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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!:  Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 05 2008 : 09:36:23 AM
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Linny O'Hara has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Knitting badge!
"Using Caron's 'Simply Soft' yarn, I knitted a mint green washcloth in stockette stitch, and crocheted a beige trim all around it using single, half-double, double, and triple crochet stitches.
It turned out a lot prettier than I thought it would. I was also pleased to see that the colors I chose really do match my mother's bathroom colors; so I'm planning to make her a set of them, along with some bath slippers. I will buy some bath towels and trim the ends to match, too."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 11:15:34 AM
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Dawn McKinney has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Buttoned Up badge!
"I made a super funky-junky bracelet using buttons that a fellow farmgirl gave to me!
It's cool as heck!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 12:01:07 PM
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Dawn McKinney has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an expert level Embroidery badge!
"I made a freestyle set of pillow cases for FG sister swap!
Wellllll.... they are really cute, for a first timer! My stitches definitely need more practice. This is one badge. I should've started from 'beginner' and worked up, but it's all good!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 12:19:55 PM
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Dawn McKinney has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Buttoned Up badge!
"I inherited my Mom's button jar when she passed. I had a small button collection, but have since added hers to it and have placed them all in the Mason Jar in my sewing room.
Everytime I take one out to use I am reminded of what a wonderful seamstress my mother was and how grateful I am to be her daughter."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 12:33:48 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a beginner level Families Forever badge!
"Since joining the Sisterhood in February, my family has held at least one game night every week. Our favorites include: table tennis, chess, Othello, cribbage, and backgammon. Our newest addition, Labyrinth, has quickly become a favorite that is easy to learn and good for all ages. We have turned many of these games into 'Tournaments' that last most of the day on Sunday. Even my two sons, both out on their own, have enjoyed visiting and participating, as in the photo below which is from our Family Easter Table Tennis Tournament.
We have also enjoyed reading together again. We used to read together daily as part of our homeschooling, but I had stopped doing this as my older kids grew up and began reading longer books that the youngest children were not quite ready for. Since February we have read: 'Sugarbush Spring' by Marsha Wilson Chall, the Ag Literacy choice for 2008; 'The Children’s Crusade' by J.E. Jackson; 'Gentle Ben' by Walt Morey, my eldest son’s favorite book as a young teen but one the rest of us had never read; and 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' by Scott O’Dell, a book I had read to the older children but never read to my two youngest. My kids are all great readers so we shared the reading by rotating turns reading a chapter a day. We also read through 'The Essential 100 Passages', a list of readings through both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. This gave us lots to talk about as a family."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 3:34:15 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an intermediate level ChillOver ComeOver badge!
"For this badge I created a recipe for a ChillOver using MaryJane’s 'Make your Knees Weak Chocolate' recipe as a foundation. My version is a Mocha flavored ChillOver dessert. Here’s how I did it:
Blend together in a medium saucepan:
1 packet of ChillOver powder
½ cup sugar
dash of salt
½ cup Ghirardelli cocoa powder
In a separate bowl blend together:
2 eggs
1 can coconut milk, 14 oz, whole or lite
1 cup strong coffee
(I made my strong coffee by boiling 1 cup of water with 3 teaspoons of coffee grounds on the stove for two minutes then pouring through a fine strainer. Cheesecloth or an old t-shirt can be used to strain out the grounds or you could dissolve 2 Tablespoons instant coffee in 1 cup hot water.)
Add liquid ingredients to the ChillOver mixture and mix well with a whisk. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Let cool until mixture resembles the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.
Beat 1 cup of cream until stiff then fold into cooled mocha mixture. Pour into serving dish or individual dishes and chill until set. Serve with a whipped cream garnish and a sprinkle of grated chocolate or instant coffee!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 3:42:22 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an expert level Families Forever badge!
"The month of July has been spent mostly outdoors—camping, playing, cooking, and eating. We have set up a canopy over the outdoor table and chairs for shade; squirreled away a decent supply of campfire wood for evening fires and daily cooking; set up tents for sleeping together outside; and created a comfortable area near the pool for swimming, reading, or visiting. We have had lovely weather for most of the month so far, so we have been able to be outside quite a lot and have only been driven inside by heavy rain for a day so far. (Normally we venture north into the Adirondack Mountains for our summer outdoor adventures, but since we have many animals and not enough help, we have had to be content with venturing only as far as our own yard.)
We have also sought out 'new & unusual' ways to spend time together! Here’s what we came up with…
February—Went snow tubing for the first time ever at Willard Mountain
March—Attended a traditional Sader for Passover
March/April—Made maple syrup together on our stovetop
May—Hosted two youth from Montreal and participated in weekend youth events
July—Auditioned (as a family) for parts in the Hudson River Shakespeare Company’s production of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' (everyone got a part!). The play was a tremendous success and so much fun to be a part of!
