knitologie

There is nothing like having a well stocked library of some of the handiest, most useful and beautiful knitting/crocheting books around. For the next four Thursday's, I am going to review and give away a book.
First up:: Knitologie by Lucy Main Tweet "Creating personal heirloom knits as simply as casting on and casting off."
This book is about being creative with what we all know as knitters.  How to cast on; how to cast off; how to knit and how to purl.  The patterns are just the beginning.  It is up to you to make each project yours and yours alone.  Be proud of your name, initials and monogram.  They are part of what makes you an individual and your projects personal and timeless.
I love how the author wants you to knit with your own personal style and challenges you to do so.
The letter grids can be worked into a variety of patterns.  None of them are that complicated and all are very practical.  Items for the home... blankets and pillows.  Items to wear... scarves, hats, neck warmers and mitts.

If you would be interested in a copy of this book, please leave a comment before Monday, September 2, 5pm EST and I will have the random number generator draw a name.

Have a beautiful weekend.
I'm gonna spend some time knitting.  Hope you are, too!

vacation and toast

So a little vacation. (Actually, a big vacation.  Huge, really.)  A lot of driving.  
One of my favorite yarn rollers.  (aka : Libby)
Resulted in one pair of toast.
I had bigger plans.  4 projects in all packed away in my rather large suitcase.  But all I knit was a pair of toast.  I'll take it though.  And those were popped in the mail today to keep some special wrists warm.

What also happened today?
Back to school happened today.  SO hard to believe.

a new pattern

Hi.   I left for a vacation and took these photos before I left.
I've been wanting to let you know that I finished a knit.  Yippee! That in itself is a pretty exciting moment in my life right now.
It all happened when a friend showed me a wrap that she purchased and wondered if it would be something that I would be able to duplicate.  
I was totally up for the challenge, but must admit it really was not that difficult.  
As the piece is knit in one long rectangle.  Add some cables for detail.   
And a few chinese frog closures for interest and practicality.  Sew them on opposite sides and voila! You have yourself an asymmetrical wrap.

I'm casting on for another while here and writing down every step so that I can share with those that like it.

Hope your July days have been awesome!

something new

The Random Generator chose #39 craftzone to win the Knit your own Moustache book. Please email me (address in side bar) and I'll make sure it end up in your mailbox!

I have plans to knit the Rasta Hat with dreadlocks for my Charlie.
But first I have to teach myself how to crochet.

Happy Wednesday!

knit your own moustache

I know, I know.  It's not something you've been sittin' around thinkin' about this summer.  Well, maybe.  
And if not.  Maybe we all should.  I think this is a pretty cool book to have in your library just in case the need arises to get your moustache on and Knit your own Moustache.
  OR, make a blue rinse wig.   Or a fun pigtail wig.
Or maybe knit a psychiatrist's beard (or a loopy beard) to keep your face warm on those cold winter days. Or a Rasta hat with dreadlocks. (My favorite.)
A Dapper Dandy set complete with a top hat, monocle and pipe.  Or a  paper bag mask.  
There are also animal ears, spectacles and a bandit mask.  A bald cap or a groucho-on-a-stick. 
20 knit and crochet patterns suitable for all skill levels.  
So many possibilities.  So much fun.  Just because.

And guess what?  The fabulous peeps over at Sterling would like to give away a copy to one of my readers.  If interested, please leave a comment here between now and Tuesday, July 16 at 5pm EST, and the random generator number will choose a number.  

Have a fabulous weekend!

my mom the knitter. and model.

So, when my parents were here, my awesome mom finished her sweater.  I made her model it for me since it seems to have been a pretty long time since I've knit a sweater to show.  I do have a project that I just finished and am really looking forward to sharing.  But for now, it's mom's turn.

This is the woman who taught me everything I know.  Everything about knitting and Life.  Those hands have knit more stitches (and dried more tears, and made more potato salad, and squeezed more limes, and made more pies, and held more hands) in her lifetime than any other hands I know.  Wow, do I love those hands.

