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New Blog Post at the WordPress blog.

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Head on over to my wordpress for a new post all about grannys and how cool they can be.

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New Post over at thecraftyhooker.wordpress.com!

I'm movin'!

Not away from Ann Arbor... but over to WordPress. Blogger has been a little too glitchy for me as of late. So go on over to thecraftyhooker.wordpress.com and there you shall find me.

Toodle loo!

photo from protonepedals.com

Mrs. Beans Famous Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps

My favorite movie of all time is probably Chicken Run. But in the last five years, my favorite move has been: The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

That movie is spectacular for so many reasons that to speak of them would be too much for this blog alone. But in one scene, two of the wee foxes come upon a batch of Mrs. Bean's Famous Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps.

I have discovered this recipe, thanks to Mario Batali (my favorite Iron Chef thank you very much) who wrote the recipe.

I used salted butter when the recipe called for unsalted and I didn't use 3 tablespoons of fresh ginger like I was supposed to, I only used 1. This recipe made... a gazillion cookies too which is always a positive.

So anyway, these cookies are pretty awesome. And by pretty awesome I mean EXTREMELY awesome. And now I am going to eat them. All.

for more info on The Fantastic Mr. Fox and more on the cookie recipe go to: rushmoreacademy.com

Look what my mom made

She totally showed me up...

Finished Products

Winter in the midwest... Oh how I dream of spring...

But now to happier thoughts! Like... my finished projects! Hooray!!! Exclamation Points!!!

First is my wine colored cap. Its long and its warm, but its not what one might call... cute. Its definitely comfortable and on those cold -13 degree days it does the job. Its just not gonna win any fashion prizes. Ever.

I loved working with the yarn though. Its the first time I've worked with bulky Cascade. The yarn is soft, but still has some body to it, which means its nice on the hands, and it doesn't just flop over. I did screw up the decrease, when I dropped a stitch and then picked it up with the wrong DPN, but my mom told me no one will notice so... fingers crossed.

I also finished the cutest damn baby hat ever. Working with teeny tiny metal hooks was really

rough on my fingers. I think my index fingers are bruised on the ends. I also had to give up on my scottish yarn when, while at a very bizarre superbowl party, literally ripped a stitch in half. Disheartened, I ripped the whole thing out, which was stupid but alas.

So instead of I used my sport weight Cascade in turtle and a dusty brown. This yarn was much stronger and just like it's chunky brother, was still very soft. It held up to my super, stitch ripping powers and still looks very cute. I like the color combo too.

And now to make some baby booties to match the hat!

Double the Double Points

I'm sure you heard about this snow storm that just hit Michigan (and like... 30 other states...). It was pretty weak up in Ann Arbor. In Chicago they got like 20 feet (I may be exaggerating), here we got closer to 5 inches.

So while everyone was flipping out, pulling their hair and generally acting like the world was coming to a close, I was spinning yarn and knitting. It was a nice alternative, let me assure you.

First up, my husband's cousin is having a little baby boy in

May which means... baby hats! Baby hats are so much more awesome than adult hats because they take half the time and they are so much cuter.

I'm using a pattern I got on Ravelry from Ulli S. Shibuya, of pure handmade. If you ever want to see an amazing tumblr go there. Its positively gorgeous.

Anyway, this hat is pretty simple and extra lovely and the yarn that I'm using is all the way from Scotland (care of my best friend who resides in said country). Its St. Magnus DK weight (from Orkney Angora). Its 50% angora and 50% wool and from Orkney Scotland so I feel super special using it.

Hopefully the little bugger likes his hat. Luckily it wont really matter if he likes it or not, it only matters that his mom does.

The other hat I am working on currently (cuz you have to have 2 projects at once... its like an unspoken rule) is made from my all time favorite yarn company - Cascade. I'm using the bulky variety in a gorgeous shade of red/burgundy/wine.

I'm using my bamboo needles from Hiya Hiya. How lovely. I like how earthy the wood feels, and these needles slide just enough so you don't have to yank the yarn, but you also don't have to worry about the yarn slipping off. I have put stoppers on the ends though, just to make sure that nothing catastrophic happens and I don't end up crying.

I like the feel of this hat already. It heavy and warm and the yarn is going to be gorgeous knit up like this. Well hopefully. Unless I drop a stitch and then start cursing and throw it at the wall.

Lastly today, I spun a little. A little off subject, but has anyone ever tried looking up a spinning

class and just found a ton of bike classes and gym ads? I always forget that not everyone in the world is looking for yarn related items. Jeeeeez google... don't you know that when I type something into your search engine its more than likely related to yarn...?

Anywho, I just started spinning in November and I haven't been the most dedicated student, but I decided today (after reading my friend Mandy's blog) that I should probably get back to work. My work isn't nearly as gorgeous as hers, and my yarn is a little uneven, but I'm getting the hang of it. Hopefully someday I can spin all my own yarn, on my own farm, in the middle of Idaho/Utah/Montana. That will be awesome.

Til then, I guess I'll keep knitting that baby hat....

