FO's and the 2 Skein Surprise!

Well, I'm very late in posting these pics, so I appreciate your patience. First the pics from our "2 Skein Surprise Exchange". We had a lovely time at the Northstar Cafe in Beechwold, too!

Kathy got socks from Kay (she's the Sock Princess, afterall).




Kate got a shawl from Gerald - lovely orangey-reds!








Natalie made a lovely bag for Barb, who couldn't join us - I never did find out why.








And she got a great bag from Kate!









I made a bag for Jenn.








Gerald got socks from Kathy. And I got a really cool Mobeus bowl from Kristin (which, for some odd reason I don't have pic of yet - look for one on the blog soon!). Kristin seems to have some "unfortunate exchange juju" because this is our second one in a row where she didn't get anything at the exchange party. Poor KKKKK!







I had to share this pic of Si and our friends, Elizabeth and Laura. E loves, adores, is enchanted by Simon. Si, being a teen, likes this adoration but can't show his appreciation and doesn't quite feel comfortable accepting her fealty. Nevertheless, he did condescend to have his pic taken when we lunched with them a few weeks ago.








And these are the promised FO's! As you can see, I'm still obsessed with the BSJ. LOVE IT! It's such an easy pattern, and it knits up so quickly that I can't resist making more! I made the smaller with sock yarn (Kureyon from Noro, gifted to me by the WONDERFUL KB!) My DH says it's not manly enough for a boy baby, though (unless he's named Joseph), so I knit the worsted one you see in denim. It's nice, too, but the stripes had to have ends woven in. Yuck. Anyway - 2 more sweaters done!

BSJ notes

I am making some more baby sweaters. I guess I'll keep them handy for extra babies . . . or I'll donate them. At any rate, I'm going to put down a few notes for myself for later.

When I do them, instead of marking in the stitches for decreasing and increasing, I'm marking between (starting betw. stitches 36/37, counting in from each end of my 160 cast on stitches). For my decreases, I'm knitting up to the last 2 stitches before the marker, then SSK, move marker, K2tog. I decrease until 90 total stitches remain, as the pattern says, which means that I'll have 23 stitches in each end section and 44 stitches in the middle (if all goes well).

When doing the middle of the back to add length, I never do 10 ridges, but rather 5. I think it gives a nicer proportion to the jacket. I love doing this on a circular needle, too, about 16"-20" long.

The rainbow sweater is done with Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn on size 2 needles. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

P.S. My husband has confirmation for a new position. He gets to stay with the State, and he's even still in ODNR! Strangely, he's going back to his original degree (Petroleum Engineering) and will be starting as a Geologist in mid-July. Ahh, isn't God gracious to us?

Henna and embarrassment

I got the coolest henna tattoo on Saturday at the kick-off party for Summer Reading Club at one of my branches! It looked even cooler before I did Wheels on the Bus while it was still wet and smeared it. LOL Now I'm BRANDED!

Why am I embarrassed? Is it because I have an armload of henna that will take 2 weeks to wash away? NEVER! It's because the young people in Columbus were obnoxious to visiting knitters at TNNA and one of my fave bloggers wrote about it:

Columbus is plagued by roving bands of young men driving up and down the main drag by the convention center yelling rude things at innocent conventioneers in the crosswalks like "Hey bitch, could ya walk a little slower?" Columbus needs to invest in some midnight basketball leagues and a few good traffic lights.

Anyway - Knitter's Connection starts tomorrow, and I have 2 classes! Yay! Last year I spent a load of money on yarn, and I still have some left. This year, I'm spending money on classes (knitting backwards and double knitting) and avoiding the market. Why avoiding the market? 3 reasons:
1. I still have a huge stash that will take me years to knit up.
2. My husband's job is . . .umm . . . well . . . ambiguous at this point, so spending money that isn't already spent seems indulgent, especially considering point #1.
3. I've decided that time spent with my parents and kid sounds more appealing than spending money I don't have on yarn I don't need (see 1 & 2).

Stop me before I become a grown-up!

Some FO's!

First, my FO's (finished objects). These are my new socks - made from Tiny Toes yarn, color was called "City Brights", and boy, are these bright! Put on your shades before looking directly at my feet! I was going to make them basic toe-up socks, but then The Evil Sock Genius posted his latest diabolically wonderful heel pattern, and I had to try it. I love it! It creates a flap and gusset, just like we all love in cuff-down socks, but it's toe-up and it's easy - no picking up stitches! Miraculous!

