Monday, August 6, 2012

Sunday, August 5, 2012

merry xmas! - 3 cable neck warmer

merry christmas!  i have decided to begin my holiday crafting early this year... i always seem to run out of time before the holidays, so i have decided to become proactive this year... (it will probably last about 3 more days)

thanks to ravelry, i have chosen which project to make for all of my gift recipients.  since i turned 25 this summer, it is about time that everybody starts getting a gift despite my poor, college student status.  so, ravelry is helping me organize and budget this.  how?  this is how: i have added projects to my queue in order of completion. i have marked each project with a recipient's name and project completion date.  by the time december rolls around, hopefully i will  be able to focus on finals rather than xmas gifts...

so first on my list... a neck warmer for _____! )  of course i can't say who it is for!



3 CABLE NECK WARMER

materials:
220 yards - worsted weight (4) yarn
10.5 knitting needles
cable hook, birds wing needle, or stitch holder (your preference for cabling)


abbreviations:
K- knit
P- purl
CO- cast on
BO- bind off
M3- make 3 stitches


CO 30 stitches


Rows 1-3 Knit
Row 4  K4, P2, Slip next 2 stitches onto a stitch holder and hold toward the front of your work, knit next 2 stitches, place the 2 stitches from stitch holder back onto your left hand needle and knit those 2 stitches, P2, Slip next 3 stitches onto a stitch holder and hold toward the front of your work, knit the next 3 stitches, place the 3 stitches from the stitch holder back onto the left hand needle and knit those 3 stitches, P2,  Slip next 2 stitches onto a stitch holder and hold toward the front of your work, knit next 2 stitches, place the 2 stitches from stitch holder back onto your left hand needle and knit those 2 stitches, P2, K4, turn.
Row 5: K6, P4, K2, P6, K2, P4, K6, turn.
Row 6: K4, P2, K4, P2, K6, P2, K4, P2, K4, turn.
Row 7: K6, P4, K2, P6, K2, P4, K6, turn.


Repeat rows 4-7 until your piece measures 23″.


Work the button hole: (Make sure you start the buttonhole row during a cable-twist row)


Next Row: K4, P2, Slip next 2 stitches onto a stitch holder and hold toward the front of your work, knit next 2 stitches, place the 2 stitches from stitch holder back onto your left hand needle and knit those 2 stitches, P2, Slip next 3 stitches onto a stitch holder and hold toward the front of your work, knit the next 3 stitches, place the 3 stitches from the stitch holder back onto the left hand needle and knit those 3 stitches, P2,  Slip next 2 stitches onto a stitch holder and hold toward the front of your work, knit next 2 stitches, place the 2 stitches from stitch holder back onto your left hand needle and knit those 2 stitches, P1, BO 3, K2.


Next Row: K2, M3, K1, P4, K2, P6, K2, P4, K6


Repeat Rows 6-7
Last 3 rows- K


BO


Weave in yarn tails.


Sew your button onto the right side of the neck warmer about 6″ from the cast-on edge.


(this pattern is from http://knittingwithoutanet.wordpress.com/)






Friday, July 20, 2012

dad's meatloaf... err... MY meatloaf


i love meatloaf... it's true... on a bad day, it can brighten life... on a good day, it can make things even better...

one thing i've found with meatloaf is that it can be a convenience food, or it can show the personality of the chef... and sometime both...

this is a basic meatloaf recipe that you can spice up however you like... i use this base recipe for a lot of foods... sometimes i will make a double recipe and grill some up for burgers or brown the mixture in a skillet and serve it over rice and use the other half for meatloaf... it's simple, easy, and delicious... not to mention, fairly inexpensive...

MEATLOAF:
2 lbs. ground meat (beef, turkey, your preference)
2 eggs
1 cup of old fashioned oats (not the quick oats)
3/4 cup of ketchup
1 package of onion soup mix


EXTRAS: (chef's preference)
carrots
bell peppers
onion
tomatoes
green beans
corn
mushrooms
cayenne
jalapenos
parsley
it's up to you... just use your imagination...
combine ingredients in a bowl (i use a spoon... everyone else i know uses their hands)
place in loaf pan


350˚ for 50-60 minutes or at least 160˚ internal temperature
enjoy!



ALTERNATE COOKING METHOD** (i prefer this one!)
place mixture in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours







Friday, June 15, 2012

Jalapeno Cheese Fudge

this is a super tasty recipe that has been passed around... we have made it twice this summer, and can't keep it around for more than a day or two...

it is easy to make and easier to eat...



