With summer on it’s way and the hope of some extra time on my hands, I made a few little goals for myself.  I wanted to finally learn broomstick lace.  And I did!  That has been a longstanding goal.  I can’t even estimate how many years.  I wanted to clean out the cupboards in the kitchen.  Erm, I’m working on it.  It’s just not as fun as yarn.  I wanted to wash the walls.  In progress :)  I thought maybe I would tackle tatting.  Well, that all depends on how the cards fall this summer.  I wanted to crank out a few of the patterns that have been floating around in my head for months.  In progress :)  I have a couple of fun things in the works.  And most most most importantly (to me anyway) I wanted to learn to knit with needles.  That has been a goal for a bit more than 2 years now.  So, close your eyes…

are you peeking?

Okay, Ta-Da!!!!

I did it!  This little swatchie was done completely in the purl stitch.  It was the one I needed the most practice on.   I did an almost identical one in all knits but frogged it to practice purling.  With this swatch off the needles, what was a girl to do?  More practice, of course! 

Stockinette!  I even learned to bind off and knit two together.  No pictures of the k2tog.  You’ll just have to take my word for it.  Now on to lace ;D  Well, eventually anyway, hee-hee.  Have a great night!

This month, I though it would be fun to do a recipe that is one of my favorite summer treats. So without further ado:

Banana-Berry Bliss

3 small bananas or 2 large bananas

4 medium strawberries (or 1/3 cup blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries)

1/2 cup yogurt (I usually use strawberry flavored)

1/8 - 1/4 cup sugar, depending on taste

1 cup milk

1 cup ice

Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

This recipe makes an entire blender full of smoothie goodness. If you need fewer servings, try cutting the recipe by half. Also, you can mix it up a bit and try different berries or other fruits. This is absolutely delicious with vanilla yogurt, two peaches and a banana. Heaven in a glass! Play around until you find your favorite ‘blend’. I hope you enjoy a summer full of smoothies

I have decided to add a little bit of healthy into my daily routine.  I am calling this new addition “10 for Me”.  The idea is that I am worth at least 10 minutes of healthy movement.  Even the busiest of days can be squeezed for 10 minutes to do something good for yourself.  And if you can just get started, it is really easy to just keep going ;D  So, I start off with at least 10 push ups, 10 ab crunches, 10 curls, 10 thigh lifts (for each leg, including the inner thigh lifts too), and 10 pelvic tilts.  We also have been trying to go on a walk every evening.  I chose 8 pm because we can go out for about 15 minutes and then come home and get ready for bed by 9 pm.  And I am drinking more water too.  I have increased my water intake to about 12 cups each day.

Now, on to the fun stuff!  :)  I have a free miniature pattern to share!

Spoolie Spores

You will need:  The Knifty Knitter Spool Knitter, a loom pick, a crochet hook, a tapestry needle, worsted weight yarn in the color(s) of your choice, and a very small amount of fiberfill to stuff the cap.

Abbreviations:  MC = Main color; CC = Contrasting color

Pattern notes:  We will be working with two strands through out this project.  I prefer to use the U-wrap version of the Flat Stitch for this project.  The mushroom cap is stuffed but the stem is not.  This pattern can also be easily adapted to make miniature cupcakes.  Have fun!

Creating the cap:

Using the Knifty Knitter Spool Knitter, with your MC complete a double stranded chain cast-on for the 8 peg side and join in the round. 

Round 1:  Knit all pegs with MC

Round 2:  Knit odd pegs with CC and Knit even pegs with MC

Round 3:  Knit all pegs with MC

Round 4:  Knit odd pegs with MC and Knit even pegs with CC

Round 5:  Knit all pegs with MC

Round 6:  Knit odd pegs with CC and Knit even pegs with MC.

Using the gather removal method, take the cap from the loom.  Secure and weave in all ends and set aside. 

Creating the stem:

Using the Knifty Knitter Spool Knitter, with your CC complete a double stranded E-wrap cast-on and join in the round.  Knit in the round for 4 rows.  (For a longer stem, knit in the round for 6 rows)  Cut the yarn, leaving a 10″ tail.  Using the gather removal method, remove the stem from the loom but do not gather.  Weave in the yarn tails at the cast-on edge and set aside.   

Putting it together:

Lightly stuff the mushroom cap with a tiny bit of fiber fill.  Using the long yarn tails, whipstitch the stem to the underside of the mushroom cap.  Finito! 

