New pattern! Meet the Structured Cowl!

Meet the Structured Cowl!  This pattern is wonderful and fast, great for gift giving.  You can button it where you like, so it can be a traditional neckwarmer, an infinity cowl, or just a simple cowl, buttoned in the back or the front.  I hope you love it as much as I do - available in my Ravelry Store, my Etsy shop, my Craftsy Store, and my Unravel Me Designs Website

Chair Socks!

Quick blog post!  Or, how I made my chair socks (your results may vary).  Fun to make, and if they get dirty wash 'em!  If they wear out, make more!  

First of all, my chair legs are about 1 1/4 inches wide on the bottom, and they taper slightly upward.  I made these chair socks slightly smaller to stretch over a bit, so they are less likely to fall off.

You will need:

Tiny amount of worsted weight yarn - I used little bits of leftover cotton in several colors from making LIKE A BILLION apple cozies.
Size G (4.25 mm) hook
Stitch marker, darning needle, scissors

Rnd 1:  Starting with magic ring, ch 3 and work 11 dc into ring, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3 to join round.  Tug up tightly to close.  12 dc

Rnd 2:  Working in BLO, ch 1, sc in same st as join, pm for beg of round, sc around, do not join.  (You can join if you prefer, but it looks prettier if you don't).

Rnds 3-6:  Sc around, moving marker up as you go.

Join with sl st to beg sc after round 6.  Fasten off and weave in ends.

Now, if your chair legs are larger, try adding a round or two of sc after your first dc round and before working your BLO round.  You can also try to go up a hook size or two, but I find they are sturdier if you use a smaller hook.

Have fun, and don't be afraid to experiment!

Simple 3 x 1 Knitted Rib Scarf

So, I've been meaning to put this simple pattern up as a freebie for a very long time now.  Here is a super simple and unisex knitted 3 x 1 scarf.

Wanna make one?

CO 27 sts.

K 4 rows.

K3, P1 across to last 3 sts, K3.

K4; then P3, K1 across to last 4 sts, K4.

Repeat last 2 rows until desired length.

K 4 rows, BO.

Knit on with your bad self.

Some more shots:

Chevron Bonnet Giveaway Winners!

Who's ready?? Drumroll please....


Winners of the 10 Chevron Bonnet patterns:


Marco G

Allison P

Marlies I

Ashley B

Susan S

Tina D

Kountry Girl Kreations

Debbie P

Tracy O

Rachel/Silly Stitches


Winners of a kit with pattern and choice of 2 balls of Knit Picks Comfy Worsted yarn:


Sophie C

Amanda P


And lastly, winner of the gift card from Knit Picks:


Cassie M


Thank you to everyone who entered! If you are one of the winners and purchased the Chevron Bonnet pattern already, you will be refunded. If you hadn't purchased it yet and won, I have also emailed the pattern to you.


For those who won the kits and balls of yarn, if you don't hear from me, please contact me so I can get your items to you, thanks!

Chevrons and a Giveaway !!

Finally, a new pattern!  Almost there - off to the testers last night and the final draft should be ready by Tuesday, May 28th.  These self imposed deadlines are so fun.... :)

Meet the new Chevron Bonnet -

I have to admit, this was one of the most fun designs I've ever created.  I love playing with different color combinations, and I've made about 20 of them so far in various colors.  This can be a great stashbuster project as well, and there are 8 sizes available, ranging from 0-3 months all the way to Adult.  Here's an example of one in adult size and 4 colors:

I'll be giving away 10 copies of the pattern, 2 kits including pattern and 2 balls of Knit Picks Comfy Worsted yarn in your choice of colors, and 1 $25 gift card to Knit Picks!!  Would you like to win one of these 3 prizes?  Well....here's all you've got to do to enter:

First Entry:  Be one of the first to buy the pattern at the pre-order price of $4.99.  Regular price will be $5.99 due to the amount of sizing on this one.  Get your copy here through 05/27 at this introductory price and you will be automatically entered to win!  You might ask "What happens if I order a copy of the Chevron Bonnet during the pre-sale and then I win a copy??"  That would be a good question!  If that happens, I'll refund you for your purchase.

Second Entry:  Share this blog post via your facebook page - be sure to come back here and post a link to your facebook page in the comments below to prove you did it (I will be checking).

Third Entry:  Purchase ANY pattern via my Etsy Shop, Ravelry Pattern Store, Craftsy Store or at Unravel Me Designs between the dates of 05/24 and 05/27 and you will be automatically entered to win.

Do you have to buy something to enter?  Nope - even if you don't purchase anything, you can still get one entry in by sharing on your facebook page.

