Crochet Owl Beanie

I've been thinking long and hard for a cute gift I can make for my neice and newphews for christmas. So, I've been seeing a lot of beanies with animals on them. They're so adorable! I figure why not try to crochet one, and found a few good free patterns online. This my first attempt at these crochet animal beanies. I adapted the free pattern here from crochetville.org.  

This is my first jotting down a pattern. It is also untested, so if you find any mistakes please let me know!

Materials
I hook
Scissors
Tapestry needle
Worsted Weight Yarn
Colors: Main Color (MC) Tan. A bit of yellow, orange, off white, and black.


Hat
In MC creat (Magic Loop) Chain 3.  slip stich on 2nd chain from hook.
Work 10 dc. Join. (10 st)
RND 2: Ch 1. 2 dc in each st around. Join. (20 st)
RND 3: Ch 1. *1 dc in the same st, 2 dc in the next, repeat around. Join. (30 st)
RND 4: Ch 1. *1 dc in the first 2 st, 2 dc in the next, repeat around. Join. (40 st)
RND 5: Ch 1. *1 dc in the first 3 st, 2 dc in the next, repeat around. Join. (50 st)
RND 6-11: Ch 1. dc around, Join. (50 st)
Finish off. Sew in tail.

Ear flaps
Join to a st on one side of hat, keeping the seem to the back. Repeat for the second earflap on opposite side.
Ch 1.
Hdc in the next 9 st. (9 st)
RND 1: Ch 1, turn. Hdc decrease in the first 2 st. Hdc in the next 5 st. Hdc decrease in the last 2 st. (7 st)
RND 2: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in each st across. (7 st)
RND 3: Ch 1, turn. Hdc decrease in the first 2 st. Hdc in the next 3 st. Hdc decrease in the last 2 st. (5 st)
RND 4: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in each st across. (5 st)
RND 5: Ch 1, turn. Hdc decrease in the first 2 st. Hdc in the next st. Hdc decrease in the last 2 st. (3 st)
RND 6: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in each st across, finish off. Sew in tail. (3 st)

Border
Join MC in the back of hat, ch 1 and hdc around the entire hat. Join, fasten off and sew in tail.

Eyes
(3 parts)  Make 2 of everything.

Off White:
Magic Loop.
ROW 1: Work 6 hdc into loop. Join. (6 st)
ROW 2: Ch 1. 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (12 st)
ROW 3: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the same st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (18 st)
ROW 4: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the first 2 st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (24 st)
ROW 5: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the first 3 st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (35 st)
Finish off. Leave long tail for sewing.

In yellow
Magic Loop.
ROW 1: Work 6 hdc into loop. Join. (6 st)
ROW 2: Ch 1. 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (12 st)
ROW 3: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the same st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (18 st)
ROW 4: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the first 2 st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (24 st) Finish off. Leave long tail for sewing.

In black
Magic Loop.
ROW 1: Work 6 hdc into loop. Join. (6 st)
ROW 2: Ch 1. 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (12 st)
Finish off. Leave long tail for sewing.

Sew the black circles towards the edge of the yellow circles, then sew them both to the off white circles towards the edge.

Beak
Row 1: Chain 9. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 dch in each stitch. Turn.(7 st)
Row 2: Ch 1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (6 st)
Row 3: Ch 1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (5 st)
Row 4: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (4st)
Row 5: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (3st)
Row 6: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (2st)
Row 7: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (1st)
Finish off. Sew in tail.

I pinched the tip of the beak and tied it with some yarn to give it that pointy tip.

Owl Ears
Row 1: Chain 9. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 dch in each stitch. Turn.(7 st)
Row 2: Ch 1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (6 st)
Row 3: Ch 1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (5 st)
Row 4: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (4st)
Row 5: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (3st)
Row 6: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (2st)
Row 7: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (1st)
Finish off. Leave a long tail to sew onto beanie.
Cut 2 pieces each of tan, off white, and black yarn. Pull through the loop of the yarn pieces through the chanin and then pulling the ends of the yarn through the loop.


Sew eyes, beak, and ears onto the front of the hat, use photo for placement.


Ties
Cut 3 pieces of 20" of 3 different colors of yarn. Pull each color through and fold in half to make 6 pieces of yarn per color.

