Meg Hanson

The Gopher in the Front Yard

Last summer, when my mother was still with us, mounds of dirt were appearing in the front yard. One day when we were looking out the kitchen window my mom commented that the last time she noticed there was only one mound, but now there were two. At the time she was struggling with memoryContinue reading “The Gopher in the Front Yard”

Hand Carved Knitting Needles

My daughter carved me a set of willow wood knitting needles for Mother’s Day. They are beautiful, light and smooth. I decided to knit a scarf with the hand carved needles using a pattern I got from my cousin Mary Turak. I used a crochet provisional cast on so I would be able to joinContinue reading “Hand Carved Knitting Needles”

Chemo Cap

My cousin-in-law is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. There is never a good time for this, but right now is particularly hard with social distancing precautions in place. I know she is receiving many virtual hugs and prayers and support. I decided to contribute in the form of a knitted chemo cap. I researchedContinue reading “Chemo Cap”

60 Years of The Yarn Shop

In the late 1950’s my grandmother’s sister and her husband, Margie and Doc, were teachers in Glen Arbor, Michigan, near Traverse City. Margie liked to knit, so Doc had the idea of selling yarn to make money during the summer. They rented space and “The Yarn Shop” was born. Doc also ran small ads inContinue reading “60 Years of The Yarn Shop”

Making Bread

I love fresh bread. I could never do one of those diets where you can’t eat bread. I have been gradually changing my diet in recent years to be more healthy, including eating less meat and processed food, and transitioning to whole and multi grain bread. When the kids were young we ate white bread.Continue reading “Making Bread”

Mother’s Ten Rules for Living

My mom passed away last fall. To honor her for Mother’s Day, I am sharing a little bit about her. My mom loved being at home. She rivaled Martha Stewart in her homemaking and creative abilities which included entertaining, cooking and baking, gardening, sewing, knitting, painting, ceramic art and writing. Following is a photo ofContinue reading “Mother’s Ten Rules for Living”

Socks

I finished knitting a pair of socks that I started ages ago in March, when we were in California. One of my knitting mentors, my mom’s cousin Mary Turak, once told me how she could not understand the popularity of sock knitting. In her mind that is boring, they wear out, and it makes moreContinue reading “Socks”

Dryer Balls

I have been making dryer balls, which are an environmentally friendly alternative to dryer sheets. Dryer balls reduce static and absorb moisture resulting in less total drying time, without any harmful chemicals. I have seen dryer balls in plastic and wool. The plastic version has little spikes, resembling a covid-19 virus. Usually people use threeContinue reading “Dryer Balls”

Quarantine 1950s Style

My mother-in-law spent over a year in a sanatorium for Tuberculosis after my husband was born in the 1950s. It seems timely to share an essay he wrote about this experience. Wayne’s Essay about his Mother’s TB Experience On my birthday in late March, as the Coronavirus pandemic was being declared, I thought about theContinue reading “Quarantine 1950s Style”

Loom Knitting

While having more time at home I learned about loom knitting, which is a different way to knit using a row or circle of pegs, and with a hook and your fingers rather than needles. I had seen knitting looms before but never used one myself. My niece had given me a set in variousContinue reading “Loom Knitting”