Pattern:  Bartok Tunik from Spring 2013 Interweave knits
Yarn:  Classic Elite Majestic Tweed #7246
Needles:  Size 9 for body and size 7 for hems and neck edging

Thanks mom!
I sure do love it.  And you.
xxoo

h e l l o

Hi there!
June is over?  So hard to believe.
As usual, it has taken me some time to adjust to the summer schedule.
My parents were here and were able to kick my home and yard into shape.  It felt so great to spend time with them and have the extra help.  
My mom and I spent time every day knitting.  That felt great, too.  I took photos of her new sweater that she finished while she was here.  I'll be sure to show that.  It's so cute!
A new delicious, refreshing summer drink was discovered.

Basil Mojitos
About 8 large basil leaves
3 tsp superfine sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup white rum
1/2 cup club soda
lime wedges
Muddle the basil leaves in a large cocktail shaker with the sugar and lime juice.  Add rum, and ice and give it a shake.  Pour over ice and top with club soda.  Garnish with lime.

I plan on drinking more of those in July.

Happy July!

hippy cookies

I've been trying out cookie recipes every now and then that are gluten free.  This one hit the spot for me but the kids weren't crazy about them.  Mostly because I added sunflower seeds.  
That's when Andrew added the name "Hippy Cookies" to the cookie jar.  
Cause, according to Andrew, seeds are what Hippies eat.  
They are filled with peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Baked a little long and they are crispy and perfect for dunking.  Bake a little less time and they are thick and chewy.  I also decided to make bars with half the dough cause there was a lot of dough and so little time.

Hippy Cookies:
1/4 cup butter                                                                         
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter                                        
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (I used sunflower seeds. Totally optional for those non hippies.)

Combine sugars and butter and beat until creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix well.  Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 350˚.

It's Friday!  Make it a great weekend!

garden goodness

Does anyone else have a few of these hanging around?  
I have always saved my wine corks.  Inspiration hit years ago when I saw my first wine cork bulletin board.  Always wanting to make one, but still have not.    
Anyhow, we were looking for something fun to mark our goods in the garden.  
 How about a wine cork on a stick?  Or a popsicle stick?  Or a tongue depressor?  Now we're talkin'!
 After a few were made and stuck into the soft earth, we decided they were too hard to read with the name written on the side.  So we decided to write the name on the top.
Just something little that is making me happy these days.

And pumpkins?  The most exciting thing for me to watch grow!

sew red

{Out my living room window.  So red.}

The random number generator chose #23 All stitched up  and #59 Kathy to win the book Sew Red.  Please email me with your address and you will be sewing in no time.

Happy weekend!

homemade nutter butter's

Okay, guys.  Go to your refrigerator, take out 2 cups of butter (I know!  That's a  lot of butter!) and get it to start the softening process.   You're gonna want to make these... quickly.  
My kids all used the exact same adjective.  At different times.  "Amazing."  I thought that was pretty much amazing, too.  
If you can dare to not taste the dough... all the power to you.  Just beware that once you DO taste it, you won't be able to stop with one spoon full.
They were a little more time consuming than my most baked cookie.  But, SO worth every minute.  
The recipe makes quite a bit.  So I popped half into the freezer for a later date.  
I also played around with the size.  The size I was happiest with was making the balls about the size of a small brussel sprout.  
You need to overemphasize the shaping part.  Really get in there and squeeze your peanut together.  
And get ready to have a batch of truly amazing cookies, that won't last long.  
Recipe here.  I only made half of the icing since I froze half of the dough.

I'll be back tomorrow with the winner of Sew Red.

xx

sew red

I know some of my friends I like to knit with are also friends I like to sew with. Unfortunately, my sewing machine has a little dust covering it.
I would love to change that this summer.  Dust it off and dive into a fun project.  Maybe a project out of Sew Red.  The same beautiful idea as Knit Red.  With equally amazing stories and lovely projects.  I marked a few of my favorites:
Hop! Skip! Jump!  A quilt where you don't have to cut straight lines.  That's the charm about this beauty.
Paneled Maxi Skirt.  A strip skirt with a simple elastic waist.  Who doesn't love that.
Parson Gray Ditty Bag.  A useful drawstring bag that is great for travel, home or gift bags.  Easy to make and you can use your leftover scraps.
Drawstring dress.  A drawstring neckline, with shoulder slits and elastic cuffs.  Make it long or tunic length to wear with leggings.
Petal Dress.  This sweet dress is young, fun and versatile.
Mobius Cowl Wrap.  A perfect project for a beginner sewer.  Use your scraps for this fun project, too.
Sonoma Purse.  Made from just three fat quarters. Easy to sew and fun to wear.

