Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard. -Anne Sexton

Thank you everyone from both Alex and I for all your lovely congratulations (and compliments) regarding the granting of his doctorate! You filled our hearts with joy and most definitely put smiles on both our faces!

So what`s been going on here lately? A whole lot I can tell you! Let's start with an awesome little giftie I received this week...

The lovely Jeni sent me this awesome Swiss Chalet creamer this past week! Jeni has been amassing a set (or two) of this pattern and I mentioned to her how much I liked it and that I'd love to own a creamer. As it turns out Jeni actually had two creamers so she sent this one along to me as a surprise! Thanks again so much Jeni - I just love it!!

I knit myself up a new hat last week (actually a knit two hats as Alex requested a second Autumn - yes, the pattern is intended to be a woman's hat but trust me, it works for guys too!)...

This is the Jane by Jane Richmond; the yarn is Paton's Classic Wool Merino in Maize (no longer available). I'm currently knitting myself up a cowl (Thermis) in the same yarn for those days when I want to be matchy-matchy (by the way, you can find me here on Ravelry if you're interested)! And look (!), you can see the Swiss Chalet creamer in the hutch behind me. Also, if you look really close you might be able to spot Alex's reflection in the glass doors since he's the one who took this picture ;) Apparently we also love Danish butter cookies in this house...and have no wine...just one lonely bottle of Manischewitz which will probably never be opened!

February is going to be a super-busy month around these here parts - I have three (count'em three!!) pattern-tutorials for y'all...wow! You know about the first one which is happening in just over a week (Feb 7th) - that would be my Bloggers Block-a-Palooza block, woot! The second one may or may not have something to do with this... ;)

Pillows...ohhhhh!

And here's a little sneaky-peaky at the third which will be coming on the 23rd...

Oh yes! Very exciting stuff going on around here!

And I wanted to mention how pleased as punch I am that the lovely Lurline is using my Pinwheels in the House pattern to make herself a new quilt - you can see some of her blocks here (if you read some of her more recent posts you'll see more blocks pop up) - and she's using Liberty of London fabric to boot! Now don't I feel special! I think this is the first time I've ever had confirmation that someone has actually used one of my patterns or tutorials and it feels pretty dang great!

One last thing to share...you know how I've mentioned The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery before right? Well, I stitched up two of their patterns a little while ago...

And this picture was featured on Mr. X Stitch as part of their Too Cute Tuesday series - you can see the post here! I stitched up these two patterns - Toast BFFs and Je T'aime Cocoa - using 14 count aida; the BFFs are already framed up in an oval hoop ready to go on the wall, and the Cocoa is being made into a little giftie for a very special friend of mine.

Oh, and I want this cookbook when it comes out in Canada in April!

Phew! Okay, that's it for now! We'll be out celebrating Dr. Alex this weekend with some friends and Sunday is the one-year anniversary of the Toronto Modern Quilt Guild (as well as the 6 month anniversary of my Presidency) - we're gonna party! I hope y'all have a great weekend if I don't see you before it's done!