Right Now

*listening to this and this. Old and new favourites.

*watching this. Jamie, you funny man!

*keeping them busy with this

*drooling over the patterns in this book. Pretty, pretty knits!

*baking muffins from this book. My body is not liking grains right now!

*reading this seasonal favourite to the kids

*trying to finish these mittens. Why am I always less motivated to finish sock/mitten number two?

*shipping out the last dolls from my Waldorf doll making venture. Bye bye dollies!

*loving the serenity of this book. Oh Vermont. How I want to visit you! Who wants to come with me to one of those Vermont knitting retreats, in a couple of years?

Have a good weekend!

Laura Ashley Love

My love for all things Laura Ashley peaked in the late 80’s, when my room was festooned in baby blue walls, a Laura Ashley bedding set, and straw hats on the walls. My friend and I had a little flashback moment a few years ago, when we thought that it would be a great idea to pull out our old Laura Ashley dresses, and start wearing them again. Our husbands quickly shut it down.

My heart however, still skips a beat when I spy a vintage Laura Ashley dress. This particular dress was made of lovely, heavy velvet and printed with cabbage roses and brooches. Oh, and it had large puffed sleeves. Very Dynasty! You can see what the dress looked like here from a seller on Etsy. No, I didn’t pay $125 for my dress, and I did have a split second of regret about cutting it up, after seeing the going price for it. Never mind. I am happy with how my self drafted a-line skirt turned out. I guess I am a bit old to be rocking puffed sleeves anyway!

Scrappy Hats

I’m trying to be very good and use up most of my yarn stash, before I purchase any new yarn. This super easy pattern was just the ticket for using up my worsted weight ends. Each hat knitted up in about two days, and this was in the midst of hosting pre Christmas family visits. I always feel that items crafted from bits and bobs turn out far more charming than if one had purchased matching materials. These yarn colours have seen their share of knitting projects, and now that these hats are done, I’m glad to put them to bed. Now to purchase some of those lovely yarns that I have been drooling over at my local wool shop!