Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits (2 large servings)

1 cup old-fashioned grits
3 cups water
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
12 oz. shrimp, thawed and peeled
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T. butter
salt and pepper
white wine
lemon juice
two fried eggs

Heat water and milk to almost boiling, add grits and cook according to package directions. Stir often.
Cook chopped bacon until crispy and remove from pan. Add chopped onion and garlic. Cook one minute or so and add the butter. When melted, add the shrimp.  Season with salt and pepper and herbs if you'd like. When the shrimp are done, pour about 1/4 cup dry, white wine and a tablespoon or so of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Cook one minute and remove from heat.

When grits are done, stir in cheddar cheese and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook a fried egg for each plate. Spoon grits into a serving bowl, top with shrimp, the cooked egg and bacon bits.

Ruffle Yarn Review

Patons Pirouette

Red Heart's Sashay ruffle yarn has been so popular that local yarn stores can't keep it in stock. I heard one clerk say that they have customers waiting while they unload the truck!
I've made a few scarves with it and it is easy to work with in both knit and crochet, but the colors aren't that appealing to me. I think it's either because I've seen the same ones over and over again or that so many people are making Sashay scarves now.
Patons Pirouette and Premiere Yarn's Starbella are popular brands that are available locally. There are a few colors that I like, but again, most don't appeal to me.  If you are lucky enough to have a nice yarn shop near you or look online, there are more and more beautiful options and varieties of ruffle yarns to choose from.

Berocco Ric Rac

I really liked the look of Berocco's Ric Rac. It was different than anything else available locally and the colors were gorgeous! It was quick and easy to work with, like most ruffle yarns are once you get used to it, but I kept getting it caught on my fingers and the loose strands would end up in long loops.  I opted to keep this scarf instead of adding it to my show booth. I've only worn it a few times, but it kept getting caught on buttons, zippers, fingers....everything! And now, it's pretty much ruined.
Although I haven't tried it, Red Heart's Boutique Filigree is a similar style. I am curious if the strands are as loose, or pull as easily as the Ric Rac.

Circulo Tecido Trico

One of the newest styles of ruffle yarn is Tecido Trico from Circulo. When I first saw it, I couldn't wait to try it. The price tag was a huge deterrent, but I did finally choose two colors for Spring.
I had heard that this style of fabric ribbon "yarn" tends to fray. It is like a wide fabric ribbon (polyester) with holes punched along one side. One review I read said that it caught on everything, including her hands while she worked with it. I haven't found that at all. I was expecting the cut edge to start fraying once I started working with it, but it hasn't yet. I've finished one scarf and started on another.

I prefer knitting (vs. crocheting) with ruffle yarns simply because the stitches are easier to see since they stay on the needle. The only problem I've had with it so far is that it twists so much as you work with it. (I had put the skein in a bowl.) It comes in an oblong hank and, for the second scarf, I tried putting it on a toilet paper roll so that it can unroll easier as I work with it. It's much easier to work that way and doesn't twist as much.

Homemade "yarn holder"

These are beautiful (yet expensive) scarves. They may start to fray. I don't know. I have read about treating it with some sort of fray check or spray, but since I didn't see any evidence of fraying while working with it, I chose not to experiment with that.

If the cost of the Tecido Trico weren't so daunting, I would love to see what else I could do with it. There are some pattern ideas on Ravelry, including this sweet Party Dress.

The Party Dress pattern by Ram Wools Yarn Co-Op

Vogue Knitting's Early Fall 2012 issue has a pattern for a ladies Ruffle Wrap Cardigan to knit. Still, I wonder if it's washable and how badly it would fray. You can read more customer reviews on Ravelry as well. (Like this one that says "...the darn ribbon is fraying before I have even sewn the sweater together."

Here's a link to the Ravelry page for the Circulo Tecido Trico where you'll find pattern ideas, projects, and more.

Sharp Crochet Hook Review and A Giveaway!

I had just put away my husband's nail set tool, when Jessica, from Sharp Crochet Hook contacted me and asked if I would write a product review.  I used to use the nail set to punch holes in fabric so that I could crochet an edge on something, or crochet along a kitchen towel. Many times, I have bent my tiniest crochet hooks, trying to poke holes in fabric and save time.

