~pancake and lulu~

kitten hugs

2012-02-10T11:12:00.001-05:00

crazy love on sale!

2012-02-08T10:37:00.000-05:00

a little valentine for your fiber lover (now on sale in the shop! was $15, now $12):

crazy love art yarn fiber pack

xoxo!

experiments with homemade nutella

2012-02-06T12:49:00.002-05:00

from the evil temptress department: homemade nutella and further experiments with chocolate nut butters...

last week I became obsessed with making my own nutella. I have been wanting to try this for a while to see if I could make a healthier version. The background: I have always loved nutella with a passion. Too much passion, actually. So much passion that I cannot be trusted with a jar of nutella and a spoon. Yes, my favorite way to eat it is by the spoonful, in fact it does little for me any other way. Though I have to admit, I have tried very few other ways, seeing as a spoonful is so satisfying, there is little need for more...except another spoonful. I have often wondered, could there be a healthier way to make nutella. More nuts and cocoa, less sugar and oil. So last week I experimented and I am happy to say: yes there is.

I found several recipes for healthy nutella on the web. I tried this one as a springboard, originally from the LA Times. I couldn't believe my luck when I had everything I needed to make it. My second thought was: this could be dangerously easy to make all the time...third thought: but it is healthy. And then I stopped thinking and got busy. I substituted macadamia nut oil, which I happened to have on hand. I also added the sugar and oil to taste, so as to use less, which I did. It was a ridiculously easy recipe, that is, after you toast and skin the hazelnuts, which is no fun and messy.

After this jar was devoured in no time by myself, the kids and the kids' friends (who were incredulous at the idea of homemade nutella, but happy to be official samplers). I set out to try the same thing with almonds instead of hazelnuts. I bought sliced toasted almonds for ease and they worked beautifully. This time I added even less oil and substituted honey for the sugar. It was also fabulously delicious, though had a much less creamy texture due to my limited use of oil. It had a miso-like pasty crumbliness, but since I like it by the spoonful, this was ok. I hid it from the kids, but they caught me once sampling it and in mere moments the jar was clean.

On my shopping list for today: more nuts and sunflower seeds. I plan to try a sunflower-seedella. The kids love chocolate covered sunflower seeds and since nuts are not allowed at school - this may just be the ticket to an allowable easy sandwich. Also want to try using maple syrup for sweetening. Oh, and can you imagine a macadamia-ella?!

happy "ella-ing",

xoxo!

kitten yoga pose of the week

2012-02-06T12:14:00.000-05:00

friday finds: houses

2012-02-03T10:20:00.002-05:00

our house by madness

secret place deep in the woods by karna erickson

ravenwing witch cottage by Melissa Hirst Chaple

fairy treehouse by Mike Schramer

shady grove by Nicolas and Sofie

barn by House of Artistique

*

*

xoxo!

reds for valentine's day

2012-02-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

a couple of reds are back in the shop for valentine fiber creations!

a red hot chili char gypsy:

and the innocently seductive starlet scarlet merino roving:

xoxo!

mysterious photo of the week

2012-01-30T15:33:00.000-05:00

seven seas

2012-01-26T17:06:00.000-05:00

or at least 4, now available to order in the shop:

xoxo!

happy chinese new year!

2012-01-23T12:40:00.001-05:00

photography by raceytay

dragon dancers by mabgraves

dragon by creatures from el

hurry hurry sale!

