No Sew Fleece Blankets

   No sew fleece blankets are probably one of the easiest blankets to make. You don't have to sew at all. Not even a little. So if you are sewing challenged like I am, this is perfect!

   First, buy some fleece. These are about a yard and a half to start. You are going to want to get a little more than what you want.

   Lay out the bottom piece and make it flat and straight.

   Next, place the top piece over the bottom piece. Line it up the best you can. It works best if you use the factory seams together. That's the straightest sides of the fabric.

   Trim around both pieces so that they are the same size.

   Cut out a square in the corner that is about two inches. You will do this for every corner.

   Cut slits around the whole blanket. They should be about an inch apart and about two inches long. This isn't exact science, you can just eyeball it if you want.

   You are going to fold each tab in half

   and cut a little slit into it.

   You now have a little hole in each tab.

   Pull the tab next to it through the hole of the one before it.

   It will start to look like it's braided. Do this around the whole blanket.

   When you get to the end, cut the last tab from the slit to the bottom of the tab so you have two.

   Put one side through the first tab.

   Tie the two pieces into a knot.

   You now have a blanket!

   Note:

   On the above blanket, I did both tabs as one. When I made my next one, the corners curved up pretty bad. I tried pulling and stretching to get it to lay flat, and it wouldn't.

   I took out that braid and did it over. You braid it the same way, but you do one tab at a time, putting the bottom through the top then moving to the next one. Alternate which one you are pulling through. This way the blanket lays flat and you can see both fabrics in the braid.

   Making these blankets are super easy and a nice change to the knotted version of a no sew blanket. I think it gives it nice finished look. They only take an hour or two to make so it's not an all day project. Just make sure you don't move it around too much when you are cutting and braiding it. You don't want to mess up your unfinished edges.

What I've Been Working On

   I have been busy doing some crafting and projects so I thought I would share what I've been working on.

   I crocheted a stocking. The pattern took forever. It's done so you can do a cross stitch picture on it. This one was a sample but they take so long to do, the person I was sampling it for decided they wanted to hold off until another time, so I haven't put anything on it. I can't decide what to add. I'm thinking something nerdy, but I'm not sure yet. If you have an idea, leave it in the comments. I was thinking maybe a TARDIS?

   I did a two sided craft. It didn't take too long. I just had to paint the board and the vinyl is from Thoughts In Vinyl, just like our seasonal wooden blocks.

   I also made HOME blocks with the interchangeable O. This is from the same place. This one took a while. The letters needed a couple coats of paint (because I'm OCD) and we used paper and mod podge which takes a while all on it's own.

   I have to say I love my letters though! This is where they currently are. On my desk with a little nerdy felt craft O in there. It represents the family well. We all love playing games both together and with friends, so I thought this was fitting.

   I also made a Lightning McQueen beanie. Ka-Chow! It was ordered for a little girl that loves cars. I was sent a picture of her with the biggest grin on her face. It always makes my day when I get to see people enjoying things that I've made!

   I'm currently working on a beanie order for a family. Three beanies with Mohawks and one with braids. It's a lot of work, but I enjoy doing it!

   What are some things you are working on?

What I've Been Working On

   This time of year is a busy one. The weather is starting to cool down which means it's beanie season. The winter orders have started trickling in, so I have been busy crocheting... a lot! My fingers are stiff in the morning. Sometimes my muscles demand I take a break and stretch. I have to be careful because last winter season, I had so many minion hat orders right before Christmas that I almost gave myself carpel tunnel. This year, I've been working on getting some of those orders in before the big rush. Here are a few things I have been working on.

   This has been a popular hat design. I love it so much, I made myself one even though it's still hitting 90* here. I've done it in many different colors and each one looks just as good as the one before. It's great for showing your support to your favorite sports team or school.

   Another popular hat this year has been the Ninja Turtle hat. I figured out the mask pattern on my own. I don't always do them exactly the same, but they are always pretty close. One order I got was for a newborn hat and some booties. I'm sure there is a really cute baby turtle out there somewhere.

   My middle one turns eight on Sunday. He is really into Pokemon right now so I made him some Pokeballs. I used a pattern for a hacky sack and then added a 'button' to it. I filled them with lintel beans which is weird to squeeze. It's almost feels like the ball is empty, but it isn't. I have a feeling we will be having a few Pokemon battles in our near future.

   I have a couple more orders to work on as well. One is a new hat design that is going to be a LOT of work. I also have an order for a newborn hat and turtle shell blanket. I get to figure that one out, but I have to say, sometimes figuring out your own little pattern and design is a lot of fun!

Snicker Doodle Bars

   I love to eat cookies, a LOT. I also enjoy baking when it's not too hot. Usually, when I want some cookies, I will be all ready and motivated for some fresh out of the oven goodness. I will whip up a batch of cookie dough and then, sometimes, I will sit there and look at it. I think about how many cookies I now have to make because I usually double it. Then my feet start to hurt just thinking about how long I will be standing there making little balls of dough, cooking them, switching out pans, waiting for them to cool but not waiting so long they end up over cooked or stuck to the pan all while trying to be at a stopping place when the timer goes off.

   Now, when I want cookies, sometimes if I have stuff going or if I want to eat them but don't necessarily want to make them, I make cookie bars. I have a stone pan that I got for a birthday or Christmas at some point. I love my stone pan! It makes the BEST cookie bars. They are cooked evenly and don't collapse in the middle like I've had them do in glass pans. If you use a smaller glass pan, it seems to still work fine though.