Fold ear flap in half to find the middle of flaps.
Attach yarn by pulling the loop of the yarn pieces through the chain and then pulling the ends of the yarn through the loop. Braid each set, keep length even. Tie off. Trim ends.

I would love to see your creations!! Send me a link! Happy Crocheting!

Long Beach Comic Con - Oct 29, 2011

This was my first experience at a comic con. I wanted to see what the hype was about. No doubt, there were tons of people dressed up in character. I've compiled my own trading cards (above) with some of the characters I got a chance to snap. If you're wondering what who the girl in the middle is supposed to be Amy Winehouse, zombie version. I know she's not part of the comic series, but I needed one more space filled. Next years cards will be much better for sure!

I took a bunch of photos I decided to start with the artists! Can you believe it, I found 3 Filipino and 1 Chamorro artist! Whoot Whoot!

The cute filipina girl, Kamilla Portacio, is the daughter of Whilce Portacio,
a famous artist that draws for DC and Marvel. So amazing how young
she is and already a good artist!

Tone Rodriguez, artist who has drawn for the
Simpson, Zorro, and Ecape from LA just to name a few.

Tone Rodriguez' artwork.

More of Tone Rodriguez' artwork.

Stan Sakai, author and artist of Usagi Yojimo.

Jesse Mesa Toves. I was surprised to find an
islander on the other end of the table. Good Job!!

Jesse Mesa Toves artwork.

It was great to see some female artists in this male dominant field.

Tiffany Ho, artist.

Some of Tiffany Ho Artwork.

Now for the vendors! I found some great handmade items. Something I didn't expect at Comic Con. The first store I found was Apple 8 Store. I couldn't believe what I found. It was a diamond in the rough. Amazing artwork!!

Handmade crochet animal beanies.

More beanies. The one on the right has it's brains coming out! So creative!

The owners of Apple 8 Store!

Wire wrapped handmade jewelry. Love, love, love these!

Amigurumi. Looks like little candy.

Not your average shirt. Most if not all were designed by the owners.

2 headed Curious George, from Carlyfornia.

Owner of Carlyfornia.

Handmade corsets from Miss Carlyfornia.

An assortment of rings from Miss Carlyfornia.

Retro Outlaw Studios, LA California.

Retro Outlaw Studios. Punks not Dead shirt.

Retro Outlaw Studios. More shirts.

 Zombie Walk!

Just a portion of the zombies getting ready to do their walk.

At the end of the Zombie walk was a fair and an attempt to have the Guiness record for the most zombies for a walk.

Mens Crocheted Spiral Beanie

 

This textured beanie was a request from the other half. Ramon wanted something to keep his head warm when he went fishing on those cold mornings at the lake. I was looking for something a little more masculine than a traditional beanie, and the spirals on the pattern turned out great! He seems to be enjoying his new head gear. You can get the free pattern here from Nancy Smith from www.nlsstitches.com.

Breakfast Quiche

I love me some eggs! They're packed with protein to help you feel fuller longer, choline which contributes to fetal brain development and aids in brain function in adults. They also contain a small amount of  lutein and zeaxanthin that can help prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness. More info on eggs here.

Serves: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
handful of button mushrooms, diced

1/4 cup bacon, cooked and diced
1 handful of spinach
9 eggs, scrambled




WHAT TO DO
1 Heat the oven to 350º F and prepare a muffin pan with a little dab of coconut oil. If you have a nonstick pan, you can skip this step. 

2 Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions for about 2-3 minutes.

3 Add the garlic and and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms reduce down a bit.


4 Add the bacon and spinach and cook for another minute.

5 Divide the mixture into the 12 cup muffin pan.

6 Divide the scramble eggs into the cups as well and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

TIP
I cook this up at the beginning of the week and every morning get one out of the fridge! A quick breakfast out the door.


Do you have any quick tips for breakfast?

