My friend, Jennifer shared this recipe with me and it is definitely one I will keep in our recipe stack.
I have to admit a couple of things that I believe can make most baked goods taste great.  (Especially gluten free baking.)
  A great vanilla.  I seriously can't bake without this one.
I also recently discovered these fun muffin cups.  Where were they when my kids were small?  I would have had them in every pattern and design.  SO fun!

Gluten Free Breakfast Muffins
2.5 cups oats
1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas
Preheat oven to 400˚.  Spray tin with cooking spray or line 12 paper muffin liners in tin.  Place oats in food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds.  Add remain ingredients to the food processor.  Divide batter among liners and bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

We found that these were best eaten on the day of baking.  However, warmed on day two with a nice slather of butter was pretty great, too! :)

I uploaded a new YouTube Video with a couple of knitting tips and a must have lotion for my dry, eczema hands.  Plus the most lovely book of photographs of people knitting.  (More on that later.)

Happy Friday!

I used the yarn from my December Knitcrate.  1 skein makes 1 hat.  A sweet friend over on instagram pointed me in a great direction as to where to order faux pompoms.  This is the 11 mm size.

Pattern:  Chunky Knit Beanie
Yarn:  La Brebis 100% Peruvian Highland Wool by Knitcrate
Needles:  US size 15
Pompom:   Baby Violets Beanies Faux Raccoon 11 cm.

A new year, new knitting goals.
It's funny, the January Knitcrates must have been reading my mind.
I don't knit many shawls.  Voila.  A new shawl pattern and yarn arrived at my door.
The sock crate
The yarn: Ryberry Yarns fingering weight yarn in red fox. 85% super wash merino and 15% nylon
The pattern: Hairpin Socks

It's just so much fun to receive these surprises packages in the mail.  SUCH a good mail day!

Remember to use the code FKW20 to receive 20% off of your first crate.  (That code works for any crate!)

So, color work mistakes are some of the worst.  I mean, I usually just want to throw my knitting across the room when I notice the mistake.  Especially when the mistake isn't visible for a while.
I noticed the mistake in the yolk of my Humulus sweater, (you make not even notice it, my sweet sister didn't) and actually did consider forging ahead.  However, took it off the needles, ripped it back and put it back on the needles.
I knit last night and am back where I began.  (See the diamond pattern repeat now?)
I wish I lived closer to my mom. (For many reasons.)  She loves detangling yarn and could help me with this beautiful mess.

Happy weekend, friends!

I was beyond thrilled when Libby text me from school and asked me to make her the Hotline Sweater from Wool And The Gang.
I tried to get it finished for Christmas... however, did not quite make it.  The knitting was finished but I still had to seam it together.  A day late was worth the wait for Libby.  She absolutely LOVES it.
If you have never worked with Mohair, it can be a little fussy.  Nothing where I would feel the need to discourage anyone from knitting with it.   It's just a little different than working with wool or cotton or any other yarn with a smooth finish.  Since it's a little fuzzy it just seems to stick a little.
The finished project is well worth it.  I think this would be the perfect project for a beginner sweater knitter.  And it certainly is a fun project for every knitter.

Pattern:  The Hotline Sweater
Yarn:  Take Care Mohair in misty mauve
Needle size:  size 11
Size: 1

If you are experiencing these amazing cold temperatures as we are, I hope you have your knitting and a cozy blanket to keep you warm.  I truly just want to knit all day!

Dear 2017,
You have been quite an interesting year.  You have provided many pockets of growth and for that I am extremely grateful.  Your challenges have been gifts and my heart is full.
My wish for all my friends to knit with and for all people everywhere is a new year filled with health, love and so. much. happiness!
Happy 2018!
xx, leslie

Just a little video update over on my YouTube channel.
I hope you all carve out some time for yourselves with knitting in your hands!

Libby had a few friends over to help decorate the cookies.  They did an amazing job.

The winner of the book 60 more quick baby blankets is number 4, Missy.  Missy, please email me, and I will make sure this sweet book lands in your mailbox!

 I knit one present this year.  A pair of those mitts.  And when I finished I laid them on top of each other and low and behold they were two different lengths.  I was off by two rows.  I stretched and pulled and thought, heck, they are fine.  But then the voice in my head said, really?!  So... I cast on for another mitt.
And my awesome hairstylist will get a pair and an extra mitt.  A bonus mitt let's say.  In case she looses one. 😊

My college kids are home for Christmas break.  I have one happy heart.

I don't know what took me so long to buy a sweater, a mitten and a hat cookie cutter.  I mean seriously.  Knitters that like to bake without knitwear cookie cutters?!
I used this recipe.  Seriously good.  Waiting for Libby to get home from college to decorate them.  (Tomorrow!  Yippee!)

Okay, friends. This may be the cutest book of baby blanket patterns I have ever seen!
I flipped through the book marking my favorites with post it notes.  I think I put a post it note on every single pattern.  I'm not kidding.  This is honestly, the most spectacular selection of baby blanket patterns I have ever seen.
Honeycomb anything.  Swoon.
Are you kidding me?  Both of my boys would have been swaddled in this number.
These three farm animals tucked into bed.  Adorable.
There are so many more.  There is a mermaid Tail, heart motif, sailboats.  You name it.  It's in there.

And guess what?  The sweet peeps over at Sterling would like to give a copy to one of my readers.  If interested, please leave a comment here before Monday, December 18, 5pm EST, and I will have the random number generator choose a number.

Happy Friday!

Imagine being tucked away in a little valley, snugly nestled between hills and mountains, little houses lined up together in the brightest, happiest painted colors.  -knitcrate

I actually can imagine just that.  And it makes me excited for this time of year.  For two hour delays and for snow days.

