Are You With Me? Ashley's Craft Along

Knitting Pattern Review

2010-09-13T10:23:00.001-07:00

I know I said I'd avoid technical crafts, but I just really have to talk about this knitting pattern. If you are not even remotely considering becoming a chick with sticks, sorry.

I'm almost finished with my "Harry Potter" socks. I found some Opal special edition Harry Potter sock yarn in Lupin in the discount bin at my LYS several months ago. Don't ask me why there is pink in Lupin's colorway unless the reason is that it looks awesome with the Tonks colorway. But I digress.

Well, I wanted to do something fabulous with this yarn and no sock pattern seemed to be right. HP is special to me and so should be these socks. Lo and behold, Knitty to the rescue in the form of Skew. This is not your typical sock pattern. It's a math nerd's dream.

They whip up quickly, a huge plus for me. Everything about this pattern is simple, but the result is phenomenal. I don't recommend this pattern as a way of learning how to knit socks because they don't have the typical toe, foot, heel turn and flap, leg progression. But if you can k2tog, master a couple of very simple increases, and Kitchener 15 stitches, you can make these very interesting and unique socks.

One other thing I love about this pattern- it works very well for magic loop. Oftentimes patterns I like end up with strange movements on what would be DPN2 and DPN4, but I like my circulars. Nothing was disrupted by my unwillingness to purchase even more needles for my arsenal.

I can't wait to see more patterns by Lana. P.S. She has posted modifications over at her blog http://yarndiva.blogspot.com/.

Sometimes you don't even realize

2010-09-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

I bet that you are a lot like me. I bet there are some crafty things that you do so regularly and with such little effort that you forget other people don't. The big one for me is cooking. I've always loved to cook. I'm a classically trained chef. Cooking comes naturally to me.

Well, it occurred to me, that the baking and cooking that I do is, in fact, a craft. So, for those who want to explore it, here's what I've been baking. I'll post more tutorials on different cooking and baking in the future. Please be aware that I am not good at giving recipes. They are more like formulas. Feel free to ask questions. My most important advice in the kitchen is this: be fearless.

Charlie loves the TLC Soft-Baked cereal and fruit bars. Unlike their Nutri-Grain counterparts, they contain no High Fructose Corn Syrup or Hydrogenated fats. But let's face it... they ain't cheap. And while I am blessed with a devoted husband who works hard to provide for our family (and allow me to stay home to raise our darling offspring), I feel it is my duty to be a good steward of those paychecks. Caught between the coupon frenzy and providing healthy food for the family, I find myself venturing into new realms like home canning and homebaked versions of already popular pantry items. So, here is a thriftier version of those delicious cereal bars. Mom tested, Charlie approved.

Charlie's Fruity Breakfast Bars

Dough:
2 sticks butter, unsalted
1 cup sugar (we use raw)
1 large egg
1 t of extract of your choosing
spash of milk or cream
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
scant 2 cups whole wheat flour

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add wet ingredients. Incorporate remaining dry ingredients in 3 batches, scraping sides before each addition. This is just like making chocolate chip cookies from scratch with a slight change in the ingredients.

When the dough comes together, slightly crumbly, knead it a few times and divide in half. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Meanwhile, in a medium, heavy saucepan simmer whatever fruit you want to fill. I used frozen, no-sugar added berries plus some blueberries that were on their last leg and some grapes. The pot started about half full. Cook them down, stirring to mash 'em up. Puree and return to pan. Continue simmering until a slightly thinned jam consistency. A finger run on the back of a spoon should leave a mark. I was left with a little over a cup of filling. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Allow the dough to warm enough to be workable. Roll one half or press it into a prepared baking dish. The smaller the dish, the thicker the bars. I used a 9 x 13 for the first batch and got good, thick bars.

Spread the filling to cover the dough. Roll the second piece of dough out to cover the filling. Alternately, you can press it out on parchment and then transfer it to the pan.

Bake at 350 and begin checking for doneness at about 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting. These freeze really well.

*What I'll do differently next time:
- Cut the sugar by at least 1/4 cup, maybe even 1/2
- Add quick oats and fresh ground flax meal to the dough for added nutrition
- Play more with extracts. This time I did half vanilla and half almond. Cardamom, cinnamon, and/or nutmeg would be great with apple, plum, fig, date, or pear filling.
- Thinner bars. This recipe easily makes enough dough to make a full sheet of bars if I'm willing to sacrifice some thickness. I'll be able to get more bars per batch, even if they are cut bigger.
- Sneak some veggies into the fruit puree. Since the fruit cooks down so much, it has a very strong flavor. It would be easy to disguise some veggie purees in there, especially sweeter varieties like sweet potatoes, carrots, peas... I might even pull off celeriac or parsnips if I'm careful. Mmmm... maybe beets and turnips, too!

