happy thanksgiving!

Bonnie found these great directions (thanks!) – what to add to pinecones and wax to make pretty colors in your fireplace at GardenWeb forums. The secret ingredients seem to be table salt, no-salt substitute, and borax, cool. Last year for a weekend in a cabin with no heat but a fireplace I brought along a Magic Yule Log which burned colors. Making your own would be much less expensive.

Katie wrote asking if I knew where to find rectangular sugar cubes, but I can’t find them either. As far as I can tell Domino brand makes both square and rectangular, I cannot tell which are the rectangular. Anyone know where to look, either in shops or online? I was thinking maybe British grocery stores or tea shops might carry them.

Today I found Coffee Crisp at Draeger’s Market in Menlo Park… in case anyone is jonesing.

I’m looking for examples of skirts made from mens neckties. Remember the necktie skirt project in Sassy magazine? I found some great vintage ties at a Salvation Army today and want to attempt a skirt. There are a bunch of threads about it on Glitter, but even between that and Google I wasn’t able to find many pictures or instructions. Know of any?

Does anyone know if it would be safe for me to iron on my cutting table if I first put down a big piece of this silver ironing board cover fabric? The table is topped with cork, then covered with brown paper.

Pretty glasses from Uncommon Goods

• rave tumblers
• polka dotted block tumblers
• e&m glassware shot glasses
• capri wine glasses
• sweet dreams carafe (I love these things)
• they also have magnetic spice racks – you can stick it to the side of your fridge, handy!

In recognition of the movie opening I offer this recycled link: Yet another scarf pattern from Girl From Auntie. It’s little program which will take the length, width, stitch gauge, row gauge, preferred stripe proportions, and knitting method, and spit out a pattern for your very own Harry Potter scarf.

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?