1 pound shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound shredded monterrey jack cheese
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup of flour
1 cup diced jalapenos (approximately 6-8 medium sized jalapenos)
casserole dish

- whisk the eggs, evaporated milk, and flour together
- add cheese and jalapenos
- bake at 350 for 40 minutes
- cool and cut into bite size morsels
- enjoy!

i like to dice my jalapenos first... they seem to take a while to deseed and then dice... it would also by easy to use a food processor for a couple of short buzzes... it's up to you... it also helps to spray the casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray before you pour your mixture into the dish...

these little, bite-sized treats are SO GOOD... i hope you enjoy them!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

prayer square

so... who really knows what a prayer square is?!  i personally have no idea... however, a friend from knit night asked me to make some for her friend's friend's church somewhere across the country way up high, there's a land that i heard of, once, in a lullaby... you get the idea...

the criteria:
- 16"x16"
- handmade (crochet, knit, sewn, whatever...)

so i had this genius idea... "I'M GONNA QUILT ONE!"

STUPID IDEA, JOHN!

i had never quilted a thing in my life... i had hardly used a sewing machine... i hadn't really touched one since middle school (when i made the only apron in class that got a perfect score, might i add!)... buuuuuut, i did buy a sewing machine a few years back with the intention of learning how to quilt... so i set out to make a prayer square.

step 1) buy fabric.

i went to wal-mart (i live in a tiny, little town... this is the only place to get fabric (especially in the middle of the night, when my creativeness flows...)

step 2) cut the squares.

i am so fortunate to have susie in my life because she owns a fabric cutter thing... and they are made by jesus, himself... they are the best craft invention.  ever.

i just found out... they are called rotary cutters.

step 3) sew the squares.

so once they are cut, you just sew those suckers together... i like to use my sewing machine in super mode... this is where i put the pedal to the metal and see how fast i can sew... it's almost like driving, right?

step 4) make your border thing.

sew some border stuff around the edge.



AND DONE!

i.
wish.

 little did i know, there is A LOT more to quilting than that...

so i suggest a few things:
- practice using your sewing machine first, especially if you've never used one... it is best to be comfortable enough with the machine so that you can understand how to execute what you want to do...
- do some research.  find websites, beginner tutorials, and blogs that teach you basic quilting techniques... they are all over the web... this art is dying out so people want to share the love...
- youtube should be called quilttube... there are 15,800 videos when you type in "quilt" into the search bar on youtube... i found a lot of helpful youtube pages like this one...
- start small.  this project was great because it wasn't huge... i learned some of the nuances of the art, and made more mistakes than actual stitches... but i learned  a lot... and still have a lot to learn...
- and finally... BE PATIENT... quilting is hard.  it takes a lot more patience than a lot of other things i have tried... so be prepared to get poked and rip seams and cut yourself and rip seams and burn yourself and rip seams and cut the wrong fabric and rip seams and scream.  i did.

whoever got this prayer square better love it a lot... because it was hard to make... hopefully a monk or a nun got it and i hope they carry it around... all day, everyday...

PROS:
- ummmm... i made a quilt. a tiny quilt that maybe a mouse could use, but i made one.  so BOOYAH!
- this is hard for this project.
- did i mention i made a quilt?!  this outweighs all of the cons... i made a freakin' QUILT.

CONS:
- fabric can add up quickly.  even cheap fabric is expensive. (i'm a broke college student.)
- you have to own a sewing machine... a basic sewing machine will run you about $75... and that's for no bells and whistles... but, i'd probably spend $1000 on a sewing machine that will just quilt it for me...
- patience.  (see above.)
- prerequisite skills.  you have to know how to sew... i tried my best.







americana wreath

ok... so here's the deal, i have been home for the summer for less than a month... and i haven't had time to be craftsy... soooo... after looking around pinterest for several hours, i  came across this wreath... which i feel in love with... i have never made a wreath... i have never wanted a wreath (except xmas!)... and i have always thought they were goofy, cliche, crafts projects that when out of season take up too much storage space... then i found this wreath... and now, all i want to do is make wreaths... soooooo... i hope my new roommate is ready to have a wreath for each month!

when i am finished, i will post pictures... but until then, you can follow the link above and learn how to make it... i am almost done (i ran out of pins! you need A LOT!)... there were more felt squares than i ever thought there would be... but the process of cutting, folding, and pinning each of them is almost therapeutic... in a sickening way...
i am addicted to the tv show, greek, right now (i see you judging me... you betta check yo self!) so i just watched several episodes while i worked on it... at least i was multi-tasking while being lazy! 

PROS:
- it is easy
- it is super cute
- america
- great gift
- fairly inexpensive (under $15)

CONS:
- time consuming
- repetitive

estimated cost: $15