Up to 3 entries per person only, thanks!

Winners will be chosen via random number generator on 05/28, thank you for your support!  I couldn't do what I love without you!!

Disclaimer:  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or any other company.  Participants are providing information to Unravel Me and not to Facebook or any other company.

UPDATE:  Winners chosen and contacted, thank you all for participating!

Refried Beans Anyone?

All right.  After deliberating on whether or not to let my secret out, I've decided to go ahead and let you know how to make my favorite refried beans.  These are so simple and yummy.  If you want to keep them fat free, you don't even have to use oil - just cook them and mash them up if you like.  However, we use a tad of bacon fat to give them a nice smoky flavor.  Yes, I said BACON.  Oh no!

This recipe has been tweaked a few times now, and I think I finally have it where I want it.

Let's go!

Gather together:

3 1/2 cups dried pinto beans (no need to soak first, but definitely rinse 'em well)  I know some of you think I'm nuts, but trust me - you don't have to soak them.
1 large onion, diced
2 large roasted green chiles, diced (or one large can diced green chiles, 7 oz)
5 cloves garlic, peel and leave whole (dice if you prefer, but not needed)
3 tsp Real Salt (or good fine sea salt)
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp good quality chili powder (I make my own, similar to this recipe by Alton Brown, but tweaked as most of my recipes are - seeing a trend yet?)
1/2 tsp baking soda
9 cups filtered water

Throw it all in the crockpot and cook on high heat for 6-8 hours until the beans are soft.

Divide your beans at this point, water and all, into 4 equal 25(ish) oz containers or freezer bags and freeze them until you are ready to mash 'em up.  I freeze 3 of the 4 containers and make some fresh ones out of the 4th most of the time.

When you are ready for some yummy beans:

Throw 1-2 TB oil of choice in a pot over medium heat and melt it baby!  We use BACON FAT (you don't need much, but feel free to leave it out if you want to go fat free, these beans are yummy as is).
Add beans and 2 tsp ground cumin (this is in addition to the cumin you already added, cumin is goooood).
If you want to add more heat, mince a serrano pepper and cook it a bit in the oil before you add the beans.
You don't even have to defrost the beans first, though it's easier if you do.

Cook them up for 15-20 minutes and then mash 'em up.  A hand held stick blender works very well here.  If you find the beans are too runny at this point, just cook them a little longer until they look right to you.

Obviously change it up a bit if you are making a bigger batch, remember this is for 1/4 of the cooked beans.  I've been asked if the whole pot could be fried up and then frozen, and I don't see why not.  Try it and let me know how it works for you.

That's it, that's all!

P.S.  Try to make your own chili powder.  I promise it is worth it - sooo much better than store bought.  I use mine in place of taco seasoning, chili seasoning and in my homemade salsa (I'll share that one in a future post).  My family always requests me to make it for them, so I have to make quadruple batches every time.  Trust me.

The Avery Infinity Cowl

It's not often that a project comes together so quickly and just right for me.  But this one did.  I'm very proud to present my newest pattern, the Avery Infinity Cowl.  Of course, there is a short version for those of you who don't want to have to wrap it or those of you who, let's face it...have that lonely ball of Malabrigo that you didn't know what you were going to make with it but it was sooo gorgeous you had to buy it!  Whew, how's that for a run-on sentence?

I'm working on getting my new Unravel Me Designs website up and running, so there's not a whole lot listed there yet, but you can pre-order your Avery Infinity Cowl crochet pattern here (and save $1) and I will email the finished pattern to you on or before October 8th.  Pre-sale is only good through October 7th!

In the meantime, I'd like to offer up a copy of this pattern for free!  Simply share this blog post or the pre-sale posts on my Facebook page and leave a comment here telling me you've done so.  I'll pick a random name October 7th to win a free copy!  Don't worry, if you've already paid for your copy, I'll refund you.  :)

Disclaimer: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or any other company. Participants are providing information to Unravel Me and not to Facebook or any other company.

Meet Whooty

I've been all over the place lately - can't seem to stick with one project for very long.  But this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I am in a creative swing and lots of things are being accomplished!  I have a "To Do List" a mile long and several patterns in the works at the moment.

I just recently was able to cross one thing off my list of hats to create - and here he is:

Meet Whooty!!  No, the pattern is not written up yet, but I'm definitely thinking on it...what do you think of him?

And Penelope Lives!

I know you've been patient and I hope this hat is everything you wanted it to be, so happy to release the new Penelope Bonnet!  Find it in my Ravelry store, my Etsy shop, and Craftsy!

I really appreciate all the support and kind words about this pattern, it is always humbling to hear that you like something I made!

