I Found It! (The Instant Jacket Pattern)

I'm sure most of you have just as much stuff as I do related to our love of needlework of various kinds, and this will be a familiar tale.

This summer I suddenly decided I needed to make another little knitted cardigan/jacket, and I wanted to use a TNT pattern (Tried and True) that I've made several times before, but it's been probably 10 years since I used this pattern. And so, the pattern hunt began.

This is a photo from 2010 and the only one I can find right now, but you can see why it's just a nice, handy, boxy little cardigan that takes very little yarn.  I'm pretty sure I've made this pattern with a collar as well.  It was a ribbon-y yarn mixture with pink and brown and gold, maybe.  Hmmm, I 'll have to look for that one.

I looked hard for a while, then finally decided that it would show up eventually.  It wasn't really an emergency anyway.  Well, today was the day. I was putting away the few Halloween decorations I have, and found a pile of knitting magazines I had overlooked. At the bottom was a very large 3-ring binder with notes and patterns.  I hardly dared hope it would be there, but TaDa! There it was. Now I need to find the years I thought I had in mind.

I've really been in a knitting, sewing, making, singing mood lately, and it's great.  I hope it lasts.  I think it's the singing that's doing it.

Microwave Toffee Recipe

This recipe was requested, and I'm happy to share. It's a really easy, delicious treat. I've made Toffee Spoons several times, but it's been a while.   I guess I should do it again this year.  It's fun to get demitasse spoons and dip them in the toffee, then decorate or dip again in chocolate. I tie small cellophane candy bags over the bowls of the spoons with festive twist ties, and they're nice gifts. I have been surprised how often I get the spoons back. I think people are hoping I'll make them again.

Buttery Almond Toffee  

(Recipe from my friend, Beth K D)

1 cup chopped whole natural almonds (or pecans)

2 TBS unsalted butter

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

¼ cup water

¼ cup light corn syrup

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Parchment paper

1 (12 oz) package semisweet chocolate morsels

Toast the Almonds: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine almonds and 2 Tbs. butter on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, stir and bake 2 more minutes. (Try a little less time than called for if using pecans).  Drain on paper towels.

Make the Toffee:

Place 1 cup butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and

microwave at HIGH for 1 minute.  Add sugar, ¼ cup water, corn syrup, and salt. Cover;

microwave at HIGH for 3 minutes. (This step washes down sugar crystals from sides

of pan.) Uncover, stir gently, and microwave at HIGH for 10 minutes or until golden

brown.

Using oven mitts, remove bowl from microwave, stir in vanilla. Pour candy mixture,

without scraping sides of pan, onto a greased baking sheet lined with parchment

paper, quickly spreading candy to ¼ inch thickness.

Sprinkle chocolate morsels over toffee; let stand 1 minute or until chocolate begins to

melt. Spread chocolate evenly over candy; sprinkle with almonds, pressing gently

with fingertips. Cool completely. Chill 1 hour or until firm. Break toffee into pieces. Store in

an airtight container.

(Note:  I added most of my nuts into the toffee mixture except some really fine ones for

sprinkling on top.  I also melted my chips in the microwave so I didn’t have to wait to

spread).

My own, personal notes:
(½ Recipe makes about 70 Demitasse Spoons)

Xmas 2013 as per recipe instructions.

Xmas 2014 half recipe. Half as dipped toffee spoons using demitasse spoons.  Added 1/2Tbsp oil to 1 Cup chocolate chips for dipping. Chopped nuts very fine and dipped after chocolate.  Half as per recipe instructions. Will use dipping chocolate/almond bark next time. Otherwise it never wants to harden, and is a mess.

Spoons from Webstaurant.com. They are unbelievably affordable.