Introducing... The Garden Club!

I am so excited and pleased to announce a brand new knitting club: 

the JANe Garden Club!

Drawing on the gorgeous patterns to be found in gardens as inspiration, this club will feature three fabulous knitting bags from Dancing Sheep including two new bag styles that are not currently available, three beautiful new accessory patterns from Stick Chick Knits, and three amazing skeins of yarn from Hazelknits, each in a different base, one of which will be a brand new color, specially created to compliment the kit's bag and pattern, and offered for the first time to the Garden Club.

The Garden Club has three purchase options: a full three shipment subscription, a single shipment subscription, or a three shipment bag & pattern only subscription option.

We look forward to having you join us out amongst the flowers. Just bring your needles and let your knitting bloom!

The JANe Garden Club Details

What’s in the Shipments:

The JANe Garden Club consists of three JANe Kits shipped over a six month period. Each shipment will include:

·      A Dancing Sheep bag, two of which will be new styles not currently available

·      A new Stick Chick Knits one skein pattern for an accessory exclusive to club members for a period of time

·      A full skein of yarn from Hazel Knits, each shipment a different base matched to that shipments pattern, one of which will be a brand new color

·      Special extra treats to enhance your garden experience

The Timeline:

The Garden Club will have three shipments over the course of six months. Shipment windows will be:

            First Shipment:            April 17 - 19^th

            Second Shipment:            June 12 - 14^th

            Third Shipment:            August 14 – 16^th

Subscription Options:

In an effort to accommodate as many knitters as possible we are offering three subscription options:

A) Full Subscription  $235.00

• Includes all three shipments
• Subscribers to the full package will receive an extra treat in the final shipment
• Price includes shipping to US residents (international customers will need to contact me for a shipping quote – sorry!)
• The order deadline for the Full Subscription is March 20^th.

B) Bag & Pattern Subscription  $145.00

• Includes the bag, pattern and treats for all three shipments but no yarn
• Price includes shipping to US residents (international customers will need to contact me for a shipping quote – sorry!)
• The order deadline for the Bag & Pattern Subscription is March 31^st 

C) Single Shipment Subscription  $85.00

• Includes only one shipment.
• All the items for the subscribed month’s shipment will be included: bag, pattern, yarn & treats.
• Price includes shipping to US residents (international customers will need to contact me for a shipping quote – sorry!).
• Only one shipment will be available for purchase at a time. Single shipments will be sold as follows:

                         April shipment - available for purchase until March 20^th  
                         June shipment  - available for purchase April 22^{nd -}  May 17^th
                         August shipment – available for purchase June 17th- July 19^th

How to Subscribe:

Subscriptions to the JANe Garden Club can be purchased in my Etsy shop: Dancing Sheep.

In addition, a limited number of Full Subscriptions only will be available for purchase at Vogue Knitting Live in Seattle April 5-7^th (while supplies last). If you subscribe at VKL you will receive your first kit that day and the remaining shipments will ship as usual.

More About JANe Kits:

Just Add Needles exclusives, or JANe, is a collaboration between myself and Melissa Goodale of Stick Chick Knits. We wanted to create a line of knitting kits that were unique, included fabulous patterns, yarn & bags, and were practically all-inclusive- everything but the needles since needle preference varies so much from knitter to knitter. Each kit since our first, launched our first kit at Sock Summit in 2011, has shown great attention to detail: the yarn color, often dyed just for us, exactly matching the fabric of the bags and the knitting pattern echoing the fabrics theme-all three components blending together to create a wonderful experience for knitters. It has long been our desire to offer a club to bring our creations to even more knitters and we are so excited to present the JANe Garden Club!

Many thanks to Wendee of Hazel Knits for her continued support of the JANe concept!

Cyber Monday + Massive Shop Restock = Funday!

Just wanted to let you know that my Shop is fully restocked! More bags than I have ever before offered at one time - so exciting :)

In addition, there are 9 Limited Edition Holiday bags now available in both One Skein Bags and Sheepie Sacks. These are Very. Limited. In fact, I just listed them last night and already a couple are down to the last one...

And finally, I'm jumping on the Cyber Monday Madness Train and offering Free Shipping on all orders  (US residents only) today and tomorrow (deal ends at midnight PST on 11/27). The coupon code to enter at checkout is CYBERSHEEP.

