Goofing Off!

It's going to be a goofing off day today! No housework, no knitting, no sewing etc.

My husband bought himself a new, more powerful camera yesterday, so we are off to a place called Northwest Trek. I haven't been there in so many years, it is a wonderful nature reserve where you get to see the animals in their natural habitat.
So I imagine I will be lagging behind him carrying all the lens caps and bits and pieces that he needs for his camera!
It's great for me as I get wonderful pic's to share on my blog, and I always love getting out into wonderful fresh mountain air.

I hope you all get to goof off once in a while, it sure does a body good!

Knitting and Hummingbirds

On the way home the other day I decided to stop by our local yarn shop. I was only in the store two minutes before I spotted a lovely sweater. I asked the assistant, "Do you have this pattern?" she said she did and the yarn was available also. So within five minutes flat I was walking out the door very pleased with myself at finding such a lovely pattern so quickly, normally it takes me quite a while.



After dinner that evening I decided to sit down with my new pattern and have a read to see what it all involved. Then reality struck, I felt like I was trying to read Chinese! Now I know all you expert knitters out there are probably giggling at me right now, but that's ok, because I'm going to give it my best shot, and when I am ready to rip my hair out I'm going to come calling for help. I know who you all are, so you can't hide, I have all your email addresses!

On a different note, it is not unusual for me to walk around my garden at 7 o'clock in the morning still in my pajamas taking photo's for my blog. Well I thought I was pretty dedicated, you know, anything for my blog readers. My husband it seems is a good bit more dedicated than I am, last night he hid behind one of our rose bushes just to get a photo of this little hummingbird, happily drinking his fill from our flowers. I, on the other hand, was quite happy to look through the window occasionally, while sipping tea of course, to check out the goings on. So as much as I would like to take the credit these little hummingbird photos are my husband's, thank you sweetheart!





See you all tomorrow.

Lovely things and Butterfly cakes!

I have been having the best time lately, I have been finding lots to blog about and wonderful things to photograph.

I received a lovely email from Twiggy over at The World of Twiggypeasticks, she was so sweet to give me this award.

My first award! Thank you Miss Twiggy. It is greatly appreciated. Now I get to nominate some people for this award, and they are....
Jenny at Frazzy Dazzles
Nathalie at Kennedy & Friends Co.
Julie at Little Cotton Rabbits
Lisa at Periwinkle
Rachael at Rachael Rabbit
Bethany at Red Yarn
Layla at The LadyBlog

Here are the rules for this award:
1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.
6. Write an acceptance speech in the style of the Academy Awards, thanking every body's mother, father, sister, brother, aunties and uncles and the kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant!


As you probably know Rachael over at Rachael Rabbit had a lovely successful cupcake and tea swap recently. Imagine my surprise when this beautiful tea cozy came in the mail yesterday, handmade by the lovely Rachael herself, and all for just mentioning that it would be lovely if we all lived a little closer so we could all visit for afternoon tea. I was so overwhelmed by her generosity. Thank you Rachael. It will be put to good use every day.


This afternoon, while my new tea cozy is keeping my tea lovely and warm, I'll be enjoying these little butterfly cakes. My mother used to make these when I was a little girl and I still enjoy them.

Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday.

Cupcakes for all!

In honor of my 100th post, I would like to celebrate by sharing my little cupcake pattern. I hope you have as much fun making them as I have. I've tried to keep the novice knitter in mind when writing this pattern. However, should you ever have a problem or get stuck, please feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help you out.

I would love it if you would send me pictures of your finished cupcakes. I would love to put them on my blog!

Happy knitting to everybody!

