I drink my coffee black. But recently started putting half and half in my afternoon coffee. However, I don't like it cold, right out of the refrigerator. I like it to be room temperate. Our room temperature in the winter is cold.....64 degrees. (that is why I need to knit so many sweaters :) ) So, I pour some half and half into a cup and leave it out for a while before I make my coffee. ( I guess I do have a lot of quirks!) The only cream and sugar container I have is our fancy Chrystal one from our wedding and I don't like using it. So, I have been looking for a new cream and sugar. Well, yesterday, I popped into my local thrift store and look what I found! I was thrilled. They were marked .99 cents each. When I got to the register to buy them the woman told me they were 1/2 off! .99 cents total! How awesome was that? I love them and the avocado green is a total throw back from the 70's.

These are my favorite sweaters.
I made this one in 2005.


I made this one in 2006.


They are both Hanne Falkenberg designs. Her ballerina, swinger jacket. They are knit completely in garter stitch, all in one piece, on size 3 needles. I must tell you her patterns are pretty confusing. The key is to always read ahead. My mother made one before me, so she sort of paved the way. (my mother is currently making her 5th Hanne, all of different designs) I am the kind of girl, that will buy 5 of the same article of clothing because I like it. I LOVE this jacket, therefore, I need more than two, right? I also tend to knit sweater coats for myself instead of sweaters. I feel that you can wear them so much more. And with all of the time and money invested, it makes it worth it.


The new one will be made out of these two colors. Ballerina 10 , kakhi, ivory, however, it is definitely green.
So, this is my new big project that I plan on having completed for the spring. I better go brew some more coffee and get started!

Stop the insanity! Soon I will be speaking at a support group. I, am addicted to aprons. My family thinks that I have gone mad. All of course for the other girl of the house. We now think of aprons as an accessory to our favorite outfit. Sort of like a new necklace or bracelet. (good thing the weather is going to break soon)
I was in the fabric store not too long ago and walked by this fabric. I remembered that Erin had mentioned, Tie One On, and decided to play along. The rule was hearts.

Andrews pick this week. He chose candy topped brownies. I tried to get him to come up with something different, because I think boxed brownies are just as good. But nothing else looked good to him. In the picture we have of this cookie, they have all different colors of M&M's. He wanted only brown. We didn't have any brown, and since this is his second day home from school (sick) I haven't been to the grocery store. I convinced him into red/white, his school colors. And after I put them on this plate, he said it looked like a tic tac toe board. So that is what we did, played tic tac toe. He was kisses, I was hugs. Winner gets to eat one.

Contemplating his next move.

Now who would let a sick little boy loose?

Hmmm, maybe he is not so sick after all.

Candy Topped Brownies
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup chocolate flavored syrup
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Frosting:1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup candy coated chips to decorate
Heat oven to 350, lightly grease baking pan, set aside, in large bowl, combine sugar butter, and beat at med speed until light and fluffy, add syrup, eggs and vanilla, beat until well blended add flour, beat until well blended, stir in chips.
Spread evenly in pan. bake for 35 min or until done. cool completely.
In saucepan combine butter, sugar and milk, bring to a boil stirring frequently, boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, add chips stir until smooth, spread over brownies, decorate.

Now I am off to give my little guy more kisses and hugs.

The messenger bag is finally completed and am I ever happy. It was so much more work than I thought. The knitting part was done fairly quickly, however the rest of the details took a lot of time.

On the inside of the strap a ribbon was sewn to keep it from stretching. The belt sliders were impossible to find, so I dug an old bag out of storage and cut them off a strap. (pretty resourceful)

The inside lining is apparently optional, however I think that it is a must. Otherwise the bag is very saggy, and who likes a saggy bottom? I found a sturdy brown denim to match the ribbon.

I can't even begin to tell you how much Libby loves it! She filled it immediately and wore it around the house the entire weekend, continuously opening and closing the flap.

Off to school. The happiness that it brought to her makes it worth all of the work!

The skinny on the messenger bag:
Pattern: Greetings from Knit Cafe
I made a couple of modifications: They had a guitar motif, I charted out
a flower. I also made a couple of changes to the size of the bottom.
Yarn: Rowan Denim. I used stash and new. I liked the way it looks like my favorite
pair of jeans.
Needles: Size 5

This beauty has graced my night stand for many years.
My husband can't stand her. How could he not like her?!

Can't you just see her wheels spinning? ...if I knit for 3 more hours I can finish this sweater, and then start the green sweater, and by the weekend move on to the socks, and hmmm when can I start that one? o.k. I will stay up really late tonight and be able to finish that.....and where did I put that other yarn?
Oh and guess what...she actually whistles!

I did finish the messenger bag. It is currently staining my washing machine blue. (The yarn really bleeds). I don't think that I am going to like it. I think that there is a mistake in the pattern, but when I called Knit Cafe (yes, I actually called them to ask) they said that pattern didn't have any mistakes. Hmmmm, I don't know if I believe them.
Hopefully I will have pictures to post soon.
Have a great weekend everyone!

I am a closet blogger.

I made this "we call them pirates" hat for my friend Michelle, whom I love dearly. Today is her Birthday. Happy Birthday, Michelle!