2012-01-20T10:56:00.004-05:00

surprise hurry hurry sale! 10% off everything in the shop. enter code "HURRYHURRY". when will this offer end? it is a surprise, sillyhead - you will have to try the code to find out!

xoxo!

friday finds: dream a little dream

2012-01-20T10:26:00.005-05:00

dream a little dream

*

*

where to sleep:
Mood Rocking Bed
by ShinerInternational

what to take with you:

a good book

cupid's arrow by Rabbit Apparel:

tea by Namaste Tea

what not to take with you (but here's a link, in case):

*
xoxo!

the colorblocks are back

2012-01-18T11:42:00.001-05:00

some missing colorblock handspun yarns are now listed in the shop and available to be "made-to-order":

nobu (my super best seller!):

raku:

wabi sabi (which is in need of a better picture!):

leaf:

xoxo

UFOs

2012-01-16T11:32:00.001-05:00

every january I think of U.F.O.s. not the extra terrestrial kind. the crafter's kind: Un-Finished Objects. These are those projects that have been put aside midway and have waited very patiently to be finished. Sometimes for months, but more often, years.

Here is a list of the ones I hope to finish this year:

spencer's needlepoint stocking, above, (by september, so there is time to have it professionally finished into a stocking at the needlepoint store). approximate start date: 2005
chloe's quilt. approximate start date: 2003
green tea sweater (just need to weave in ends and sew on buttons): approximate start date: 2010
other misc. unfinished knitting projects: if I accomplish the above first.

as you may not be able to tell, the list is short but long. The stocking and the quilt have a long way to go. If I finish these, there are more ufos stashed away, but I would be thrilled to get these few finished. Here's to high hopes for a year full of F.O.s!

xoxo!

currently reading: the perfectly imperfect home

2012-01-13T10:34:00.002-05:00

'The Perfectly Imperfect Home' by Deborah Needleman

recently every night before bed I have entered into this beautiful, quirky and inspirational book for a brief period before I fall asleep. and I think for sure it is causing good dreams. I love the idea of a "home decor" book with no photos. instead it is richly illustrated with beautiful sketchy watercolors (my favorite kind) of the real rooms of interesting people and designer's homes.

lots of witty commentary and tidbits. quirky and pretty: my favorite combo.

I share the same view: that "perfect" homes are uncomfortable, unsettling, anxiety producing and cold. just the opposite of what a home should want to be. but that doesn't mean a good home has to be ugly. these pages inspire the right attitude to create a beautiful and creative real home.

check it out!

xoxo

photo of the week

2012-01-13T09:51:00.002-05:00

kitten love!

xoxo

smoky mountain morning

2012-01-12T10:32:00.003-05:00

good morning to you! now in the shop:

"oberon" thick and thin in "violetta":

"oberon" thick and thin in "anthracite":

"lilac fairy" handspun pure merino:

xoxo!

savory recipe: sesame kale krisps

2012-01-09T09:15:00.003-05:00

last week I discovered a wonderful, simple, delicious snack! best of all, it is super healthy...well, best of all it is delicious. these are adapted slightly from a recipe in the new issue of whole living magazine and can be found right here. My tips for these yummy (and you will be surprised at how incredibly so) kale krisps are as follows:

bake them on a sheet of parchment paper to eliminate sticking and make clean up easy
use the packaged, washed organic baby kale, now available in many markets to make this even easier - be sure to try to remove stem pieces, either before or after - they don't crisp and can be very chewy
the kale does not have to be in a single layer, make a low spread out mound and toss with some small tongs a couple of times during the cooking process
use a bit more lemon juice than the recipe calls for - there is a magical flavor of the salt and lemon on kale.
try using a flavored olive oil - I tried chipotle olive oil for some added spice.
make a lot - it will disappear very quickly when you are not looking - my family devoured it!
store or package carefully (if there is any left) - these are so light and thin that I can see why it would be an issue to sell this commercially - they crushed very easily (but you can add the crushed bits to a salad, soup or whatever).

after crisping:

enjoy!

xoxo

friday finds

2012-01-06T09:35:00.004-05:00

friday finds: a round up of a few great things I found on the web this week:

this looks absolutely amazing - I want to go! Check out the details below and you will see why sometimes je rêve en français:

next up! I want to start this free online class and finally learn how to crochet more than just borders to knitting:

and this is just a beauty of a treasury list. I love the colors and mood:

have a happy weekend!

xoxo

valentine's day preview!

