Candied Plantains

mmm...so sweet and delicious
    I just created a new quick and easy recipe to apease my sweet tooth.  These candied plantains can be eaten as a snack or as a garnish to a special sundae featuring vanilla bean ice cream. I recommend using plantains and not bananas there is a difference! Bananas would become too mushy. These hold up great. :)
 (see pics and recipe below)

Candied Plantains
Ingredients:
Plantains - 2 , green or just ripened
Honey - about 2 tbsp.
Granulated Sugar - 1/4 cup
Light Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon - 1-2 tsp

 

To Make: 

Slice plantains evenly (not too thin or too thick), remove skins.

  Drizzle honey in small bowl,set aside. 

Mix sugars and cinnamon together and place on a plate.

 Using a fork dip the plantain slices in honey just on one side then dip into the sugar mixture coating it liberally.

Make sure you get the edges too!

Place them on a lightly sprayed oil coated foil baking sheet and bake at 350* for 15 mins.  Then turn on the broiler for about 5 more minutes to brown the tops.

 Let cool.

 Sprinkle some more cinn/sugar on top  if you like.

Store in an airtight container or plastic baggie.

Makes a great topping on vanilla bean ice cream...

©Britt Elrod April 27, 2010

....................................................................................

Stitches East - making a difference

Stitches East, held in Hartford, CT recently, is one of four markets sponsored by XRX. Always a popular gathering place, it drew yarn enthusiasts from around New England and the country. In between classes and a bustling market, knitters and crocheters stopped by the Warm Up America Share & Care Cafe to say hello, drop off sections, and help assemble afghans. Volunteers also offered to teacher beginners how to knit and crochet lessons. Knitters and crocheters are amazing, caring people. Thanks to you all.


    In between classes and buying yarn, visitors to Stitches East market in Hartford, CT, helped assemble afghans at the Warm Up America booth.

    Evie Rosen, a former yarn retailer and nationally known knitting teacher who resides in Wausau, Wisconsin, came up with the idea for Warm Up America! because she wanted to do something to help the homeless. Her simple concept of asking customers, friends and the community to knit and crochet 7" X 9" sections that would be joined into afghans grew into a nationwide program that has produced more than 250,000 afghans. These afghans have been donated to victims of natural disasters, battered women's shelters, the homeless, and others in need....
read more:  http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/?q=node/328

Thank You Neighbor!

My NEW Pet Project!


    As I stepped outside with my coffee this morning , I noticed this antique chair my neighbor put out on the curb. I couldn't believe it. Sure it was old and beat up but with a little sanding and paint it will be a beauty ( some tlc) . It has great woodwork detailing on the legs and high back seat.   I think I might even crochet some cushions for it.
 
I can't wait to restore and refinish this little treasure!

I will post updates as I go along with the project.
 
Here are the before pics:
 

...needs new seat...close up of chairback detailing

Up to 40% Off on Painting & Dyeing - Arts, Crafts & Sewing with free shipping and No Tax!!!

Crochet Wedding Cake Sachets

                 Cake Sachets- crocheted for charity by Norma Lynn Hood

    This site is absolutely delicious!! Hundreds of sweet delights that are scented with organic lavendar (soooo relaxing) , but can be substituted for other scents such as cocoa , or coffee bean aromas. 

How sweet is that?

Great idea for birthdays , weddings , or tea parties for little girls. They can be centerpieces or place setting holders to great your guests as they arrive and as a keepsake to take with them. 

Just browsing through the gallery of these little crochet confections made my mouth water!  And the best part was no calories! lol

I totally want to make some of these.  Adding to my to-do list right NOW.
For  a list of her free patterns and how to insert the sachet click Here .

Two Tier Cake :

Ingredients:
- 100% Mercerized cotton yarn white, other colors for accent

- size D crochet hook


With white or any other color you desire, form an adjustable ring.

Rnd 1: ch 1, 6 sc in ring, join.

Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in each sc, join. (12)

Rnd 3: ch 1, (1 sc, 2 sc) around, join. (18)

Rnd 4: ch 1, (1 sc, 1 sc, 2 sc) around, join.

(24)

Rnd 5: ch 1, sc around in bk lps, join.

Rnds 6-9: ch 1, sc around, join.

Rnd 10: ch 1. Working in ft lps (1 sc, 2

sc in next) around, join. (36)

Rnd 11: ch 1, sc around, join.

Rnd 12: ch 1, sc around in bk lps, join.

Rnds 13-14: ch 1, sc around. Join with

brown at the end of rnd 14.

Rnds 15-16: ch 1, sc around, join.

