for mom

To my mother, the most incredible woman I know.

And to all of the women out there who nurture, care and protect.

Have a lovely day!

who buys that???

  I'd love to have gardens filled with gorgeous flowers around our yard.  If only I loved to garden.  This probably comes as a disappointment to some of you, because I know there are some fabulous gardeners out there. However, at this point in my life, I just don't love to do it.  I hate to weed.  I never water.  I just find that the time it takes to tend to a garden would be better spent knitting.  Or sewing.  Or just being.  The one thing I love most is flowers inside.  So truly.  I just really need a cutting garden.
So, a couple of years ago, my husband built three raised beds in a corner of our yard.  One for vegetables.  One for herbs.  And the other for my cutting flowers.  Just a small area to water.  I could even get the kids to help with it.
We saw the commercial about the roll and grow garden.   We all laughed and said that is exactly what I need. Charlie said it was like "cheating".  I ordered it and rolled it out.  We watered.  And flowers grew.  Just like the commercial said.
We enjoyed flowers from this garden into the fall.

So, if you aren't much of a gardener, this truly is easy, and really does work.

We are going to try something different this year.  A friend gave me packages of Martha Stewart's seeds.  This weekend, the kids are going to sprinkle them in that space and hopefully a garden will grow.

Enjoy your weekend!

70,532

Seventy thousand, five hundred and thirty two.  I have been wanting to count the stitches in a completed sweater ever since Tiennie did it.  And decided, with charts and rows, this was the sweater to count.  Seventy thousand, five hundred and thirty two stitches.  That is a lot of stitches, and a lot of "throwing".  (I knit using the English method.)  Amazing to think my hand brought yarn around the needle seventy thousand, five hundred and thirty two times.  I think we should all give our hands a massage.  Or at least a kiss.
Ruby is finished.  Blocking as we speak.  Photos soon.

notice

I know, I am now a header hopper. I really appreciate all of your comments about that cookie/sock header I previously had (for a short while) above. And I did like it too. However, every time I looked at it, it reminded me of colder weather. Maybe it was all the red. And the ginger. But whatever it was, I decided I needed a little spring color. And since my littlest guy still makes me joyfully happy when he picks me dandelions, I decided that I needed a photo of his lastest pick up there. And a little bit of spring. Changing headers can be quite addictive too. You all do know about Picnik, right? Especially helpful to us blogger users.
Onto the knitting.  I am pretty close to finishing Ruby.  I have made little progress the last couple of days trying to figure out the welt.  I should have listened to Rebecca, knowing that she kept getting holes too.  The pattern reads y2rn = yarn round needle twice.  Isn't that just yarn over twice?  I checked books.  All of the on-line resources I knew. Isn't the point of a yarn over, a hole? Well, this sweater does not want holes!  Anyhow, I ended up doing my own thing which gave me the amount of stitches that I needed. Marking the location of the increases and increasing 4 in each location, by a M1 and an Inc into the f/b on the first row Increase.  On the second row increase, I increased into the f/b of each of the new stitches.  Have you seen Rebecca's?  Or Pax's?  They are both fabulous.  I am a bit nervous though because Rebecca used four extra balls.  Pax did not, however made her sleeves shorter.  I slimmed my sleeves down a bit, in hopes of not having to buy more yarn.  And what a bummer it would be if I needed more as I know my store does not have the same dyelot.  
I didn't intend to post this recipe, but when I cut a piece of this cookie/cake type thing for my breakfast, I noticed the heart.  Of course, I had to take a photo for Noticing project's be our guest week, and thought maybe you would like the recipe.

It is super easy.  During the months of April/May when the strawberries are so inexpensive I make this a lot.  Although, any fruit would do.  Really it takes two seconds to make.  Okay, maybe three.

Cream together 1 stick butter, 1 cup sugar :: add 2 eggs :: add 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder and  a pinch of salt :: spread in spring form pan that is coated with spray ::  top with sliced strawberries :: sprinkle with sugar :: bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

hidden treasures

I would love to be showing you something I have finished knitting, but the truth is, I have nothing.  I did take the sleeves of Ruby to Florida with me, and did finish one.  The other sleeve will hopefully be finished this weekend.  For some reason, I just haven't been knitting my usual 2-3 hours a day.  Maybe this summertime weather has something to do with it.  I found some newfound energy lurking within, motivating me to get some things accomplished around here. And our evenings have been long and slow enjoying a lot of time outside.

So, instead of something I have made, I would love to show you something my mother made, in 1967.
Yep, ever since I can remember, I have heard the clicking of my mothers knitting needles.  She gave me this issue of  fall/winter '67 Vogue Knitting a while ago. 
It in itself is a treasure. I really love these sketches,  showing you a few variations of how the dress on the cover could be made.
When my mother showed me this and asked me if I wanted it, you know my response!   And can you imagine, 20oo beads and 2000 palliates.  
I never saw her wear it. She said she wore it a few times to cocktail parties.  Oh, how I would love to have a photo of her in the dress, at a party.  I can only imagine how cute she must have looked.  Too bad she said she didn't make those matching earrings!