2012-01-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

four pinky yarns are just now back in the shop just in time for v day! I don't know about you, but in order to manage the post-holiday blues, I always like to start thinking about the next opportunity to craft & give: valentine's day!

these are all handspun to order in any amount!:

"tandoori" pure merino colorblock for a little spice:

and three pure merino colorscapes, classic & sweet "confection":

the innocent "blush":

and for something a little different that goes into spring, "starburst":

xoxo!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T09:35:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to All!

Stay tuned and check back soon for a refreshing and refreshed Pancake and Lulu Blog this new year. I have several ideas brewing and I am excited to share a new 2012 vision/version of

Beyond the Niddy Noddy.

xoxo!

let the countdown begin!

2011-11-27T09:32:00.003-05:00

Well, hello there! Clearly, first of all, I must admit, that I have an on-again, off-again relationship with this blog. It is ok. It is just a blog, after all, and life happens even if the blog doesn't.

Here is one of our many attempts at posing with kittens for our Holiday card. As you may be able to tell, the kids were desperately trying to hold onto 2 very-wiggle-and-hopped-up-on-treats-kittens. Sawyer (on the left) didn't make the final cut, he made off with 75 cat treats and refused to pose in the end.

Designed and ordered our Christmas Cards from here this year. Yes, I was taken in by the specials and hype. We shall see. I spent an insane amount of time designing the card online and even ordered something extra special, which I am so excited about and I will keep secret. Later we went out to the bookstore and I bought 1 present! I participated in Black Friday, did my civic duty. We wrapped up the evening with a trip to Triumph and enjoyed a light dinner and some good beer.

dino scarf update!

2011-04-01T10:11:00.000-04:00

finished!!

here is how it started: click!

last one...for a while

2011-03-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

this abacus bracelet has been so popular in my shop and I am down to my last one! (can't decide if I should keep it for myself or not). there will be more sometime, but for now this is it...

featured in etsy finds newsletter today!

2011-03-07T11:13:00.002-05:00

Yay - my seashore gypsy yarn is in the Etsy newsletter today! Views and hearts are shooting up! It is always an honor and exciting to get this much exposure. Thank you Etsy!

mardi gras!

2011-03-02T15:28:00.003-05:00

I love this mardi gras treasury - check out the dog biscuits!

thank you, NanasHouse123!

trend report : fall 2011 (!) color

2011-03-01T09:47:00.002-05:00

translated into pancake and lulu:

from left: citrine #45, scarletta #65, bo peep #70, sangria #80, green tea #135, cerulean sea #125, earthen #165, cafe au lait, inky #107

any of my yarn styles can be dyed in these colors (just ask!) : so get cracking on your fall 2011 projects!

up next...green!

2011-02-28T16:08:00.002-05:00

my green tea mohair in this verdant treasury!

sangria - another new one

2011-02-18T11:19:00.001-05:00

another new semi-solid for you!

just in time for mid-winter follies...sangria:

burgundy, wine, deep brownish red

available to order here, in the shop

shown in Handspun Pure Merino

also available in any of my other yarn styles...just ask!

big ol' organic cowl!

2011-02-16T14:02:00.005-05:00

My new project! I am so "into" the purl bee blog. I feel like I want to make everything from it and the new projects just keep coming!

Yesterday, I dyed this new shade of my Terra Organic Merino called "Oyster" (#150):

And tonight I plan on starting the Big Herringbone Cowl from the purl bee blog - I just hope to finish it before it gets too warm to wear it. Ah, the thrill of a new project! Here is a link to my project on ravelry.

