Shakky Chic

We stayed here when we were kids.

the same staircase that bore the weight of countless children's feet is still there - daring the most courageous of beach goers to scale the worn wooden planks without flipflops. The steps sagged even then; full of splintery splinters, they were a gauntlet of sorts even when we first stayed at the cottages, in the summer of 1960.,

At the beach, rules were simple; we could go wherever, do whatever, as long as we could walk to it on the beach.

In 1960, my grandmother liked Kennedy becaue he was a good Catholic boy. (Wow! Did the campaign machine even work then!) My uncles hated him - loathed him - because of civil rights. Aside from those two memorable points, from my six year old perspective, the summer of 1960 was constant play, endless swims, a freckled nose that was coated with layers of zinc oxide, playing endless games of mermaid in the surf with my sister, and walking and walking and walking.

My Florida

As familiar as the back of my hand......

Where it started - the old Tiki

Crystal River

Go Buy Some Farm Eggs!



This is the farm where I get my eggs.

I was inspired to write about eggs because of my own love affair with them -  further reinforced by the play Debbie took me to for my brithday (celebrated with aforementioned cake): To Master the Art. It was based on Julia's book, My Life in France, and paralleled the movie Julie & Julia in some places. Nevertheless,  it was just as fresh and unexpected as Julia herself.
Anyway, there was a scene where Chef Brugnard prepares an egg carefully and lovingly, extolling the infinite qualities of the humble egg. I know how he feels; each morning I carefully and lovingly make my one egg and truly savour each and every bite.
It hasn't always been so. I had been used to supermarket eggs, which now I think are flalvourless protoplasm. I now buy my eggs at this wonderful Mennonite farm down the road.

The Roadside Stand

A Familiar Scene in Our Area

Opening up that carton (recycled by many loyal egg-buyers over the year) is like the proverbial box of chocolates: I know I'm going to see every shade of 'eggshell' on the spectrum as well as shapes that definitely challenge the "egg-shaped" concept.

Their taste is so rich and deep that I've been thinking of dishes to make so I can feature them.

I'll be posting my favourite dishes that include eggs. And speaking of Julia and eggs, we must make mayonnaise! I just made a big batch this morning. Thanks to Julia slaving over all of those recipes for mayonnaise, we now have a fool-proof recipe.

If you've got Julia Child's Kitchen, go to the 'Mayonnaise' section to the directions for mayo made in a food-processor. It's heavenly.



How You Get the Birthday Cake You Want

This is a bit late, but I felt I had to post anyway. I recently celebrated a birthday. I decided I just wanted a quiet dinner with a good bottle of champagne - no hoopla, no hand-clapping restaurant chanting. One thing about me - birthday cakes are very, very important. I'm picky - I have a vision in my mind of what my birthday cake should look like, and I'm always pleased when someone gives me any kind of cake - but I secretly want one that looks like this:
I made it  -and I agree: I really should take a Wilton class if I'm planning on inflicting further cakes on the population.
Hope your Halloween was super-scary and fun - ours was very quiet and we were forced to consume all of the candy ourselves.

The (Briefly) Tidy Craft Room

I couldn't help myself. As predicted, I stopped in the middle of cleaning to make something.

Then I went back to cleaning, and for a brief shining moment, my room looked like this:

And now it's back to this:

This is what I interrupted my frenzy to make. The memo board is so easy and quick to make! I've seen a lot of stuff on Pinterest using scrapbook paper, and this is my take on one of them.

 Did you know that you can find 12x12 scrapbook frames at the dollar store? I spray painted mine white - and let me say here that you get what you pay for. The original paint on the frame bleeds through. (I know it's shocking to hear about an item from the dollar store. )My frame turned it the palest shade of cotton candy, so that was okay. But do note if you prefer the plainest white. 

All you do is adhere a sheet of sb paper to the backing. I swear by Elmer's Aerosol Craft Bond. It's messy as hell but just use WD-40 to get it off of your fingers. If you use a box for misting, you can rig up the same sort of deal if you use the enormous can of Craft Bond like I do. I bought the cans recently for a large project and I haven't made a dent in either one. Talk about cheap glue! Anyway, I've used Craft Bond for the covers of my mini books and also for the cover of a counterfeit SMASH book that I made recently. I've also used it for decoupage and decorating with paper. It looks like a laminate, it's so smooth. No, I'm not sponsored by them (I wish.) but I do like their glue!

