Crochet Crown Stash Buster Inspo

Has cabin fever set in? Are you looking at your big yarn project and feeling overwhelmed or a little less motivated than when you started it?

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for an afternoon project break! A cute little trend we’ve been seeing this winter is fancy ear warmers, like these little crowns! Whether you’re itching to try a new yarn, or looking for some stash busters, these crowns are a hit with children and adults alike!

Give your brain some freedom and stretch your creative muscles to make your own crown pattern! The more unique the better. 

There are plenty of patterns out there, (a quick Pinterest search will yield you many to choose from) here's one similar to the result of my "winging it." 

CrochetForYouBlog.com Crochet Crown Earwarmer

You just need to nail down some basics for yourself:

• Are you going to crochet or knit?
• These are crochet.
• What is the gauge of the yarn? 
• Can usually be found on the yarn label. (ex: 4"x4" = 15st x 19rows)
• What size hat are you looking to make?
• The example above in yellow is a 6-9 month old hat, about 15 inches around for the band.
• Here's a good sizing chart from Lion Brand!
• To figure out how many stitches you need to make the correct size band, refer to the gauge on the yarn label and do the math! (Easily the least fun part of yarn work!)

  

 

I tried a few different patterns and techniques in making the two above, using mainly single, half-double, front-post double, half-double back loop only crochet, and shell stitch. For these, I started with the band and worked my way up (the dome was done separately...top down from a magic circle and then seamed to the crown on the inside.)

Experiment and try some new stitches and yarns you haven't had the opportunity to use yet!

Shop Knit & Crochet Here

Happy Hooking!

Shape Shifter Cookies!

It’s January–the Christmas trees have been taken down, and the wrapping paper and bows have been put away for the year. After a month of Christmas cookie swaps and lots of overeating, you probably don’t want to look at another cookie for at least another month. Alas, with the winter holidays out of the way, the spring ones are waiting in the wings. School Valentine’s Day parties are only a month away, with Easter not far behind, not to mention the occasional baby or bridal shower!

We’ve all been there: It’s a few days before the big party and you’re scrambling to get the final errands crossed off what feels like a never-ending list. Before you go digging through your cookie cutters for that single heart cutter you have, check out this fun “Mini Shape Shifter” set from American Crafts and Sweet Sugarbelle! These mini cookie cutters are bite size and perfect for treat bags. The best part: They’re designed to make multiple designs from one shape! No longer do you have a single use cookie cutter, but 40 that can be used for multiple occasions, or just changing up the variety in your cookie plate with a single cutter.

To demonstrate the versatility of these cutters, we used this sugar cookie recipe from Owl B Baking and the following items from Sweet Sugarbelle and Wilton.

• Sweet Sugarbelle - Mini Cookie Cutter Set 41/pkg - 588419
• Wilton Cookie Icing 9oz/ 2pkg - 201676 (seasonal - may be unavailable)
• Wilton Ready-to-use Royal Icing - 347416

• Wilton Gel Food Colors .3oz 4/pkg - 336207

• Piping bags

You want those instagram-worthy cookies for your guests, but the thought of making 20 different colors of icing is anxiety inducing. Royal icing is a hurdle most home bakers dread. It’s messy, and getting the ratios right is difficult (too thick and it won’t level out to a smooth layer, too thin and it’ll drip off the sides of your cookie and make a mess…) Wilton’s Ready-to-use Royal Icing makes frosting your cookies quicker and easier (we are all about the easier option!) Just add water to thin it out to the consistency you prefer! 

      Tip: Add a little powdered lemon juice to the mix. It offsets the sweetness of the icing and gives your cookie a fresh zest! Want to try different flavors?  Try the Cake and Icing Flavor Kits by Wilton!

The icing is white, so you can add gel food coloring (we like the Wilton ones, but they are highly concentrated so use sparingly!) to change up your colors and the best part: it won’t change the consistency of your icing!

      Note: Royal Icing takes a long time to dry! It can take anywhere between 4 and 24 hours to harden. You may be worried that your cookies will dry out and become rocks in the open air. The nice thing about the recipe above is the amount of butter is going to keep them soft, so don’t worry about them drying out.

There you go! Some fancy cookies for your spring holiday parties or celebratory get-togethers! Pack them into treat bags with a cute embellishment, or enjoy with your coffee/tea!