You may have noticed, I am trying out a new blog theme. This one is pretty, I like the colors and the hidden sidebar (all the sidebar info can be toggled on with the icon on the left) so I decided to live with it a bit and see if I really like it.
Things will have moved about and be a bit disorganized until I get settled, or until I decide if this one is staying.
Feel free to let me know what you think about the theme, love it, hate it or just meh.
I don’t know about you, but I find Pinterest a bit addicting. So I thought I might spread that around a bit, and sometimes post about things I find there. Today I started my morning off with a laugh…
Nothing like a bit of a cat butt coaster to go with your coffee! I doubt I would have seen these if it weren’t for Pinterest!
I got new furniture this year, and with it a new color scheme. Fun to redecorate and long overdue! That means I need new throws (need them I tell you!). I have always wanted to make a Grandmothers Flower Garden blanket and so I think one of the new throws will have to be in hexagons. I haven’t decided what I am going to do, exactly, if it will be in the traditional flower garden arrangement or some other pattern, other than it will be hexagons.
I don’t plan on starting to make it until the fall, or when I find yarn on sale in colors I want for it, so I have plenty of time to get ideas and try things out. I couldn’t help but tinker with ideas for a small hexagon, and I wanted it to be smaller than my previous hexagons, just 2 rounds and came up with this one. It is so simple that I am certain it is not original to me in any way, someone else must have done it this way before, probably many someone’s. I like how it is textured, which was created by crocheting the second round in between the stitches.
These are pretty small, only two rounds. These are only 2 3/4 inches across.
and here is one a little bigger, one more round… Continue reading “Simple Little Hexagons”
A small change in the pattern, and a little bit of progress. Despite the motifs being quite large, I still like them and think they will work on my table. Its bigger, bolder which makes it more modern (I tell myself : )
Not long after I first posted about the tablecloth, I kept fiddling with the pattern (I have been fiddling with this pattern, wanting to make it, for years!). I wasn’t satisfied with the way the first 2 rounds were coming out for me. Kept trying different things, but those weren’t any better. Continue reading “Olga’s Tablecloth Part 2, Revisions”
My grandmother made this small tablecloth years ago. I inherited it, and I love it. I wish it was in good condition, it is old and stained, the bright sun today makes it look better than it is, hiding its imperfections. I have been wanting to make a larger one for my dining room, but the thought of all those tiny motifs has kept me from attempting it.
A little closer, to give you a better sense of the overall pattern. I really like it, not too flowery or lacey.
Here is a closer look so you can get a peep at the details. Continue reading “Olga’s Tablecloth”
I had planned on working out how to make some little triangle shaped chickens, perhaps something like these cutie pies, but I never did.
Now I don’t have to, because Petals to Picots has a tutorial on how to make these incredibly adorable bean bag chickens. I may need half a dozen of them : )
This is another holiday favorite of mine. I can’t remember not having this recipe, where I got it is lost in the fogs of my mind. I really should write these kind of things down! (pictured here with Million Dollar Fudge)
3/4 cup confectionary sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (a bit more, I always let it overflow a bit)
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (approximately guessing at) of strawberry or raspberry jam or preserves.
1/3 cup sugar (to roll dough in)
Pre-heat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and confectionary sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, mix well. Add the flour and salt, mix until combined.
Roll the dough into approximately 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and using your thumb or the end of a spoon or the top of an extract bottle to press an indentation in each cookie. Dip into the sugar first to help prevent sticking. Using a 1/2 teaspoon, fill each indentation with jam. Don’t over fill the cookies, you can spread the jam when they come out of the oven and it is still melty, if they need a little help to look pretty. Overfilling can cause them to bubble over the edge of the cookie while they cook and be messy.
Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until golden on the bottom. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, spread the jam for any cookies that need a little help looking good, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Note: the uncooked balls can be frozen, then pulled out and defrosted completely before baking. Although it would be very hard to not cook them right away!
Almost done, just need to weave in the ends for the gray border and multi-colored edging. It was too cold outside for me to want to take any photos out there (in the teens for the high and windy!), so I had to take them next to the sunny kitchen window. Not room enough for a full view.
I made 20 of the log cabin granny squares, and then did 2 rounds in gray around each square, joining them join as you go in the last round. After joining the squares, I went around the whole blanket with 4 rounds of gray. Then I did 1 round in gray of single crochet, crocheting into the chains on each corner space, with 3 sc in the center chain (not in the chain 3 space, in the individual chain stitches).
Then I did 1 sc round changing colors as I went so I had some of each color. I didn’t end off when I changed colors, which was a bit of a pain to have all those attached, but I could pick them back up when I did my final round of reverse single crochet (also called crab stitch). I like the kind of edge that stitch makes, it looks nice and finished. Here is a closer look at the edging (front and back)…
I have made all my Log Cabin squares and am now starting to join them together so I decided to do a quick tutorial on my favorite way of joining granny squares (of course, it took much more time than I had hoped!). I am hoping to be clear and keep it simple, as it really isn’t that complicated, but it is often easy to make things sound more complicated than they are.
My squares are going to be bordered with two rounds of gray, and I held off on that until I was ready to start joining, so the first thing to do is complete the border on the first square in order to have one to join to. The rest I will join as I am doing the second (last) round of the gray border. (The photos show more than that joined together already). To help make it easier to see, I am doing the last round on this demonstration one in pink instead of gray.
I begin the joining in the corner, so crochet your last round up to the corner ch3 space, 3dc in the ch3 space as usual and then ch2 (I normally ch3 for each corner, this is one less ch, my attaching stitch will count as the 3rd).
Now you are going to sc into the ch3 corner space of the square you are joining to. Make sure you have the wrong sides together (in other words, the right sides are outward and the wrong sides are inward). Once you have attached to the other square with the sc, continue on crocheting 3dc in the corner of the square you are crocheting the border of. Continue reading “Join As You Go”
I love oatmeal. I mean real oatmeal, not that instant powdery stuff (although that is handy when you want to eat now because you should have been out the door 10 minutes ago) but the kind you have to cook in a pot. It reminds me of a farmhouse breakfast and happy childhood mornings when my dad would make this for everyone. I didn’t live on a farm, but I still think of one when I think of bowls of oatmeal : )
I have a variety of things I like to put in my oatmeal, apples or dried cranberries are real good, blueberries are wonderful. Today I ate it without additions, since I was fresh out of those and just topped it with brown sugar (maple syrup is fabulous too). It tastes real good with a little bit of butter melting on top, adds a bit of richness that I am sure my doctor would think cancels out all the healthiness : ) I pass on that now a days.
I thought I would share my recipe because I use a different ratio than what is on the container, I like mine to be thick with a bit of chew still in it.
Makes 1 serving
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2/3 cup 2% milk (you can use 1% or skim, if that is your thing. Remember whole milk? That would make a rich oatmeal.)
pinch of salt
a bit of dark brown sugar or maple syrup
a dash or 2 of cinnamon, if you like
a splash of vanilla is nice too
diced apples or dried cranberries or any fruit you like, if you have it
In a small sauce pan on low-ish heat (I have a gas stove, hard to judge exactly), combine the milk and oats. Add in the salt, and the cinnamon and stir frequently. Don’t get carried away puttering about and forget to stir, milk can burn quite quickly. Add in your chopped apples or dried fruit so it can cook and soften a bit. Keep stirring until most of the milk is absorbed and it is getting pretty thick.
Spoon it into a bowl, top with dark brown sugar or maple syrup and enjoy the warmth!
Crochet Again 