I do get around to things - eventually!

 Resident Chef carved this Santa many years ago and there it sat.  Unloved, unpainted, and stuffed in a drawer.  I finally decided that I was going to get it painted if it was the last thing I do.  Only took me over ten years....

- Those of us whose kids watched Sesame Street will remember the Yip Yips and now there's both a crocheted AND a knitted pattern to make them.  I think kids now, even tho' the Yip Yips aren't 'on' anymore would still get a kick out of them!

- THIS is a pretty little mug rug design that you could make for either yourself or as a gift.

- If you like roses, perhaps you might like THIS (scroll down to see the full design!).  Seeing one block won't give you the full effect.

- THIS would make cute little gifts too - particularly if you were to give the mug and fill it with maybe some hot chocolate or cider packets.

- If you plan on giving gift cards this year, perhaps making some of THESE would make a cute presentation.

- There's a great in-depth review HERE of products you can use to create a snowy texture on your projects.  

Today's quote is from Victoria Erickson..."There's a turning point.  It arrives when we find ourselves quietly hovering inside the realization that the choice is between two pains:  the pain of the jump or the pain of regret"

House beautiful - hah!~

Resident Chef hauled out the Christmas decorations on the weekend so I dutifully 'decorated'.  Our tree is perilously close to running competition with Charlie Brown's tree and is most definitely showing its age.  Two strings of lights are burnt out necessitating a trip to the store to buy more and it's shedding 'needles' in a vast shower all over the carpet.  It needs a fluffy green/gold garland to be stuffed all around the 'trunk' to make it look as if it might actually BE a tree and not just some sticks stuck into a broom handle.   Yeah, as I said - pitiful.  

No  matchy-poo ornaments or fancy beaded garlands for us either - it's a collection of mis-matched ornies that have been accumulated carefully chosen over our years of marriage.  Needless to say 'House Beautiful' magazine won't be knocking on our door for a photo shoot anytime soon.  

This is one of my favourite Santas that I made a number of years ago.  He depicts a Besnickle and for those of you who don't know, here's a description I found on Wikipedia....Belsnickel is a crotchety, fur-clad Christmas gift-bringer figure in the folklore of the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany along the Rhine

He has a real fur coat and is mounted on a log.

I love our nativity set - it's one I collected that was once sold by Avon.  At the time I was a rep and I treated myself to these.  It's not the complete set, sadly.

- THESE will most likely be the cause of a few awww's.  

- I think making one (or more!) of THESE would be cute.

- Those of you who knit or crochet with yarn cakes might find one of THESE useful (and they'd make a great gift along with some yarn).

- THIS is a cute little Christmas pattern.  And THIS one is adorable!!

- There are lots of free designs HERE for cowls (and a few scarves)

Continuing on

 I'm back to working on the 'ghostly' landscape and adding to the embroidery in the foreground....

- Some things just tickle my funny bone no end and THIS is one of them.  

- Have a look at THESE sweet Christmas stockings and maybe make one of them!

- Have a look at the amazing sculptures done by THIS artist!!!

- And THIS one too!!  I love his birds!

Today's quote..."I've finally reached the wonder years....wonder where I parked the car?....wonder where I left my phone?....wonder where my glasses are?....wonder what day it is?

Where angels fear to tread?

I was casting about to find something to post about today and so I thought I'd be brave and show you my little corner of the living room where I sit in front of the tv and either knit, crochet or read at nights.  

Just a few words of explanation - the blue 'blob' on the left is a corner of my chair and the black 'blob' on the right is the corner of the end table.  In between is my mess - the pink and grey (back left) is a sweater I'm working on for the baby and the Janet basket to the right is *supposed* to hold my knitting project but instead it currently has my zippered pouch I use when I'm knitting socks, my yarn bowl and a plastic sectioned container that holds such important things as cable needles and stitch markers.  In front of that is a ball of red yarn I'm auditioning to maybe make myself a scarf of some sort, and the bag to the right of that is currently holding a baby afghan I'm working on.  

And speaking of baby things, I just finished putting the binding on the wee baby quilt and this is the result....

