Under an hour

Knotted Scarf and Belt

Designed by Kathleen Sams and featured by Coats & Clark, these easy scarves or belts are excellent projects for yarn lovers, with or without knitting and crocheting skills.

They are quick to make and easy to coordinate with any wardrobe. Just choose a variety of yarns with smooth or textured or fluffy finishes in a color scheme that you can easily mix and match. Knot them together in a length that you like and you’re done!

You can use any number of strands from any number of different yarns. Your scarf or belt can be shorter or longer depending on what you prefer.  In this photo, the scarf or belt measures approximately 68 inches long.

For the red scarf, here are the yarns used:

RED HEART® “Super Saver®”: 1 Skein No. 303 Painted Desert CA.

RED HEART® “Plush™”: 1 Skein No. 9782 Wine CB.

RED HEART® “Symphony™”: 1 Ball No. 4715 Lt Rose CC.

RED HEART® “Light & Lofty®”: 1 Skein each No. 9376 Wine CD and No. 9330 Cape

Cod Multi CE.

To make the red scarf, cut eight 3-yard lengths each of CA, CB, CC, and CE; cut three 3-yard strands of CD. Hold all strands together with ends even. Fold in half and make an overhand knot at the center. Make 3 more knots on each side of the center knot, approximately 7-9 inches apart, leaving approximately 6-8 inches free at the ends for a fringed effect. Trim ends even.

For the tan belt, there are the yarns used:

RED HEART® “Super Saver®”: 1 Skein No. 305 Aspen Print CA.

RED HEART® “Plush™”: 1 Skein each No. 9103 Cream CB and No. 9104 Taupe CC.

RED HEART® “Symphony™”: 1 Ball No. 4630 Lt Green CD.

RED HEART® “Light & Lofty®”: 1 Skein No. 9334 Café Au Lait CE.

To make the belt, cut eight 3-yard lengths each of CA, CB, CC, CD, and CE. Hold all strands together with ends even. Fold in half and make an overhand knot at the center. Make 3 more knots on each side of the center knot, approximately 7-9 inches apart, leaving approximately 6-8 inches free at the ends for a fringed effect. Trim ends even.

Option: Embellish the scarf and belt with sewing beads or adding charms to some of the knots or string beads on the ends of some of the yarn tails.

Care: Hand wash and dry flat.

 

Enjoying Holiday Leftovers

The holidays are over and you are stuck with a lot of leftovers. Don’t let those leftovers go to waste. With 24 Ways to Enjoy Holiday Leftovers, turn these holiday leftovers into delicious meals that your family can enjoy. The site suggests recipes from hearty casseroles, tasty sandwiches, yummy soups and more.

One recipe that I really like is the Creamy Ham Casserole.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 45 min

What You’ll Need:

• 4 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped cooked ham
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup sliced celery
• 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook ham and next 3 ingredients 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in soup, sour cream, and pasta. Spoon into lightly greased 1-1/2-quart baking dish.
3. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake, uncovered, bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Here’s a great way to use leftover ham. Or, if you don’t have any leftovers, take advantage of cubed cooked ham that’s available in the meat counter of the supermarket.