Breast Cancer Beanie

The other day, a friend of mine had asked me if I could crochet a beanie for a friend of hers (that I had never met.) She was going to be starting chemo treatments for breast cancer in the next couple weeks and inevitably would lose her hair. I had never made a beanie, but I was happy to try. Later that day, I met my friend's friend and thought she was such a joy to be around. I was even more happy to make the beanie for someone so sweet and funny! (Not to mention she had one of the cutest Charpet dog I had ever seen!)

Here's how it started:

I got the pattern from a blog called "Knit, Crochet, and Everything Else Fun..." She called it a Spring Spirals Beanie. The spiral pattern is pretty awesome. I will let you go to her blog for the pattern, but here's a couple tips:

1. Her directions confused me when I got down to the 3rd row. She said, "Row 3: *2 sc, 2 sc in next stitch; repeat from * around (24 sts)". You may understand this, but I threw a little temper tantrum trying to figure it out. Translation: 1 single crochet in next 2 stitches, then 2 single crochet in the next stitch - repeat. (I also learned that having to count while crocheting makes me angry. K can attest to it - I think she still has the other side of her face after biting her head off because she was trying to talk to my while I was counting. We wont mention that she didn't know I was counting.)
   
   
2. When doing the brim, she says, "Make sure you do not slip stitch tightly." This is muy importante! She suggested using a larger hook. I didn't listen. I thought, "I got this!" I didn't. I put it on (thankfully before tying it off) and it made me look like that angry cat that's been floating around on the internet. I was lucky and was able to just undo a few rows and it was fine.
3. Use a stitch marker. I have never used one before - don't even own one. I just used a safety pin. I'm not even sure I used it the right way, but it was definitely helpful when crocheting the hat/brim.

Wait! It's not done yet! I thought it would be cute to throw a pink "ribbon" on it. This is where the true battle came in. I did some test runs before I went out and bought pink yarn since I am not a huge fan of pink and this is likely the only project I would do using pink. The test runs were successful in that I could make them, but it was bigger than I wanted. (I didn't take a pic of this one.) So, I tried a thinner yarn. It improved it, but was still too big. (See pic below.) Next, I stuck with that same yarn and just tried a smaller needle, which made the size much better. I think I even left the third row off the one on the bottom.

I got the awesome ribbon pattern from "Little Orphan Skein". I am so grateful to bloggers that share their patterns. If I was creative enough to come up with them on my own, I would absolutely share! The author of this blog created this pattern all on her own while cooking dinner. Impressive! 

Again, I will let you go to her blog for the pattern. She deserves the traffic on her blog for coming up with something so rad!!

Here's the final product:

I am not completely excited about how the ribbon turned out, but it can be easily removed if she feels the same way about it as I do and I won't be offended if she opts to take it off!

Honestly, I feel honored to make this for such a great woman! I hope it helps her through the journey she is embarking on. I have not a doubt in my mind that she will kick cancer's ass!

Cable Stitch Ear Warmer

Last year, I posted this to Facebook, "Pay it forward 2012. I promise to make something hand made to the first 5 people that comment. Then post this to your status and do the same... It can be as simple as a coffee, hand written note, or something more. Just has to be done in 2012."

I failed. 

The last week in December, I was wracking my brain to remember who the five people were. I told myself I was going to get them something before the end of the year, even if it was just a handmade card. 

I failed again. 

So I told myself, better late than never and I promised myself to get them something ASAP in 2013 and if I am feeling inspired to keep going, I will repost that post for 2013 and procrastinate till next year again.

Well, with this project, I have one less failure. 1 down, 4 to go. (If you're one of the four left, yours is coming, I promise!)

It's called "Cable Stitch 'Jenna' Headband" from Sadie's Basket.
(Which made it really hard to not want to give this to my good friend Jenna over at Bows and Leopard.)

I think it is more than a headband - it's also an ear warmer so I thought it was the perfect gift for my friend that lives in cold-ass Colorado.

Supplies:

• Crochet hook ‘I’
• Simply Soft Yarn
• 1 or 2 buttons for closure
• Sewing needle

Abbreviations Used:

• ch: chain
• sts: stitches
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• fptr: front post triple crochet
• bptr: back post triple crochet

Headband:

-chain 13 (or any number that leaves 4 cable stitches in the middle and an even number of stitches on both sides- So here I wanted 4,4,4 so the ch 13 will make 12 sts)

Row 1: sc in 2^nd chain and each remaining chain, turn

Row 2: ch 2 (counts as first hdc here and throughout), hdc in each of the remaining 11 sts, turn (12 sts total)

Row 3: ch 2, hdc in next 3 sts, fptr in post of each of the next 4 hdc, hdc in each of 4 remaining st, turn

Row 4: ch 2, hdc in next 3 sts, bptr in post of each of the 4 fptr, hdc in 4 remaining st, turn

Row 5: ch 2, hdc in next 3 sts, skip the next 2 stitches (sts 1 & 2) and fptr in post of 3^rd bptr and 4^th bptr, then go back to the 2 skipped sts and fptr in the post of the 1^st bptr and 2^nd bptr (in that order every time- 3, 4, 1, 2), hdc in remaining 4 sts, turn 
(*make sure when you do the fptr in the 1st bptr and 2nd bptr, you are doing these over top (or in front of) the 3rd and 4th stitches. This is what gives it the cross-over look*)

Row 6: repeat row 4

Row 7: repeat row 5

Row 8: repeat row 4

Row 9: repeat row 5

-Continue this pattern until the headband measures about 19”-20" long, finishing with row 4. (about 20 cross-overs)

-Row ? (however long your headband is): repeat row 3

-Hdc 2 rows as the ending edge. Tie off.

