5 things...knitting style!

Since I'm working on a secret, secret knitting project, I'd thought I would highlight some of the knitting pieces that are making me happy over on Ravelry. All links will be to their Ravelry page.

First up is this wonderful skirt by Gudrun Johnston. She creates beautiful things.

Gudrun also knit this cute number up too!

Then there is the Plucky Knitter. Sarah is just the most talented person. She has a shop where she dyes her yarn. Sign up for her mailing list and be ready to pounce when she updates. You'll be glad you did. On top of all that dyeing she whips up the cutest things ever!

I love this slouchy hat knitted in sock yarn!

And this sweater! Just yelling to be worn on weekends!

Oh, and then this hot little number! I understand he has nothing to do with knitting. But then again we can all use a little eye candy from time to time! enjoy!

The Sartorialist

Friday Round-up

"The first step is to accept a child's right to say what he or she has to say, no matter how stupid or unreasonable. You don't have to listen to all of it, you can leave whenever you want, but you respect their right to say it. Then you say what you have to say, you stand your ground and are not blown away from by the inevitable response. This kind of parenting earns respect. It's the strength not to descend to teenagers' level of name-calling, when they would lose respect for you. It's the strength to walk away."

from "Get out of my Life, but first could you drive me and Cheryl to the mall?"

written by Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D.

Took a little blog break...because of growing pains in our home.

I wish people would stop keeping secrets about how hard this parenting gig is. Just when you think you've got one area covered, wham, another hits you in the face. Stages that we are going through: my ten year old is dealing with bullies, and the soon to be teenager is in the thick of the "You hate me!" and "You're so mean!" stages. Hormones, both the boys and mine, are running rampant. There is something to be said about having children in your twenties...these sets of hormones should not meet. Just ask my husband.

But, I did accomplish something this week. I finally finished a pair of socks. Started way back in August...finished during an actual hockey game. It was therapy...so I didn't resort to "hockey mom mode."

Details can be found on Ravelry.

Hopefully you've all seen Craft Hope. If not, click on over and see what Sarah and crew have been up to. They have raised over 20K for Haiti. I'm just in awe!

I've been enjoying my Derek James station on Pandora. Check it out over the weekend. Sorta mellow, sorta not.

Have a great weekend everyone! I'm off to get the car ready for a skiing and hockey weekend

5 things...

1. Finally a picture of some knitting. The Seaman's Cap made with Ultra Alpaca from Berroco. I love to knit this hat. It's quick and easy and oh so warm!

2. It's been quite snowy and cold here in the Northeast. We had two days of Lake Effect which dropped 2-3 feet of snow. Then we had freezing drizzle and then more snow. What occurred in the surrounding hills was a gift of pure beauty. My boys were tired of me stopping the car and making them look at the trees. The sky was very grey and the trees were crystal white. Ryan finally declared that "this is what Narnia would look like!"

3. We saw an old friend this weekend. A woman that had been in a horrific car accident a year ago. The boys know her as the "lady at the library and Stevie's grandma." She wasn't expected to live yet, walked into the hockey rink to see her grandson play. Ryan was excited to see her and said as much to her. I was pretty proud of him, knowing that it made our friend and Ryan feel good.

4. I'm reading The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. It's a great read and was on many top ten lists last year. I highly recommend it.

5. I've been attacking the lists this week. Weeding out and donating unwanted and unused items around the house. I need to do it when my husband is off at work, otherwise, nothing would ever be given away.

Here's to a productive week!

and the winner is....

Liz from MamaLizKnits is the winner of the Spud and Chloe and Jitterbug. Liz send me your address and I will pop your winnings in the mail!

Thanks everyone for commenting. I loved hearing from people from all over the globe. I appreciate all your great comments. Keep stopping in and letting me know what you are up to!

January is for Baking!

Tried this basic recipe a few weeks ago. I had four middle school boys at my house and they were gone in seconds. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin tins as you prefer. I usually spray a mini-muffin tin.

Ingredients:

4 Tbs. butter (melted)

2 eggs

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all dry ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir until mixed completely

Fold in the chips.

Pour into the tins...and bake for approx. 8-10 minutes if using mini tins. Adjust cooking time accordingly if using large tins.

Don't forget about the give-away that I'm hosting. Comment on this post. I will be announcing a winner on Tuesday!

Happy New Year...and Anniversary!

Well we survived another year! Thank goodness that one is over. I don't mean to sound negative, but many things happened this past year that I don't think I want to redo! Be that as it may, we are on to bigger and better things here at Upper Pond!

I'm not going to try to make any big resolutions...just try to be a bit more patient, enjoy the time I have with my family and let the small stuff go. That's it, nothing fancy, just try to be the me that I enjoy being around. (some days, I don't even want to be around me!)

Three years ago I decided to take the plunge and started sharing my life with anyone that wanted to stop and read. I'm so glad I made the choice to put myself out to the world. I have "met" great people, envied the creativity that's out there and have explored many new things which I might not have, if I hadn't discovered it online.

Spud and Chloe and Colinette Jitterbug

So thank-you for stopping by my little part in the blog-o-sphere! And in celebration...let's have a give-away! Leave a comment...come out of Lurkerville...and introduce yourself. I will be giving away a skein of Spud and Chloe: Outer and a skein of Colinette Jitterbug. I'll close the drawing on January 4th and let you know the winner on Tuesday, January 5th! Good luck and I'm looking forward to meeting new friends!

5 things...holiday wrap-up

1. I absolutely LOVED our Christmas card this year. I was inspired by Sara+h and her love of Polaroid film. I used a Polaroid film application through Picnik and created a card reminiscent of the movie The Christmas Story.

2. The boys and I read The True Gift: A Christmas Story at breakfast during December. In true Patricia MacLachlan fashion, she tells a beautiful country story about a little boy and a cow. When the boys were little, we read all the time at the breakfast table. One page-one bite. I think I'm still saying that to Matt.

yeah, I know this picture has nothing to do with the Symphony...but they didn't have any good pictures on their website and I didn't have any pictures of my kids playing their instruments.
3. We started a new tradition by attending the Holiday Pops concert performed by the Syracuse Symphony. We've taken the boys to the Symphony since they were little and they enjoy the whole experience. We try to pick the Pops series to attend, as the music is a bit more recognizable. On a side note: please remember your local orchestras and symphonies in your giving this year and next. They have been hit hard with the economic downfall. Nights out, listening to music are one of the first luxuries to go when scaling down the budget.

4. We were lucky to have perfect weather for our pond to freeze, just in time for Christmas! When the ice is ready, you have to act fast and call everyone you know. Pond ice doesn't last long, especially if it snows! We hosted a hockey skating party and we skated on Christmas Eve!

5. It was over all too fast...now it's time to hibernate!