I’m calling you out!!!! On a roll … call, here’s where you can read about the amazing accomplishments of Sisters who earn Merit Badges. “Hear YE!”
I know the holidays are over but I haven’t put away my glampers just yet. This beauty and the birdhouse below were thoughtful gifts from the three women who are the heart and soul of our Coeur d’Alene store.
Doesn’t this just make you want to put your tailfeathers on?
Drum roll for cute-as-a-button Jordan …
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Darla Armstrong!
Darla Armstrong (cowgirlup@21, #4391) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate Level Horse Dreams badge.
“It took me from Nov. 26 to Jan 3 to read The Soul of a Horse as required for the badge. I have read The Man Who Listens to Horses and Shy Boy by Monty Roberts. I found a lot of similarities between all three books and the authors, although I did learn a lot from The Soul of a Horse.
The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 4,690 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—6,500 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
For this week’s Beginner Level Stitching and Crafting/Spinning Merit Badge, I was excited to try my hand at spinning! Well, actually, my legs. After all, spinning had been all the rage at my local gym for a few years now, right alongside Water Aerobics and Jazzercise, and …
Oh, THAT kind of spinning.
Yes.
(I knew that.)
Okay, off with the sweat band and leg warmers. On with the flannel pajamas and slippers I like to sport while crafting. Now we’re ready!
Elizabeth says: I’d love to try my hands at spinning some pure cotton. As a lark, a few of my gardening pals tried growing some cotton from seeds last year. When I was little, we sowed some cotton seeds at home in small pots just to see it bloom & touch it. Probably old hat for some but since I have lived in the city all my life, I thought it was amazing to see!
First time I remember hearing of or seeing a spinning wheel was when I read the book, Rumpelstiltskin. Even back then spinning straw into gold seemed an impossible feat (:-) but it was soon explained to me that was the general concept for spinning cotton into thread for clothes. Don’t believe I actually saw a real spinning wheel until we took a field trip/visit to Mount Vernon?…or was it Montpelier?…
If I find a local spinner I would seriously consider taking a class. It looks like a lot of fun but I’m sure it takes plenty of finesse & skill to make something durable out of soft clouds of fluff.
Winnie Nielsen says: I would love to see this in action. It actually sounds more complicated than I imagined. I am lucky to have my Grandmother’s spinning wheel and I assume all the parts are there. For me, this would definitely need to put me in a class with someone to watch and answer questions. But spinning the yarn that is then knitted into something to wear would be really fun!
Shari Doty says: A good project for beginning spinners is to weave a coaster or placemat with your finished product. This will be durable even if your yarn is maybe not so much! I have a drop spindle I picked up at one of our local missions. Kind of fun actually.
Wyoming rancher Anita Shepperson found her way into my heart again. (I met up with Anita and friends last summer in South Dakota for a weekend of glamping.)
This time, she surprised me with a knitted cowl/neckwarmer and mittens that she’d created using wool from the Rambouillet ewes she raises on her sheep ranch. Fuzzy, warm feelings!!!! Thanks, Anita. They’re gorgeous!!! Love.
Here these beauties are modeled by Saralou, our seamstress/crafter. Love the handmade antler buttons Anita used. But of course! Anita makes her own butter and cheese. She also weaves extraordinary baskets and so much more in addition to running a large Wyoming ranch. She’s what you’d call self-sufficient to the max.
Winnie Nielsen says: oooohhhh, I love these mittens and cowl! The bulky yarn is so perfect for creating these warm accessories. It would be fascinating to learn and see the process from ewe to hand. Anita did a fabulous job!!
Kendra P. Chubbuck says: Good Morning –
Thank you for this post. Very cute and look so warm. Do you by any chance have the directions for the cowl/neckwarmer? I’m a beginner knitter and we have formed a knitting club on Isle au Haut, Maine. It’s a tiny island in Penobscot Bay. I think I might be able to make this item but not sure! One of the expert knitters said she would help me if I got the directions. Many thanks! Have a great day. Kendra
Terry Steinmetz says: I love them as well. Any chance she’d share the pattern?
Debbie Fischer says: Oh Mary Jane they are so cute! Do you think she would share the pattern? I would love to try my hand at making the mittens.
Hugs,
Debbie
MaryJane says: I have asked her for her pattern. Will let you know!!!!
Brandy Ward says: I feel warmed up already! Yes! I would like the directions also. I too am just beginning but have special friends who are “experts” who can give me help. I might even get it done by next winter:) hugs & thank you for sharing MJ
Sharon DeHart Lofton says: I love these. would Love if she would share the pattern. What a talented lady.
Elizabeth says: I’ve been wanting to respond to this thread, hope I didn’t wait too long b/c I am also sold on these crafty items! Anita, you did a fabulous job on these cozy looking mittens & cowl/neck warmer & you chose the perfect model for them. Great job Saralou~they look like they were made for you & the snowflakes in your hair is an excellent prop~it’s just the perfect backdrop there, isn’t it? I’m so envious of all the snow you all have received already.
