Coeliac baking: episode 1

It's been about two months now since my oldest daughter was diagnosed with coeliac disease and we've been on a very steep learning curve.  Regular meals and cooking at home haven't been too much of a problem.  We usually cook from, so we've just swapped out some of our usual ingredients - stock cubes, the flours used for sauces, using gluten free pasta etc.

Baking is a little different.

When you take away the gluten, you change the structure, rise and crumb of your baking.  You can't just swap normal self raising flour for gluten free flour.  You have to learn about ingredients like xanthan gum and potato flour.

To complicate things even further, my daughter can't eat oats for at least 6 months either.  Some coeliacs are sensitive to a chemical in oats and so she has to exclude them and then reintroduce them in a control test.  Oats are a big ingredient in one of her favourite cookies, so my first baking experiment was all about replacing the oats without losing all the lovely oaty texture.

They're not the prettiest cookies in the world, and they're very fragile when they first come out of the oven, but as they cool they firm up and all three children gave them the thumbs up.  Recipes below for both original and coeliac versions.  Apologies for the quantities being in ounces - it's what I've always used, except for the chocolate, which is 2 x 100g bars.

Coeliac cookies

9oz butter or margarine

5.5oz soft brown sugar/caster sugar

1tsp vanilla

8oz gluten free self raising flour

5oz gluten free rice crispies

1oz desiccated coconut (note: I will add less rice crispies and more coconut next time, but this is all the coconut I had)

200g milk chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Beat butter and sugar together.  Add vanilla and beat briefly to mix in.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Use lined baking trays, drop large tablespoons of mix, leaving a bit of space between cookies, flatten slightly and push mix together - it will bind in the oven.  Bake at 180 for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.  Allow to cool on tray as they fall apart when first out of the oven.

Original oaty chocolate chunk cookies

9oz butter or margarine

5.5oz soft brown sugar/caster sugar

1tsp vanilla

8oz wholemeal self raising flour

6oz oats (not instant)

200g milk chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Method is the same as for gluten free cookies.  You can replace up to 2oz of the oats with desiccated coconut.  Add cinnamon and replace chocolate with a couple of handfuls of raisins.  Swap milk chocolate for white chocolate and cranberries.

Happy baking!

Vera and Bess has a new home

My blog has moved to a new home.  Come on over and join the crochet party at veraandbess.com.  I promise there will be yarny loveliness, tea and lots of cake.

Granny square of the week: mini squared circle

I love granny squares in all forms, simple squares, elaborate hexagons and any shape with a flower.  This is a very simple mini square, but sometimes that's exactly what you want to show off a yarn or colour combination or just to have something relaxing to work on in the car (if you're lucky enough not to be the driver) or in front of the TV in the evening.  Join 4 together with your favourite join to make a lovely bigger square or just use up your scraps, keep the minis in a bag and when you have enough, join them all together to make a unique scrappy blanket.

Here's the pattern, written in standard UK terms.  Stdc is a standing double crochet, just start off as if you were working a regular double crochet (it replaces join with ss and ch1).

R1: Ch4 (counts as first tr), in last ch from hook work 11tr, ss to top of first tr, fasten off.  (12 st)

R2: Join with stdc between 2 tr, ch1, and then work 1dc, 1ch between st all the way around, ss to first ch1 sp and fasten off.  (12st, 12 ch1 sp)

R3: Join with stdc in any ch1 sp, then ch1. * In next ch1 sp, work (1tr, ch2, 1tr, ch1), then 1dc, ch1 in each of next 2 ch1 sp. Repeat from * twice more.  In next ch1 sp work (1tr, ch1, 1tr, ch2), 1dc, ch1 in next ch1 sp, ss to first st and fasten off.  (16 st, 16 ch1 sp)

This is a great way to use up small scraps.  The yarn I used is Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK in mauve and shell pink.

This is the first of a series of granny squares which work beautifully together or can be used on their own.

Quick crochet episode 1: the Burst brooch

Having called it a brooch, it isn't just a brooch.  Burst works brilliantly on top of a beanie instead of a pompom as well, but as spring is finally here, let's celebrate its beauty as a sweet little brooch.