Until recently, Michelle was my only friend who knew about my blog. Of course my entire family knows about it, and some of their close friends, but for the most part, I have kept this private. By writing this blog it totally forces me to step outside of my comfort zone. It inspires me to try new things (I hate that darn tubular cast on) and reading many of your blogs are what is my source of inspiration. For some reason, I haven't told my friends. Believe me, I'm not flattering myself by thinking everyone who knows me would even want to read my knitting blog. Many of my friends don't even know what a blog is. I have this vision of telling my friends, and the look of confusion on their faces...."Blog, what? You mean you take pictures of your knitting, baking, sewing, kids body parts, doors, and put it on the Internet? What for???" Those are the people who don't know about my obsessive, compulsive need to create. They would totally accept it, I just don't think that they would "get it". So, I have avoided it all together. This blog is my little spot that says I was here, I did this, I loved these, I felt that. I also love that my kids can look back on a small memoir of our lives.

Please, let me know, are you a closet blogger, or have you come out? Maybe I am just more comfortable with other people, who feel the same need to create, knowing about me.:)

And if you haven't seen this hat before,I doubt it, here is the skinny:
Pattern: We Call Them Pirates
Yarn I used: Debbie Bliss, Baby Cashmerino, 1 ball black, 1 ball white
Size 3 needles

B.H. Thanks for "getting it", and I hope that you will visit often. :)

Not much knitting happened last weekend.

We did however complete our valentines.......all 68 of them!!! We also had 1 valentine box to make and one to revamp. It was quite the scene....craft central!

We also got around to painting the doors inside our home. We had new doors installed almost 2 years ago! (YIKES) The downstairs doors where painted however we never got around to painting the upstairs doors. (I always said that I would, but knitting is so much more fun)! They were sort of grayish, and I think we just got used to it. They didn't seem to bother us. But, they sure look so much better white!

Libby's choice this week. I tried to get her to choose some kind of Valentine themed cookies, but she wanted nothing to do with that. She chose Peppermint Bon Bons. The kids all loved them. They are not too pepper minty, not too chocolaty. This is a keeper for us.

Peppermint Bon Bons
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup veg shortening
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons whipping cream ( i used 5!)
2 Tablespoons butter or marg, softened
2 drops green food coloring
Beat first 7 ingredients until smooth, add flour soda and salt. Chill 3-4 hours until firm. Roll into balls.
Bake at 350 for 10-14 minutes.......Spread frosting when completely cool.

I am determined to finish the messenger bag this week, so hopefully I will have pictures to post soon.

My wonderful friend Michelle always has such great ideas. Her son has a bar mitzvah to attend, and she thought a hand knit yarmulke would make a "lovely little gift". So, she commissioned me to make one.

model: Charlie

This took such a small amount of yarn, that I am sure everyone has stash yarn to use for this project.
Please excuse my ignorance, but how will this stay on a 13 year old? Should I include Bobbi pins in the packaging or are there special clips one would use? Any help here would be greatly appreciated. :)

Here is the skinny on this "lovely little bar mitzvah gift"
Pattern: Greetings from Knit Cafe (be sure to check the pattern corrections)
Yarn: Koigu
Size 3 needles

I love cookies, I always have. And apparently, I am now having some sort of love affair with aprons. Its weird, having never worn an apron before, I now can't seem to cook or bake if not wearing one. Everything seems to look and taste better! And, I definitely dance better while wearing one too! :)

I made Libby and I coordinating ones. She cannot bake without wearing hers either. Isn't it funny how the littlest things make life more fun!

When school started last fall, we began our "cookie of the week" plan. Each week, one child took their turn going through cook books or our recipes and chose a cookie to try. They really loved this, and it made me try some new recipes. However, sometime after Halloween we stopped doing it. I don't know, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, may have had something to do with it. So, in an attempt to get back into the cookie groove, I am going to post our "cookie of the week". Because, cookies and knitting, well that's a good combo too!

This week was Charlies turn, and he chose Snicker doodles. It is my mothers recipe that we have enjoyed for years.

The boys have been asking for their socks. I guess it is time they had a pair too. It really was tough to decide on the colorway from Scout. So many great ones to choose from. They changed their minds several times, but finally decided on this. Too perfect! I am hoping to get two pairs....420 yards.....maybe. A perfect beginning for Project Spectrum, don't you think?
Scouts Swag: Cerrillos Mine
And for Libby, well that girl always knows what she wants. This was a custom order from Scout. I just told her pink/green/yellow, she likes "preppy" This is an absolute perfect colorway for the girl! Look how it even matches her bedroom! Thanks a gazillion Scout!

Scouts Swag: Prepster

How about this yarn for next color triad in project spectrum! Knocking them all off with one project.

It was -3 this morning and I thought there was a 2 hour delay. I had the kids bundled waiting inside the house for the bus which never came. Hmmm, called a friend, school was canceled! What? Oh....I wanted to sit and knit all day....I think I still might.......I have to cover those toes!

I love having a laundry chute. When you don't see the dirty laundry you must not have any. However, when I rounded the corner in the basement this morning this is what I saw!!!! Ahhhh, shoot!!! What in the ##@@#@#@#** have I been doing???? O.k. you don't have to answer that!!!!

No knitting today........well maybe a little during the Super Bowl!!
Happy Super Bowl Sunday to all.........

Loved this project!

Honestly, if you haven't made these endpaper mitts, you should. They were such a quick knit, and very easy. I used Palette from Knit Picks in Lemon and Wood. You really can't beat the price. With shipping, I think they cost about $6.oo!! How great is that!

I got these daisy's (my favorite flower) to help me with the sunshine. We won't be seeing it for the next few days as it is forecasted to snow all weekend, and get Wicked cold! Good for me!

This family will be hunkering down, popping popcorn and watching movies. I of course will be getting started on my We Call Them Pirates Hat that I need to have completed by the 14th. (not a problem!) :)