apple butter and boot cuffs

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I finally found the box that holds all my boots.  Funny how a little thing like a pair of boots (or two, OK, four) can suddenly make your once bare looking closet feel like it is full of possibility.  With this nippy weather and mornings full of frost, a pair of boots really does make my day.  Last week, while mourning the missing box of said boots, I decided to come up with a pair of boot cuffs.  I cast on a  half a dozen times but once I would start a lace pattern, it would all look wrong to me.  I pulled out my lace pattern book and tried three or four which were all frogged.  I did complete this one in yellow but it will never get a mate because I really don’t like it and I took bad notes so probably couldn’t redo it even if I wanted to. Most of that work was done sitting next to the woodstove encouraging Eddie (who is in charge of keeping that fire going) as he tried different methods of starting the fire.  The good news is that Eddie has gotten working the woodstove down to a science so if there is any down time, you can find me there, right in front of it most likely surrounded by little ones looking for a snuggly place to play.  I have moved my tea kettle to the top of the woodstove and tea has become quite the popular thing around here now since there is most always water going in the kettle.  For me, right now, it’s coconut oolong tea given to me by my Alex, oh how I miss her.

I am now working on a simpler style of boot cuff, no lace except perhaps around the top edge, hmmm maybe in a white cotton thread or perhaps a light beige.  We will see.

Today, I have a date with an apple peeler and my favorite soup pot (aka canning pot) to make about 20 pounds of apples into apple butter.  I am blessed to have my friend Charlei’s recipe which our kids loved when she gifted us a jar this summer.  It does not look like any of the apples we got at Huber Farms will make it into apple sauce since the kids have raided the variety I bought to make it.  Apples with peanut butter, apples with hazelnut spread, apples with well, everything.  I hope to perhaps can up some apples for pie making later on and perhaps we will have to make another visit to the farm to get some applesauce canned after all.

I am yarning along with Ginny this week after not having the time to do so for quite a while.  I guess life is finally slowing down as my knitting basket has a half dozen started projects in it already.  I plan to knit today while the apple butter cooks though I need to hone in my apple ninja skills to keep those kids away from the rest of my apples.  50 pounds I purchased, really!  Those kids and their apples.

Thank you for all your comments and emails about our new larder.  Alot of you sent emails about what all is in those jars, why we keep our eggs on the counter, what meals me make and I will answer those questions in a few days…promise.  Oh and thanks for all the love on the free chalkboard labels tutorial, I can’t wait to see what you all do with that.

9 Responses to apple butter and boot cuffs

  1. A Guyra Girl November 21, 2013 at 2:54 am #

    It certainly looks like you have the best seat in the house – nothing better than being in front of a fire and knitting! At the moment Punjabi Chai tea is the favourite here, beautifully sweet spiced tea with citrus peel and rose petals.

    I love your boot cuffs too, I will have to have a look for a few patterns.

  2. Tonya November 20, 2013 at 6:14 pm #

    I have been wanting to knit up some boot cuffs for some time – thanks for the reminder. (We leave our eggs out too).

  3. Rachel~ At the Butterfly Ball November 20, 2013 at 5:15 pm #

    We keep our eggs out on the counter too. I lived in Guatemala for 12 years, and down there everyone keeps the eggs out. Even the large grocery stores don't refrigerate them, you buy them straight off the shelf at room temperature. I figure if an entire nation survives un-refrigerated eggs, and even thrives on them…we can too! Plus we use them up within a day or two of collecting them from the chickens.

  4. Joy November 20, 2013 at 4:39 pm #

    I'll have to check back and see if you find a boot cuff pattern you do like; I've been thinking about making some myself but hard and confusing is not good for me! I'm also laughing at the apple comment too. I can't seem to keep them in the house long enough these days.

  5. greenfreaks November 20, 2013 at 3:43 pm #

    love the idea of boot cuffs. it just never gets cold enough here to even wear boots. LOL
    i have a recipe for apple butter that requires no peeling… which is awesome. LOL looks like you will be up to your eyeballs in apple butter pretty soon. 🙂

    • farmishmomma November 20, 2013 at 4:30 pm #

      oh please do share! I would love to see a recipe that requires no peeling!

  6. Donna November 20, 2013 at 3:39 pm #

    What a perfect picture. A bucket of knitting next to the woodstove. Cozy all around!

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