Ribbed Cowl Crochet Pattern

I have been itching to try a different crochet pattern with some new yarn! I found this fun new chunky yarn at JoAnn Fabrics the other day and HAD to buy it. The brand is buttercream and it comes in beautiful colors (I particularly liked this deep olive green).  It is 80% acrylic and 20% alpaca. I wasn't sure what I was going to make with it yet but I figured divine inspiration would hit sooner or later.

After searching on my Pinterest board (https://www.pinterest.com/erinkit/crochet-ideas/) for a while, I settled on this fun ribbed cowl pattern. I have SO many patterns on my Pinterest board it becomes a bit overwhelming to look through and find patterns I haven't done before. That's what I get for being addicted to Pinterest. So many patterns, so little time.

Click Here to get to the pattern I used to create this cowl. I used a 10mm crochet hook. I love projects with chunky yarn! They have such unique texture to them and they work up so fast.

This pattern is super easy (great 

for beginners!) because it is all in single crochet. The only "tricky" part is learning to single crochet in the back loop only. That is what creates the ribbed look. The link I've provided for the pattern has a great picture that shows what crocheting in the back loop means. There are also great videos that describe how to do that on YouTube. Once you figure that part out, the rest is super easy! Just go back and forth until the cowl is as wide as you'd like it.


I kept to the pattern because I wanted it nice and long so that it could be doubled up around my neck. I used ALMOST two whole skeins of buttercream yarn (the leftover amount is what's in the picture of the yarn). After stitching the two ends together to create an infinity scarf and tying in loose ends, it was ready to wear!

Old fashioned creamy homemade caramels

So, what makes a caramel taste so good? I believe a good caramel should be creamy, buttery, smooth and just the right amount of chewy. Not too hard so it turns into brittle. Not too soft that it never really sets. I've had some microwave caramels from co-workers and they just don't compare to this recipe. They were really grainy in texture. Years ago, I worked with a girl who made some AMAZING caramels. They literally melt in your mouth. I asked her for the recipe and she graciously shared it.

The first year, I made some for Christmas to share with friends, family, and co-workers. The next year, I was already getting requests to make some more of my caramels. I knew the recipe was a keeper! Although this recipe is pretty labor intensive, it is completely and totally worth it. It is usually a full day process.  I make a few batches every year around the holidays but have even been known to make it in the middle of the summer. One year, I made an entire batch for my brother-in-law for his birthday and mailed it to him in Tennessee. He likes it that much, too. :)

So, in the spirit of sharing, I give you my famous caramel recipe. I have learned some tips and tricks from making this recipe SO MANY times over the years. As I go through the steps, I will share these tips with you. Although you don't have to follow the tips, it will make the process much smoother if you do. Happy baking! 

First off, here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 lb of butter (I used Hornbachers sweet cream butter) DO NOT substitute margarine
1 lb (2 heaping cups) of brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup of light corn syrup
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Smoked sea salt (can omit)
Dash of salt (if using unsalted butter)


Supplies you will need to have on hand: 
4 Qt pot (could get by with smaller but I like to have room to stir)
Spatula that will hold up under high temperature (my Zyliss silicone one is perfect!)
A digital meat thermometer (better than a candy thermometer because it is more accurate)
Pam cooking spray to prevent sticking
Jelly roll pan with a slight lip

First BIG tip: prepare everything before you even begin. When I say everything, I mean everything. Measure out your brown sugar and put it in a bowl. Open the can of sweetened condensed milk so it's ready to pour. Measure out the corn syrup (I like the Alton Brown plunger cup for sticky liquids like syrup because it cuts down on the time it takes to get everything out of the cup.)

Measure out the vanilla and put it in a little bowl. Spray your jelly roll pan. Put all ingredients close by the stove within reach. Have the thermometer and probe readily available. Take a bathroom break. Seriously. Once you begin the process of making these caramels, you CANNOT walk away.



























  You will be standing at the stove stirring constantly until it reaches the correct temperature. Do not walk away. Do not stop stirring. That is the biggest tip I can share to make this recipe a success.

So, now on to making the caramels: Melt butter in pan on medium heat. I usually let the butter sit on the counter to get to room temperature before melting. It goes faster that way. Throughout this entire recipe, the temperature on the stove should not be above medium. Slow and steady is the secret. My impatient husband once tried to hurry along the recipe by blasting the heat. The end result was not only disappointing, it was hardly edible.






Melt the butter completely and then add the brown sugar. If you used unsalted butter, feel free to add a dash of salt. I don't bother doing that part because I typically use salted butter.

Stir the brown sugar into the mixture until there is NO butter on top. It is important that each ingredient gets added only after the previous ingredient has had a chance to fully incorporate.

