Join us on Facebook this Monday evening to countdown to 2013 with Hodge’s and Podge’s dear friends the fatimals. They’ll be posting photos of the events from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, so you can be in on all the action. I’ll be sure to post a recap here on New Year’s Day as well. These are some serious party fatimals, so you know it’s sure to be a good time!
Monthly Archives: December 2012
A Gift You Still Have Time to Make: Super Comfy, Super Quick Knit Scarf
This scarf is the answer for those of us who want to give a handmade gift but are running out of time to make something really special. Bulky yarn, large knitting needles, and a very easy stitch allow for this scarf to be whipped up in under 3 hours (at least that’s how long it took me and I’m not a very fast knitter).
What makes this pattern special, though, is that it creates a fun, unique texture that looks intricate. The lucky person who receives this scarf will never suspect you knit it in an afternoon.
Super Comfy, Super Quick Knit Scarf
Finished Size: 6 inches x 76 inches
Skill Level: Easy
Materials
Bernat Roving bulky yarn in Cranberry,
80% acrylic, 20% wool, 3.5 oz (100 g)/120 yds (109 m): 2 balls
Size 35 (19 mm) knitting needles
Note: The yarn is doubled throughout this pattern.
Abbreviations
k = knit
yo = yarn over
st = stitch
Directions
Cast on 10 stitches.
Row 1: k1, *yo, k2, pass the yarn over st over both knit sts, repeat from * across to last st, k1.
Repeat row 1 for every row.
Bind off loosely and weave in ends.
Springerles: Celebrate the Holidays with This Traditional German Cookie
The springerle is an anise-flavored, eggshell-white cookie that is said to have originated from German-speaking parts of Europe. Typically baked for the holidays, this cookie is best known for its beautiful embossed designs.
I have many fond memories of Christmasses spent with family, the adults relishing the springerles my mother had baked while the kids nibbled at less exotic treats. We kids all considered the springerle to be a stuffy, grownup cookie. “An acquired taste,” my mother would say. I remember how at these holiday gatherings the adult conversation would always turn to a debate over the best way to eat the springerles. Some would claim that they are best when they’re less than a week old and still soft. Others would swear that you should never eat them until at least two weeks had passed, until they are rock hard and require dipping in tea or soaking in rum in order to eat them without breaking a tooth. I didn’t care for them as a child, but the first time I tried one as an adult, I was hooked. Anyone who loves the flavor of licorice will love this cookie too. Continue Reading →
The EZ Cube: Great Gift Idea for Artists, Photographers, and Crafters
Soon after starting this blog, I realized that it would be worthwhile to invest in a photography system to give photographs of my creations a more professional look. While visiting my parents last October, I was working on the Toddler Turkey Hat, and my mom allowed me to use her EZ Cube, essentially a light tent, to photograph my process shots. I was amazed at how the photographs came out, especially since I only had my camera phone at the time. Continue Reading →
Make It! Challenge #2: Christmas Pickle Ornament
Thanks to Alexandra Pflaster for this idea! She challenged me to crochet a traditional Christmas pickle for her to hide in her tree. The story goes that whoever finds the pickle on Christmas morning will be blessed with good luck in the following year.
The tradition of the Christmas pickle originated in the Pennsylvania Dutch town of Lebanon in the year 1806, when little Susie Zook dropped her family’s box of ornaments down the stairs, breaking every last one. Being but quaint farmers, the Zooks didn’t have any other ornaments to hang on the tree; but the cucumber crop had been bountiful that year, and so Mother Zook proposed that they decorate the tree with some of the pickles she had canned. A tree filled with pickles turned out to smell rather unpleasant, so in the years that followed, Mother Zook made the ornaments out of corn husks—but always hid one pickle for good luck. To this day the Zook tradition is continued by families across America to celebrate ingenuity and hope for the future.
Actually, no one is really sure how this tradition started. But it makes me smile to ponder how it came to be.
Follow this pattern to crochet your own Christmas pickle! Continue Reading →
Welcome to Paperland: Live Wallpaper for Android Makes Me Smile
I want to live in Paperland. It’s the only place in the world where you can see rainbows at night, where there are never any traffic accidents and it can snow nonstop but never collect on the road.
This animated wallpaper app offers tons of customizable options, from themes to weather to the number of birds in the sky. With Paperland Pro you can even opt for a Christmas theme where all the trees are decorated with lights, and Santa and his reindeer regularly fly by. It offers a moment of serenity every time you turn on your phone.
