Newsletter #23

A Crochet pattern A Week Newsletter 23

A Crochet Pattern A Week Newsletter

Number 23© September 2010 all rights reserved Published by A Crochet Pattern A Week Newsletter.A big welcome to the "newbies" ! Thank you for joining "A Crochet pattern A Week!" I hope you enjoy the patterns and maybe learn something new.....from something old.For those of you who just found my blog, and are not members of "A Crochet Pattern of the week," and would like to join a great group of women and men come check us out at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/acrochetpatternaweekplace/


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Table of Contents:

Yarn pattern

Thread pattern

Knit

Happenings at A Crochet Pattern A Week Place

Trivia

Motivational thoughts

A Short Funny

Kids Corner

Members Recipe

Cooking tip

Gift Idea

Link of the month

Freebie

Hints & tips

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Yarn






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Cotton

I will be putting a WW cotton pattern this month, instead of a #10 thread because I thought this wreath would fit in the scheme of things.

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Knit




Batty dishcloth

materials:
Sugar 'n Cream, Grape
size 6 straight needles

directions:
CO 40 stitches (I use the long-tail cast on)
Knit 4 rows
1 - K3, P34, K3
2 - K all
Repeat rows 1 & 2 five more times (rows 3 through12)
13 - K3, P17, K1, P16, K3
14 - K19, P1, K20
15 - K3, P16, K2, P16, K3
16 - K18, P3, K19
17 - K3, P15, K4, P15, K3
18 - K18, P4, K18
19 - K3, P14, K6, P14, K3
20 - K12, P1, K4, P7, K3, P1, K12
21 - K3, P9, K2, P1, K9, P3, K1, P9, K3
22 - K12, P2, K2, P13, K6, P1, K4
23 - K3, P1, K2, P5, K18, P6, K1, P1, K3
24 - K4, P2, K5, P19, K3, P2, K5
25 - K3, P2, K25, P3, K3, P1, K3
26 - K5, P3, K2, P24, K6
27 - K3, P3, K28, P3, K3
28 - K6, P27, K7
29 - K3, P4, K26, P4, K3
30 - K7, P16, K1, P8, K8
31 - K3, P5, K7, P2, K4, P1, K10, P5, K3
32 - K8, P9, K2, P5, K2, P5, K9
33 - K3, P6, K4, P3, K6, P2, K7, P6, K3
34 - K9, P6, K3, P6, K4, P2, K10
35 - K3, P7, K1, P5, K6, P4, K4, P7, K3
36 - K10, P3, K5, P6, K16
37 - K3, P14, K1, P2, K1, P7, K1, P8, K3
38 - K19, P1, K2, P1, K17
39 - K3, P34, K3
40 - K all
Repeat rows 39 & 40 five more times (rows 41 through 50)
Knit 4 rows
Bind off

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Trivia

Halloween Holiday Trivia
Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.

Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. Great for unique monster carvings!

Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.

Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.

The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.

Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers #1.

Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.

Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.

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Motivational thoughts:

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A Short Funny





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Kids Corner:

Kids Craft:





This cute little spider candy holder hangs on a doorknob just waiting to give you treats. You can also fill it with other items such as pencils, erasers, temporary tattoos, and fun plastic spider rings.

Be sure to visit all of our other ghostly crafts, our fabulous costume ideas and these spook-tackular Halloween recipes!


What you'll need:
9" paper plate
4 black chenille stems
Three 36"-long pieces of green yarn
Black, white and light green acrylic paint
3" x 5" piece of orange construction paper
Black marker
White craft glue
Scissors
How to make it:
Fold paper plate in half and make a crease.
Cut paper plate in half using crease as a guide.
Turn paper plate pieces upside down (rounded side up). Paint both halves of plate with black paint and let dry .
When dry, glue along the rounded edges of the two pieces of plate and stick the plates together, unpainted sides should be facing each other. Do not glue the cut sides; this is the opening of your plate pocket.
Cut chenille stems in half.
Set aside two of the chenille stems. Bend the ends of the remaining chenille stems, about 1" at each end. Bend one to the left and the other to the right.
For the remaining two chenille stems, bend one end about 1" and the other end about 2".
Place plate pocket in front of you, with the open end at the top. Glue three chenille legs on the left (glue to the under side) and the other three on the right.
Take the remaining two stems and glue the 2" bend under the plate about 1/3 of the way down from the left, and 1/3 of the way down on the right. Allow to dry.
Make eyes from white construction paper, or paint a section of any color construction paper with white paint. When dry, cut out two circles, about 1.5" in diameter. Use the handle end of a paint brush to add the black pupils. When black is dry, use a toothpick or small paint brush handle to dot a small bit of white onto the black pupil. When eyes are completely dry, glue them to the front of the plate.
Paint a wiggly smile on the front of the plate using green paint.
Write "Happy Halloween!" on the orange construction paper with black marker. Glue the paper underneath the spider’s "hands" so that it appears that it is holding the sign.
To make the handle, line all three pieces of yarn up together and tie one end in a knot. Braid the strands together and knot at the other end.
Open the pocket and pipe some glue into the creases then press the ends of the yarn handle inside and let dry.
Fill with candy or other treats and hang.

