Moments of inspiration. They happen at really odd times. Maybe you’re struck with an idea for a salad while you’re checking the mail. While stuck in traffic, perhaps you think of the perfect addition to something you’ve made for years. Those moments are fun. Those moments are exciting. You want to go straight to the grocery store and grab what you need. This roasted carrot, squash, and potato soup is not the result of one of those moments.
We have many needs for rugs and mats around our house. We need some in the garage, in the kitchen, on the balcony, on the patio, and in the craft room. I have a few rug craft projects going right now and I hope to cover all of our rug needs through the clever use of various kinds of yarns and fabric scraps. This chunky crochet rug currently resides in the doorway of the craft room, but will eventually help decorate the patio. The project has so many possible variations and presents many opportunities to make use of your yarn stash!
There are some compliments that stick with you. Recently one of my wife’s cousins made a point of coming up to me after dinner at a family potluck and said, “those carrots you made were on point. What did you do to them?” I told him that my carrots tasted good because carrots are good. I just got out of the way and let them do their thing. That got me wondering. Why is “getting out of the way” so difficult? Why is it so tempting to over complicate food? Maybe we feel a need to put our “stamp” on a particular dish. Perhaps we start cooking without a clear direction in mind. Whatever the reason, it got me thinking. It got me thinking, oddly enough, about 1987.
This is the kind of project I enjoy. There was a bit of a time crunch, I was home alone with our two year old, and had only the ingredients already in the house at my disposal. Sometimes “limitations” are the driving force behind creativity. That was certainly the case with this hearty three bean & quinoa chili.
I’ve made several hats in the past six months. In fact, I added it up and I’ve made 16 hats since September 15. But a woman can never have make too many hats. While looking at Pinterest, I convinced myself I needed to make a textured crochet hat. I wanted one with some braid-looking rows and maybe some puff stitches! After playing around with post stitches and increases, I made this: the Winter Picnic Hat! Eating and BBQing outdoors in the winter requires proper attire. Hence the winter picnic hat! I’m excited to share this free crochet pattern in two sizes!