*update 3/1/11*

boris : a love story

2011-02-14T10:45:00.007-05:00

once there was a little girl who received, as a birthday gift on her 7th year, a wonderful book called, "my father's dragon". her mother read this book aloud, which really had 3 books in it, over the course of many evenings. they loved the story, about a special friendship between a boy, elmer, and a baby dragon named boris. it was full of adventures, rescues and magical creatures.

finally, they came to the end of the third book. later that night, the mother heard muffled crying after the little girl had gone to bed. she went to check and found that the girl was very sad because there were no more adventures about the baby dragon. she loved boris and missed him. the mother promised to see what she could do about this.

later that night, she tried to find a baby dragon for the little girl. but there were no such creatures anywhere to be found. so the mother decided to make one. now the little girl would always have boris and this became the mother's valentine to her little girl.

the end
and
happy valentine's day!

(for more on how boris was created: see my how-to page)

introducing...lilac fairy

2011-02-07T17:26:00.002-05:00

introducing my newest color: lilac fairy

pale purple, wisteria, lilac, sweet, innocent, love!

available in any of my yarns (just ask!)

shown here in Handspun Pure Merino.

how I eat raclette

2011-02-02T09:11:00.005-05:00

I don't know if this is the traditional way to eat this cozy and fun meal from Switzerland. My grandmother taught me. I love it on a cold, wintry night. It is so easy and exciting!

You need: Raclette Cheese (Zabar's has it at an amazing price!) cut into slices approx 1/8 inch thick (remove orange rind)

freshly boiled potatoes, kept hot

cornichons

Preheat oven 500 degrees for at least 15 minutes. Heat oven proof dinner plates (Pyrex) for 3-5 minutes. Plates must be very hot.

Arrange slices of cheese in 1 layer on plate--be careful, they are hot! They should begin to sizzle as you place them on the plate. Put back into the oven. When cheese melts to creamy bubbly mass it is ready. Do not let it brown. Remove and place a potato and a few pickles on the plate and serve at once.

For the kids I scraped the cheese off the very hot plate, so they wouldn't get burned. But for mine, I just put the glass plate over another plate. Salt and Pepper!

To eat, smash some potato into the melted cheese and eat with the pickle. (You may want to have another plate going in the oven for seconds!)

Enjoy!

crazy love

2011-01-26T15:17:00.001-05:00

my new, limited edition "crazy love" fiber and thread pack is in the shop. Combine with one of my hand painted semi solid rovings and go crazy making your own valentine art yarn!

perfect match?

2011-01-24T12:26:00.007-05:00

Hey! it looks like a new pattern for felted hot pads from one of my favorite blogs, The Purl Bee would work beautifully with the Pancake and Lulu Handspun semi-solid collection! My handspun matches up nicely with Manos Del Uruguay's semi solid handspun in terms of weight, texture and skein size. My handspun is 100% merino, while Manos uses a combination of wools - so the felting result could be different but I will definitely have to give this pattern a try! Stay tuned...

*update 2/10/11*

finished the first one!

(for more info see here on ravelry.)

dinosaur scarf and merino twist

2011-01-17T11:46:00.003-05:00

I am loving this pattern by Morehouse Farm (and I love the fact you can buy the pattern only - you don't need to buy the whole kit)! Also, I re-discovered my own Pancake and Lulu "Nixie" Merino Twist (formerly just called "Merino Twist") . This 4-ply 100% merino wool yarn dyes up with half of the twist absorbing more dye than the other, so it creates a wonderful depth of color in the knitted fabric. It works perfectly for this pattern, though it is a worsted weight. I have lots of this in my "to-dye" chest. I will be (re)introducing this in the shop soon as a range of semi-solids and colorscape yarns--so look out for that soon. Meanwhile, I very excited to create this scarf for our resident Dinosaur expert, Spencer. And I have my eye on these for Chloe (though I will wait for them to release the pattern only, as I find their yarn surprisingly itchy!)

broken candy cane cookies

2011-01-14T17:14:00.005-05:00

what do do with a broken candy cane? Chloe got a big Hammond's peppermint one in her stocking this year and it promptly broke. add the crushed pieces to chocolate chip cookie dough and bake them up! happiness restored!

