Friday, April 18, 2014

Coil Baskets

I want to share some inspiration with you. I have been really jealous of all the home decorating sites that have the giant baskets that sit under end tables and such. You know what I am talking about. Like this one from World Market or This one from Pottery Barn. So obviously those are out of my price range. That meant I had to come up with something else. I had been seeing how to make crocheted coil baskets on Pintrest, so I thought that I would give it a try. I decided at first that I would use t-shirt yarn for the coil part, and size 10 thread for the crochet part.
It ended up being to small. But it is perfect for my daughter's Easter Basket this year. I love how it looks, even if it was to small.

I knew that I then had to come up with something bigger to use as my coil. We just moved again to another apartment and that means I took inventory of everything we had and if we really needed everything. I came across some clothesline that we have moved with 4 times and we still had not used it. I thought, "finally I can use this. I'm so glad we kept packing it up."
The clothesline was 100 ft, and it was just the right amount I needed. When I was done, in went "some" of my scrap yarn. I am designing another scrapgahn to help use it all up so be on the look out for it.


Recipe or loose guideline.

Size: The basket ended up being 11 inches tall with a circumference of 35 inches.

Materials: 100 ft of clothesline, 4 balls of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn.
Hook: H



I started by tying a knot with both the clothesline and the cotton together, then just using the cotton I made 8 sc around the clothes line.

Then I moved the clothes line so that it would wind around and I started to make 2 sc in the starting sc and then I made 2 sc in each of the next 7 sc (making a circle), With a stitch marker you can keep track of where your starting sc is, or like me you can just wing it, but I would recommend the stitch marker.

One the next level I made an increase st every other sc, the next level I increased every second st, the next level I increased every third st. I continued increasing in this pattern till I got to round 10.

 I made one more row of an increase every 10 stitches. At this point I had gotten to the part of the clothesline where it had stopped coiling around itself.  After that I just crocheted around and around and around. I ended with 33 rounds.


For the handles I crocheted 15 sc around the clothesline without going through the sc below, skipping 15 sc, then I crocheted 30 sc, then 15 sc without going below and skipping 15 sc, then I crocheted another 30 sc.

I also made this small rectangle one with t-shirt yarn and Luster Sheen yarn.

 For This basket I used t-shirt yarn and size 10 cotton thread.
 
These baskets were a lot of fun to make. I hope they bring some inspiration for you to think outside the box.

More Crochet Patterns You Will Love


Crafty Containers

Here We Go Do-Se-Do Scrapghan

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Cinnamon Nutella Twists

 A Yummy Recipe


Do you remember forever ago when I posted about my homemade biscuit mix. If Not you can Find it here. I have another recipe for you that uses that mix. My Family and I have a new love and that is hazelnut spread. I especially love it with ice cream. Unfortunately I do not have an ice cream recipe for you but a breakfast one.

This week my daughter asked for cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I did not have 3 hours to make her real ones so I made a quick version with biscuit dough, and I also decided it needed hazelnut spread with it. And a side of strawberries. It was so good, I have to share it with you.

  Ingredients:

2 cups of biscuit mix
2/3 cup of milk
hazelnut spread
sugar and cinnamon mix

Put two cups of the biscuit mix in a bowl and make a well, pour in the 2/3 cup milk in slowly incorporating it into the mix, if is ends up a little sticky you can a little more mix. It should form a ball that you can kneed slightly. At this point you have biscuit dough.

Roll it out how you would for biscuits, but not as thick, less than 1/2 an inch. Slather on a layer of Hazelnut spread then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut the dough into long strips that are about 1/2 in wide. I usually end up with 10 to 12 strips. Twist each strip and place them on a baking sheet. Cook them in a 425 degree oven for 12 minutes or until they are golden brown.

You can also glaze these if you want, but they are pretty sweet without.

More recipes you will love:

frozen pizza crust

frozen waffles

Monday, March 17, 2014

Infant Hat in Simple Cables

A Free Crochet Pattern


I am starting the process of adding all of the patterns that I have designed for http://crochetvolution.com/ to my blog. They will still always be there at that site and the link on Ravelry will still always take you there, but I wanted to have my patterns all in one spot. At least with the ones that I am allowed to do that with.

I thought I would start with the first one and work my way down. Interestingly my very first pattern is still one of my most popular patterns. I guess it is a good one. You may find the wording a little different from the original pattern, but I hope it provides more clarity.

Where can I get this free crochet pattern?

This is available for a free pattern download through my Ravelry Store. 

Infant Hat in Simple Cables

Written by Julia Schwartz

SIZE

Head circumferences from 14 in.



FINISHED MEASUREMENT

 14 inch circumference (new born) use size G hook




MATERIALS




Hook size: G




PATTERN


Round one:


Ch 4, 11 dc in fourth ch from hook, sl st into

 3rd chain of beginning stitch. (Twelve stitches made.)

Round two:


Ch 3, make a dc in the same space, two dc in each of the remaining stitches, (24 dc total.)

Round three:


Ch 3, 1 dc in same space {skip 1 dc and tr in next stitch, go back to last stitch missed and tr, (2 dc in the next stitch) repeat (to)}, repeat {to} 4 times, sk 1 dc and tr in next stitch, go back to last stitch missed and tr, 2 dc in next stitch, slip stitch in starting ch 3. (6 crossover stitches, and 6 groups of 4 dc sts.)

Round four:


Ch 3, 1 dc in same stitch, and 1 dc in next stitch {sk one tr and tr in next front post, go back to the skipped stitch and tr in the front post, dc in the next 2 st, 2 dc in the next st, and 1 dc in next st} repeat  {to} 4 times, sk 1 dc,  tr in the next front post, go back to last stitch missed and tr in front post, dc in the next two stitches, sl st in the starting ch 3. (6 crossover sts, and 6 groups of 5 dc sts.)

Round five:


Ch 3, 1 dc in the same stitch {sk next stitch and tr in next, tr in the sk st, dc in the next 2 st, sk next stitch and tr in next st, tr in sk st, 2 dc in the next st}. Repeat {to} 5 times, sk next stitch and tr in next, tr in the sk st,  slip stitch into beginning ch 3. (12 crossed sts.)

Round six- ten:


Ch 3, 1 dc in the next stitch {sk next st and tr in the next front post, tr in the sk front post, dc in the next 2 st}, repeat {to} 10 times), sk next st and tr in the next front post, tr in the sk front post,  slip stitch into beginning ch 3.

Round eleven – thirteen:


Ch 1, sc in each stitch around, slip stitch into beginning chain. Finish off at the end of round thirteen. Weave ends
in. 

More Patterns You Will Love: 

Tulips Aplenty Dress

Morning Glory Sun Hat