This is a simple hat for my friend, Lisa, who is starting Chemo next month. I hope it fits her! She has kind of a big head, but even with measurements it's hard to really tell what will happen w/o hair.




And, since I have 2 new FO's, I cast on a new project - a baby sweater! This is obviously for a baby boy - our friends Dave and Vera are expecting in September, and I'll be hosting a shower for her in August. :-)



OK - knitting news is done for now. Now on to some bragging! Simon got a medal for decent GPA in school - that's cool. He also got a few certificates for participating in Mock Trial and Power of the Pen, and he won an award for "Outstanding Witness" in Mock Trial. yay! He also has something in the student exhibit at the Columbus Arts Festival, but I have to admit that I let the heat deter me from going to see it this afternoon. He didn't want to go, either, so we went to the pool for an hour instead.

And this is Samwise, one of our cats, who had burrowed under the bit of carpet at the back door. I think he thinks he's invisible there while he watches the bunnies and birds in the yard.

Sammy, honey? We can still see your head and tail!

Meme from KB

Knittingbrow tagged me, and I'll pass this meme on to you.
“The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.”

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
In 1998 I was working at the Main Library, in the Center for Discovery - the Children's area. It was like a wonderful dream because I was working with my best friend, Scott. We had a puppetry company called "Hoot N Annie", too, and it was fantastic. Simon was 3 years old, and he was just switching sitters, from the Houstons, who had him from age 5 months til then, to the James', who are still some of our best friends (our friends in Mt. Vernon). I was thinner then, and much more healthy in many ways. That was also (I think) the year we bought our house.


2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
Learn more about Project Manager stuff at work.
Get antibiotics to take before my dental appointment tomorrow.
Cancel health club membership.
Go to Boy Scout Court of Honor.
Meeting with Gerald and others at 11.
- I did them all!

3. Snacks I enjoy:
Salsa flavored Sun Chips
Dark, dark, dark chocolate
Ice Cream
Edamame
Sesame Sticks

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
First, I would pay off all of our debt (and any that our 2 sets of parents may have) and start a trust fund for my son and his future.

I love KB's idea of a Foundation . . . the Foundation I want to start would focus on funding/providing education programs for new parents, to teach them the importance of being their child's first teacher, and to help instill a joy of discovery in the parents as well as helping them find ways to instill that same joy in their children. I'd like to start it locally, but then take this information out, further and further, and become "The Carnegie of Early Learning" by starting and maintaining similar programs across the country and around the world. I feel that the best investment in the future is investing in early learning (before age 5).

I would also want to start/fund arts curriculums in the schools run by my church. They already have good programs, but I'd love to see them increased. I'd also like to provide for better salaries for the teachers there.

Then I would start trying to visit every continent in the world . . . and lots of the countries within them.

5. Places I have lived:
Boardman, OH
Grove City, PA (college dorms)
Columbus, OH: Doris Ave., Queensbridge Dr, Oakland Ave, and where we are now.
Yes, that's my complete list.

6. Peeps I want to know more about:
Slang
Yarmando
Aunt Gerry
Nick
Rachel
Amanda
Nancy
and Bob, even though I doubt that he'll do it.

Crochet!

It's a dark picture, but I think you can see that I've been crocheting! I picked up some hooks and books at JoAnn's on Wednesday, and I've started hooking up some of the acryllic yarn that was donated by an acquaintance from Cup O'Joe, where our little knitting group meets. There's lots of folks who need warm, durable blankets out there, so this is probably going to go into a donation box. My hands are cramped and tired now, after crocheting so much this weekend, but it's been fun, doing a new craft!

Sock Yarn Baby Sweater

It's the sweetest pattern! You knit it cuff to cuff. I bought this yarn really cheaply online last year, and this is a great project for it. I cast on Wednesday morning. This is a sleeve and a few rows of the front and back of the bodice. It'll be really cute! I like how the patterned yarn is giving natural verticle stripes.




A friend in church is preggers, and I think she's having a girl. This will be perfect!







My lillies of the valley are blooming, and I picked some, as you can see. I got this cool vase at the garden center of Mill Creek Park in Youngstown last year when I was there with my Mom. It's perfect for these "white choral bells". So, gaze on these delicate flowers, and if you're a mom, Happy Mother's Day!

What is Art?

A friend has asked me if I consider my knitting to be Art. Thanks for asking,Nancy! I guess Bob asked the question first. Going to Nancy's blog, she's also wondered if a blog could be art. I suppose it could, but I would venture to say that blogging is really more keeping track of what the art is - a diary or journal of sorts - not the art itself.

