A Little Different FO Friday

Posted on September 26, 2014 by atangledyarn84

We’ve had quite the week here at A Tangled Yarn. Jellybean chose to make his arrival two weeks early. Yep , jellybean is a boy! He is happy and healthy at 7 lbs 10oz, 21 inches, and a full head of blonde/brown hair.

My water broke at 2:30 am and we didn’t get to meet him until 8:54 that evening. Turns out he wasn’t properly positioned and a c-section was necessary. That’s 18 hours plus surgery folks…I’m beat and more than a little sore.

I’m going to be on hiatus for a bit while I heal and get used to this whole breastfeeding mommy thing. I have a few knitty things to share and I hope to sneak in a few therapeutic stitches in as well. So you might see me pop up here and there. But mostly I’m just going to snuggle my little man!

Happy Friday!

Baby-Itis….More Hats

Posted on September 22, 2014 by atangledyarn84

Still counting down to Jellybean’s arrival. Sorry if it’s getting a little repetitive but I don’t have a lot else to think about lately since I’m smuggling a watermelon under my t-shirt, lol. After the success my Candy Corn Hat and Booties last week I felt the itch to make more winter hats for Jellybean. I figure it wouldn’t hurt to have several in different sizes on hand.

First up, Newborn Hat with Seed Stitch Trim by the Mucky Mackbook. This is a free pattern and not a lot of people have made this yet. So fingers crossed it works well. I plan to knit this some super soft Berroco Comfort DK in a royal like blue color.

Next, Checkerboard Hat by Heidi Sunday. This pattern has a lot more hits and completed projects. So I’m guessing this one should be pretty easy. For this cap I pulled some Knit Picks Comfy Worsted in Celestial.

Lastly, I felt Jellybean needed some more booties. I found these adorable creations in my queue, Rolled Cuff Baby Booties by Nickie Alexander. This pattern has a crazy amount of FOs so I don’t have any worries. And the photos of the projects are adorable! For softness and ease of care I pulled some Caron Simply Soft from stash. I chose the color Pagoda for a nice rich dark fabric.

Stayed tuned to see my progress! Happy Knitting 😉

My New Favorite Pork Roast

Posted on September 20, 2014 by atangledyarn84

I accidentally invented a new favorite recipe. And I thought I’d drop a quick post to share with you all! The hubby and I wanted to cook up some pulled pork for our friends at out Baby-Q a few weeks back. Normally I chuck a pork butt in a crock pot with some salt and pepper and go low and slow for most of a day. But because pork and apple go so well together and I have so much apple jelly this year and I added the two together.

Homemade Apple Jelly Pork Roast

5-7 lbs pork butt/shoulder
1/2 pint of homemade apple jelly
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Place the pork fat side up in a crock pot. Sprinkle dry seasonings all over the pork. Using spatula spread apple jelly all over the pork and deposit any leftover around the meat. Cook on low 8 hours or until pork is fork tender. (You can adjust your seasonings according to your own taste. I don’t always measure exactly so do what feels right.)

You can also cook this in an oven in a roasting pan. Just set your oven to 185 or 200 degrees and cook 8-9 hours. However, this method might require more frequent checking of the meat since the oven will pull out more moisture than the crock pot.

Not only did this make everyone in the house drool for hours, it was some of the best pork I’ve ever eaten. It was uber moist with just the slightest hint of apple. We literally at it so fast that I didn’t even have time to take photos for you. But I promise this won’t disappoint!

Enjoy!

FO Friday: Candy Corn Hat and Booties

Posted on September 19, 2014 by atangledyarn84

Happy Friday!! I have a FO to show you 🙂

My Candy Corn Hat and Booties are done! This was a crazy fast knit. Including the fact that I basically knit the hat twice. I chose to knit the hat in the round on a circular instead of double pointed needles. This caused an EPIC pattern reading fail that I didn’t notice until I was almost done. But I digress…

Pattern: Candy Corn Hat and Booties by Lion Brand Yarn

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Off-White and Sunshine and Vanna’s Choice in Terracotta. I used very little yarn. All told it was 47 gram or 67.7 yards of yarn. Obviously much more yellow and orange than white. This would great for using up scraps!

Needles: US 8 circulars

Mods: I cast on 68 stitches instead of the pattern prescribed 60 to allow for growing room for Jellybean and the fact that my husband’s family tends to grow big headed babies, lol. My project is Raveled here.

Depending on baby size and weather, this might be Jellybean’s Halloween costume. We will see what the baby brain fog brings. For now I’m just going to continue to knit until he or she gets here!

Happy Knitting!

Waste Not Want Not

Posted on September 18, 2014 by atangledyarn84

Due to fits of KNIT ALL THE THINGS and a constant cast of cast-itis I’m always in need of project bags and yarn protection. I’m guessing this will become doubly important when Jellybean gets older/mobile/grabby lol!