We also gathered our whole family to watch 'Prince Caspian' at the theater together, attended a play at Argyle Central School, helped throw a 50th Anniversary party for Grandpa and Grandma, and pitched in our efforts to babysit the three children of a local family we have recently come to know.
With very little effort we have found many things we can do together as family both for our own entertainment as well as for the benefit of others!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 4:03:23 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an intermediate level Families Forever badge!
"My tv journal was very easy to keep … we don’t watch television! We also don’t have a game console or internet at home. We do watch videos, however, and the weekly total for viewing falls around 2-4 hours since we limit them to only one or two per week, especially during the summer when the weather is nice and we can be outdoors. We also limit our viewing to family movies, particularly those based on actual events or those with educational/inspiring qualities. I can’t help it…I’m a homeschooler and I feel that if it isn’t educational or inspirational in some way then it is probably a waste of time!
So … here is a list of some things we have been doing instead of zoning out in front of the tube:
Sewing & knitting while listening to books on tape
Hatching chicks together, hand feeding them, and watching them grow
Ice skating at the local Civic Center
Planting gardens and sharing seeds and seedlings
Camping in the yard (photo included)
Enjoying evening campfires with jokes, stories, and just talking
Visiting the library (often several times a week!)
Concert in the park with fireworks
Playing tennis at the school courts
Having Table Tennis Tournaments
We find that playing games as well as having 'down' times together are some of the best ways to interact with the kids. It is amazing how much they will talk about in this setting. It’s easy as a parent to focus on grown-up business too much … spending time doing kid stuff is a great way to unwind and loosen up!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 4:11:44 PM
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Linny O'Hara has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Buttoned Up badge!
"I had started collecting buttons earlier this year after reading 'The Hope Chest Legacy' by Rebekah Wilson.
When I told my 86-year old mother that I was gathering buttons for this badge, she went in one of her storage closets and got out a beat-up old tin box which contained a large number of buttons. Some of them were very old and she laughed when she remembered which garment certain buttons had come from.
I'm having such great fun! Buttons are like little timeless works of art. I love it that each button has a wee story of it's own to tell.
While surfing the Internet for button histories, I found this neat way to display collections of buttons by categories. Though I am not rich enough, nor impractical enough to take my entire stash of buttons and put them on display, still, I'm already planning another button 'card' by making an extra of each of my homemade buttons and will display them whenever I make enough different ones to fill a page."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2008 : 4:22:12 PM
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Nadine Himmighofen has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a beginner level Farmgirl Gratitude badge!
"I chose a pretty notebook to make sure that keeping my journal would always have a special spot in my daily routine at my desk. I wrote in it every day and keeping it made me realize that I am very lucky to have everything I want from my life so nearby. There is my family, my work, my home, my community and all in all I wrote about the big things first; but the longer I kept the journal I also focused on tiny aspects of my life and I found many things I think I took for granted but keeping the journal made me realize how special they are to me- and I keep adding to the journal.
I am much more observant. Some entries were just a sentence, others sparked a whole page of writing- but I wrote every day and tried to find a good thing even on bad days when nothing seemed to go right." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 15 2008 : 09:49:30 AM
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Teresa Sue Hoke-House has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a beginner level Get It Together badge!
"I went through the deep drawer that I keep all my containers in and sorted out lids and containers. I really do try to keep them at a minimum, but it also depends on the time of year because it seems I need more in the winter - I cook more and then put the leftovers in the freezer for DH and me.
I also decided that I was going to take this chance and eliminate the containers that I worried about having food stored in. I had always read that Tupperware was very safe but recently I read that only their original type of containers fall into that category. The containers that they have that are the hard plastic are not really food safe. These containers are expensive so I didn't want to just pitch them. I decided I am going to recycle them in some way that I don't put food in them. Maybe make first-aid kits for the car, sewing kits for travel,and maybe a sewing kit for my emergency box that goes with my food storage.
My drawer is now neat and tidy. I have very few containers but that's okay. I really am trying to cook just the right amount for DH and myself at any given time. I got rid of one large hard Tupperware container/lid, four smaller hard Tupperware containers/lids, and four containers without lids. One of my little tricks to not having too many of these containers is to store them in an area that has definite dimensions. Do not store them in a cupboard where they can "ooze" all over the place. LOL." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 15 2008 : 3:36:29 PM
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Teresa Sue Hoke-House has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Buttoned Up badge!