So - what is art? And what is craft? And what is the difference between art and craft? I consider knitting to be sometime art and sometimes craft. What makes the difference? I don't really know! There is an art to knitting well. The craft part is really more the technical side of knitting, and the artistry comes in color choice, fiber choice, design of the pieces. Knitting often produces a practical, useful item, so that leans me more towards the craft side . . . but then again, even very useful items can be artistically done, and thereby I would consider them to be art.

I've spent a good bit of my life being creative. I've done theater, sewing, quilting, puppetry, singing, played musical instruments, made toys, written fiction and poetry and even some non-fiction . . . which of those creations of mine are art? Any? All? None?

You can see that I'm still not clear on this topic! Bob makes a good point in saying that something can be Bad Art, too - so one can say "ok, if you say that's art, I'll agree that it's art, but I don't believe it is quality." That's a fair assessment.

So - here's my official (for now) statement: If the creator or anyone else experiencing the piece feels that it is Art, it is, indeed Art. If, however, you try to make me say it's all Good Art, I'll not give you the pleasure! I reserve my right to declare what I like and what I don't!

OK - knitting update: 1st pic in the blog is my Clapotis, or maybe it's really a Clapotis! Either way, it's mine and it's being knit of Silky Wool. It has a lovely hand, and it really does flow like water as it drapes. I have a few more inches to add before I start the decreases . . . I want it to be more a shawl than a scarf, so I want to be sure it wraps around my round little self sufficiently.

2nd pic is a child's sweater vest I've knit for Warm Woolies as a donation. I've knit it from Lamb's Pride Bulky - 85% wool, 15% mohair. It'll be nice and warm for some child. I intended to use all stash yarn, but then I got a pattern going (Fibonacci Sequence from bottom to top) and wanted to finish it that way. I've bought plenty more of the same kind of yarn (various colors) to make more things for this group. The vest was a quick knit, so don't be surprised to see more! Cast on 98 stitches and go til you feel it looks right.

Is this art? What do you think?

Update and 3BT

I've been very ill this week with bronchitis. The week has been full of mucous - coughing, hacking, wheezing, snoring, etc. Nasties. In an effort to cheer myself up, I'm going to do a quick 3 Beautiful Things post.

1. The sunshine has been increasingly warm each day this week, and the cats have been following it around the house. Their fur becomes so warm, it's amazing to me they don't sweat.

2. My son, bringing me a glass of soda and asking if there is anything else I need.

3. My husband, each evening letting me choose what we watch on TV.

Knitter's Challenge!

I have decided that my charity knitting this year will be to take the 25 Wins a Prize challenge. This Warm Woolies group seems to be really on the ball, and I want to help them! Last year I knit a couple dozen infant and preemie hats for donations in town . . . the year before I knit hats for the Dulaan Project. I feel like it's time to knit some bigger projects for others. I need to finish up hubby's sweater first, but I'll probably at least cast on a kids' vest (or sweater) before the week is out.

Care to join me in this challenge?

But What Shall I Pack?

First, here are the promised pictures of the big blizzard a few weeks ago. We had over 20 inches in about 12 hours! Si, as you can see, is covered. LOL He had so much fun running around our yard and over in the nearby playground. He doesn't even seem to mind getting wet.

This is a picture of our paper delivered on Saturday. Do you see that little spot of the paper, stuch straight up in the snow about 1/3 of the way up the drive? I can't blame our delivery person at all. It was nasty! I was surprised, frankly, that we got the paper at all. We never did get mail that day (so much for the mail always getting through!).

What to pack?
I'm leaving for Minneapolis tomorrow for PLA (Public Library Association's Conference). I'll be gone Tuesday through Sunday. What knitting shall I pack? I have several projects:
Baby Surplice Sweater - I"m doing this with size 10 needles and chunky yarn. It's going to end up about size 2 or 4, Toddler sizes. I just had to get some more colors for the striping today as I'm running low on the main ones. It'll still look cool, though, I think. This is a pretty good candidate for the plane because it's easy to follow and stuff, but as I probably only have another 2-3 hours of knitting I could finish it on the plane and then be bored.

This is my clapotis! I've finally given in and decided to try one. I've cast it on specifically so that I can travel with it to PLA . . . but now I've realized that I'll want to switch colors several times throughout the 4-6 hours I'll be en route tomorrow, and I am nervous about cutting implements and airport security. Ack! This is great in all other respects, though, since the pattern is simple but not mindless, and colors are pleasing and calming, and it's silky wool that doesn't take up much room in the computer bag.

