Just wanted to pop in and say that the pattern for Miss Brooks is available now! I wrote the pattern in six sizes from 30-inch to 50-inch busts, so it really fits a lot of gals! If you've got a knitting machine, I highly recommend using it for this because this dress is a LOT of stockinette! On a knitting machine, you can get one of these cranked out in two afternoons (one, if your machine isn't being cranky like mine was).
ah, the good old days of train rides and fashionable hats...
The Dr. and I have agreed that we will not go out to eat this year, except for dinner out once a month and our usual, ubiquitous coffee shop visits. Now, for any of you who know me, you know that this presents an almost-insurmountable challenge for me. I LOVE food. I LOVE going out to eat. However, I wanted to be a good sport so I'm using my creative skills to bring some of the restaurant tastes that I love home.
Enter Cheesecake Factory's Raspberry Lemonade. Have you ever had it? It's like crack in a glass. It costs $4.50, and is worth every penny. Whenever we go, I usually suck down at least 3 glasses worth, and then try to talk the server into giving me one to take home (hey, it is $4.50, after all)! Now that we're eating at home, I knew this was one of the restaurant items I would have to try to recreate. And well, I did!
Cheesecake Factory's Raspberry Lemonade
Makes 2 quarts
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
Extra sugar for sugaring the rim of your glass
Directions:
Bring the cup of water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir constantly for one minute until sugar is thoroughly dissolved; remove from heat and add to a blender with raspberries. Puree until smooth. Add puree to 2-quart container with lemon juice and enough water to make 2 quarts. Chill before serving. Serve over ice in sugared glasses. (Or, you know, glass, if you're going to hoard it.)
To sugar your glass, run one of your lemon rinds around the edge of the glass to moisten. Dip rim into dry sugar until coated to your liking.
Several months ago, a very thoughtful friend of mine, knowing how much I love bacon, gave me a tin full of bacon-flavored gum:
It was every bit as nasty as it sounds.
Let's just say that the gum was thrown out. The tin, however, found itself a constant companion of my knitting project bags. In it, I put some needles, stitch markers, a stitch holder, a pair of scissors, a tape measure - all the little things I always want in my project bag but somehow, forget to add. This went over spectacularly well, and I found myself scouring my local shops for more tins, because let's face it: I have more than one project bag, you know? After awhile, I got to thinking: I bet other knitters would find these useful, too. In fact, I bet I could even theme some up just for knitters!
So, I did.
On Saturday, I opened my new shop, The Sexy Knitter. Introducing: The Knitter's Tool Tins! Everything you need for your project bag, in one convenient tin.
So much cuter than that other Knitter's Kit! ;)
I'm offering 12 choices of knitting-themed tins - you can even add your own custom photo or screenname/avatar combo! The tins are just $20, and include the following items:
• White metal tin (silver inside) measuring 3 3/4 in/9.38 cm long, 2 3/8 in/5.95 cm wide, 3/4 in/1.88 cm deep – same size as an Altoid tin
• 1 Stitch holder measuring 2 1/2 in/6.25 cm long
• 1 Cable needle measuring approximately 2 in/5 cm long
• 1 Double ended crochet hook measuring 2 1/2 in/6.25 cm long
• 5 handmade, folded paper star stitch markers to fit up to US 8 needles (these are surprisingly durable!)
• 1 Retractable measuring tape – measures up to 60 in/150 cm
Here's a little sampling of the choices. Come visit the shop to see the rest!
For a limited time, you can get 15% off your order with the coupon code, "grandopening". I've already sold 7 tins; the next 5 will get an extra 5 stitch markers, FREE!
I'm so excited to announce that I'll be teaching at my LYS's annual retreat! The retreat is held every year at The Historic Elms Resort & Spa in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. This year, it's going to be January 28-30, and you can still sign up if you're interested in joining us! This will be my 3rd year to attend the retreat, and this year I'm teaching a class on top-down raglans. This 6-hour class is basically a KAL-with-help of Mr. Greenjeans, but I'll also be covering how to cable without a cable needle, how to do the long-tail cast on and construction of a basic raglan.
If you've always wished you could go to a knitting retreat but found yourself prohibited by cost, I would definitely encourage you to take a look at that flyer up there. The Elms Retreat runs from Friday to Sunday, and for just $150, includes the following:
· Goody Bag · Fabulous door prize
· Friday Dinner Buffet
· Saturday Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
· Sunday Breakfast
· Friday Night “Strut Your Stuff” Fashion Show
· Saturday Night Designer Fashion Show (squee! I know who it is this year, and it's going to be GOOD!)
· Other fun activities from the“cruise” director.
Classes and hotel rooms are extra, but at just $50 for a 3-hour class and about the same for sharing a hotel room, this is one of the most affordable weekend knitting retreats I've seen (also, the food is amazing). Last year, I took just one class and still had a fabulous time knitting with friends at this gorgeous hotel! Can't make it this year? The Studio Knitting & Needlepoint arranges this retreat every year - why not find a friend or two and put it on your calendar for next year?
for $6.00.
