A Salvage Mission

 This is the yarn from the 7 times failed hat project. The yarn has been in time out for about a week. Of course the idea popped into my head after dinner. With not enough time to finish it before tomorrow in honor of Malabrigo Day celebrating 20 years in one of the most difficult business to become successful in. 

 If you follow my blog on a regular basis you will know the trouble this yarn got me into.  Now I have a perfect solution for this lovely yarn.  A striped scarf using Malabrigo , I think it is Caprino, but don’t quote me on this. I got this yarn in a class with no labels.  I am using a 6 mm Tunisian Crochet hook. I am doing 5 rows of Tunisian Simple Stitch. Since I have not yet learned to invisibly hide the yarn carrying, I am using a similar method that I use in knitting.  I am getting better as I tweak each row.  I am on row 15 of actual rows right now, so that would be half way through row 8 in Tunisian Crochet.  As you can see from the picture below, the yarn is very happy in this new pattern.  This is what the yarn wants to be.  I think I will add a bit of fringe on the ends since my side edges are not curling.  

Round 7 Completed

 It took an entire hour.  I have completed round 7 of The Skill Builder Hat by aklori designs.  The piece is still flat. The rows look fairly symmetrical. I took the pattern one repeat at a time and made sure it was as perfect as I could make it before I went on to the next repeat.  That is why it took an hour for this round.  I am happy with the results so far. So it was well worth my time. Forward progress has been made. 

!! Eureka !!

 Sometimes, I personally find that when I frog a pattern too many times, the yarn picks up bad karma.  So I switched the color way and yarn out.  Tonight, I used Tunisian crochet on the Skill Builder Hat by aklori designs along with the yarn Born This Way and Amber dyed by Twisted Ambitions Yarn in Wicked DK.  I am using Amber as the main color. Born this way is the contrasting color.  I changed out all the stitch markers too using a red mushroom as the start / end of the round like I do in knitting.  After all red does mean Stop. Yes, a hard stop.  I am going old school with a Post it note pad and pen to count the rounds. That way if I forget to move the wasbi tape, I don’t repeat a row by mistake.  The first 4 rows are now complete.  Wish me luck, I have seven more rows to go before the pattern changes focus. This is my first crochet hat ever, so it is my current challenge project.  

I need to stop rambling. So without further ado, rows 1 through 4.  

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.