Tips:
Instead of making the eyes you can use large wiggle eyes.
If you prefer to skip braiding the yarn, you can cut a handle from craft foam.
Chenille stems are available at your local discount department store or craft store. Watch for sales following each holiday as you can pick up theme colors on clearance (green and red – Christmas, etc).

Kids link


Halloween Links

Enjoy these Halloween links for kids! You will find Halloween coloring pages, Halloween crafts, Halloween printables and much more!


http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/halloween%20links.htm

Kids Freebie

Free Halloween Jack O'Lantern Pumpkin Pattern Stencils for Kids

Discover your inner pumpkin with free Jack O'Lantern carving stencil designs.
Paper Pumpkins for children is a very large stencil and color book site containing nearly 600 coloring book images with matching pumpkin carving stencil templates from which to choose. These stencils have been divided into categories for easier navigation.

Select a carving template thumbnail image to view the collection for that specific category. For example: Happy Faces category will bring up a page listing all templates with happy face themes. Sad Faces category will reveal all stencils with a sad face theme, etc...

Print your carving template design choices on thin to regular weight paper. The thinner the paper, the easier to trace the design through the paper into the flesh of your pumpkin (or watermelon).

Cultural theme stencils are adapted from existing, historical images of North American indiginous native totem pole figures, Japanese Kabuki theater masks, New Zealand Maori painted faces and tattoos and more.

http://www.paperpumpkins.com/patterns.htm

Kids short story:


The Old Witch
by The Brothers Grimm

There was once a little girl who was very willful and who never obeyed when her elders spoke to her - so how could she be happy?

One day she said to her parents, "I have heard so much of the old witch that I will go and see her. People say she is a wonderful old woman, and has many marvelous things in her house, and I am very curious to see them."'

But her parents forbade her going, saying, "The witch is a wicked old woman, who performs many godless deeds - and if you go near her, you are no longer a child of ours."

The girl, however, would not turn back at her parents' command, but went to the witch's house. When she arrived there the old woman asked her:

"Why are you so pale?"

"Ah," she replied, trembling all over, "I have frightened myself so with what I have just seen."

"And what did you see?" inquired the old witch.

"I saw a black man on your steps."

"That was a collier," replied she.

"Then I saw a gray man."

"That was a sportsman," said the old woman.

"After him I saw a blood-red man."

"That was a butcher," replied the old woman.

"But, oh, I was most terrified," continued the girl, "when I peeped through your window, and saw not you, but a creature with a fiery head."

"Then you have seen the witch in her proper dress," said the old woman. "For you I have long waited, and now you shall give me light."

So saying the witch changed the little girl into a block of wood, and then threw it on the fire. When it was fully alight, she sat down on the hearth and warmed herself, saying:

"How good I feel! The fire has not burned like this for a long time!"


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Members Recipe

This recipe come to us from Valery/Group mommy 2. Thanks so much Valery for sharing such a yummy sounding recipe.

Caramel Apple Cake

1 box French Vanilla Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 stick butter
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups chopped granny smith apples

Blend well with spoon. Pour into glass cake pan and cook 325 for 1 hour.

Topping:

1 bag caramels
1 stick butter
2 cups chopped pecans

Place caramels and butter in microwave to melt for 2 minutes - sitr - place in microwave 2 more minutes - stir until blended. If to thick you can add a small amount of milk to thin. add chopped pecans and pour over warm cake.

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Cooking tip:

Oven To Crockpot Conversions

For most crockpots, the low setting is about 200º and the high setting is about 300º

One hour on high is equal to 2 to 2 1/2 hours on low.

Here is the conversion for regular ovens to crockpots
15 to 30 minutes oven = 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours on high in crockpot or 4-6 hours on low.
35 to 45 minutes oven = 3 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
60 minutes to 3 hours oven = 4-5 hours on high or 8-18 hours on low.

Most uncooked meat and vegetable combinations require at least 8 hours on low.

Here are some more tips:

Beef cuts will be better cooked on low for 8-10 hours, while chicken can be cooked on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Reduce the amount of liquid used in oven recipes (unless rice or pasta is used) when using the low setting-the crockpot retains moisture while it would evaporate in a regular oven.

