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March - April 2021 | Page 1
Page 2 | March - April 2021
What’s Inside? • A Cup of Tea with Lydia - Page 4 • Cowgirl Poet - Page 5 • The History of the Irish Sweater - Page 7 • Belle Fourche Play & Stay Section - Page 8 • A Tour of Ireland Through the Lens - Page 9, 15 • Robin’s Nest DIY - Page 10 • Small Expressions Exhibit - Page 13 • Chadron Quilt Fest- Page 13 • Dyeing Wool with Easter Egg Dye - Page 15
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Editor’s Notes
Looking for Love & Luck in 2021
Ten years ago, I took a trip of a lifetime to Ireland. My new husband and I set off to tour the Emerald Isle. We started on one side in Shannon and drove the coast all the way around to depart from Dublin. It was a wonderful trip to celebrate our marriage, but it was also a trip of a lifetime. Every spring I feel Ireland call me. On a damp misty spring day, I can almost feel transported back to the glens of green. Even though it has been almost Kelsey Ruzicka Publisher of a decade, there are moments that will never fade. In The Country Register Shannon, we stayed at an old renovated castle. We of ND, SD, WY, learned about falconry and the history of the island. MT & N. ID (For instance, the island is almost completely void of oak because when the English invaded they harvested all trees that would make ships or float to keep the people trapped.) Drives through the countryside you will find valleys dotted with sheep and stone ruins. Rocky coastline, misty mornings and a melody to the cities that beckon any traveler. The best coffee, scones and fresh fish I’ve ever had and since never found. A Viking harbor with ships of all shapes and sizes. A tour through Waterford Crystal, Guinness, Jameson and beautiful churches and museums. Deep breaths of sea air on the Cliffs of Mohr. A dazzling day golfing links on a peninsula thrust into the ocean. The history and the atmosphere is enchanting. But, you won’t leave Ireland without also being enchanted by the people. Warm and inviting, they welcome you into their story and pull up a chair for a pint. This year, especially, I miss my Irish experience. I’m so grateful and feel very lucky for the time I was able to spend there. I look forward to days when I can return and let the beauty of Ireland wash over me again. May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upons your face, And rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
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The Country Register of the Northern Rockies & Great Plains including North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, & Northern Idaho Kelsey (Snyder) Ruzicka, Publisher Produced by Moxie Marketing of the Midwest, LLC PO BOX 2015 • Belle Fourche, SD 57717 605-568-0181 Office www.countryregister.com/nrgp www.moxiemarketingmw.com Publisher’s contact numbers across the USA & Canada for The Country Register Send $3 to any publisher below to obtain a paper from another area: * Indicates these editions are available on–line at www.countryregister.com.
March - April 2021 | Page 3
The Fiber Issue!
Country Register Founder: Barbara Floyd, 602-237-6008, info@countryregister.com, located: Phoenix, AZ USA * Arizona: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 602-942-8950 * Arkansas: Lenda Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, 405-470-2597, lenda@countryregister.com * California: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, P 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 602-942-8950 * Colorado: Jan & John Keller, 16755 Oak Brush Loop, Peyton, CO, 80831, 719-749-9797 * Connecticut: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD 21771, 866-825-2917, Fax 866-261-9641 * Delaware: Merle and Gail Taylor, P.O. Box 594, New Market, MD, 21774, info@countryregisteronline.com * Florida: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, florida@countryregisteronline.com * Georgia: Linda Parish, P.O. Box 389, Lexington, GA, 30648, tcrga@windstream.net * Idaho (N): Kelsey Ruzicka, P.O. Box 2015, Belle Fourche, SD 57717, 605-568-0181, kelsey@moxiemarketingmw.com * Idaho (S): Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, P 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 602-942-8950 * Illinois: Lenda Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, lenda@countryregister.com * Indiana: Gail & Merle Taylor, P.O. Box 594, New Market, MD, 21774, info@countryregisteronline.com * Iowa: Linda Glendy, P.O. Box 6, Tama, IA, 52339, IowaCountryRegister@mchsi.com * Kansas: Cindy Baldwin, 988 9th Ave., McPherson, KS 67460, kansas@countryregister.com * Kentucky: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 5804 Whiterose Way, New Market, MD 21774 443-243, cowprintdesigns@gmail.com * Maine: Deborah Daney, 660 Country Club Road, Sanford, ME 04073, 207-324-7482 * Maryland: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, ads@countryregisteronline.com * Massachusetts: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, ads@countryregisteronline.com * Michigan: Bill and Marlene Howell, 3790 Manistee, Saginaw, MI, 48603-3143, 989-793-4211 * Minnesota: Kim & Mickey Keller, 12835 Kiska St. NE, Blaine, MN, 55449, minnesota@countryregister.com * Missouri: Lenda Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, lenda@countryregister.com * Montana: Kelsey Ruzicka, P.O. Box 2015, Belle Fourche, SD 57717, 605-568-0181, kelsey@moxiemarketingmw.com * Nebraska: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 602-942-8950 * Nevada (N): Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, P 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 602-942-8950* * Nevada (S): Glena Dunn, 4568 Carol Circle, Las Vegas, NV, 89120, 702-523-1803 * New Hampshire: Michelle Hatch, 20 Chester Street, Chester, NH 03036, 603-571-1822 * New Jersey: Merle and Gail Taylor, P.O. Box 594, New Market, MD, 21774, info@countryregisteronline.com * New Mexico: Jan & John Keller, 16755 Oak Brush Loop, Peyton, CO, 80831, 719-749-9797 * New York: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, ads@countryregisteronline.com * North Carolina: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 888-942-8950 * North Dakota: Kelsey Ruzicka, P.O. Box 2015, Belle Fourche, SD 57717, 605-568-0181, kelsey@moxiemarketingmw.com * Ohio: Barb Moore, P. O. Box 37, Cable, OH, 43009, ohiocountryregister@yahoo.com * Oklahoma: Lenda Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, lenda@countryregister.com * Oregon: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 602-942-8950 * Pennsylvania: Gail & Merle Taylor, P.O. Box 128, Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763, 888-616-8319, Fax 800-609-0278 * Rhode Island: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, ads@countryregisteronline.com * South Carolina: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 888-942-8950 * South Dakota: Kelsey Ruzicka, P.O. Box 2015, Belle Fourche, SD 57717, 605-568-0181, kelsey@moxiemarketingmw.com * Tennessee: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 5804 Whiterose Way, New Market, MD 21774 443-243, cowprintdesigns@gmail.com * Texas: Lenda Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, lenda@countryregister.com * Utah: Available * Vermont: Michelle Hatch, 20 Chester Street, Chester, NH 03036, 603-571-1822 * Virginia: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, ads@countryregisteronline.com * Washington: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy, #1128, Phoenix, AZ 85085, 602-942-8950 * West Virginia: Dave & Amy Carter, PO Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, ads@countryregisteronline.com * Wisconsin: Scott & Jennifer Hughes, P. O. Box 276, Altoona, WI, 54720, jennifer@countryregisterofwisconsin.com * Wyoming: Kelsey Ruzicka, P.O. Box 2015, Belle Fourche, SD 57717, 605-568-0181, kelsey@moxiemarketingmw.com CANADA * Alberta: Ruth Burke, P.O. Box 97, Heisler, AB, T0B2A0,780-889-3776, countryregab@yahoo.com * British Columbia: Bryan Stonehill, Box 1338, Summerland, BC, V0H 1Z0, 800-784-6711 * Manitoba & Saskatchewan: Scott & Marj Kearns, Box 850, Kipling, SK, S0G 2S0, countryregister@sasket.net * Ontario: Harriet Ramos, Box 60, 4338 Innes Rd., Orleans, ON K4A 3W3, 343-882-5812
The Country Register of the Northern Rockies & Great Plains
March - April 2021 • Volume 11 Issue 2
The Country Register of the Northern Rockies & Great Plains is published every two months. Copyright 2021. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited by law. The Country Register is a registered business trade name. Moxie Marketing of the Midwest, LLC produces The Country Register of the Northern Rockies & Great Plains. Subscription price: 1 year, 6 issues, $18.00. Single copies: $3.00. This paper is furnished free at each advertiser, highway welcome centers, tourism centers, shows, events, and other selected locations throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Northern Idaho. Articles published in this newspaper, which are contributed from outside sources, express the opinions of their authors only and may not express the viewpoints of the management and staff of The Country Register. Such articles that are accepted for publication herein may be edited at the sole discretion of the publisher. Responsibility for products advertised in this newspaper lies with the advertisers themselves. Though The Country Register will not knowingly publish fraudulent materials or fraudulently obtained materials, we are not liable for any damages arising from the purchase or use of products advertised herein.
Index: See page 14 for advertiser’s index by name and by community as well as upcoming events. Next Deadline: Ads and articles for the May/June issue are due April 7, 2021.
