HOME SWEET SOUTHERN HOME continued Mary Beth Voelker is a writer, a mother, a cook, a gardener, and a crafter. Though originally from Pittsburgh, she and her family kept coming back to North Carolina until God let them stay. She likes to say that while she has often been bored at work she has never been bored at home. HOME SWEET SOUTHERN HOME continued HOME SWEET SOUTHERN HOME con't. next column HOME SWEET SOUTHERN HOME con't. next column HOME SWEET SOUTHERN HOME con't. p. 25 Things My Mother-in-Law Taught Me by Mary Beth Voelker I adore my mother-in-law. She’s a wonderful woman whom we all love deeply. In addition to the many things she’s taught me about childrearing, marriage, and being a woman, she has passed on a lot of practical tips for making a homemaker’s job easier. Here’s a sample. Own your own tools. Both my husband and I come from handy families. At one point my mother-in-law got frustrated with having to go down to her husband’s basement shop to find a screwdriver or a pair of pliers when she needed them so she got her own tools and cleared out a kitchen drawer for them. I’ve had a tool drawer in the kitchen of every house I’ve lived in and love having things handy when I need them. Cook turkey out of season. For as long as I’ve known her, my mother-in-law would cook a turkey every month or 6 weeks. After dinner she’d slice it down, freeze sandwich meat in convenient packages, make soup from the remains and freeze that. At this moment I could pull a container of turkey in broth out of my freezer, thaw it in the microwave, and have either soup or a big pot of rice pilaf ready to feed an unexpected crowd in an hour. Have a space for your hobbies even if it’s just a corner of a room. When you have your things set up in a space of their own, then you can sit down and work on something when you have 10-15 minutes. If you have to get everything out of storage, set it up on the dining table, then put it away, well, there goes your 10 minutes. Don’t stress holidays. Come up with a menu that people like, keep fuss to a minimum, and remember that being together is the point. For Christmas and Thanksgiving she always cooked both a turkey and a ham, made mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and the expected pies. Simple food served with love and family fellowship cut out all the fuss and worry that makes cooks dread having guests instead of welcoming them. Use the good towels. One time when a number of people were visiting for a holiday Mom had gone to the trouble of getting nice, decorative towels to make the guest bathroom pretty and festive. Someone tried to go in the linen cupboard after a towel that wasn’t “too pretty to use.” It was just about the only time I ever heard my mother-in-law raise her voice. She’d made things nice for us because she loved us and she wanted us to enjoy the nice things we had available. �� Joint Warmers by Mary Beth Voelker Thick, warm, and easy to make in slip-stitch rib, these make nice gifts for anyone who gets stiff in cool, damp weather. The pattern is simple enough that even a fairly-new knitter can adjust the size for wrists, elbows, ankles, or knees for petite to plus size and for different yarn weights from fine to chunky. Mistake Stitch Rib • Cast on a multiple of 4 +3. • Row 1: k2, p2 (repeat across) ending p1. •Repeat row 1 to end. Wrist Warmers in Worsted Weight Fits a small-to-medium woman’s wrist 6-7.” • Gauge in pattern 4 stitches per inch. • Cast on 19 stitches very loosely. • Work in Mistake Stitch Rib for 2” or longer if desired. • Bind off loosely in pattern. • Sew ends to form a tube. • Repeat to make a pair. • For a larger wrist add 4 additional stitches per additional inch required. • For an elbow or an ankle add additional stitches for the necessary width. Increase the length to 4-6” as needed. Knee Warmers in Chunky yarn or Double-Stranded Worsted Adult medium-large ~16-18” (to be worn over pants). • Gauge 5 stitches per 2 inches. • Cast on 35 stitches very loosely. • Knit one row plain for a foundation. • Work in Mistake Stitch Rib for 8” or longer if desired. • Bind off loosely in pattern. • Sew ends to form a tube. Thread in 2-3 rows thin elastic on the top end if desired for a more secure fit. Alternately, it can be fastened to the pants with coil-less safety pins. Knitting Tips To ensure a comfortable stretchy edge, especially on ribbing, do your cast-on over two needles held together or a needle twice the size of the working needle. For a loose, stretchy binding, always cast-off in pattern, knitting and purling exactly as if you were working the next row. If necessary use a larger needle. Wash your gauge square the same way the garment will be washed. It’s fine to take a chance on a small, quick project, but when making something that’s going to be an investment in time and money invest just a little more time in project insurance. I had the first nice sweater I ever made for my child ruined when the first time the supposedly washable yarn I was using went through the washer. When I took it out I found that it had shrunk in length and stretched in width. Use the gauge from the washed square to get your measurements right and the garment will still fit after it’s been cleaned. If neck and/or wrist ribbing gets stretched out you can sew in a few rows of thin, round elastic on the inside to snug it back up. If you want pairs of knitted items such as sleeves, mitts, etc. to match perfectly use two balls of yarn and knit them at the same time on the same needles—a good time to break out your longer circulars. �� Christmas Turkey Soup by Mary Beth Voelker A change of taste from the usual, this soup simmers up beautifully in bright red and green with very little effort. Make the stock ahead and the final steps are quick and easy too. Stock 1 turkey carcass No. 128 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.11
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