My third project for the road is my socks. You can't tell from this awful picture, but the yarn is really bright and wonderful. A cachophony of colors! Trouble is, socks can get really tedious if they're all you have to knit on at any given time. Maybe I could pack the iPod and use that to amuse myself while knitting and traveling. I wonder if anyone I know will be on the same plane. I have a vague idea I will run into someone.

Snow, WIPs and FOs

I've tried to upload photos about 6 times today, and I'm still getting some kind of server error. Since I am still able to upload to my Flickr account, I can only assume this is a Blogger problem.

At any rate, here is a recap of my day . . . in lists for those of you who enjoy such things.

Beautiful Sights:

1. The snow across the world makes everything look like part of an alien landscape.
2. Some of the houses are losing the snow from their roofs (rooves?) in nearly solid sheets, so it is draping off of them like thick frozen curtains. Many look like arctic gnomish bungalows.
3. Young men making money by shoveling snow (thank goodness for the men who came here to the Heart Attack House!). My driveway is completely clear and dry.
4. People helping others to get out of being stuck (thank goodness, again, for the kind folks who helped me get out of the unshoveled entrance to my bank - I didn't really need that money, anyway!)
5. The cleaned-outed-ness of our fridge because DH got bored and actually cleared out the old food stuffs.

Fantastic and Wonderous Things:

1. The snow . . . see above.
2. My son enjoying real history shows on TV.
3. DH's homemade meals - 2 dinners in a row were head-on hits! Excellent chili lastnight, and tonight a pot roast with potatoes, carrots and celery. COMFORT FOOD!

Stuff I've accomplished, having had 2 days when I couldn't do much else:

1. Finished my lavendar legwarmers.
2. Posted to blog - more than once!
3. Made brownies (boy, do they smell good!).
4. Knit on DH's sweater, my new socks, the legwarmers, and cast on for a new child's sweater (I'm aiming for Toddler/Preschool size, but you never know with this pattern).

I've also managed to get some Knitting-Related-Injuries:

1. Sore upper arm muscles from wrestling with the yarn of the leg warmers - it has acryllic in it and doesn't give much.
2. That scratch thing on my right pointer finger is back. Ouch! I think it's the sock needle that does it.

Follow links to Flickr and Ravelry for pics.

Snow Day!

The library is closed today! I was scheduled to work, but everything is closed and canceled and we are all hiding away in our homes. hehehehehe! Simon went out for a frolic - he even went bounding over to the playground to roll around in it. One pic of the snow monster himself . . .

and one of our garage (yes, I am aware that the siding has blown off in one bit). Note to the right, the huge 50 gallon trash can buried in drifting snow! I better go make some hot cocoa!

Pics of Sock Exchange!

Check out these pictures from KB's flickr account. They tell the story of our Sock Exchange meeting pretty well! We had fun! Only that that was needed to make it perfect would have been if Jen had been able to come. :-)

Knitting as an obsession?

I nicked this animated short from Jen's Blog because it really made me laugh! It also makes me think that I'm not nearly as obsessive as some other people about knitting!

These are the socks I made for the Sock Exchange - and Kay says they fit perfectly!

This is the Ice Princess scarf I made for my former boss who just retired last week. I gave it to her on her second-to-last day of work when we went to lunch. She is a magnificent woman, and has been a mentor to me for a long time. I'll miss having her around, but thankfully she's still in town. I've told her she can't escape me!

3 Beautiful Things

I love this blog, 3 Beautiful Things and go there often to be uplifted. Today's post is quite delightful.



My 3 things so far today:

1. We're all home today, on a Friday! DH doesn't feel well, but he's functional and on the mend. Kiddo is off school for the snow, and I'm off because I work tomorrow. It's really quite cozy.



2. My skittish cat, Rosie, napped on my lap today for about 2 hours as I snuggled with DH. Towards the end, her brother, Samwise, joined us. Simon got a picture. You can see DH, and my hand and torso. Rose is the black one, Sam is grey.

3. The new snow on the ground is so sparkley and bright. It's the kind of snow that makes it look like midday in the middle of the night.

Wednesday Night Knitting!

This is the Ice Queen That I've started, now, twice. Obviously I need to use more stitch markers and not watch TV while knitting it. Sigh. I don't know if I'll make my Feb. 29 deadline for this gift! If I ever finish it (or even make it) I'm sure it would look wonderful.

