Our Dog Smokey

He is such a cute dog, we have had him 1 year now.

Knitted Barbie A New Dress!

Found the perfect yarn to make this dress for barbie.

Rhubarb Muffins

After sharing the Rhubarb Cake recipe here, my friend in NZ (Raewyn) shared this Rhubarb Muffin with me :)

Fruit Muffins

1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped rhubarb (actually any fruit - fresh or frozen)

Beat egg, oil, sugar and milk together in a bowl. Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon into egg mixture. Add fruit and mix lightly to combine. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tins. Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes or until golden. Dust with icing sugar before serving

Why is life so difficult?

I have been feeling really depressed and homesick for NZ of late lots of stress here and have been thinking of just walking away and going home to NZ though I have no home there either I just feel so down I miss my friends I miss the quiet life of NZ it is too hard to explain I just can't seem to feel happy anymore things are so stressful with Kyle(Our Son) he doesn't seem to care about us and I don't know how much longer I can stay here and watch him self distruct.

I cry all the time I feel so sad I don't know what to do ?
I have only been able to knit basic dishcloths of late as they don't require me to really concentrate I could knit them in my sleep(If I was getting any sleep that is ) I have been trying to also read but unless the book is not too complicated I can't concentrate on a story line that requires me to keep track of who did what in a mystery. So have been rereading books I loved as a child/teen like Across The Barricades By Joan Lingard and a few Nancy Drew Books(I loved Nancy Drew Books as a Pre-Teen I have also started the latest Debbie Macomber book..Summer On Blossom Street, but it has been over a week since I started it and I am not even 1/2 way through it, that is so not like me I usually read a book like this within 2 days.

Rhubarb Cake

(I made this cake after I originally posted this message so I have now included the photos of the cake! OMG! this was the best cake ever! We had it with icecream!

I just had to share this YUMMY Recipe that I found on another blog, (I hope it is okay to share it?) Here is the link to the wonderful blog I found this recipe on.
Knitvisions Blog

I found the recipe in the older posts section.

Rhubarb cake
1 1/2 cups raw Rhubarb chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour

In large mixing bowl cream sugars and butter, then add egg and salt. Stir in the applesauce, soda, vanilla, and flour. Add rhubarb. Pour in prepared 9 X 11 inch baking pan Bake at 375-degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not frost but serve with whipped cream.

I love knitting Dishcloths

Tonight I found a dishcloth yahoo group so I have applied to be a member. The link is KnitDishclothsYahooGroup

My Craft Message Board

Crafty Gals Message Board

My user name on the board is Pretty Pixie. It has a few different forums on the message board but there is also a craft forum there the other forums are chatting forums in general there is also a book forum there. It is set up as a private message board so you do need to make a user name and apply to join the board. It is not a busy message board so I would really love to get some new members especially craft members.

Funny the things you find when......

you move! LOL! In a Cedar Chest my Father inlaw made me I found a Crochet Granny Square Blanket I started over 13 years agao! I know this because I started it while living in Hunter Street and we just moved from Parkgate Ave (We lived there for 13 years) So I guess it is time I finished the crochet blanket with the yarn I have, as I am sure I would not get the same dye lot now LOL!

Sorry I haven't up-dated of late....

We moved house last weekend, and I have to say I HATE MOVING! OMG! I never knew I had so much crap! I tossed out loads of stuff and yet I still had way too much, so as I am unpacking I am still getting rid of things I have no use for.
My Hubby was getting mad at me for not getting rid of many books but I find it so difficult to get rid of books, what if I want to read them again or recommend them to a friend??
And to be honest I am not sure what I should do about my Craft Stash! I have way to much but it is so difficult to part with any of it though I know I really should, I guess
it is time to admit I have a Stash Problem! LOL!

Needles And Pearls

I am now reading the 2nd book in this wonderful new searies, OMG! I love this Author these books are fantastic I LOVE Them! :) I can't wait until the next book comes out!

Some good knitting links

There are some great links on this site.
Knitting Links

A great site for new knitters!

Knitting Help

Diva's Don't Knit

By Gil McNeil

I started the first book in a new Knitting Series yesterday, and so far I am loving it :).. Diva's Don't Knit, It is a funny relaxing book to read, I also bought the 2nd book in the series that just came out this month...Needles and Pearls...
Anybody else read knitting or craft related novels, or mysteries? I read a lot of knitting mysteries, I love them, I guess that comes from loving Nancy Drew mysteries as a pre-teen LOL!

