Hello all! I’m excited to bring you the final Autumn Leaves Scarflette pattern.  As you may remember it was my very first ever attempt at writing and publishing a knitting pattern and  there were some inevitable mistakes in it.  I recently got myself a brand new Macbook and I    have been able to revisit it and re-knit the pattern to iron out the kinks. As much as I liked  that big bone button on the initial version it was completely impractical. It was heavy and  would topple over at the slightest movement. A better solution is to use the 5 yarn overs  along one edge as buttonholes and then place 5 corresponding tiny buttons on the opposite  side. Very pretty and useful! I found a stash of vintage buttons and covered them in some  very pretty fabric.

Here’s the link to the PDF download. Please let me know what you guys think! Skip ahead to  see some pictures of the fabric covered buttons.

Autumn Leaves Scarflette

I found a bag in someone’s garbage one day and it was filled with 1950′s notions. among them were these diamond shaped button forms that you cover with your own fabric. Very clever design.

You cut out the little circle template that was on the card of buttons, and cut out 5 circles of fabric. Then you place them over the button front and poke the edges behind and over the little metal teeth that catch and hold it.

Then you use a nail file or the blade of your scissors to poke the edges into the groove along the corners to make it neat.

Then you just pop on the little metal back plate that clips onto place. SOOOO easy! And so fast.

Now, get to knittin!

I went Home Depot and got a gallon of a very pretty pale robin’s egg blue paint from the Martha Stewart paint line.

In case you like it the name is Enamelware and the number is MSL116. Aqua is one of my very favorite colors, and I wanted to make a nice fun pop of color inside the closet when the doors were opened. I started by pulling everything out and washing down the walls, filling in holes with spackle and sanding it down. The walls are old plaster so there was a lot of mending to be done.

I gave everything two coats of paint and even before I put everything back in it looked so pretty. That blue is such a cheerful happy color. I love it.

Sorry for the blurry picture, but you get the idea. Its soooooooo much better! I know where everything is, and nothing is wrinkled and horrible looking. It is so worth the $20 in paint and the few hours it took to do. I hope this inspires you to get in the spirit and get a spring cleaning project done. It feels great to make a positive change.

Yesterday I took a trip to the top of Manhattan to see the medival museum the Cloisters. Spring is certainly springing in the North East, there are bits of green pushing out of the black earth, buds are swelling on the trees. But its been cold. Soooo cold. So here’s proof that winter won’t last forever. Even though it feels like it!

So don’t be distressed my dears! Even though we’re still wrapped in winter coats and hats, just look around you for the little signs of spring. Its coming, though slowly, we just need a little more patience.

Don’t you just love Nigella? Well I have another reason why you should, as if we needed one more reason. It is within the pages of this book:

Its my go-to baking book. Everything I have ever made from it has been wonderful. On page 236 is a deceptively simple sounding recipe for gingerbread. Florrie was making this last Christmas and raved about it, she served it with creme fraiche ice cream… oh my, sounds like heaven.  I only made it myself this past Thanksgiving.  I needed to bring a few things to my boyfriend’s mum’s house and I wanted to bring a dessert.  This gingerbread is cake-like, moist and possibly the most tender cake I have ever eaten. Its dark and delicious.

I was a little skeptical about the lemon glaze… but it really makes the cake!  We’re doing a charity bake-sale at work next week, and I plan on making this recipe as mini loaves to sell. I will have to exercise a lot of self-control not to gobble it all up myself! -m

I got this teapot when I lived in Buffalo in the mid nineties. It was my very first teapot and it instantly caught my eye.  I was walking down Elmwood Avenue past this little dress shop and it was sitting in the window, waving at me.  I love everything about it.  Its small, about 16oz, so its perfect to make a pot for just me or just me and a friend.  