It probably won't get worn anytime soon, but I certainly won't part with it. 

I will be back to knitting, cookies and regular blog reading next week. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Ha.  I just looked closely at the photo.  I am wearing the dress backwards!!!  Oh well, you get the point.  

home

I guess all good things must end. Our spring break seemed to go by too quickly.  The same sort of things happened this year as did last year. We pretty much do the exact same things at my parents every year and  seriously they would all be a big blur if it wasn't for the children getting older.  And hence, things getting easier.
There were early morning sunrises.
Fishing on the dock. Charlie can now do the entire thing on his own.  Even the release using the needle nose pliers, a huge accomplishment.
Kayaking.  It was the first year Charlie took his own.
A lot of swimming.  In the ocean and the pool.
Knitting.  Of course there was knitting!
And our evening trips to the boardwalk for ice cream.

These are the moments I hope our children will always remember.

Now back to my laundry.

the giveaway and a getaway

I wish that I would have had more books, perhaps eighty four, to give away.  Really, I wish that I could send a book to everyone that wanted it.  Unfortunately, I had one book, and chose one name.  My sweet mother wrote everyones name on a piece of paper, and Libby chose the winner.  Amy, of My Zoe Bug, you are the recipient of I heart felt.
Yes, time for my favorite getaway.  Spring break.  The perfect time to leave the mundane tasks of everyday living.  And my favorite place to visit.  My parents.  

We arrived very late and tired Friday night, and will spend the week here.  

It may be a little quiet from these parts.  Maybe not.  But I do know, it is very good to hear the word break.  And spring.

Amy, congratulations, and I will send you the book when I return home.

i heart felt

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing i heart felt, by Kathleen Taylor, published by The Taunton Press.  I have had it for a while, and really felt as if I needed to set aside an hour or so to read it, in order to give it a fair review.  I have felted one time.  A bag whose measurements when knit were dead on, but when felted could not be achieved.  I sure wish I would have had this book residing with all of my other knitting books.  Kathleen's tips and techniques chapter is so helpful.  There are "how to's" for felting cabled knits, fair isle, and intarsia.  All of the patterns are easy to follow with explicit directions for finishing.
First of all, I of course was drawn to the bags.  Cabled bags!  I thought this one was so great.  
How about this big bag out of Noro Iro.  Can't you just see that holding your  knitting project?
And for those autumn lovers, like me, how about felting these cute little pumpkins, gourds, and squash for your fall decorations.
Check out the fair isle peppermint stick Christmas stocking, measuring 5 inches wide and about 15 inches long.
You can bet if my daughter was a little younger, I would have made her a cute magic wand!

There is even a pattern for a tiara.

These were just some of my favorite patterns.  In the book, there are beautiful patterns for sweaters, mittens, hats, belts, and much much more.

If you are interested in adding this wonderful book to your book collection, please let me know.  Leave me a comment by Sunday, April 13, and I will draw a name.  

just socks

To say these are just socks, is such an understatement.
These are actually socks made out of Sundara yarn, using a simple baby cable pattern.
I really had no idea just how much I had been missing out to have never worked with this yarn. It felt wonderful in my hands, and now on my feet. The funny thing is, I still would not have known how fantastic it was if Melana hadn't given me the yarn.  Thank you, Melana.
Yarn:  Sundara, 100% superwash merino wool, in Dahlia

Needles: size 2

Pattern: basic cast on of 64 stitches.  The baby cable is achieved by working a 4 row repeat.

Rows 1-3 knit 2 purl 2.  Row 4, * k2tog and leave st on needle, knit first st and slide both off needle, P2, rep from *

Notes:  Heather mentioned that perhaps I may want to reinforce the heel by knitting a piece of thread held together with the yarn, in order to prevent holes.  I did it on this pair, and will definitely do it on all my future sock projects.  I thought that was a great tip.  

cookies coffee and yarn, oh my!

My kids love those big molasses cookies from starbucks, and I have to admit, I do to. Unfortunately, whenever we go to starbucks they seem to be out. Maybe they stopped making them?  I did a little search through Martha, and found a recipe that I think tastes very similar. 
Let me tell you, they are big.  And chewy.  And absolutely delicious.
I put wax paper in between, just like the recipe said.  I also added the pepper (yes, pepper)  just like the recipe said.  If you make them, you won't be sorry.
Now this is my idea of the perfect afternoon.  Coffee, cookie and yarn.  Who could ask for anything more?

I plan on finishing those socks this weekend.  Poor Ruby is feeling quite neglected.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!