Pruning Happy

I recently borrowed a couple of pruning books from the library to give me more of an idea on how to prune my plants, especially the bay laurel tree I've had for a couple years now. So I read up on it the night before and the first I did when I got up was head to my back patio with my pruning shears in hand and started cutting. I think I might have gone pruning happy! Before I knew it, the tree looked like a storm passed and all left were a few twigs and some leaves. Ooops! I'm sure it'll be fine. The book mentions that the only way to learn is to just do it and cut! I can't wait until more leaves start developing. Well, at least I have tons of dried bay leaves for cooking. Happy Pruning!

Any pruning advice or anecdotes you can give on pruning for the faint at heart?

Air Plant

Air Plant hanging off the side of a pot.

My auntie Vicky gave me some of her Air Plants. Actually, I asked if I could have some. She told me to get as much as I wanted because they grow so fast. She had a whole gazebo covered in it before she threw most of it out. 

This plant is so interesting! I originally wanted it to just have to soften up some of my pots and to just have to add to flower arrangements in the future. Now I'm thinking I can use it to line my wire basket instead of moss and fill it in with compost. That will be shown in another post just as soon as I get more air plants. They seem to be growing pretty good....and fast, so it shouldn't be too long. I put mine out in the sun and it pretty much burnt. So, all it needs is water and a shady place.

What kind of interesting or unusual plants do you have?

More Green Onions

Instead of using the whole green onion that you bought from the store, cut about an inch or so above the roots and just stick them in water. Soon, you will notice more roots forming after a few days. You can transplant this to your garden and voila, you will have more green onions that will grow that are 'cut and come again'. I can usually get about 2-3 time more green onions this way. It's such a fun and easy way to get more out of what you paid for.

What other plants do you think you can do like this?

Somethings going on with my herbs....and it's not good

My herb pot that has thyme, oregano, parsley and garlic chives were doing really well until I noticed that the leaves were getting spots on them. So, the first think I did was chop off all the discolored leave knowing that the herbs will easily grow back. It seemed to work for a bit, but now that the herbs are getting fuller, the spots came back. I'm suspecting it's a type of plant disease. yuck! I'm going to try again and hack the herbs down, fertilize with more of worm compost and cross my fingers.

Any suggestions on how to alleviate this problem?

Worm bin update

The picture here is another level on the worm condo that I started. I really should have taken a picture of the first level that I initially set up the bin. I've been using the worm castings from that bin to supplement all my plants. This picture is somewhere in the middle of being finished, maybe another month then it will be good to start using as fertilizer. The seeds that I placed in the worm condo sprouted! I didn't mean to sprout them. I just added it to the bin to get eaten by the worms. I was so surprised to see that they were growing. Well, then again the whole thing is a bin full of worm casting (fertilizer) and worms. I found some other seeds that have sprouted in there. Having seen how effective the worm casting is on seeds, I've been adding a little scoop of it to the seeds that I've been starting. I've noticed a difference that they have been sprouting up earlier than usual.

I finally put the worm bin outside. Originally it was under a table in the kitchen, but  the plastic resevoir holding the tea cracked a little, so now it's permanently home outside. I hope the worms can stand the heat and our so-called winters here in SoCal. If you notice, it's a little wet underneath the front leg of the condo. I eventually put an old pie pan there to catch the worm tea and usually dump the tea in my watering can and add extra water, and feed my plants that way.

Where do you store your worm bin?

Creamy Avocado Dressing/Dip

I recently came across a recipe from from myrecipes.com, to spice up my salad dressing. I made some major alteration as I was missing some of the ingredients, but it turned out really good. Say good-bye to boring salad dressings. This is really good as a dip too! Tastes very similar to cilantro hummus.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: none

INGREDIENTS

2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 persian cucumber 
1 avocado, peeled and pitted 
1 cup cilantro 
2  green onions 
Fresh juice of 1 lime 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 teaspoon sea salt


WHAT TO DO
1 Puree everything in a blender or preferably in a food processor.

2 Add 1/4 cup water at a time to your desired consistency.



TIP
Leave it thick by not adding the water and use it as a dip for your veggies.

Selecting Fruit Trees for Southern California

My cousin has given me permission to help her with getting her garden started. So, I've been doing some research on the type of fruit trees to get for our area. Having several fruit trees in your property is a great start for your garden! You plant them once and enjoy the bounty for many years to come.