This is how it might look in the cupcake form.  I think the longer stem is a better option for cupcakes.  Or ommiting the ruffle cast on.  The cake top is very large in proportion to the cake.  But my cute little gal still likes it, so all is well :D 

I hope you enjoy this little pattern.  My kids were so excited when I gave them their very own ‘Mario’ mushrooms.  Have a great day!

I recently had the chance to take part in a swap with a friend from Australia.  She wanted a Knifty Knitter Flower Loom and she offered to send me some Cleckheaton Vintage Hues yarn.  So I posted a Flower Loom off to Australia and waited for a return package.  On Thursday, the wait was over.  Getting yarn in the mail is so fun!  And when it comes all the way from Australia that’s exciting.  In addition to the Vintage Hues yarn, she included some pretty novelty synthetic thread weight yarn that I would swear has little bits of Easter Grass twisted into it.  Very colorful and pretty. 

She also included some really beautiful postcards.  I was looking at the pictures and thinking how fun it was to see a bit of Australia when my husband pointed out that she did the photography herself.  I am really impressed! 

There were two skeins of the Vintage Hues yarn.  I was so excited to work with it.  Because it was 100% wool, I thought about trying my hand at felting.  I finally decided to try an amulet bag pattern.  Then I had enough left over that I modified a heart coaster pattern and made it into a heart shaped bowl.  I also made a small flower scrumble.  That used up almost every inch of the skein.  I hand felted the heart shaped bowl and set it aside to dry.  Then I decided I liked the hand bag just as it was so I didn’t felt it. 

So, the downside to all of this.  I think I may be addicted to Vintage Hues.  I may just have to move to Australia…  Have a great night!

Hey there :)  I hope you are all having a nice Memorial Day.  I have a little extra time on my hands so I decided to put up the Mmmm for this month.  This month I am posting a recipe that we like to make fairly often around here.  If you like Philly Cheesesteak, you will probably like this sandwich.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich with Ajus

1 loaf french bread, sliced open lengthwise

3/4 lb deli roast beef, sliced for sandwiches

1 packet ajus gravy mix (we use Lawry’s)

1 large onion, chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, diced

6 slices of swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Saute the onion and green pepper over medium high heat until the onions start to turn golden brown.  Remove from heat.  Prepare the ajus gravy as directed on the package.  Place the beef slices in the ajus sauce and simmer on low heat.  Place the french bread on a cookie sheet and cover one side with the swiss cheese slices.  Heat in the oven at 350 degrees until the cheese begins to melt.  Remove from the oven.  Remove the beef slices from the ajus gravy, letting them drain a bit, and place them on the loaf of french bread.  Top the beef slices with the onions and peppers.  Slice the sandwich into 6 portions and serve with the ajus gravy.

I hope you like it.  Have a great day!

I love this time of year. First of all, school is coming to an end. That means we survived another school year. Maybe not gracefully, but we made it to the end and that has to count for something. The weather is usually very nice. It is warm and sunny but not the punishing heat of mid-summer. And most of all, my yard starts to really shine in the months of May and June. I took a few pictures to share with you. It’s funny, I was standing out there taking pictures of my own flowers and wondering if my neighbors would think I was crazy Anyway, first up is my violets. They will be pretty all summer and until the first frost. I bought these at a local greenhouse and I think there was one little flower there. They have spread like crazy.

Next, is a picture of my lilacs. I love lilacs! I have a purple one and a pink one. They are both in bloom now and smell so pretty. The blooms will be gone before mid-summer so now is the time to enjoy them. This is a picture of my purple lilacs.

The best part of my yard this time of year is the irises. I have at least 30 of them. I have purples, whites, pinks, plums, and burgundys, as well as a really neat variegated iris. The variegated irises are just about to bloom so I didn’t get a picture of them. The white ones were the first to unfurl and I got a picture of them to share.

Finally, I have some pictures of a little visitor we had. The kids loved this! It’s a little toad that hubby found out in the garden. I was surprised how close he let us get. Hubby carried him over so the kids could take a look. The little toadie was very cooperative for a little impromptu photo shoot. Everyone was very amused when he nearly jumped into my lap. I decorously… erm, squealed and jumped out of the way! Then he got carted around the yard by my oldest boy until I made hubby put the poor thing back in the garden. I was worried that the poor toad was terrified

Have a great day!

