A Restart

 The Skill Builder Hat was frogged one too many times.  They yarn started to felt together.  The felted yarn will not be wasted, they will be going into a dog pillow for our local humane society.  So I decided it was time for a restart.  So I went into my knitting room.  Looked at the shelves of yarn.  The first package of yarn that caught my eye was a package of 2 coordinating skeins of yarn in DK by Twisted Ambitions Yarn in Wicked DK.  The colors look great together.  They are Born This Way and Amber.  So as you can see both skeins are wound and ready to go tomorrow.   It was meant to be.  

This time I am not relying on taping under the rows, I will use a small pad and pen to keep track of the rows.  This way I don’t crochet the same rows twice.  I am going back to pattern basics.  

The new colors are below and are in super wash wool.  

A New Recipe

 I have a new recipe that is supper quick to put together.  The recipe is good for potlucks, a casual snack between meals and of course good with lunch or dinner.  A low calorie/ low sodium tasty delight.  As you might have guessed it is also vegan.   So without any further ado, here it is. 

Sweet Potato Squash Casserole 

1 18 ounce package of pre cut Sweet Potatoes or buy fresh, then peel and make 1 inch cubes

1 18 ounce package of pre cut Butternut Squash, or buy fresh then peel and make 1 inch cubes

3/4 cup of water

Pumpkin Pie Spice, I used Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice, however you can used your preferred brand

1 large ovenproof casserole dish, I used my LeCreuset soup pot.

Pre heat your oven to 350f or if using a glass casserole dish to 325f

Rinse the Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash. Place the Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash in your casserole dish and toss. Pour water over the mixture.  Liberally sprinkle with your Pumpkin Pie Spice. Cover and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour the mixture should be fork tender.  If not fork tender add additional cooking time in 10 minute increments.   

This dish can be enjoyed hot or cold without any guilt.  The picture below is the casserole minus 2 servings.  I do have a valid excuse. The casserole smelled wonderful straight from the oven and I was hungry. Please give it a try and let me know what you think.

The 5th try worked

 Ok, I ripped out the hat again. It’s my fifth try and I think I figured out my mistake. My end of roasted marker was to alike in color so I kept missing it. So I’m using an earring right now for my end of roast marker. That is until I can make a red glass bead stitch marker for crocheting. Or finding in an inexpensive pair of red earrings. Of course, red means stop much better than black-and-white. Below are my before and after pictures. For right now it will have to be a white and blue heart. 

All the other stitch markers have been put in a separate jar for crochet stitch markers. The top photo was beginning to look like a brain.

Where should I work on my project?

 Have you ever wondered how I choose which projects To work on while watching Television? Even which projects will never make it off a table with lots of light and lots of room to work, and never be done in front of the Television. Perhaps to take to your knitting group.

First off how complicated is the pattern? Is the pattern a simple garter stitch pattern. A simple broken rib. Is it a lace pattern with lots of yarn overs and knit 2 stitches together? Is it a pattern that requires more than 20 stitch markers? These are all things I consider when choosing which projects to do while watching Television.

I am currently working on two different hats. The hat I will take anywhere only has four stitch markers. These markers are my original counting markers. These markers will tell me one to increase or to decrease. So this hat, I will take anywhere and work on at any time. The second hat is a skill builder hat that I have been working on for a little over a week.  Each row in the pattern is different. I have more than 40 stitch markers and I’m only on round four. This pattern at this point will never leave the table. Which means it’s going to take longer to knit or crochet. 

How do you decide where to need a project?  I would love to know. Please let me know how unit or crochet.

The Skill Builder Hat

 I have made it to round 4 of the Skill Builder Hat by aklori designs. It is beginning to make more sense.  I have switched the stitch markers to the first stitch of every repeat.  So I have extra open stitch markers ready to go. I am making the medium size hat for me.  And move the last round of stitch markers as necessary.  When all is said and done, I am seriously considering having a separate cookie jar for my crochet stitch markers.  I seem to be accumulating them fairly quickly. Just keeping ahead of running out.  

This is definitely not a project to do when watching television for me.  

The latest update photo.

A Cookie Jar Full of Stitch Markers

 I don’t think that I have ever talked about my 26 year collection of stitch markers.  I do admit that I have a cookie jar full of stitch markers.  The size that holds a little over a pound of cookies.  I personally have never weighed my stitch markers. I have stitch markers over various projects and in my kit bags of accessories, I have more than several.  So all my stitch markers are not in the jar at any given moment.  

I use stitch markers for almost all my projects.  Whether it’s to mark the beginning and end of a row. To mark increases and decreases. To mark the repeats on some patterns. Of course to share when some when someone needs one.

I personally find that it is easier to keep track of repetitive patterns, such as lace or shawl work. The most stitch markers ever used in one project was around 50. I have found a new use in the hat that I’m currently working on. I have started the Skill Builder Hat  by aklori designs. I have restarted it more times than I wish to admit to.  Even though it is not a complicated design, it has enough repeats to drive me nuts and send my head spinning.  So I decided to mark every single Tunisian Simple Stitch with a stitch marker. Yes, this is a Tunisian Crochet project.  This has helped tremendously as I have finally got the rhythm of the hat down. I haven’t finished row three yet, but I’m sure I am going to be diving into my stitch markers to get more until I get to the body of the hat. Then I will be down to one stitch marker marking the end in the beginning of the row. I have had to replenish my stitch markers for this hat three times so far.  You can tell by the picture below that the stitch markers weigh more than the yarn at this point. I found it appropriate that the back side of the panda marks the beginning/ending of each row. More pictures of the hat will be forthcoming. 

If you would like to crochet this hat too, just go to www.akloridesigns.com. You will find Lori’s patterns and books. Also links to tutorials. The yarn is available at Birdhouse Yarn in Tucson Arizona or most of your local yarn shops. 

Hopefully a Soultion

 For the last couple of years I’ve have been I have made a very bad habit of misplacing my phone. It was the first time that I had gotten an Otterbox cover that matched the color of my iPhone.  I would lose it in the house and my purse.  After a really bad mishap last weekend, I knew that I needed a new protective cover in a bright neon color.  Since I could not find a neon or glow in the dark Otterbox , I bought a bright yellow cover.  It’s time for the experiment to begin. 

I also had my first chance to try out the WoolAid merino wool bandage from New Zealand.  It was the only bandage in my purse when a blister opened up while we were out at dinner.  I can say that the package was easy to open and I did not need help to properly place the bandage.  It feels comfortable on my wrist. It is not scratchy on my wrist.  Best of all it foes not feel like any other bandage that I have tried in the past.  I saw a sample package while I was out shopping and decided to get it for my purse.  I am so glad that I did.  Now I just have to google WoolAid to find out where to buy more.  This is definitely my new bandage.  Did I mention it has a nice color and soft feel to it too?

Things will be on the very slow track around here again.  I might have over done it a little bit on vacation last week. In addition to trying a new configuration of one of my medicines, which did not work out as planned.  Then accidentally leaving my iPhone in the hotel room, yes my husband and daughter retrieved the iPhone for me while I had a panic attack.  Like everyone else, my life is on my phone.  

Now it’s time to try for a full not of sleep.  Sleep will definitely aid in my recovery.   TTFN