1. Decide what type of fruits you like. You wouldn't want to grow anything you won't eat. It's a waste of time and energy. So, she's decided that she wanted a nectarine, cherry, lemon, and a lime tree.
2.  See what varieties grow best for your area. In this case, in Southern California. I've decided to go with Snow Queen Nectarine, Minnie Royal Cherry & Royal Lee Cherry (you need the two different varieties to pollenate each other), Meyer Lemon, and Bear Seedless Lime.
3. Find the nurseries around your area or online stores that carry those varieties. I've found a few places that offer the fruit trees that I'm looking for around our area. Here's a list that can get you started.

• Four Winds Growers - Enjoy perusing their site of over 60 varieties of fine Citrus trees, including a selection of rare and unusual Citrus that may not yet be available in retail nurseries.
• Bay Laurel Nursery - Browse through the hundreds of varieties of high quality fruit trees, shrubs and vines we sell online.
• Tropical Fruit Trees - Located in Nornthern San Diego County in Vista, California, you can find tons of subtropical and tropical fruits trees.
• Dave Wilson Nursery - One of the largest growers of deciduous fruit, nut and shade trees in California. Their growing grounds are located east of Modesto in the Sierra Nevada foothills, near the town of Hickman.
  
  

  

  Lemon Tree in a pot at a restaurant! Beautiful!!

  
  

  

  Apple Tree

  
  

What fruit trees are you growing in your garden? If you have a picture that would be even more wonderful!

Sweet and Salty Glazed Salmon Salad

You'll love this light, sweet and salty fish dish that helps promote the production of healthy stomach acids.  The sauce tastes similar to the ponzu sauce you would get at a sushi restaurant, but a lighter version of it.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's, Soy-Glazed Salmon with Watercress Salad.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes


INGREDIENTS
4 Tbsp gluten-free light soy sauce
4 Tbsp honey
2 oranges, peeled, flesh cut into segments, and juice squeezed from membranes (about 4 tablespoons)
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tsp rice vinegar
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
1 bag (6 oz.) organic baby spinach
1 small carrot, sliced in strips
1 Tbsp sesame seeds


WHAT TO DO
1 In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, 3 tablespoons honey, and orange juice; season with salt and pepper.  In a larger bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons glaze, rice vinegar, and oil; set dressing aside.

2  Heat broiler, with rack 4 inches from heat.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. 

3 Season salmon with salt and pepper and broil for 5 minutes.

4 Remove fish from oven, brush with glaze, then broil until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes, brushing with glaze once more.  You can reserve some of the glaze to pour over the fish on the plate.

5 Add orange segments, spinach, and carrots to dressing and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper. 

6 Divide salad among four plates and top with salmon.  Sprinkle everything with sesame seeds.  Serve immediately.

Seed Saving

I had the best squash in my opinion the other day with my food. It's called Kambocha Squash. I've decided to save some of the seeds and attempt to grow it.

Does anyone want to swap some seeds? (open pollinated or heirloom varieties please)

I'm drying the seeds off on top of some old newspaper.

First bean harvest

My first bean harvest of 2011. Not too bad for the first year at an apartment. I may have picked them too soon. Harvesting is the funest part of gardening. I got harvest happy. Although, I do like my green beans and other greens on the younger, more tender side.

I wanted to weigh them but I keep forgetting to buy a food scale. Know of any good ones?

Pretty Butterfly

Look what I found fluttering around my beans yesterday, but a lonely butterfly, or is it a pretty moth?! I don't like moths much after finding a bunch of holes in my sweaters, but if this was a moth...there were no moths harmed in the photography of this insect.

Beans beans they're good for your heart

The green beans are starting to get bigger and should be ready to pick in a few days. They look so cool. I think I could have planted them earlier for a longer harvesting period.

You can see the twine and wire I had prepared for the beans. I planted them in the wrong spot...in the center of the patch of dirt in my patio. What was I thinking?! I thought these were going to be pole beans, but they are the bush type beans. I was real lucky this time.

New Addition to the Garden

I couldn't help but buy this Improved Meyer Lemon tree from Home Depot when I stopped by. It only cost about $12. It still looks like it's still in it's first or second year, although it's already flowering. It's our second citrus plant other than our Bear Lime tree.

 

Dwarf Bear Lime Tree