Horsey Num Num

I've been baking with my 'Drommar' cake pans! IKEA has these fun pans out at the moment, which give your cakes the little bit of 'gallop' they've been missing:

My choc-tastic Drommar is Devil's food with chocolate frosting and a mini-marshmallow heart.

And this is a fun Dalla horse Drommar which looks so much like varnished wood, I'd have trouble actually eating it, I think!

Photos from here, my camera, and here

Neigh! Neigh!

xo

Big Box of Yarn

Yes, it really is my lucky week! The postman also brought me this big box of yarn from Justin's Grandma!

She had heard I was into knitting, and so gathered up this collection of unusual treasures! There are yarns that look like feathers, yarns that look like confetti got spun into them, yarns that are fluffy, yarns that are fuzzy, and everything in between!

Unfortunately, there are no yarns that are for chewing on.

So, I'm looking for unusual projects worthy of these special yarns! Any ideas?

I've also been baking today, and used a favourite banana bread recipe (not mine, so I'm not sure I can give it out, sorry!) to make little muffins to take to a friend's house tonight. Texan women can bake like no other, so I'm hoping my offering will be well accepted!

Hope you're having a lovely week of autumn beauty!

xo

Bella's Treat Pouch

A new doggie project! Bella and I have been going to training each week, and I've found it's very important to have treats on me at all times! (Otherwise, she doesn't really understand 'Sit' very well!) So, I fashioned this treat pouch for her.

Yes, she's knows what it's used for! Every now and then, I let her lick out the little crumbs from previous treats!

It's a really simply project... just a long rectangle of felt, seamed at the back and sewn together (on the inside) at the bottom, to make a little pocket. I sewed a strip of felt on to the back too, to make a belt loop (so I can have it handy) and I put velcro strips inside to hold it closed when necessary.

I really do think it has helped with training! That, and the fact that Bella is just such a clever coyote!

Pom-pom Package

Every day, Bella and I walk down to the mailbox at the end of the street, and most days we come back with armloads of bills, forms, and newspapers. Today, we had all that stuff, but we also had the most exciting package in the world!

It came from Thailand, and has 29 stamps on it. Wait... 30 (I just recounted!), and they are all beautiful Thai landscpaes, waterfalls, and flowers.

And inside, was this treasure-trove! A little pipe-smoking man on a handmade notebook, a postcard-album, a copy of Sense and Sensibility on DVD, little handmade paper sunflowers, and more than a handful of pom-poms!

The postcard album is to store pretty cards, and inside was this one of a sweet little girl and her cat!

It was, of course, from my Mum, who's just been to Thailand on holiday! She always finds the brightest, happiest, most inspiring pressies for me, and I'm so grateful for that!

I hope your mail today had something lovely in it, too!

xo

On the Needles

I'm really working hard on Christmas gifts at the moment, and have decided that warm and cosy fingerless mittens are the way to go this year!

Right now, I'm finishing up a pair for my brother, (who never reads this, so I'm safe!) in the colours of his favourite English football team: Newcastle United.

As he's quite a tall guy, I changed my normal pattern a bit. I found that ribbing the mittens all the way from wrist to fingers looked a bit strange when stretched over big hands, so I simply did the cuff in rib stitch, and then stocking stitched the rest.

A very easy pattern for these 'Man Mitts':

I used two colours (A: black, B: grey), and size 9 needles

Cast on 36 stitches

Rows 1-4: Use colour A, rib stitch (knit 2, purl 2, repeat)

Rows 5-6: Use B, rib stitch

Rows 7-8: Use A, rib stitch

Rows 9-12: Use B, rib stitch

Rows 13-14: Use A, rib stitch

Rows 15-16: Use B, rib stitch (B can be cut as it won't be used again)

Rows 17-18: Use A, rib stitch

Rows 19-40: Use A, stocking stitch (knit one row, purl the next row, repeat)

Cast off!

How easy? So really, you just make a big patterned rectangle, and then take the two sides together and sew it up with mattress stitch (leaving room just above the last stripe of B for the thumb).

Enjoy!

xo