This is Mike's sweater. If you click on the picture and look closely you can see the cable pattern up the middle. He loves it. I can see that the cables don't show as well in the camo yarn, but I like the effect, and in person you can see it better than in a picture.

I've gotten far enough that I feel confident casting on the sleeves. I'm knitting 2 at once, magic loop, and they should go quickly. Mike doesn't want cables on the sleeves, so it should be easy!

I totally ignored VT day this year, at first. Mike, though, actually got me flowers and DARK chocolates and a sweet card, so then I was feeling a little guilty. So, while he was camping with Si and the other Boy Scouts this last weekend, I knit him his very own Diabetic-Friendly cupcake. yes, that's even a heart on top. Next time I do one, I'm going to put catnip inside for my babies.


Personal Narrative:

I love my knitting buddies! We just had a loverly time at Crimson Cup tonight. I've known Yarmando for many years, and it's so comfortable to just sit near him and share our knitting. Also, he is truly a genius about knitting, and it's great to get his opinions on things and to see what he's working on. Knittingbrow and KnitsB (do you have a blog of your own?) feel like old friends, just like Yarmando. I mean, it feels like I've known them both forever, and it's a sweet and wonderful thing, I tell you! I can't even quantify it, you'll just have to trust me. It's relaxing and intellectually stimulating. Great combo, if you ask me! KB and Y are the reason I'm knitting today, as it was reading their blogs and seeing the socks they'd knit that got my fingers itching to try it. The rest is herstory.

Over-Ravel'd

I've finally joined Ravelry. It's a great site! I can't seem to pull myself away from it, though!

I found out, for instance, that the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklinburg Cty have craft programs! Look!

My name at is Caterwaul1 - add me as a friend!

I also have been knitting, believe it or not. I've been making good progress on DH's sweater, but pics won't show much - more when I get the sleeves going or something.

I realized I'd never posted finished pics of Simon's socks. The yarn is called Evolution and supposed to be washable, etc., but someone told me that theirs is pilling and shedding, so I've been hand-washing these. I'm sure he'll grow out of them in the next year, but for now they're perfect. He loves them, too! See the double helix cable? Big thanks to Don for gifting me the extra yarn I needed for them. Very generous friend, eh?

I'm also still working on a scarf thing for my friend who is soon to retire . . . but I've switched to a new ball of the yarn and am doing an actual pattern, Ice Queen with beads and everything!

Also of note was a visit here from my friend, Laura and her family. We went to the Franklin Park Conservatory for the trains and orchids. It was fun!

Keeping My Mind off the Stomach Virus

Mike had it last week. I've been sleeping 6 extra hours a day, trying to avoid it. Simon has it now. Being home, I figure I'll update the blogs!


Sammy likes my yarn all the time, but this particular kind is now his favorite. It is Kidsilk Night, color: Thunder, by Rowan. It is mohair and silk, and has a thin thread of bling shot through it - in a midnight blue color. I love the stuff! I'm knitting it up on size 11 circulars to make a long tube scarf for a friend who is retiring soon.
It looks fairly solid in this picture, but trust me - it is like a cloud! I was concerned that the bling would make it scratchy, but the mohair shields your skin from the scratch nicely. It weighs next to nothing. Looks like lots of folks are doing lace with this, but I think that might just drive me batty. That is a project for some other time of life, I'd say!

I finished up this little lace neck scarf a week or 2 ago. Isn't it loverly? I am pleased with how it blocked out, but if I make one for myself I'm going to make it larger. We bigger girls like larger scarves. I'll find a skinny friend to gift this to.

At my MIL's request, I've made a fluffy pink baby sweater to send to DH's cousin in Texas. Let me tell you - THIS is a big bargain in both money and time! I bought the yarn from a friend who was having a stash reduction sale. It is Cascade Bollicine Revolution in a very bright pink color. It knit up on size 17 needles, and only took me about 4 hours from cast-on to bind-off. Can you believe it??? I have some blue yarn, too, and will be knitting it up soonish for another baby. I also have enough, probably, of the two colors to mix them in a third sweater. I got 3 balls each of the yarn. I can't lay my hands on the pattern at the moment, but when I do I'll link it.