Been working on those Socks....

today I pulled out the socks and started working on them again, I really do wabt to get them finished. I am not sure if both socks will even match, being my first attempt at knitting socks, but I don'y care I will keep them for myself ....I don't plan on giving my first pair of socks away :) They are for me :)

Do you knit for yourself or.....

do you give your knitted items away as gifts?
I personally find that I hardly ever knit for myself, I usually knit things for the children I look after(I work as a Nanny) My hubby and son never seem to wear anything I ave knitted for them so I don't knit for them any more. I do knit for my friends also I
and I love it if I see them out and about wearing things I have made for them :) I do knit dishcloths for myself and scarves but that is about it, most of what I knit is given away or sold at craft fairs.

I still haven't finished those socks!

I am hoping that once we are moved and settled in I will get them finished. I have decided to take a part time job for now instead of working full time as this past year or so has been very stressful with my son(He is 19 years old) so I feel I need to be home more but I don't want too not be working. I hope working part time will be enough and at least then I can maybe get back into my crafts more and my reading.

We finally found a new house to rent

So next weekend we move, after living in the same Town House for 13 years this move is going to be a HUGE one! I already have 6 large containers of just my craft/yarn supplies LOL! My husband is freaking out! Of course it is the first thing I organized and packed! :)

Life goes on.....

I haven't been online much the last few weeks, we had our rent review and our rent is nearly doubled as of June 1st so we are now looking to move we are thinking of moving off the North Shore but finding a place that allows a little dog is proving to be very difficult.

I love when I get the house all too myself, I usually watch movies that my hubby and son are not into like the Harry Potter Movies or girly type movies :) In fact my hubby is sick with the flu so he has been in bed all day and my son was out until 3.30AM as it was his 19th b-day yesterday so he has slept all day on the couch, so I have been sitting knitting and watching all the Harry Potter Movies, it has been a rather relaxing day :)

I guess I wasn't paying attention...

I just finished a hat that I started last night... YES WELL......... LOL! Lets just sat it has now been FROGGED! the whole thing! I forgot to change to the bigger needles after I did the ribbing, and the hat turned out way too small. I will start it again and try to pay more attention and remember to change needle sizes. :)

Made a hat last night

while I was Babysitting, the pattern I found in a Patons pattern book it said small(2-4) but this thing fits me?? Never mind I actually like it so I guess I have a new hat LOL!

Check out what these Quilters did with their old Bra's!

ArtFullBras
This is so cool!

I up-dated my Layout..

and in doing so I lost all my blog links of blogs I like to visit, so it may take me a while to add blogs bag to my list as I find them again, I am sorry to anyone that I don't get back to soon, please try to understand, I had so many and the only place I had the links was on my blog and it disapeared when I updated :(

Knitting Mysteries

I am really enjoying reading any Knitting Mystery Series I can find, at the moment I am reading the Monica Ferris Series, I have read the 1st two books in this seires plus some others, but I have now find the inter library system can access books in other libraries all over Canada so I am slowly getting the books in order(Well I am tying) so I can read them as close to in order as possible, Last week I read..Crewel World now I am reading ..Framed In Lace, next I have.. A Stitch In Time, I also have ..Crewel Yule here to read, and I have already read... Knitting Bones and Thai Died, all really good books :)
Is anyone else read this series? or any other Knitting/Craft themed Books?

I still haven't finished....

My first pair of Socks! I got busy at Xmas time knitting for the craft fair and knitting gifts, and since then I have made a few dishclothes and now the Baby Blankets, I need to have just time to concentrate on the socks as for me I rally have to concentrate when doing them.

I still have to do the hair and face....

for my GollyWog.. I can't seem to do the hair at all, so I may have to wait until May, when my pen=pal Ella(From England) is visiting Vancouver, so she can help me as she sent me the pattern.

Lilac Blossom Blanket

I am making another Blanket from the pattern..Lilac Blossom, but this time I am doing it in a cream color, I really like this pattern, and it is so easy and fast to knit up, I'll add a photo to this post once it gets a bit bigger .This one I will give to Sara, as she is pregnant with her first baby :)
I will also make another one in pink to send to NZ as my God Child in NZ had a baby girl in Nov.