Double Pointed Needles

I have tackled circular needles and I have used my straight needles to my best ability, and now I have attempted the scariest needle of all: Double Pointed Needles.

I have stayed away from these sinister looking tools for as a long as I possibly could. But then my mom and I were video chatting and she taught me from thousands of miles away how to knit a third way.

I have no plan with this lavender yarn, but I am enjoying playing with my new needles.

In case you were lookin for a pair of nice needles, Hiya Hiya Bamboo 6 mm needles are what I am using. I also really like using turbo circular needles (in case you were curious).

Now, the whole reason why I wanted to learn how to use DPNs is so I could start to use Lee Meredith's patterns to make my own sweet hats. So hopefully, now that I am feeling more confident, I can start knitting cooler things.

Bitches Get Stitches

I love blogs. They brighten my day and make fiber worth knitting and crocheting. So when I found Bitches Get Stitches a couple months ago, my week, no wait, my life was instantly a little brighter.

Steven is super sassy, and his work is gorgeous. He's a yarn snob and he's not shy about telling you about it. He takes beautiful photos, and he gets to go to NYC, Rhinebeck, Blue Moon Fiber Arts. In short, I am jealous of both his skills and his travels.

If you're in search of a witty blogger who updates constantly, will make you laugh, and will inspire you to blog more often, go take a peek at his blog.

In other news, my hat is still coming along. Its slow work, but I haven't given up yet, so I can still be proud of myself.

I also enrolled in a ceramics class and a painting class at the junior college by my house and today was my first day. Although I think the next few months will be a little messy... I think they'll be creative so that's a positive.

Its currently snowing like crazy outside and my dog is staring at the falling flakes as if they will run away from him and play fetch. I think he's getting cabin fever....

Warm and Happy Cable Love

I feel like I need to apologize to Ann Arbor for being too cruel in my last post. Its not so bad here. Though its flat and gray, the lack of winter time activities leaves lots of time for me to crochet which I can't really complain about at length.

I thought I'd update my photos, like I said I would. I also think I should update you on what's on my hook(s).

I am working on another Alpine Cables hat from Special Techniques in Crochet. I absolutely adore this pattern. Its complex and complicated and so much fun to make.

I think you can probably gather from my writings that I am obsessed with cables. I have learned to knit cables, and while they are incredibly easy, there is something so fascinating (and might I add, warm) about crocheting a cable. I like that I can actually see my cables getting moved around. Its like a puzzle, fitting together.

Plus, if you're using Cascade 220 in Turtle green, its so easy to get intoxicated by the whole process. Cables are like magic to me. Warm, yarny magic.

SLC Visit

As you know, I moved cross country to the fabulous Ann Arbor, MI (and I mean fabulous with all the sarcasm I can muster...).

Well my parents randomly moved to SLC right after I moved away from it. This is actually kind of awesome, because now I can always return to my beloved Utah (and no folks, I'm not LDS. I know you were thinkin' it). So I spent 10 days in the gorgeous blue skied, and 2 foot of powder covered, Utah.

And of course I visited Blazing Needles. If you live anywhere near Salt Lake City, UT and you haven't been to Blazing Needles, you are seriously missing out. This shop is my favorite place to buy yarn. Great selection, great people, great prices. I mean seriously. Could you ask for more?

Obviously I bought a TON of yarn. Mmm. Makes me so happy.

First and foremost I stocked up on Cascade. I bought 220, 128 bulky and sport weight yarns and I'm still completely in love with this yarn.

I also bought the last of the Lambs Pride they had. I guess they're clearing the brand out of their shelves, which is fine cuz I got it for 5 dollars and I have every intention of making a felted purse with it.

I also bought some baby alpaca by Mirasol called Miski. I love this yarn. Its heavenly and soft and really easy to work with. Its thick too, not sport weight which is often what I find with alpaca. If you can find this yarn at your local shop, I'd invest in a skein (or 3 like I did). I made Pete's nana a cabled hat for Christmas, like I told her I would last year. I suck, but at least I'm trying not to.

I would have put up more pictures (believe me, I took them) but Blogger is destroying my life currently. I've tried to post this 3 times over 3 days and have failed every time because of the site. Why do you hate me blogger??

Stay tuned for more pictures....

photo from Blazing Needles

FAQ

So I'm planning a new post all about my Utah vacation, but I thought I'd drop a real quick blog post since it's been 2 weeks since my last update.

I updated the last post, so the last few rows are correct. Sorry about any confusion with that. Anytime you see something like that, please don't hesitate to let me know! So thanks Awesome 4 for keeping me straight.

As far as resources go for learning to crochet and read patterns, the best bet for me was reading the back of a Crochet Today magazine and finally looking at drawings and a breakdown of abbreviations and stitches. It took me from a basic crocheter into a much more advanced one. You can always go to Ravelry.com and Crochetme.com for more resources. Ravelry's message boards are great and the people on there are pretty great.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm always on the computer, so I'll get your message and get right back to you!

-Sarah

picture from tmonews.com