Why You Need a DROP Basket in Your Craft Room!

I would never post a picture of my untidy craft room, mainly because somewhere in Cyberland, there's is a doppelganger of me who is ready to pounce with the snarky comment: "How do you let things get that out of hand in the first place?"
So in the proper vein of the typical famous mommyblogger (though I am not a mommy, blogger or otherwise), I will wail plaintively that NO, MY LIFE ISN'T PERFECT AT ALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! Then post a picture of my perfect room.

Anyway, back to the drop basket. It is essential to the major craft room overhaul.
What a drop system does is allow you to clean up your work surface by just dropping items in a central container, to be sorted into their proper places later. The importance of this item is that it gives you a little encouragement while you're tidying up. You can see your results much faster, and it is much less frustrating. Without a drop system, I would have long ago given up on something like this:

or this:

The drop system allows you to drop an item in and have it out of the way, thus giving you a little gratification as you work.

I have four drop baskets: one for paper and large flat items, one for small items, one for my stamps (all used stamps and blocks go in for cleaning and resorting), and one for bulky items like spools of ribbon, punches, etc.

Try implementing your own drop system: it's even more fun when you make a project of your drop baskets. For the one pictured above, all I did was spray paint the basket white and then stamped the liner.

So I'm off to tidy - I only hope crafter's ADHD doesn't hit me in the middle of my work!

Happy crafting.

Rosie

My Official St. John's Ambulance Therapy Dog

We did it. We decided to do something and followed up - and achieved our goal! Milo passed his evaluation today with flying colors, even though he slipped his collar once. That's an unforgivable faux pas with some evaluators, but luckily, we didn't have that evaluator  today. Milo was very cheerful and enthusiastic throughout the test and was on his very, very best behaviour.  He's looking forward to his new job!

Card for the Stepping Stones Blog Hop

Blog-hopping is a new passion of mine - what a great way to meet new Pretend Friends (ie, internet friends). I participated in two over the past week. They're time-consuming but so much fun, and a great way to expand your blogging horizons. Plus, some of these great bloggers give away free stuff! Yay!
This is the card I made for the SSD blog hop. The sketch originally intended for a new release of a Christmas stamp set from SSD, but with Halloween on the mind and horizon, I was inspired to make another Halloween card. The harlequin paper in from Recollections "Midnight Magic" pad and the stickers are new K & Company from Michael's.

The LIttle Halloween Book I Made For My Mom

I got the images off of the internet. Just Google "free (that's important!)vintage Halloween images" and most of the ones I've used and some others are available. I print mine at 4x6 which is best for the sharpness, I think. Like I'm a real visual GENIUS!
The paper is from the "Midnight Magic" pad by Recollections, available at Michael's. I also used a little bit of ribbon for the minimal embellishments. The paper pad has two sheets of die-cuts that I also enjoyed using in the mini-book.

I particpiated in my first blog hop this evening featuring Skipping Stones Design and I had a blast. Those girls are amazing designers and some new Pretend Friends. Check it out at the blog of my new Pretendie, Just Jingle!
Oh - I have a love affair going with Elmer's Craft Bond adhesive. It's sold in a big ol' can like WD-40 and it is the best glue going for chipboard. I use it all the time now for my mini-books and find the bond to be ultra-smooth. CraftBond is pretty tenacious, and if you're using a lot of it you may end up bonding your shoes to your scraproom floor. To control the spew of the glue - use a box to do your spritzing, much like one of those boxes for misting. You can make your own - I'm told that you can get boxes at the liquor store.........
To remove CraftBond from your work space, spray it with WD-40. Let it sit for a moment, then wipe off. For your fingers, try nail polish remover for those sticky spots.
Have a great day. I'm off to do the Samantha Walker blog hop. This is fun! It's a great way to "meet" new people and see others' work - as well as showcase some of your own.
Rosie

Go to My Pretend Friend Amber's Crappy Pictures Website

I love my pretend friend, Amber. She writes and draws an adorable blog called "Parenting with Crappy Pictures" http://crappypictures.typepad.com/crappy-pictures/ and it probably is the best mommy blog around. Her work is more gently sarcastic, and she expecially takes aim at the Mamarazzi by drawing incredible engaging stick figures in place of highly-edited, dreamily posed fauxtographs. I am not a mommy, but I read some of them now and then to see what's new and exciting and check out the cutting-edge writing, as in my other pretend friends' blogs, Mrs.ODie2 and The 24 Year Age Gap.
Amber`s messsage is serious, but I do love her drawings. How does she make them so simply but with so much expressionÉ Huh. Must be talent, I guess!
I`m bring this entry to your attention because it`s October and Breat Cancer Awareness Month. Go feel yourself up!

