Monday, December 24, 2012

Make your own candy the easy way






This year for Christmas, I made baskets of home made goodness for friends. Amongst the yums was some jubies (or gummies, whichever you choose to call them) and I thought I might add a quick tutorial on how to make them. They are very simple, really fast and aside from the heat factor, your kids can make them with you!

You will need:


Plain gelatin in powder form 
a pack of jelly (jello) crystals. Any flavour is fine. I have Aeroplane jelly in lime and creaming soda, Ive also used cheap no name brand jelly and while it works the same the flavour isn't as intense.
Silicone moulds. Mine are chocolate/Icecube ones so quite small. You can use more solid ones but I find the silicone the easiest to get the finished product out of.
Glad (cling) wrap
A solid glass bowl
A saucepan the bowl will fit inside
a spoon for stirring
I have a mini ladle for scooping the liquid into the moulds, a soup ladle would work fine
1/2 cup and a tablespoon for measuring


Into the glass bowl put 1/2 cup cold water
Sprinkle 4 Tablespoons of plain gelatin over the water.


Tip the packet of jelly crystals in too


Stir it all up, it will have a consistency similar to clag paste



Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let is stand for 10 minutes



Heat a pot of water to simmering, once it is place the glass bowl inside and remove the cling wrap. Melt the Jello mush.



When there are no solid parts left and the mixture is runny remove from heat and let sit for a minute (Warning: Glass will be HOT) 



Scoop the liquid into the silicone moulds. Don't worry too much about making a mess


Place the moulds in the freezer for 10 minutes, then move them to the fridge for a further 10 minutes


CLEANING TIP: Let whats left in the bowl set, then you can just peel it off the bowl before washing it. Makes for a much less sticky mess.


Once your jubies are turned out let them sit and reach room temperature before packaging them, providing they last that long and you don't nomnom nom them!
Told you it was easy!! Make them in many flavours for some mixed jube fun!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Spikes and Stripes Preemie Beanie Pattern

Hello beautiful people and a very warm seasons greetings!

Todays pattern has actually been released for a little while, as a part of Sunset Crochet's 12 days of Christmas Charity Crochet Challenge! It was an absolute honour to design a pattern for this challenge and I have loved seeing all the photos of the hats people have made, both from my pattern and others. I hope to design for it again if she run's it next year!

Now that the challenge has been running for a while I figure its time to blog the pattern so everyone can get access to it here <3 If you are interested in the challenge which runs through to Jan 6th check out Sunset Crochet's Facebook Page






Stripes and Spikes



Finished hat should be 4 inches in height and 5.5 inches wide when laid flat, and will fit a baby born at 30-32 weeks gestation.


Simple little beanie that ties in stripes and spikes to create a unique look. This beanie looks fantastic in both pastels and bold colours. It is recommended that you end on a lighter colour so it does not clash with the skin tone of prem babies.


Supplies:
3.5mm hook
3 colours of DK weight yarn, I use Moda Vera Marvel but any acrylic or cotton DK yarn is fine
Needle for weaving in ends.

How to make an extended hdc (exhdc): start your hdc like usual by looping the yarn over the hook, instead of inserting the hook into the next stitch, insert it into the stitch directly below the next stitch, from the previous row, do not pull tight, complete the hdc like normal.

Starting with colour A

1: ch3, 14dc in the first ch, join (14)

From here on in, starting chains count as a stitch.

2: ch3, dc in the same stitch, 2dc in each remaining stitch, join (28)

3: ch3, dc in the same stitch, *dc, 2dc* repeat around, join (42) Do not end off colour A, just drop it so you can continue with it later.

Join colour B with a sl st

4: hdc in each stitch around, join

Pick up colour A

5: ch2, hdc 2, *exhdc, hdc 3* repeat around, join

Pick up colour B

6: hdc in each stitch around, join

Pick up colour A

7: ch2, hdc2 *exhdc, hdc3* repeat around, join

Pick up colour B

8: hdc in each stitch around, join

Pick up colour A

9: ch2, hdc, *exhdc, hdc3* repeat around, join

Pick up colour B

10: hdc in each stitch around, join

Join colour C

11: ch2, *hdc3, exhdc* repeat around, join


12: hdc in each stitch around, join.

End off with all colours and weave in ends.


Pattern and Images by Myshelle Cole 2012
DO NOT USE IMAGES
Do not redistribute, re-upload or resell this pattern.
Find more Prem and Angel baby patterns via my Ravelry page, Linked below.