Strictly speaking, this is what you’d call “off topic” for this blog, but I’ve spent a fair bit of my time on it lately and thought I’d give it a mention here. My Moms & Playgroup organization, The Joy Troupe, has just published their third annual cookbook, More Please, Mommy! It’s a fun little book full of tasty recipes and cute kids cooking and enjoying food.
At some point during this post you are going to decide either that this post is a prank born of a wild, filthy imagination, or that I should put down the crochet hook and back away, slowly.
I was inspired by this pattern and the incessant clattering of plastic food in the play kitchen to try my hand at crocheted play food. To understand what I’m talking about when I say “incessant clattering,” grab an empty trash bag and fill it with plastic cups. Now dump them on the floor. Do this 45 times an hour, and you’re with me.
Now, since this is an experiment and I unfortunately recently decided I didn’t have room to keep a “stash” that was not waiting for a specific project, off to the thrift store I went for whatever random yarn could be had for $.35 or less. I found a nice peach and a lemony yellow and thought, “I can work with that.”
So I began modifying the orange pattern to make a peach. I was having a great time. I made it to the part where you stuff your object with no trouble. Then I began to “close the deal,” so to speak and found myself with:
Well. If I’d photographed it with the yellow “stem hollow” I added on the rounded top side, you’d see why the mamas at the Joy Troupe Crafty Mamas afternoon were howling with laughter and joking that the children wouldn’t be allowed to touch their own toys. Nevertheless, I KNEW something could be made from this lovely peach yarn that looked edible so I had another go. (Can you identify where in this decision making process I keep going wrong? Thought so.)
This time I used the (yes. I did go there.) carrot pattern and got:
Now, I’m not above the occasional moment of naughty knitting. It’s fun. It’s silly. It’s harmless. But I swear to you, this is completely unintentional. So now we are brandishing my carrot in conjunction with my peach and, well…
Fortunately there was a subsequent Crafty Mamas event where I turned them into:
Now we have a respectable, if a bit blond, turnip and a parsnip, although Ian swears it’s a carrot. Or did before he grabbed the dangling yarn end and pulled. So we’ll be having another try on that. And, unlike what happened the day these items were born, there was no yelling.
Next I’m going to see if I can continue spinning straw into gold by having a go at corn on the cob… Stay Tuned.
I am pleased to announce our second March for Babies fundraising auction!
View the Auction and Bid Now!
This is a Brand New, In package, Laila print nursing cover gift set from Udder Covers. Retail (from the Udder Covers website) is $37 + $9.95 shipping!
Here is the Manufacturer’s description:
“This 3 piece kit includes a Laila print nursing cover, Light Yellow Milk Bands™ nursing bracelet and 2 pairs of Udder Covers™ 5 ply washable breast pads!
Our Laila nursing cover is marked with our signature Udder Covers™ logo. It is pink and ivory and has a brilliantly quaint yet artistic floral pattern.
Milk Bands™ nursing bracelets keep track of which side you nursed from, what time and how long all on one wrist!
Our 5 ply 100% cotton breast pads will protect your skin from irritation by absorbing all moisture.”
100% of the net proceeds from this auction will be donated to the Joy Makin’ Mamas and Papas March for Babies Project!
I hereby announce a series of March for Babies fundraising auctions!
Joy Makin’ Mamas who were in on the cake sampling for Heather’s wedding will tell you,this was some good cake!
100% of the net proceeds from this auction will go to the March for Babies in support of the Joy Makin’ Mamas and Papas team.
This cake is three layers tall- 2 9″ chocolate almond cake layers and one 9″ chocolate almond brownie shell. Each layer is filled with cocoa icing cream, and the entire thing is covered in a rich layer of delicious chocolate ganache. (The cake shown had blue polka dots piped onto the ganache and a wedding cake topper added. Yours will feature a smooth, elegant layer of chocolate ganache only.)
Some expensive bakery cakes are high-dollar items because of how they look, but this cake is so delicious that the bride and groom decided they did not want to freeze their “anniversary” piece- they ate it instead!
Complete strangers said they would marry me for this cake. Several said this was the best cake they had ever had, and many wanted to know where you could buy it.
You can’t buy it. It was a labor of love for a friend on her wedding day and was made at home by me- but I will make one for one lucky person who is willing to make a generous donation to
the March for Babies!
The winning bidder will receive a coupon good for one three layer chocolate almond cake. The cake freezes well for at least two weeks, and most likely as long as a month. Two weeks notice is required of when you would like to pick up your cake, so your coupon will be valid for a period of 90 days beginning two weeks from date of payment.
Doyou have a product or service you’d like to donate for a Joy Troupe auction benefitting the March for Babies? Please drop me a line!