Remeber this house?

It has a tenant........

This is Josie, (wait...DD flip flops with several more ideas)...Twinkles, our newest pet. She is a African Pygmy Hedgehog 

Isn't she cute!

And so much quieter than a hamster, less stinky than a rabbit, caged unlike a cat and doesn't require a leash to walk outside like a dog. She is 11 months old, and I found her through Kijiji for less than half what you would pay at a pet store with the cage included.  She eats cat food and meal-worms and is also litter trained in her cage. She loves baths and playing with her tinkle ball and dinky cars. She uses a blanket for the lining of her cage (so no pine shavings!)  And loves to hide in the Little House when she is roaming around the living room.
Welcome Josie Twinkles!

(UH Oh ....Grumpy Josie is more Prickle than Twinkle!)

Birthday Time!

We had a birthday at our house this week. DS1 is now 6 years old! I can hardly believe it! And to top it all off, he lost his first tooth today too. Hope you have a great year Buddy!

Gluten free sponge cake recipe

•  This is an adaptation of one I found on recipe zaar. I have been searching for the perfect white cake recipe for birthdays for years, and it was perfect! Tasted just like angel food cake.  Still doesn't have a lot of height when it cooks, but doesn't weigh 10 lbs either, like most GF cakes.

 Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cor starch
• 1/2 c gluten free flour mix with NO Xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 eggs separated
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 

Directions

1. 
   
   
   

   Sift corn starch, flour, baking powder and salt together.

2. 
   
   
   

   Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.

3. 
   
   
   

   Beat  egg yolks into the egg whites.

4. 
   
   
   

   Gradually beat in sugar until mixture forms a figure 8.

5. 
   
   
   

   add vanilla

   Fold in the dry ingredients.

6. Divide into 2 well greased 20 cm (8") sandwich pans.
7. 
   
   
   

   Bake at 180 C or 350 F for about 20 minutes.

8. 
   
   
   

   Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

9. 
   
   
   

   When cool, top one with whipped cream and jam (jelly).

10. 
    
    
    

    Place the other on top and dust with icing sugar.

Sock Monkey Hat

DS1 is a huge fan of sock monkeys, all because of a pair of pj pants I bought him with this delightful childrens toy on them. I keep intending to make him one, but I just haven't had time to search for sources of the perfect sock. But his birthday is coming up this week, so as an early gift I made him this hat!

                 

SEE No Evil 

HEAR No Evil

 SPEAK No Evil








Size: Child age 4-9

Materials

1-circular US size 8 Knitting needle

1- circular US size 9 Knitting needle, optional size 9 DPN's (not needed if you are familiar with the magic loop technique of pulling the cable out between the stitches)

1- ball Bernat Softee Chunky Heather Gray

1- ball Bernat Softee Chunky White

1- ball Bernat Softee Chunky Berry Red (only a small amount needed)

2- black shank buttons for eyes

Directions
Cast on 60 st in Heather Gray on size 8 needles. Place marker (PM). Begin knitting in the round.

K2, P1 all the way around. Keep moving marker along with the knitting to keep track of the beginning stitch of each row.

Continue with K2 P1 for 6 more rows. Switch to size 9 circular needle

Begin to knit all rows until entire hat measures 5 ” (or longer if the hat is for an adult.)

Switch to white.

Knit 2 rows

Switch to red

Knit 1 row

Switch back to white

knit 2 rows.

Begin to decrease. Switch to size 9 DPN's or be ready to use magic loop techniques to finish the hat.

Knit 4, knit 2 together, repeat all the way around one row

Knit 3, knit 2 together, repeat all the way around one row

Knit 2, knit 2 together, repeat all the way around one row

Knit 1, knit 2 together, repeat all the way around one row

Knit 2 together all the way around until only 5 stitches remain. Cut off yarn with 1 foot of excess. Thread the tail onto a darning needle and run though the last 5 stitches on the needle and pull knitting needle out. Pull the tail tight to close the top of the hat and tie in securely to finish.

Pompom

Take a piece of cardboard 1.5 inches long. Wrap red yarn around it about 15-20 times. With a darning needle and 1 foot of red yarn, slide the needle under one side of the yarn wrap and tie the ends of the sewing yarn tightly around the hank on the card and knot securely. With scissors on the opposite side of the knot, cut the hank off of the card.

With the excess tie ends, sew the pompom securely to the top of the hat.

You now have a “Work Sock hat”, To make a Sock Monkey hat continue on...

Plush Muzzle

With size 8 needle and white yarn, cast on 20 stitches.

Row 1: Knit across

Row 2: Purl across

Row 3: K2tog, knit across to last two stitches, sl 1, k1, psso (18 st on needles)

Row 4: Purl across. (optional- Switch to red yarn, but do not cut off the white.)

Row 5: K2tog, knit across to last two stitches, sl 1, k1, psso (16 st on needles)

Row 6: Purl across

Row 7: Knit across

Row 8: Purl across. (If using red yarn, join the white back in here and cut off red)

Row 9: cast on 1 more st, knit across to last stitch. K in the front and back of last stitch (18 st)

Row 10 Purl across

Row 11: cast on 1 more st, knit across to last stitch. K in the front and back of last stitch (20 st)

Row 12: cast off and end

Directions for sewing.

Fold muzzle piece in half longways with right sides together, and with needle and thread sew the short sides together. Leave the long open edge open. Turn right side out for sewing onto the hat.

