My dad adored his mother, and would often tell us stories about her while we were growing up. She was a deeply religious woman and the mother of 9 children. She raised her family in Brookston, Indiana. She grew her own food and bottled it for the winter, made their clothes, and made quilts. I never saw a quilt she made. My dad’s older brother ended up with the quilts when she died. I often imagine her as a tough, capable woman, who could do anything she set her mind to. My dad would often comment “This is good, but my mom…” implying in many ways that his mom did it better. In 1991, my dad came to my daughter’s baptism in Sedalia, Missouri. For Sunday dinner, I served potato rolls with the usual Sunday roast. As my dad was eating a roll he said, “These are just like my mom’s” I hadn’t realized how deeply I wanted to hear him say that. Here is the recipe I used:

1 c mashed potatoes or ¾ c instant with 1 c boiling water

2 c boiling water                                  1 stick butter

1 T salt                                                2 T yeast

1 c sugar                                              2 eggs

About 7 cups flour

Combine: Potatoes, water, sugar, salt, and butter. Add yeast when lukewarm. Stir well. Add eggs and flour. Knead thoroughly. Let rise. Punch down make rolls. Let rise. Bake at 350 for 10- 15 minutes. When forming rolls I like to roll them out with butter and then shape the rolls and brush with butter before baking. I wrap a dozen at a time in foil and freeze immediately then I can bake them at 350 for ½ hour and they taste fresh-baked.

In 1971, my dad needed to have brain surgery and I was sent to live with my Aunt Ruthie, he was very ill for a long time and it wasn’t known whether he would survive. My Aunt Ruthie was a refuge many times but particularly then. She decided I wasn’t going to just sit around a mope while we waited for news of my dad. She got me some yarn and knitting needles and taught me how to knit. The yarn was blue variegated and the pattern for the poncho I made was an excellent pattern for a beginning knitter. It was knit on straight needles.

Cast on 100 stitches. Knit across, turn work, purl back. For all subsequent rows, knit or purl the first two stitches together of each row. So that you end up knitting a triangle. I knit until there were 10 stitches left, then cast off. I made 3 panels and sewed them together to make the poncho. It’s been many years and I still remember the pattern. Having taught knitting at the local yarn shop, I can only begin to imagine the patience my aunt had to be able to teach me to knit and keep me occupied during such a trying time. I still recommend the pattern when asked what pattern should I use to teach a child to knit. I never asked her how she came up with the pattern, but it sure kept me busy and helped me to learn the importance of keeping busy during a trying time. I also learned that simplicity is best when teaching someone a new skill. That way they can concentrate on learning the skill instead of on how to read a pattern.