Little Cupcake Pattern

Yarn: Sport weight or double knitting
Needles: 3.25mm
Cupcake base: Cast on 46 stitches
Knit 1, Purl 1, rib for 10 rows
Next row: Purl
Next row: Knit
Next row: Purl 1, Purl 2 together to last stitch, Purl 1 (32 stitches left on needle)
Next row: Knit
Next row: Purl 1, Purl 2 together to last stitch, Purl 1 (21 stitches left on needle)
Next row: Knit
Next row: Purl 2 together to last stitch, Purl 1 (11 stitches left on needle)

Break yarn leaving about 8-10 inches. Thread the 8-10 inches of yarn that is still attached to your knitting onto a sewing needle and thread through the stitches on your knitting needle. Pull tightly to gather up and fasten off.

Cupcake filling: Cast on 16 stitches
Next row: Knit
Next row: Purl
Next row: Increase into every stitch to the end of the row by knitting into the front and the back of the same stitch (32 stitches on needle)
Next 3 rows: Purl
Next row: Knit 1, increase 1; knit 3, increase 1 (repeat knit 3, increase 1 to last two stitches and knit 2) (40 stitches left on needle)
Next row: Purl
Next row: Knit
Next row: Purl
Next row: Knit 2, increase 1; knit 4, increase 1 (repeat knit 4, increase 1 to last two stitches and knit 2) (48 stitches left on needle)
Next row: Purl
Next row: Knit
Next row: Purl
Next row: Knit
Next row: Purl

Shape Top: Knit 1, knit 2 together to end (32 stitches left on needle)
Next row: Purl
Next row: Knit
Next row: Purl
Next row: Knit 2 together to end (16 stitches left on needle)
Next row: Purl
Next row: Knit 2 together to end (8 stitches left on needle)
Cut yarn leaving about 8-10 inches. Finish the same way as cupcake base.

Stitch the seams of the cupcake base and filling as neatly as possible. Stuff the cupcake filling firmly with fiberfill. With yarn gather up open end of cupcake filling, pull gently to close leaving a small opening. Place filling into cupcake base. Starting ¼-inch from the top of cupcake base and using matching thread, stitch filling to cupcake base using small stitches to avoid being seen.

Decorate to your heart’s content with glass beads, flowers, etc..

I Won, I Won!

Hooray for me, I am the lucky winner of a bed monster!

Lovely Jenny over at Frazzy Dazzles had a giveaway to celebrate her 100th post, and I was the lucky winner. Between my cat, my teddy bear and now a bed monster, oh I almost forgot my husband, our bed is getting pretty crowded!

Speaking of 100th posts I am at post number 99 today, so I have decided to do a tutorial for post number 100, which should be sometime on Sunday or Monday. No I am not going to tell you what it is you will just have to wait! This way everybody gets something if they chose to make it.


By now some of you may be getting tired of frog photo's but I couldn't resist this one, my husband took it yesterday when he was in the garden. This little guy looked so lovely nestled in one of my Lillie's.

Well I think I'm done for this week, have a lovely weekend everyone.

Margo, Bertie, cat beds and kitty kickers!

Little Margo all pretty in red!

I have been doing quite a bit of sewing this week, but not all ellie's and mice. I made twelve cat beds for my favorite animal charity to sell.I also made 100 kitty kickers for them to sell also.
In case you are wondering what kitty kickers are, they are fabric bags filled with organic catnip that kitty's go wild over.
Just watch these two video's and you'll get the idea.
This lovely little kitty belong's to my daughter and her name is Holly.




Whew, I think my sewing machine needs to cool down a bit! Of course that will never happen, there is always something around here that needs sewing.

Last but not least, there is this little guy...Bertie the little circus mouse, I decided to go just a little wild with this one, I hope he makes you giggle!

First thing in the morning.

I was up early this morning, just in time to see the Olympic mountains, this is the view from our bedroom window. Still a little hazy, but such a nice sight to wake up to.

The sprinklers in the garden had been on earlier and I thought it would make for some interesting photo's. A lovely Columbine......day lily leaves......and some hosta leaves.


One of my ferns, which came out rather lovely.Another one of my roses, a very pale lemon color, I just love it.
Happy Wednesday, I hope you have a lovely one!