"I saved buttons, helter-skelter for years. They were everywhere in my sewing room. They were in recycled candle jars. They were in nooks and crannies waiting to be sorted into the proper jar. Whenever a piece of clothing was used up and or recycled I would take off the buttons and stash them. I had all those buttons that come with garments in their little paper or plastic bags. Like I would be able to find them if I need them, lol. I decided this badge is exactly what I needed to get those buttons rounded up. First I found a nice big tin, recycled, that had had cookies in it and then I got rid of the jars because I decided that having them color separated in separate jars just took too much space that I didn't have.
When I actually got all my buttons together, I couldn't believe how many I had! I have a few kind of old ones, some shell ones, all colors and sizes. Little sheep that went on my daughters 4-H outfit, extra buttons that went on my daughters wedding dress, my son-in-law's buttons from his Marine Corps dress uniform. I did leave the buttons in the little rocking chair pinkeeper that was my husband's maternal grandmother's. She was such a lovey and she taught me so much. That pinkeeper was all I wanted when she passed. She always had it in her living room as she was always working on something. Thank you for letting me earn this badge as it let me re-live so many cherished memories of events and people I love. What is really fun too, is now that the buttons are all together, my grandchildren love going through them and we sit and talk about the buttons and where they came from." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2008 : 1:00:08 PM
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Kelly Wall has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an intermediate level Self-sufficiency badge!
"My Father-in-law has the most abundant apple tree, so I picked a full bag. I then brought them home and decided to can some apple pie filling. I made 7 quarts! I also made an apple crumb pie the same night. I couldn't wait to taste the filling. It was great. I picked more apples and plan to make a sugar-free batch for an elderly friend of mine who is diabetic. That way he can enjoy apple pie too!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2008 : 1:07:40 PM
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Kelly Wall has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an expert level Self-sufficiency badge!
"I made 21 pints of salsa.
The salsa turned out great. I am new at this and was surprised how easy it was with a new friend's recipe. I met this 75 yr. old man in Walmart. He then gave me his phone number. I called him to get his tried and true recipe, and followed the directions. It turned out so good - very tasty and pretty!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2008 : 1:22:34 PM
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Claudia Wheeler-Anthoine has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Embroidery badge!
"When I received my Sisterhood packet in the mail I knew I wanted to try my hand at embroidering it....So I went out and picked the colors of threads, purchased a hoop, and decided on a background fabric.
I was so happy with the outcome....I have not as yet sewn it on my denim jacket...I'm thinking of sewing it on the back and adding buttons."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2008 : 1:54:46 PM
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Linny O'Hara has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Buttoned Up badge!
"I was reading a book called "The Scarlet Thread" about the redemption of JESUS being referenced in every book of the Bible, so I made myself a red-thread bracelet to remind me that JESUS is always with me in every situation.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 42:1 - "As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for You, O GOD."
The same day I made my scarlet bracelet, I got this beautiful button of a deer in the forest next to water that I'd won from eBay. So I combined them and made a bracelet that is not only meaningful to me, but that I wear all the time."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2008 : 2:25:01 PM
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Linny O'Hara has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Aprons badge!
"A couple of months ago, friends from a homemaker group that I'm in encouraged me to learn how to sew. So I bought a Brother sewing machine, and sat down to make something easy so I could practice straight stitching.
This is my first apron pattern. It's just a simple half apron with two square pockets. I wanted to make it a little more 'foo-foo' (I'm all about the 'foo-foo' - I never met a frilly thing I didn't like <g>)- so I added the handmade ruffles."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2008 : 2:43:15 PM
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Linny O'Hara has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Knitting badge!
"My best friend from South Dakota came for a visit and we decided to learn how to knit socks.
This was my first project on double-point needles.
We had a blast! It took us the entire week she was here just for each of us to knit a pair of socks, and I'll admit I had a lot of trouble with the Kitchner St, but we got through it. It was so much fun to see real heels and toes grow before my eyes. Maybe I'm just easily entertained, but I love dbl pt needles and making socks now."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2008 : 4:35:52 PM
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Nicole Meerwarth (farmerette of Carrie Meerwarth) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Knitting badge!
"My daughter Nicole (age 15) has earned the beginner level of the Knitting badge by completing a simple scarf. This is what she has to say about her project:
'I knit a scarf that I made out of an expensive yarn bought at a nearby Co-op. My mom helped me create a pattern to use and taught me a new stitch. The yarn is light and dark green and makes a cool color pattern. It’s nice and warm and I have gotten many compliments. I’m glad I made it because not only do I have another scarf to wear but it was a good experience.'"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2008 : 4:48:42 PM
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Ashley Meerwarth (farmerette of Carrie Meerwarth has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Knitting badge!
"My daughter Ashley has earned the beginner level of knitting by making scarves for two of her friends with smaller matching scarves for their American Girl dolls. She used leftover yarn for each of these projects and her own large needles, size 13. They worked up pretty quickly so she was able to move on to new ones without getting overwhelmed or frustrated. She added fringe to the ends of each one when they were done. We also learned that her work was twisting because of twisted stitches. We got this worked out and now her knitting is nice and even.