clean slate

2011-01-12T14:28:00.005-05:00

happy new year! the big snowstorm rolled in last night and today is a snow day! the best gift for the holidays (oh, are they over? not around here, we are just getting started on baking cookies!)

one of my resolutions is to work more on this neglected blog. so look out - I have BIG plans for this new year...stay tuned.

xoxox!

midnight oil

2010-11-20T09:20:00.001-05:00

midnight oil - handspun luxury fibers: bamboo, mulberry silk, wool, mohair, and just a touch of firestar and angelina sparkle. colors: wine, fire, indigo, peach and cream with bits of others blended in. spun from one of my drum-carded crazy "lulu batts". this is a soft, very strong, sturdy yarn--the carded fibers have been wrapped around a mohair core. It is fairly time consuming to create (though highly addictive!). Sort of like the "slow food" of the spinning world.

ready to ship, one of a kind (OOAK) & extra lux! Available in the shop: click!

leaf change colorblock

2010-11-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

new "leaf change" colorblock made to order!

november yarn and fiber club peek

2010-11-11T12:07:00.000-05:00

I just thought these looked so pretty together waiting to go out to some of my Pancake and Lulu Yarn and Fiber Club members for the November selections! I had already wrapped up the handspun skeins and the Lulu batts (too bad I didn't think to snap the photo with them all together)! All my Yarn and Fiber club members get to specify what colors, yarns and fibers they prefer (or many choose to be totally surprised). I love coming up with my selections every month! My clubs have gotten so big--I need make sure to set aside a week every month just for working on them! If you would like to join in the fun and creativity click here to check out the various fiber and yarn clubs I offer.

Happy November!

Front Page!!

2010-03-07T10:07:00.002-05:00

aurora in Lillehammer

2010-02-27T09:13:00.003-05:00

Just finished "Aurora" for Lexi Boeger's giant skein in the Galleri Zink show in Lillehammer, Norway! Multiples are available for make to order, in my shop. I am very excited about how this turned out and I am just squeaking in under the deadline for submissions! I love the ice-queen-look to this opulent yarn!

february yarn and fiber club selections

2010-02-13T09:05:00.006-05:00

Yay--I have many members now for my Pancake and Lulu Fiber and Yarn Clubs! I thought it would be fun to show a peek of some of the the February club selections I have sent out this month. Some of these are also available in my shop for sale now--though most were originally created especially for my Yarn and Fiber club members. I love this opportunity to create new yarns and fiber combos with my members specific favorites in mind!

If you are not a member already, check out all the the clubs I offer right Here. Become a member any time of year and enjoy the fun, specialty creations, savings and surprises! xoxox!

treasuries

2010-02-13T08:35:00.003-05:00

Spring in a Snowstorm

2010-02-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-22T16:54:00.002-05:00

Introducing flapjack and pippin!

2009-12-05T08:12:00.004-05:00

please allow me to introduce you to flapjack and pippin, my new felt shop on Etsy!:

and check out this beautiful treasury featuring some of my new felt balls:

treasury 12/3

2009-12-03T07:03:00.000-05:00

raw turquoise

2009-11-25T07:08:00.004-05:00

Shimmer and Glimmer

2009-11-08T08:47:00.005-05:00

"Boreal Woods" Shimmer Yarn (Merino and soft and shimmery rainbow Firestar):

A couple of my new "Shimmer and Glimmer Yarns" - yarns with a little sparkle for the dark, cold days ahead!

"Citrine" Glimmer Yarn (Merino and metallic gold Angelina fiber):

Proud to say that "Citrine" has gotten a ton of attention on Etsy! They featured it in the "Citrine Gift Guide" (Citrine is the November birthstone) and this weekend just sent out a mass email with a picture of it in the "Etsy Finds" shopping guide! Yay!

Weekend Deal!

