Homespun Thick and Quick Infinity Scarf Pattern for the Knifty Knitter Long Loom

Right after the Super Bowl, I came down with a nasty viral infection that’s kept me sidelined from all activities other than work for the past three weeks. Sounds like a real bummer, I know, but there has been a silver lining. I’ve immersed myself in one of my favorite low-energy hobbies: knitting.

My first project was an infinity scarf. I saw a knit one on a woman last month and thought that I could totally make my own. All I needed to do was knit a wide scarf and sew the ends together. That’s simple enough, right? I’m happy to report that it is as easy as I’d hoped. Keep reading to find out how I made mine.

Supplies:

• 1 ball of Homespun Thick and Quick Yarn (I used Violet Stripes)
• Knifty Knitter or Boye Long Loom
• Knitting Tool
• Large-Eyed Needle
• Scissors

Beyond the obvious reason that I’m obsessed with the colors, I chose Lion Brand Homespun Thick and Quick Yarn for this scarf because it is soft and bulky, both of which I think are important for warm accessories that are wrapped around your neck. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a good selection of this yarn, so I’ve also tried using the less bulky version of Homespun Yarn. I definitely recommend that you buy 2 balls if you go that route and knit them as one to achieve the appropriate thickness. As always, make sure that both balls are the same dye lot. Not checking for that is truly a rookie knitter’s mistake!

First, you’ll need to knit the scarf. If you need a refresher course on how to use the Knifty Knitter Long Loom, check out the instruction booklet that comes with it or refer to my Bernat Boa Scarf post. Cast onto 12 pegs, and make sure to leave a lengthy yarn tail. If that’s too wide for you, cast onto 10 pegs instead. I happen to have a long neck! Knit your scarf until you’ve used almost the entire skein of yarn. My scarf was about 66 in. before I sewed the ends together. Make sure that you have enough yarn leftover for the sewing. Cast off. Next, tie the yarn from each end of the scarf together in a square knot. Then thread both through a large-eyed needle, sew both ends of the scarf together, and snip the excess yarn. Voila! You’ll have your very own, handmade, infinity scarf. Mine loops around my neck twice, just like the other infinity scarves in my closet.

This knitting experiment definitely goes in the win column. I’ve already been asked about the scarf several times, including in the craft store. One of my girlfriends was so complimentary that I’ve made her one, too. Proof that it’s good to be nice to the crafty friend! Happy loom knitting!

Super Bowl Party Food

Unless the Saints are playing, I’m not typically one to watch football, and I usually find something crafty to do during games that I do watch. Football on television is just too slow to hold my interest. On Super Bowl Sunday, all of America, including me, becomes a football fan if only for one day.

In one of my previous jobs, I had to attend about 5 parties during the Super Bowl. I know. Tough life, right? The upside was getting to sample a ton of yummy food. The downside, at least for me, was missing the commercials and half-time show. I got so burnt out on the Super Bowl that I boycotted all activities associated with it for a couple of years after leaving that job. I’ve slowly come back around, mainly for the food.

If we were hosting a Super Bowl party at our house, I would have to get a snackadium. Can we say gluttony? Still I think it would be so much fun to put one together because it’s a perfect marriage of food and crafts. Check out this beauty from Pillsbury. The story contains directions on how they made some of the components.

Pillsbury Snackadium

We may not have a snackadium at our house this afternoon, but we will have tasty treats. Remember when baked ham and cheese sandwiches on Hawaiian bread were all the rage on Pinterest? I pinned a recipe and never made them, so they were the first thing that popped to mind when I started planning our game day menu. Here’s the recipe that I chose to make.

Ham and Cheese Sandwiches on Hawaiian Bread from Food.com

I picked this recipe out of the plethora of Pinterest options because it’s wonderful for making ahead of time. The author recommends chilling the sandwiches at least overnight so that the sauce can really soak into the bread. On game day, all I’ll have to do is pop these babies in the oven.

Another snacky food I’m making for the big game is Buffalo Chicken Dip. I love the flavors of hot wings, but I hate eating them because I have this thing about messy finger food. This dip lets me enjoy the taste without all the ickiness. I always make the Frank’s Red Hot version with blue cheese dressing. No one at my house likes Ranch dressing (shocking, I know), so the rest of the bottle would just go to waste. Blue cheese, on the other hand, we can eat like nobody’s business! To cut some of the calories in the recipe, I use reduced-fat cream cheese and dressing. I also cheat and substitute canned chicken if I don’t have the time (or desire) to bake a couple of chicken breasts. This recipe can also be made the day before and baked right before the game.

Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Two things that I can predict with absolute certainty about this year’s Super Bowl: we’re going to have delicious food to eat, and Bruno Mars is going to slay the half-time show. Happy Super Bowl!

Go Tigers Go Necklace

One of my girlfriends has a knack for finding the good stuff at thrift stores. She’s especially gifted at uncovering jewelry that needs just a little tlc. A few months ago, she came across a necklace with a silver and blue tiger paw charm on it. We work at the University of Memphis. Our mascot is a tiger, and our school colors are blue and grey. We’re forever on the lookout for Tiger Blue clothing and accessories.

She knew this necklace had potential, but it needed work. The rubber-coated wire that the charm was on was simply awful. Because of the heavy gauge wire, the necklace was too stiff and circular, making it not at all attractive or comfortable to wear. The charm was the true treasure. She polished it up, and the paw looked gorgeous. We think that it’s either sterling silver or silver-plated.

Once she had the charm all spiffed up, my friend brought me the necklace and told me to do something fabulous with it. So began my quest for the perfect beads. I finally found them at an Intergalactic Bead Show. Yes, I know the name sounds crazy, but their bead shows can be a lot of fun. More importantly, I usually get great deals. My beads were waiting for me at the Dragon Fly Wings booth. The most beautiful, cobalt blue glass beads jumped off the display at me. They look like sea glass, a teeny bit frosted but translucent enough to look magnificent in the sun. The vendor had them in two sizes (4mm and 6mm), and I didn’t think twice about buying them.

I revamped the tiger paw necklace that night when I got home from the bead show. To add some pizzazz and break up the blue, I strung the blue beads intermittently with silver spacers. The tiger paw charm was, of course, prominently featured.

I was so excited to show my friend what I had come up with and couldn’t wait to see her wear the new version of the necklace. She loved it. As I should have known, she refused to take it, telling me her plan all along was for me to have the necklace because she thought that I would wear it more. I am a pretty big Tigers’ fan, so she may be right!

Every time I wear this necklace, someone asks me where I got it. I love to tell them about our creative collaboration, but folks are usually then disappointed that they can’t have one of their own. If we could only find more of the tiger paws, I think we could make a fortune! Until then, I’ll keep sporting my one-of-kind necklace. Go Tigers Go!