launching...

I am thrilled to announce that I just started a website for my cakes!

And I mean just.


There is not much on it at this point, so I'd stay it is "Under Construction" until further notice. I know the look I'm going for.. but I'm not computer savvy enough for things to go Poof! "Ta-Da! Look what I just came up with!" with a ::snap:: of my fingers.

The link is here: CakesByJewleigh


I would like to give a big thanks to Larri for misspelling my name all those years ago. CakesbyJulie is already taken obviously. (No, don't go looking at that one! It's not me!) And after all the searching and all the ideas, taken or not, CakesbyJewleigh was still my favorite :) :)

So I hope to get things rolling a bit this weekend. I think I might have to buy one of those books "Building Awesome Websites for Dummies" or something of that nature. I am super excited!! (I rarely say 'super' in real life, so this is really meaningful.)

Off I go.. to dream of ideas and cakes.

Note: The cake is Chocolate Spike cake (BEST chocolate ever.) and the cookies are Maple Oatmeal, which were good straight out of the oven, but just okay otherwise. Kyle picked them!

i am

the worst blogger in all of Blogland.

I had a lot of fun with Christmas knitting. (I still have a few presents to finish up and send home. Oops!) It was very rewarding to give handmade gifts.

I am going to try to start early this year. Of course, there is quite a lot going on (in a way that has created a longer queue for me) and after just giving gifts, it is difficult to think of new one's to give 11 months from now.

P.S. My AaaaaaAaaaaaaAAAAA button is acting up. I disagree (1) with it.

bite me.

This beauty will be mine in a few days' time.
Oh yeah baby.

X-mas Counts
Queued - 1 hat, 1 pair of mitts (Possibly 4 dishcloths)
WIP's - 1 hat, 1 pair of mittens
Finished - 5 hats, 2 dishcloths, 1 pair of mittens, 1 bag, 1 scarf

Down to the wire as is my custom. Last year when I began knitting, I posted in a forum on Ravelry inquiring about when people usually began their Christmas knitting. The overwhelming majority said December 26, the day after Christmas or, more sensibly, January (for the next Christmas). I think I'll give myself a bit of a break for not listening, seeing as I had just started knitting at the time. I needed this year to gain some knowledge and I have done that. My skills have improved 100-fold.

Now I know better and have the ability to start my Christmas knitting months in advance. That will not, however, stop me from procrastinating. Mark my words, I'll be doing the same thing next year. You have to love it though. The pressure of a deadline. It's kind of exciting in a twisted sort of way. [I'm trying to justify my lack of planning ahead here.]

Anyway, boo MSU for only giving me one week off before Christmas. I swear I had 2 weeks last year. MSU, you are not more important than Christmas cookies and woolly goodness. Sorry.

Spin, Span, Spun

Today, I purchased my first drop spindle (a medium top-whorl, Octo Dropspindle from Louet). I've been wanting to trying spinning for a while now, but I cannot afford to buy a spinning wheel at the moment, so I decided it was high time I bought a drop spindle.

I also purchased an ounce of blue merino for practice and another 4 ounces of natural superwash merino for when I felt more comfortable and had already blundered through the biggest mistakes I could make.

During the drafting process, I found that I wasn't gentle enough and I tore about half of the roving up. I may have weak arms, but I can pulverize wool. Next time I will have to be very careful.

This is my final product - a little skein of merino to cherish. I would definitely consider it a bulky weight yarn. The roving cost me $2.50, but I learned lessons that will last me a lifetime from that ounce of wool.


God bless merino.

Startitis

It's a pretty bad case..

Here's the latest addition to my ever-growing WIP pile.
I think these have satiated my cast-on frenzy.

Now to finish the current X-mas WIP's
and cast-on only for the remaining X-mas pressies.

Current Counts
Queued - 9 hats, 1 pair of mitts, 3 sets of dishcloths
WIP's - 1 hat, 2 pairs of mittens, 1 bag
Finished - 4 hats, 2 dishcloths

I will only bid happy knitting when I finish my sweater. Bah humbug!

A Cold Turkey

Today, I am going cold turkey. I am fairly certain it is one of the most agonizing things to endure. I feel the symptoms of withdrawal 100-fold over the boyfriend. Lucky bastard. To manage, I shall depend on caffeine, chewing on straws, knitting, knitting, and more knitting. I honestly don't mind depending on caffeine, seeing as I find it much easier to cut back when I feel the need. Caffeine doesn't give me lung cancer or make running impossible, so I feel it is a cost-and-benefit winner.

This past weekend, New Moon came out in theaters. I've seen it twice. As it is tradition in my world, I've recreated the book cover into a cake.

Project Homemade Christmas is coming along all right. I need to step up the pace, however. The current counts are as follows:

Queued - 11 hats, 1 pair of mitts, 3 sets of dishcloths
WIP's - 1 hat, 2 pairs of mittens, 1 bag
Finished - 3 hats

Let the knitting commence.

the most wonderful time of the year

I love fall :) The cool, crisp air and how it smells. Wearing sweaters and jeans. The beautiful colors as the world changes before our eyes. It's an amazing time of year.



and Halloween is just around the corner.

I couldn't find any Halloween sprinkles here in EL.. I was very sad. I'll have to look around GR for my little decorative pumpkins and bats.