Mexican Food

Hello!!!

Thank you for joining me.  This blog will be pretty busy over the next couple of months.  I will be adding a new one each week.  Today I will be focusing on three foods a cheese enchilada, a green burrito, and nachos.  All of these are made with polymer clay.  If there is a great interest perhaps I will do tutorial blogs, or you tube videos.  as for now I will just share my photos. 

The cheese enchilada plate is quite cute, if you look closely, you will notice the cheese inside the sides of the enchilada.  I also put a great deal of time into making the rice and beans.  The enchilada is topped with a red sauce, and and olive slice.

The green burrito is smothered with a suiza sauce, then topped with cheese, sour cream, and an olive slice.

The nachos are my favorite of the three.  They have tomatoes, green peppers, and some sour cream.  Please feel free to take a look at all the photos.  You can enlarge them a great deal by clicking on the image. I welcome your comments, and ideas.  I am making several of these at a time, so they will be offered in limited quantity at my etsy shop...  Thanks everyone!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Heathernwells


Heather 

Chocolate Truffles...Yum!

Welcome Back

While enjoying a wonderfully delicious marzipan truffle from See's the other day, I decided to make some chocolate truffle beads.  As always I wanted to share.   So here are some photos and info about the beads including materials and such.  They are very easy to make.  So if you like this, and would like me to make a tutorial on You Tube, please reply to this Blog post.  If I get 10 replies, I will put up a tutorial by Thanksgiving at the latest.

The wonderful thing about these beads, are that there are NO polymer clay tools needed.  I used four colors of  Premo polymer clay.

Dark chocolate Recipe- Chocolate 

Milk chocolate recipe- Chocolate, white, ecru

White chocolate recipe- White, a pinch of ecru, a pinch of chocolate

Raspberry recipe- Fuschia, tiny bit of white

 The only tools required for the bracelet are crimping or flat nosed pliers, and wire cutters

Three family members are already wearing them...They couldn't wait for the holidays ; )

These can be easily be made into charms and stitch markers for knitting too!!!

Each tiny bead costs about 5 cents in clay.  Each bracelet costs me about $4.25 to make. It can be more or less depending on the clasp you choose, and whether or not you use crystal beads.  My clasp was $2.00, and the crystal beads were $1.30 

 All the supplies can be found at most local craft stores.  I hope that this has given you some inspiration. I enjoyed making them.  If you want a tutorial please request one in the reply section of this post.  

Thank You for reading 

Happy Crafting

Heather

                        

                      

                    

Little Bo Peep Layette

My brother is going to have a cute baby boy.  I crocheted a blanket from a pattern called Little Bo Peep Layette. The designer is Michele Thompson.  The cover of my leaflet fell off, and was lost long ago... But it was published by Coats and Clark in 2000.  Today I will review the pattern, and share some photos.

 I used denim blue, light blue, and white yarn.  I chose Lion Brand, Pound of Love.  I purchased one Skein of each color, and I have enough left over to make a baby sweater and hat.   I used sizes U.S. F, and U.S. G hooks.

I did make this blanket years ago, and made a mental note to never make it again.  I remember that it just seemed to take forever to make.  This was before I learned to knit though....  and acquired a much greater degree of patience.

This afghan starts with a checkered section.  The directions were well written, and easy to follow.  I started this while my boyfriend and I were driving to Vegas.  I forgot to repeat the rows 3-8 that the pattern had clearly written out for me to repeat, and completed a light blue section before realizing I made the mistake.   What a rookie thing to do!!!  I refused to rip out the 30 rows of sc that I just completed.  I would normally rip it down to the repeat, but I find doing rows of nothing but sc extremely tedious. I ultimately decided that I would leave the 3-8 repeat of rows off the last section of the afghan.       

 
Everything in the pattern (of the body of the afghan) is correct. It was fun to complete the checkered sections, but I found myself having to bribe myself with various treats to finish the sc sections.  

The sheep were fun to make.  it involves making a loop stitch.  Very interesting doing it over the first row, but you will get the hang of it by row three if you haven't come across it before.  The pattern directions for the sheep are written correctly. The original pattern uses tiny buttons for eyes, and ribbons around the necks of the sheep.  For safety reasons I made french knots for the eyes, and omitted the ribbon bows around their necks.   I also made eleven sheep instead of twelve, and placed three sheep (instead of four)  in the middle section.   A quick note... being left handed, my sheep face left instead of right.

Overall I enjoy the pattern..  It is well written, yardage requirements are accurate, and the finished afghan looks the way it should.   After spending many years knitting, it wasn't nearly as tedious as I remember it being from years back.   I love the way it turned out, and hope that Eric and Amber like it as well.    I would suggest this pattern to anyone, advanced beginner and up, this pattern uses sc, and dc.  Then loop stitch is introduced in making the sheep, which are sewn in place after completing them.  Although a bit of patience is required. 

Note:  if you sew through the top half of the sc you wont have any of the sewing yarn showing on the back side at all.  

I know that this pattern was also published in a thicker book by leisure arts.  I would have mentioned it before, but it was a book have given away, and forgotten the name of.   I would be happy to answer any questions about this pattern, if any of you decide to make it and need help or want to complain through sc sections :).

Heather

A Slipped Cable Hat

During the 2010 winter Ravelympics, I decided to make baby hats for charity.  It was also another way for me to use up some stash.  Here is a cute hat that I created.  The hat is based off of a cable that I found in "A Second Treasury of Knitting  Patterns" from Barbara G. Walker. As a friendly reminder, if you want to share this pattern please print it from this blog.