It's easy and quick to make and complete accuracy is definitely not essential.  Variegated yarn is perfect to give you lots of colours in one hit, or choose a really vibrant jewel coloured solid to make a bold statement.

Use any yarn weight with the appropriate hook.  DK gives a good size, not too chunky, not too tiny.  I used about 6g to 8g of DK for one Burst.  You will need yarn, crochet hook, darning needle and brooch pin/safety pin.

To begin, chain 50.  Starting with the 11th chain from the hook, work 1 double crochet (UK terms, if you're using US terminology that's a single crochet).

Working the 10ch, 1dc - it will get a bit twisty but don't worry.

Next chain 10 and then work 1 double crochet in the next st.  Do that again.  And again.  And again.  Keep repeating the 10 chain stitch and 1 double crochet all the way along your original starting chain.  When you've worked the last stitch, fasten off, leaving a good length of yarn for stitching up, about 30cm/12".

The reverse side after rolling up - take your time and make sure the
original chain doesn't twist and keep the base as flat as you can.

Starting from the last stitch where your long tail is, start to roll up the work, keeping the base flat and stitching through from one side to the other as you go with each turn.  Finish with a couple of stitches on the base to secure the yarn and then stitch on your brooch pin or safety pin.

Happy hooking!

Lovely little beret for the Innocent Smoothie Big Knit

It takes a while to make a blanket, even longer if you are designing it and writing the pattern as you go along.  Sometimes I need a break from a big project but my fingers still itch for hook and yarn.

The Innocent Smoothie Big Knit (or little crochet in my case) is perfect for just such an occasion, but typically I have to make my own little pattern up.  I thought a beret would be sweet, a flower trimmed beret even sweeter.  See below for the pattern and if you make one yourself, please share it with me on Instagram with #veraandbessmaker before you send it off to do some good.

Supplies:
A very small amount of any DK yarn (I used some Sirdar Baby Crofter)
Coordinating button or bead
4mm crochet hook
Darning needle for those ends and stitching on the flower

Instructions are written in standard UK terms.

To make the beret:

R1: Chain 4 (counts as first stitch) and working in last chain from hook, work 11 treble crochet and join to top of chain 4 with a slip stitch (12 st)

R2: Chain 3 (counts as first stitch) and work 1 treble in same stitch, then 2 treble in each stitch around and join to top of chain 3 with a slip stitch (24 st)

R3: Chain 3 (counts as first stitch) and work 1 treble crochet in each st and join to top of chain 3 with a slip stitch (24 st)

R4: Chain 3 (counts as first stitch), work 2 treble together over next 2 stitches then work (1 treble in next stitch, 2 treble together over next 2 stitches) to the end of the round and join into top of chain 3 with a slip stitch (16 st)

R5: Chain 1 (does not count as first stitch) and work 1 double crochet in each stitch.

R6: Repeat R5 and fasten off.

To make the flower:

Chain 2 and in last chain from hook work 1 treble, chain 1, slip stitch then (chain 1, 1 treble, chain 1, slip stitch) 4 times.  Fasten off.

Sew flower to beret with button or bead, darn in ends and admire your creation.  Don't forget to show me #veraandbessmaker.

For more information about The Big Knit or to find more patterns, just click here.  Every bottle of Innocent Smoothie wearing a hat that is sold adds 25p to pot for Age UK.

The Leftover Shawl

Ah, the Leftover Shawl, aka Granny Stripes Get Together or The Shawl I Shouldn't Be Working On Because I Haven't Finished The Boy's Blanket Yet.

The Boy's blanket, as I mentioned before in this post, is very grey.  And very square.  It's cool and interesting and a great adventure too, but I took a little break from it to make up the Hearts and Flowers bunting (free pattern!), but it turns out that it was a bit like a gateway drug, just one little hit and all of a sudden I'm reaching for the pretty colours and making a shawl.

The Leftover Shawl WIP, in white, pomegranate and duck egg so far.

In my defence, I am using yarn leftover from the Hearts and Flowers blanket, so it's not like I went out and bought more yarn for it.  I'm actually doing a good thing, using some stash yarn. But still, I should be working on The Boy's blanket and if he notices that I've started a shawl he won't be happy.  So I should have stopped.  But I haven't.

