Friday Fancies

So, Fridays are very strange for me now. I ended up having off on Thursdays because I was supposed to be doing field work and planned my work/class schedule around that. But it was cancelled. So now I'm off. I'm very glad, but it makes getting up to go to work on Friday mornings reallllly hard.

I found this on Pinterest, but I couldn't find the original source (sorry!)

This garden is so adorable, and I would love to do this with herbs. Also, it reminds me of the Shire for some reason.

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Aren't these crochet cupcake coasters precious? The pattern is available for free as well.

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I really like yarn bowls. They're so useful and pretty. And the cat on this one is so cute. A knittin kitten.

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These look delicious. Sweet potatoes and avocados are two of my favorite foods. Plus, this looks really simple to make.

Enjoy your weekend!

Scarf and Bow Headband

Here are the tutorials for the headband and scarf I made last weekend. My big crochet project at the moment is a granny square blanket, and I wanted to take a break from that to make something quick. These projects only take a few hours and are super easy.

I really love these kinds of headbands in the winter. They keep my ears warm, stop my bangs from going all over the place in the wind, and don't give me hat hair. Also, bows. I like bows a lot. I've made these with crochet flowers as well, which are also adorable.

You'll need one to two skeins of bulky weight yarn to complete these projects, depending on how long/wide you make the headband. I used almost exactly one skein.  You can use a large embroidery needle or your crochet hook to sew the project together.

*Note- the yarn I used was bulky weight, but it wasn't really all that bulky. If you are using a yarn that's really bulky, you may need to adjust the number of stitches.

Stitches used:

Chain stitch

Single crochet

Double crochet

Scarf
Chain 76. Double crochet in third chain from hook, and every chain after (74 double crochets). When you reach the end of the row, chain two and turn. *Double crochet in each double crochet from the previous row (74 double crochets). Chain two and turn.* Repeat from * to * twice more (four rows of double crochet). Double crochet in first 54 stitches, chain 8. Skip 8 stitches from previous row and pick up double crochet on the 62nd stitch in previous row. Chain two and turn. Repeat from * to * four times. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Headband
Band
Chain a row long enough to fit around your head, plus one. Turn and single crochet in each chain. Repeat until headband is as wide as you want it (I think I did eight rows). Fasten off, leaving a long tail (about six inches). Use tail to sew the two ends of the band together.
Bow
Chain 9 and single crochet in each chain (8 single crochet). Chain one and turn. Continue until you have twelve rows (you can make this bigger or smaller, depending on how large you want the bow). Fasten off.
For the band on the bow, chain 11 and single crochet into each chain (10 single crochet). Continue until you have three rows. Fasten off.
Assembly
Place the bow band in the center of the bow and wrap around semi-tightly. Using yarn, sew the bow band in place. Adjust the bow until it is to your liking. Place the bow on the headband and sew in place. I like to put mine off to the side a bit.

That's it! If anything isn't clear or if you have any questions, let me know.

Here, have a creepy picture.

Spiced Chickpeas and Rice

This meal is one of my favorites, and is my go-to meal if I am tired or don't know what to make. It's so easy and does not take much prep time at all. It's also delicious. I found the original recipe on Budget Bytes but I made some adjustments to it. Here's my version. (Note: the measurements for the spices are just estimates. I usually just throw things in, taste, and adjust. Also, if you do not have all of these spices, you don't have to buy them, as the original recipe calls only for curry.)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion or half a large onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp butter

Heat oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Chop onions and garlic and cook a few minutes, until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, drained chickpeas, and spices. Stir and allow to simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter and add salt to taste. 

Serve over yellow jasmine rice. I generally half the rice recipe and skip the garlic and bay leaf, but other than that, I follow her recipe as is. It may be the most delicious rice I've ever eaten.

Enjoy!

Weekend in Instagram

I got this scarf at the flea market Friday and decided to paint my nails to match (except I didn't paint them until after I wore the scarf...) I can't wait to it's cool enough to wear scarves all the time. 

I was really craving warm fall-y foods, so I made roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, and cabbage with white bean roasted garlic mashed potatoes. It was so delicious.

I crocheted this quick scarf and headband this weekend, and will be posting a tutorial for them soon.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Friday Fancies

I apologize for a lack of posts this week. Semester has been super busy, and it's only week two. I couldn't do any of my work because my books hadn't come, so I spent allll day today catching up. I hope things will settle down once I get into a routine. But I'm going to a flea market tonight with my mom, so that should be fun.

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I love this jacket. It almost looks like a cardigan and it has pockets. I can't pass up pockets.

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I have been looking at fall foods all week. I can't wait to start making soups and roasted veggies. I am especially excited for sweet potatoes, which puts this soup at the top of my list. 

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This blanket is gorgeous! I might have to make one like this, though it'll have to wait till I'm finished the blanket I'm working on now.

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I really like these chevron nails. I've seen people use those nail stampers before, but I've always been afraid to try them (mostly because I have no patience when it comes to my nails and would give up on it immediately). But these are so cute. I might have to look into it...

Enjoy your weekend!

Granny Scarf

So not only did this long weekend totally throw off my posting schedule, I also completely forgot to take pictures of anything. Until I have a chance to get things back to normal, here is the scarf I finished making last weekend. My sister was supposed  model it for me, but she decided to go down the shore for the weekend instead (I know, she is so mean). 

The original pattern comes from Bernat, but I changed it a little to me more to my liking. I decided to not include the fringe and I didn't make it as wide so that it won't be too bulky under a coat. I also did a row of single crochet at the top to make the edge look a bit more finished. 

I really like the way this scarf turned out. It's really cozy and warm and I can't wait till I can wear it. I have a little bit of this yarn left over as well, and I think I am going to make a flower or bow headband to match. It's super easy to make, and I will definitely post a tutorial for that. 

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!