Simple and Beautiful

These little gems I just crocheted fit this category to a tee. All cotton yarn with a wee trim for a bit of flair. Will make washing up just a teeny bit more pleasant, yes?

There's a lot to be said about simple and beautiful. Jane over at Jane's Apron spoke of her love of Johnson Brothers ironstone. She chose this when she got married over all the more elegant china. I have always loved Johnson Brothers and still have the Blue Willow I bought shortly after I got married. My mother is partial to the "Pareek" style they had many years ago. All this thought has made me think of the lovely things we have around our homes that are just "simple and beautiful" that we take for granted everyday.

I am off to Boston on Thursday morning for a hockey. DN2 will be playing some exhibition games against some university teams down there. I am looking forward to visiting an Anthropologie store and maybe a yarn store if I can convince 20 or so other parents on the team bus that this is where they really want to be.

Knitting and Swapping

How's that for some quick knitting? This is the Gum-nut hat from TinyHappy. I think I have spoken about this little hat pattern before. I have knit a few of them and they always come out cute as a button. By the way, there is a cute little flower button there but I couldn't quite capture it in the picture. I am still busily working on the afghan for my SIL's housewarming gift and that shouldn't be too much longer, just a few more inches and the fringe.

The other picture is of some Lamb's Pride I tried to colour match with some Cath Kidston fabric. I just love this colour combination. Soothing and fresh. I think I will do some crochet with it, possibly trying something from 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns.

And I am very exciting to be doing my first ever Swap. Outi and I are getting together to try one and I am so terribly pleased. I know, I'm late for the party again, but who knew the anticipation would feel so utterly wonderful? If you have not visited her before I urge you to do so. The Scandinavian esthetic is so fresh and calming, like a breath of fresh Baltic air.

Delish Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

Just whipped up a batch of these and thought you may wish to try them. Healthy, yet tasty. So rare to have the two together.

Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar (I always cut this down to 1 1/2 or so)

4 eggs

4 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 tin whole berry cranberries

1/2 cup flaxseed (toasted, if you prefer)

1 teaspoon vanilla

On low speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar til fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix til blended. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Mix the dry ingredients with the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Add the cranberries and the flaxseed, then vanilla.

Grease muffin tins or use cups. Fill to almost rim. Bake at 375 degrees for 22-24 minutes.

This will yield you about 24 muffins. Feel free to half the recipe, it will work just as well.

All my family loves these muffins. They are moist and not too sweet. They go great with tea, coffee or that afterschool glass of milk.

Hope you enjoy them!

Lisa

xoxo

Cath Kidston and a Cup of Tea

I received my Cath Kidston cataloque the other day and it was like receiving a special magazine in the mail. I had to pick the right moment to sit and have my tea and browse the lovely items.

But I must say, that cute apron reminds me of my gardening apron, yes?

I love almost everything in the catalogue, however, the loose flowery dresses are a definite no for me. Laura Ashley's didn't look good on me and I just know these wouldn't. But it's always good to know the things you won't look good in. Saves time and money. Everything else is so adorable. Why are there no Cath Kidstons in Canada? Can't we petition or something?

We had the wedding on Saturday and it was a glorious day. What beautiful weather we had. Thank goodness that's over, now to school scheduling, hockey registrations and of course, knitting and crochet! Love, love, love the fall.

He's Still There and He's Still Naked...

Maybe it wasn't the best link I gave you last time. But imagine my initial suprise when I am cruising through "Corners" looking at the cute decor at Posy's, cushy pillows from Plump Pudding, the cosy patterns and colours at Pixiegennes when *BAM* it hits ya! Naked Guy. Naked Guy in a ladies blue see through robe thingy. With his bits and pieces for all the little ladies that cruise "Corners of my Home" to see. Don't get me wrong, I am not a prude. I just find it terribly offensive that it is on that site. It I wanted porn, I would go to porn. I don't want porn or to check out someone's twig and berries while I'm looking to get excited by chintz and ticking.

Perhaps Flickr never received my email regarding Naked Guy. Or the "Report Abuse" note sent oh, a week ago? Uuuurrrrrrrr!!!