Page 4 | March - April 2021
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A Cup of Tea with Lydia: Creating Easter Memories This year Easter Sunday falls on April 4, but it can vary from March 22 to April 25. An egg-stra special teatime is always in season. How will you celebrate? Your traditions will create wonderful memories for seasons and generations to come. Easter can be a time of family fun, yummy food, surprises, and a chance to acknowledge and share our faith. Here are some ideas to consider as you celebrate with tea or in other ways. Fun Traditions My husband and I have created many fun memories with our children and grandchildren over the years. Often we colored eggs and had egg hunts. Our grandkids enjoyed searching for plastic eggs filled with candy and coins. One year when the grandkids were young, I made an empty tomb in a bedroom by placing a blanket between the dresser and bed. Our grandkids took turns being the angel in the tomb who delivered the message of Jesus’s resurrection. When we looked inside the dark tomb, the angel (grandchild) inside turned on a flashlight and said, “He is not here, he is risen, just as he said.” It turned out to be a “sweet tomb” since later I found a grandson sitting in the tomb eating his Easter candy. Another time we wrapped a grandson like a mummy with rolls of toilet paper. Then he burst out and shouted, “I’m alive!” Food Traditions As a child, I remember my mother making Paska, a frosted lemon-flavored yeast bread. I continue this tradition and bake Paska for our children and grandchildren each Easter. Now that our children are grown and have families, they have their own traditions. At times they stood half a donut on a small plate with a donut hole “tomb stone” in front. Then they rolled away (ate) the “stone” and discovered the tomb was empty. My daughter and daughter-in-law often bake Empty Tomb Buns to serve on Easter. Here’s the simple recipe to try. Empty Tomb Buns The marshmallow inside melts, leaving a sweet-tasting empty tomb in the center. Ingredients: 1 tube refrigerated biscuits or crescent dinner rolls large marshmallows (one per biscuit) 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon Directions: 1. Separate crescent rolls into triangles or flatten each biscuit. 2. Place one marshmallow in the center of each and wrap it in the dough. Pinch the seams together to seal in the marshmallow. 3. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Roll each bun in the mixture. 4. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the buns on the sheet. 5. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly before eating. The melted marshmallow in the center will be hot. Just like the tomb on Easter Sunday, these buns are empty! Symbolism: Marshmallow—Jesus’s body; cinnamon and sugar—spices used to prepare Jesus’s body for burial; biscuit—the tomb; hole in the bun after baked—empty tomb because Christ arose.
By Lydia Harris
Cookies Maybe you’d like to try some of these cookies we have made for Easter. • Mold favorite oatmeal cookie dough into flat oval Easter eggs. After baking, decorate them with frosting. • Cut rolled sugar cookies into crosses or spring shapes. Bake, frost, and decorate them with sprinkles. • Shape chocolate no-bake cookies into nests and fill them with green coconut “grass” and jelly bird eggs (recipe included). Any of these cookies could be placed in a basket filled with Easter grass and served with tea or milk. For an inexpensive “basket,” decorate empty plastic produce containers from berries or tomatoes. Fill them with Easter grass, homemade goodies and teabags and deliver them to friends or neighbors. You can find more Easter recipes such as hot cross buns, fruit parfaits, Peter Rabbit’s Carrot Patch, and more in my cookbook In the Kitchen with Grandma: Stirring Up Tasty Memories Together. Faith A simple way to tell the resurrection story is using the colors of jellybeans. For each person, fill a large plastic egg with different colored jellybeans. What part of the story could these colors represent? Black (sin) White (Jesus’s purity and cleansed hearts) Red (Jesus’s cleansing blood) Green (spiritual growth) Yellow (heaven’s streets of gold) Purple (royalty—Jesus is the King of kings.) You can read the story of Jesus’s resurrection in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, or John 20. Or buy an age-appropriate storybook that tells the story. Numerous Easter books are available for children and adults. For children, consider books such Easter Bunny, Are You for Real? by Harold Myra and The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt. For adults, examine books by Max Lucado, such as Six Hours One Friday. For women, consider Ann Marie Stewart’s Bible study Preparing My Heart for Easter. These books will help you and your family focus on the true significance of the holiday. Each Easter I recall the greeting my father taught me as a child, the one he learned in Russia as a boy. “Christ is risen!” Dad exclaimed, and I joyfully replied, “Christ is risen indeed!” We’ve experienced challenging times these past months. Why not proclaim this message of new life in your home this Easter? Lydia E. Harris is a tea enthusiast, grandmother, and author of Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting and In the Kitchen with Grandma: Stirring Up Tasty Memories Together.
