SpiderWomanKnits

tap tap tap

2012-03-26T20:44:13-04:00

I hope this thing is still on because I have a lovely little snack idea to share with you. I discovered it first, where else, Pinterest, but then I haven't stopped making it since. Whenever we need a quick, wholesome snack this is what we are turning to. Surprisingly and deliciously addictive. I haven't even bothered with any seasoning other than a sprinkle of sea salt. Jorn, Simonne and Vaughn can not get enough of these. We're lucky enough that we don't have to "sneak" any foods into our kids diet, they are adventurous eaters, but these offer a refreshing break from carb-based snacks which can be so much easier to reach for.

You can find the original recipe here. Again, I haven't done anything other than just sprinkle them with some salt. You can just drain a couple of cans early in the day and let them sit until the afternoon/after school so they get nice and dry. That way when you roast them you'll get a nice crispy outer texture. They're so good that they won't last more than a minute or two on the table but, boy, would they be delicious on your dinner salad too.

I know I mentioned it before but I am using Instagram a lot these days. If you do too, find me there as spiderwomanknits. Lots of pics of what we've been up to these days.

Hope your Spring is off to a lovely start!

xoxo

Spidey

Red Comb Vintage : It's all about The Bag

2012-03-04T21:03:19-05:00

I've been carving out time to get back to hunting for vintage goodies these days (for the shop and for my home) and I finally had some nice treasures to share. These lovely bags made their way into my Etsy Shop today. Check 'em out. Oh, and while you're there take a look at this. I just about fell over when I found it. So, so sweet.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. I was a bit of a Weekend Warrior on Saturday and decided to paint my kitchen. Whoa Nelly!

xoxo,

Spidey

i like to color

2012-03-01T20:09:38-05:00

I don't get to do this too often but we had a snow day today, out of sheer desperation to go through the motions of winter eventhough there hasn't been one to speak of in Southern Vermont this year, so I took advantage of the situation to just be still for a while.

I love Dover Coloring Books. This one is from Trolls, Elves and Fairies by Jan Sovak. We have quite the collection of these and everyone enjoys working on them. I love the way Simonne interprets these drawings. I have to take some pictures of her work too. These pictures aren't the best. They were taken with my iPod and filtered through Instagram but you can get the idea of how detailed the work is. It's so relaxing. My alter-ego fantasy career would be to be a comic book colorist or tattoo artist :)

Recipe : {Gluten Free} Darkside Cookies

2012-02-28T13:54:39-05:00

I was craving chocolate chocolate chip cookies the other day. I had tried several recipes before but none that really fet like "the keeper". So, I decided to just make my very own. Oh boy. Let me tell you.

Since I can't just have every one of you over for milk and cookies (which would be my preference) I'll just share my recipe with you. How's that sound? These are Gluten Free because, well, I'm gluten intollerant and my whole body hurts if I eat it. I can't test these with regular flour so if you do make them and you're not gluten free I would love to hear how they turn out. Jorn named them :)

{Gluten Free} Darkside Cookies

Needs:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tspns vanilla

2 cups Gluten Free Flour, I use Bob's Redmill AP Mix

3/4 cup Hersey's Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

1/2 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn xantham gun (omit if you are using regular flour)

1/2 tspn salt

2 cups semi sweet or milk chocolate chips, or a combo of both

Make:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and egg yolk. Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl sift together all the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips.

Stir dry ingredients into your creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Put your dough into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

This is a really important step, don't skip it! Once my dough has been refrigerated I roll it into even ping pong sized balls and just bake off a few at a time. This is an old habit from my days working in a homemade ice cream shop but it's a good one. That way you don't eat all the cookies at once and you can just pop the cookie balls onto a cookie sheet and bake away without getting your hands super dirty every time. Keep in mind that baking time is for chilled dough.

When your dough is properly chilled and prepared bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Enjoy!

FO: Be Mine

2012-02-06T19:00:00-05:00

I dare you not to knit a whole stack of these. They are so fun! Such a great freebie from Poppies and Milk. A strand of these sewn to vintage lace would make the sweetest garland ever. Just sayin'.

The kids are home sick and I am feeling pretty yuck too but sitting on the couch and knitting these up today really brightened my day. Project details Raveled. Just a warning, once you start knitting them you won't be able to stop.

Why is it so hard to photograph red (alone)? This is the same yarn I used for my shawl. It doesn't look anything like this at all. The grouped heart pictures show it most accurately. The first three hearts were knit using Karin's beautiful Periwinkle Sheep Yarn. Oh, what fun these are! Gonna go get back to it!