There are many more projects with inspirational stories in this beautiful book.
Thanks to the awesome peeps over at Jimmy Beans Wool,  I have two to give away.   If interested, please leave a comment between now and May 14, 5:00pm EST and I will have the random number generator choose a couple of numbers/names.

Have a beautiful weekend!

scenes from sunday

I just downloaded about 10 days worth of photos and decided to post these to remember how great the weekend was.  You know, cause sometimes Monday's can be a bit challenging. 
Remembering all the great things in life makes e v e r y t h i n g better. 
There was work at a beautiful shop with loads of great energy and happy people.  A derby gathering.  Mint Juleps and the choosing of horses.  (He chose Orb, I chose Golden Soul. She chose Charming Kitten, he chose Frac Daddy.)  There was the caving of the delicious gluten full pasta craving.   
Sleeping in.  Coffee and knitting.  A jeep ride.  A trip to the nursery where the vegetables were carefully selected.  
A small Cinco de Mayo celebration with chunky avocado salsa and a gluten Corona light.  The planting of the lettuce, peppers, broccoli and herbs.  A video Libby shared with me that she found cool and inspiring.  I teared up. (Grab your tissues. Remember, you are more beautiful than you think!)  A lovely Sunday night dinner with the first corn we've had since last summer.

Yep,  those challenging Mondays are put to rest.  Grateful for so much.

lemon ginger sand dollar cookies

I'm craving a trip to the beach.  The east coast shoreline.  Where we used to find sand dollars and shake the doves around.  I would love if my children were to experiment that.  I'm not actually sure it is even still legal to collect them.  
When I spotted these cookies in the Summertime Anytime Cookbook, I knew I had to give them a whirl.  The shape and flavors caught my eye.  Problem is, I have been on a gluten-free diet since April 1st to try to clear my eczema issues.  Yep, that darn skin issue that I was able to keep under control with  a magic steroid cream that a doctor, in San Mateo, California, developed and the attached Pharmacy created.  Problem was, the doctor passed away and the compounding pharmacy went out of business.  I called the office and begged and pleaded to get the name of pharmacist.  Offering monetary gifts and even place mats for her kids, and all the kids she knew, if she could just share his information.  I'm surprised she didn't have me arrested.  I'm sure she thought I was cRaZy.  I just HAD to have the cream and I couldn't find another Pharmacy that could duplicate it. (I swear he never gave his whole formula.)  I was a total addict of this magic cream. Anyhow, that was a couple of years ago.  I googled causes of eczema and one was gluten.  And, because I have had it all my life, decided to try the gluten free thing.  I did it for a few months and low and behold my eczema started to go away.  But then, I started to crave cookies and the good pasta and breads and it returned.  So, here I am at it again.  And in the end, clearing something the natural way is a much better way to go.  
This recipe was not gluten-free, however, i just used the gluten free flour and viola!  Gluten-free cookies!
I made them on the crunchy side, but if you prefer your cookies chewy, reduce the baking time by 3 minutes.  Here is the real recipe.  My substitution is in ( ).

::Lemon-Ginger Cookies::

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 3/4 cup gluten free flour with 1/2 tsp zanthan gum)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
3 TBLS minced candied ginger

::Preheat oven to 350˚.  Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg, sour cream, extracts and zest.  In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, salt and ground ginger.  Add to the butter mixture along with the candied ginger and mix until thoroughly blended.  Roll into balls and flatten them down slightly with the palm of your hand.  (They spread, so leave some space.) Bake 12-15 min.  Carve sand dollar-like slits into the cookies with the tip of a knife before they cool::

Dream you're on the beach with eczema free hands.