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7 NO SEW Things To Do with Yarn by Kelsey Ruzicka, Publisher
If you’re a yarn-thusiast, there’s a good chance your stash has spiraled out of control a time or two. (Those new skeins are hard to resist!) But you don’t need your needles and hooks for every project. Think outside the box and put your yarn to work with these fun stitch-free projects that’ll clear up your stash pile, fast. 1. Rope & Rainbow Wall Hanging. Add a splash of color to your walls with this cheery rainbow wall hanging. Take 1” cotton rope and wrap each strand with different colored yarn. Make 4-6 strands. Stitch your strands of wrapped rope together and glue fringe on the bottom. Great gift or fun project with kids! 2. Ornaments When you want to build up your holiday crafting , no-stitch projects are an easy way to spruce up your space. This project is as cute as it is quick. Blow up a balloon about the size of a tennis ball. Create a glue mixture of water and glue. Dunk your yarn in the glue mixture and wrap around the balloon until desired coverage. Let dry on paper cup. 3. Woven art work Make a beautiful woven art piece without any fancy tools. All you need is a wooden picture frame, a fork, some yarn and cotton thread. Take a wooden picture frame and add finishing nails along the top and bottom edges. Add string tied to each end. Weave the yarn into the string to create the picture. Pintrest and Youtube provide tons of woven art tips and inspiration. 4. Pom-Poms A fast and easy project you may not have thought about: DIY pom-poms. Make a stash for future hats, gift toppers and more! This one is really just about wrapping yarn around and cutting it to make pom-poms. They even have a gadget to help, but regular old cardboard will due too! 5. Wreaths Now that you know how to make pom-poms, one of the things to do with them is to make a wreath! Making a wreath out of fuzzy pom-poms adds warmth and texture to your space, making it an ultra cozy place to unwind. 6. Woven Gift Wrap When you need wrapping paper STAT, this woven wrapping technique will give any gift a more personalized feel. Simply wrap one side in one color, and weave the other side with another. 7. Tassles Tassels don’t have to be a hassle! Like pom-poms, these cute little guys are easy to make out of any scraps you have on hand.
March - April 2021 | Page 5
Cowgirl Poet, Quilter, Entertainer Yvonne Hollenbeck
“Her Feet Would Rock A Cradle” Her days were long and lonely when they settled on the range on a new and virgin homestead out where everything was strange. She’d left her home in Iowa to come with him out West and she had to do without so much, but did her level best. Not any other woman lived for many miles around; the only view she had was of the rolling prairie ground. But while her man would toil as the barns and sheds were built, her feet would rock a cradle while her hands would piece a quilt. She claimed it was her sanity and pleasing to create the pretty blocks of patchwork during hours she would wait for him to ride the ranges, and would watch ‘till he’d come home from a window of their cabin that was built from blocks of loam. Then in evening after supper, by a lantern burning low, he would read her favorite stories from the Bible she loved so. She would piece a “Jacobs Ladder” or a “Star” by oil lights and would sew them into blankets for the cold Dakota nights. Now the quilts are worn and faded and are packed in her old chest, along with other trinkets . . . she has put them all to rest. There’s photographs of loved ones and of friends she used to know, the little shoes her babies wore, and the Bible she loved so. Once more her days are lonely with the children grown and gone and it’s been so many years now since her husband has passed on. Her mind goes back to days gone by; she wanders without guilt, when her feet would rock a cradle while her hands would piece a quilt. © Yvonne Hollenbeck; July 27, 2005 Yvonne Hollenbeck, from Clearfield, SD, performs her original poetry throughout the United States, captivating audiences in her wake. She is one of the most published cowgirl poets in the West and is not only a popular banquet and civic entertainer, but also co-writes songs with many western entertainers. Yvonne also pens a weekly column in the “Farmer-Rancher Exchange” and writes articles about life in rural America in various publications throughout the West. For more information, visit https://www.yvonnehollenbeck.com
May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now and bless you evermore! www.t hecountryregister.com/nrgp
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Page 6 | July - August 2020
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George Washington Never Slept Here.
by Kerri Habben Bosman
There is an important site in Hillsborough, NC in Orange County right near the courthouse. To nearly everyone else, it is merely a patch of concrete with a big tree to the right and a stop sign in the background. George Washington never slept here. To use Southern terminology, it is where my Mama and Daddy got a most important picture made. It was February 15, 1988, and I was fourteen years old. They had just gotten married at the magistrate’s office.
Wayne shares his wonderful family with me. His mother celebrated her 100th birthday this past December. He is the father of five grown children and grandfather to seven grandchildren. He and his entire family are truly the greatest gifts I never expected. Every day I feel my Mama and Daddy with me. Their love fills my heart, and flows through everything that I do. On August 7, 2020, Wayne and I had a most important picture made near the magistrate’s office. It was taken by his youngest son.
My mother is the greatest gift I always knew.