Foodie Fun - Cinnamon Sugar Coated Almonds

Ok, I'm trying to eat healthier, which means more nuts when I want a snack, but plain almonds just weren't cutting it.  So, I looked around online and found a handful of recipes with cinnamon and sugar and almonds.  If you know me, you know I can't just follow one - I have to read all of the reviews and then kinda combine them all.  I'm sure they are healthier when you don't put sugar all over them, but hey - better than a bunch of over processed snacks, right?  Here's what I came up with.

Cinnamon Sugar Coated Almonds

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup butter

3 cups almonds

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)

salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place butter on sheet pan and put in the oven to melt.

Whip egg whites and vanilla until foamy, add sugar a little at a time, then brown sugar and cinnamon. Continue to whip until fluffy.

Fold in almonds and coat well.

Place in a single layer on sheet pan and turn to coat with butter.

Bake at 250 for approx. 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. Cool, then eat!

Side note:  I used roasted/salted almonds.  I'm guessing raw might be a better choice since you are technically roasting them yourself.  Not sure what double roasting does, but they were damn good!  I think this recipe would work well for pecans or walnuts too!

Winner!!

So sorry for the delay in posting the winner of the Quick Giveaway!  Mandy Sloan, you have been chosen by random number generator to win a Penelope Bonnet in your choice of color, congratulations!!  And thanks so much for playing everyone!

Quick Giveaway

Hi, me again. How the heck are you? I'm dropping in to give something cute away.

Meet The Penelope Bonnet in size 0-3 months, will be made to order for you in your choice of colors.

(This photo was taken pre-flower) 

Want it?

Here's how you get to be in the running:

1) Follow this blog
2) Become a fan of Unravel Me on Facebook
3) Don't forget to visit my Etsy Shop!
4) Leave a comment below stating what your favorite item in my shop is, or what you'd like to see next.

I'll pick a winner via random number generator from the comments below on Friday, May 4th. That's it! Thanks for playing!

Disclaimer: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or any other company. Participants are providing information to Unravel Me and not to Facebook or any other company.

Cupcakes!

I'm consumed by cupcakes lately. Not the edible kind - although I'd like to think these look almost edible. I haven't decided yet if promising an all crochet version of the cupcake hat was genius or a really bad idea. The way I design, I sit my behind down in the recliner and work up each size. And because I have a crochet/knit version and an all crochet version, that means I have to make alot of these. Technically, I don't have to make them all - my testers will be a great help in this area, but my own stubbornness requires that I make them all and try to step outside of myself and read my own pattern to work them up. So, I am the slowest pattern writer of all time - I think. I know some of you are waiting, either patiently or impatiently (ahem, I don't blame you - after all, I am a slowpoke). I promise you it is coming. I have many designs in my head that I sometimes find difficult to decipher for others to read. It's a process. Meet the all crochet version <3

I quite like it.

A Craft Fair to Remember

Yesterday's craft fair was so fun! Hissyfits Resale usually has a Hullabaloo Event in November, and I've been lucky enough to be a part of it in the past. Imagine my excitement when I heard they decided to do a spring event this year! Sign me up already, seriously! We had a wonderful day, I got to meet some fantastic new customers and sweet vendors too. Had a great time and the weather was perfect - I did get a wee little sunburn, but it was still a gorgeous day, and my fault for not bringing the sunblock, right? Thank you Hissyfits for a great event and I hope to be back in November!

Now, I want to share where I got some cool stuff that I think really helped my setup.  I recently had the pleasure of working with Stephanie at Two Kazoos, who created this lovely felt banner for me to display at my craft shows. Isn't it great?! Her stitching is so perfect, and she was so helpful in trying to get it just right. Check out her Two Kazoos facebook page as well - she does alot of custom work, including magnets, banners, and personalized pillows!

The vinyl banner on the front of my booth was designed by the lovely Amanda at Pure Pixels, also wonderful to work with - she designed my new fab logo and several items with my logo, including this banner and new business cards. Shout out to the one with the mad skills! The banner was printed by the wonderful Paul Wilson of Wilson Graphics, who's speedy printing job and willingness to be super helpful made my day.

Let's not forget the wonderful wood blocks spelling out 'Baby Hats' that were made by Ali at Personalized Blocks - you must check out her work - such cute stuff!  I think these really help display my hats nicely :)

Many thanks to friends and family as well as wonderful new and repeat customers for making this event my best yet!  I couldn't do it without you!

Where I've Been

I'm pretty sure I'm a bad blogger. Yep, it's true. I have been busy though that is not a good excuse for not sharing more. I share every day on my Facebook page, and I was thinking, why am I not sharing here??!!

