Show and Tell Friday...

This past weekend was a busy time. We started our Olympic projects at Melissa's home on Friday evening while watching the Opening Ceremonies and eating Melissa's wonderful food. Kelora brought a couple of desserts...one of which was called "Death by Chocolate". Since she shared the recipe with us, I thought you might like to have a copy.

Death by Chocolate

Serves up to 24 people (or 1 serious chocoholic!)

1 box (19.8 oz) fudge brownie mix

3 packages (4 servings each) instant chocolate mousse

8 chocolate-covered toffee candy bars (1.4 oz. each)...like SKOR or Heath bars)

1 large container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Bake the brownies according the the package directions; let cool. Prepare the chocolate mousse according to the package directions. Break the candy bars into small pieces in a food processor or by gently tapping the wrapped bars with a hammer. Break up half of the brownies into small pieces and place in the bottom of a large glass bowl. Cover with half of the mouse, then half of the candy, and then half of the whipped topping. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients.

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Last weekend was also Valentine's weekend. I helped Ariel decorate a shoebox last week for her Valentines. It brought back many memories of making my own Valentine boxes with my mom. My sweet hubby sent me some beautiful miniature daylilies that I have been enjoying all week. I asked him not to get me chocolate this year as I'm trying to drop a few pounds. But that didn't stop me from getting him some yummy Ghirardelli dark chocolate. Since I'm not as much of a fan of dark chocolate as I am of milk chocolate, they won't be tempting for me. Hope you enjoyed getting and receiving some Valentine gifts as well.

For Show and Tell today I have the beautiful Colonnade Shawl that Debbie made from 2 skeins of Feza Cyprus Mohair and 1 skein of Tahki Bunny. I've already picked out my yarn to make this one. Great job, Debbie.

Kori finished her 10 Stitch Blanket. It's a free pattern on Ravelry, but if you take Mimi's class she will give you lots of great tips for making it...including how to knit backwards! Isn't it just simply gorgeous! I've been pondering which colors of Noro Silk Garden yarn I want to use to make one for the shop.

Melissa brought in her doll wearing the dress she knitted for her. She also made the coat and purse. Very creative!

And finally, Aggie finished her first sock using Berroco Comfort yarn and Lisa's I Don't Give a Darn pattern. Way to go, Aggie!

I think we're going to have a heat wave this weekend. Saturday looks to be a great day to wash the car and get rid of all the salt. Enjoy the sunshine!

Show and Tell Friday...

Did you try out any of the snow recipes? I really wanted to make snow cream with my granddaughter, but she went to spend the weekend with her mom, so she wasn't at home. Maybe the next time it snows, we'll get that made.

But I did try out the two winning recipes...and I have photos to share.

Beth's recipe for "Eggs in a Nest" called for a shape to be cut out of the bread. I didn't have a flower shape, but figured a shamrock would do. It was very yummy and something that I think my grandkids would love to help me make sometime.

Debbie's recipe for "Eggs Goldenrod" took me a little longer to make because I forgot that I had to have a hard boiled egg. So I boiled several eggs and also had an egg salad sandwich for lunch.

And then finally, I made the "Bread Pudding" recipe. I was surprised to find that I preferred it cold, rather than hot.

After the snow stopped, I saw these paw prints in the snow. The set on the right is from Mr. Cottontail, our friendly neighborhood rabbit. But I couldn't identify the other set of prints. Any idea what animal would have made these prints?

What project did you work on during last weekend's snowstorm? I made the Grrlfriend Market Bag out of Berroco Cotton Twist. It turned out really cute and what a great project for this yarn! I used 2 skeins of the variegated and 1 of the solid.

Now on to your finished projects...

Mary Beth got this cute vintage trunk at a garage sale and made a doll and some clothes for it. She even made her some shoes and socks. Very nice!

Pam made a sock using Misti Alpaca Sock yarn. She used a pattern from the Sock Innovation book by Cookie A. This yarn is so yummy for socks! I must add a colorway to my stash. :~)

And Kim made this darling little baby layette for a friend. She used Queensland Sugar Rush...a yarn made of 100% sugar cane! Very cute!

Don't forget to come to our Super Bowl of Knitting party on Sunday afternoon from 2-6 pm. Bring your knitting or crocheting project to work on. And come bid on some of our shop models in our Silent Auction and Raffle to raise money for the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders for their work in Haiti.

Have a great weekend! Blessings!

Let it Snow...let it snow...let it snow...

Can you tell that I'm excited about the big snowstorm that's coming? I really love snow. I've been very disappointed over the past few years to not even get ONE snow. That's all I really want for a winter to be perfect...just ONE snow. And to be getting our 2nd snow this year...well, let's just say I'm excited. Now I don't want the snow to last forever, mind you. Just for a day or two so I can sleep in late one morning, build a fire, enjoy playing with Ariel in the snow, and, of course, knit. I don't really think that's too much to ask, do you?