A Tisket, A Tasket

2010-09-02T12:05:00.001-07:00

we're making a yarn basket!

What the heck is a "tasket" anyway? Dictionary.com has no entry, so I suggest that tasket is a shortened form of "taskette" meaning, of course, small task.

So, in honor of this new(?) definition, I present to you a simple "taskette:" a yarn basket.

Get your supplies together and decide first how big a basket you want to make. This will be a lacy/wiry basket, not something to carry a potluck dish in.

Cut lengths of yarn at least as big as you want the basket to be or one giant length for a spirally, loop-de-loop effect.

Pour your glue into a bowl and thin with just a little water, about a teaspoon per half cup of glue. Dip your yarn to thoroughly saturate then drape on your basket form: the bottom of a bowl, balloon, etc. Wipe excess glue from the yarn before you drape it to avoid a big, gooey mess.

Allow to dry completely before removing from mold.

Presto! You did it!

There are lots of uses and ideas for this kind of basket. I made one as a kid at Easter time and filled it with plastic grass and candies. I love this spiderweb inspired one here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2179053/halloween_craft_idea_spider_web_candy.html?cat=25

I've also seen the same concept done with cornstarch and water. One tablespoon of cornstarch per pint of cool water makes spray starch for clothing. I would probably double the amount of cornstarch to make sure I get a really good, stiff result.

So Maybe I was Overly Optimistic About My Abilities

2010-09-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Maybe one project every week or two is more my speed for now. My kiddo deserves it. The hubs deserves it. Someone you love deserves some of your time, too.

Supply List for Tomorrow:
yarn- any fiber, any color, scraps are fine
glue or Mod Podge
balloons or bowls
possibly some plastic wrap

Pamper yourself

2010-08-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, by now you have beautiful handwriting and you are beginning to enjoy writing checks. Right? Well now's your chance to pat yourself on the back!

Today and tomorrow, we're going to make our own beauty or spa products. If you are like me, you have a ton of these in your bathroom closet and you rarely take time to use them. I realized one of the reasons I don't use a lot of them is because the scent is close, but not quite something I really like and want to smell like every day.

So, after I spent weeks using up every last drop of close-to-good shower gel, lotion, potion, et al, I decided to try making a few of my own things. My favorite so far is hair gel made by boiling a T of flax seeds in water. I added a couple of drops of tea tree oil to help preserve it and a few dashes of Aura Cacia's Gray Matter Batter essential oil blend. Love this on my head!

It doesn't matter what product you make or who it's for, just give it a whirl. Sprinkle some essential oils in with rock salt for a soak. Add a bit of fragrance to some olive oil and take it for a spin in the blender (add a couple drops of water at a time to help the emulsion form and set). Try a sugar scrub or oatmeal mask- whatever tickles your fancy. Gift giving season is creeping up on us. It's not too early to start mastering our techniques and recipes.

Let's get to work

2010-07-22T08:09:00.001-07:00

Today there is no teaser, no supply list. If you don't have these things in your house already, well... I just don't know what to say.

Today, and for the next few days, we are going to work on our handwriting and hand-lettering. With so much electronic communication I know my handwriting has suffered. Sometimes I can't even read my own grocery list! Now how in the world is someone supposed to read a handmade card from me?

So, here are some ways you can work on your writing/lettering:

Print out sheets from your word processor with fonts you find interesting and trace them over and over. Avoid fonts with serifs for this option.

Check out these websites:
http://www.theletterheads.com/lhparts/lettering.html
http://kleinletters.com/HandBasics.html
http://custom-lettering.blogspot.com/2010/02/lettering-practice-session.html

Scan the shelves of your local library for books on hand-lettering.

When I was in culinary school and we were practicing icing runs, we would put practice sheets into sheet protectors so that we could quickly and easily clean up and try again without wasting paper. I bet the same thing would work with a dry erase marker!

Now, I'm not saying go out and buy fountain pens and nibs and ink. Use nice pens and markers that you have at home now. We're not looking for perfection- isn't that why we write by hand, a personal touch?

As you practice and practice and practice and your writing gets clearer, more personalized, and nicer, your crafts will do the same. You can add a special touch when stamping, painting, embroidering... you name it.

Project: Declutter

2010-07-16T19:36:00.001-07:00

Today, I give you permission to release any project and/or supplies that do not bring you joy. That's right, the hemp twine your college roommate gave you when teaching you macrame, those lacy socks for Great Aunt Tillie who passed away four years ago, that single fat quarter of fabric that doesn't quite fit with anything else but looks so cool... get rid of it. Free your closet, your mind, and all those crafty things that don't make you happy.

That WIP that sits in your inbox, demanding your attention- you don't really want to give it to someone you love because it is so filled with your angst and loathing. That's not a gift, it's bad juju. It keeps you from finishing fun projects because you have WIPguilt. It haunts you when you are up at night trolling blogs and pattern sites. Get rid of it!