The brown sugar is NOT entirely incorporated in this picture.

Make sure it is completely melted before going on to the next step.

The butter and brown sugar is completely melted together and you are ready to add the corn syrup.

Add the corn syrup slowly, stirring the entire time.










Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly. Notice that stirring has been a pretty important part of the instructions so far. I didn't even dare take a picture of this part because I didn't want to stop stirring that long. My sweet husband assisted in the photography.

Doesn't that look beautiful? Yummmmm.

Now that your main ingredients are all combined, it is time to stir. Hope you aren't sick of stirring yet, because you have a fair bit of stirring coming up. Cook until the temperature of the caramel reaches 245 degrees. When measuring the temperature with the probe, make sure you are moving the probe around so that you are still able to scrape the bottom of the pan constantly so nothing burns on.





The temperature rises pretty quickly to 230 degrees. Those last 15 degrees seems to take forever. Sometimes, the temperature will rise a degree or two, and then fall again. Another tip: make sure the tip of the probe doesn't touch the bottom of the pan - that will give you a false temperature (much higher than what it actually is.)

The caramel will quickly start to boil with lots of bubbles rising to the surface. This is what the caramel typically looks like at about 230 degrees. Be very careful stirring because this mixture is not only very hot, it is super sticky!

Once the temperature pretty consistently stays at around 243 degrees, I pull it from the heat and add the vanilla. It will bubble up and sizzle so stir quickly.

Pour entire contents of pot into the prepared jelly roll pan. If you wait until the thermometer reads 245, it will likely be too hot by the time you add the vanilla and pour it into the pan. That makes the caramels slightly crunchy, which I don't like. The temperature will continue to rise even when you pull the pot and add the vanilla, so I error on the side of pulling it a few degrees under 245. 

Now comes the secret ingredient. My mother-in-law found this amazing smoked sea salt and it is the PERFECT addition to these sweet, smooth caramels. I sprinkle some on the entire batch and let it cool for a few hours.

After the caramel has had a chance to cool for a few hours, it is time to start cutting and wrapping. Since you sprayed the pan beforehand, the caramel comes out quite easily. I start on one end and slowly peel it off the pan. Have some cutting boards/mats ready to put the caramel on. I use a sharp pizza cutter to cut thin strips of the caramel and then cut the strips into little chunks. Feel free to cut whatever size and shape you fancy!

 Don't cut too many pieces at once. Start off with a few strips and then immediately wrap them with pieces of parchment paper or wax paper. I once cut them all up in the beginning and put them in a bowl. Since the caramel is still pretty soft, the pieces began to melt together and I had a big mess. Cut one or two strips at a time and wrap up all of those chunks, then go cut another strip and continue the process.

I used wax paper because I think it is a little easier to work with because it isn't as stiff as parchment paper. But, use whatever you have on hand. The wax paper allows you to see the caramels whereas the parchment paper offers the opaque white look.

 It's slow going, but I promise it's worth it! Keep cutting and wrapping...the end is almost near!

The finished product (minus the couple of caramels my husband and I ate
while I was wrapping...have to do quality control, right? :)

You're the best teacher HANDS DOWN!

A fun relatively inexpensive way to say "Thank you!" to your favorite teachers

So, I think I may have mentioned this before, but I LOVE to treat my niece Sydney's child care providers to little treats every now and then! I used to be a Lead teacher in the infant room at one of the YMCA Child Care Centers for many years and remember what it meant to feel appreciated. I want Sydney's teachers to feel the same way!

I created a "Favorite" sheet for each of the girls to fill out so I knew what their favorite scent, color, flower, food, restaurant, etc was. After all, if I'm going to give a gift, I want it to be something they will enjoy! So, armed with the list of their favorite scents, I headed to the local Bath and Body Works store and found some hand soap for each staff member. 

Now comes the fun part! I wanted to use a cute saying to put on the bottles. Of course, I am all about cheesy puns so I came up with, "You are the best teacher HANDS DOWN." Then, with Steph's help (Steph is Sydney's mom), we painted Sydney's hand and made some adorable hand prints.

 Because we used acrylic paint, I made sure to wash hands right away afterwards. Also, there was a strategic reason I wore my tie-dyed tee-shirt. If she managed to get paint on me, it wouldn't matter! :) Sydney was a trooper and let us get five adorable hand prints. 

Sydney did such a good job letting us paint her hand over and over and over!

After letting them dry, I cut them out and wrote out the cute saying that goes with it. I found some Christmas ribon and tied the handprints and quote onto each soap. I delivered them a few days later.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but I remember how much I appreciated even a simple "thank you," for taking care of someone's child. Little reminders that you are appreciated go a long way! Thank you Ann, Sierrah, Paige, Jordyn, and Janessa! The love you give to Sydney on a daily basis does not go unnoticed or unappreciated!