It's A Blog Miracle!

I have comments! Thanks so much to you for taking the time. I now know how much it means - I promise I'll never visit a blog without commenting!
Rosie

Banner Mania

I have so many things to do around the house that I have restricted myself from spending money until the jobs are completed. I'm finding lots of supplies on hand here at home, and finding uses for my excessive paper stash. Banners are a super way to use up extra paper, and the less they match, the cuter they look!
Making banners is easy - in theory.
Decide how many flags you want you banner to have. I make the main flags 6 in. wide at the top and six inches long form the center point of the top. Mount on cardsstock in colors coordinating with your chosen theme.
Embellish and connect flags by sewing or stapling to a ribbon or length of twill tape.

 I love adding the paper rosettes - it's my current thing right now. If I can't offer you expert instructions for making these, allow me to give you what I know and offer a little encouragement. (There's always plenty of that!)

My rosettes are 3 in. across. If you want to change that size - let me know how it goes!
1. Cut 1.5 in wide strips from a 12x12 piece of  patterned paper. The weight is good for folding.
2. Using a scoring tool (I have the MS one - I love it. Grab one during a coupon event at Michael's.), score strips every 1/4 in. Don't press too hard with your scoring tool, or "folding boner", as my niece Alicia used to say when she was little.
3. Starting at one end of the strip, start folding alternately in and out on the scored lines. You'll need three hands for this one - just keep practicing! It helps to do this on a flat surface.
Once you have the strip all folded, gently fan the strip around so that the ends meet. I'm thinking a hemostat would be of great help here, to hold the edges together until you can glue them. I currently apply a large glue dot to the center to keep things from unraveling. (You may need a couple. I'm still working on this one.)
4. I apply the rosette to a slightly smaller  paper bases to stabilize it. I adhere he center of my rosette at this time, to stablize the front.
I'm currently working on a Halloween banner - you'll be the first to see it here!
Thanks for reading. Pea friends, please check in!

Making Cards

Making cards is a super way to use up bits and pieces of your stash. They're easy, and gratifyingly quick to make so you can satisfy your crafting craving in no time. I'll be making more cards!
I'm in the process of making Christmas cards, and probably no two will be alike! This is the latest one I've made. Make the base from cardstock and round edges. I used a small piece of an old Basic Grey Christmas pattern (2009 I think) that I had in my scraps box and after trimming, cut and stamped a tag from the left-over pieces. Chalk or ink edges. I  stitched the borders with my new We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy tool and piercing mat, but you could just as easily stitch them in your sewing machine or use whatever kind of edge effect you please, like drawn pen lines, stickers or rub-ons. Punch a small hole and apply an eyelet to tag if desired. Tie on with twine, embroidery floss or the fibre of your choice.
I finally did it: submitted something to a magazine! I submitted a card to the "Inspired By" section of Paper Crafts Magazine, a magazine I really like because of the emphasis on design and technique. I was inspired by the card "Life's Adventures" in the latest Sept/Oct 2011 issue of the magazine, page 79. It's a wonderfully adaptable design that you could use for any occasion, and takes very little in the way of supplies.
I've enclosed the supply list just in case:
1. cardstock
2. patterned paper, two complimentary designs
3. graph paper (I got mine ffrom this website: http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/
    (You can make the graph paper in any color or size you wish.)
Have fun!
A welcome to all of my new Pea friends doing the blog hop!
Rosie

A Girly Dinner Party

I was lucky enough to have my dear friend Janice (Milo's beloved "Aunt Jan") over for an overnight girly party. Food is foremost! I made a bacon-wrapped pork loin with green beans and potato duchesse, with a sweet potato-red lentil soup for starters. (Note: I got the recipes from the August 2010 issue of the LCBO magazine Food & Drink. It's an excellent source of good recipes and ideas
Janice brought our favoirite appetizer, brie with lingonberries.

I brought out the good stuff and set the table real special-like. I got the candle-holder idea from Pinterest.
These are my mini-apples pies that I'm posting on my Pinterest board:

To make them, just use your favorite applie pie recipe and  pie crust. I use the Pillsbury ready-made pie crusts and cut the dough out with a large circular cookie-cutter for the  top and bottom crust. I halved my favorite recipe and made 12 little pies ( about 3 in diameter). We love them because they're handy and cute.

