Cabled Hand Warmers

These past few weeks have flown by very fast. I can't believe 2012 is around the corner. I have been knitting like crazy these past few weeks. Coffee cup cozies, a scarf and a pair of socks...all for Christmas gifts. I got everything excepts the scarf done before Christmas...I did however finish the scarf on Christmas. :) Among these projects I knitted a new pattern...cabled hand warmers.

A few years ago I made some very simple hand warmers, a solution to buying a pair of cheap gloves and cutting off the finger tips. (Which would start to unravel and then I'd buy another pair...a never ending cycle). This time I revamped the pattern to include a cable...jazzing up the pattern a little bit. I think the cable gives a little extra to the pattern. You may be thinking: "I can't do this pattern because it involves a cable and that seems difficult." Here's a little secret I learned when making a scarf a few months back...cables are in fact simple. So don't let them discourage you from trying new patterns.

These cabled hand warmers are simple to make and dresses up cold hands while at work, reading or knitting! There are a variety of things these hand warmers can be used for...even to wear outside on a cooler day when gloves are a little too much.  They don't take a lot of time either. A great project to finish in an afternoon, evening or when in the car for a few hours.

Cabled Hand Warmers

Finished Size: Approx. 7" round and 8" long

Materials Needed

* Worsted Weight  - about 80 yd. (I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn, color: Oxford Gray).

* Needles - Size 8, straight

* Yarn Needle

3/3: Place 3 sts on cable needle and place in back, k3, k3 from cable needle

CK12: p3, k6, p3

CP12: k3, p6, k3 

Directions

Left Hand Warmer

CO 34 sts loosely. Make sure to leave a long end for sewing later.

Wrist Cuff

Row 1: k2, p2, k2, CK12, *k2, p2* repeat to the end

Row 2: *k2, p2* repeat 4 times, CP12, p2, k2, p2

Row 3: k2, p2, k2, (p3, 3/3, p3), *k2, p2* to end

Row 4, 6, 8: same as row 2

Row 5, 7: same as row 1 

Repeat rows 1-4 for a total of 12 rows for the wrist cuff.

Body

Row 1, 3, 5: k6, CK12, k to end of row

Row 2, 4, 6: p16, CP12, p6

Row 7: k6, (p3, 3/3, p3), k to end of row

Row 8: p16, CP12, p6

Repeat rows 1-8 three more times for a total of 24 rows for the body.

Finger Cuff

Row 1, 3, 5: k2, p2, k2 CK12, *k2, p2* repeat to the end

Row 2, 4, 6: *k2, p2* repeat 4 times, CP12, p2, k2, p2

Row 7: k2, p2, k2, (p3, 3/3, p3), *k2, p2* to end

Row 8: *k2, p2* repeat 3 times, CP12, p2, k2, p2

Row 9: BO loosely in pattern - k2, p2, k2 CK12, *k2, p2* repeat to the end

Leave a long end for sewing.

Finishing

Using the yarn needle, thread the long end left from the wrist cuff. Fold the mitt with the right side of the pattern facing out and the sides lined together. Sew the edges of the wrist and body together for approx. 4". Weave in the yarn. Thread the yarn needle with the finger cuff long end. Sew the edges of the finger cuff and body together for approx. 2", leave a 1.5" hold for your thumb. Weave in the yarn.

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Right Hand Warmer (Basically the same as the left, only working backwards...top-down.)

CO 34 sts loosely. Make sure to leave a long end for sewing later.

Finger Cuff

Row 1: k2, p2, k2, CK12, *k2, p2* repeat to the end

Row 2: *k2, p2* repeat 4 times, CP12, k2, p2, k2

Row 3: k2, p2, k2, (p3, 3/3, p3), *k2, p2* to end

Row 4, 6, 8: same as row 2

Row 5, 7, 9: same as row 1

Body

Row 1, 3, 5: p16, CP12, p6

Row 2, 4: k6, CK12, k to end of row

Row 6: k6, (p3, 3/3, p3), k to end of row

Row 7: p16, CP12, p6

Row 8: k6, CK12, k to end of row

Repeat rows 1-8 three more times for a total of 24 rows for the body.

Wrist Cuff

Row 1: *k2, p2* repeat 4 times, CP12, k2, p2, k2

Row 2: k2, p2, k2, (p3, 3/3, p3), *k2, p2* to end

Row 3, 5, 7: *k2, p2* repeat 4 times, CP12, k2, p2, k2

Row 4, 6, 8: k2, p2, k2, CK12, *k2, p2* repeat to the end

Repeat rows 1-3. BO loosely in pattern following row 4.

Leave a long end for sewing.

Finishing

Using the yarn needle, thread the long end left from the wrist cuff. Fold the mitt with the right side of the pattern facing out and the sides lined together. Sew the edges of the wrist and body together for approx. 4". Weave in the yarn. Thread the yarn needle with the finger cuff long end. Sew the edges of the finger cuff and body together for approx. 2", leave a 1.5" hold for your thumb. Weave in the yarn.

Sugar Cookies

Christmas time is here! And with it brings get-togethers with family, friends and co-workers. It also means there are all sorts of delicious Christmas themed treats being made and shared. This weekend was the weekend I made sugar cookies. I use the recipe my mother uses, which makes delicious sugar cookies, and we top them off with homemade icing. Not only are these cut-out treats scrumptious, they are time consuming...but delicious!  Even though the process takes awhile, I have fond memories baking cookies and decorating them with my mother. Now I usually make them myself and occasionally I help my mom, but lately she's found a new helper: my oldest nephew...and he enjoys making cookies with grandma.