Pot O' Gold at the End of the Headband, er, Rainbow

Right. So just when this poor little blog of mine thought it could relax and retire- Surprise! Here's a new post! And I cannot think of anything even close to a clever transition so why don't we just jump in.

My kids are celebrating St. Patrick's Day at school today and all week G had planned to wear green ribbons in her hair because her school uniform is decidedly not green. However, last night I received an email from her teacher saying that today was a Free Green Dress Day- no uniforms required. G was very excited but decided, somewhat inexplicably, that this wardrobe change required a change of plans for her hair as well. That, since I'm wearing green, mama, I need something other than just a green ribbon in my hair.

O-kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, not sure of the logic there but far be it from me to figure out the inner workings of a six year old mind. Being the pushover I am *ahem* I said sure, I'd come up with something shamrock-y, St. Patrick's-ish for her hair. Probably a headband of some sort.

Here's what I came up with:

Not too shabby for a spur of the moment project and - BONUS - I had everything on hand to make it (please excuse the iPhone picture, I'm shopping for a new camera).

Voila! Fun, festive Pot O'Gold headband and one very happy 6-year-old--- all achieved in about an hour while catching up on Project Runway All Stars, no leprechaun magic required.

Send in the Sprinkles!!

But ONLY if they are the non-rainy variety.

Thank goodness we are finally experiencing a few sunny, dare I say, Spring-like days here in Seattle. It has been 196 days since we hit 66 degrees, today's predicted high temperature. A loooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnng time. We haven't hit 66 yet but at least it was a nice enough day to break out some short sleeves (for G at least) and a picnic lunch in the backyard.



Yesterday, while mostly sunny, just wasn't as nice although that might have been due to the bloody noses, migraines, and overall blahness that invaded the house rather than the weather.

The kids and I all needed a pick-me-up and I knew exactly what it should be: Emergency Baking!

G & M both love to assist me in the kitchen and I love baking so I knew a good time would be had by all but I made sure that the recipe added a little silliness to the mix- just in case. I needed to make sure all the resident grumpopotami were kicked to the curb. Luckily I had seen a recipe that fit the bill to a tee only the night before over on Pinterest.


CAKE BATTER BLONDIES.

Ooooooooh yes. A little crazy but we were in dire need of food decorated with rainbow sprinkles.

I gathered up the ingredients. In perfect Murphy's Law fashion the only ingrediant not in my cupboard: the rainbow sprinkles. One quick trip to the market later we were ready to go.


While I don't mind making more complex recipes with the kiddos, this recipe was great because everything could be dumped into one bowl and stirred.

Into the oven for 30 mins. Beware. This deceptively short time frame may feel like 3 hours with some little person asking every two minutes, "Are they ready yet?"

A (very) few hard won minutes for cooling and, Voila!



Cake Batter Blondies. Yum.

If you are interested in making these for yourself, the recipe is here at Girl Meets Life.

You know you want to make some... The 50+ repins I got in under 24 hours when I pinned this on Pinterest says that I am not the only one craving more cake batter and rainbow sprinkles in her life.

More Bright Green Fun. No Fur This Time.

Yesterday I committed a Cardinal Sin of Pacific Northwest Parenting. I promised my children an activity without checking the weather forecast first. Overcome by the stunning appearance of the sun and a temperature above 60 degrees, I lost my head and committed to making an afterschool trip to the zoo today so we could see the new dinosaur exhibit.

And then today we woke up to this:


Cold. Dark. Dreary. Drippy.

I love my children as much as the next parent but it has been a long winter and I just could not drag myself outside in this kind of weather again. Nuh uh. No how. No way. Not happening.

Anticipating Dual Meltdowns of Colossal Proportions, I spent the morning brainstorming for something, Anything! that would Distract and Deflect my impending doom.

Thank God for the Interwebs. My bacon was saved (again) by the Crafty Blogosphere.

And so, I acquired this:


Yup. Bright green pool noodle.

And some black duct tape with racing style flame on it.

Perfect combination.

What? You haven't always wanted a bright green pool noodle and flame duct tape? What is wrong with you people?