2009-10-16T15:47:00.002-04:00

For the weekend of 10/16-10/18 in my shop:
10% off your entire order (excluding shipping)!!
Please be sure to write the code "weekend deals" in the 'notes to seller' box to receive an automatic refund via paypal within 24 hours.

treasury: moss

2009-10-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

treasury: slow autumn blaze

2009-10-07T07:07:00.000-04:00

sea shadow

2009-10-06T08:24:00.002-04:00

Opal Gift Guide!

2009-10-01T17:55:00.004-04:00

My Opal Handspun made it to the Opal Gift Guide!

Green Tea for Fall

2009-10-01T08:05:00.002-04:00

Thank You!

2009-09-18T12:50:00.002-04:00

Thank you to all who voted for me--I came in 7th place out of 40! This ended up being (still is) great publicity and I have been getting more orders than ever. Yay! The top yarns are currently featured in the Etsy Gift Guides (my first item ever featured in the coveted guides!)

Vote For Me!

2009-09-10T14:31:00.004-04:00

I am honored to be in the running for "Favorite Handspun" on Etsy this week. Please vote for my yarn "Chick Lit" (pictured here) by following this link: Vote! Voting ends September 14th at 10 AM EST. Thanks!!

Gimme!

2009-09-08T09:04:00.001-04:00

Hobgoblin!

2009-09-06T17:39:00.001-04:00

Limey Treasury!

2009-09-03T20:46:00.000-04:00

Masala

2009-09-02T09:07:00.004-04:00

Cinder Ama

2009-09-01T09:14:00.001-04:00

Walden

2009-08-28T12:10:00.000-04:00

Boo!

2009-08-25T17:11:00.001-04:00

Pumpkin

2009-08-20T21:12:00.003-04:00

fiber fix 11

2009-05-23T10:16:00.002-04:00

spring silliness

2009-05-14T08:35:00.002-04:00

a treasury rush

2009-05-07T19:35:00.004-04:00

corespun shawlet

2009-05-02T08:11:00.014-04:00

CoreSpun Shawlet

This is such an easy and quick knit--a pattern isn't really needed, but if you are wondering how I made this, here you go:

I found some gigantic neon pink needles at a discount store, size US 35 (19 mm) and they are what inspired me to knit this.

Also, I had just finished spinning my first corespun handspun yarn. Corespun is spun using a strong core thread and wrapping the pretty fibers at an almost 90 degree angle to the core, allowing all the loveliness of the fiber to show on the outside, creating a wrapped look reminiscent of those hair wraps from festival days. The end product is an extremely strong (and in this case a heafty) yarn with a lot of visual impact.

For this shawlet, you will need about 90-100 yds (5-6 oz) of a bulky handspun. I used Pancake and Lulu Exotica Corespun (check here). And some neon pink size 35 needles.

Cast on 2 stitches. Knitting every row (garter stitch), increase by 1 stitch at each end of every other row. Continue until you have 28 rows (or so). Then decrease by 1 stitch at each end of every other row until you have 2 stitches. Cast off.

Block piece by wetting thoroughly in warm water and stretch and pin into diamond shape. Let dry. Add a tassel at beginning and ending edge by cutting extra yarn into 10-12 inch pieces, dividing into 2 bunches. Fold in half and loop ends through at each end.

Voila! Can be worn as a shoulder wrap for a summer evening or as a cozy neck or head piece.

Here is my Ravelry link for this project with some more photos.

My Brown Eyed Girl 2

2009-05-01T13:15:00.002-04:00

fiber fix 10

2009-04-27T10:16:00.003-04:00

new pancake and lulu home page

2009-04-23T09:12:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I created a new home page for my www.pancakeandlulu.com domain. The re-vamp was long overdue and really very easy using iWeb (something I have had on my computer since I got it, but never really explored.) There will be more to come for this site--more photos, links, maybe even a shop but for now it is just one page with some links--check it out!

fiber fix 9

2009-04-22T09:28:00.003-04:00

fiber fix 8

2009-04-21T13:40:00.005-04:00

fiber fix 7

2009-04-18T07:58:00.003-04:00

prettiest eggs

2009-04-17T10:18:00.004-04:00

from an easy-peasy kit sold by The June Bride on etsy. I totally recommend this method--no mess, fun, easy, reusable and made from recycled silks!