Ears

On size 8 needles in gray yarn, Cast on 8 st

Row 1: knit across

Row 2 (and all even rows)purl across

Row 3: knit across

Row 5: k2tog, knit across to last two stitches slst, k1, psso (6 st)

Row 7: k2tog, knit across to last two stitches slst, k1, psso (4st)

Row 9: cast on 1 more st, knit across to last stitch. k in the front and back of last stitch (6 st)

Row11: cast on 1 more st, knit across to last stitch. k in the front and back of last stitch (8st)

Row 13: knit across
Row 14:cast off and end.

Repeat for second ear

Directions for sewing.

Fold the ear in half with right sides together at the last decrease point. Sew each of the the open sides together (but NOT across the end) Turn right side out .


Assembly
Pin the muzzle to the ha, with the bottom of the muzzle placed right above the top of the last ribbing row. The muzzle will be stuffed, so don't stretch it out as you pin  it into place.  With a needle and thread sew around the muzzle most of the way, leaving a space open to stuff it. After stuffing it sufficiently, close the gap with sewing.

If you made a pure white muzzle, embroider the red mouth into place with a darning needle and a length of red yarn.

Ears are not stuffed.  Pin ears into place at about the 1/3 mark around the hat (aprox 2" away from each side of the muzzle.) Sew into place. Sew two black button eyes just above the muzzle




NOTE: This pattern could use testers! If you make this and see a mistake, please leave a comment so I can be sure to fix it!!

Did you ever think to yourself....?

You know, those things where if your life was really together the way you wanted you’d never have to think such a thought … like for example:

“Hmm, smells like I left a pan in the oven.”

I love this! It was written by "dovian" in a forum on Ravelry and is SO TRUE! How many times have I (or you) let  chaos have control in our life, to the point that we waste time or loose out.

If you were to peak into the window of my life right now, an outsider might consider the rooms in my house of life to be in shambles. But praise God, it really isn't. Because I have a hope found in Him! I am not traveling on an easy road right now (someday I'll explain). I have lost a lot recently, there are days I am overwhelmed by the chaos of our circumstances. But I still have a peace and a comfort in my heart, even in the moments I feel sorrow.

I bought an inexpensive silver ring the other day, to replace one that has been missing from my hand for sometime now. And it is inscribed with Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

(I love verse 6:)

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

I have  known this verse since I was about 8 years old.  And no matter what path I am on, whatever chaos is seeking to control my life, this verse has always come to me.  Despite the clutter I allow into my life, the choices good or bad and the outcome, I know God is by my side. I need to be willing to surrender to him though, give him the clutter to deal with, listen for his direction and follow it, even if it's hard- like forgiving yourself, or harder still- forgiving someone else.

CTM

2010

PS.  I just went down to do dishes after I posted, and found I had left the crockpot on low with left over porridge in it ALL DAY. Yep, lots of chaos in my life! 

A Light Hearted Look at Real Life

**Kaleidoscope

Review of a book by Patsy Clairmont

“Life is textured”, and Patsy Clairmont adds her own unique texture to life in her book Kaleidoscope. I received an advanced copy from booksneeze.com, and really enjoyed this light hearted look at life. It is a  book about Proverbs, covering a wide range of life topics in a colorful way that really does reflect the lives of women everywhere. Just like a Kaleidoscope.
It is like a “girls night out” that you read, which also makes it the perfect book for a group of moms, business women, grandmas, sisters or knitting groups to read together. The topics are all great conversation starters and I enjoyed the Bits and Pieces at the end of each chapter. Patsy Clairmont gave questions that sometimes required me to reach into my inner depth to answer. One minute I was reading and chuckling, or nodding my head in agreement, and then I would get to the Bits an Pieces and Miss Honesty and Ms. Reality who were sitting at my side would speak up and make me think harder about the scripture Patsy had chosen for each chapter and how that applied to my everyday, color filled life.

“Tomorrow is already full, but we didn't pack it.” But are we ready to deal with what will come in our day? If you wanted to put a theme on this book, it would be “Words”. Patsy Clairmont encourages readers in this book to consider their words and how they affect others. Are we puffed up with pride? Do we invoke fear? Are we a fool? Or are we speaking with love, humbleness and meekness. And have we learned how and when it is best to shut our mouths? How we react and the words we use to others in times of our own struggles and winning accomplishments will affect how people view us when life returns to “normal” and we are looking around for our friends. If I may quote from the book in Chapter 3: Custom fit-

“ …..words can be like a fitted garment because hen they have been measured out in such a way that they hang correctly on the recipient, when they have been fashioned from the heart and designed to add value, they become a priceless addition to the wardrobe of others.”

I felt challenged myself to pay more attention to my choice of words, that at times when I need to learn to forgive and let go, I need to make sure my words and actions reflect that to others as well.

CTM

March 2010

DD's FIRST Ever Completed knitting project and sewing project together!

DD is so proud, and with every right to be! She knitted her first square, with very little help from me. It is about 5"x 5" and has become a small pot holder (she can't wait to add it to the linen drawer). She even chose and sewed on the fabric by hand with very little help. I am so proud of her.  She is also the photographer of her project, and we have posted it as a finished project on Ravelry Olympics. Way to go! She is already talking about making it's matched mate.

 Pattern:
In case you are interested in making one too, it was made with worsted weight yarn and 6 mm needles.
Cast on 18 stitches. Knit all rows until  square. (aprox 20 rows) Bind off. Iron out on low heat to block

Fabric back:
Then we sewed on a square of fabric. The fabric was cut the same size as the finished square. We ironed the edges under on the fabric and did a blind stitch to sew it onto the knitting. DD also added a "flower" to the center. with two pieces of yarn sewn through all layers and tied into a knot. We cut the ends short and frayed them.