Hey there I am so proud of myself! I have been wanting to try my hand at broomstick lace for quite some time. Last night I finally got around to it. It was a bit tricky learning because I am left handed and there really aren’t tutorials out there for lefties. But I stuck with it and finally figured it out. I figured a small project would be best to learn with so I made up a dishcloth.

Last week I finished up the pattern for the 4th square for the Afghan/Lapghan Project. I am really excited about this one. It turned out really pretty. Here’s a tiny sneak peek:

I also found some time to finish up three more afghan squares for the Afghan CAL on Ravelry. I think this afghan will be really pretty. It’s going to be hard to give it away.  For some reason, the pictures for the afghan squares won’t load up.  So, if you would like to see them, you can check them out on Ravelry.  My favorite is the Lacy Sun.  I also finished the Flower Burst and Lovely in Green (which I did not make in green because it didn’t fit in my color scheme.)  I hope you enjoy them.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

On Saturday, we went to the Walk Now for Autism event.  My brother helped with organizing the event so we showed up to give our support.  In our family, it is an important cause because my nephew has autism.  The walk was organized to help raise awarness about autism and earn funds to further research into treatments for autism.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  We were thinking we would be there for an hour or so.  I think we were actually there for about three hours.  It was a really impressive event.  It is going to be held annually so if you didn’t make it this year, you can always go next year.  Also, if you want to learn more about autism, you can visit the Autism Speaks website.  It’s a fabulous resource.

The walk was held at Cottonwood High School this year.  We arrived at Walk Now for Autism right as some skydivers were floating down to the football field.  Very cool!  It took us a few minutes to find my family group.  We stood in line for awhile waiting for the walk to begin.  There was some live music and clowns with balloons to keep everyone entertained.  There were some characters in costume too.  We saw storm troopers, Darth Vader, and Buzz Light Year.  There were some big sponsers there.  Bottled water was provided as well as milk, cereal, ice cream sandwiches, and ice cream dots.

On the walk we saw several groups that were wearing matching t-shirts.  Some of them had pictures of their family member affected by autism.  And there were some really clever group names there.  One team had named themselves Rally for Riley and I saw some cute sun visors with the team name of Parker’s Peeps.  We were there to support my nephew Alex and my brother has named the team Alexander Link.  We aren’t listed as team members but we went out and took a walk round the high school for Alex and donated a little to help.  It was really moving to see these families rallying for their loved ones.  Some of the groups had even worked out chants like “We love Riley, yes we do.  If you knew him, you would too!”  and a song about “We are Friendship Ministries.  We help children with special needs.”  It was really heartwarming to see the support and the great attendance.  They had to direct people to park in the neighborhoods and at Gold’s Gym because there were so many cars that the High School parking lots were filled up.

After the walk, we took the kids over to play in the jump tents and inflatable slides.  My wonderful hubby followed the boys from line to line, carrying three sets of shoes.  There was also a dance group that put on a fun performance.  Then he took them to visit the booths and get little party favors and prizes.  Finally, we packed up and headed home.  It was a really nice day.  Hopefully, we’ll see you there next year ;D  Have a great day!

See that cute girl there?  Doesn’t she look so sweet?  Yesterday morning she helped wake her brother for the day by crooning to him “Tin-tin,  Ah wuv oo…”  I wish someone would wake me up with an I love you…  And she said it over and over several times throughout the day.  Such a sweet girl!

Of course, there is always a flip side to things.  Another new phrase around here is “No-no-no-no!  Get Away!”   Poor Grandma even received this sentiment over the phone.  I think some big brothers need to be a little sweeter to their sister… 

Have a great day!

This month I am sharing a recipe that is a favorite around here. We use it for breakfast and sometimes dinners too. I make this in my biggest (rectangular) casserole dish. We always clear out the entire dish and the boys are still looking for more. Hopefully your family will love it just as much

Apple-pie Pancake Puff

Pancake Puff

6 Tbsp butter or margarine

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 425. Melt the butter in a 3 quart casserole dish. Beat eggs and milk together until foamy. Add flour and salt and beat well. Pour the batter into the butter in the casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon apples over the top of the pancake puff.

Stewed Apples

2 Tbsp melted butter or margarine

4 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced

1 tsp imitation vanilla

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer on the stove-top until apples are soft (about 10 minutes) Spoon over top of popover puff. If desired, top with a little whipped topping. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Have a great day!