Flower Power

Months ago, when I first got on this mega crochet kick, I found a pattern for making little five petal flowers.  They were super easy and quick to make, so I made up a bunch. 

Then, I didn't know what to do with them.  Most of the kidlets in my family are little boys, and they don't have much use for flowers, so my stash has been just sitting at the bottom of my crochet bag. So sad.

Recently, I spent a relaxing afternoon wandering around my local craft store. Seriously, I simply wandered around for HOURS checking out all the crafting supplies. It was WONDERFUL!

Well, during this meandering trip, I finally found a use for my stash of flowers- embellishment for a canvas tote.  The totes I found are small, washable, and come in a variety of colors. In other words, they're perfect for kid-friendly crafting.

I'll post soon to show the finished results.

Next up on my Log Cabin

Here's my yarn stash for the next part of the log cabin afghan I'm working on. I've been slowly getting yarn together using coupons... I know, crazy, right? But I've got a craft store on my way home, so it's easy to stop in with my weekly coupon and pick up a skein or two (and so far I've lucked out in finding all from one dye lot).

I can't wait to start this next section. I think I'm going to try a cable-type motif.

Log Cabin Afghan- Part Two

I finished the first, center piece of the log cabin afghan I'm making. This photo doesn't do it justice. Up close, it's textured with soft shell-like shapes and super soft. I can't wait to do more on it.

Here's the pattern for those interested.

Modern Log Cabin Afghan

Materials:
Color A- 2 skeins Copper
Color B- 8 skeins Mocha
Color C- 8 skeins Beige
Color D- 8 skeins Oatmeal
Color E- 8 skeins Dark Blue

Needles: Size J crochet hook.

Finished Size: Approximately 55" x 70".

With Color A, ch 70 or a multiple of 3 plus 1 to get the 26" length.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 69 chs. Ch 3 and turn.
Row 2: In 3rd sc from hook, work 1 sc and 2 dc in sc.  *Skip next two sc, work 1 sc and 2 dc in third sc.  Repeat from * across, single crochet in turning chain.  Ch 3 and turn.  
Repeat Row 2 until piece measures 11" wide.  Fasten off.

Work in Progress

Here's what's been keeping me busy lately. I'm new to the granny square, and I love it, but boy does it seem to get slow near the end of a project! I'm still chugging along with this gift for my niece.

PS- inspiration for this blanket came from Crocheting the Day Away. She's got lots of cute projects going on. Pattern is available here.

I wanted to make a blanket...

...but I didn't have enough yarn on hand to make it.

I did have enough yarn for a doll blanket,though, so I planned on making just a small one for my niece.

But I just couldn't give her a doll blanket without giving her a doll, too. Right?

So I made a doll last Saturday. Isn't she adorable? I'm naming her Clara for now.

Well, a doll is great. And a doll and a doll blanket is pretty nice, too.

But what 2 1/2 year old wouldn't love a doll, doll clothes, a doll blanket, and... a matching Big Girl blanket, too?

Hmm... I need to get to work.


P.S. My sweet hubby, when he saw the doll and heard about the blanket that inspired me, took me out immediately (at 9:30pm) to pick up all the yarn I need.  What a good hubby!

Flower Inspiration

I saw these flowers on Craft Passion. I LOVE them! Seriously, aren't they sweet? You could use them as an embellishment or put them together in a scarf, afghan or even a placemat or table runner. They're great for this time of year, don't you think?

Recent Baking

So far this hasn't been much of a cooking blog. And well, I guess that's because I don't create a lot of meals. Like I do with crocheting, I like to find the directions for how to make something, get started and then promptly do my own thing. So in the end, I'm not so much creating as modifying other people's recipes.

One of the recipes my hubby tried recently is worth sharing here. He made some AMAZING soft pretzels. Seriously, these were delish (especially lightly salted with nacho cheese sauce for dipping). Here's the recipe (exactly as we/he made them)-

DOUGH
3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) water

TOPPING
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
pretzel salt

DIRECTIONS
Mix and knead the dough ingredients together—by hand, mixer, or machine—till the dough is cohesive and fairly smooth. It should be slightly sticky; if it seems dry, sprinkle it with a tablespoon or two of water. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes

Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface, fold it over a few times to gently deflate it, then divide it into six pieces, each weighing about 3 1/4 ounces. Roll each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope.

In a shallow bowl, mix together the water, sugar and baking soda. Shape each rope into a pretzel, and dip in the baking soda solution; this will help the pretzels brown. Sprinkle with pretzel salt if desired, and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and serve warm. Yield: 6 large pretzels.

The credit for this recipe goes to King Arthur Flour (sidenote: have you heard of this flour company before? Where'd he find this, I wonder?). And here's a link for these guys. Yum!