Three things that I didn’t do enough of this week:

1. Knitting (but I tried). Here is my Meida Sock from Favorite Socks. I used the Louet Gems Sport Sage on a #1 needle, and added two lace repeats on the cuff to make it a bit taller. This was a very easy pattern to knit and memorize and I do love how it turned out. I started another that I will work on this weekend (another, meaning another yarn - of course not the twin to Meida) and I already have my next TWO socks yarns picked out. One is another brand new indie-dyer that I’m really excited about, and the other is Scarlet Fleece in Red Velvet Waters. But - I didn’t do enough knitting this week.
2. Movie watching (but I tried). We did watch some fun ones, and regardless of the number of Loopy orders waiting to be packed up, we quit packing in time to watch at least one movie a night. Sometimes late. But - we didn’t do enough movie watching this week.
3. Shopping (but I tried). Knitting Daughter and I only went shopping one day, but we had a good time. We added lunch into the mix and that was fun. She has put in a lot of hours packing Loopy orders after the shop update on Wednesday night. I was so glad for the help! But - we didn’t do enough shopping this week.

Three things that made me smile this week:

1. This package of chocolate arrived from Loopy Friend Josiane in Switzerland. Can you believe it? Totally out of the blue, someone sends me chocolate in the mail. It arrived yesterday which was perfect timing. We had several (ahem) chocolate breaks in our day yesterday. The hazelnut was my favorite.
2. Watching the mailman pick up your orders today from the front porch. (Pssst - we beat the record again. Cool!)
3. College Boy is coming home tonight and staying for 10 whole days. We can’t wait!! He hasn’t been home since the end of January - two long months. That means next week is “Spring Break” again - WOOT!

Three things that I need to do:

1. Update the Loopy Groupie list and welcome all of the new people in a blog entry. There have been SO many of you since I last blogged a Loopy Welcome last month. I haven’t forgotten about you, you know!
2. Finish answering all of my emails. There are …. a lot …. waiting to be answered. If you’re one of them, I’m working on it today and tomorrow - I promise!
3. Go grocery shopping. How can you have a hungry college student come home without plenty of food in the house? Impossible. I need to go this afternoon.

This recipe comes from my dad’s mom and is a family favorite. Why would you make your own sauce when you can buy it by the jar? Because it smells heavenly while it cooks, it makes a bunch and freezes well, and it’s better for you. I hope you try it and like it!

Grandma’s Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 large can of tomato juice
1 large can of tomatoes
1 large can tomato paste
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick of margarine
2 Tbl. chili powder
4 Tbl. flour
1 Tbl. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Combine in large pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn to low heat and simmer for 3 hours. Keep a constant watch so sauce doesn’t stick to bottom. (Or - put it in a crockpot for the day.) Add meatballs (uncooked) to the mix for the last 2 hours.

Meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup bread or cracker crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
salt and pepper

Mix well and form into small meatballs.

Three yarns that will be in the next shop update (maybe next week, if we can get them photo-ed … or the week after)

1. Fleece Artist (big huge boxes and boxes of it)
2. Cider Moon Glacier (I snuck up a few repeat colors this week, but there are about 15 more new colors to go up)
3. Regia Silk and Bamboo (in new colors)

(plus J-Knits, more Yarn Pirate … and possibly more. The yarn arrives almost as fast as it leaves!)

So - what three things do you want to tell me today?

Sheri don’tforgetyourFranksandMarthasaredueupinthegallerythisweekend!

Time for another Three Things Post today. (Why three? Because it’s easier than thinking of four.)

Three things I’m in the middle of knitting: (ok - that would’ve been easy to make four)

1. My second Frank sock.
2. My second Faded Jeans Panda Cotton sock.
3. My second Cherry Tree Hill Java sock.

(See a pattern there?)

Three new things I bought this week: (ok - that would’ve been easy to make four, too)

1. This wonderful sheep by talented Laurie (seriously - go see all of her stuff. Now I want the big brown sheep.)
2. The book Favorite Socks by Ann Budd and Anne Merrow (had to order it at Barnes & Noble, but it finally came in)
3. The book The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

(Not that I have time to read. But I have delusions of time.)

Three questions that you all have been asking:

1. Are you getting any more Sweet Georgia orders? (Yes. One more.)
2. Are you getting any more Loopy Stitchmarkers? (Yes. Soon. And always more in the works!)
3. Are you getting any more Apple Laine soon? (Yes. Soon. And always more in the works!)

Three things that have bugged me this week:

1. My printer just spit out foreign characters instead of a bar code on a shipping label. (What??)
2. The stray cat that keeps meowing outside our front door at night, making me panic that Zoe got out.
3. The fact that I can’t ever seem to get to bed before 1:00 am.

Three things that have delighted me this week:

1. All of your fun emails/testimonials/blog comments/knitting tips. (You know, I think you’re wonderful.)
2. All of your great orders. (You know, I think you’re wonderful.)
3. All of the incredible recipes you have sent me. (You know, I think you’re wonderful.)

