elliemoon

ANJI BEANE PROVES ME WRONG

people always ask me which i prefer, knitting or crocheting. and i always answer in the same way; i love them both equally but crocheting is solely for afghans and amigurumi........and maybe a hat or two. if you want to make clothing, knitting is the only way to go. crochet just doesn't produce a nice "fabric" like knitting does and crocheted clothing patterns are well, how do i put this nicely? i think i'll just leave it at that. yes, that's what i used to say. then i was introduced to this design and asked to do a special order. here it is in pieces::

and the finished pea coat sweater made to order::

i realize now that what the crocheting world is lacking is merely talented designers, such as anji beane. she designed this cute little pea coat and can be found on etsy here and on ravelry here. she also has a facebook fanpage here, where she was recently named WAHM of the week by boutique by design! i have already purchased the pattern for this little number:: the delia sweater tunic::

how sweet is that? hopefully bella will be getting one for christmas. i'm also planning to make another pea coat for her with our own color choice and buttons. she was mildly put off that the one i've been working on for so long will not be landing in her closet! this one, the ella apron top, is super cute as well::

so, thank you to anji beane, for proving me wrong. her designs are beautiful and i'm very happily crocheting clothing! something i never would have imagined. and wonder of wonders, sewing/piecing together is loads easier than with knitting! yippee and keep 'em coming!

FALL PROGRESSES

things are getting colorful::

and chipmunks are foraging. i've had to light a fire two mornings this week. it may be time to dig out the baking stone!

BETTER THAN I HAD HOPED!

remember this pan? well, without further ado, here's that plan i had for it 8 months ago::

shortbread acorns!! i was hoping this would work and have been dreaming of making these since i first saw this pan. of course, in the meantime they've come up with this pan, which has more shapes, but i'm still partial to the acorns so its all good. plus, mine was priced down for clearance so there! take that, williams sonoma! i ran this batch as a trial for thanksgiving. i only mixed up a half batch of shortbread batter and then cut the cooking time in half as well. i think i could have pulled them out a few minutes sooner but they are delicious. very happy with the end result and i will most definitely be making a platter of these for our thanksgiving festivities! 

ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

pomegranate season has arrived! this is one of my favorite, favorite fall treats. and the kids love it too::

first things first i whip up a good amount of juice! so sweet and crisp....bottled pomegranate juice doesn't taste anything like it. there's just no comparison. the pasteurization process kills all of that sweet flavor. after we've downed our fill, i'll usually leave a bowl of arils in the fridge to pick on and toss in salads. for the juice, just separate out the arils and blend for 3-5 seconds and strain (press out all of the juice from the pulp with the back of a spoon)::

bottoms up!

 

PATTERN STITCHING

not much to report today. just trying to finish up this special order::

its a great pattern that i will feature, along with its designer, when i've a bit more to show for myself. back to work, back to work....

OH HOW I'VE MISSED YOU.....

....hot glue gun!

i got this one for christmas last year (from myself.....how did i know?) and just opened it yesterday. i haven't used one since i was about 9 or 10 years old, around which time i spent the better part of an entire summer hot gluing anything i could get my hands on. this was circa late 80's so i'm sure you can only imagine! along with various monstrosities involving "home decor", i spent most of my hot gluing hours making hair things, heavy on the lace and beads! i picked up this little sunflower stem while grabbing some knitting supplies and figured i'd dive right back in.......minus the lace and beads::

i've got to play around with these a little and get some better supplies, but i'd say its all coming back to me. whether thats a good thing or a bad thing, only time will tell.

GOT INSULIN?

you may need some just to view this post! we celebrated big b's birthday this weekend and originally the boys wanted me to bake a "big white cake" and leave it blank so they could decorate to their hearts content. but then that book made its way out of the cabinet and this was instantly unanimous. i couldn't have been happier with their choice! more faux food!! i  bought out half the candy store rounding up the goods::

the goods, cleverly tweaked to look like other goods::

gum drops became onion rings, starburst became swiss chess, etc. and all together now::

it wound up being a late dinner and i avoided my usual tendency to pull off half of the sweets before letting the kids dig in. so i was very pleasantly surprised when bed time actually happened and went off without a hitch. no sugar induced rages or foaming at the mouth, nary an incoherent rant nor a naked jitterbug, and my all time favorite, no vomit! truly a miracle!

MY OLD MAN GOT OLDER

big b's birthday was yesterday. we are celebrating properly this weekend but i threw in some dinner treats last night to represent! baked garlic on crostini. the perfect starter::

so easy and so good. just slice off the top, sprinkle with water and olive oil, some salt and pepper (rosemary optional), wrap in foil and roast at 375 degrees until its done. these were large so they took about an hour. smooth and mellow and sweet, spreads just like butter! 

big b also received a stellar gift from his mom. a brush cherry bonsai tree::

he has been wanting a bonsai to call his own for quite some time. i love this one. it came from our previously mentioned and most favorite garden shop. my favorite part are the two little men underneath it. check them out::

just chillin' on a leaf in their own little rock garden under the leaves. 

may the spirit of mr. miyagi be with us as we try to keep this thing healthy.....or just plain alive. we got a three page print out regarding care. and i quote: "bonsai require patience, diligence, responsibility, creativity, and awareness, among other things." okay! no pressure. wax on, wax off. 

happy october and happy weekend!