From Taylor - Chevron Crochet - The project that took an eternity (Or close to it.)

Internets! My scarce blogging has been due to being really busy, but also to taking on two HUGE projects. Here's the first one. (Hopefully I will be able to post the second one soon. Be ready guys. It's freaking awesome.) I learned to crochet a long time ago. I think probably about 15 years ago, I dunno. I was pretty young. Mostly I think the adults in my life just wanted to give me something to keep my adorable, albeit hyperactive, self busy. It sometimes worked. Ha. Anywho... A few years ago, I decided that a great birthday present for a guy I was dating would be to crochet him a blanket. Well. We broke up before it was an issue... But! I still had all this yarn. In very manly colors might I add. So I went looking for a cool pattern that I would like. I really liked the idea of a chevron pattern, 'cause that's definitely "in" right now. And when I say this project took an eternity, I mean it! This project took me about 6 months to finish. I realize that I am super busy and probably could have gotten it done a little faster if I had more time on my hands but I'm not sure that's true because I was crocheting for about an hour a day in that time. That's a long time to crochet people! I'm pretty sure I still have a misaligned back from sitting that way! Don't tell my chiropractor? Thanks.

 

Here's the original pin.

The pattern uses double crochets and says 6 inches per color. I used single crochets and I did 10 rows of a color before I switched, except for in the middle. The gray is 10 rows and the green around that is 6 and the blue around that is 9. Really it was just what looked good to me. Also, I used the single crochet because the double looks kinda sloppy to me... To each their own I guess! I also added a ruffled edge around it to make it look more finished.

Here's the finished product! I think it was a success. In fact, not to brag, but I think mine turned out better than the picture! Oh wait. Definitely bragging! Now I just have to find some use for a baby boy blanket. Ummm... I don't have kids. Nor am I planning on having kids anytime soon. Is it weird to just hold on to these things? I dunno. Hopefully not. Worth 6 months of my life? Maybe not. But pretty none the less! Happy pinning internets.

Sandpaper Transfer T-Shirts

Hello Internets! Here is a pin that I have been excited to try ever since I first saw it...

(Link)

Who indeed figures this stuff out? I love that person. Anyhoo...so I saw this pin and it looked like something that would be super fun for my kids to do! We had a day off of school so I decided we'd take a stab at it. I'm not posting a materials shot, because Blogger hates me and it will be a sideways picture and I'll give away the secret that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing here. Don't tell. The materials I used were sandpaper (the grit doesn't REALLY matter unless you care about the potential texture. A coarser grit will have more texture than a finer grit. I used super coarse because its' what I had), Crayola crayons (according to the nice friend(s) at alphamom.com you have to use high quality crayons. I didn't ask questions), white tshirts (which I got from the Dollar Store) and freezer paper (or a couple of brown paper sacks or a few paper towels. I used freezer paper) So I gave the piece of sandpaper to the kids and told them they could draw whatever they wanted to on it, keeping in mind that the image would be reversed so if they wanted their names or something on it to let me help them write it backwards. Mademoiselle wanted her name on her's and I wrote it upside down because I had no clue that she'd drawn a rainbow. Mother of the Year, right here, folks.

Once their masterpieces (upside down and otherwise) were finished, I put the shirt on the ironing board and put a piece of freezer paper inside it so the image wouldn't bleed through. Then I put the sandpaper upside down on the shirt and put a piece of freezer paper--shiny side down--on top of that to protect my iron and ironed that sucker on. (The iron was on the "cotton" setting.) 

I ironed it for a bit until I was super that the image was good and on there. Then I pulled the paper off. What I DIDN'T know was that the sandpaper would stick to the freezer paper. So for the love of your irons, make sure you put a layer of something between the sandpaper and your iron. I carefully lifted the sandpaper and saw the image!

 Okay, this excited my kids to no end. Now, if you'll look closely, you'll notice that some of the sandpaper came off onto the tshirt. Do you see that there? No worries..just use your finger to rub it off like this:

I put a paper towel down on top of the image and gave it a couple of more passes with the iron to set the color then put it in the dryer for 20 minutes. But then...voila!

Don Diego and his finished product. I will

give 1 million Peggy Points to someone who

can tell me what the heck a "Creeper Egg" is!

P.S. He really does have arms.

Apparently you're supposed to wash this by itself the first time you wash it. I need to remember that! Anyway, this pin is another win! We loved doing it, the kids had a GREAT time, I only spent a few bucks on tshirts and everything else we had onhand. Tuck this idea away for a "rainy day project" when you're trapped inside this winter. I'd LOVE to see pictures of your creations! Until next time!!

Peggy and Poquito Tito Make Nuffins

One of the things you see frequently on Pinterest are "Life Hacks." Resourceful ways to get results by thinking outside the bun. (I've really been craving a Double Decker Taco lately..obvious much?) This particular suggestion caught my eye:

I loved this idea for a couple of reasons. 1. I'm a "make breakfast every morning" kind of mom, although I confess it is often done begrudgingly since I'm also a "sleep is my best friend" kind of mom. Don Diego's favorite breakfast is muffins and "super fun fruit." (This is something I first ate as an LDS missionary in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. It's basically sliced apples, bananas and grapes mixed with yogurt. Yum!) So I have long felt that if I made a whole ton of muffins, I could freeze them and get a little more sleep in the morning! This way I'm not limited to making 12 muffins at a time. Everyone wins! 2. The second reason I was excited about this pin is because it seemed to eliminate some dish washing. I am a messy muffin-maker--this way I could put some parchment paper down and throw all evidence of drips in the garbage can. Hooray for something that enables my laziness! So this morning when I made breakfast, I tried this ring idea with just a few muffins so I wasn't commited in case it didn't work. I was out of parchment paper (did you know you can buy this at the Dollar Store? Just a helpful hint--it's not always super cheap!) so I lined my baking sheet with foil and put the rings on. Um, you're supposed to put them down the other way, BTDubs, but having them upside down worked just fine. 

Then I put the muffin cups in the rings

I filled them with batter

Huh. I shot that pic at a weird angle! Anyhoo..tossed them in the oven and baked them. Poquito Tito was most interested in this process. He kept asking when the "nuffins" would be ready. Oh how I love this kid!

When I took them out, they looked perfect!

And voila! Don Diego's favorite breakfast! Now I need to make a bunch of muffins to freeze. Wish me luck!

And Poquito Tito got the nuffins he was waiting for! 

This pin is a WIN!!!!