Craft Supplies Oranization

I finally sorted out my craft supplies...Scrapbooking and CardMaking, stuff I got those plastic sets of draws and went through all my stuff and made everything all neat (Not sure how long it will last ? )
Next I want to get into the storage area and get al my Knitting Stash into rubbermaid containers, now that could take some time, It is over flowing in there. I don't know how it go so messy?? LOL!
But I have to say I love having all my scrapbooking and cardmaking supplies all tidy and easy to get at, I have already started just making cards as I need them as it is no effort to do that now as I don't have to dig through piles of stuff, it is wonderful :)

Christmas knitting

I finally finished all the orders I had to do for christmas, so now I can get going on the gifts I have left to finish.
Though today I have been baking since I got up, I am way behind on my christmas baking this year!

The Craft Fair...

was lots of FUN! :)
I have another one to do next Saturday.
Then I need to get busy knitting the Barbie Doll Clothes for an order plus I have to finish the hats and scarves I am doing for my Sister in Australia.

Craft Fair!

The Christmas Craft Fair is on Nov 23rd, so I have been flat out knitting for the fair, I did manage to get most of the Harry Potter Items made so I am happy about that. once the fair is over I have orders for Barbie Doll Clothes I need to get done plus a few Christmas gifts to get finished!

Sock Photo's

Here are some photo's of my sock in progress!

I turned the Heel!

On my first sock today! I did it! I am so proud of myself! I will take pics and post them as soon as I can I have a busy week with work as one of the families I work for as a Nanny is opening a new store this Sat so I am doing extra shifts I just got home now and it is 11.32PM I started at 8AM for one family this morning then went to the next family at 6PM,it was a long day.

I am going to do it!

I am going to teach myself to knit SOCKS! I have one Sock pattern book I bought and a few I have borrowed from the library, I bought sock yarn yesterday, so today I am going to give it a go! :)
Now if anyone has a really easy basic sock pattern they can direct me too online I would be very grateful???

I am going to to make my own pair of socks if it kills me LOL! Wish me luck!

I still want to learn to Knit Socks!

I did buy a Sock Knitting Pattern Book, so my plan is to teach myself as I have signed up a few times for a sock knitting class and everytime not enough people sign up so it gets cancelled, so I am just going to try and do it myself..

Does anyone read.....

Knitting/craft related books? I love to read Knitting Mysteries and am always looking for new ones to read.. At the moment I am reading Sins and Needles By Monica Ferris, and today I bought Knitting Bones also by Monica Ferris to read next week while I am relaxing a the cabin.

Listening to my 70's music today!

I did this yesterday also, I put 5 of my 70's CD'S and blasted them for a few hours LOL! ...The BCR'S, The Osmonds, Shaun Cassidy, David Cassidy, Leif Garrett... I think I am showing my age LOL!

Thinking about getting a little dog

we have been actively looking for a small dog, but so far we have had no luck the 2 that we applied to adopt were both already given away one to a volunteer at the shelter and the other to another rescue shelter, so tomorrow we are going to a different rescue shelter to look at a this dog .
Elmo

So I have bought a few small dog pattern books once we get a dog I can start knitting for it :)

Welsh Doll

I have always written to Pen-Pals, when I was 16 years old one of my pen-pals (Beverly) who lived in England, was killed by a drunk driver. Her mother wrote to tell me and we have stayed in contact ever since, in fact 2 years ago I met her(Ella) for the first time, as she was in Vancouver , BC Canada on a Tour and had a few days in that she was able to meet up with me, then again a few weeks ago she was in Vancouver again so we met up for a day and had lunch and went shopping, we got talking and I was telling her that I was going to try and make a Welsh Costume for one of my childhood dolls, she told me she still had Beverly's Welsh Doll that she had knitted the costume for many a year ago. Last week it arrived in the mail for me, Ella felt that Beverly would have wanted me to have her doll.
I am so thrilled that Ella sent her to me, she will always hold a special place in my heart.
Ella is now 73 years old, she is hoping to make another trip to Vancouver later this year.

Barbie needs a new outfit!

I made a pile of outfits for my friends daughters(Barbie) then thought Gee I better make a new outfit for my own fashion model LOL!

I loved my Gollywog as a child!

So I had a pen-pal in England find me a Gollywog pattern :) I haven't finished him yet but here is the work in progress and also a you can see my small Gollywog I had a a child :)
I know that there has been a lot of talk the last few years about Golltwogs, and I do want everyone to know that my knitting a Gollywog is only because of my childhood memory of having one, and for no other reason.

Stress!