We are standing on a patch of concrete with a big tree to the right and a stop sign in the background.
My dad is the first greatest gift I never expected.
George Washinton never slept here.
It is difficult to explain the devotion borne of someone choosing to love you as their own child. My dad stepped in when my first father was emotionally and spiritually drawn away. Both were inherently good men; the one I came to call “Dad” just lived his love for me every day of our lives. Nearly 25 years older than my mother, he was in his mid-70’s when a young teenager became his daughter. When I was eighteen, I legally changed my last name to Habben, his surname. It is 20 years ago this March 21st that Dad passed away. Seventeen years later on March 20,, 2018, his wife was buried beside him. She had worn her wedding rings every day until the morning they handed them to me at the nursing home. Mom was struggling with a metastasized brain tumor and had removed them during the previous night. Two years ago this April, after just over a year adapting to being on my own, the next greatest gifts I never expected arrived in my life. I had met Wayne six months before when friends began taking me contra dancing with them. Over the months as I grew more comfortable with the steps, only with him did I turn red and consistently make a lot of mistakes. Trying to make me feel better, he once said, “Even when you are confused, you have beautiful eyes.” I made another mistake and blushed even more. One late afternoon in the spring all of us were cleaning up after a weekend of dances. It happened that Wayne and I worked together. Unbeknownst to me, he was placing himself where he could talk with me and get to know me better. In his completely correct words, I was clueless. I’d always been single. Because no one had come along to inspire me otherwise, I had not dated since college. I knew I wanted nothing less than the kind of love my parents shared. If I married, my husband had to be more than nice; he had to be truly kind as well. That April day as Wayne and I talked about family and what mattered most to us in life, I sensed something within him. The clarity I had always hoped for wrapped itself around me, and I thought, “so this is who I’ve been waiting for.”
Kerri Habben Bosman is a writer in Chapel Hill, NC. She is currently working on a book of essays and poetry. She can be reached at 913jeeves@gmail.com.
Sharing Your Love For Fiber Arts With The Next Generation by Kelsey Ruzicka, Publisher My 6 year-old daughter is as much in love with arts and crafts as I am. (I know, teach them young, right?) Recently, she received a new crafting adventure from grandma. It is a loom of sorts that helps her make braided bracelets out of yarn. The device has you put the spools of yarn on the machine, tie off the tips of the yarn, and crank away. All my little has to do is crank the wheel and the device braids the yarn into beautiful bracelets that can then have the tie offs and clasps attached. Of course, the fun part is picking the colors and patterns to use. It is really quite neat, and it is something she can mostly do by herself. And, there are lots of counting, patterns and learning involved. It really is a win-win. We have since made over 4 dozen bracelets and have bought many yarn refills. (Though, a person could really apply yarn to the empty spools.) And, countless hours of fun and creativity have been spent. Activities like sewing, crocheting and fiber/fabric arts seem to many to be part a past era. But, truly more and more younger folks seem to be getting into vintage art forms. I’m so excited to see things like this device available to kids. Getting young people excited about yarn and fabric is just a good mission. Keeping our hands alive with tactile creativity is something that shouldn’t become extinct. Do you share your love for crafts with your younger loved ones?
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September - October 2020 | Page 7
The History of the Irish Sweater Find out more about Ireland on their blog~
| Shop Irish Traditions ONLINE! |
The Remarkable Aran Sweater: From Rural Ireland to International Icon An Art form from Generations Past At the turn of the 20th century, Irish fishermen needed their clothes to be resilient against water, very warm, sturdy, and simple to repair. The winds and waves from the Atlantic Ocean make for challenging fishing conditions. They were constantly battling the harsh weather of the Aran Islands, off the coast of Galway and Clare. For generations, the women on the Aran islands improved on the patterns of jumpers from the era and gave sweaters a unique Celtic touch. Their goal was to make the sweaters both a work of art and functional for what their fishermen needed. Irish women were the ones that began knitting the tight and intricate cable, trellis, diamond, and honeycomb stitches. Over the lifetime of the Aran sweater, these stitches took on various significance and meanings. Some are based in myth or hearsay (note: any family-specific patterns have been debunked). Most take inspiration from Celtic designs and their original importance in Irish artwork. Their Aran sweaters were the first ones knit with unwashed cream-colored, or báinín, wool yarn. The unwashed, unscoured wool retained its natural lanolin and other oils, making it water-repellant and resistant to the cold Atlantic waves.