My mini-book

I made this mini-book yesterday with Debbie - the only person who reads my blog. We experimented with my new tool, the Cinch book-binding tool. We had fun!
I made this with some left-over patterned paper (see bookmark tutorial) and made pages by gluing the patterned paper together with black cardstock.
Elmer's Craft Bond is a great way to adhere large surfaces. It dries nice and smoothly - you'd never know any glue at all was used!
Directions are easy: just trim your inside pages, punch with your cinch, then punch the covers. Remember to place the front cover on top of your pages, then place the back cover over that, and punch in that order. It keeps the seam of the wire-binding nice and invisibile.
Tie ribbons on spine.
Thanks for reading!

The last of summer........

Where does it all go?

One moment I'm coaxing seedlings into flourishing in pots and garden. The next minute I'm hauling their spent bodies from the soil and tossing the dry, brittle twigs into the fire.

A busy summer goes by in a flash, but on retrospection, it was filled to bursting with activities, trips and experiences.

I hate to see summer end with such abruptness as it does here. I'm not one to jibber-jabber and wax nostalgic for the glories of fall. A Florida girl at heart (the kind that gets the hell out of dodge in the summertime), I'd prefer this warm sunny weather right up until Christmas - where it may then snow briefly strictly for effect before it warms right up again. By the time Halloween gets here, however, cold autumn wind and rain will have leadened the skies and whipped leaves from branches.

In Florida, these early hollyberries would be a sign of a cold, early winter. WE'll see what the implication is here. Off to consult my farmer's almanac.

I want to include a craft here - a very easy Christmas card. I was inspired by the summer 2011 issue of Paper Crafts magazine. It's a wonderful card to use up some scraps you have, especially double-sided patterned paper.

This card is adaptable to whatever colours, sizes and/or themes you wish! The following instructions are for the card pictured.:

1. prepare card base: decide on format and score fold.

2. from several styles of double sided patterned paper, punch 4   circles and 12  squares. (I used 1.5 inch circles and 1 3/8 squares.)

3. Cut a piece from pp that keasures  4 x 1.5 inches. Arrange circles in overlapping pattern, adhering half of the circle on the piece of pp. Set aside.

4. Cut 4.5 x 5 in. piece of patterned paper, chalk or ink edges. Stamp sentiment. 

5. Fold squares into cones and adhere in a circle on pp as shown. Finish off with a button and twine bow.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to the original designer of this fun card. If you know her, please let me know. I'll research my back issues of PC in the meantime.

I lied

Okay - I am back. I couldn't get used to the new blog, so I deleted it. I'm much more comfortable here, and you might be, too, considering the hits that I continue to get. SO thanks so much for reading. I'll try to make it worthwhile.

I just got back fro,m the UK with Roger and my in-laws, Terry and Joyce. They have  long-established friendships and contacts that I was so happy to get to know & share. I  can't believe our wonderful, hospitable hosts. They were always so cheerful and gracious. That's amazing because I find hosting so exhausting; I wish I didn't, but it does drain me of energy.

I know  I want to go back - soon. I will have to if I want to get this book off the ground! You heard it here first! And that I have absolutely no clue as to what I'm doing. I have a vision - isn't that enough?

The Cinch - a new toy added to the maelstrom

On Friday I had to force myself to purchase a new dress for a wedding I had to go to on  Saturday. I hate clothes shopping, and I have a tendency to over-purge. The combination of the two leads to dire straits in the closet. Every now and then I make a half-hearted attempt to shop but always end the day the same: too impatient to sort through racks, I end up at Chapters and blow my clothes budget on books.
But this was different: I had to buy a dress. I literally had nothing in my closet . I promised  reward myself with a trip to a new scrapbooking store in Komoka if - and only if- I found a dress and a pair of shoes.
With the enticement of a good shop at a new LSS, I hit the racks with new enthusiasm and found a cute I*N*C jersey wrap dress (regular price unfortunately) but I did score on a pair of $150 Anne Kleins for $49. once I made my purchase I was ready to get the hell out of the Bay and head to Komoka.
The new store is named Scrappin Great Deals. Here's their  website if you are local: Scrappin' Great Deals
They're friendly, they're stocked to the gills, they're reasonably priced. It's been a little disappointing in the London area to see the LSSs paring down their product lines. At SGD, the racks are crammed with stamps and the latest in product. I happen to hit the store during a 30% store-wide sale.