So, here are a few photos of some of my recent projects. Some of them will have patterns written up eventually, some of them were just made for fun. Well, everything was made for fun, but you get what I mean, right?

Cupcake Hats

Spring Blossom Beanies

Tweet Tweet

Loads of other hats and headbands and apple cozies...and well, my fingers have been busy. :)

Winner winner chicken dinner!

And the winner of the Ella Bonnet is.........Erika Williams! Congratulations Erika, I'll be contacting you to get your mailing info :) Thanks to everyone who entered, you are all winners to me.

A Christmas Giveaway

I promised it and now it's here! In order to celebrate 2,000 sales on Etsy and to thank all of my wonderful fans and customers, I wanted to give away a stocking, but alas, I didn't finish the pattern in time, so instead I'm giving away a new Ella Bonnet in size Newborn (0-3 month size) for your little cutie or your next Christmas photo session!

All you have to do simply follow my blog and facebook page and also favorite my Etsy shop, then leave a comment below. Extra entries will be accepted for giving my Facebook page or Etsy shop a shoutout on your facebook page, blog, or on twitter. Leave a seperate comment for each extra entry as well. Winner will be chosen by random number generator on Monday, December 12th!

Ready?? GO!

Incredible Finds

I am still swooning today over this. Words cannot truly express how much I love it. I will try to explain to you how wonderful it is, however it is something you must see in person to truly understand. Kind of like the Grand Canyon, it's beauty cannot ever really be captured in a photograph. The entirety of it is so incredible you just cannot do it.

I went with my folks to an antique mall yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed peeking into corners and finding all sorts of goodies and things that were just neato. (Is that a word - or is it neat-o)? I don't care. It was great. I spotted alot of amazing crocheted goodies as well, and wanted to buy them all just so I could stash them away somewhere secret. Somewhere I could pull them out now and again just to smell them and touch them when I needed to smile.

But this one...OH THIS ONE - I had to have it. Immediately.



Guess how much it was?! This beautifully hand-crocheted work of art with 884 squares of yarny goodness? (Yes, I counted them) This thing is 90 inches wide by 140 inches long. It can fit a full sized bed - it fits my queen, albeit a bit short on the sides, it will do the job. Each square is 2 1/4 inches. EIGHT-HUNDRED-EIGHTY-FOUR of them. For reals. Grand total for probably hundreds of hours of work? $39 dollars.

Now, my first reaction was that of incomprehension. How could this be so cheap? Does the person selling it here have any idea of the work that was was put into this beauty? Did they price it wrong - maybe put the wrong tag on it? Then, closely inspecting it thinking it MUST be coming apart or have a huge stain or something - nothing. Wait a sec, yes, it does have a very small stain, hardly noticeable really, and it looks simple enough to clean.

My second thought - and believe me, it wasn't even really a thought, more of a gut reaction, was to get this baby in my arms as soon as possible. Like one of those look-around-and-grab-it-before-someone-else-sees-it kind of items. It was one of those rare purchases that I just had to have. I didn't know what I would do with it, but I would love this blanket the way it should be loved. I was meant to have it. And, if it were priced appropriately, I never could have afforded it.

But...I can't help but wonder about it. Who made it? Was it a gift for someone? It smells old, but how old is it? Did the person selling it make it, or did they find it at an estate sale somewhere? And how could they sell it for only $39?? The yarn is soft and wonderful and not brittle at all. Guess I'll never know! I'll cherish it nonetheless.

Check out the cute little picot edging:



Jealous??

Working, working, working

Busy catching up on orders and getting ready to do a craft fair in a couple of weeks - eek! (Wish me luck on that one, I have lots of stuff to make)!

Meanwhile, my patterns are laying dormant while I'm crocheting and knitting up a storm! All is good, they will be here soon!

An Arm-ey Post

Those of you who have been following my Facebook page may have heard a little bit about how I hurt my arm - or how I don't know how I hurt it anyhow. If you hadn't heard...long story short: pain, couldn't move it, couldn't crochet or knit or even type, ouch! Well, it's MUCH better, so I'm open for business again - not that I actually closed, but now I can take orders again as well as sell patterns.

Speaking of patterns...

Two new patterns are coming on Friday, October 7th! Sneak peeks below modeled by the lovely Fiona Headwig.

The Portland Headwrap, sized for toddler, child, and adult sizes.

And the Dapper Diaper Cover, for sizes 0-3, 3-6, and 6-12 months.

Pre-order pricing is happening now, check out my Facebook page for a great deal! Pre-order sale ends Friday!