Disgusting Flickr Corners

Can anyone tell me why there is a naked man on the Flickr "Corners of my Home"? Why was this not vetted by the administrators? Am I the only one that finds this "disagreeable"?

Does anyone know where

to get one of these in North America? All the sellers come from the UK. Dying for one, please help a cute retro rose thermos/flask lover...

Preparing

For yet another party. DN1 is turning eighteen. Of course I am shocked. I don't know quite how this happened but it did. You know the old cliche "Where did the time go?", well it is true. She starts university in September, taking Sociology. Apparently, she was 1 of 83 accepted out of over 1800 applicants. Impressive for a kid that saw the inside of the VP's office more than she did a classroom (but it was never her fault). And she graduated with honours. Go figure. So, on Sunday, I am having 25 or so of our closest and dearest for a little graduation/birthday party for her. The problem is there is repairs that have needed doing all summer and my contractor/carpenter guy is AWOL. Why are they so hard to nail down (excuse the pun)? Hence the broken cupboard door.

The second picture is my "quick fix people are coming over and I simply must do something" repair. I do hope it will suffice.

Vacation was lovely. Beach, shopping, reading, knitting. And perfect weather. Quite heavenly and much needed. But it was also the first we have taken without DN1. She went to Cuba with friends and I missed her horribly. Is this the start of separate vacations?

We also have the wedding coming up on September 1. I need more time.

i think i can do this...

A post from the past you may enjoy.

Why I need my kids back in school...

Two years old and still as fresh as the day I posted it.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer.

Lisa xoxo

Away on Vacation

For those that have been emailing me, please accept my apologies for not replying as it is difficult for me to gain internet access.

I will return August 11.

In the meantime, help me to figure out what to do with all the blue and white transferware now that I have placed the red transferware in its spot.

For the Love of Hexagons

I know there has been an enormous amount of interest lately on crocheting hexagons. Alex at Moonstitches has definitely contributed to this infatuation. Her colour choices have been simply gorgeous. The problem is some of us mere mortals are, at times, crochet challenged. This is an example. The crocheted hexagon is, indeed, proving to be a bit of a challenge. It looks more like a crocheted circle. I won't even show you a picture.

Well today I have come to the rescue for those that cannot produce a crocheted hexagon. May I present:

The Knitted Hexagon

Materials: Worsted weight yarn

Needles compatible to yarn

One Hexagon requires about 12 yards of wool

Cast on 79 stitches.

Row 1. And every odd row, Purl.

Row 2. K2T, K 10, *Slip 1, K2T, PSSO, K10. Repeat *four times. Slip 1, K1, PSSO.

Row 3. Purl

Row 4. K2T, K8, *Slip 1, K2T, PSSO, K8. Repeat *four times. Slip 1, K1, PSSO.

Row 5. Purl

Row 6. K2T, K6, *Slip 1, K2T, PSSO, K6. Repeat *four times. Slip 1, K1, PSSO.

Row 7. Purl

Row 8. K2T, K4, *Slip 1, K2T, PSSO, K4. Repeat *four times. Slip 1, K1, PSSO.

Row 9. Purl

Row 10. K2T, K2, *Slip 1, K2T, PSSO, K2. Repeat *four times. Slip 1, K1, PSSO.

Row 11. Purl

Row 12. K2T, *Slip 1, K2T, PSSO. Repeat *four times. Slip 1, K1, PSSO.

Row 13. Purl

Row 14. Slip 1, K2T, PSSO, Slip 1, K2T, PSSO, K1.

Break wool. Leave a twelve inch tail. Run end through remaining 3 stitches. Draw close and seam two edges together. Leave end for joining next hexagon.

These little cuties really are sweet. If you choose to do more than one colour by all means, do it! Here I have shown you an unblocked green and blue one. Be adventurous! And enjoy!

N.B. Blogger lost this post yesterday. Imagine my utter glee after typing out this pattern to find out it was gone. Then lost internet service til this morning.

Reading, Knitting, Planning, Decorating, Crocheting...