One of those came from Dynna, my Loopy friend in Michigan. She sent the recipe, and then she just went ahead and sent me the homemade cookies, too!! (And the most wonderful bag of Michigan dried cherries that I have ever tasted. I’m trying to save enough to make my own batch of cookies, but I keep snacking on them.) You must try these. The tangy cherries and the sweetness of the soft cookie, just make these downright delicious.

Cherry Pecan Cookies

3/4 c. dried cherries
1/4 c. orange juice
Put these together in a small pan and bring to boil. Cool and drain.

1/2 c. soft butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
Cream together and then add:

1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Next add dry ingredients that have been mixed together:

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
Stir in:

1 c. quick oats
drained cherries
1/2 c. toasted pecans

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Delicious!

Three things I’m going to do today, in this particular order:

1. Get a Peppermint Mocha.
2. Drop off all the international orders at the post office.
3. Head to my LYS to look at someone else’s yarn for an hour.

So, what three things do you want to tell me today?

Sheri alsofoundCOOLnewyarns&accessoriesforTheLoopyEwethisweek,staytuned!

Well, I have done a Four Things post before, so this is a three things post.

Three questions I have been hearing from you:

1. Are you going to have the new Opal Rainforest Collection? YES! I happened to be on the computer when the email came through that Rainforest was ready for ordering, and I responded in about 2 seconds. We will have it up as soon as we get it in.

2. Are you going to carry Apple Laine yarns? YES! A couple of you have been after me for awhile on this line, and then after Wonderful Wendy blogged about it last week, even more of you emailed about it. Our order is on its way from Canada and we will get it up as soon as it comes in.

3. Who is your next new indie-dyer going to be? YES! (oh, wait. I am getting carried away.) Our newest indie dyer is …. still a secret. But I am completely nuts over her yarn. I have my first sock almost done and I am even going to finish the second sock pretty quickly because I love it so much! Does anyone want to guess who it is? Her colors are vibrant and amazing, and I love the yarn base. Plus - her skeins all come with a Swarovski crystal stitch marker to match the yarn. We anticipate this in the end of February!

Three new yarn lines arriving in the next week or two:1. J-Knits 2. Scarlet Fleece 3. Apple Laine

Three of my favorite new things this week:

1. This adorable bunny named “Em” who arrived from Julie in the UK. Julie knits these and sells them here, but you have to be lucky enough to be there when she puts them up. (You can ask to be on her email list. I’m just warning you, I want a monkey next, so don’t beat me out of that one!!)

2. The new Bees Knees patterns that arrived yesterday. Adorable childrens’ sweaters that are knit out of self-patterning sock yarns and solids. (Try Jigsaw, Regia, Online Euro, and Opal self-striping yarns for these!)

3. The new shipping label system that Wonder Husband found online and College Boy/Web Guy set up on the website. It cuts my “printing mailing labels” time by about 75% and that means I can fill more orders for you more quickly! (Well maybe it just means I can start getting to bed earlier and not be up printing labels so late.)

Three MORE yarn orders arriving in the next week or two:

1. Crystal Palace Panda Cotton (contains no wool - you have been asking for this!)
2. Yarn Pirate solid colors in a wonderful BFL yarn base
3. All Things Heather in her regular sock base (solids and mixed)

Three things I’m currently knitting:

1. My Frank socks. Sock #1 is done, sock #2 is 1/2 done. (But remember - the Loopy Q1 Challenge runs through the end of March. I have time.) Then I was waylaid this weekend by ….
2. That new yarn pictured above. I HAD to knit it up. Sock #1 is almost done. Pictures later. (And as Loopy friend Josiane points out, “Who says your Frank socks have to match?” Good point. Maybe I’ll wear one of each.)
3. My log cabin blanket. I’m finding the long strips are not nearly as much fun to knit as the short ones were.

Three big re-stock orders arriving in February:

1. Lornas Laces (regular colorways, brand new colorways, and lots of great new solids)
2. Fleece Artist (her regular yarn base, plus some fun kits)
3. Sweet Georgia (the “chefs surprise orders begin - watch for unique colorways!)

Three of your favorite things back in stock as of today:

1. Sock Blocker Keychains by the awesome Debbie
2. Loopy, Louise and Bart Stitchmarkers by the incredible Katie
3. StitchKeepers by the wonderful Rollie

Three animal facts for the day:
1. Zoe’s favorite daytime napping place is in a suitcase in the basement.
2. My UPS man brings Casey a dog treat every time he delivers a package. Casey can hear the truck coming a mile away.
3. Last fall I was so ticked off at the squirrels who kept eating off of the birdfeeders that I banged the window to scare them off and …. um …. broke it. How did I break the news to WH? “Honey? The good news is that I scared the squirrels away.”

Now - what three things would you like to tell me today?

Sheri justfinishedaPeppermintMocha,lestyouthinkIhadforgottenaboutthose