Materials:
1 skein of Sport weight yarn: Examples: Patons Beehive Baby Sport
U.S. 5/ 3.75 mm needles
Gauge: 10 Stitches, and 9 rows per inch (Without stretching)

Sizes: 0-3 mos (3-6 mos, 6-12 mos, toddler)

Note: You can also use size 3 or 4 U.S. needles, if you wanted to make any of these a bit smaller.  For the crown shaping to turn out nicely, you must have a multiple of 20.

Slip St Cable: Drop slipped st off needle, and leave in front of work, slip next 3 stitches to the right needle, drop next slipped st.  place the first slipped stitch on left hand needle, slip 3 stitches from right needle back to the left needle place remaining slipped stitch back on left needle then knit these five stitches.

Pattern dec:  Slip next stitch to right needle, place next stitch on a holder, slip next stitch on right needle, place stitch from holder onto left needle, slip two stitches from right needle back to left needle.  Knit these three stitches tog.

Cast on 120 (140, 160, 180) and evenly divide on dpns, be careful not to twist, join in the round

Rnds 1-5:  *P2, K5, P2, K1.  Repeat from *around.
Rnds 6-7:  *P2, Wyib Sl1, K3, Wyib Sl1, P2, K1. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 8: *P2, Work slip st cable, P2, K1. Repeat from * around.

Repeat these 8 Rnds, until piece measures  3.5"( 4", 4.5", 5") 

Shape Crown

Rnd 1:  *P2, K5, P1, work pattern dec, P1, K5, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 2:  *P2, K5, P1, K1, P1, K5, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 3:  *P2, K5, work pattern dec, K5, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 4:  *P2, K11, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 5:  *P2, K4, work pattern dec, K4, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 6:  *P2, K9, P2, K1. Repeat from * around
Rnd 7:  *P2, K3, work pattern dec, K3, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 8:  *P2, K7, P2, K1.  Repeat from *around
Rnd 9:  *P2, K2, work pattern dec, K2, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 10: *P2, K5, P2, K1. Repeat from * around
Rnd 11: *P2,   K1, work pattern dec, K1, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 12:  *P2, K3, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 13:  *P2, work pattern dec, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 14:  *P2, K1, P2, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 15:  *P1, work pattern dec, P1, K1.  Repeat from * around
Rnd 16:  *P1, K1. Repeat from * around
Rnd 17:  K2tog around

Cut string and pull through remaining stitches.  Weave in ends. 
Hoped you liked this hat pattern!!   

Hello everyone,  : )
Thank you all for participating in the blog contest!

I the bunny pattern in the photo, is from The Knitted Teddy Bear, from Sandra Polley.  It is the bear on the cover of the book, I will discuss what changes I made below.

The winner of the yardage contest was lil bean,   She guessed 2100 yards.  The actual yardage was 1,993 yards.   I hope that you can make something nice with the yarn!

This bunny's pattern name is Thomas.  I made 300 yards of yarn by using 1 yard increments from the left over yarn from the blanket.  I think that this is another fun way to use up stash yarn. I used a size U.S. 2 needle to knit him up.  I followed the bear pattern exactly.  I decided to knit up bunny ears instead, tommorow  I will be updating this blog, to add the ear pattern, and tell you about a type-o in the pattern itself.


Thanks

Heather

Completing The Afghan

Today the contest begins.  At the bottom of this blog there will be a photo of my left over yarn.  If you would like it, post a comment stating how much yarn you think there is.  You can guess in yards or meters.  The person who guesses closest wins!  I will announce the yardage, and winner in my next blog.  April 15.

Yarn 29:Smooth
Second Treasury of knitting patterns.

Yarn 30: Ribbon                                      Yarn 31: Slightly textured

Anny Blatt Victoria                                   Seed Stitch

2 rows Reverse stockinette

Yarn 32: Smooth                                        Yarn 33: Smooth

2 rows Garter                                             Baby Alpaca

                                                                   Second treasury of Knitting

Yarn 34: Ribbon                                  Yarn 35: Trendsetter
Linen Stitch                                           a ruffle yarn, 1 row stockinette

Yarn 36: Arabesque (Trendsetter)         Yarn 37: Smooth
Stockinette                                            Stockinette

Yarn 38: 1 strand arabesque, 1 strand eyelash
2 rows reverse Stockinette

Yarn 39: Smooth                                      Yarn 40: Baby Alpaca
Knit 3 Purl 5 rib                                        Stockinette

Yarn 41: Smooth                                      Yarn 42: Eyelash
2 rows reverse stockinette                         2 rows reverse stockinette

Yarn 43: Slightly textured
Stockinette, then bind off!!!

All done yea!!

Now here are the photos of the yarn that will be given away.  To enter the contest, post much much yardage you think there is in the photos.  I will announce the winner on the 15th of April.  Good luck to you all.  

Yarn Give Away

Thank you all for continuing to read my blog.  I hoped you liked this project.  Sadly this blanket will be completed in the next post.  If you liked the color combination Please read my next post titled Completing The Afghan.  At the close of my next post, I will run a contest.  The winner will receive the rest of  the afghan yarn.  There will be a large amount.  Here is how it will work.

 300 yards will be reserved.. divided evenly among the yarns I used (for a matching teddy).  This is a blanket for my little guy.  Then I will hank all partial skeins (so yardage can be determined).  At the end of the next post there will be a couple photos of all the yarn someone will win.  To enter the contest simply post a response to the blog guessing how much yardage (you can guess in yards or meters)  there is in the photos.  The person that guesses the amount of yardage closest, gets all the yarn.  I will take responses while the teddy is being knit (should be about 10 days)  When the teddy is finished, I will post a photo of him, and announce the winner.  

Note:  Additionally a few full skeins will be sent to the winner.  These skeins were intended to go into the blanket but I ultimately decided against them.. The full skeins will also be included in the photos so you can calculate that yardage into your guesses.

Good Luck!!!
Heather