But, alas, I am only one woman. I am busily trying to prepare a little Knitting Shower for my SIL. My husband's sister belongs to our knitting group and I am organizing a very small soiree for her tomorrow evening. Nothing large, just our group of 6 or 7 women with some crudites, nibblies, tea sandwiches and the like. Of course there will be some of this. And then tea with the Hazelnut Cakelet from here. That is the planning category.

The decorating has to do with what flowers to display, what plates to use, figuring out which glasses hold the most liquor for your buck and what table cloth can be used to go over an outdoor table with a umbrella in the middle (how the hell do we figure that one out?) I have also been organizing my transferware. I moved the blue transferware to the bottom of my dresser and brought out my red transferware that never gets displayed. That was quite the job. Seriously, what a lot of bother. And washing all the dishes, my heavens.

The crocheting is not, well, crochet, per se. It's more like what do I what to crochet next? You know, the preliminary part.

The knitting is something in the works, really. And a suprise for all of you. I will be posting something about it tomorrow but I know many of you will enjoy it.

And the reading? Well you do see the picture don't you. I am so in love with the Caroline Atkins book, I can't put it down. The pictures are just so lovely and tranquil.

Well that is it for now. But do come back tomorrow for your little gift.

Little Lovelies from England

I totally forgot to show you the lovelies mother brought me back from England. A Cath Kidston clothes peg bag, a toast rack, again from the Queen of All Things Good and a tin of syrup. I know this all seems rather meager but I have eaten all the other goodies. Oh, and the oilcloth all this is sitting on was lugged back by father. It is adorable with cherries, pears and strawberries. I believe they purchased it at John Lewis. There were chocolates, my favourite Jacob lemon sandwich biscuits that are a devil to find here in Canada and of course, candy galore. Really the best candy comes from England!

Why is it so many wonderful things come from the UK or Europe? I want a Cath Kidston shop in town, a Greengate across the road, a stall that sells cornish pasties on the corner and a Jacob's biscuit factory just close enough so I can smell the cookies being made. Honestly, is this too much to ask for?

Reading, Gardening, Dreaming

Doesn't the cupboard remind you of something? Of course this one is much more neater than mine. There is something terribly serene about blue and white crockery on a dark wooden background. I really must dry some hydrangeas in the fall, if only to drape across my cupboard!

The table setting is lovely. And blissful. The roses with that blue is just heavenly. The tablecloth is the most divine blue. I want that tablecloth. These images are from the book Tabletops by Barbara Ohrbach. Brilliant inspiration for those that need it once in a while. I am also perusing The New Country Style England by Ingrid Rasmussen. Not really liking it so very much. A bit sparse for my liking (I tend to be a wee bit more English Country Clutter). However, the tapestries and colours at the home of Kaffe Fassett is a must see. The warmth of the colours and the combinations are truly stunning. There is a picture of hands knitting something divine but they don't tell you what it is. The man's eye for style is to be envied.

Well must go cut some roses, water the petunias and sniff what is left of the peonies.

Granny Square Love

Well here she is. The beloved granny square blanket and/or afghan. I really love it. It was a pleasure to make and it is yummy to curl up in. I tried to base it on the afghan in the "Nanny McPhee" movie. There are a few that are really similar but some of Nanny's had a real mustardy yellow which I found very difficult to find. I used the basic granny square pattern and sewed it together using the whip stitch. Up to this point, I never even knew what a whip stitch was and really not 100% sure I do now. I had to kind of wing this whole project as I do not know anyone that knows how to crochet. Does it look old fashioned? Could it have been crocheted by a little old granny two or three decades ago with the remnants of yarn from old projects? That was my aim.

I used mostly a wool/acrylic mix, just for laundering purposes but as it got bigger and bigger I needed more and more yarn. As a result there is some pure wool in there so laundering will, in fact, be a delicate operation.

My favourites are the greens, mauves, pinks and blues. Everybody seems to have an opinion on what one is the prettiest. I do like the odd black one though. They add interest somehow.

Well there you have it.