This months knitcrate contained 2 skeins of La Bribes 100% Peruvian Highland Wool.  I just love the color way.  Perfect for a hat with ear warmers.  And the tempest Hat is just that. A crochet pattern was also included.  A lovely Frost Flower Cowl.

This crate retails for $63.00 and is available for $24.99.  If interested in ordering use the code FKW20 to receive 20% off of your first crate.  (That code works for any crate!)

Do you all think those thoughts?
How many more or less photos you would have taken?  I take a lot now.  I took a lot then.  It was digital back in 2007, after all.
Would I be the super photo snapping mom that I was with my camera?  Would I post all of the everyday pics that the younger moms of this generation post?  I tell my kids what a great photo album they would have had, cause in my mind, of course I would have!   I tell Andrew that he would have had an album!  (Haha!  Those poor youngest children.)
Happy 20017... From our 2007.
And in case you wondered?  They, of course, are wearing hand knit sweaters! 😉

Today marks three years without the only father I ever knew.  I would love to say that time heals all wounds.  I think as individuals we are able to move on.  But the feeling of loss is there. When you let yourself dig deep, and let yourself feel again, those feeling come bubbling to the surface.  And it's okay.  It's a gift to have had that much love in your life.  
I miss him.  I miss the way he opened his heart and loved unconditionally.  He taught me so much.  And for that, I am forever grateful.

 Meet toast with purls.

I think of these arm warmers as being a slightly dressier version of toast.  (My mind suddenly goes to making toast and wearing pearls.)😉

The pattern is over on ravelry and you can download your free copy using the code "merryandbright".     (Available until Midnight on Thursday.) I bet you can whip a pair out in time for a gift.  OR you can save the pattern and knit a pair for yourself over your holiday break.  Yes, a pair for yourself sounds lovely.

Enjoy!

xx, leslie

This was only the second year we have ever cut down our Christmas year.  We thought it would be really great to drive to the farm to get a fresh tree.  We found our favorite tree almost instantly.  Perfectly shaped and perfectly full.  It even came with it's very own birds nest.  We couldn't understand why everyone passed up this beauty!  The tree stand has never been without water, yet it is truly drying up before our very eyes.  It is shrinking and we can literally hear the needles falling onto the hardwood floor like gentle raindrops.  I'm thinking that by January 1st we will be left with our very own Charlie Brown Tree.

My yarn arrived for my next project;  humulus.  SO looking forward to casting on, but must wait until I finish a few small Christmas gifts.
It took me quite a while to decide on a yarn choice and color combo.  I'm going to be using the lovely Quince yarn in Lark.

It was the first time I made a peppermint cake.  I figured it was that time of year, and this year I am feeling particularly festive. It wasn't that pretty, but it sure was delicious.

Guys!  I'm not the first to do this... but it was my first time doing this.  I grabbed the greens from the discard pile at Home Depot.  Along with the discarded trunks.  And, voila!  Instant, inexpensive (free!) center piece.  That is happy decorating!

Pattern: 100 x simple cowl
Yarn: 4 skeins of Stonehedge Fiber Mill Crazy
Needle size:  size 8 (or 7) circular needles

 Ha.  So, remember when we decided to Rent the Chickens?!  Well, we loved it so much we decided to Adopt the Chickens.  The chicken experience was just too great.  And fresh eggs daily?  It's a dream!
Meet Scarlett, Violett, Gray and Lucille.

I have missed knitting for my kids so much.  I hat here or there.  A pair of socks.  An occasional sweater for Libby (in which I choose the pattern).  But most of my knitting is for myself.  Except for the gift of Toast I give often to others.  Ack.  Does that sound selfish?  I sure hope not.  It's just that my boys don't want me to knit them a sweater.  However, I think Steve would probably love a sweater so I should definitely think about making him one in 2018.
Well, a couple of weeks ago, I received a text from Libby with a screen shot of the Hotline sweater asking if I could make it for her.  Are you kidding me?!  I'M ON IT!  The fact that she went to Wool And The Gang's site, looking for a sweater for me to make her made my heart sing.  Truly music to this mothers ears.

I hope I always appreciate a sunrise and a sunset.
I am grateful to have the winter sunsets to admire from our home.
As the sun rose this morning, I drank coffee in bed while scrolling through instagram and treasuring the beauty of a cotton candy sky.
Appreciating the gift of another 24 hours of being alive.

So... guys!  A bouquet of yarn?  Talk about making my day!  The sweet peeps over at Knitcrate sent me this beautiful bouquet.  How wonderful for a knitter to receive!  I am SO remembering this as a gift idea.  They used straight knitting needles as the skeins "stems" to keep the skeins from flopping.  And yarn to hold the bouquet together.  Absolutely perfect.  And SO, SO, thoughtful!
Did you know that Sandy from by the lakeside is now dying her own yarn?  Yep.  She is.  And it is delicious.  This is her Casual Friday fingering weight yarn.  80% Superwash merino/ 20% nylon.  I love her names that she chose for them.  "Exceptionally Ordinary" on the left.  ""I hope there's pudding" on the right. (Are those awesome names or what?!)  Sandy will update her shop on December 7 at 12pm EST.  Her project bags are the bomb!
Spirited Fibers is Adirondack yarns own line. 80% washable merino/20% nylon.   It's dreamy... and those colors!

I'm seriously loosing sleep over all of this yarn.  I can't wait to cast on with all of it!

I'm thinking of a blogging challenge for the month of December.  I've missed my camera.  And this space.  I want to capture those moments of beauty that are everyday life.  So, I will try to post something every day.  Even if it is just a photo.  Feel free to join me and let me know if you do!