Sew in ends and attach button between the 2 hdc rows at the end. When buttoning the headband, I just slip the button through the middle of the 4 cable stitches- there should be a big enough gap.

 

I struggled a bit with the end. I am pretty sure that was the first time I have ever sewed a button in my life. Hopefully it doesn't fall apart after the first time she uses and. If I lived somewhere colder, I would definitely make one for myself! 

Crochet Bow

How cute is this little guy?!

Before Christmas, some of my co-workers were doing some crochet projects that included a bow. I, personally, am not a big bow kind of girl, but that doesn't mean I cant appreciate a cute bow! I immediately came home and searched for a bow pattern on Pinterest.

The other night I finished up a crochet project (to be blogged in a few days - it has to make it to it's recipient before I can blog about it) and I didn't really want to be done crocheting so I decided to make a bow. I chose this one from Abby's Crafts.

Here's how you do it:

Chain 19.
Half Double Crochet (HDC) in 3rd to the last chain. Continue with HDC in each chain so you have 17 HDC's.
Turn, chain two, HDC in the rest of the row. (The two chains counts as one HDC)
Do this until you have seven rows of HDC's.
Weave the string to the center.
Fold 1/4 of the way, like an accordion, so it is folded three times. (Click here for a pic)
Wrap the yarn around the folds.
Tie off.
Weave in the loose ends.

So simple, so cute! Not sure what I will use it for. It would easily slide over a headband... Or maybe I will make a beenie and sew it on... I am sure I will figure out something to do with it. It's too cute not to do something with.

Chicken N Dumplin Soup

I absolutely LOVE Chicken N Dumplins. Our friends makes some that are to die for simply because they remind me of home. I don't really know why they remind me of home because I am not sure that I really recall my mom ever making them, but I guess they remind me of home in that they're just good ol' comfort food.

Anywho, K doesn't really like Chicken N Dumplins - she says because there's no veggies. So when I saw this recipe that had veggies in it, I thought I would give it a try.

There was no real adventure in this cooking. It went off without a hitch. Shocking, I know.

I am not really sure how this "soup" differs from the real other than the veggies, but the "soup" was surprisingly delish. (I am often surprised when something I make turns out good. LOL - will that ever go away?) And it was filling!

I was super skeptical with the biscuits... I didn't think they were going to be cooked right, but if I have learned one thing in cooking, it is to trust the process. So, I did and it paid off!

My only complaint? It's not as good as left overs. (Which I also think about real Chicken N Dumplins.) And if there's a next time, I would rather do a fresh veggie medley than used canned.

Chicken and Dumplin’ Soup
10 3⁄4-oz. can cream of chicken soup
4 c. chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I poached mine)
2 (15-oz.) cans mixed vegetables
12-oz. tube refrigerated biscuits, quartered (I halved the quarters and still cut them down when I was eating it)
Optional: pepper to taste

Combine soup and broth in a 6-quart stockpot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking until smooth. Stir in chicken and vegetables; bring to a boil. 
Drop biscuit quarters into soup; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Let soup sit 10 minutes before serving.
Sprinkle each serving with pepper, if desired. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe compliments of this blog.

Weight Watchers Confirmation

I have been seriously thinking about re-joining Weight Watchers (WW) lately.  While I am not at my biggest, I am probably just a couple pounds shy of my biggest. I told K the other day - I have to do something. I am uncomfortable in my own skin and I just want to be able to cross my legs without having to tuck or hold my foot! 

She had a point - we spend quite a bit of money every month to maintain her health, why shouldn't I be able to do the same for my health? Great point, K. So I have been thinking about joining WW and figuring out if it's even feasible with my weird hours and I will be out of town for two weeks... and can we really budget for it... you know, finding all the reasons to procrastinate or not do it at all. 

And then today happened. 

I was at the grocery store, picking some things up for the week. (I would like it noted that they were even healthier choices! More fruits and veggies, less chips and cookies.)

Anyway, I am in the yogurt section. 

Nearby is a perfectly skinny teenage girl and her perfectly skinny mother. 

As I grab the yogurt I need, I knock a couple packages of gold fish off the little kiosk that I would like to tell myself was set up to close to the yogurts anyway. (Although, I just realized that this is just another confirmation that I need to join WW.)

Me, being the courteous person I am, I squat down and pick them up. 

And I freeze. 

Did that really just happen? 

OMG

I reach back behind my leg and...

 

Yep, it happened. 

There is no Instagram filter to make this situation pretty.
It's as ugly as it gets. 

It's as real as it gets.

Humiliating at first, hysterical later.

Apparently, at some point, the perfectly skinny teenage girl saw what happened because I saw her quickly walk over to her mom and talk to her in hushed tones. 

I calmly removed my sweater and tied it around my waist and finished my shopping. 

A couple aisles later, in the rather drafty frozen food aisle, I run into this perfectly skinny mother daughter combo again and the daughter once again, quickly walks over to her mom to point me out and whisper about my mishap while the mother pretends to be (rather loudly) contemplating what ice cream treat they should get. 

 Go ahead, get your ice cream.... get 10 ice creams... and then when your pants split, you'll remember me and have compassion instead of judgement - skinny bitches. LOL

In my defense, these pants are probably a good 7-10 years old and worn rather thin. 

Needless to say though, thin pants or not, I will be joining WW next month.

Got any good WW recipes you want to share? 

;o)