you know how i'm obsessed with wreaths, right?

well THIS has to be one of THE most spectacular ones i've EVER seen!!!

wreaths and pictures by:

Author:zieak
(at instructables)

holy schmagolies these are WONDERFUL

this is odd odd odd

and just darn good timing!

i have to make TWO baby sweaters by next tuesday. i knew one of the ones i was going to make. i had the yarn and pattern all picked out (i saw it knitted up at sit-n-knit in bloomfield ct a while ago and it was cute and looked easy and quick).

it uses plymouth yarn cotton kisses. the pattern is right in the ball of yarn as are the needed buttons.

BUT i didn't have a pattern in mind for the other sweater. i bought a pattern but i wasn't thrilled (oh, i love the pattern all right, on thinking about it, i don't think it's right for the child i'm knitting it for).

however, THIS PATTERN is EXACTLY right (and please, HOW fortuitous is that????). the pattern is from f. pea as is the picture of the beautiful PERFECT sweater!

i'm one happy a rose is a rose!!!

some cooking tips

cook a few hours and have a ton of meals you can freeze! i actually do this a LOT. it makes sense and to me, is much easier. you DO get the variety if you mix it up a bit and do a few different dishes instead of one or two.

Turning an Afternoon of Cooking into Weeks of Healthy Eating

By Sarah Beth Jones

books!

from dark roasted blend
stop by and see the WHOLE article and pictures too!

largest book pic: (images credit: José Rodrigues)

......he World’s Largest Book

Take, for example, the book that’s in Mandalay, Myanmar (which used to be called Burma), specifically the Kuthodaw Pagoda. Guttenberg is commonly considered to be the man responsible for bringing cheap, affordable books to the European masses, but King Mindon of Myanmar didn’t have portability in mind when he commissioned the creation of his book in the middle of the 19th century. His Tipitaka Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism is the world’s largest book, and it’s not going anywhere -- each page, and there are 1460 of them, are marble, with the lettering done in gold.............

jen stark

hat tip to wooster collective


but i also mentioned her about a year ago

handmade

cards from africa

Our mission is to improve the quality of life for orphaned youth in Rwanda.

We provide them with employment handcrafting greeting cards that truly embody better lives. Our staff receive fair wages and valuable life skills while our customers are delivered excellence.

Our Approach

Cards from Africa is a part of a new generation of African businesses setting a trend in our divided world. We make high quality products, made in one of the poorest countries, available to the international market at competitive prices. In return, we offer well-paid employment to those who need it the most. Furthermore, our business model is to provide a stepping-stone for our staff to transition easily to another career or start their own business someday. We are currently developing a program to effectively teach entrepreneurial, management, and practical business skills to our staff. By unleashing creativity, teaching valuable skills, and fostering self-worth, we are confident that someday they will be able to access the international market themselves and contribute to a thriving economy and better quality of life for all Rwandans.

A Brief History

The idea for Cards from Africa came to British founder, Chris Page, in 2004, inspired by a Kenyan doctor who had started a similar endeavor to generate income for women in a Nairobian slum. Chris teamed up with Rwandan artist Gabriel Dusabe and together they learned how to make paper and create simple card prototypes. Their first employee was a young orphaned woman named Ariette. After one month's time they asked her to bring another friend to train but she brought two! Shortly after, twenty more orphaned youth were trained and the business was born. Our profits are continually reinvested into company operations as well as the lives of our staff. Our hope is to grow to provide steady employment to 300 orphaned young people in Rwanda and to provide a model for sustainable job creation in Africa.

(found via crafting in a green world)

merry christmas

merry christmas eve

snowmen and women-yes, KNIT of course

free patterns, from knitpicks

check them out anyway. they have some GREAT deals

all pictures from knitpicks website

matthieu ricard

i heard him being interviewed by the bbc on npr this morning on my way to work. i was quite moved (note: if the video doesn't work, here's the link )

terry at bent objects

wishes EVERYONE a happy channukah!!! (Pic from bent objects) and yes, they ARE latkes, check out the whole blog. it's WONDERFUL


(found via craftzine)

another quick gift idea

snail knife rests (OF COURSE!!!). i think they're adorable. they're from esprit cabane the magazine of crafty and green living ideas. pics from esprit cabane as well

(i did find the above from a readers comment on resurrection fern, one of my personal favorite blogs of all time. )

from knitting pattern central

you STILL have a couple of days. get the needles out for

legwarmers, legwarmers and more legwarmers

(ruffled legwarmers pic from interweave)

(funfur legwarmers pic from lion brand)

i'm giving some of my nieces and nephews

gift certificates. THIS is a great way to present them

gift card box from heather bailey (hello my name is heather) (pic from heather's site as well)
(found via craftzine)
lovely!

from eco friend

10 recycled christmas trees (i actually already posted a couple of them that are listed here. i found them elsewhere)

here is but ONE example
(recycled five gallon water bottles. i do not know who took the picture, it did come from the site linked above)

a couple of cool ideas via

instructables
light bulb snow globes how to



light bulb snow globe pictures and story: Author:itschrys

and want to learn how to make star ribbons for your presents? Author:BlindSight shows you how



Star Shaped Ribbons - video powered by Metacafe

and visions of sugarplums

danced in my head

sugarplums from handmade homeschool (pic by prairiepoppins)

the best part is THEY'RE VEGAN!!!