www. irishtraditionsonline .com
Other major players included Patons, the company first to commercially produce Aran sweaters. And the company Standún from Spiddal, a manufacturer who first exported the sweaters to the United States in 1950. As Aran sweaters became available for purchase, the publication Vogue took notice of the intricate and masterful patterns. In 1957 Vogue published a knitting pattern for the Aran sweater. This feature in the internationally published fashion monolith was a major achievement. Within a few short years, the Aran Sweater was suddenly everywhere. Celebrities began to wear the signature cable and diamond knit patterns in magazines and film, bringing the Aran Sweater to icon status. Notable faces include Grace Kelly, Steve McQueen and the Clancy Brothers on the Ed Sullivan Show. Within a decade, demand for Aran sweaters grew to the point that the manufacturers had to fight to keep up! The demand for Irish wool and Irish sweaters drove the value of a good handmade Irish sweater to the point where it is now considered an expensive heirloom treasure. The Modern Aran Sweater As we pass the turn of the 21st century, hand-loomed and machine loomed knitwear has changed the industry in a multitude of ways.
From a Local Treasure to a World Icon In the 1930s Dr. Muriel Gahan helped to open “The Country Store” – a brick and mortar hub in Dublin responsible for selling handcrafted goods from rural Irish artisans. She commissioned the first order of an Irish Aran Sweater for her store.
As fashions change, the traditional Aran stitches have stayed a major inspiration to designers envisioning new styles of sweaters. These are not your grandad’s sweaters… but they are certainly still steeped in the tradition of masterful Celtic craftsmanship. Take a close look at today’s sweaters with modern silhouettes, and you’ll still see the cables, diamonds, and trellises originally designed by your ancestors.
She later helmed organizations such as The Irish Homespun Society and the Irish Country Markets Ltd – each served an integral part of showcasing Irish goods to a wider audience.
Today you’ll find Merino wool, cashmere, or synthetic fibers also knit in the Aran stitches. These options help create an amazing amount of diversity in modern Aran sweaters. We carry a wide variety of knitwear. Our selection varies from traditional styles of the early 20th century to modern variations of the early 21st century. There you have it: the remarkable true story of the Aran Sweater. If only the Irish tradeswomen of the Aran Islands could see the amazing way their art irrevocably transformed international fashion. The Aran sweater has come a long way from rural Irish knitting needles to an international legacy.
Get Your Own Aran Sweater & Other Gifts ONLINE!
Irish Traditions offers an extensive variety of gifts, jewelry, apparel, kilts & Highland wear and kilt rental. We also provide guidance on incorporating your Irish or Scottish heritage into life’s celebrations, including baptisms, first communions, weddings and other holidays. The shop carries Celtic inspired jewelry, apparel, home accessories, books, CDs and foods. Most merchandise is imported directly from Ireland or Scotland. We hope that you will shop here for all your Irish & Scottish gifts! www.irishtraditionsonline.com
Page 8 | September - October 2020
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September - October 2020 | Page 9
A Tour of Ireland Through the Lens
Cliffs of Mohr, Breathtaking Views!
A Quaint Fishing Port Blarney Castle, Home of the Blarney Stone!
Misty Irish Countryside Rocky Eastern Shore Beaches A Port Town, Hoth, Home of A Viking Landing
Town, Dingle
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Page 10 | March - April 2021
I must say that I love the fiber issue!! I also love spring!! I am going to be optimistic about having a long wonderful spring. This project is very simple and does not require a lot of materials.
You will Need:
Step Two
Step Four
Tie a piece of yarn on each end of the dowel rod so you can hang it. Several colors of yarn (I chose four colors),some beads ( I used two for each tassel I made but use as many as you want), scissors, a dowel rod, a piece of cardboard about 5 inches by 7 inches, some dryer sheets and a 3 foot long straight edge.
Step THREE
Step One Next comes the tedious part. Cut twenty pieces of each color of yarn in 36 inch segments.
Next you will be making tassels. Loop each color of yarn around the piece of card board. I went the 5 inch direction. Wrap about twenty times. Slip the wrap off the end of the cardboard and tie it in the middle. Make sure to tie this with a loop of yarn (the loop should be the length that is appropriate to loop around the dowel. I did approximately 6, 8, and 10 inches). Fold in half and tie again right below the middle. You will then need to cut the loops so you have a tassel. I then trimmed the tassel to about two inches
Step Five Take five to ten pieces of yarn together and loop them on to the rod as shown. This is where your creativity comes in. You decide the pattern of colors and how thick you want them. I chose to use ten strands for all four colors for the first ties then I went to five strands. Note: I used the dryer sheets to remove the static from the yearn but Static Guard spray would also work.
I threaded some beads onto the tassel and looped the tassel around the dowel rod in three evenly spaced places. And you have a fiber hanging!! This looked really nice in my spare bedroom!