Okay, okay. What if I... Cut the noodle in half? Lengthwise.


No?

Alright then. Let's take the cut noodle and the duct tape and add

• a shoebox
• cardstock
• double stick tape
• bamboo skewers
• letter stickers
• wrapping paper

---
and heck, some crochet thread for good measure.



Are you with me now?

Well, you should be because this odd jumble produces a pretty cool (and cheap)



MARBLE RACE TRACK!!

My kids always love the marble tracks we see in stores or other places but I don't know if they would ever play with them enough to justify the expense- some of those wooden sets are Expensive!



This is a quick and dirty imitation which happily keeps the kidlets entertained and occupied! Hooray! (I know G doesn't look terribly pleased in that picture but she was intent on digging her marbles out of the little purse she keeps them in and was not at all interested in making nice for the camera)

All the credit for this brilliant idea goes to Amy of Serving Pink Lemonade who posted this craft as part of the Summer Soiree Craft Camp for Kids over on Home-Spun Threads.

I changed the project up a bit, deciding I would duct tape my tracks together- no way MY children were going to be gentle enough to keep the tracks together with just the "flag posts" (and besides, if you are making a race track, you might as well find an excuse to use the crazy flame duct tape). I used bamboo skewers instead of toothpicks for the Start and Finish Banners.



I added some racing flags because I'm crazy like that and seem to have a penchant for adding layers of complexity to things. And lastly, I covered my shoebox in some silver wrapping paper I had lying around to give the whole thing a more finished appearance.



All around winner. The kids are pleased so I'm pleased.


Now I can cook dinner in peace.

Ready. Set. GO!

A Few Days Late and a Frame Short

When it comes to holidays, I usually have grandiose plans concerning what I am going to do and how I will decorate. My mind's eye creates stunning displays throughout the house and pictures how the whole house will come together in a Martha-esque manifestation of all things festive.

In reality? Not so much.

Oh, I usually get something done but since having kids it is usually more along the lines of: Oh dear! (____fill in the blank holiday___) is 3 days away, I should really dig something out and throw it on the mantel.

I feel terrible about this because G is really into holidays and is always bugging me to decorate for them. Oh, well. One more thing for her therapist to mull over in twenty years.

This Easter was no different. I had plans aplenty but a total lack of execution. Even the wreath I shared with you remains unhung because I cannot find an appropriate home for it. Aside from this minuscule little display on the aforementioned mantel, our house was adornment free.


Which isn't to say I didn't try. I did make the wreath after all.

I also did a little stitching:


This little Peeps inspired pattern is available for free on the DMC website. I did change up the embroidery thread colors somewhat from the recommended ones using the following instead (all DMC numbers):

• blues - 799, 3325
• yellows - 725, 727
• pinks - 603, 605
• purples - 208, 209
• black - 310

I only got to this point in the project before the actual arrival of Easter


but I went ahead and completed it a couple days ago, a miracle in its own right since normally the unfinished project would have lingered until next year. Go me!


It still needs to be finished and I think I'm going to put it in an embroidery hoop using this tutorial but I'm still debating round versus oval hoops. I'll share it with you when it is all done.

You know, maybe before next Easter.

Bounced Out

I think I'm still recovering from last weekend. It wasn't too crazy but still feeling like we crammed a lot of things into a little bit of time. I mean, how hard is it to go out to dinner, hunt for eggs, attend a birthday party, go out to dinner, dye eggs, open Easter baskets, go to church, go out to brunch, and then cook a big Easter dinner?

I must be getting soft.

We were lucky enough to have Papa (Todd's father) come visit for the weekend and celebrate Easter with us so that added to the overall excitement level.


Continuing tradition, we went to the Bunny Bounce at the zoo which, due to the gorgeous weather, was crazier than it has ever been since we started going four years ago. I think this was the first year it didn't rain or threaten to rain and the weather certainly seemed to be trying to make up for past ickiness.


The kiddos had a blast and G managed to fill her basket to overflowing


while M was a bit more methodical in his egg gathering.


There was some additional silliness


And even a sneak peek at the soon to be opened dinosaur exhibit.


Given the boy's obsession fascination with dinosaurs, I suspect we might be back at the zoo in the very near future.