Good grief. This project took way too long. I got frustrated with the fair isle tension and the double stranded cotton. I’m glad I didn’t give up, though, because I love it so much I want to make a set.
I’ve rescued a pair of socks from the UFO pile and have started swatching for another project, however. All that yarn might distract me from a second potholder.
project notes: can be found on my first toto post, yarn from my thrifted stash
BFFs reunited over a mac n cheese lunch.
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Join in the fun here.
A few weeks ago a friend told me Trader Joe’s has halibut fish sticks. I got excited because my daughter can’t have cod, and well, cod is pretty much the main ingredient in all stick -shaped fish. There must have been a run on them because I’ve checked a few times and can’t find any. TJ’s had some nice wild caught dover sole, though, so I decided to try my hand at sticks from scratch.
I checked out a few recipes online and and wound up doing my own thing. It seems like the trick to a good stick is dipping in flour first, then egg, then bread crumbs. I mixed some Old Bay in with the flour, used egg whites from a carton, and got all fancy with panko bread crumbs tossed with salt, white pepper and garlic powder.
They turned out very tasty and pretty healthy, too. I sprayed a little olive oil on the pan and over the breaded fish, baked them until the insides were 140 degrees and then put them under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the crumbs.
I have to admit that even though these are much better for you than the processed ones, I’m still interested in trying those halibut sticks!
I’ve had this little troll for almost 20 years. She’s worn a Tae Kwon Do uniform for most of that time. I’m not sure exactly when my daughter decided the troll was hers. Isn’t it funny how kids kind of take over your things without you realizing it?
The other night my daughter announced that she was naming the troll Isabel. Apparently, Isabel has grown tired of her Tae Kwon Do uniform and asked for a dress. Could I make one?
I thought there might be some other trolls out there who’d like a dress, so I’m sharing the pattern. It may seem big while you are making it, but remember it has to fit over those cute, chubby feet.
Pattern is written for the four-inch size troll doll.
Materials
sport or dk weight yarn (yarn was from my stash and is 12 wpi)
size F/5 (3.75 mm) crochet hook
small button
needle and thread for sewing button
tapestry needle for weaving ends
gauge: 4 stitches per inch
ch: chain
hdc: half double crochet
hdcDecrease: half double crochet decrease
sl st: slip stitch
half double crochet decrease: yarn over, hook through stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch, yarn over again, hook through next stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch, yarn over one more time, pull through all five loops
The next step depends on how tightly you chain and the size of your button. Chain 20 stitches or however many you need to make the strap go from one side, around the back of the neck, to the front and around the button. Break yarn and use the tapestry needle to thread the end a few stitches back to make the button loop.
Weave in ends.
*Go into the bumps on the back of the chain, not the stitches on the front of the chain.
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Join in the fun here.
Am I going to make these pins for my daughter’s teachers every year? Possibly. They are my favorite crochet flower.
This year I did a little something different with the backing. Instead of just sewing it on to the felt, I snipped two holes and poked the pin portion through. That way you don’t have to see the bracket on the back (like last year’s pins).
I can’t believe how long it took me to figure that out!
Did you do anything crafty for Valentine’s Day?
project details: Pattern from Crochet Embellishments. All supplies were from my stash.
It’s been forever since I talked about this cowl. In fact, it took entirely too long to complete. That’s because my daughter fell in love with fleece and decided wool makes her itchy. (Interestingly enough, she still likes her wool hat and mittens.)
I wasn’t sure whether or not I should keep knitting or rip it out, so it sat in the UFO pile for awhile. Then one day I decided to try it on myself. It fits! It’s snug, but definitely not too small. So I finished it up.
Of course now that I’m thinking of keeping it for myself, she mentioned that she’d wear it if I lined it with fleece. I don’t know. I kind of like finally being finished with this project.
What do you think?
project notes: cowl beginning, noro mittens, noro kitty hat
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Join in the fun here.
It’s another year of handmade Valentine’s Day cards. I’m still trying to keep things simple and fun for my daughter. We have less to make this year (only 22!), which is good because it was a struggle to get through all of the (34!) pencil cards last year.
I enlisted some help from technology for these. She wrote her Valentine’s Day message once, I scanned it, printed out a bunch of little versions, and glued them to the back of these cute heart-shaped notepads. I told her that she could decorate them anyway she liked and she chose to just color in the hearts. That was fine with me. We knocked these out Sunday morning and have plenty of time for her to make a few special cards for friends and family.
notes: I found the notepads at Target in the seasonal aisle. Here are cards from past years:
Are you making Valentines this year? Share in the comments!
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Join in the fun here.