It's a really easy shawl to make, just a simple twist on granny stripes.  After 2 set up rows, there are 2 pattern rows, repeated until the yarn is used up or your shawl reaches the desired size.

A quick note, I use chain 1, treble at the beginning of each row.  It's not as perfectly neat as using a starting treble, but it leaves less ends for darning in and I like to have a proper stitch to work the next row in rather than fiddling with the top of a chain 3.  Use whatever works best for you - so when I say chain 1, treble in first stitch, you can substitute a starting treble or chain 3 if you prefer.

Set up row 1: Chain 4 and working in last chain from hook, work 2 treble, 2 chain, 3 treble.

Set up row 2: Chain 1, treble in first stitch, chain 2, work 3 treble together, in the first stitch already worked and the next 2 stitches, chain 2.  In the corner 2 chain space, work 3 treble, chain 2, 3 treble, chain 2  Work 3 treble together over the next 3 stitches, chain 2 and work 3 treble together over the next 3 stitches.  Chain 2 and work 1 treble in the first stitch (which was where you worked the last of your 3 treble together).

Now, on with the pattern.

Row 1: Chain 1, treble in first stitch.  Work 3 treble in each chain 2 space to the corner.  At the corner work 3 treble, 2 chain, 3 treble.  Work 3 treble in each chain 2 space to the corner.  Work 1 treble in last stitch.

Row 2: Chain 1, treble in first stitch.  * Chain 2, work 3 treble together over next 3 stitches.  Repeat from * to the corner and work 2 chain, 3 treble, 2 chain, 3 treble in the corner.  Repeat the chain 2, work 3 treble together over next 3 stitches up to the last stitch, work 1 treble in the last stitch.

These 2 rows are the pattern, lovely and easy to remember and perfect for Netflix crochet, or Car Share crochet as I was doing last night.  (Crochet and comedy, made for each other.)

I am using oddments of yarn and will keep going until I have a fairly large shawl, but I can't give you a precise yarn requirement.  I am working 1 repeat of the 2 rows in different colours, alternating with white and using duck egg for every other colour, just because that arrangement pleases me.  I have a feeling that I will add some sort of pretty border at the end too, and I'll add that here when I get to it.  I just wanted to share this now, because it's the perfect project for a long bank holiday weekend.  The stripes of colour make it interesting, I love seeing how the colour combination develops, but it's easy enough to work on while you're in the car, talking to someone or watching a movie.

My yarn is Stylecraft Special DK and I have white, duck egg, pistachio, fondant, pomegranate and lemon.

What are your making plans for the long weekend?

Hearts and Flowers bunting, just in time for Easter

I took a little break from The Boy's very grey blanket (it is so grey and so square, not a flower or pink tone in sight) to make this little bunt.  That's a word, right, bunt?  And lots of bunts make bunting.

So, I have a pile of these lovely colours left over from making the Hearts and Flowers blanket, very easy to play with some yarn and the idea of hearts and flowers to come up with this.  I used Stylecraft Special DK in lipstick, pomegranate, fondant, white, lemon, pistachio and duck egg, but it's perfect for using up scraps in any colour combination that makes you smile.

The pattern is below and is the perfect introduction to the Hearts and Flowers blanket pattern (here on Ravelry or here on Etsy) as it uses some of the same stitches and techniques that I am fond of using.  If you make any bunts (or you are adventurous and decide to make the blanket) please share them with me on Instagram or other social media with #veraandbessmaker.

On to the pattern.  You will need your chosen yarn with appropriate hook (I used Stylecraft Special DK and a 4mm hook) plus a needle to darn all the ends in.  It is written in UK standard terms.

In lipstick, chain 4 and join with a slip stitch.  Do not fasten off.

R1: Work 1 double crochet into the ring chain 1, work (1 double crochet, chain 1) 5 times and slip stitch to the first double crochet.  Fasten off.

R2: In pomegranate, join with a double crochet in any space, chain 2, then work (1 double crochet, ch2) in each space, slip stitch to first double crochet and fasten off.

R3: Join with a slip stitch in any space.  Work 1 double crochet, 3 treble crochet, 1 double crochet and slip stitch in same space.  Work slip stitch, 1 double crochet, 3 treble crochet, 1 double crochet, slip stitch in each 2 chain space.  Do not join.  Fasten off.