Those of you on our email list know that I’ve always wondered what one would make with the milk, eggs & bread that we all go to the grocery store to buy when we hear the "S" word. So I’ve come up with some ideas for you to try during this coming snowstorm:

1. French toast - http://southernfood.about.com/od/frenchtoastrecipes/r/bl30118b.htm (I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon on my French toast.)
2. Bread pudding http://www.momswhothink.com/easy-recipes/bread-pudding-recipe.html
3. Scrambled eggs, toast, & milk
4. Egg Salad sandwich & milk

So the challenge went out in my last email as to what you would make with these 3 ingredients: milk, eggs & bread. The one who would "WOW" me with their recipe would win a prize. I've really enjoyed reading all of your emails about your family recipes. You all sent me a lot of ideas. Here are a few...

• Fried egg sandwich with milk
• French toast strata with cider syrup (although you'd have plan ahead for this one in order to have a few extra ingredients)
• Breakfast cassarole
• Breakfast strata - adding veggies, cheese & meat (also additional ingredients)

Several people mentioned snow cream...although it doesn't have our 3 ingredients, it's a great idea. Amanda shared with me how she makes it:

You take a very large bowl out to gather snow, because a lot of snow makes a little snow cream. I use a large plastic spoon (like what can be used for sauces and soups), but metal would work fine. Find some clean, undisturbed snow on top of a car or something. Before filling the bowl, gently scrape off a little of the top layer of snow to remove any coal dust or other particles. Once you have a heaping bowl full of snow, go inside and put a decent amount of the snow into a fairly good sized bowl (allows room for mixing). Then add some sugar, evaporated milk, and a little bit of vanilla extract. Mix together and taste. If it's good, then there's nothing left to do but enjoy a bowl full. Otherwise, add a little of whatever is needed to make it right (will most likely be some more snow from bowl #1). Put any leftovers in the freezer (if there are any leftovers). Caution: eating too much snow cream at a time can cause a sore throat, so enjoy in moderation! :)

My momma never would let us make snow cream as kids. She was always too concerned about radiation in the air to let us eat snow. I did some research online to see about the safety of eating snow. I found a website that said you should let it snow 2 hours before using the snow for snow cream to wash out all the pollutants in the air. But they also said not to be too concerned because we breathe that same air every day. That actually makes sense. Plus I doubt any of us will be putting away snow cream in such large amounts that it will hurt us. So go make some and enjoy it!

I did receive two recipes that were new to me...and really sounded yummy. Our first winner is Beth Jinkerson. She said to make "Eggs in a Nest". Here's a website that shows how to make it.

And then our second winner is Debbie Slack for her recipe called "Eggs Goldenrod" (i.e. Creamed eggs on toast). Here's her recipe for 1-2 people. You can multiply it as needed.

1 hard boiled egg
1-2 slices toast
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste

Make a basic white sauce: melt the butter, stir in the flour until bubbly and smooth, add the milk and cook until thickened. (I stir my sauce with a pancake turner instead of a spoon - it sweeps the bottom of the pot better.) Remove the yolk from the hard boiled egg and set aside. Chop the egg white and add to the white sauce. Add salt & pepper if desired. Tear the toast into bite-size pieces on a plate, ladle the sauce over it, and crumbled the saved egg yolk on top. Serve piping hot.

So Beth and Debbie come by the shop and pick up your skein of Kollage Creamy yarn...it's made of 80% milk! Very appropriate, don't you think. Really, this 80%milk/20% cotton yarn would make a lovely spring scarf. So even if you didn't win, you should check out this yarn.

If you're not on our email newsletter list, just send me an email and let me know you want to be added. We occasionally send out extra emails with additional information...and sometimes a contest.

Enjoy the snow!!

Show and Tell Friday...

Today's a rainy day here in East Tennessee. But that doesn't stop us from being excited over the wonderful projects that folks have been bringing into the shop to share with us.


Kelora made this beautiful shawl out of Cascade Alpaca Lace. The addition of the beads really made it pop.



Kristina brought in two shawls that she has recently completed. The first one is the Icelandic Poppies Shawl by Evelyn Clark.






The second one is the Sand Dollar Shawl out of Knitting Lace Triangles. Both were made with lace weight alpaca.



Jan shared with us her shrug made out of Feza Cyprus Mohair. Lots of people have made this very popular shrug pattern.



And finally, Aggie made skull and crossbone hats for her grandkids.


Good job, everyone. Don't forget to bring in your finished projects so that we can share them with everyone.

Stay safe today if you're driving around town. Blessings!

Show & Tell Friday...

Can you believe that it's a Friday and I remembered to post on the blog!! We've been so busy this past month that I haven't caught up yet from the Christmas rush. But today I have lots to share with you.