Yes, you may have to spend some money in the future to replace one of these odds and ends, but your spirit is worth more than mere pennies. Enjoy a weekend of purging, of renewing. We'll have some new stuff next week.

Friday's Supplies

2010-07-15T11:23:00.001-07:00

I bet you already have what you need for tomorrow's project. So gather up the following and get ready for something revolutionary.

You will need:
a garbage bag or
a large box or
several small plastic bags or
possibly several small boxes

It's Edible Play Dough!

2010-07-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

I searched high and low for an edible play dough recipe- preferably chocolate or peanut butter. I found several, but they required either cooking, a lot of salt, or a trip to the grocery store. What I discovered in a pinch is that creamy peanut butter and a box of brownie mix work just fine.

I used the all-natural stir the stuffing out of it peanut butter. In the future, I'll use the no stir kind. I also used about a cup of peanut butter and needed to add quite a bit of flour to keep it from being too oily.

The kids loved this project. They loved eating it, too.

Keep in mind that this dough resembles um... excrement, so you probably want to be careful what you make with it. But wouldn't it make a cute pink (or baby blue) and brown baby ornament?

Back from Vacation- Supplies List

2010-07-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the recent absence. Took a little vacation and some time to enjoy the great outdoors with my favorite people. Did some fun crafts, so I'll be using those to get back into the swing of things here.

For tomorrow you will need:
creamy peanut butter
flour
any boxed brownie mix

Yep, this one is going to be something to do with the kids.

Monday Fun

2010-06-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today we are working with fusing plastic. This is a free-form project, so make something that you can use or gift to someone who can use your finished result.

Here are some ideas and tutorials:
http://etsylabs.blogspot.com/2007/05/long-overdue-fusing-plastic-bag.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Fuse-Plastic-Bags-Into-a-Laptop-Case
http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/fusing-recycled-plastic-bags-the-eclipse-way/TVBH8AMCTFRTOIKFDYXH3IRYFDN8

But feel free to make something besides a bag. Consider the options that open up if you fuse your sheets together- a whole new way to go no-sew!

I'm working on making an art smock for Charlie. The shape of the bags lends itself to this and they certainly are waterproof. I've already been playing, and just so you know, there's a lot of trial and error involved. I've burned through a couple of sheets, made some too thick, and adjusted the temp and steam on my iron about 100 times. But keep it up. This is lots of fun, easy once you get the kinks worked out, and cleanup is a snap.

Day Two Supplies List

2010-06-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

On Monday we're going to play with fused plastic. For this project you will need:

several plastic grocery bags
an iron
parchment paper
optional: sewing notions

Day One Results

2010-06-12T04:28:00.001-07:00

Here are my supplies all collected:

And here's the bin. I love this paper!

Is the suspense killing you?

2010-06-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, here it is:

Today's project is a flat bin. This storage bin, with no lid, can pop up just when you need it and lays flat when not in use. You can make it reversible. You can make it any size. Here's what you do...

Decorate your paperboard or cardboard. Make both sides pretty and fun. When everything is dry, cut squares from the corners (you can also trim a used box to get the same shape). Fold your board along the lines created by the squares so that you have a bottom and four sides. Attach ribbon to the corners of your flaps. When dry, you can tie bows or knots to assemble your bin. Untie to lay flat for storage.

Possible uses: pretty inbox/outbox for your desk, corral napkins and silverware for an outdoor party, use a big one to hold beach towels by the door, line it with plastic bags and use as a planter, organize drawers, go wild!

I've still got to make mine today, but I will post pictures when I'm done. If you beat me to it, share your pics with a link in the comments to an offsite photo share (flikr, tinypic, etc.) or shoot me an email with the pic attached: hpashley (at) g mail (dot) com.

Welcome

2010-06-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

A friend and I were talking about keeping the creative juices flowing and trying new crafts and we came up with the idea of a craft along. Similar to a knit along, I will post materials needed for a craft. The next morning I will post either a link, instructions, an inspiration or a goal. You don't have to do every craft, but please share pics, tutorials, or experiences when you do. I will try to avoid highly technical crafts, but you may use some of these to learn some basic knitting, sewing, stamping or other skills.

Some projects will be specific, resulting in similar outcomes. Some will be more general or will encourage you to follow a theme. The idea is to keep momentum, to share the joys of success and the humor of un-success (no f words here, please), and to have some fun.

If you have an idea for something, please share it with me and I'll work it in to the schedule. My initial goal is 3 projects a week that can all be completed in one day with a toddler underfoot.

Are ya with me?

For tomorrow you will need:

paperboard or cardboard such as cereal boxes
ribbon
glue
scraps of fabric, pretty paper, etc and/or paint
optional: embellishments such as stickers, buttons, glitter