FINISHED!
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March - April 2021 | Page 11
SAVE THE DATE! Chadron Festival of Quilts “Hindsight 2020 Vision” April 23-25, 2021 Fri-Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun, 12noon-4pm Assumption Arena, 3 rd & Spruce Chadron, Nebraska
Creative Fiber Guild in partnership with
The Brinton Museum presents
Handweavers Guild of America
Small Expressions Exhibit March 13 through May 9, 2021 The Brinton Museum, Big Horn, Wyoming • Includes 13 works by Wyoming weavers • Display of weaving techniques, tools and looms. Opening Day Reception, Saturday, March 13 from 2 to 4pm. Admission is free for the reception. Hosted by The Brinton Museum
Admission $5 for all 3 days For more information visit: www.chadronfestivalofquilts.com
Workshops hosted by CFG – Held at The Brinton Museum • Beginning Rigid Heddle Class. Saturday March 27 and Sunday March 28th Taught by Deb Essen of DJE Handwovens in Montana. $120 per person includes all materials. Loom rental available 15 person limit, registration required. No prior experience needed.
• Kids Weaving Workshops. Saturday, April 17. Taught by Ann Arndt of Sheridan. Two workshops. 10am – noon Paper weaving 1 – 3pm Mini-tapestry weaving on a cardboard loom $15 per workshop or both for $25. 10 person limit, registration required.
May you have love that never ends, Lots of money, and lots of friends. Health be yours, whatever you do, And may God send many blessings to you!
Please contact Donna Stubbs at The Fiber House, 307-673-0383 to register for workshops.
Quilters, Knitters, NeedleArtists: Find Your Favorite Shops When You Travel! Visit
NeedleTravel.com
to find shops online for FREE! Or order the 2020 edition of our Travel Guide for only $9.95
Makes a great gift!
needletravel.com or 888-737-0847
Page 12 | March - April 2021
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$25 Gift Certificate Winner Jeannie Printz
Won a $25 gift certificate to her favorite shop –
Betty’s Quiltery in Rapid City, SD
To enter the next drawing, fill out the form on page 14 or email
kelsey@moxiemarketingmw.com
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE!
www.thecountryregister.com/nrgp
Find past issues, other info and connect with us!
View the paper online at www.CountryRegister.com/NRGP
20+ Things To Do in Spring by Kelsey Ruzicka, Publisher
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Have a picnic Plant seeds Clean out your desk, studio, closet, or house Ride a bike Check out yard and estate sales Visit a farmer’s market Dye Eggs Have a garden tea party Pick up litter on the streets to create a clean environment Take a hike Get yourself a huge floppy hat and even bigger sunglasses Put fresh cut flowers in a vase in your house Sun yourself in a park or your backyard Make a bird feeder Dry some flowers Fly a kite Take a walk in the rain (bonus points for splashing in the puddles!) Feed the ducks Go fishing Paint something – a picture, a room, a rock Volunteer somewhere that’s important to you Declutter something in your house Enjoy a sunrise
March - April 2021 | Page 13
MAKE IT WITH WOOL National Jr MIWW winner she also won Exemplary Construction. Cortney Olinger, SD
Mail-In Contest 2021
MERRY MARCH Merry March, We have no expectations of you! You freeze us one day and warm us the next. You deliver onion snow for farmers. We raise a toast for luck on St. Patrick’s Day, Munch bread and give thanks on St. Joseph’s Day, And then repent through Lent. You flick Time forward anticipating Spring’s arrival. You churn the winds to transform kites into sky dancers. You paint our gardens in yellows and purples, With swaying daffodils and prim forsythia and violet carpets. You can do anything you want And we simply shrug and say, “Oh, that’s just March!” We do not expect you to be predictable, March: You enter like a lion and go out like a lamb; or You arrive in mellow spirit and exit fiercely like a lion, Leaving April as the real herald of spring. In your unexpectedness, we expect change, surprise, and A ride on the wild side! ~Barbara Kalkis© -2020
Our National MIWW Contest for January 2021 will be a “Mail-in Contest.” All Junior, Senior, and Adult state winners will receive the necessary papers for the National MIWW Competition. Making it with wool... National Make it with Wool is a once a year sewing and design competition that is supported by the American Sheep Industry. College students can also compete in a Fashion Design Competition and the winner will be featured at our National event. Each partcipating state will hold a competition and first place winners in the Junior and Senior division will attend the National competition. Adult winners will also be announced at the National event.
makeitwithwool.com
May peace and plenty bless your world With a joy that long endures
And may all life’s passing seasons Bring the best to you and yours.