Spices may need to be reduced or increased. Whole herbs and spices increase their flavoring in a crockpot, while ground spices and herbs may lose some flavor. Add ground spices during the last hour of cooking. Whole herbs and spices will probably need to be reduced by half.

Rice, noodles, macaroni, seafood, Chinese vegetables and milk do not hold up well when cooked 8-10 hours. Add these to sauce of liquid about 2 hours before serving when using low, or 1 hour on high.

If you want to use milk in an 8-10 hour recipe, use evaporated milk

Browning meats is a personal choice. It's not necessary, but may reduce the fat content if browned.

Sautéing vegetables isn't necessary except for eggplant which should be parboiled or sautéed due to it's strong flavor. You may want to decrease the amount of strong tasting vegetables since they will permeate the other foods in the crock pot with their full flavor.

Dry beans can be cooked overnight on low as an alternative to soaking. Cover with water and add 1 tsp of baking soda. Drain and combine with other ingredients. Be sure beans are softened before adding to any sugar or tomato mixture.

Use long grain parboiled/converted raw rice in recipes and use standard liquid amounts instead of reducing the liquid. For mixed recipes requiring pasta, it's best to cook the pasta separately to al dente and add just before serving.

For soups, add water only to cover ingredients. If thinner soup is wanted, add more liquid at the end of the cooking time.


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Gift Idea

Chocolate-Covered Bugs

Yield: 12 servings

1 x Red-licorice whips
24 ea Soft caramel candies
6 oz Chocolate chips
1 x Colored sprinkles
1 x Red hots
1 x Sliced almonds
1 x Assorted decors and dragees

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Cut licorice into small pieces.

Use your hands to flatten each caramel into a small oval.

Press bits of licorice onto 12 of the flattened caramels to make
legs. Top each with a second caramel and press edges to seal.

Put on prepared baking sheet.

Put chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High about
1 minute. Stir and then microwave on High 1 minute longer.

Remove from oven and stir until melted.

Spoon melted chocolate over each candy. Decorate with nuts and candy.


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Link of the month


Fun Halloween Decorating Ideas

TRICK OR TREAT? Only good Halloween treats are waiting for you here. You'll find lots of great ways to decorate your home and get ready for Halloween with these articles and resources from About.

http://interiordec.about.com/od/hallowee1/a/hol_fallhallown.htm

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Freebie

Make Your Own Halloween Costumes

Costumes are a big part of most people's Halloween celebrations and Halloween will be here before you know it. Do you have any idea of what your Halloween costume will be?

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/halloweentheme/a/091399.htm

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Hints and tips

For health-conscious parents, Halloween can be tricky. Do you set limits? Do you let kids decide how much to eat? There isn't just one right answer. Instead, use your best judgment given what you know about your child's personality and eating habits.

Before kids go trick-or-treating, try to serve a healthy meal so they're not hungry when the candy starts coming in.

Kids who generally eat just a couple of pieces and save the rest might be trusted to decide how much to eat. But if your child tends to overdo it, consider setting limits.

Here are some more tips for handling the Halloween treats:

•Know how much candy your child has collected and store it somewhere other than the child's room. Having it so handy can be an irresistible temptation for many kids.
•Consider being somewhat lenient about candy eating on Halloween, within reason, and talk about how the rest of the candy will be handled. Candy and snacks shouldn't get in the way of kids eating healthy meals.
•If a child is overweight — or you'd just like to reduce the Halloween stash — consider buying back some or all of the remaining Halloween candy. This acknowledges the candy belongs to the child and provides a treat in the form of a little spending money.
•Be a role model by eating Halloween candy in moderation yourself. To help avoid temptation, buy your candy at the last minute and get rid of any leftovers.
•Encourage your child to be mindful of the amount of candy and snacks eaten — and to stop before feeling full or sick.
You also can offer some alternatives to candy to the trick-or-treaters who come to your door. Here are some treats to think about giving out:


•Non-food treats, like stickers, toys, temporary tattoos, false teeth, little bottles of bubbles and small games, like tiny decks of cards (party-supply stores can be great sources for these)
•Snacks such as small bags of pretzels, sugar-free gum, trail mix, small boxes of raisins, and popcorn
•Sugar-free candy
•Small boxes of cereal
Steer clear of any snacks or toys — like small plastic objects — that could pose choking hazards to very young children.


And remember that Halloween, like other holidays, is a single day on the calendar. If your family eats sensibly during the rest of the year, it will have a more lasting impact than a few days of overindulgence.

Staytunned for more newsletters to come.
Yawl come back ya hear.