Magic Box

Pat asked me to make a Magic Box for her.  I just wanted to show pictures of the finished box.  I don't know the recipient but I hope she will enjoy it.

New project - Everyday Cardi from Crochet Today!

This is my latest project on the hook right now.  I love the look of this cardigan and thought it was really easy until I got to the point where I have to start working the fronts and back.  I find the instructions very confusing and have had to put it aside today because I was getting frustrated trying to figure it out.  I'm not a novice crocheter and that's what makes it even more frustrating that I can't figure this out.  I'll jump back on it tomorrow and if I can't work out the instructions, I'll finish it on my own.

I'm using Caron One Pound in Claret.  I started off with another yarn but didn't have enough to finish it.  I'll post a picture of my cardi if/when it's done.

Never Forget!

Latest crochet project

My truck has been in the shop for a couple of weeks.  I was feeling a bit stranded, even though I've been taking my husband to/from work and have his truck, and had the urge to crochet something just to keep me busy.  I started off with a coaster/scrubbie set and my friend, Mel, suggested that since I'm stuck at home that I should get a start on some Christmas gifts.  Great idea, Mel!  While searching Etsy.com for ideas, I came across a pattern called Oma House Slippers and thought they were the cutest things.  I've made 4 pairs so far and have many more to go.  They're very easy although the pattern isn't easy to memorize since every round is different.  They're also quite comfortable!

How to brew tea with your Keurig

Sorry, nothing earth-shattering here. A good cup of tea still takes a bit of time to make. With the Keurig it's a little faster thanks to the rapid heating of the water, but you still have to let it steep.  I bought some Celestial Seasonings Iced Black Tea K Cups yesterday and the ingredients listed were black tea and tea extract, which, I'm assuming, is why you can brew a cup of tea so quickly if you use these.  However, I thought the tea that it brewed was too strong and bitter.  I wasn't thrilled.  Here's how I do it:  I use my Finum tea brewing basket and the appropriate measure of tea.  Select the cup size I want and brew. Let it steep 3-5 minutes.  Drink as is or pour over ice.  Not hard.  With this method, I can't brew directly into a cup of ice but I don't really mind.  Did I say I tried putting tea into a used K Cup the same way I make coffee?  Ha!  Light brown colored water that did not taste at all like tea. 

How to re-use your Keurig K cups

Meet Hans, our new Keurig B66 coffee maker.  After trying one out last week at the tire store, I could see that my husband wanted one.  What I liked the most is that he could make a cup of coffee...BY HIMSELF!  My friend, Pat, picked it up for me at Sam's Club for $129.99 and it came with the water filter and 72 K Cups.  Having already done some research on it, as I usually do with any big purchase, I had already found ways to save money by using my own coffee.  Two of which involve re-using the K Cup containers themselves and the other involves using Keurig's My K Cup.  I've already ordered the K Cup Kaps on eBay but until they come, I've found a way that works wonderfully.  It involves one of my favorite household items...Glad Press N Seal!  All you have to do is peel the foil off a used K Cup, rinse it out, then fill with your favorite coffee (about 1 TBSP).  Place two 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" pieces of Glad Press N Seal over the top and press them down all around the cup to seal well.  Place it into the Keurig and try to align the existing puncture with the needle in the housing (it's not hard to feel) and brew as usual.  Easy!  I've read that you can re-use each K Cup at least 10 times!  How's that for being frugal!  Another tip:  My husband and I like our coffee on the mild/medium side and we typically drink our coffee in 16 ounce mugs.  My Keurig has 3 settings: 6 oz, 8 oz, & 10 oz sizes.  To make our coffee the way we like it I place the K Cup in the Keurig and brew an 8 oz cup.  When the machine says it's ready to brew another cup I just lift the lid as if I were going to place another K Cup into it but leave the old one there, close the lid, then brew a 6 oz cup.  This leaves room for the abundance of cream we like in our cups.

Gift card holder

I made a couple of these gift card holders for my son's teachers at the end of this past school year.  I took a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" piece of cardstock for the card base, a 4" x 5 1/2" piece of carstock for the card holder, and just size and print my sentiments on the computer.  Score then fold the 4" x 5 1/2" CS at 1" intervals on the 4" side.  Measure the gift card then center and cut a slit along the 2nd fold line to hold the gift card.  I used a small glue dot to keep the gift card stable.  Affix the card holder to the card base and attach the sentiments.  These were very simple yet not too "girly" for his male teachers.