The CInch by We R Memory Keepers

 I had been planning to save for a binding system, either the Bind-it-all by Zutter or The Cinch by We R Memory Keepers. SGD carried The Cinch and the version 2 was in stock. At 30% off, what choice did I have but to bite the bullet and fork over the plastic?
Anyway, I have been punching up a storm learning how to use the machine, and the curve is low. I'm ready to start in on a project: a SMASH book for Bob. I did happen to cave and order a genuine EK Success SMASH book from 2peas, but now that I have my Cinch, feel a glut of counterfeit SMASH books coming on.
Thanks for reading. Have fun - do something creative!

Long time - no writee! and....Bookmark tutorial

But thanks for stopping by in the meantime! I appreciate your visiting even if I have been out of pocket lately.
Hasn't it been HOT??

I've been staying inside  doing paper crafts - I just can't seem to get the knitting out in this heat. I made this card for Debbie - you know, the only one who reads this. (Hi, Debbie!)
I found an idea for a corner bookmark on Pinterest and decided to make a few myself. After a little tweaking, I came up with a tutorial to share with you.




1.

  First, cut a piece of cardstock to measure 3 x 5 1/2inches.
Mark the center, then make a mark about 1cm below that center mark.



2.

 


3.

 


4.

  Using a ruler, draw a line from each corner through the mark you made below the center mark.


5.

 Score these lines.



6.

 


7.

 

Fold  the left side on the score lines. Repeat with the right, tucking in the folded part and overlapping the left side. Adhere with your fave adhesive.





8.

  

Using your trimmer, trim edges flush.







 Decorate to your heart's content!
For this bookmark, I trimmed the darker patterned paper and edged with decorative scissors. I layered it with pink cardstock that I had punched with an edge punch, and my name is in rub-ons.
Thanks for looking, and I hope you enjoy this little project!

If you're reading this, you're probably Debbie

No matter. Some day, I will come to this blog and my stats will be sky high and the buzz will be this fantastic blog - you've gotta read it! And what once was an outlet for me will be my raison d'etre, and I will fill it with exquisitely focused and edited photos of myself wearing the latest Etsy gee-gaw that I'm hawking for sponsors.
Soon to come: my sock pattern. I have used the fantastic pattern from Knitty that I've linked in earlier entries, and I have adapted it over time. It's easy, trust me.
How did I get Lillie to wear her hat? So many of you have asked me that. (*Snort*).
She's a real ho when it comes to brushing, so I incorporated brushing into her preliminary sessions with the cat hat. Each time I introduced The Hat, it was with her favorite brush. By the time I photographed her, I had spent several days brushing her with The Hat on her head. By the time I photographed her, she would tolerate The Hat long enough for me to get some good shots. Hope this helps with your future photographs on animals in garments.
Thanks for reading.
You're welcome!

Who Gets Socks? And a giveaway!

I'm starting my Christmas knitting. Socks are on the list - but I have to figure out who gets socks. Not everyone deserves them - and yes, I am the god of judgment in these matters.
First off - this lady does not get them: Paula's stepmom, Gail (oh, hush - she'll never read this! Hardly anyone does.)
I was knitting a pair of socks in a luscious aubergine bamboo-blend when I was in Crystal River last fall. Gail and Paula's dad came over, and they started to admire the socks. I was touched, so I offered the finished pair to Gail. Her nose immediately screwed up and she said, "Oh, I just don't know what in the world I'd wear them with!"
Paula's dad spoke up. "Make her a pair in black," he growled. "And long enough for her motorcycle boots."
I cheerfully assured them that the very next pair I made that was black would be hers. Mentally I was checking her off - for life - of the sock list. Everyone who knows me hooted with laughter at this - I mean, really - who makes black socks?
Which brings me to who might deserve them. Our little family doctor, Binh, would be the only person I would make a pair of black socks for - and yes, he is on the list. He's compassionate and dedicated, and knows no time clock, bless his heart. He definitely deserves a pair of nice socks for his early-morning rounds in the hospital.
Roger also deserves a pair. He's my number-one sock fan. He takes off his shoes and makes everyone admire the socks I made for him! On fishing days, he will turn the house upside down if he can't find his "fishing socks": god-awful ugly striped socks I made early in my sock-knitting career that he loves to wear in his  boots.
My mom. She thinks everything I do is wonderful. I might even try some lace socks for her this year.
My sister - a sock fan period. If it can fit on her foot - she loves it.
Susan might get another pair - she sure was happy with the last ones. And Debbie - although she has to hide them from her mother-in-law, who is an enthusiastic knitter of socks herself, but her socks are of the "knitted worsted tube" variety
All little babies I know - those little socks are a cinch to knit up.
As for who else gets a pair - it could be you! Please leave a comment and I will enter your name in a draw for a pair of socks. (Sorry - no black ones) I'll make up a pair for you and get them in the mail ASAP.
Thanks for reading.
Rosie

