Cookie Time!

Food Network has started its 12 Days of Cookies emails, so I guess that means it's time to start baking cookies! I was looking through my blog to see what kinds of recipes I've shared over the years. Several of our family favorites are posted and many of them freeze well. Why not start now and get a head start on the holidays? Here are a few favorite cookie recipes. There are a lot more recipes on the blog (search "recipes").


Cocoa Drops with Browned Butter Icing

Christmas Cookies (or Nonie Cookies)


Sugar and Spice


Rugelach Little Nut Rolls

More from the Greatest Sweater Ever

Do you remember these two purses that I made awhile ago? I finally made a Button Cowl or Collar from the collar of the original sweater. I've been wanting to do this for a long time and I finally found some classic vintage sweater buttons to use. I used matching wool to crochet a button hole edging along the one side. I LOVE how this turned out. It is so cool and comfortable, affording lots of different ways to wear it.

AND, I still have the sleeves! I'm thinking of making some mittens, then all I'll have left are scraps for flowers and a fabulous wool belt. I'm just sorry that I didn't take a picture of the entire sweater before I started all these projects.

Everything Autumn

While it's still pretty hot here in Northeast Ohio, I can't help looking forward to Fall and all it's colors! I certainly don't want to rush it, or we'll be shoveling snow before you know it. I just thought I'd show you what I've been up to, by incorporating some rich, crisp, warm tones.
I cut up more fabric strips and used some to accent this dark orange T-shirt scarf or necklace. I cut the remaining fabric and wound it into two small balls and it's waiting for me to make a cute little bag with it.

My brother gave me a set of vintage leaves. They were an antique lace color, but looked like they were for needlepoint, or other needlework project. They're bigger than my hand and I thought they would look pretty hanging in a window. I bought some needlefelting supplies last year intended just for this project and I wasn't about to let another Fall go by without giving it a try.

These took me all day. I tweaked colors here and there, agonizing over them at times. I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out, but I've determined that I don't enjoy the artistic aspect of needlefelting. I think I'll keep it simple and not take on too big of a project next time. I'm thinking of making these into a garland or perhaps a mobile with a wooden stick of some sort. They'll be hanging in my tent for the next show at Wooltex!

Clan Buchanan Complete

I can't believe that it's been 2 1/2 years since I started this project. I blogged about this afghan that I had started for my aunt and uncle. (January 2008!) It's crocheted and then woven for the plaid effect. I zipped through the crochet part and then hit my busy season and weaving the chains seemed to take forever. Well, Mom finally took the project home with her and finished it in no time. She gave it to my aunt and uncle months ago, but I never got to see it...until now. It turned out great! Thanks Mom.

One Sweater Two Bags

It's coming up on Earth Day and I always try to find a new project or creative way to reuse or recycle something. I rescued this wool cardigan from a thrift store and couldn't decide whether to keep it or not. I got tired of Spring cleaning around it, and of not being able to make up my mind!

So, today, I made the decision and took my scissors to it! Using only the main body of the sweater, I was able to make these two fun recycled bags. The first one is a messenger/flap style, using a recycled adjustable strap and leather tabs. The other makes good use of these simple, but large wooden hoop handles.
Nothing fancy, yet perfectly reusable!
Here's Bag 1 - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=44772485
and Bag 2 - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=44773587

Sally Inspires Me!

I first wrote about Sally V. George last March for National Crochet Month. Here's an excerpt...

"I've had a link on the side of my blog for a long time now of The Crochet Works of Sally V. George. Her remarkable talent is painstakingly-detailed in the patterns she created. The website continues now, thanks to her family. I encourage anyone to make a donation through Paypal in order to keep the site going and continue to make Sally's works available to us all. While the patterns may look "old" to some, to me they are quite inspiring."
I'm so happy that her family has continued to make the patterns available on a new, updated website at The Hook & Yarn Shop. You can read about Sally's work and download patterns to learn from her wisdom.

My favorite from the collection, is the Easter Basket. The handle uses a piece of cotton clothesline and the crossed-chain trim on this design is beautiful. I've learned so many techniques from Sally's patterns, but this trim is my favorite. You can see how I added this style to the sleeve edging on this Pink Shrug design from a few years ago.
Although some of the designs may seem old-fashioned, and you may not ordinarily make things like that, I encourage you to take a closer look....it may inspire you!

Foundation Double Crochet - FDC

I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite techniques. Instead of starting every project with a chain strip, using a foundation stitch can speed up the start of your project and allow for more stretch than a starting chain would.

