There are two new projects up - yet another way to temporarily frost windows, and a magnetic fridge pen holder out of a Starbucks gum tin.

Uber geek Joyce of Troutgirl has started up a place to be uber girly - meet Troutgirly. She is into some hard core knitting, I've seen her in action and it boggles my chunky rectangle knitting mind. She has up some great stuff on Shetland shawl construction, its tradition and changing construction techniques in the face of modern knitting tools. As she says it "might be helpful if you're idly considering knitting something big enough to cover your entire upper body but fine enough to be drawn through a wedding ring." Also take a look at her notes on the Spider Queen shawl and a Shetland Seas stole. All that and she tells us how to make you own temporary micro vacuum, using duct tape and a bendy straw, to clean out your computer or sewing machine.

The difference between watching Martha Stewart and Two Fat Ladies -- when the two fat ladies wrap something in store bought puff pastry and cut off the excess: "I could be making dainty little leaves with the left over, but I'm not going to bother with that fiddle-faddle." I have been watching more Food Network and I'm torn between having a crush on Jamie Oliver and being outrageously jealous of his sparkling perfect life.

Watching a rerun of Dharma and Greg I saw Dharma carrying a bag (which seemed to have been) made from pink Bagatell. If you haven't seen Reprodepot Fabrics yet you really must, it is the greatest.

Alex has started a section called The A-List - recommendations for stuff, books and recipes. And now I'm off to buy some flannel sheets and then snuggle in them with a book.

Anjali wrote to say she used the glass frosting technique of brushing epsom salt mixed in beer on some undesirable mirrors in her house and the effect looks like brushed metal. That sounds so cool, I have to try it!

I know something cool can be done with this stuff - mirror effect glass paint - if it's any good. Anyone try it?

Some fun stuff found during a trip to the dreaded mall:

• Santa aprons at Old Navy
• and kid sized elf aprons
• mini gingerbread house kit
• mini sushi kit
• mini fondue kit
• actually, I think all the Mini Kits are adorable
• leather magazine holder at Crate and Barrel
• star sprinkles to decorate the table top - a friend of mine said she used these small foil wrapped candies to decorate her table last year, so colorful!
• drink clips
• and this jubilee glassware made me want to get some mismatched thrift store stemware and a few glass paint markers