Fiber Fix 6

2009-04-11T12:40:00.002-04:00

Fiber Fix 5

2009-04-10T16:30:00.002-04:00

Fiber Fix 4

2009-04-09T19:58:00.003-04:00

Fiber Fix 3

2009-04-08T12:46:00.002-04:00

Fiber Fix 2

2009-04-07T18:33:00.002-04:00

Fiber Fix 1

2009-04-06T16:44:00.001-04:00

Alpaca is Super Fine

2009-04-01T09:54:00.004-04:00

This beautiful shawl was crocheted by Joyce of joycebuckley and is available for purchase here. Isn't it gorgeous! She used some (not even a full skein) of my Superfine Alpaca in "Silver Ash". Other colors of this beautiful yarn are available in my shop here (and I will have more of this color soon). She made this in about a week! Looks so soft and cozy--perfect for a cool summer evening!

A peek into my new studio

2009-03-23T10:21:00.002-04:00

Here it is! My lovely new fiber studio in what Chloe likes to call the "Drawing Room" (she really thinks it is a good room for drawing). It is a dream come true!

And with all this glorious space comes new (and re-newed) fiber experiments and creations. I have added a new category to my etsy shop for "Lulu Batts". Here is "Silverpool":

Jackson likes it too: don't cats just know what is best?

Whoo-hoo FRONT PAGE!

2009-03-21T19:38:00.003-04:00

I worked all day taking pictures and posting things on Etsy and look: I made the front page!! It has been a while--thanks Etsy!

INDIA!

2009-02-26T10:02:00.006-05:00

No, I am not going...but this lovely person, nitca, included my newly re-photographed Maharaja Gypsy Yarn in her lovely India Treasury.

The other day I decided to try re-photographing my yarns to make the pictures more interesting. Maharaja was my first attempt, so I was thrilled that it landed in a treasury the next day! I made a little still life of objects that Chris brought back from India when he went a year ago (or was it 2?) to complement the yarn.

I felt so compelled to do this re-photographing project becasue I am completely inspired by the Etsy Artist, Jennifer Morris, whose photos are so beautiful! Check them out:
photos
jewelry

Still Here

2009-02-22T09:20:00.004-05:00

For anyone still reading this blog: I am still here and have plans for this space!

Sorry I dropped the ball last November. We moved into a wonderful new (old) home and I have been a bit preoccupied with that and with spinning yarn and, well, with just living without blogging. But I do want to get back to the old blog and record some of my life here, so I am planning on a come-back into the blogisphere soon, so stay tuned!

Over Valentine's Day Weekend, Lulu met and fell in love with a giant soft serve strawberry cone!:

Amber Treasury

2008-11-16T08:13:00.003-05:00

I love this warm treasury -- Thanks curlygirlcrochet!

Yay Obama!

2008-11-08T18:14:00.001-05:00

Lulu is 5!!

2008-10-15T09:29:00.002-04:00

Summer's Last Flings

2008-09-26T16:55:00.003-04:00

The Nutty Professor

2008-09-23T14:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-09-11T16:24:00.008-04:00

My 40th Birthday on Sept. 7th was great! It began with a very ample, wooden breakfast in bed:

Some morning knitting:

Followed by Spencer reading the entire Dr. Seuss Birthday Book to me all by himself (he even practiced to himself the night before)!:

And later: some very extravagant and totally appropriate birthday gifts, a gorgeous chocolate cake, champagne and dinner at my favorite restaurant--in that order!

Yay, I like turning 40! I think I will do it every year...

