Monday, January 31, 2011

No Sew Fleece Scarf

Need a super cute, quick gift? Here's a no sew fleece scarf that I made for a couple friends and family members to keep warm this winter!

All you need to do is purchase some fleece!  If you don't know, fleece is 60 inches wide (while most fabric is 45 inches wide).  So when you buy your fleece just decide how wide you want it because the length is already 60 inches for you!


I made mine about 8 inches wide, and went back and added some fringe on the end. I left mine as is, but foresee embellished version in the future. ( When and if I ever get out of this craft funk!)


Friday, January 28, 2011

Just keep Knitting...

With all of my Crochet class prep, substitute teaching, and winter storms I couldn't stay away from knitting.

I started this blanket on a whim, for no person in mind, just because I had the baby yarn.


After my sister saw it. She decided it was hers.  Works for me.  I love the barter system!  I can knit and she will watch Carter with I teach!

As for the pattern its pretty basic.
CO 4.
Knit 2, YO, K to end
Repeat Row 2 until width or length is desired. ( I went to 132)
Begin decreasing.
Knit 1, K2Tog, YO, K2tog, K to end.
Repeat Decrease until four stitches remain, BO.

A bad case of...

Startitis.  I started a couple sewing projects a few weeks back and just have not had the motivation to finish them...

See?



An insulated lunch bag...


And an insulated casserole carrier...

I cannot decide if it is sewing that I am not in the mood for, the project or I am just burnt out from Christmas...

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Yarn Hearts

The other day, as I was looking for a new yarn project to work on, I thought about Valentines day. After doing a Ravelry search, I didn't find anything I really wanted to make.  So what to do?  Well make something up. Here's what I came up with!


Cute?  And really easy!

I started with one pipe cleaner to make one heart. 
(The picture shows the three steps I took to make one heart)


First I bent the pipe cleaner in half.

Second, I bent near the half way mark to make the curved part of the heart.

Third, I pulled the ends together and twisted to connect.

Now, If I  had pink, white or red pipe cleaners I could have been done and just stuck these around the house, but *sigh* green was all I had. So, to my yarn stash I went!  Using some doubled up yarn ( single did not cover the green) I single crocheted around until it was full!  Now, if you do not crochet you could probably do the same thing by wrapping the yarn around the heart instead.  
 

Now, go on, make a bunch and hang all over!  Super simple!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Why I'm not a baker...

So, I bake. But not a whole lot. It's usually the same thing over and over.  I like to cook, it's a little easier to alter recipes and what not.

Well over the weekend I decided to bake some cookies. Which would have been fine if I had left them alone.  I decided..Mmm chocolate chip cookies with M & M's.  Well. They tasted great. But had a funky look to them...



Anyone know how to make the dye in the M & M's not run?

Monday, January 24, 2011

Valentines Wreath

Remember my interchangeable wreath?  For Fall, and Christmas? Well with temperatures in the negatives here in Upstate New York, an easy wreath was in order!



All I did was purchase the heart wreath and twist tied it to my existing grapevine. Just the punch of red my porch needed! I'm thinking of adding something else but haven't figured just what yet... Maybe next week when it's a little warmer?

Friday, January 21, 2011

Valentines Decor

Now, I just said to my husband last night. Wow, we have lived here for four years and I am just starting to get the hang of decorating for the holidays! Hopefully it doesnt take another four years to decorate the rest of my house. (For some reason, I am scared to take certain risks.  For example, I painted my countertops, but all my rooms in my house are white for the most part!)

Anyways, back to Valentines day!  To give our house that little bit of sparkle, to ward off cabin fever ( we have been hit with snow once or twice each week for the last couple weeks!)  I dug through my craft closet knowing I bought some Valentines day stuff on sale last year.

What I found were these cardboard glittered hearts.  



To hang them I just added some holes and ribbon. 


Walked around the house and hung. Some on my window boxes ( I think they call them cornices?) Some one my staircase ( right where my stockings were hung!)




So far so good, I got a couple more ideas up my sleeve for the weekend. Hope to share on Monday!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Black Bean Soup

Alright, I know I have already professed my love for soup just last week. But here is another winning recipe!

Given to me by a friend ( via Food Network), and then altered ( of coarse! I cannot leave anything alone!)

6 Slices bacon
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic
16 ounces Chicken broth
1 squeeze ketchup (to thicken soup)
Worcestershire sauce ( I just did a shake or two)
4 cans black beans
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can corn

So if you compare the two recipes, I increased my chicken broth ( by just a hair), added a can of corn and omited all the different dry spices because my green chilies gave plenty of flavor!

If you like Mexican style food you will love this soup!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

And so it begins...

Crafting for Carter's birthday. I cannot believe he will be TWO next month. Ugh, where does the time go?!?!

Anyway, in September we went to see his favorite show Yo Gabba Gabba live!  And it was awesome!  And since he is still a NUT for this show, having a Gabba themed party was a no brainer! Just ask our friends who got him the Yo Gabba Gabba Blanket his reaction, and you will know that this child is CRAZY for Yo Gabba Gabba!

To start the theme, I created these invites!  Just a quick image search online found my main image.  Then another quick search for the Yo Gabba Gabba font  (which was a total whim, but found!)  And here is what I came up with.


The wording for the left half of the invite comes from one of the episodes, Brobee's birthday.  And I can't stop singing it now that I put it on the invite.

Even though, I can't take credit for the saying, the font or the image, I can for the design right? Using photoshop I put it all together and using my brain (for once) created my invite to be 4"x9" so I didn't need to purchase specialty envelopes. Score!