   One day, I decided to try and make snicker doodle bars. My hubby loves snicker doodles and I don't really like making them. You have to put the dough in the fridge (especially in the summer) and you have to roll them and then roll them in the sugar and cinnamon. It's a lot of extra work. So I found a recipe to try. It was rather simple so I gave it a go.

First, whisk together:

2 3/4 cups of flour

1/2 tsp of salt

2 tsp baking powder

   In a large bowl, add:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/12 cups of granulated white sugar

   Beat for a minute or two until smooth

   Add two eggs, beating after adding each one. When you add your second egg, also add in a teaspoon of vanilla. I scrape the bowl and then give it another quick mix at the end.

      Add your dry ingredients and mix well

   Scrape the sides and give it another quick mix.

   Next, take your pan

    I spray mine with cooking spray. Mix together 1/3 cup granulated white sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Then sprinkle some of your cinnamon and sugar mixture on the bottom of the pan.

   You can give the pan a quick shake to help spread out the cinnamon and sugar

   I put piles of cookie dough on different areas of the pan to minimize the amount of spreading.

   Spread the dough evenly into your pan. It's not that easy to spread it. It will pull up and mix some of your mixture into your dough. This will sometimes take longer than making the actual dough so make sure you packed your patience. Just remember, it is totally worth it in the end!

   Once your dough is spread, sprinkle more of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on the top. I put my pan in a cold oven and then set it to 400*.

   20 minutes later, they were done! I check mine by feel. I know if they are a little firm to the touch they are done. You could probably do the tooth pick thing and check it that way. Also don't forget that they will still cook a little once they are out since the pan stays hot.

   Wait for them to cool for a bit, cut them into bars and enjoy! These are a favorite for game nights or when having company over. You can cut them as big or as small as you'd like. Enjoy!

Owl Baby Cocoon

  A while back, I was pinning some cute baby stuff on Pinterest, because sometimes you just need to. Hubby's cousin saw this owl baby cocoon and told me if she had another baby to please make it for her. Fast forward months and months and she announced she was having another bundle of joy. I quickly ran out the store and got some of the softest yarn I could find. This yarn is so soft! It is a little more difficult to work with, but the extra effort is well worth it!

   I tried to do the pattern in the blog post. I couldn't make it work. I was talking to hubby about it and he said "You know, it's basically a really long hat." Brilliant! So I got going. I used my favorite hat pattern and just made it really long. I did seven expanding rows and it looked about right. Remember, it gets a little wider when you start making it longer.

   Next I made the new born baby sized hat. I used my favorite hat pattern again. This time I only did four expanding rows. It's twelve rows long since they live where it snows. I wanted to make sure it was long enough to keep little ears warm.

   Once I got to this point, I went back to the website I got the idea from. I used their pattern to make some ears and then I sewed them to the top.

I also used their beak pattern.

 

    For the eyes, I used the same pattern I use for my minion hats except I did them in single crochet instead of double. There's two rows of black, a row of blue and two rows of white.

 

  Sew the eyes and the beak onto the front of the hat

   You now have an owl baby cocoon for a new little bundle of joy!

  I love how it ended up having a stripes on it. I think it gives it some good character. Now I just need to wait until I can see it with an adorable little one in it!

Cinnomon Rolls

   I don't know about you, but I don't think there are many things that are better than some ooey gooey homemade cinnamon rolls. They are very time consuming to make, about 3 hours start to finish, but the end result is well worth the time you put into making them. Especially if part of that end result is your kids jumping up and down with excitement because they get to eat them.

   Take a moment to enjoy the pictures. They were taken by a friend over at Pavement Ends Photography here in Las Vegas. If you're looking for someone, he takes amazing pictures!

   First, gather up your ingredients. For my recipe, you need the following:

  Dough: 1 cup milk, 2 eggs slightly beaten, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 cup sugar,1/4 cup room temperature butter, 4 cups flour, and 2.5 tsp yeast.

  Filling: 1/3 cup softened butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 3/4 cups raisins (optional)

  Icing: 3 oz room temperature cream cheese, 3 tbs room temperature butter, 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt.

 

   Next, put all of the ingredients in your bread machine. Do them in the order they are on the list. Once it's been going for a few minutes, I like to check it. If it's too dry and a little more milk. If it's too sticky add a little flour. Make sure you scrape the four if there's any hiding in the corners.

 

   While you are waiting for that to finish, make your filling. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix.

 

   When your dough is done, roll it out into a large rectangle.

 

   Spread your softened butter on your dough. I have found it's easiest to just use my hands. I smash it up a bit for easier spreading.

 

   Next, spread the filling over the buttered dough

   Roll up your dough starting on a long side.

   Cut into pieces. I find it's easiest to just keep cutting in halves.

   Place them in a a greased baking pan and cover. Let rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. If you want them a bigger, let them raise longer. I like doing this as it makes them light and fluffy.

   After they are done rising, put them in a preheated 375* oven for 20-25 minutes. While they are baking, you can make your icing. Put all of your ingredients into a bowl and mix. Mine always ends up slightly lumpy unless I use a hand mixer.

   After they are done baking, let cool slightly then spread the icing on the top. It will melt a little and get some inside which is oh so good!

   Then the best part, enjoy!

 

   What are you waiting for? Go make some, you know you want to!