I just wanted to mention Kirsten's mystery sock knitalong. Maybe you did it last year, maybe you didn't. If you haven't heard of it, it really is a ton of fun. Kirsten will post new directions every Thursday. It is pretty great to have a weekly goal, accomplish that goal each week, and then have a pair of socks at the end of it. (If you work on both socks!) So, check your stash, shop your local yarn store or order some sock yarn on-line. She will be posting the first clue tomorrow!

Hi there!

If only I had two hundred and twenty two twinkle books along with some yarn. Yes, I would really love that. Then I would be able to send everyone a book and yarn. Unfortunately, I don't. So I had the random number generator choose a number for me. Number 58. Asia, you won! Please e-mail me with your address and as soon as I get home I will pop it in the mail.

It's official. Fourteen balloons means we now have a fourteen year old in the house.
Charlie turned fourteen yesterday. Hard to believe. So, so hard to believe.

This weeks cookie of the week. Big. Big peanut butter cookie of the week.
Honestly. Check out the size. A true treat to find one of these after school or in your lunch box. All three kids said they were the best peanut butter cookie they ever had. I'm thinking they were really loving the size. Out of this same cookbook. I couldn't find the recipe but it is basically this except with creamy peanut butter and made into cookies.... not cookie sandwiches.

Some time ago, I made this:
Unfortunately, I didn't like the way it fit, so I gifted it to my sister. I had every intention of making it again in order to fit me. However, two years later have never done so. Well, this past weekend while in my cleaning frenzy, I came across the yarn. And thought since I probably will never get around to making another one, maybe one of you would like to make it. I have enough yarn for a medium. Of course, you will need the book, so I will include that also.
If you would like a chance to win this, please comment here by midnight, Friday the 18th.

So, again, I was going to try to get over here all weekend. But I got a little preoccupied. Not with any mice (haven't spotted anymore, yet) but with an empty house. Did you hear me? An empty house! My husband took the children to an LSU game (were you there beki?) and I had the house to myself. I must say, it was wonderful. It is amazing how much more you can accomplish while alone....for an extended amount of time. There was organizing, closet purging, music listening, sewing, movie watching and of course, knitting.
I spent a lot of time thinking about parts of this sweater. The pattern is written so that the top back half of this sweater is done in the reverse stockinette. As are the sleeves. And when I saw this piece finished, at the show, I liked that. It added a bit of interest and texture. However, this weekend, I decided to rip it back to the rib and do the top half in stockinette. As well as the sleeves.
A friend of mine recently gave me the Foster's Market cookbook. There are some amazing recipes in there. Of course, I flipped straight to the desserts to look for some new cookie recipes. First up were the blondies. The batter makes so much (hello 4 cups of brown sugar) that I ended up dividing it and using half of the dough one week (with heath toffee bits) freezing the other half and using it the following week (last week) with chocolate chips.
The kids liked the heath toffee bits so much better then the chocolate chips. The chocolate chips ended up being more like a chocolate chip cookie.... pie. Which has me thinking. I would really love to make an apple pie.

I tried to get over here all day yesterday. To share some knitting. And the last couple of "cookie of the weeks". However, instead I found myself keeping watch on this:
You see, in my eyes, there was a ferocious beast under the towel, under the laundry basket. A heavy (needlepoint) brick made sure that he couldn't escape. But, I didn't trust that and spent the next few hours checking in on it to make sure there was no way he could get out.

So, school has been back in session for a week. And I think I am finally feeling good about the new routine. I'm not sure why, but I felt a little lost when they went back this year. Even though I was able to jam my music, it still seemed quiet. A little too quiet. Suddenly it seemed as if all that "stuff" I really wanted to do didn't seem nearly as important. In fact, I couldn't even remember what it was I wanted to do. I know, sounds crazy. Trust me, it didn't last long. Kim reminded me that I loved to bake. And knit!
This is the other side of the long coat. The side with the circular design. I know, it looks a little strange to me, also. I am trusting it will block correctly.
As I brought in these tomatoes on Sunday afternoon, Charlie gasped and said "please, no more tomato pie". I will make it again (for the third time) but I promised not to make him eat it. You should try it, though. It is really fabulous.