Then I put two invites per page, and all I have to do is cut them up the center, stuff and send.  Task one of my birthday list is done! Yea!


Stay tuned for more Yo Gabba Gabba Decorations... Once his party is here I will recap everything I made. Just like last year's Ocean ONEderland Party!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Coffee Anyone?

For my crochet class I wanted to create another project that some of my students would like to make.  After going to Art school for so many years and having to make art that I didn't want sometimes, I know the feeling of lack of motivation for an unloved project.  


I used my sewn version to base my pattern off of...


 Ch 25, Turn.
Sc in each stitch. Sl st to join in round.
Sc in each stitch for three rounds.
Sc in next 4 stitches. 2 sc in next stitch. Repeat until end of round.
Sc in each stitch for 5 more rounds. Tie off.

Enjoy!  It's especially nice on a snowy day in Upstate New York!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Prepping...

I'm not sure if I have told you here on the blog, or just over on Facebook.  But I am teaching a crochet class at my local library.  So over the past few days, I have been creating a "syllabus" and I am using that term lightly to help organize the class.  Here is one of the first things I plan on working with my group.


I'm calling them swatches, small dishcloths, coasters, test pieces or whatever you would like. This is so that the student can get familiar with a stitch and complete something without being overwhelmed.


This is cotton yarn worked with a H hook.  The top left is single crochet, top right is half double crochet, bottom left double crochet, and bottom right is a granny square. 

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Pantry Reorganized!

Now,  that Christmas posts are out of my system. I am looking forward to the New Year, and with the New Year comes reorganizing! At least that's something I am looking forward too!  

Over the summer, we built our pantry, and even though it was in pretty good shape. My mother thought it needed some help. So one day she picked up a bunch of cute organizers to help me out.

Back when we finished the pantry...

(As much as I wish it could have stayed this empty.. It was built for a reason... Storage!)

Here's what it looks like now.



 The left side is pretty self explanatory, canisters and spices on the bottom, cutters on the middle, and miscellaneous in the drawers.

The right side bottom has my cleaning caddy, and my meal planning binder. The middle has a container for onion and potatoes, and the top is my huge pile of potholders. 

The tippy top shelf (not pictured) holds my crock pot, meat slicer and turkey roasting pan.  

I even tucked a few of the cubes in our chest freezer to corral like items, meat, frozen soups etc.


I am so grateful to have gained this small space! It has definitely helped with some of my kitchen clutter! Overall I think the pantry is organized, maybe next I will tackle the entire kitchen?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Crab and Corn Chowder Recipe. YUM!

In the last two weeks, all I have wanted was some nice bowls of soup! Here in Upstate New York, its been cold, cold, snowy, and cold.  After talking to a friend about some of her favorite soup recipes, she walked me through my very first chowder!


Ingredients:
Bacon ( I used about 6 pieces, chopped)
1 yellow onion ( diced)
2-3 cloves of garlic
Chicken broth ( a couple cups worth)
5 white potatoes ( peeled, diced)
1 package imitation crab meat ( you can use real crab, clams, shrimp etc)
1 can of corn ( drained)
Milk or Cream ( depending on how rich you want it)

To start, take your chopped bacon and put it in the bottom of your soup pot, let it start to crisp up.  Once crisp, add your onions and garlic.  After a couple minutes add your diced potatoes on top.  Cover your potatoes with chicken stock ( or if you have fish stock, or juice from your clams).  Let this come to a boil, to cook your potatoes.  Once potatoes are cook add your crab, corn and milk. And your done!  I let mine heat through a couple minutes to thicken up. If you really want to thicken your chowder you can add a little cornstarch when the chowder is "bubbling", make sure to add in small amounts or else you might thicken too much!

Enjoy! I know I am!




Tuesday, January 11, 2011

If I keep doing Christmas posts...

I may get some of this next year!

COAL!

Using my salt dough recipe (same as my candy corn),
I made some perfect gag gift worthy coal!



And it doesn't take much either!

Recipe:

1 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water

Make your dough, divide into a bunch of balls.  Drop, mush, and form them into any shape that resembles coal.

"Bake" in oven overnight.  ( Preheat oven to 300, turn off and put coal in oven overnight)


Paint black!  Perfect!


Monday, January 10, 2011

I know, I know... Christmas is over!

I know, I should really be done with Christmas posts, but we still haven't had the chance to give some of our handmade gifts, so I am just now being able to share some!

I promise, today and tomorrow are the last that are obvious Christmas! It only took me what two weeks after Christmas to get it all out?

Anyways...  I am always trying to figure out different ways of letting my little man craft. I know, he's almost two and I am already twitching waiting for him to craft with me. So, each holiday I try something new.  First it was his heart shaped butt, then it was his very abstract hand on an ornament.  But this year I went all out! Both hands and a foot!


I picked up a Wooden Plaque, and used some 
acrylic paints ( they wash off pretty good, and once dry they peel off easy!


Using his foot first, I painted it dark brown and "stamped" right in the middle. Then I mimicked his big toe where his pinky toe print was.  Next I used a lighter brown to do antlers, and his thumb in red for a nose!  

Perfect little addition to our holiday decor. They are only little once!


Friday, January 7, 2011

Grannying away...

Well, I think I made a mistake.  I jumped on the Granny Square train.  But in my defense, I did not make Granny Square after Granny Square to make a blanket ( I would get bored way too fast for that!)  So, I made a Granny Square and just kept going and going and going.




I never realized how satisfying a Granny would be!  You see so much progress in so little time!  So much so, I started another one already. But whats the best about Granny squares is that you can  use up all those "leftovers" you have laying around from other yarn projects!