As I was unpacking and washing baby gifts I had this plastic bag that housed two hooded baby bath towels. It was of a decent grade plastic and closed with easy snaps…

I just couldn’t hurl into the recycle bin with all the other packing material detritus. So when I cast on for Jellybean’s Candy Corn set yesterday I tucked my yarn into it.

It fit two of my three skeins of yarn. It open enough for yarn to feed out and to prevent dog hair and other dirt from grabbing on as I knit! Not to mention it’s clear and I can see the contents without opening. My grandparents always said “waste not want not” and I guess it stuck. This bag is just right for hats, gloves, socks, or other small projects. And it was free, to me at least.

Have you ever used anything quirky for a project bag or yarn holder?

WIP Wednesday: Candy Corn Hat and Booties

Posted on September 17, 2014 by atangledyarn84

Since Jellybean is going to be a fall baby I couldn’t resist whipping up a little Halloween fun. Since I’ll probably be in the throes of “new mommy fog” come late October this might also be Jellybean’s Halloween costume…

Pattern: Candy Corn Hat and Booties by Lion Brand Yarn

Needles: US 8 circs

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in yellow and off-white and Vanna’s Choice in terra cotta

It’s coming along quickly! I upped my stitch count from the pattern 60 to 68 to account for the likely size of the offspring that comes from my 6’4″ husband, lol. Chloe is generously helping as well…okay she is mostly snuggling and snoring.

Anyone else out there making Halloween plans yet?

Holy Cow!

Posted on September 16, 2014 by atangledyarn84

I’ve written before that my mother is also a “crafter” and I come by this urge ~~compulsion~~ hereditarily. Now she primarily sews, cross stitches, quilts, and crotchets. I stay firmly in knitting with a bit of sewing thrown in. Possibly a bit of mother/daughter rebellion?

But I digress….upon her last visit my mother brought this little crocheted gem for Jellybean’s nursery.

This is a delightful toy made from a book she picked up at Joann’s Fabric. (I can’t remember what the title was.) But momma whipped this up in no time out of some Caron Simply soft acrylic. I have named her Betsy, fitting don’t you think? Now to find her a place to live in the nursery…

I have no doubt that this is the first of many toys and grandma surprises. Jellybean is going to up to his or her eyeballs in yarny goodness between the two of us!

Happy crafting!

Appreciation Of Craftmenship

Posted on September 15, 2014 by atangledyarn84

A dear and beloved friend from my college days bestowed Jellybean and I with the most squee worthy and hormone tear inducing baby quilt.

My friends, I’m not a quilter but my mother is. I can spot quality. Let me tell you this piece is impeccably made. My dear friend commissioned this from a local quilter in the great city of Portland, OR. It’s a 100% cotton pieced top to match my nursery colors and a solid minky backing for pure heavenly delight. Not a seam out of place and made with loving care!

Pardon me while I sit in my nursery rocker and pet this lovely whilst waiting for Jellybean to get here….only 20-ish days to go! I can’t wait to wrap my little one up in this huggable blanket!

Holy Crap…More Tomatoes

Posted on September 13, 2014 by atangledyarn84

I must be a masochist…or really love my husband. I’m peeling, blending, cooking, and canning 6 more gallon bags of homegrown tomatoes today. All so I can feed his salsa addiction over the winter and possibly give salsa out as Christmas gifts…

At least this cooking day I invested in a stool for the kitchen to rest my swollen preggo feet. Kind of a fool me once fool me twice kind of epiphany, lol.

This should be the last hurrah for my canner this summer and then I’m going to KNIT ALL THE THINGS until jellybean arrives!

Happy Saturday!

FO Friday: Jellybean’s Blanket

Posted on September 12, 2014 by atangledyarn84

It’s done!!

The edging turned out beautifully! It really cleaned up the edge and tied the whole thing together. And I only had to go round the blanket twice, phew!

And for all those interested, the all important stats!

Pattern: Hexa-ghan by verybusymonkey

Yarn: Universal Cotton Supreme Yarn
I used 3.09 skeins/556.2 yards/309 grams of lemon, 2.54 skeins/457.2 yards/254 grams of beige, 3.17 skeins/570.6 yards/317 grams of lime, and 3.09 skeins/556.2 yards/309 grams of teal. That brings the total to 11.89 skeins/2,140.2 yards/1,189 grams of yarn total. I worked a total of 44 hexagons in eight rows!

Needles: US 8 dpns

Mods: I added a single crochet border around the edge to neaten it up and tie the whole project together.

Now it’s washed, dried, folded, and waiting in Jellybean’s crib! I can’t wait 🙂