Nothing spectacular about it - just a panel and coordinating 5" squares.  Here's the backing....

It's a lovely soft minky fabric.  Soft, but a brute to hand stitch through.  Good thing I machine quilted the quilt and only had to hand stitch the binding!

- THIS is something fun that you could print and fill in over the next year to keep track of the books you read OR wouldn't it be a fun quilt pattern if it was embiggened?

- Have a peek through the sweet designs by THIS artist.

- Not sure I'd have enough patience to tackle making THIS but it sure is cute!

The quote, from Gandhi..."When the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace"

On waistlines and silliness

 Resident Chef appeared in my sewing room doorway on the weekend bearing these....

Homemade chocolates.
AND there isn't a single calorie to them!!
Uh huh.
They're bound for the freezer, minus
one or two for testing for quality control purposes.

For reasons even I can't explain I returned to making this....

I have absolutely NO use for it...no reason to make it....and nobody to give it to. Sheer silliness to spend that much time working on something utterly useless, but what can I say!

Pattern can be found HERE .  I used 16 mm wooden beads and Sugar 'n Cream crochet cotton (100 beads!)

- THIS is a nice pattern that would be perfect for a guy (but isn't strictly for them!)

- HERE is another of those aww-worthy things that are simply too cute not to share!!

- Sometimes things just tickle me and THIS is one of them.  I learned to type on a typewriter that looked very much like this!

- THIS is a really cute Christmas decoration for a manel (or in a window - perhaps done two-sided?)

- Have a peek through the slideshow of great ideas for Christmas found HERE.  

Today's quote...

The last one!.....?

 This is the last Christmas present I'm making for this year.  Yes, it is - uh huh - yep - done.  

My friend has a habit of keeping notes about her knitting on random pieces of paper that tend to go AWOL so I thought she might have a use for a notebook.  I couldn't give her just any ol' notebook so I gussied it up with embroidery on the front.  I cobbled together some designs from HERE.  

The back cover was created using a piece from a blouse she once gave me for use in crafting.  She loved it so hopefully she will like it here too.  The spine is made from a scrap of musical fabric I had (she's musical so I thought it was fitting).  Hope she likes it and gives up on her bits of paper!!

- Another friend creates amazing short films and you can see her latest one HERE.  Can't imagine how she does this!

- Oh how I covet THIS (but I guess I'd have to also add a big room to hold it!).  

- THIS is another of those things that elicits an 'awwwwww'   (be sure to scroll down to see it)

Today's quote..."Conformity is doing what you're told regardless of what's right.  Morality is doing what's right regardless of what you're told"

Another baby knit and granola

 Last weekend I finished working on another little sweater for our expected grandie that's due to arrive in January.  Pattern is THIS one - I did the short-sleeved version because I didn't think I had enough yarn to do long sleeves...

Yarn label is missing but I think it's Caron Simply Soft.

A couple of you have expressed interest in the granola recipe Resident Chef uses, so here you go....

RESIDENT CHEF'S GRANOLA

(NOTE: This makes a lot but it keeps
a very long time if you seal it well)

8 c. rolled oats (not the instant kind)
1 1/2 cups EACH: wheat germ and oat bran
1 cup EACH: sunflower seeds; rye flakes; 
cashews or pecans (finely chopped); almonds 
(finely chopped)

1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. maple syrup
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. honey
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. dried cranberries or raisins (or combination)
1 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 325.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.  Combine dry ingredients.  Combine remaining ingredients with the exception of the vanilla, cranberries, raisins and coconut and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add vanilla and pour over dry ingredients and stir to coat.  Spread evenly on baking sheets.  Bake until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes.  Stir once halfway through.  Cool, and then add the cranberries, raisins and coconut.  

-THIS is for the knitters who are wondering about different types of stretchy bind-offs.

- I really like THESE - and they wouldn't be too hard to make 

- THIS is a nice cross stitch design

- HERE is a great hat pattern that would work up really quickly for adding to your gifts under the tree.  

Today's quote..."When you see something beautiful in someone, tell them.  It may take a second to say, but for them it could last a lifetime"