Rnd 17: ch 1, sc around in bk lps, join. Fasten off.

Ribbon topping

Ch 11, sc across. Fasten off. Make seven strips. Sew or hot glue to top.

Icing

Lots of creativity with this! You can create a scalloped edge, serrated edge, edge with loops, etc.

Here's a few:



Scalloped (as shown): With the top of the cake facing you, join yarn with a sc in the ft lp. Make 3 more

sc in the same lp, sl st in the next 2 lps. (4 sc in the next, sl st in the next 2 lps) around. Fasten off.

Serrated: Join yarn with a sc, ch 2, sc in same lp, sl st in next 2 lps. (Sc, ch 2, sc in same lp, sl st in

next 2 lps) around. Fasten off. Another variation: join yarn with a sl st, ch 2, sl st in same lp, sl st in next

lp. (Sl st, ch 2, sl st in same lp, sl st in next lp) around. Fasten off.

Ruffled: Join yarn with a sc, make 2 more sc in same lp. (3 sc in ft lp) around. Fasten off.

©Norma Lynn Cake Sachets.

Go to her site for more yummy treats.

http://www.normalynn.info/index.html

Pretty Crochet Flowers for Spring

Pretty Crochet Flowers for Spring!

You can make a pretty garden of flowers that lasts forever with just a few easy steps.
 Embellish that hat, purse/bag, or that great vintage find that just needs some tlc.

I have made a few myself and attached a pin to the back to add a little something special to a boring cardigan.
This one makes a nice keychain/backpack charm:

Or this one I added onto this cloche.
The flower (and trim) is made with mohair yarn and the rest of the hat is Simply Soft 'bone' yarn by Caron.

Here are some sites that give great examples on how to make crochet flowers:

5 easy steps crochet flower pattern

Three flowers in one

Sunflower decoration

Books on Crochet Flowers:

More Great Patterns :

Flowers and Fruit Jar Doilies, Crochet Patterns By Sue Pendleton

Crochet flower dolls

The Right Tools at Hand

Before getting started with any project you should always have the right tools ready at hand.
The right crochet hook is very important in order to get the right size stitch and won't distort your final outcome. If you are following a specific pattern make sure that you check the gauge of the hook and type of yarn , you can even do a sample swatch to make sure. Sometimes even tension can change the look and feel of the product.

Some of the most common hook sets come in these sizes: DEFGHIJ & K.
The smallest hooks are steel and use numbers,the bigger ones are aluminum and start with D and work up to M. There are plastic style hooks but I have found that they will break on you too easily so I stick with the steel and aluminum ones. There are also bamboo crochet hooks which I imagine are very strong since bamboo is a very strong fiber. Double ended crochet hooks are used for tunisian crochet.

Sock Monkey - Signed Sealed and Delivered!

This is one of my favorite amigurumi dolls that I have made!!!

This sockmonkey was requested by my sweet SIL Marcy as a babyshower gift.
As I never really made a crocheted monkey before so I searched the internet high and low for a quick and easy pattern. Low and behold I found one at a great site called "qdpatooties".

Here is the link to the pattern.

Crocheted Sock Monkey Pattern by Lisa Thoms
One with pictures
http://www.qdpatooties.com/crochetedsockmonkeyptrn.htm
and one without...
http://qdpatooties.blogspot.com/2008/05/crocheted-sock-monkey-pattern-without.html
So go check out her site too and make some Sock Monkeys!

Thank you Lisa Thoms for a great pattern!
My Sock Monkey was safely delivered to it's destination and arrived awaiting its new home. :)

Crochet Chart Symbols

Source: Craft Yarn Council of America's www.yarnstandards.com

Top 3 ways to wind a centre-pull ball by hand

Top 3 ways to wind a centre-pull ball by hand

Posted using ShareThis

WIP - Crochet Lace Choker

WIP- Crochet Lace Choker

It takes a LOT of patience for me to work with thread but the pattern I found was so easy I thought I would give it a go. Just needs a another edging on other side and its good to go!

close-up shot:

Plant Hanger

My poor blog is feeling neglected! :(

Sorry it has been so long! Here is my update..... :)

For Spring's arrival I have been busy making some plant hangers.

The first one I made was with a heavy poly twine that I had and it turned out great. Here is a pic of my little Hydrangea that could, it was on the .99 cent rack at the grocery store.I'm nursing it back to health. lol

Next I used up some of my natural cotton using two strands held together.

Using a J or K hook this makes a small 5" pot fit easily.

I may decorate them later with crochet flowers or beads.