A New Project

I'm currently knitting this top from hempforknitting "Hempton". The yarn is unusual - it feels like string but knits up fast,  and beautifully! I found the lace pattern - as simple as it is- challenging at first; I frogged and started over about four times before I got the hang of it, then it was so simple that I felt really stupid.

My Summer Stripes sweater is finished, off the blocking board and in the process of being assembled. I can't wait to wear it. It was a fun pattern that I think I'll try again in another kind of yarn. I have some multi-colored Manos de Uruguay DK that just cries out to be knit up in this pattern.

I might have mentioned before that I checked out a copy of Stephanie Pearl-McFee`s book, Things I Learned from Knitting...Whether I Wanted to or Not. Well, one of the things I learned from knitting is the satisfaction of creating, the pleasure in having a usable garment at the end, and the smug feeling of accomplishment. I love finishing my projects and dandying them about in front of people,``Look what I made! Nyah, nyah!!!``

Also in the works for my next project are two-at-a-time toe-up socks. I have my 100 cm circulars and I`m itching to get started. I`ll keep you posted.
Happy knitting and thanks for reading.
Rosie

Just a little post.......

Happy Thursday everyone, or as they say at The Pod, Happy "Thrusday". It's the traditional time to make those 4-page posts that get the hair up on the back of your neck with topics  like abortion, politics, and why you should never wear yoga pants in public.
Not knitting related, but thanks to my cyber-friend Jessica from The 24 Year Age Gap, I've started reading Harry Potter. I had to find out what the fuss was about (only a little late to this party). Well, Jessica, you have me hooked! I haven't actually read them - I saw The Philosopher's Stone and then checked out the audio (unabridged) version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The thing, if you haven't done it yet - is to knit while you listen to audio books! It's even more fun if you listen to those cheesy knitting novels. like The Friday Night Knitting Club, or my absolute favorites, the "Blossom Street' series by Debbie Macomber. They're overly sentimental, purply prose and a blot upon the literary world, but I love them. A Good Yarn is my favorites because of the emphasis shop owner Lydia Hoffman places on the "newest trend": toe-up socks knitted on two circulars!
Speaking of toe-up socks, I checked out some goodies from the library: Toe-Up 2-at-a-time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes and Things I learned from Knitting...whether I wanted to or Not by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Great little pearls of wisdom, if you pardon the pun. I think it is a book to be owned - I'll have to go  check Amazon. Until then, thanks for reading and happy knitting!
Rosie

Single for A Week

Roger just took off for a week-long trip stateside. He's going to the furniture show in High Point, then golfing in Myrtle Beach, SC. I tried to hitch a ride south myself - but Roger said he'd be in deep doo-doo if he brought a "girl" to his golf junket.
So I have my week well planned. I'm going to be knitting, knitting, and knitting; having popcorn and wine for dinner every night and sweatpants will be the uniform of the day. I'll probably fit in a trip to a LYS while I'm at it. I haven't been to my favorites recently, The Little Red Mitten in St. Thomas and London Yarns in Hyde Park. Since I'll be in that area today, I will make an attack on MaryMaxim in Paris. I still haven't been to Needles & Pins in Ancaster. If you haven't been to Ancaster, get off at the 403 exit and drive through this pretty little Federalist-era town the next time you're in the Hamilton area.

I'll also be trying to knit/crochet some of these beautiful flowers in the new book I got, 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet.
I'm waiting with baited breath for my new order from Jimmy Bean's wool, The Knit Kit. On the outside there's a yarn snip, a tape measure and a stitch counter. Inside there's a pair of needle tip protectors and stitch markers and a little pair of TSA-compliant folding scissors. It got rave reviews from the hard-sell crowd at Ravelry. Thanks to all the Ravelry ladies who turned me on to this amazing little gadget. I can't wait to get mine.
Have a wonderful weekend!Thanks for reading.

Rosie