I walked right in to the dress shop and bought the pot on the spot. I asked the sales lady if there was a matching creamer and sugar bowl, she said yes, but they weren’t in stock but that she would order it for me.  I checked back every week for about 3 weeks but it seems that she was a bit of a dingbat and kept forgetting to order it. Finally I came back a couple of weeks later and they were there!  Believe it or not she gave me the creamer for free since I had waited so long and didn’t flip out over her dingbattedness. :O) How nice! 

Today its keeping me company as I write and re knit (for the fifth time!) my pattern for a knitted coin purse.  I love it when the weather turns cool and I can spend a cozy day inside with good movies, my blueberry teapot and a knitting project. The only thing that would make it better, for me, is if it was grey and a bit rainy. Ooo, or SNOWY! I adore the snow. But if it were snowing  I would feel the urge to bake some cookies… mmmm cookies. I have been in the mood for gingerbread lately.

For now I’ll settle for some tea. The stamp on the bottom of the pot says April Cornell, with a long string of numbers.  I have tried googling the designer before to see if there are any other pieces, but I have never come across the elusive blueberry teapot. Wouldn’t some blueberry teacups be darling?  Hope you are having a nice cozy weekend too.  Cheers! -m

A flying ghost greets the guests

Tiny Terror is a dab hand at crafts

The worlds cutest bat, doing a final walk through before the guests arrive

After 20 minutes TTT was ready to change out of his costume, I’m so glad I spent so much time making it!

Witch (Grammy) & Slice of pizza (GG)

Doofenshmirtz and A Spider

My spider babies making their way down from the nest

A part wouldn't be complete without a cake or two

Another party, another costume

He must be my son. In true Florrie fashion, The Tiny Terror decided that he need a different costume for his pre school party.  f

Once a year we get an employee appreciation extra discount, but we aren’t allowed to buy anything that requires a special order; for example a Le Creuset pot in a non-stock color.  We had a few in stock in the size I wanted so I said to myself, “Self, just have a look at the Cobalt and maybe you’ll like it enough to get over the fact that you can’t order the color you want.”

I cracked open the orange box that was labeled Cobalt Blue and LO AND BEHOLD, when I flipped the lid around the ocean was shining up at me. It was a MISPICK! Some soul in France was distracted momentarily and a Carribean Blue pot was slipped into a box labeled Cobalt Blue, it was shipped to NYC and it was meant to be mine!  I was able to buy it with my extra discount and I took that gorgeous beauty home and now it lives on my cooker in its rightful place of honor.  :O)  I’m the happiest girl in the world today. -m

The fall is quickly settling in, even in the city. I wanted to use up a big chunk of the basil that we grew in the container garden this summer and I thought that pesto would be a good way to do just that. I grabbed a red tomato, cut a large handful of the spicy, lemony basil and peeled and crushed a few cloves of garlic.

I stripped every last leaf off of the basil stems and popped them into the food processor with the garlic while George enjoyed the cool breeze and sunshine.

Once the basil and garlic were chopped up a bit I added a healthy amount of olive oil and let it whizz around some more.

The gorgeous olive oil, of course, was followed up with some lovely parmesan. I couldn’t afford expensive pine nuts, but I used some unroasted, unsalted cashews and you know what? They were delicious.

I scooped this onto some corkscrewy pasta, and diced up that beautiful tomato.

Did you think I was kidding? Look at that beauty! You won’t find that at the supermarket! At least you won’t find that flavor anywhere but homegrown.

Totally yummy and perfect for one of those lingering summer-like fall days when the sun is warm and you still have some green and lovely basil in the garden.

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Look how cute the resulting mini balls of yarn are. Sooo cute! I am still hemming and hawing about what sort of sleeve to do . I definitely want 3/4 length, but I’m unsure how to finish them.  I have been toying with the idea of repeating the neck ruffle on the sleeve Not on the whole cuff but perhaps a bit at the elbow… but I’m not sure if that might be too much.  I guess I’ll figure that out when I get to it.  Won’t be long now, and just in time, considering the cold rainy weather we’ve been enjoying. -m