Sweater Weather

After really slacking on knitting projects for the majority of 2011 (save Christmas presents) I am now re-inspired and ready to go!
I don't quite know how I had never heard of Ravelry.com prior to this month, but now that I have found it I am oh so happy to have more patterns, fellow knitters, and lovely pictures at my disposal.
With all this renewed lust for knitting I have decided to take on my first sweater project. I happened upon a link to Kate Davies blog over at textiles.com and fell head over heals in love with her patterns, but most of all the owl sweater http://textisles.com/designs/o-w-l-s/
After 2 days on the needles I am ultra pleased with the pattern, the yarn I picked (Eskimo by Drops), and how quickly this is knitting up.

Back to the needles, I just can't put this one down!

The Happy Merry Birth-Mas Cake!

As some of you know my oldest son's birthday is on Christmas day. He turned 8 this year and to celebrate I made a gluten-free gingerbread cake for his birthday and also our holiday dessert. The idea came from my wonderfully creative mother (lovingly known as Oma) after she saw the cake below. My son is in his first year of a children's chorus and just recently had his first concert in which he stood front and center in front of hundreds of people and sang beautifully, so the singers was what really caught her eye. Also we are of German descent so the fact that this cake has German inspiration made it more interesting for our family.

The inspiration: from Martha Stewart Living

The Recipe:  from the Boston Globe. This is a gluten-free modified version of the creators Swedish grandmothers traditional recipe. The boy's being also part Swedish made me adore this recipe~ http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2011/12/21/recipe_for_gluten_free_gingerbread_with_maple_frosting/

The Cake!
2 and a half pounds of flour, having to stir it in a soup pot later, sitting with a 20 pound cake on my lap for a 2 hour car ride to NH, and here is the result. Worth it! (and it was delicious)