A Foundation Double Crochet FDC, or sometimes called DC Chain, is my favorite way to start a simple, lengthwise scarf. It is also good for garments that you crochet from the bottom edge up, since it creates a stretchier edge as compared to a starting chain. It's easy to change a pattern that calls for a starting chain and then a row of DC. Just work a row of FDC instead.
Start with a Ch 3 (this chain 3 counts as your first DC stitch). YO, insert hook into the first Ch, YO and pull through. YO and pull through one loop to create the "base chain" (3 loops remain on hook). Now work a DC as normal - YO and pull through 2 loops, YO and pull through last 2 loops.
See the picture above - the last chain made under the hook is the "base chain" and the double crochet will be on top of it, next to the starting chain 3.
To work the next stitch, YO and insert the hook into what was the last "base chain" stitch (it's actually a ch 1 at the base of each stitch). To make this easier to find, I usually hold that stitch as I'm finishing the DC so I know where the chain stitch is when I move on to the next one.
YO and pull through, creating the next "base chain". (Hold this stitch if you want to to mark it.) Then work the DC - YO, pull through 2 loops. YO, pull through last 2 loops. Continue working FDC for as long as you want your project to be.
So each stitch consists of a base chain (like a ch 1) and finishes with a double crochet, all in one stitch and the beginning chain 3 counts as your first DC.

I have incorporated this stitch in the foundation of my Circle Shrug Vest Pattern, the Long Fingerless Gloves pattern, for the hood on the Wildwood Capelet Pattern, and the Chunky Crochet Button Wrap pattern.

**Update 6/17/13 - I have uploaded a video tutorial for this stitch here and it does include the foundation double crochet, single crochet and half double crochet techniques...  http://youtu.be/UiKLCVd74Mw

Thinking of you Goldfish Wristlets

Thinking of you Goldfish Wristlets, originally uploaded by lazytcrochet.

I had these fun goldfish bowl buttons and I kept thinking and thinking of what to do with them. Do you daydream of your goldfish? Fun Fingerless Gloves on Etsy

Mmmm Rolls

I love to let bread rise on a warm windowsill, but the sun hasn't been out much these days. I do have a warm mantel near the wood stove that works perfectly.

Make an easy batch of rolls. Shape them however you'd like. My old Better Homes and Gardens "Complete Step-By-Step Cookbook" is a classic and it shows 9 different ways to shape them, including Fantans, Parker House Rolls, Bow Knots and Rosettes. I made mine Shortcut Cloverleaves. Just snip an X on the top, then let them rise.

DINNER ROLLS
3 1/2 cups flour, 1 package dry yeast, 1 1/4 cups milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup shortening or butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg

Mix together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together the milk, sugar, shortening or butter, and salt. Heat until warm and melted. (Let cool if it's too hot. You want it warm for the yeast.) Add to flour mixture and add the egg. Mix on low speed for a minute then at high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. (until it's not too sticky) Knead with the dough hook on your mixer until it is smooth and elastic. (approximately 5 minutes)
Place the ball of dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Let rise in a warm (not hot) place until double (45 - 60 minutes). Punch down and divide in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Cut each half into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, pulling the edges under to form a smooth top.
I sprayed muffin tins with cooking spray. Placed the dough smooth side up, and cut the tops. You can bake them plain, or bake them in a round cake pan. Or check out some other shapes and options.
Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool in pan for a few minutes, then move to a rack. Makes 24 rolls.

Looking Back at Vanna's Choice

I remember when Vanna's Choice yarn was first introduced by Lion Brand Yarn. All those pretty colors were so inspiring for many projects. I'm getting ready to enter the Vanna's Choice Contest. I haven't started on the new project yet, but I sorted through the Vanna stash and found possible yarns to use. Since you can enter as many items as you wish, I took time to look through past designs in search of Vanna's Choice yarn. I made a "Powerpuff" series of hats. The Bubbles Cloche was blue and made out of a different yarn, but Buttercup was green with a buttercup flower. Blossom was a burnt orange with a flower. There are a few other hats, fingerless gloves, and shrugs as well. I put them together here in a collage. When I finish my newest, I'll be sure to show you!
Here's a great design in Vanna's Choice from fellow CreateCrochet team member CrocheTrend.

And look at this sweet hoodie from BallofYarnToo

For more Fiber goodness, stop by Alpaca Farm Girl for Fiber Arts Friday. (Check out the Winter Alpaca Peeps pic!)

Slipper Story

My son asked if I would make him a pair of slippers. He said he couldn't find the ones that he used to have. I said, well, you're 15 now and I made those for you when you were 7. So, I made him a pair of slippers for Christmas. I didn't finish the second one until a few days after, but he didn't mind. When I presented them to him he had a sad look on his face and said that they're not the same! I felt so bad and asked "what do you mean?" and he said "the other ones had little dots on the bottom". Oh, I remembered then that I used glow-in-the-dark fabric paint to make non-skid dots on the bottom of them. I laughed and, luckily, still had some paint. He loves his pocket watch best.