Butternut squash halwa

I decided to use up the 1 lb of precut squash my husband had picked up last week from the store. With both kids under the weather (cough/cold), there has been a constant struggle to get them to eat well. I decided to appeal to their sweet tooth and made Halwa out of the butternut squash. With ingredients like saffron, cardamom, and brown sugar, this recipe also provides warmth and should help with congestion. If nothing else, at least they'll get their veggies!! 

Ingredients 

1 lb butternut squash - cubed and then finely chopped in food processor 

3 tbsp butter

1 cup milk

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

1 pinch saffron

2 tbsp raisins

Sliced almonds to garnish

Method

1. Melt butter in a pot

2. Add squash and stir well. Cook for 15 mins on low flame

3. Add milk and saffron and mix well. Cook until milk gets absorbed completely

4. Add sugar, cardamom powder, and raisins. Sugar will liquefy. 

5. Cook until sugar stops bubbling. 

6. Garnish with sliced almonds. 

7. Serve hot, room temperature, or cold after refrigeration for a few hours!

Knit-like Crochet Beanie

A few months ago, I got an awesome pattern for a knit-scarf using Gina yarn that I was too tempted to not create! The pattern was very simple, and since it was suggested by Sally from Apple Valley Yarns, I like to call it my "Sally Scarf". 

I have described the scarf pattern on my Ravelry page here and below is a picture of the scarf made using 4 skeins of the yarn:

Now, I am not bad at knitting, but it takes me soooooo long to finish knitting that the thought of creating a matching hat (especially, since I do not know how to knit in the round) seemed daunting to me. After looking around for ideas, I found this awesome Pin on Pinterest that showed how to create a knit-like fabric using HDC crochet techniques.

So, a couple of days ago, I started to make a top-down hat (standard crochet method of starting with a magic circle and increasing), but i was not happy with the way the hat looked and I was having a hard time deciding when to stop, since the yarn is a lighter weight than most regular or thick yarns I tend to use for creating hats. That is when I decided to create my own pattern to create a bottom-up hat.

It is an easy pattern once you figure out how the stitch actually works. Like the original Pinner says on their website, there is a "hidden" post behind a Half-Double Crochet stitch. If you crochet into that post instead of crocheting into the actual stitch, it allows the stitch to "fall forward" creating the look of knit fabric. So, for the sake of the pattern, I am going to call this the "FHDC" - Fancy Half Double Crochet stitch!

You can create this with any yarn of your choice. However, I created this using 2 balls of different colored Plymouth Gina Yarn. Alternating the balls of yarn every two rounds allows for the self-patterned striping which looks unique when done! Since Gina is a lighter weight yarn, I used a size F hook to create the hat. If you choose to use heavier yarns, and/or a bigger hook size, make sure that your initial chain is big enough to fit around your head (where you want the hat to fit). The FHDC crochets up a little tighter than regular HDC, so please take into account that your hat will not be as "elastic" as you are used to creating using regular crochet stitches. I have written the pattern for an adult female head, and it can be adapted to fit any head size as long as you adjust the initial chain according to the fit.

YARN:

Color A: Plymouth Yarn Gina #0009 Variegated Purple-pink shades

Color B: Plymouth Yarn Gina #0007 Variegated Green-yellow shades 

HOOK: 

Size F (3.75 mm) hook.

ABBREVIATIONS:

All terms refer to the US standard crochet terminology:

CH - Chain

SS - Slip Stitch

HDC - Half Double Crochet

FHDC - Fancy Half Double Crochet (see here for details on how to create a stockinette knit stitch using crochet methods - awesome pictures and tutorial)

FHDCdec - Decreasing by FHDC 2 stitches together
SC - Single Crochet

PATTERN:

Main Body of Hat:

1. With Color A, CH 90 (or any multiple of 6 required to fit your head). Carefully and without turning the chain, SS to the first chain to create a loop that fits your head as tightly or loosely as you like.
2. 1 HDC into each stitch all around. Stop after the last stitch and do NOT slip stitch to join the round. Here on out we will be working in continuous rounds. Place a marker (or a different yarn thread) before the next step so that you can keep track of the rounds you are completing.
3. Start  the FHDC and continue until you reach the marker. Move marker up to current round.
4. Attach Color B (don't cut off the Color A... we will pick it up in 2 rounds) and continue for 2 rounds (don't forget to move the marker up)
5. Pick up Color A (should be in the "inside" part of the hat and therefore will not create an ugly look of switching yarns on the right side of the hat). Continue with FHDC for 2 rounds
6. Alternate Colors A and B every two rounds and continue until you have 11 rounds total (Don't count the chain as a round and move the marker up as you complete each round.) - Each round will have 90 stitches.
7. Starting with the next color, now we go through the gradual process of shaping the top of the hat. **FHDC into the next 13 stitches, FHDCdec** Repeat ** to ** 5 more times. (84 stitches)
8. Move marker up, continue using the same color yarn: **FHDC into next 12 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (78 stitches)
9. Move marker up, using the other color yarn: **FHDC into next 11 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (72 stitches)
10. Move marker up, continue using the same color yarn: **FHDC into next 10 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (66 stitches)
11. Move marker up, using the other color yarn: **FHDC into next 9 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (60 stitches)
12. Move marker up, continue using the same color yarn: **FHDC into next 8 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (54 stitches)
13. Move marker up, using the other color yarn: **FHDC into next 7 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (48 stitches)
14. Move marker up, continue using the same color yarn: **FHDC into next 6 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (42 stitches)
15. Move marker up, using the other color yarn: **FHDC into next 5 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (36 stitches)
16. Move marker up, continue using the same color yarn: **FHDC into next 4 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (30 stitches)
17. Move marker up, using the other color yarn: **FHDC into next 3 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (24 stitches)
18. Move marker up, continue using the same color yarn: **FHDC into next 2 stitches, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (18 stitches)
19. Move marker up, using the other color yarn: **FHDC into next 1 stitch, FHDCdec**. Repeat ** to ** 5 more times (12 stitches)
20. Move marker up, continue using the same color yarn: FHDCdec 6 times (6 stitches)
21. Repeat Step 21 until you have only 1 stitch left, and bind off.

Ribbed Brim of the Hat:

1. With whichever color you have more remaining of, CH 9. Turn and SC into the top loop of each chain ONLY. CH 1. Turn. (8 stitches). 
2. In each stitch, SC into back loop only. Turn. CH 1.
3. Repeat step 2 until you have completed 90 rows (attach the other yarn if you run out of the yarn you started with). Join the last row to the first row using slip stitch or another method of your choice.
4. Attach the brim to the bottom of the hat by using SC. 

Here is what the hat should look like. I had a little bit of yarn left over so I made a quick pom-pom and attached it on the top for extra oomph!

It is an easy pattern once you get the hang of it. Good luck and let me know if I can clarify anything!