Over the last few months I have had a lot of stress in my life, so of course out came the needles to help drive the stress away, or at least help make it feel more manageable.
Today I finished the green blanket I started for my son, he loves it and it is already in use on his bed. :)
I have made so many dishcloths I now have a huge supply of them I won't be running out for a long time to come :)

I also found reading books like the Knit Lit series has really helped me, so I got on amazon.com and searched out a few more similar books,....
Knitting Yarns and Spinning Tales-A Knitter's Stash Of Wit and Wisdom,
Knitting Through It-Inspiring Stories for Times of Trouble,
Knitting Memories-Reflections On The Knitter's Life,
Knit Together-Discover God's Pattern For Your Life,
Knitticisms . . . And Other Purls Of Wisdom ,
KnitKnacks: Much Ado About Knitting,
For the Love of Knitting: A Celebration of the Knitter's Art.

I finished the Lilac/Lavender Bloom/Blossom Baby Blanket

I finished it last night, and it looks great, I am going to do the same pattern again, but I think I will do it in white this time, it is such a pretty pattern.
Finally here are the pics of my blanket(Sorry it took so long to add them)

Knit For Feed The Children

Knit For Feed The Children

Facilit Aid

Facilit Aid


anyone taken part in this?
I printed off the bear pattern.

Knitters are such nice people

I was at Indigo books last night picking up my knitting magazine, so I wondered over to the craft section to look at the knitting books and there was a lady there checking out the knitting books also we got chatting about making socks and I mentioned I so want to be able to knit them and she started laughing, saying I always make the first sock then never get around to making the 2nd sock..LOL!
After that I went to Save on Foods to do a food shop and of course I wondered over to the book/magazine section, there again was a lady reading the knitting magazines, we go chatting about the magazines and she made a comment that she noticed a few of them recently had info about making socks and that reminded her of her Grandmother and a story she use to tell about the War and how her Grandmother and her Grandmothers friend use to knit socks for the soliders and how her Grandmothers friend always made lumpy heels and that they use to laugh about the poor soliders that got her socks.. LOL! I thought that was such a sweet memory for her to have about her Grandmother and knitting .. :)

Bought yarn today!

OMG! I ccan't go to Zellers or Walmart or Michaels and not buy yarn, I just can not stop myself, I spent $39.00 on yarn and 2 table cloths at Zellers today, then I bought some scrapbook stickers at Michaels, but I was good at walmart I didn't buy anything there, and that is unusual for me LOL!

HELP!

I went all over the place today looking for the yarn for the pink baby blanket and NOBODY has any! I don't know what to do?
What I am looking for is... Bernat... Soft Boucle.... in...Blooming Rose the dye lot number is... 941 05 but to be honest I don't care about the Dye Lot it is only to finish a blanket for me so I am not worried if the shade/color is lighter or darker.. so if anyone can get me 1 or better still 2 balls of this yarn I would be so HAPPY!

My Reading List for the next few weeks

I am trying out some new Authors....
I have 1 chapter to read of.. Chocolate Dipped By Sammi Carter...

(I have finished the above book now, and just started..Plum Lucky By Janet Evanovich.)

then to follow I will be reading..
Peppermint Twisted By Sammi Carter

A Mold For Murder By Tim Myers

Organize Your Corpses By Mary Jane Maffini

Murder Of A Boxed Blonde By Denise Swanson... I started this the other week but had to return it to the library before I had finished it.

Decaffeinated Corpse By Cleo Coyle
Latte Trouble By Cleo Coyle
Murder Most Frosty By Cleo Coyle

Baked To Death By Dean James

Undercover in High Heels By Gemma Halliday.


Has anyone read any of these books? or any books by these Authors??

Knitting in the Round

OMG! I love knitting in the round, it is so easy and so fast! I don't know why I waited so long to try it....Silly Me! LOL!
I did see a book called Knitting In the Round advertised in a knitting magazine I will have to see if I can order it from Chapters or if it is only available as a order through the advertisment in the magazine?

I need to go to Michaels tomorrow

to buy more yarn, to make some hats for two of the children I look after(Twin Boys)
Plus I haven't been to Michaels for a few weeks, SO I NEED TO GO! LOL!
I managed to finally clean out my craft cupboard last Sunday, and I was so Happy, I found some Scrapbooking items I had forgotten I had bought :) So my plan is to get busy with my Scrapbooking as I have not done any in ages, and I love doing it so much, I really enjoy looking through the photo's to use for my pages.