Last year I gave DH yarn and a big book of cable patterns for Xmas with the promise of knitting him the ultimate sweater. Well, I ended up being so overwhelmed by the idea of knitting a great big adult sweater that I chickened out, bought cheaper, bulkier yarn, and made him a plain sweater. He likes it and wears it, too, but I still wanted to do better. This year I didn't even tell him he was getting it, I just cast on. I went back to the book of cable patterns and chose a very cool one that he'd picked out - 27 stitches wide and 40 rows long. I added a small cable on either side and charted the whole lot of it in an excel document. You can see the chart on the cookie sheet, held by some of Simon's architectural magnet doodads. I'm about 4 rows shy of being done with the first repeat. I love it! This is not knitting I can take out, as the cookie sheet would be awkward to carry around . . . but I do love working on it of an evening while we watch TV. We've been re-watching all of the Nero Wolfe series we have on DVD. Simon is enjoying them, too, which delights us all. We love enjoying great shows together.

One quick essay:
Knitting-Related Injury #1
I have often been injured in the line of duty - papercuts while framing were terribly painful, muscle cramps while Shaking My Sillies Out in Storytime were hard to bear, and laryngitis when I was supposed to be working the phones was challenging . . . but a small cut on my right index finger is nearly excruciating! I don't know how I got cut, but I suspect a particularly difficult circular needle which shall go un-named! I often knit Continental Style, holding the yarn in my left hand and just looping the right needle through and around, pulling the looped yarn out and up. It's quick, it's effiicient, and it's lovely to do. I can knit without light in this method, and just feel my way through a long bit of knitting, particularly if I've got the right size circular and the yarn is ammenable. I do, however, need to poke the end of the left needle down every other stitch or so when the stitches are needing to be slid closer to the end of that needle. Whenever I poke that needle . . . OUCH! The tip of the needle goes right into this small cut on my right hand index finger. It's an outrage! I've had to knit with a band-aid for a week, and put anti-biotic ointment on it. Each night I go to bed, my right fingertip throbbing. I can see the subcutaneous bruise growing. I try to find ways to rest during the day, but my needles and yarn keep beckoning me! I can't stop knitting, of course, because that would be . . . well . . .unthinkable!

Knitting Christmas

My mom with her vest. Lovely alpaca from my good friend, Nancy, at Peru Hollow Farms near St. Louis, MO.

My brother's hat.

My assistant manager's cap.

My brother-in-law with his hat on (with my sister).

My son and quasi-cousins, Andrew and Jay.

Yea, yea, {Insert here the usual apologies for neglecting my blogosphere public}, but I'm here now! Check back soon for some rants and more pictures. LOL

Crafty and Sneaky

Well, my loyal readers, I have been neglecting you. I feel the cold breath of Christmas on my neck and I fear it will arrive before I've finished all the gifts! I can't show you any more pics, either, because it's too close and what's left is for people who read the blog! Yikes!

So, to entertain you, I have pictures of our annual GBH construction! (Ginger Bread House, you silly.)

Here is my lovely sister Linda and her confectionary abode. Her classic use of green piping for the roof treatment, green chewy holley over the front door and marshmallow snow person make this a treat for the eyes.

Next, we have Andrew, Jay and Vicky with their cookie carnaval! I don't know if Andrew actually adhered any candy to the house (most of what touched his hands went directly into his mouth), but he and Jay, with Vicky's help, have made a great house, and you can see how proud they all are! I particularly like the snow person, even though he needs some assistance standing. Oh, and the jelly garden is quite enchanting.

Finally, you have Simon and myself displaying our 2007 entry. This is the first year we've done the cereal/thatched roof, and I do like it! Also note the coconut snow and the lovely jelly stained glass window on the end of the house (completely conceived and created by Simon). That mass of red frosting and chocolate covered peanuts is supposed to be a fireplace and chimney. Jay declared the chimney "really, really beautiful," so I feel appreciated.

I don't know how many years we've done these, but we always have a great time. I can't wait to do another one!

Oh, and a shameless plug here for the Wilton GBH kit. I can't believe we used to make the cookies ourselves! It would take at least an entire day to get the cookies made, and then we'd invariably have a damaged one or three, and have trouble putting them together because of unevenness or something. Don't do it! For $9.00 you can get one of these kits, complete with frosting mix and candy. We usually add more candy and stuff, but even if we didn't we'd end up with great houses. You can't even buy the baking stuff for $9.00 a pop, and frankly, our time is much better spent doing other things . . .like decorating! One tip - buy them early, early, early in the season. Last year I didn't get them til late and we ended up having to buy the huge size houses. This year I got them way back at or before TG, and it was EXCELLENT!