(found via craftzine)

another kid-friendly craft

Used Sandwich Bag=Pretty Christmas Ornament (I Swear!)

Written by Julie Finn (pic from julie as well)
(from crafting in a green world)

really cool PHAT KNITS (and other things as well)

bauke knottnerus


found via boing boing

i love this woman

and her work more than i can even express

every time i look at her blog resurrection fern i am amazed and inspired and just awestruck

here she shows us how to make these

giant frozen doily snowflakes

the pictures belong to resurrection fern

i'm DONE with my traditional danish shawl

well SORT of done. i didn't block it yet.

the two top pictures came from lust auf farben (which i also linked to below as the queens of danish shawls). the other pictures are mine. i didn't get a picture of mine wrapped around someone or layed out so you could see it's wings

the queens of danish shawls

the pattern was in spin off magazine spring 2008

need a VERY quick holiday gift?

well By Chrisjob at curbly shows you how to make a VERY quick (needs drying time - overnight) EASY and my personal favorite, NO SEW (well VERY inexpensive as well)


hand printed fleece scarf VIDEO

photo: By Chrisjob

cathie filian

absolutely aces it with this kid's holiday wreath
(pic from cathie's site)

it's something you can do with your kids or grandkids or nieces or nephews
it's easy
it's cheap

and it's WICKED COOL

isaac button country potter

from grit in the gears : Isaac Button was a country potter in my part of England, near Halifax, -Soil Hill Pottery, which had been working since the early 1700s belonged to him. Robert Fournier (I think it's Robert in the film carrying the board of pots away) and John Anderson made this film in 1963-64. The full film is about forty minutes long. I don't know if it is still available.

In the Independent, November 18th, 1995, John Windsor wrote:

"Isaac Button was a true English country potter. In a day, he could turn a ton of clay into pots. I timed him as he threw a lump of clay on to the wheel, pulled it high, then cut it off with wire: 22 seconds. In an hour, he could turn out 120 pots. In a day, 1,200.

Button's kiln, at Soil Hill, near Halifax, now lies cold and desolate. He died in 1969. But the 41-minute video that records his dexterity had me on the edge of my seat. In his day, speed was essential. Even before the packaging revolution, household pots and jugs made from clay were treated as disposables. They cost only a few pence. Craftsmen potters had to be quick to earn a living from poorly-paid villagers...........


found via bifurcated rivets

oh my

how very lovely indeed these minatures are:


Inspiration in Miniature
-Dina Kerik
Peaseblossom's Boots, Mixed Media by Annette Emms

I just finished an interview on my blog, Deepwater Journal, on fiber artist Annette Emms from Britain. Take a peek at her works and then visit her site for more inspiration through her incredible photographs of her travels...........

The shoes above are only 3" long, part of a series that she builds and teaches about through the Embroiderers Guild of England.

the new winter issue of knitty is up

and who wouldn't want to receive these wonderful knitted wire earrings-bijouterie? i sure would. stop on over

model: Olivia Foppiano photos: Rosemary Hill

a christmas video

(found via boing boing)

do one thing for nature

seitan is my motor

(and you KNOW how clever THAT name is and how much i love it)

has posted up a wonderful truffle recipe as well as one for gluten free cookies - Zimtsterne

oh YUM!

on a snowy day at the kitchen table with a steaming mug of tea or coffee. like i said, OH YUM

now is the PERFECT time

to stop by the toymaker and see the work of marilyn scott waters. there are plenty of FREE toys (paper) to make. i'm excited. i ordered one of her books from the toymaker - from amazon and it should be here TODAY when i get out of work! yes, i got it for ME ME AND ME

while you're there, sign up for her monthly newsletter. there are WONDERFUL (and free) christmas toys and boxes and cards and a grand little elf ball too!

i MUST buy this pattern

mr abominable from the etsy shop of caffaknitted

(found via craftzine)

this makes me smile

a clip from handmade nation

now this certainly brought a smile to my face

a tinker toy tree from better homes and gardens (cool, no? cool, YES)

the general rule for me is

the BLINGIER something is the MORE i like it

blingy clothes pins. you can use them for card holders or i'd even clip them to my tree
(found via craftzine)


pic:

Finished Clothes Pins

Kate Pullen