Leslie has made a lot of fingerless mitts recently. She used Brown Sheep Wildfoote to make this first pair.

And then she used Crystal Palace Panda Wool. The pattern for these mitts is in the One Skein book.

And finally she made a pair for a Christmas gift...and this pattern was in the December 09 issue of Knit 'N Style. She's been a busy woman!

Jan made a hat for her granddaughter out of Cabin Fever Cotton Tweed.

Daniel made a lacy scarf for Amanda's birthday out of Malabrigo Silky Merino. It was his 1st attempt at adding beads. He's come a long way from a year ago when he learned to knit.

We've gotten in lots of new yarns this past week. I've kept both Melissa and Paula busy labeling and putting this wonderful yarn on the shelves. I can't wait to start working on models for you to see. We got in:

• Noro Kureyon – 100% wool that is self-striping. A great felting yarn.


• Noro Cash Iroha – a wonderful solid yarn that complements Noro Silk Garden (a silk/wool/cashmere blend)


• Knit One, Crochet Too Crock-o-Dye – a sock weight blend of superwash wool/silk/nylon that would make gorgeous scarves as well


• Knit One, Crochet Too Camelino – a worsted weight merino/camel blend in solid colors


• Knit One, Crochet Too Ty Dy Dots – 100% cotton that knits up like a summer tweed…coordinates with the Ty Dy yarn


• Berroco Origami – a summer yarn of acrylic/linen that knits up into a very light fabric


• Berroco Weekend – an aran weight yarn of acrylic/cotton that is washable and great for lots of different projects


• Lang Jawoll Magic – new sock yarn that gives a tye-dye effect…great for shawls as well


• Plus lots of restocks of your favorite yarns

Did you all see the gorgeous sunset we had last evening? It caused me to stop for a minute and pause to thank God for the beautiful world He has given us to live in. Thought I'd share the photo with you...although it doesn't really portray how beautiful it really was. It was another reminder to stop occasionally and take time to be thankful. Blessings to you all!

Show and Tell Friday...

I guess you've been wondering where I've been since it's been a month since I have written on the blog. We've been very busy as the Christmas season has approached.

I have lots to share with you today. First of all, I wanted to show you a picture I took from our first snowfall of the season. The red berries from my holly tree looked so beautiful with the freshly fallen snow on them. I love waking up to see snow on the branches of all the trees. My granddaughter immediately got outside and starting playing in it. Unfortunately, it left about as quickly as it came. Perhaps we'll get more snow this winter that will stay a little longer.

We had a special Christmas treat for all the gals taking one of the Weekly Classes. They each got to make a Scrap Yarn Scarf. They seem to enjoy this week of cookies, presents, and yarn. Here are a couple of photos from our week.

Now for some show and tell...

Barbara made this cute baby sweater. I'm sure it will look darling on some little baby soon.

Kori did her very first pair of socks. She used Swedish Yarns Raggi yarn and Lisa's "I don't give a darn" sock pattern. Nice job. I see many more pairs of socks in your future, Kori!

Sam brought in a pair of socks she made for a Christmas gift. She used the Aslan Trends sock yarn. It was very soft and yummy. You might want to check out this yarn for your next pair of socks.

And I had to show you this cute reindeer that Mary Beth made. It's an Alan Dart pattern. Very cute!

And her beaded neckwarmer will be making someone a wonderful Christmas present this year. Very nice!

I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful Christmas together with your family.

Giving Thanks...

As Thanksgiving time nears, I am mindful of all the things for which I am thankful. First and foremost, I'm thankful for a loving family. And I'm thankful to have 3 of the greatest grandchildren around. They bring me much joy.

I'm also thankful for my health. For years I've taken good health for granted. And then when two car accidents injured my back in June, my health took a turn for the worse. I've had to really struggle to regain my health. I'm thankful to have two of the greatest physical therapists in the world. Both Mark and Joy have been there every step of the way helping...and sometimes pushing...me to work hard and get my strength back. It's amazing how a simple hug or a big smile can motivate me to keep trying. And even though I've still got some healing to do...both physically and emotionally...I'm making progress. For that, I am truly thankful.

Thankfulness doesn't even begin to express my gratitude to the wonderful gals that both work for me as staff and teach my classes. They encourage me...they watch out for me...they inspire me to keep learning new knitting and crocheting skills. I consider each of them a dear friend. I'm thankful to have them to work alongside me.

And speaking of friends, I've had so many new friends come into my life simply by walking in the door of my yarn shop. I get so excited to see them learn new skills...and I love to see them truly excited about the crafts I love. I'm thankful for each person that has helped me to build my business.

This next week as you celebrate Thanksgiving, why not spend some time thinking about the things for which you are thankful. You'll be amazed at how your spirit will be lifted up as you focus on the many blessings God has given you. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!