Sunday Cats

2012-02-05T16:31:00-05:00

It's that kind of weekend here. I'm feeling a touch run down and we're all just nestled in and relaxing. I'm looking to the cats for inspiration. They're my relaxation Gurus. But, I may just have another fun pattern to share soon as a result of this weekend's bliss! Have you seen all the cowls being knit on Ravelry? It's so exciting!

Who's watching the Superbowl tonight? Anyone? We're such a house of geeky nerds that it's not really on our radar but I did put up a pot of our favorite Chili this morning. Such a good, quick (to assemble), easy recipe and you can find it here. My family likes a medley of dark red, light red, pinto and black beans. I use chili powder from our local food co-op and any salsa I have on hand. Usually, I double the recipe to fill my 7 quart crock pot. Then, I let it cook all day. We barely have any leftovers! I hope you give it a shot.

And, for another moment of shameless self promotion (so sorry), I have everything in the shop 25% off for today only. Just use the coupon code SUPERSALE and it will automatically deduct the prices at checkout on Etsy. Check it out or just help me spread the word.

I hope everyone is getting in touch with their Sunday Cats this weekend.

xoxo

Spidey

Busy Making

2012-02-01T14:43:47-05:00

I'm in the midst of a crafting flurry. Mostly, rather exclusively, for the shop. I'm just feeling very motivated these days and it's been very fun. I had my first run at a local festival just this past weekend. It was such a great experience. I've never been sure how that would work out for me but it was nice. I learned a lot. I squeeze in most of my work during naps times or moments of opportunity so it often feels like I am not getting much done, which made it all the more satisfying to see (almost) all of my handiwork laid out in one place. I can definitely see myself doing some fairs and the farmers market this summer.

These Wee Babies have been such a pleasure to make too. It's fun knowing that there are a whole bunch out there being cuddled by little ones. I just added five more to the shop who are looking for their forever homes. These little cuties pictured above and one Wee (Pink) Baby too who is not pictured. You can find them in my Handmade Doll section. I have so many more ideas for new dolls I'd like to try making swimming around in my head so I'm not sure how many more of these I'll make. Inspiration is such a blessing. No?

(breakfast) obsession

2012-01-30T13:07:58-05:00

Have I mentioned that I love Pinterest? I'm telling you. You'd think that it would suck time and that you'd end up spending more time pinning than doing but for me it has been an incredible motivator on so many levels. It's one thing to be inspired by blogs and magazines etc. but when you have that motivation scattered all over the place or in unmanageable bookmarks or nooks of your home it's very difficult for those images and feelings to really take focus. I've found it incredibly revealing and helpful to watch my personal boards, and boards of friends develop.I see now that I really do have a "taste" and, for better or worse, I find myself embracing that more as a result of my pinning. Boy, could this lingo be getting any weirder?

Anyhoo, this gem of a recipe was a result of sharing on Pinterest. It's a keeper, for it's simplicity and it's taste. After the first time I made it the recipe was committed to memory. To make it gluten free I just sub Bob's Red Mill AP mix. It's perfect for my family right now since we are experiencing an egg laying slow down, getting just a handful a day from our 35 plus bird flock. I hope you make it and enjoy it too!

Free Pattern! Drop Stitch Cowl

2012-01-20T12:13:14-05:00

Remember when I mentioned I had another freebie pattern to share? This past fall I knit up one of these cowls and it has become my favorite knitted accessory. I wear it all the time, with or without my coat! For knitters, it's a very simple and gratifying project using a conservative amount of your yarn and your time. Grab your size 15 circs, a ball of super bulky yarn and cast on! In no time at all you’ll have a stylish accessory that will quickly become one of your most treasured possessions. I've went ahead and written up the pattern for you. I'm sure you can whip one up this weekend and I really hope you do!

Here is the direct link to the PDF Download Drop Stitch Cowl which can also be found on Ravelry too.

I love offering patterns for free, in turn, I humbly ask that you direct people who are interested in purchasing a cowl to my Etsy shop. Thank you so much! If you are not a knitter cowls are available in my Etsy Shop right now.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Spidey

FO: a hat for Chloe

2012-01-11T09:49:57-05:00

So far the knitting trend for 2012 is hats! I'm busting out lots of hats because I have quit a stash I'd like to start busting. This is another Honey Hat. It's such a delightful, quick pattern to knit up and looks ah-dorbs on the little ones.

Simonne's buddy, Chloe, was having a birthday so I whipped one up for her. All the details have been Raveled. I wasn't sure if I'd like the results with self striping yarn but I think it turned out ok. Simonne didn't want to give it up.