My kitties, like most kitties, have a weakness for jingle toys stuffed with catnip. My Moonunit likes to carry them around the house in her mouth while yowling loudly! And Prince likes to fling them against the ceiling as hard as he can! Every once in a while I make them handmade toys, which usually turn out to be their favorites! (The key is super fresh catnip, I use SmartyKat organic catnip.) 

I decided this month they needed a jingle fish with cute little scales. I decided your kitties needed one too so I made a little pattern and tutorial for you to follow. Do it. Your cats want you to. 

Supplies

Felt, 2 colors
Jingle Bell
Polyester Stuffing
2 Snap in Safety Eyes
Catnip
Embroidery Floss
Embroidery Needle
Scissors
Printer

I zipped this guy through the sewing machine just to save time but I usually hand stitch them which is more time consuming but more fun, (in my opinion.)

First you'll want to print and cut out your pattern. Then grab your felt and fold each piece in half because you'll be cutting two of each pattern piece for each side of your fish toy. 

Pin your pattern pieces to your felt and cut. Make sure to use sharp scissors to really define your scalloped scales. ​

All cut out! You should have two of each piece. 

Pin your scales to your fishes, front, middle and back. 

Then zip them through the sewing machine or hand sew your scales onto your fishes. 

At this point I sewed some decorative fish tail markings on both sides of my fishy, this is completely optional.

First, I sewed Only the top seam across the fish. I then used a seam ripper to rip a TINY hole in each side for the snap in eyes to fit, don't make a big hole or your eyes will pop out which is dangerous for your babies! I sewed the top seam Only at first because it would be super difficult to machine sew so close to the metal safety snaps after they were inserted. (You can always make felt eyes if this is a big concern for you.) Stuff your cat toy with fluff (don't forget to stuff in a little catnip and a jingle bell)

​Then sew around the entire outside edge and trim closely. 

I couldn't resist sewing a blanket stitch around the outside edge of my fish once he was done. I think he turned out pretty cute. 

Fortunately it doesn't matter how cute it is because your kitties will tear it up anyway! 

Here's the printable pattern if you're interested in making some jingle fishies for your kitty cats. 

(The pattern should take up half a sheet of 8x11.5" printer paper so make sure you have the orientation correct before printing, mine worked best on the "Shrink to Fit" setting.)

​ My kitties love the heck out of these guys! Prince cat prefers the big, felt toys he can throw against the ceiling and Moon really prefers the knitted ones made out of natural fibers so she can pretend that she's hunting game in the wild. Hehe. 

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you give this pattern a try!

-Ashley

I did it!

I  finished the Slanket! AKA Chloe Cardigan by Jo Storie.

It took ages and ages but I finally finished it! 

I’m really happy with how this guy turned out. I already have ppl asking me to knit them one too! To which I say, “Hahahaha! That’ll be a million $’s pls!” I’m taking a sweater break!!!


Bonus picture of some cute coasters I busted out with the leftover yarn, aren't they precious?

I'm waiting for my "Knitted by MoonunitDesigns" labels to show up, then I'll sew one into the collar and ship it off to its forever home! 

​Have a happy Weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

​-Ashley

Who doesn't love tacos!? 

They're wonderfully versatile, delicious, and easy to throw together on a Weekday night. 

This recipe is inspired by one that Alex's family made for me one of the first times I met them. I took the same basic concepts from their family recipe and made it 100% Vegetarian but (in my opinion) just as delicious. I use Smart Ground Veggie Crumbles instead of ground beef and Vegetarian Refried Beans instead of the regular guys (which usually contain lard! Gasp!) You can always go ahead and make your own Refried beans if you're into that, but for the sake of laziness, I use Rosarita beans. 

You can top these tacos with whatever you like best; avocado, nacho cheese sauce, jalapenos, sprouts, fritos, whatever makes you happy. I've included a list of what we usually top ours with, basic but yummy! I also use a hodpodge of random spices to get my Veggie Crumbles to taste how I like them, you can feel free to use store bought taco seasoning, just make sure you account for the size of the recipe (taco seasoning packets are usually for much larger recipes than this one.) 

Alright! Let's make some tacos! 

Vegetarian Double Decker Tacos
About 4 servings

Ingredients
1 Package Smart Ground Veggie Crumbles
1/2 Yellow Onion
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Can Vegetarian Refried Beans
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
Hard Taco Shells
Small Flour Tortillas

Seasonings
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hot Sauce
1/8 Cup Water

Toppings
Chives
Cheddar Cheese
Black Olives
Lettuce
Sour Cream
Salsa
Tomato

Chop your onion, bell pepper and garlic, set aside. In a medium bowl use a fork to lightly fluff your Smart Ground crumbles. At this point you can start heating your refried beans on low in a small sauce pan on a back burner.

In a large non-stick skillet heat your TBSP Canola oil. Add your onion and bell pepper and saute until just tender. Add your garlic and saute for one minute, then add in Smart Ground Crumbles and all your seasonings and hot sauce. I like to season to taste here, tossing in spices until it tastes just right. I add about a TBSP to an 1/8 cup water at the end to soften up the crumbles. (Make sure to let all the water cook off before serving, you don't want soggy crumbles!)

To assemble; lay out your soft taco, spread on a layer of refried beans, press your hard shell taco directly into the beans using them as a delicious glue to hold your shells together. Fill your hard shell with your veggie crumbles mix, top with lots of cheese and layer on as many other toppings as physically possible then Enjoy! 
​

These are ridiculously good. Usually Alex and I end up making these on a Friday night and eating leftover tacos All Weekend! It's wonderful. 

Give them a try! You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by!

​-Ashley

Happy New Year! 
​

​I've been working on a ton of stuff! Let me share it with you!

 I'm still plugging away at the Slanket. It's still on the needles and the collar hasn't been attached to the back portion yet but I'm nearly done! 

See that circular needle there^? One more day or two and it'll be gone! 

I have about two more inches of collar to finish. I'm excited to get it done by the 15th so I can enter it into the TwoKnitLitChicks Sweater Contest! 

I also just finished a cute hat for my Etsy site. It's available here.

It's a fantastic shade of orange and it's made with a silk and wool mix from KnitPicks.com that is magically soft.

I've already decided on my next big project! My Step-Ma sent me a huge package of wonderful yarns this Summer, mostly Wool and Wool blends. Aren't they beautiful!? 

Fortunately it just happens to be Susan's dream color. :) We looked at quite a few patterns before deciding on this Autumn Blush Shawl by Joji Locatelli. (photo by Joji Locatelli​) 

The pattern does call for an Aran weight and Cascade 220 is a Worsted but I think if I play around with the needle size I can get the gauge right. I'm super exited to start a new project. I feel like I've been working on the Slanket for a lifetime! I love it, but I'm ready to see that project off to its new home! 

I hope you enjoyed the update, I'll be back soon with a new and delicious recipe! 

Thanks for stopping by!

-Ashley