The Sharp Crochet Hook says that you can "Easily crochet through flannel, cotton, fleece, towels, knits, zipper linings, denim, and more."  It is a tiny hook, with a point at the end. It's a bit sharper than a regular hook, but not truly "sharp" to cut you or anything. What I like about it is that it is sturdier at the handle and won't bend as easily as a regular hook.

I don't work with thread too often, but I do like to play with fabrics and edgings. The booklet that comes with it has some fabulous ideas and patterns. There are even some printable templates on their website. I've always wanted to adorn a tank top with crochet, but never had time to design one myself. This book has a pattern for that, along with some cute boot sock edgings, skirt and baby blanket edgings as well. I have some thin leather that I would love to try it with. It also says you can crochet into paper. That reminds me of the old-fashioned crocheted Christmas cards and ornaments.

Impatient as I am, I tried the hook with worsted cotton instead of thread. I can see that it is designed for thread crochet, but I managed to make it work with worsted. The book recommends using the Sharp Crochet Hook to crochet through fabric and then switch to a size 3 (2.1) mm crochet hook and continue using size 3 crochet thread. And the patterns in the booklet are written, using size 3 crochet thread.

You can check out their website at www.sharpcrochethook.com. I was not compensated for this review, but they did send me a Starter Pack. There's a whole set of crochet hooks, the Sharp Crochet Hook and pattern booklet, some scissors, and a set of yarn wraps, which are a great way to keep your balls of yarn intact.

The Starter Pack would make a great Christmas gift for someone who wants to learn how to crochet. And, SharpCrochetHook.com is hosting a giveaway for my readers. One lucky winner will receive a Sharp Crochet Starter Pack!  Contest is open to U.S. residents only. Enter by commenting on this post. One entry per person. Contest ends December 1, 2012 and the winner will be chosen at random from eligible entries on December 2, 2012.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENTERING!

Congratulations to Rin. Your name was chosen at random from all eligible entries.

And thank you to SharpCrochetHook.com for their generous gift!

Wildwood Capelet - New Crochet pattern and tutorial

The new Wildwood Capelet is a shawl-style capelet with a rounded hood in soft and chunky crochet. The hood has a rounded design and utilizes a special technique that is described below.

© 2012 LazyTcrochet

I'm including this video tutorial to demonstrate my version of a flat braid join in crochet. It's a technique that is often used to join granny squares, but I have interpreted it here for the purpose of joining the back of the hood for my Wildwood Capelet pattern. (Not a professional video, but I think it clearly demonstrates how to create the stitch while joining.)
This hood pattern also utilizes the DcCh (Double Crochet Chain) or Foundationless Double Crochet as described in an earlier post http://lazytcrochet.blogspot.com/2010/03/foundationless-crochet.html


The pattern for the Wildwood Capelet is available in my Etsy shop, as well as on Craftsy and Ravelry. © 2012 LazyTcrochet 

Crochet Collar from LazyTcrochet

Crochet Collar Pattern

© 2012 LazyTcrochet
For personal use only.

Rowan Creative Linen (linen and cotton blend)
1 button (5/8” shown)
E hook (3.50 mm)
Ch 2 counts as first Dc in each row.
Gauge:  Approximately 15 dc and 8 rows = 4”
Collar is approximately 19” X 2 ½”.

Row 1:  Leaving a 10” tail, Dc Ch 69, Ch 2, turn. (Instructions for the Dc Ch, or foundationless crochet are here... http://lazytcrochet.blogspot.com/2010/03/foundationless-crochet.htmlhttp://lazytcrochet.blogspot.com/2010/03/foundationless-crochet.html)
Row 2:  Dc in next 11, 2 dc in next, *dc in next 10 sts., 2dc in next.* Repeat from * to * 3 more times. Dc in last 12. Ch 2, turn.
Row 3:  Dc in next 11, 2 dc in each of the next 2 sts., *dc in next 10 sts., 2 dc in each of the next 2 sts.*  Repeat from * to * 3 more times. Dc in last 12. Ch 2, turn.
Row 4:  Dc in next 11, 2 dc in each of the next 4 sts., *dc in next 10 sts., 2 dc in each of the next 4 sts.*  Repeat from * to * 3 more times. Dc in last 12. Ch 2, turn.
Row 5:  Dc in next 13, 2 dc in each of the next  4 sts., *dc in next 14 sts., 2 dc in each of the next 4 sts.*  Repeat from * to * 3 more times.  Dc in last 14. Fasten off.
Using the tail of the yarn to crochet a button loop, insert the hook at the side of Row 1 and pull up a loop. Chain 5 (or however many you need to fit the button you want to use), join with slip stitch and fasten off. Work the ends in. Sew a button to the opposite side. Steam block, if desired.
 
