It’s time! Time to share the lovely things that you’ve been doing this month to help others. Each December we run a few Random Acts of Kindness blog contests, to encourage you to keep your eyes open for ways that you can help others. I know that many of you are aware of this all year long (just because you’re nice like that.) For others, this is always a good reminder that it doesn’t have to cost a lot of extra time or money to help make someone’s day, and to be an encouragement to them. On Friday’s blog, I gave you links to the contest from last year, in case you wanted to read some of the comments for ideas.

What am I doing? This year, our church has been talking about encouraging people to give more, spend less, worship more, and love all. I like that idea. How do you give more, but spend less? Give your time. Give things that you no longer use. Give encouragement and support. Have you knit some of your gifts this year? Then you’ve given time to each of the people who will be getting those gifts. I’ve made several gifts this year, and hope to do that each year. I’m also going to go through the overabundance of scarves that College Girl and I have knit up, and we’ll be washing those up and taking them to a local homeless shelter.  While we’re at it, we’ll go through our winter coat closet and see what else we can add to the pile. While I love cold weather, I don’t like to BE cold. I like to be all bundled up. There are plenty of people in all of our communities who don’t have the luxury of being bundled up, so hopefully a few warm items will help.

What random acts have you done to spread holiday cheer and encouragement? Leave it in the comments and we’ll do a random drawing for prizes that we’ll announce next week. (Do you do these things for the publicity and the drawings? No, of course not. But your comments help to give ideas to others, and the drawings make it a little more fun.) We’ll do a second Random Acts contest next Monday, and the last contest the Monday after that, so keep looking for ways to commit some acts be a blessing to others. Speaking of contests – have you joined our Facebook and Twitter pages? I put up one of our 24 Hour Quick Contests this morning, so it runs through tomorrow morning. Pop over and enter. The prize is a Loopy Ewe Gift Certificate!

Sheri justaddinginafewre-stocksandupdateslatertoday.
NotafullblownSneakUp.However…moreontheway…

This is what is going on today. Still. FPS. You may be tired of hearing about how the jackhammers make our building shake, but not as tired of it as we are. I mean seriously, just HOW much concrete is out there to break up? This has been going on since this summer. Today is a particularly high jackhammer-making-the-building-shudder-and-shake day. I think it would be an act of kindness (to our whole building) if I were to go out there and take the spark plugs out of the engines while they are off on their lunch break. (Can someone – as an act of kindness – tell me where to find those spark plugs?)

Speaking of acts of kindness, here’s a heads up on our December blog contests – for the next three Mondays, we’ll be encouraging you to do and share Random Acts of Kindness. This is the third year that we’ve encouraged extra acts of kindness in the month of December (because we know that many of you do them regularly, all year long). By putting the spotlight on it via a blog contest, you’ve told us that it helps you to be more conscious of the little (or big) things that you can do to make a difference to someone this month. Here are the blog posts with Kindness Comments from last year:

Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four

If you’re stuck for ideas, read some of the comments on those posts and it will get you motivated and moving forward on the things that you can do. That, of course, is the purpose for sharing your random acts via a blog comment. We know that you don’t do these things to brag about them or to win a blog contest (although we’ll be sending out fun prizes!). When you share what you did, other people get some great ideas of things that they can do as well. So get out there this week/weekend and find someone to bless. Then come back to the blog next Monday and leave a comment to let us know what you did. I love reading all of your comments in these contests. It’s just such a reminder of what an incredible bunch of people you are. Thanks for playing along with us in our December contests from year to year.

Today’s recipe is the moistest, most delicious chocolate bundt cake that I’ve had in a long time. I hope you enjoy it!

Sinfully Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake (I can never say “Bundt Cake” without thinking about My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The movie. Not my own wedding. That wasn’t Greek. Or big. Or fat, for that matter.)

1 yellow cake mix
1 large box of chocolate instant pudding
1 cup of oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup water

8 oz. container of sour cream

1 bag of mini chocolate chips (I couldn’t find minis, so I used the regular ones)

Mix the first 6 ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Fold in the sour cream and  mix well. Add in the chocolate chips and stir until well blended.

Pour into greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes. (The original recipe called for 60 minutes. I have made it twice and had to bake it for 80 minutes before a knife inserted into the middle came out done. So just check on it as you go along.)

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy! (Or make the chocolate glaze from this bundt cake recipe that I shared last year. Today’s recipe came out moist-er, but the glaze on that other recipe was really good, too.)

