Knitted Pinwheel Motif

Knitted Pinwheel Motif 

I was making this blanket when it was brought to my attention that there wasn't a pinwheel motif done by knitting it! So I had to take care of that situation, didn't I? 

Here is what I came up with. 

How stinkin cute!?! 

This hasn't been tested yet, but hopefully by the end of the day I should have a few knitters addicted done with these little cuties. They only take about 20 mins once you've done a few they will just fly off the needles!

If you are interested in testing this out for me, please let me know!

Here is the pattern:

Knitted Pinwheel Motif

You need a small amount of yarn, I used worsted here.

Im using a US 8 here but whatever size needle you want to use is good too. Just remember, the yarn and needle size will effect the final size of the motif. Play around with different sizes to get what you want or have a whole blanket of different size motifs by using different size yarn and needles! How fun!!

Special stitches:
bo1- pick up second stitch on left hand needle as if to purl and pull it over the first stitch on left hand needle and off. Knit the remaining stitch.

Cast on 6
Round 1- [yo, k1] 6 total times
Round 2- [yo, k2] 6 total times
Round 3- [yo kfb, bo1]6 total times
Round 4- [yo, kfb, k1, bo1]6 total times

Repeat round 4 increasing the number knit after the "kfb" in the repeat until that number hits 12 or you look at it and say thats big enough. :) My goal was 6". But it could be a good size blanket if you just keep going!

On your last round before bind off- cut out the yarn overs : [kfb, k1, bo1]6 total times
This will "taper" the swirls off to nothing and when you do one over the other bind off, it will look fabulous!!

Let me know if you have any questions. I would love pictures of this done!! PLEASE?

This one was done with a US8 and Plymoth Yarn Encore 

I will be making a blanket in colorbox colors from the knitted pinwheel motif for my son.  I will post pictures when Im done. 

TTFN

Pickled Beets

My family LOVES pickled beets so I make some every year, but the last couple of years have been pretty rocky with the canned beets. 

I canned some about 4 years ago that we LOVED and the next year didnt taste all that good. We tried again the next year, still nothin. 

This year, I was talking to my neighbor and her and her husband have a recipe that her family loves so I decided to try it. 

I FOUND IT! These taste AMAZING!! 

This is what I was doing wrong those years: I thought it was the variety that made them taste good, no, I apparently pickled them and didnt remember doing it. I thought I just canned them with water.

Anyway, I will be canning the rest of them just like this and I am putting this here so next year, when I say to myself; "How did I can those?" I can come here and find out.

Here is the recipe: (I will be canning more this weekend so if yall want more details and pictures, let me know in the comments.)

Pickled Beets (the test run)

So I went out to the garden and picked about 8 golfball(ish) sized beets and cooked them for about 15 mins, peeled them, sliced them and then put them in a bowl.

For the syrup, in a saucepan I combined....

2 cups of sugar

1 1/2 cup of white vinegar

1/2 cup of water

1/4 teaspoon of salt

I brought all that to a boil and poured it all in the bowl with the beets. After letting it set in the fridge for a couple days so all the flavors could melt together, I put them on the table for dinner(afternoon meal) and they were a big hit! 

When I can these I will put the sliced beets in jars and pour the juices in the jars, put the lids and rings on and seal. 

Here is more detail as to how to can beets.

If you make these, please come back and let me know if you like them too! My neighbor would be ecstatic to know that!

As a side note for all the yarn dyers: The juices from these beets when you are done eating them make EXCELLENT dye for the yarn! 

TTFN

Baked Beef Liver and Onions

Most folks cringe when they hear the word "liver"

I ran across this recipe on one of the cooking forums for a different way to make liver! YAY!
Ok so Im gonna take you thro the recipe with pictures. If you wanna skip thro the pictures, the written out recipe is at the end.

First you get you a bowl and put your italian dressing in it and your liver, cover it up and put it in the fridge and forget it for a couple hours.

Then about an hour before you wanna eat supper, you gather all of this stuff plus flour for dredging:

6 bacon slices(crumbled) (better make you an extra for eating while cooking)

2 cups sliced onion

2 cans mushrooms drained and keep the juice.

dry white wine

Using the same pan you used to cook the bacon, saute your onions, put them aside.

Using the same pan, dredge your liver pieces, and brown them. This is kinda important that you dont cook them too much, just brown them.

When you get them browned, put them in a 8x8 baking dish.

See all those yummy crumbs and stuff in the pan there? You want them.

Put your mushroom juice in a measuring cup and put the wine in till you have one cup. Put that in your pan with all the yummy drippings, some salt and pepper to taste, and stir it up mixing all the drippings and the wine and mushroom juice up till its boiling and then turn off your heat and take the pan off the burner.

Now you put your mushrooms, and onions on top of the liver, then pour the liquid mixture you just made in your pan on top of that, then finish it off with the bacon pieces.

Then you put this in your oven uncovered for 30ish mins and serve. Im putting mashed potatoes, and green beans with mine. A salad would be nice too!


Here is the recipe without the pictures:

Baked Beef Liver

2 lbs beef liver (could use other types of liver, I just havent tried any, let me know how that works for ya!)

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

flour

6 bacon slices

2 cups sliced onion

1 can mushrooms

dry white wine

salt/pepper


Marinate liver in dressing several hours in refrigerator. Drain, coat with flour. In large skillet, saute bacon until crisp. Drain, crumble, set aside. Add onion to skillet, saute for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. In same skillet, saute liver 3 minutes on each side and remove to 8" x 8" baking dish. Reserve drippings.

Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid. In 1-cup measure combine mushroom liquid with wine to meausre 1 cup. Add to drippings in skillet with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and remove from heat. Pour onions and mushrooms over liver, then pour wine sauce over the liver and top with crumbled bacon. Bake 45 minutes at 325F.

If you make this, please let me know some feedback!

TTFN