Anita, I’m going to try to find you on Pinterest & see if you have linked the patterns of your excellent craft works as I too am interested in the pattern. I’m wondering if Anita makes leg warmers as well?
Thanks for sharing yet again MaryJane.
The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 4,690 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—6,500 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
For Step 2 of this beginner Know Your Food Merit Badge, I went to the library and checked out a copy of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbra Kingsolver. Usually, I’m not much of a reader if there isn’t any romance involved, but I was surprised at how much Ms. Kingsolver pulled me in. Talk about a page turner. Maybe I’m having a romance with organic food … don’t tell Mr. Wonderful …
My eyes were opened to things in our food that I never even knew they were closed to. I resolved to stop wasting food, stop buying bad-for-me food (if it can even be logically considered food), and keeping things as local as possible. Perseverance, I think, will be the name of the game with this one. It’s easy enough to do it once while grocery shopping, but to keep it up for a lifetime, well, that’s a whole other kettle of fish, isn’t it?
Speaking of fish, I found a package of frozen fish with the brand name “Fresh From the Sea.” And lo and behold, what did I see in small letters? “Farm raised.” Eh? Whaa? I cry shenanigans, girls, yes I do.
I settled down with a slice of homemade bread and local honey for some more reading. It’s a large tome of information and I didn’t want to miss a thing, so I always keep snacks nearby. Blood sugar can dip, causing the letters to jumble right before my eyes, so I like to be prepared. Plus, when you’re reading about food, you’re going to get munchy. It’s like watching the Food Network without any nourishment, a no-no of epic proportions. I’ve nearly short-circuited the television with my drooling before. Not a pretty sight.
Winnie Nielsen says: I did the MJF Organic kitchen badge 2 years ago and it really helped me get started on making those big changes in my pantry. We are lucky in my town in that our Farmer’s Market is amazing and buying local is both easy and fun. But the real change for me was making that paradigm shift is how I think about what is important for the long haul. Going local and organic meant changing years of easy habits at the grocery stores. Being more intentional and sticking to it, has been the greater challenge. Luckily, MJF has made it much, much easier because of all of the great ideas, inspiration of others and a place to keep getting that support to NOT slip back into bad habits. Thanks Mary Jane! Your efforts and enterprise have placed me on a better, sustainable pathway.
The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 4,690 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—6,500 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
With my herb garden coming along nicely, my trellis supporting my roses, and my home cooking skills becoming more and more polished by the day, I decided it was time to try another foodie beginner Merit Badge: Know Your Food. This one involved quite a few steps, not the least being to grow my own sprouts.
Now sprouts are one of those things I tend to forget even exist. They’re just so unassuming and humble, the little sprout, that they are overshadowed by the larger and leafier greens. But have you ever skipped the ol’ iceberg in your sandwich and reached for the sprouts instead? Oh my, heaven on a bun! And in a salad? Did you even know it is entirely possible to make a salad without lettuce? I know. This is mind boggling stuff. So, when I remembered the very existence of the sprout, I was elated. And growing my own? I’m on it.
Winnie Nielsen says: I love the way sprouts add crunch to salads. Two of my favorites are lentil sprouts and radish sprouts.
Sarah Rhynalds says: I just found my sprout growing jar today and was going to try some broccoli seeds…nice to see we are thinking alike!
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Mary Jane Duffel!
Mary Jane Duffel (Madelina, Farmgirl Sister #3153) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching Room for earning a Beginner Level Crochet Merit Badge!
“I decided to participate in a Dish Cloth swap on MaryJane’s chatroom last July and crocheted a simple grannie square project from cotton yarn.
This fall I taught a few women the very basics of crochet (chaining, turning, single crochet, and working on tension). I have enjoyed getting back into crocheting and am deciding on some future projects for the winter.
The ladies enjoyed the class and asked that we continue with the lessons in the New Year. I find that I really enjoy teaching and look forward to continuing our lessons.”
Elizabeth says: Congratulations Mary Jane. You designed a lovely Dish Cloth; it’s perfect for the Holiday season.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
Love that glamper ornament! Your store is a must visit for me. It looks so inviting and beautiful inside. Currently, I am hoping to visit Idaho next July, right after I retire. Guess where my rental car will be going????
That is great news! Ah, the R word. Love it. Life begins at R.
My husband and I have bought us a used vintage camper. We have had so much fun. We bought your Glamper book. It is wonderful.
How can I get the camper ornament? We would like to buy one if it’s not too late.
Me To! Me Too….I want an ornament too….both! so cute and so looking forward to traveling in glamping style this spring!
Thanks so much,
Regina