For the natural color shown, I used DMC Senso Linen Cotton.
Follow instructions above through Row 4.
For the scalloped edging, Ch 1, skip 2 stitches, work 5 dc in next stitch, (skip 2 stitches, sc in next , skip 2 stitches, 5 dc in next) repeat across, skip 3 stitches at the end and sc in top of turning chain. (17 scallops made.)  Fasten off.
Using the tail of the yarn to crochet a button loop, insert the hook at the side of Row 1 and pull up a loop. Chain 5 (or however many you need to fit the button you want to use), join with slip stitch and fasten off. Work the ends in. Sew a button to the opposite side. Steam block, if desired.
 

© 2012 LazyTcrochet
For personal use only.
(These collars are for sale in my Etsy shop. Feel free to make these as gifts. The "Peter Pan" style collar is all the rage right now. And, if you're in a different market than me, feel free to make some for shows, but I reserve the right to sell them in my shop. Thanks!)

Fresh! Key Lime Pie

My dad has always preferred pie for his birthday, and while I do make a mean pie crust and usually make the classics (peach, blueberry, apple or raisin walnut), the fresh key limes I found at the store swayed me.
 I was all set to make the crust, but when I found Emeril's recipe, it called for a graham cracker crust. Yes, I bought a prepared crust (mostly because I was traveling and it was easier).
I knew that getting one whole cup of juice out of these tiny limes was going to be a chore, but once I thought to try the garlic press, it went a lot easier!
This simple recipe calls for key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and eggs. That's it! My daughter and I agreed that ours mouths were "ready for cheesecake" because it looked so much like cheesecake. It was, instead, tangy, creamy and delicious! Topped with a bit of sour cream mixed with powdered sugar, it was scrumptious. If I had sprinkled a tiny bit of lime zest on top, my mouth wouldn't have been so confused LOL.

Although it was very good with the graham cracker crust, it would have been just as tasty with a flaky, homemade crust. It's coming on peach and apple season, so I'll share my Grandmother's pie crust techniques soon! Enjoy.

New Crochet Vest or Bolero

I've been working on this design for quite some time now. I thought I'd post some tips and updates here instead of adding a lot more pictures to the pattern itself.
The pattern is available on Craftsy, Etsy, or Ravelry.

It's a basic crochet vest or cropped bolero style with instructions for a simple crochet edging or a ribbed edging. Sizes are for small through extra large. Whether you choose the simple edging or the ribbed edging, you'll work a single crochet all around the outside of the sweater, as explained in the pattern.
This diagram shows where to decrease (sc 2 together) at the back of the neck.

To get a good fit around the back of the neck, work a portion of the edging in sc, as explained in the pattern.

The edging is about 2" wide and in the ribbed hdc pattern it is about 2 rows per inch. If you find that the edging is ruffling too much, work the sc a little farther apart, or skip an sc here and there while working the edging. Further instructions are included in the pattern.
The picture below shows the beginning and end of the edging and approximately where to stop.  At this point, you sew it together, as explained in the pattern.

As you can see, the yellow version at the top has two buttons. These are positioned at the top and bottom of the front portion of the vest.
When laying out the three buttons for the green vest, I opted to place them a bit lower. They're not "centered" over the front closure of the vest because it looked like they were too high and there was too much of a "tail" to the bottom front and around to the back.

So, I positioned these buttons slightly lower and it pulled it together for a longer, sleeker look. Use your best judgement when marking and placing the buttonholes. The good thing about crochet is that it's easy to tear it out and go back to make adjustments.

 Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'll continue to update this post as needed and will be adding more patterns soon.  Thanks!