R4: In fondant, work a front post double crochet around each of the 6 double crochet stitches from round 2.  Slip stitch to first stitch and fasten off.  You can just see these stitches in the photo below, at the base of each petal between the white spike stitches.

R5: In white, working into the centre ring and between each petal, work spike double crochet, chain 3 6 times.  Slip stitch to first stitch to join and fasten off.  Ease each petal through the chain 3 space and tweak as necessary to make them sit neatly.

R6: In pistachio, and starting with a starting treble (simply a treble stitch worked as the first stitch, rather than a chain 3, which you can of course use if you prefer), work 2 treble together, the first treble in one white 3 chain space and the second treble in the next space, so that the leaves appear between each petal.  Chain 3.  Work 2 treble together, the first treble in the same space as the last treble and the second in the next space.  Chain 3.  Continue around with 2 treble together, chain 3 and slip stitch to the first stitch of the round.  Fasten off.

R7: In white, working in the 3 chain spaces, work 3 double crochet, chain 1 in each space.  Slip stitch to second stitch of round (this creates a neater, almost invisible join as the slip stitch sits in front of the first stitch).  Fasten off.

R8: This round creates the heart shape.  Join with a double crochet in any chain 1 space.  Work 1 treble in the next stitch, 2 double trebles in the next stitch, 3 double trebles in the next stitch and 2 trebles in the chain space.  Work 1 double crochet in each of the next 3 stitches, 1 double crochet in the space and 1 double crochet in each of the next 3 stitches.  Work treble, chain 2, treble in the space (point of heart).  Work 1 double crochet in the each of the next 3 stitches, the space and the next 3 stitches.  Work 2 trebles in the next space, 3 double trebles in the next stitch, 2 double trebles in the next stitch, 1 treble in the next stitch.  Slip stitch to the first stitch and fasten off.

R9: In fondant, join with a double crochet worked under the double crochet from round 8, to exaggerate the centre top of the heart.  Work double crochet, chain 1 in each stitch to the point of the heart.  Work double crochet, chain 2, double crochet in the point.  Work chain 1, double crochet in each stitch to the beginning of the round.  Slip stitch to first stitch and fasten off.

R10: In pistachio, join with a double crochet in the stitch at the centre top.  Work (double crochet in ch1 space, ch2) in next 7 spaces.  Work (double crochet, chain 1) in next 9 spaces.  In point work double crochet, chain 2, double crochet.  Work (chain 1, double crochet) in 9 spaces then (chain 2, double crochet) in 7 spaces.  Double crochet next to the first double crochet of the round, in the same stitch.  Fasten off.

R11: This round shapes the bunt.  In white, join with a starting treble in the last stitch of round 10 and work 1 treble in the next stitch.  Then working in the chain spaces, work 2 double crochet in space, 1 double crochet and 1 half treble crochet in the next space, (2 treble, chain 2, 2 treble) in the next space, 1half treble and 1 double crochet in the next space, 2 double crochet in the next space and the 1 double in each of the next 9 spaces to the point.  Work 1 treble, chain 2, 1 treble in the point.  Work 1 double crochet in each of the next 9 spaces, 2 double crochet in the next space, 1 double and 1 half treble in the next space, (2 treble, chain 2, 2 treble) in the next space, 1 half treble and 1 double in the next space, 2 double in the next space.  Slip stitch to second stitch of round to join and fasten off.

R12: Starting in the last stitch of round 11, join with a starting treble and work 1 treble crochet in each stitch around with 1 treble, 2 chain, 1 treble in each corner.  Slip stitch to second stitch of round and fasten off.

R13: In duck egg, work 1 front post double crochet around each stitch, starting in the middle of the top section, with chain 2 at each corner.  Slip stitch to join.

R14: Working in the back loop only of the white trebles from round 12 and both loops of the stitches from round 13, work 1 double crochet in each stitch, with 1 treble, chain 2, 1 treble at each corner (encasing all chain stitches from previous rounds).  Slip stitch to second stitch of round and fasten off.

Make as many as you find pleasing and join with a simple chain, working double crochet stitches across the top of each bunt.

Don't forget to share photos if you make your own bunting.  Happy hooking and Happy Easter!