Maine Rocks

2008-09-02T10:55:00.001-04:00

Sweater Madness

2008-09-01T10:28:00.003-04:00

It is enough to make a girl give up knitting...all the gorgeousness over at Anthropologie this Fall.

The sweaters are good, really good. Many of these beauties are probably less expensive to buy at Anthro, than knit. I have already snatched up this one:

And I am contemplating these:

Give up knitting, though? Just kidding. I am sewing up my Olympic Sweater as I write this!!

No Medal for Me

2008-08-24T14:22:00.004-04:00

Here is the Olympic Sweater at the end of the Closing Ceremonies:

No medal for me, but it was fun and I did do it fast (so far). Factor in the 5 days late start and the 2 days spent driving (doing all the driving) to Maine and back, which was 11 hours each way, and it isn't too bad! Still need to finish the front half and the sleeves and collar--can I do it in 5 more days??

Ravelympics

2008-08-13T13:53:00.004-04:00

I am officially entering the Ravelympics, although 5 days late, so probably not really official. The idea is to cast on and finish a knitting project during the Summer Olympic Games. I decide to go with "Jawbreaker Cardigan", since it will be exciting to create a whole sweater in 10 days (if I actually finish!) I created a customized counter here to count down the seconds until the end.

Lulu's new Olympic Swimmer Barbie (thanks a lot, mom, for introducing Barbie into our home) is cheering me on. She is, by the way, the world's worst swimmer--her feet are tiny. But she is an athlete and has short hair, though it is platinum blond, of course. Her real name is "Cinderella" according to Lulu.

Spencer turns 7!!

2008-08-09T15:25:00.004-04:00

A Dinosaur Themed 7th Birthday for Spencer!

Thinking very carefully about what to wish for:

An elaborate edible volcano:

with dino nests! All made to specs by Mama.

when life gives you lemons...

2008-06-27T10:57:00.001-04:00

make yarn! lemon semi-solid:

~~~pancake and lulu~~~

kitten hugs

crazy love on sale!

experiments with homemade nutella

kitten yoga pose of the week

friday finds: houses

reds for valentine's day

mysterious photo of the week

seven seas

happy chinese new year!

hurry hurry sale!

surprise hurry hurry sale! 10% off everything in the shop. enter code "HURRYHURRY". when will this offer end? it is a surprise, sillyhead - you will have to try the code to find out!

xoxo!

friday finds: dream a little dream

the colorblocks are back

UFOs

currently reading: the perfectly imperfect home

photo of the week

smoky mountain morning

savory recipe: sesame kale krisps

friday finds

valentine's day preview!

Happy 2012!

let the countdown begin!

dino scarf update!

last one...for a while

featured in etsy finds newsletter today!

mardi gras!

trend report : fall 2011 (!) color

up next...green!

sangria - another new one

big ol' organic cowl!

boris : a love story

introducing...lilac fairy

how I eat raclette

crazy love

perfect match?

dinosaur scarf and merino twist

broken candy cane cookies

clean slate

midnight oil

leaf change colorblock

november yarn and fiber club peek

Front Page!!

aurora in Lillehammer

february yarn and fiber club selections

treasuries

Spring in a Snowstorm

Winter Wonderland

Introducing flapjack and pippin!

treasury 12/3

raw turquoise

Shimmer and Glimmer

Weekend Deal!

treasury: moss

treasury: slow autumn blaze

sea shadow

Opal Gift Guide!

Green Tea for Fall

Thank You!

Vote For Me!

Gimme!

Hobgoblin!

Limey Treasury!

Masala

Cinder Ama

Walden

Boo!

Pumpkin

fiber fix 11

spring silliness

a treasury rush

corespun shawlet

My Brown Eyed Girl 2

fiber fix 10

new pancake and lulu home page

fiber fix 9

fiber fix 8

fiber fix 7

prettiest eggs

~pancake and lulu~