Sheri enjoyingtropicaltemperaturestoday.40degreesandsunny.

I know that many of you have been waiting for this. I think the emails started right after our 2009 Spring Fling, and it’s finally time for signups for the 2010 version. But first, some details and a plea. Here’s the plea: please check out vacation time from work, airline prices, and any other details that need to be figured out in order for this to work for you, before signing up. Last year, we had about a dozen people cancel within a week of finding out they had a spot because of flight prices or work issues or other such things. Make sure it’s feasible for you to use the spot, before signing up to get one. (We do understand emergencies that crop up at the last minute. That’s why we also assign a waiting list by lottery – to hopefully fill in those vacancies.)

Now the fun details for our Third Annual Loopy Ewe Spring Fling:

Dates: Thursday – Sunday, April 22-25, 2010

Location: Sheraton Westport in St. Louis

Guest Instructors: Wendy Johnson (Wendy Knits), Anne Hanson (Knitspot), Jared Flood (Brooklyn Tweed), and Gryphon Perkins (The Sanguine Gryphon). And of course Claudia (the Wollmeise) and her friends Dani and Maria are planning to be back with us again. They’re not teaching classes, but I know that many of you look forward to visiting with them each year!

Your weekend includes: Dessert Reception Thursday night, breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday, breakfast on Sunday, hotel room, goodie bag, trip to Loopy Central, one class (with more available for an additional fee), and two knitting lounges with snacks and beverages provided throughout the day on Friday and Saturday. (We’ll also have a separate knitting area on Thursday as people arrive, and Sunday as people depart.)

Cost: $525 for a double room, $695 for a single room. ($100 non-refundable deposit will be due by 1/31, and the balance is due by March 15th. We will set it up so that you can pay in increments each month, or pay the whole thing as you wish.) We are unable to offer day-passes or options without the hotel stay, as our prices from the hotel are figured on the number of hotel rooms being used for the weekend, and we max out our class and lounge space with Fling attendees.

You’ll be able to choose classes and room-mates after we have generated our list of attendees and when it gets closer to the Fling. We’ll send you an email when it’s time to sign up for those.

We’ll leave signups up for a week (click here to sign up) and then we will send out emails with lottery results before 12/21. We have 125 spots this year. Note – we also generate waiting lists by lottery, in case of last minute cancellations. We’ll let you know if you’re on a waiting list when the emails go out about the spots.

Sheri solookingforwardtohavingsomanyofyoucomevisitnextSpring!

Ok, so it was just 47 little snowflakes floating down onto the highway as I drove up to Chicago last Friday, but still – it was snow. Now I’m anxiously waiting for our first real (sticks-on-the-ground) snowfall here in St. Louis. More often than not it’s COLD here in the winter, but there is no snow on the ground. Which hardly seems fair. What kind of  a winter is that?  Here’s a picture from last winter. I must’ve worked late that night, because in between all the other cars leaving and me leaving, this beautiful snowfall happened. This is what I’d like it to look like all winter long.

Girls Weekend in Chicago was a lot of fun! We had great food (I’m now in love with Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza and the awesome breakfast crepes at the Wildberry Cafe). We did some shopping at Woodfield Mall (good stores there, but the multi-mixed levels about drove us batty. We got lost a few times). We also did some knitting. I frogged the striped scarf I had started, and tried a new pattern. I’ll show you that later this week. And of course we stopped by Ikea to do a bit of shopping as well. (Is St. Louis the only “bigger” city in the U.S. that doesn’t have an Ikea? Seriously?) So fun to spend time with College Girl and friends.

I also stopped in at Dream in Color on my way in on Friday. It was fun to see the whole operation and now I can picture where our yarn comes from. Of course the photo taking was severely limited because 1) I forgot to bring a camera with me for the weekend and 2) most of the things I would’ve wanted to photo for you are top secret and off limits for photo-ing. So I had Veronica take a picture of the one spot that could be photo-ed – the yarn tags. Exciting, right?

It’s Monday, and you know what that means? We have new things up on the website for you. Just up: Studio June in a new DK weight (which would knit up quickly for last minute gifts of socks, scarves, hats, and mitts), a brand new yarn from Schaefer called Audrey (a light fingering/laceweight blend of silk and merino and we’ll even include a free pattern with your order of it), a few new colors in Schaefer Nichole and Anne, and more Schoppel Wolle Zauberball, Austermann Step, Addi Needles, and Soak Mini Sample sets, which are great to give with your handknit gifts. Pop over and check it out.