This is what she had to say about her project:
'The whole time I was knitting the scarves I just kept thinking about how happy they are going to be when they open them!'
These scarves will be set aside and given as Christmas gifts in December!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2008 : 5:03:43 PM
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Nicole Meerwarth (farmerette of Carrie Meerwarth) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Knitting badge!
"My daughter Nicole (age 15) completed the Intermediate level of the knitting badge by completing a new, more difficult project. She spent more than five of these work hours knitting with her younger sister and me. Here is what she says:
'I knit a shawl out of a DK weight rayon and cotton blend with a swirl of colors including olive green, sky blue, maroon, golden yellow, a dark purple, and a pink. Surprisingly it’s a very pretty yarn. My mom helped me to read the pattern and also taught me the stitches I wasn’t aware of how to knit yet. It was a beginner pattern that took me three days to knit, but has a complex and beautiful design. I’m glad I made this shawl because I plan on using it with a Victorian dress I’m making. I will be wearing it in February at a Victorian walk in Saratoga Springs, NY.'"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 11:48:54 AM
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Carrie Meerwarth has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Knitting badge!
"I made several small projects in order to complete the Intermediate level of the knitting badge. I made a 'sloop' hat for myself out of creamy white 'Homespun' acrylic. This was a pattern that I had used before, but for this project I increased the amount of 'sloop' in the hat and enjoy it much more than the first hat. I also made up my own pattern for a tea cozy which fits perfectly on my small stoneware tea pot. I used a basic child’s hat pattern, but worked small slits into each side of the hat for the handle and spout. This project allowed me to use up some yarn I had leftover from a previous project. I also knitted a doll which turned out MUCH larger than I expected. The project was a success, but she is still waiting for clothes!
I found company to knit with both at home (with my two daughters as well as my husband who insisted that I teach him!) and at my favorite yarn shop in Saratoga Springs, New York, where there are two weekly social knitting sessions."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 12:17:16 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning the expert level Knitting badge!
"I have finally finished the expert level of the Knitting badge by spending well over fifty hours knitting a pair of socks for each member of a family of friends. I knit 6 pairs of socks from Wool Ease brand yarn using size 5 double-pointed needles and a Yankee Knitter’s pattern. Socks for the dad are in dark blue and grey while each of the five pairs of girl socks is slightly different but revolves around a grey and pink theme. These socks will be packed together in a gift basket and given at Christmas time. I can’t wait!!
For the other requirements of the badge I sought out an advanced knitter pattern at my local yarn shop. They had a lovely chevron patterned scarf that filled my desire to stretch my knowledge. I made a thin scarf in this pattern out of silk and another wider scarf for my daughter out of a thin angora that I had on hand. The second scarf was much more fun since I had the pattern mastered by that time.
I have also continued to share my knowledge with everyone who cares to learn. I have taught each of my daughters new stitches to add to their knitting. I also got a friend started on a pair of socks — she’s still struggling with them — and am sharing my sock pattern with other friends who want to try something new and challenging. Socks seem to be the rage these days and everyone who sees me knitting them wants to learn!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 12:39:25 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning the expert level Lend a Hand to Farm Families badge!
"I earned the expert level of this badge by helping my dairy farming neighbor prepare her dairy products for our area’s Maple Tour weekends in May and again in June and July as she prepared for local Farmer’s Markets. These hours of help were necessary during a time when her regular help was in Florida in May and unavailable again during the summer. Then, this past weekend, my family took a shift manning the facility for the Washington County Cheese Tour weekend. This was a huge success! It was so much fun for me to tend the sample table and share all that I have learned about caring for aging cheeses. We sold lots!
My neighbor has made a great success at creating dairy products from their own milk with the help of her good friends. She has so much volunteer help that she has been able to expand, in less than a year, beyond their wildest hopes. It has been fun to be a part of this success and to see how much the people of the area enjoy and appreciate her healthy—antibiotic and hormone free!—dairy foods!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2008 : 1:06:34 PM
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Diana Kelewae has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Knitting badge!
"I had come across some glow in the dark yarn while at Michael's crafts and thought it could be used for a fun project.
My son saw the yarn and he and I discussed what might make something fun. He likes wearing knit caps, so of course I looked around on the internet for patterns. I saw a skull motif pattern, and thought it would be neat to use it. Now I'm not advanced enough to write my own knitting patterns, but my darling daughter loves doing up patterns, so she did up the pattern for me, and even loved the idea so much she knit them for my grandsweeties (who love them by the way!).
So, this was my first attempt at reading a graph pattern chart for knitting, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!
My son has already shown off the finished hat to some of his friends."
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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!: Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees
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