All posts by alaskaknitnat

Welcome to Alaska Knit Nat! I was born and raised in Anchorage and have always had a passion for making useful things, whether they are eaten, knit, crocheted, sewn or randomly glued and assembled. I received my bachelor’s degree in French and journalism from the University of Alaska Anchorage and work almost full time at a nonprofit and way over time as a mom.
Crochet, Knit & Crochet, Patterns

Crocheted Ornaments

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Never did I think crocheting would look attractive, especially in Christmas ornament form. I guess it all depends on the yarn, but I’ve been having fun making these. I’ve included my pattern below, but if you want a real pro’s pattern, visit my favorite crochet artist’s  Ornament Tutorial.
Here’s our little tree.

I don’t know what size hook I used, nor do I know how to write crochet patterns, but here’s sort of how I made them.

Make 2 of the following pattern:

Round 1: Chain 5 and form into a loop. Chain 2 and DC into loop 11 times (12 spokes). Join to 2nd stitch of first chain. Bind off.
Round 2: Between two of the spokes, bring in new color and Chain 2. DC once into the same space, DC twice in every other chain space (24 spokes). Join to 2nd stitch of first chain. Bind off.
Round 3: In a space between two sets of two spokes, bring in new color and chain 3. DC twice more into same space, skip 2 spokes and DC 3 times in the bigger space. Repeat till end of round. Join to 3rd stitch of first chain. Bind off. (If making a small size, skip to round 5).
Round 4: In space between two sets of three spokes, bring in new color. Chain 3 then DC three times into same space. Skip next 3 spokes and DC four times in the bigger space. Repeat till end of round. Join to 3rd stitch of first chain. Bind off.
Round 5: With wrong sides facing from both circles, join with new color by inserting hook into an outer stitch of both circles and pulling yarn through to the front. Single chain each stitch (not in between the spokes like the other rounds, but into the stitch on the outside of the round). Make sure to go through both circles with each single chain. Repeat SC till there’s about 2 inches of open space left between the two circles. Place a little bit of stuffing inside till it’s stuffed to your liking. Finish off the SC border. Join to first stitch of the round then chain for 4 inches to make a loop. Join to the beginning of the chain. Weave in ends.

Cooking

Big Batch of Chili

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I like it spicy!

Ingredients (all spices are eyeballed):
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 anaheim pepper, chopped
1-2 TBS cumin
2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14-oz. can chopped tomatoes with green chilies
1 can chili beans with flavored sauce
1 can white beans, drained but not rinsed
1/2 cup beef broth
1 zucchini, diced

Directions:
Brown the beef over medium high heat. Don’t drain the fat. Add the onion and peppers and saute till onions are soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, broth and beans and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat and cook until you’re too starving to wait any longer. Add the zucchini ten minutes before serving. Zucchini is optional. Top with shredded sharp cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.

I think this is South Beach Diet friendly!

Cooking

Quinoa stir fry

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Liquid ingredients are approximate

Ingredients:
1 cup raw quinoa, cooked according to package
1 crown fresh broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 carrot, julienned
1 cup cooked edamame without the pods
1 brick of extra firm tofu
2 scallions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 TBS corn starch
2 TBS cooking oil
1 TBS sesame oil
2 tsp chili garlic paste
2 tsp seasoned rice vinegar

Directions:
Drain the tofu and slice it in half like a hamburger bun. Place in a pie pan lined with paper towels. Place a paper towel on top and weigh a heavy pan on top to press out the liquid. Let rest for 10 minutes. Drain off excess liquid and chop tofu into bite size pieces. Heat the broccoli in the microwave with a small amount of water in a plastic wrap-covered bowl for 1.5 minutes.
Heat cooking oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, add the tofu and brown on all sides. Drain the oil. Add the carrot, scallion, garlic, broccoli, edamame and sesame oil. Toss to coat. Add the cooked quinoa, soy sauce, corn starch, chili garlic paste and vinegar and toss till thoroughly coated. Add more soy sauce if necessary to create a good glazed sauce.

Cooking

Brown Rice with Pesto and Peas

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Ingredients:
1.5 cups uncooked brown rice
2.5 cups boiling water
1 TBS butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 TBS olive oil
1.5 cups frozen peas
1/4 cup pesto
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:
Make brown rice according to Alton Brown’s Recipe. Ten minutes before rice is done, steam the peas in a small saucepan. Drain when they are just hot. Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat till soft. Add the garlic and lightly brown. Add the rice, cheese, peas and pesto and toss till rice is coated.

Knitting

Ascot No. 3

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I knit this with baby yarn from Michaels. I can’t remember the brand, but it reminds me of Debbie Bliss, only much much cheaper. This was knit on 7’s but since the yarn is meant for 8’s it came out larger than my others. A girl in my knitting group gave me one of her grandmother’s vintage buttons. I just love how it came out.

One thing I did differently from the original pattern is I bound off when I got to 4 stitches instead of 3. That way it’s more rounded like the first point.