It’s been a week since COVID-19 sent us all into hiding. So what did I do? Run to Michael’s, stock up on supplies, and start making plushies again!
This pattern was created by Sherry Rohekar on Ravelry. The original pattern made a cherry pie, with a suggestion for blueberry pie at the end. So here we are.
Before making the single crochet trim, the pie looked like this. On its own this isn’t too bad. If you are not confident in making the trim, you could probably get away with leaving it like this. I think the trim makes it look like the edges have been “sliced” from a whole pie, which is what you are going for. My slice ended up a little overstuffed.
The pattern said to make bobbles “every now and then.” I tried to keep the bobbles evenly spaced each row, and it ended up looking nowhere near as interesting. Not to mention all the bunching going on… indeed, just make bobbles wherever you find enough space.
Growing up, my family was never “pie” family. We preferred cakes and cookies. I only had homemade apple pie once, before I met Hatter. Shoonie was a wee baby shoon, and we made it as a kids’ workshop project at the local apple picking farm. Having only tried the jelly-filled hand pies from McDerp’s, my mind was blown eating actual warm, baked apple pie! Maybe I’ll try making a cherry pie from scratch this summer, once cherry season kicks in.
I like to eat pie with a nice cup of tea. Hatter said this pie looks cute, but tastes “pleh pleh pleh.”
No-Face and Sootsprite liked it. As you can see they are enjoying the pie, and totally not just licking it because I put cat treats on the plate.
I meant to have this pie finished in time for Pi Day. And then we went into social isolation, which cancelled classes and due dates for this week.
Fortunately we had just enough time to have Pi Day, before isolation began. I made actual pies!
Clockwise from top left: bacon and mushroom quiche, Shepherd’s Pie, apple pie, and chocolate ganache tart. I spent all afternoon slaving away at these, but it was worth it to see so much gone by the end of the night. Some folks even took leftovers home!
The apple pie was the most intimidating because of all the apple peeling and lattice arranging. Which is why I got Hatter to do those things. š I didn’t have nutmeg, so I substituted a secret ingredient. But it’s secret, so I won’t write it here. Don’t worry, rest assured it’s safe to eat. I just kept it secret from folks who might oppose it.
For the ganache tart, I used Chef John’s pots de creme recipe minus the coffee, poured it into the pie shell, and stuck it in the freezer for an hour. I was happy with how this turned out, because it was what I expected of a chocolate tart. Previously I made a chocolate pie, but found it too sweet and not at all like the silky, dark chocolate ganache I love. Hatter liked it, but I think a ganache tart is more of my taste. For best results, try it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The taste and consistency reminded me of a popular ice cream chain’s cakes.
Baking all these pies, and being able to serve guests has boosted my confidence. Next, I want to make a key lime pie; real, and crochet. Mmmm….
It sucks to be isolated. But think of it this way: now you don’t have to share your pies! Here are some links to patterns and recipes, to keep you entertained:
Cherry Pie crochet pattern by Sherry Rohekar
Quiche recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction
*Slow cooker Shepherd’s pie from Taste of Home
Apple pie with lattice crust from the Tenderflake official website
Chocolate mocha pots de creme by Chef John
*You can make this in the oven too. I used the slow cooker to save on oven space.
What other pies do you like? Comment below!
Pika, so happy~
Luckily, the upcoming month’s project will grant plenty of time to work on that…
Materials :
Step 1: Measure the fabric around your waist. It should be enough to wrap around twice. When in doubt, round up. Remember, it’s easier to take in a garment, than to let it out.
This is where I started to fail… I bought satin. ($4/m)Ā Satin is delicate, frays easily, and shows mistakes. You can try ripping out seams, but the holes where the needle pierced it will show through. In the future, I will use jersey, or a soft knit fabric that doesn’t fray and show holes. It’s a good thing I bought extra, because a lot of the selvage ends had to beĀ sheared to remove stray fibers.
For the top, I took a fitted red T-shirt I no longer cared about, and cut a square neckline. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remove the logo on the front, so I ended up cutting a low back. Yikes! This low back, plus the square neckline, meant the top couldn’t stay up on its own. So instead, I opted for a technique I used in a Pikachu costume way back when, and wove a ribbon in the back. This created a cute lace-up back. I hopeĀ I’ll get more chances to wearĀ this style in the future.
Beading needles
Another thing I suggest is to work beside someone motivational. Sometimes the best way to work isn’t to work with them, but to workĀ alongside them. What I mean is, do your own thing, but do it in proximity to one another. I kept struggling and breaking beads while sitting alone. It wasn’t until the Mad Hatter finally came to sit with me, that I made progress. This is also a good way to spend time together, while still doing nothing at all… if that makes any sense.
As usual, pixel art is easier said than done. Fortunately, Muffet is already drawn in pixels, so it was simply a matter of transliterating theĀ large image to GIMP, with a visible grid. Doing so resulted in a product that was about 36 beads long.
So there I was, hunched over a puddle of tiny beads and a single, flimsy beading wire, with only the soothing melody of Danny Sexbang’s vocals as company. Because the wire was a shiny gold colour, it kept getting lost, or mistaken for a stray thread. I always found it in the end, touch wood, but it was time consuming. After about an hour, this was all I had accomplished.
Finally, I could take no more. This chintzy wire was good and fine for getting through those too-tight beads, but it was flimsy and kept getting lost. Fortunately, Mother Top Hat has lots of craft supplies. Including steel beading needles! Things went a lot faster with these needles. It was nice to sit next to Top Hat, while we worked on separate projects. Except the part where I stabbed myself in the throat with a needle, that hurt. X_X With the needles, this is what I accomplished in less than 20 minutes. Note that it’s a lot neater, as well. The trick is to work one side at a time, and finish that side before returning to the other.
Upon returning home, pink beads and a pack of needles in hand, I set to work on a full-size Muffet. And here’s her progress, two days and a stiff shoulder blade later. When it’s finished, I’m going to send this to Top Hat, as a supplementary gift alongside the derpy earrings. Maybe it can be a window charm?
Val's Crafts 
