirt, the stabilizer, and the mega hoop required by this design.

Long story short, I was successful. Yay! Now I can wear my orange Halloween shirt.

Mike was so impressed that he wanted a Halloween shirt, too, so today I stitched a design on an orange shirt for him. KW

AND NOW IT'S NOVEMBER

This morning -- the weather changes

BAM-BAM-BAM

If it hadn't been Halloween, I might have been a little frightened, but I knew it was trick-or-treaters, so I answered the door without trepidation. There were three of them, one much taller than the other two and costumed head to foot as a red, furry Elmo. Frankly, I was so overwhelmed by “him” that I really didn’t notice the other two. “Be careful on the steps,” one of the short ones said to Elmo, taking the words right out of my mouth. (I wasn’t sure Elmo could see very well.)

And that was it. That was the extent of our Halloween “guests.” Had I known at the time, I might have been more generous with our limited supply of candy. We don’t invest in much Halloween candy because we seldom get trick-or-treaters at this house.  

But Mike and I have our traditions. We had chili and pumpkin ice cream dessert for supper. Mike settled down to watch the World Series while I tried to crochet but eventually fell asleep.

Anyway, it’s over, and today Mike will take down our outdoor decorations and I will put away the witches and their huts and alter the indoor display to reflect harvest and Thanksgiving themes. I look forward to it. According to my email messages from handwork sites, I have just 8 weeks until Christmas, and that means my fictional grandmother, “Ina,” has to get cracking. In fact, I’m in panic mode because it’s just not much time for Ina to accomplish her work. Ina is the star of my advent story, and it's a month away, much of the preparation must be done in advance.

On October 29, 1935, Great-aunt Bertha wrote from her home at Gilbert, Idaho, “This a.m. we found the ground white and an inch or two of snow and still coming at 9:00 a.m.” She goes on to say that there’s also a light dusting of snow at Orofino. On the same date this year (Sunday), Mike remarked that he had hunted in shirt sleeves. You never know at this time of year, but the weather lady out of Spokane says things are changing now. In fact, they’re predicting snow over the Cascades in a day or two. Gone are the warm afternoons.

On the house side of the shed

On the back side of the shed

Well, we’re snug in our little house. Mike advised me this morning to keep the fire in the little stove burning, pointing to the woodpile full of pine. I pointed out that this is a new way of thinking for me because in the past we’ve tried to conserve the wood. He counters that this year we have plenty of it, though, and it burns quickly. It should be used, he says, and it's easier to keep the fire going that to continually re-start. Well, it's fine by me -- AND, though we probably don't like to think about it, there’s plenty more where this came from, standing burned and rotting. KW

CELEBRATING THE SEASON

Burning bush at the front door

My goal for 2016 was to finish – finish, finish, finish – the unfinished projects I have stored in plastic boxes since I began to wield needle and hook. I will NEVER re-visit that goal again. I WAS MISERABLE!!

Oh! Indeed I did finish things, and that was satisfying. I finished the “bridal” afghan for daughter Hallie, begun in 2009. I finished the doll quilt I started in 1955, a buffalo passed to me from my mother. And I finished a panel doll I ordered from The Chocolate Soup, a shop in New York City, in 1966. (To show you how deeply entrenched these things can become, I couldn’t bring myself to toss the envelope in which the panel was mailed to me those 50 years ago simply because it had become so familiar amongst my treasures.)

But – I lost a lot of inspiration, and that inspiration is so important to happiness. I wouldn’t let myself start projects that took my fancy for fear of inability to finish. I actually became afraid. And I also came face to face with the time crunch. -- you know the voice that asks, “How much longer do you think you have anyway?” And really, I don’t believe in living like that.

Nellie & Bess taking morning naps

Well, it was something I had to work through. I came to see that I’m only responsible to myself. I can afford to dabble if that’s what I want to do, and the finish really doesn’t matter -- at least, not all the time.

Daughter Hallie chided me a bit for saying I wouldn’t finish the Halloween afghan before Halloween. Well, I was late starting it, and I have a few other things I want to do. I can’t sit all day and crochet. I have to have a variety of activities. (And I have a husband who likes to go places and do things.)

My Halloween celebration

But then Hallie said something – or implied something – which made me realize that the act of making is in itself a celebration, not just the end product. That was a revelation to me. With my new mindset, I have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the season by crocheting on my Halloween afghan. Its colors – black, orange, yellow, and white – add seasonal color to the house, even though it’s a work in progress. But – it does indeed grow slowly. KW