Tonight, I’d like to knit. And I’d like to start decorating the house for Christmas. I wonder which one will win out? Have you done all of your holiday decorating already? I feel like I’m late this year …

Sheri myofficeisfreezingcold,I’mwearingmittsasItype

… what I’m doing this weekend? I’m heading to Chicago for a Girls Weekend with College Girl, my favorite friend Janice, and her daughter K (who is not an official niece of mine, but I love her like one.) I’m also stopping by Dream in Color today, so maybe I’ll have some photos for you on Monday.

… when we’ll have Wollmeise in again? Good question. I’m not sure. But I knew you were wondering.

… who won last week’s random drawing blog contest? Two people – Patricia in OH and Kathryn in MN. Prizes are in the mail already!

... when our annual Random Acts of Kindness contests will start? Next week! Watch for something randomly kind that you can do between now and then, so that you’ll have one to share.

... how to get a copy of my favorite mitts pattern by Jessica, if you’re not on Ravelry to get it there? She wrote it up in a blog post for you!

… about my favorite new pot pie recipe is? I’m glad you asked. It’s this Chicken and Broccoli Pot Pie.

4 cups chicken (cooked and cubed)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
(or Cream of Chicken, or Cream of Potato)
1 large bag of frozen, chopped broccoli (thawed)
1 can low-fat Crescent Rolls
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can Durkees French Onions
(I use the big can, because I like them.)

Mix chicken, broccoli, soup, 1/2 can of onions, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Pour into 9 x 13 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and add crescent strips:

Roll out crescent rolls into one big rectangle (pinching seams together) and cut into 6 strips, lengthwise.  Put 3 long strips lengthwise on top of the casserole. Cut remaining 3 strips into 6 shorter strips and put these on top in the other direction.

Return to oven for 15 minutes.  Add the rest of the cheese and onions to the top of the casserole and bake 5 more minutes.

Deliciousness.

Got anything else you’re wondering about? Or anything I need to know about you? I’m wondering ….

Sheri it’ssupposedtobeCOLDinChicagothisweekend

It’s Romney Ridge Calendar time again! We have fun partnering with Kelly on this calendar every year, and we know that you have fun getting them. With her beautiful photography and unique look into the Romney Ridge sheep, goats, and angora bunnies, Kelly makes us all wish that we could pay her a visit in person. In this 2010 calendar, you’ll read about what the sheep do when people are sledding on the farm, which sheep was calmed with tortilla chips on a car ride home, Lyra the Superbowl Baby (and why she is now known as “Lyra the Pest”), Sprout, Pixie, Mellow Yellow, Thomas, Angus (and why he had to wear a coat), Mable, Vespa, and Katie Dumplin’. Reading through the calendar always makes me wish that Kelly offered year-round tours. Calendar size: Open – 8 1/2 x 11 Closed – 8 1/2 x 5 1/2   We will be sending one free to each Loopy Groupie in your first order between now and January, while supplies last – our holiday gift to you! Not yet a Loopy Groupie? Or wanting extra copies for your knitting friends? You can order your copy here. If you are becoming a Loopy Groupie in December, you’ll get your free copy in your Loopy Groupie Gift Bag. We hope you enjoy it as much as you have in the past years. So many of you have emailed to ask if we’d have this again, so I know you love them as much as I do!

I finished a sock over the weekend. This is Sweet Georgia’s Tough Love Sock in the Fondant colorway. (I used Anne Hanson’s Lacunae Sock Pattern, modified. Meaning that I always knit toe up and do my own short-row heel, but I like using different stitch patterns and this one featured the very easy Lacunae from Anne.) I continue to love Felicia’s Sweet Georgia yarn (and her brilliant colorways), and am so glad to have it back in the shop after an almost 2-year absence. Next, she’s working on a big batch of lace yarn for us.

I also did what I said I might do in Monday’s post – I started another pair of fingerless mitts. I thought of a friend that I wanted to make them for. I’m using this yarn (which actually would have enough yardage for about 3 pairs of mitts, I think.) Photos when I finish….

Did you catch the new things we put up yesterday? New Indie Dyer Black Trillium (another Sock Summit find – yay!), more Malabrigo lace and sock (including some in Ravely Red), Namaste Buddy Cases and Cali Cozy’s in red, a re-stock of Louet Gems, and roving from The Dyeing Arts. (Tara’s roving is always such a temptation to me, when it comes in. I love her colors.)

Sheri It’sDecember.I’mstilltryingtocometotermswiththat.