The Beatles

As I stated in an earlier post, I'm a pretty big Beatles fan. I have been on a real big Beatles kick lately. Watching youtube videos, listening to them on my ipod and Pandora, that sort of thing. Bud and I even watched the mockumentry "Paul McCartney is Really Dead" last night. (Don't waste your time with it. Even as a mockumentry, it was horrible!  And just for the record, I do think that Paul McCartney is alive.  But if I had been a teen during the "Paul is dead" hoopla, I can see myself falling for it.) In fact, when I get like this, some people might even call me obsessive. So, for today, I'm going to indulge in my obsession. I had never seen this video before yesterday. I have no idea what it's from, or what Paul is talking about. The first part just makes me fall in love with him because he is so adorable. The second part brought tears to my eyes.

P.S.  I have no idea when the current obsession will quiet down, so be prepared for more Beatles related posts!

Apple Squares

Since this is called Noni's Hooks and Needles, maybe you don't know that on occasion, I like to bake.  Sometimes when I have a couple of extra apples, I just have to make a batch of these.  I loved it when my mom made these when I was a kid.  They have become a favorite of my family as well.

Apple Squares

1 C sugar
2 C diced apples (I like to use granny smiths)
1 egg
1/2 C oil
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Combine sugar and diced apples.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  While letting apples stand, in a seperate bowl, sift dry ingredients. Then mix oil and eggs with apples.    Add dry ingredients to apple mixture.  Batter will be stiff.  Bake in a lightly greased 11x7 pan for 35-40 minutes, or a 9x13 pan for 25-30 minutes.

These are so good when cut into squares, but they are even better when...

...you top them with a little bit of vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup.  YUM!

Stress

As you can tell by the title of today's post, I'm a little stressed out.  There are several factors to this stress.

 Being the mother of a teenager who is almost exactly like I was at that age is no fun.  I have a fairly decent idea of how Bud works.  Not a clear idea, but I can usually figure it out. He's a lot like me in soooo many ways.  Some of them make me proud.  Some make me cringe.

I miss my husband.  I work in the very early morning.  My work day starts at 4:00.  Not long after I get home, the Man leaves for his second shift job. He works Sunday- Friday, and I work Tuesday-Saturday.  Which means we are home together on Saturday nights.  That is our only night together.  And getting up at 3:00 am to be to work for 4:00 usually means that I'm ready for bed at about 9:00.  Which is the same time we put Ladybug to bed on non-school nights.  So, it's not like we can curl up on the couch and watch a movie.  When we do, I'm usually snoring within a half hour.

I haven't been able to go to knitting group at all for the month of March.  Ladybug has basketball on Monday nights and it ends just as knitting group begins.  I could still go, but that means I have to plan dinner for 4:30 in the afternoon or 8:00.  So, no knitting group until next month.

Lastly, this knitting pattern I'm trying to design is driving me crazy.  I just want something simple to knit for my night alone tonight.  I'm thinking I might just dig out some cotton yarn and make a simple yarn over dishcloth.  Nice and mindless.

I hope you're all having a less stressed week than I am.

A Happy Song

Have I mentioned before that I am a BIG Beatles fan?  No?  Well I am.  And this song just seems to fit my mood on this warm spring New Hampshire day.  Enjoy!

A Knitting Adventure

As some of you know, I published my last post on www.ravelry.com.  It isn't anything complex, and most people who have experience with crocheting in the round can figure out how to make it without a pattern, or with minimal instructions.

But, I'm very excited to have something on ravelry now. On that note, I'd like to get more on there.I have an idea for a knit hat, but since spring is on it's way, (HOPEFULLY! I do, afterall, live in New England.) I'm giving myself a deadline of the fall to not only design it, but have at least one completed project.  I love cables but have never designed anything with them.  I've never really designed anything knit. It's going to take a lot of trial and error.  And it's going to take a lot of swatching.  And frogging. But I am prepared for all of this, so it shouldn't be too bad, I hope.

The reason I'm posting about this is accoutability.  I put this out there so I have to be accoutable for the statements I have just made.  Now, there is no going back, right?  Heaven help me!  I'll keep you all posted!

A Hat Made With Hooks

So since I titled this blog Noni's Hooks and Needles, I thought it was way past time to show something I made with hooks.  This is a very basic single crochet hat.  I have made dozens of them over the past few years.  This is the very same pattern I used when I taught a few friends how to crochet back in January.

And since I have pictures of one of my crocheted hat, I thought I'd include the pattern, too.  This is the actual pattern I sat down and wrote out to teach my friends.  I have made so many of these, that I don't even think about how to do it anymore.  If you notice any errors, please let me know so I can correct it.

Single Crochet Beanie

Materials Needed:

Worsted Weight Yarn  (I used Vanna's Choice for the one shown, but any worsted will do.)

Size H (5.00mm) crochet hook

Plastic yarn needle

Ch 4.  Join with sl st in beg ch. to form a ring, or use magic loop method.  The choice is yours.

Rnd 1: ch 1, work 6 sc in ring, join with sl st in beg ch.

Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in each sc, join with sl st in beg ch. (12 sc)

Rnd 3: ch 1, *sc in next sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (18 sc)

Rnd 4: ch 1, *sc in next 2 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (24 sc)

Rnd 5: ch 1, *sc in next 3 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (30 sc)

Rnd 6: ch 1, *sc in next 4 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (36 sc)

Rnd 7: ch 1, *sc in next 5 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (42 sc)

Rnd 8: ch 1, *sc in next 6 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (48 sc)

Rnd 9: ch 1, *sc in next 7 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (54 sc)

Rnd 10: ch 1, *sc in next 8 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (60 sc)

Rnd 11: ch 1, *sc in next 9 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (66 sc)

Rnd 12: ch 1, *sc in next 10 sc, 2sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch. (72 sc)

Rnds 13-32: ch1, sc in each st around, sl st in beg. ch. (72 sc)

Finishing: weave in ends.

Happy Crocheting!