Oh, and I wish to thank all the bloggers out there that inspired me. You all know who you are. How influential you are to me. Really. Next thing you know, I'll be sewing.

Peg Bags and Pert Ni*p*ples

Have you ever seen such a post title? Certainly not. The reason for this suprising post is simple. I'll start from the beginning. A while ago, I decided to knit the French Market Bag over at Knitty. Problems ensued. This was the result. It wasn't pretty. As you can see from my wordage, I never anticipated the power of "Google". The amount of hits I get per day from people looking for porn on this site is incredible. Needless to say, the disappointment must be enormous for those seeking p*ert ni*p*ples on my little knitting blog.

Which brings me to peg bags. That is the second most sought after word search on my blog. And for that simple reason, I am here to help. The following are some of the cutest darn peg bags I have seen in my travels. Hope this helps those that end up here. The peg seekers I mean, not the ni*p*ple seekers.

The little cutie in the picture is a Cath Kidston.

Greengate also has some sweet ones.

For those in the States, visit Homespun, hers are just as adorable.

And let's not forget one of my favourtie bloggers, Plump Pudding.

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Please let me know if I have helped you in your Peg Bag search.

Back From Sabbatical

Hello faithful readers. I know there are a few of you that have missed me and I am feeling a wee bit more sorted now. I have been very busy with Prom for DN1, among other things. The last week I have been looking after my father's toy store which has allowed me to finally finish sewing the Incredibly Beautiful Loved Every Minute of It Granny Square Afghan/Blanket. The sewing up was, well you know how I feel about sewing. But it is done and it is adorable. Crochet is really enjoyable and relaxing. You can put it down and pick it up again, easier, I think, than knitting. I will post a picture of it when I get the camera back...don't ask.

I have also aquired a penchant for garage sales, content sales and the like. I am accumulately a huge amount of items that I have gotten amazing deals on. There's aprons, blankets, glasses, planters, and pillowslips (or is it pillowcases?). Shall I go on? The list is actually endless. I guess the time I used for blogging was taken up with buying!

By the way, my Mum and Dad are in England and Mother has bought me something I have been yearning for in previous posts. Any guesses? She's been shopping at Cath Kidston for me. There's your hint, go for it.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

I will post again soon just thought an update was in order for those that so loyally kept me on their bloglines list. For that, I thank you :) xoxo

PS I have been playing with the layout and colour. Does it work for you?

It's Been a Good Ride

And thank you to all my readers that have been around so faithfully the last three years. I feel that my blogging has reached an impasse.

Perhaps in a few weeks or months I will return but for now this seems right.

Again, thank you, your comments, emails and questions have meant the world to me and I will continue to read many of your blogs.

Lisa
xo

Why

I have not posted in a few days, mostly because my mind has been somewhere else other than with the mundane.
The reason why I am melancholy is some very sad news came to us last Friday. My 14 year old came home from school and told us one of her best friends was upset at school and crying. A team mate from her friend's soccer team had passed away. Later we found out she had committed suicide. At fifteen years old. I'm sorry but I just cannot imagine. The sadness I have felt over the last few days has been all consuming. My daughters are so close to her age and I really can't understand. And my feelings for that poor family. I just can't put it into words. My own parenting is coming into question. Would I know? Do I ask the right questions? Do I/we push too hard? Where is the line between encouragement and pressure?

Parenting has always been a priority in my life. My husband and I even took parenting classes when our two oldest were younger although many laughed at us for doing so. But is trying hard good enough?

Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer but self evaluation is in the air.

Corners of My Home

This is my cupboard that holds all my transferware. I have a fascination with the blue and white. The bottom is filled with red and white transferware which I love also. Most of the pieces are vintage or antique but some are still available like the Crabtree and Evelyn Mason's teapot set. I also have some Spode pieces and a couple of odd bits from Furnival. Blue and white seems to match with almost any decor and any of these pieces look great in all my rooms. The blue and white pitchers look heavenly with yellow tulips or pink roses.

Now if I could just get some of my flowers to bloom in the garden, I could fill some of these jugs. Toronto weather is cool.