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Page 14 | March - April 2021
Win a $25 Gift Certificate! The Country Register of the Northern Rockies & Great Plains is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate to be used at YOUR FAVORITE SHOP!
Just fill out this form and send it to:
The Country Register P.O. Box 2015 Belle Fourche, SD 57717
March - April 2021 OR visit www.moxiemarketingmw.com, click on The Country Register to sign up online Name________________________________________________________ Phone________________________________________________________ Email ________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________ City_____________________________ State ____________ Zip__________ Favorite Shop Advertised___________________________________________ This is My Favorite Shop Because______________________________________ My Favorite Feature(s) of The Country Register_____________________________ Found This Issue At_______________________________________________ Are You a:
Regular Reader or
First Time Reader
What stores would like to see in The Country Register? (include town) ____________________________________________________________
Entries received by February 7, 2021, with all questions answered will qualify for the drawing. One gift certificate is given away each issue.
Advertiser Directory by Name Always Your Design • Dell Rapids, SD.......................................... 6 Art in the Barn • Sturgis, SD....................................................... 16 Belle Fourche Chamber of Commerce • Belle Fourche, SD.......... 8 Betty’s Quiltery • Rapid City, SD................................................. 16 Black Hills Quilt Show • Rapid City, SD........................................ 2 Black Hills Visitor Center • Rapid City, SD.................................. 12 Britton Museum • Big Horns, WY.............................................. 11 Creative Closet • Townsend, MT................................................... 4 Designs By Daphne • Belle Fourche, SD...................................... 8 Fiber House, The • Sheridan, WY................................................ 11 Knothole, The • Spearfish, SD.................................................... 16 Lickety Stitch Quilts, • Lusk, WY.................................................. 16 Moxie Marketing of the Midwest • Black Hills, SD.................... 16 NeedleTravel.com ...................................................................... 11 North Country Fiber Fair • Sioux Falls, SD.................................. 11 Nuts & Bolts Fabric Shop • Edgemont, SD................................. 16 Office Emporium/Gone to Pieces Quilts • Belle Fourche, SD....... 8 Quilt Connection • Rapid City, SD.............................................. 16 Quilt Connection 2 • Buffalo, SD................................................ 16 Quilters Corner • Faulkton, SD..................................................... 5 Quilt Yard, The • Pierre, SD........................................................... 5 Tri-State Museum & Visitor Center • Belle Fourche SD................. 8 Wall Drug • Wall, SD.................................................................. 12
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March - April 2021 | Page 15
An Tour of Ireland Through the Lens, Contd. See page 9.
Dyeing Wool with Easter Egg Dyes by Vickie Clontz Easter egg dye comes in so many pretty colors and is permanent on protein fibers, such as wool and silk, when heat-set and used with a mordant—in this case, white vinegar. The purple dye even separates into beautiful hues of lavender, blue and pink! Here is how to do it: 1. Fill a basin with room temperature water and add a squirt of soap, such as dishwashing liquid. (I use blue Dawn concentrate.) Add the fabric to the soapy water and soak for at least 30 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, mix the dye. You’ll need Easter egg dye (I use PAAS), plastic containers for mixing the dyes, plastic spoon, tablespoon, measuring cup, white vinegar, water and paper towels.
Golf at Old Head, right out on the penninsula!
Downtown Dublin Waterford Crystal being made!
3. Mix the dye: place 3 tablespoons of white vinegar into a small container and add the dye tab. Let tab dissolve completely, then add ½ cup water and another tablespoon of vinegar. Mix. You can check the color by dipping a corner of a paper towel into the dye. 4. Remove items to be dyed from the basin and squeeze out the soapy water. Arrange in an aluminum roasting pan or oven-safe container that you do not plan to cook in. Add the dye to the wet fabric. You can pour it, spoon it or paint it on with a sponge brush. Fabric should be very wet. When all the dye is added, place in oven and turn to 225 degrees. Cook for approximately 40 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the fabric is not scorching. You can add more water if needed. 5. When water is fairly clear, your fabric is done! Let cool completely and rinse in room temperature water. Gently towel dry fabric; lay fabric out flat to finish drying. Please note that this technique is only permanent on protein fibers and will not work on synthetic or plant fibers such as cotton or linen. For more fun dyeing ideas, please visit my website at http://www.annieskeepsakes.com. Vickie Clontz is the owner of Annie’s Keepsake in Kernsville, NC, and is celebrating 31 years in business. She regularly attends both local and national trade shows. Contact Vickie @ annieskeepsakes@carolina.rr.com.
Page 16 | March - April 2021
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