I had been looking forward to making sugar cookies the entire week. It takes awhile to roll out, cut out, bake, cool and decorate all the cookies...after all, the recipe estimates 7-8 dozen cookies to be made. So I planned on spending Saturday morning baking cookies and listening to Christmas music while I worked. I had to do a little prep work on Friday night. The recipe calls for the dough to sit in the fridge for at least 5 hours (usually overnight for 8 hours) I made the dough the night before. I picked up some last minute items needed Friday afternoon. I get home, unpack the items and realize I forgot to pick up eggs. So I head back out to the store to pick up some eggs. At this point I'm planning on running in and out of the store pretty quick...my mistake: going to a grocery store I'm not familiar with its layout. I couldn't find the eggs. EGGS! Eggs should be in the dairy department right? Apparently yes and no at this store. I walk in the store and walk back to the far corner where I see the dairy department sign on the wall. I see the milk, butter, cheese, coffee creamer, juices, yogurt and refrigerated biscuits, but no eggs. Finally I asked a fellow customer, slightly embarrassed, where the eggs were located. And where were they you might be wondering...they were around the corner in the cooler that ran along the same aisle as the frozen food! The frozen food coolers disguised the eggs! So much for a quick trip. Finally I returned home and got all the ingredients out, only to realized I had the wrong size of canned milk. I thought to myself, "Seriously, you have got to be kidding me!" I was not going to go back to the store and I need to make the dough that night so it could rest. So instead of making the full recipe I cut the recipe in half. Problem solved! (Hopefully I would have enough milk for the icing...)

After letting the dough rest over night I got to work. I got everything around: counter space, rolling pin, cookie dough, cookie cutters, cookie baking sheets lined with parchment paper, cooling racks and lots of extra flour. Oh and Christmas music! I listened to one of my favorite Christmas albums: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 8. I purchased this album when I was in NYC during Thanksgiving break one year. Bake to baking! There was flour everywhere. The dough was sticky, so more flour needed to be worked into the dough before it could be rolled out, cut into shapes and baked. After all the dough was used there were about 5 1/2 dozen cookies!

Next the icing needed to be made and used along with sprinkles to decorate. The icing is very simple to make. The amount of the two ingredients involved has never really been measured out by myself or my mom....it's mostly guess work. After the right consistency is established I divided the icing up so I could create red, green and white frosting. I didn't get all the cookies frosted and decorated with sprinkles...I ran out of frosting. These cookies do freeze well so I can freeze them until I have more free time to finish icing the leftover cookies.

The final product - YUM! 

These cookies are addicting and delicious. (I think I've said the cookies are delicious more than once already...) The sugar cookies my mom makes always seem to disappear at holiday get-togethers. My mom and I do make other holiday treats: Snicker bar cookies, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate bark, peanut brittle (dad's speciality), peanut butter fudge and peanut butter blossoms....but the sugar cookies are my favorite.



I hope everyone has a great Christmas season getting together with family and friends. Enjoy spending time with loved ones and enjoying the food prepared...I know I will!

Sugar Cookies - as passed down by my mother

* 5 c. all-purpose flour
* 1 c. shortening
* 4 eggs
* 1 Tbsp. vanilla
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 4 tsp. baking powder
* 1 c. white sugar
* 1 c. brown sugar
* 1 c. canned milk

1. Mix flour, salt and baking powder together; set aside.

2. Mix shortening and white sugar until well blended. Add the brown sugar. Beat eggs and add to mix. Mix in vanilla and canned milk. Add flour mix a little at a time and mix until blended.

3. Let dough rest in fridge 5-8 hours. (Overnight)

4. Heat oven to 375. Roll out dough (don't forget to use extra flour) and cut with various shaped cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes depending on cookie thickness.

5. Let cookies cool on wire cooling racks. When cooled, decorate cookies with frosting and sprinkles.

Homemade Frosting - as passed down by my mother

* canned milk
* powdered sugar
* food coloring

1. Mix canned milk and powdered sugar a little at a time until desired thickness is achieved. *Hint: a little milk goes a long way.*

2. Split the mixture and add various food coloring colors.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

This past weekend came and went by so quickly. Friday night Sonny and I went to an art show which included works by one of his friends. I had never been to an art show outside of the one my high school put on at the end of every school year. So I wasn't sure what to expect. The only thing I knew before going was that the works were completed by current art school students and I met one of them a few weeks prior. There was some interesting work. The art show also inspired the baking which took place this past Saturday.

Sonny helping out

the final results

At the event there were some snacks which included some chocolate peanut butter cookies. I enjoyed them, so did Sonny, and that led to Sonny finding this recipe using the Allrecipes app. I was surprised to see the ingredients list didn't include milk. When mixing the ingredients together the batter became hard to mix with the hand mixer, probably because of the lack of milk in the mix. The mixer got so clogged that the mixer blades were slowed down...it was an interesting moment. After we got the mixer unstuck the oven phase began. Sonny was a great help in dishing the batter onto the cookie sheets. With a fire going in the fireplace, warm cookie was a nice touch to a cold, damp Saturday.