I love crocheting baby girl gifts! :)

Little Josie - isn't she just precious?!

Whenever I hear about a friend of mine expecting a baby girl, I get SUPER excited to start picking out fun crochet patterns, colors, and textures. Not to say that baby boys aren't fun to crochet for, but there is something about all those pink, purple, ruffly things that are so irresistible!

Close-up of the Red Heart Unforgettable yarn in Candied. 

I found some beautiful pastel colored roving yarn at Michaels. It is soft, washable and great for a crochet pattern like this V-stitch blanket. I like this pattern for a baby blanket because it has holes in it and, because of that, is more breathable. Also, babies tend to like to poke their little fingers in the holes. :)

The blanket almost done but kind-of naked looking without a border. 

The yarn I used for this blanket is Red Heart Unforgettable in Candied. I used this pattern found on the Lion Brand yarn website.  I can't quite remember how much yarn I used but I think I had to buy at least 2 balls of the Unforgettable yarn. I used a size K (6.5mm) hook.

Finished product! 

Upon finishing the blanket, I decided to look through my leftover yarn and find the right color/texture for a border. I found a nice light turquoise color from Hobby Lobby called I Love this Yarn. I used the picot edging pattern for the border, which is also written in the pattern. I like the little spike look and the turquoise border pulled all the colors together. I've always felt blankets look incomplete without a border. The border really does pull everything together. 

So, along with the blanket, I used up some leftover yarn to make a baby hat. I used Baby Bernat yarn in Little Petunias from JoAnn Fabric. It is SUPER soft and thick so it works up quickly. I love using this yarn for baby blankets as well. Plus, you can have a tiny bit of yarn leftover from a blanket and still have enough to make this adorable hat! 

Baby Bernat yarn in Little Petunias color scheme

I used an N (9 or 10mm hook will work) and used this pattern. After finishing the hat, I found a few different colored buttons and sewed them on. 

I found some adorable little turquoise Mary Jane shoes at Old Navy to complete the gift. Aren't little girl gifts so fun to give? 

Such pretty colors! Who WOULDN'T want to receive this for their brand  new baby girl?!

Even Josie likes the mesmerizing colors of this blanket! :)

First attempt at crocheting a baby dress!

Close-up of the front of the dress.

I found a cute crocheted baby dress pattern and decided to be brave and try to make it. I used this pattern I found online. I used Caron Simply Soft yarn in Spring Brook and a size H hook. I usually don't like working with variegated colored yarn because if you crochet evenly, sometimes you end up getting into a pattern where all of one color is only on one side of the project. But, luckily, this shell stitch pattern doesn't get into a noticeable pattern with the colors. The pattern was surprisingly easy because it is done in one continuous piece instead of having to sew pieces together, like most crocheted clothing.

The back of the dress with functional purple buttons.

I was pleasantly surprised as to how it turned out! Once I was done crocheting and weaving in loose ends, it was time to pick out buttons. So many choices!!! I have jars and jars of buttons. My family knows how much I enjoy crocheting so they buy buttons at garage sales and thrift stores when they find a good price. I am SO thankful for that. I sorted through them to find some matching buttons. I usually take some time to sort through the buttons by color, too. It makes it easier to find what I'm looking for next time. I decided on some pearly white buttons as decoration on the front of the dress and some small purple ones on back to close the dress.

The finished product!

The dress is so tiny it could fit a doll! I forget how small babies start out! This one is made for a newborn to 3 months old. I would definitely want to put a onesie on underneath, but it would certainly be cute on a brand new little baby girl!

Cabbage Patch doll hat

The beginning of my Cabbage Patch hat.

 I decided to try crocheting a Cabbage Patch hair hat for my adorable niece, Sydney. I used this pattern with I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby in brown. I made the 6-9 month size. For the pigtails, I took the instructions from this pattern.
 This hat uses the loop stitch to create the main part of the hat. The pigtails are done using strands of yarn folded over and tied in place with yarn. Then, the pigtails are tied onto the hat using more brown yarn.

Hat is almost complete. Pigtails just need to be tied on.

 I have many fond memories playing with my Cabbage Patch doll. It took some digging at my parent's place, but I found her! I was trying to replicate her hair and I think these patterns NAILED it.

The finished hat held next to my Cabbage Patch doll.

 As you can see, the hat looks remarkably like the original! To finish the look, I actually took the white ribbons from the my doll and tied them onto the hat.

My SUPER adorable niece, Sydney, sporting her new hat! Isn't she too sinkin' cute?!