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Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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How-to: Fireworks Cookies & Edible Sparklers

July 4, 2011 2 Comments

Happy Independence Day, everyone! Pop Rocks (you know, the candy from your childhood) is running a recipe contest that ends at midnight tonight. From their official rules website:

Get ready for the JULY 4th POP ROCKS® RECIPE CONTEST. Send us your favourite food or beverage recipe featuring Pop Rocks® as an ingredient for your chance to win a 24 pack box of the NEWLY rereleased grape Pop Rocks. For added fun, although not necessary to win, include a picture of the recipe or you and your friends enjoying it. 5 winners will be selected on July 5th by Pop Rocks’ own Chef Rocko.

Even though I’ve never been the biggest fan of grape, I thought this was a great excuse to experiment with some baking. My initial idea was to use Pop Rocks as sprinkles on my family’s generations-old sugar cookie recipe.

Fireworks Cookies

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c shortening
  • 1/2 c butter, softened
  • 1 ½ c sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 3 ½ c sifted flour
  • 2 t baking powder
  • 1 ¼ t salt

How to make it

  • Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla
  • Stir in – sifted dry ingredients, mixing well.
  • Chill dough several hours.
  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Roll out small portions on dough on lightly floured board to 1/8” thickness. Cut with floured 3” cutter.
  • Place on ungreased baking sheet.
  • Sprinkle with colored sugars, nuts etc or frost after baking.
  • Bake in 375 oven 10-12 min or until delicately browned. Cool on racks
  • 5-6 dozen

Butterfrosting Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 T soft butter
  • 1/3 t salt
  • 1# powdered sugar
  • 4 T milk
  • 1 t vanilla

How to make it

  • Cream butter in mixing bowl
  • Add sugar, salt, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.
  • If necessary, thin with additional milk.

The cookies were really cute, but I ran in to some trouble when serving them at a 4th of July picnic. As my cookies warmed in their tupperware container, the frosting got liquidy enough that the Pop Rocks got all popped out. Just a heads up.

Edible Sparklers

Ingredients

  • white almond bark
  • pretzel rods
  • red & blue Pop Rocks candy (Dollar Tree is where I found the candy)
  • waxed paper

Directions

Melt your almond bark in the microwave or in a saucepan. Pour melted almond bark in a heat-safe cup. Dip a pretzel rod in your cup, twisting it around to coat half of it. Set on waxed paper. sprinkle with red & blue pop rocks, rotating to cover all sides. Let set up.

If very sweet desserts aren’t your thing, I recommend this TasteSpotting page featuring a whole bunch of really interesting-looking Pop Rocks recipes.

Filed Under: Fourth of July, How-to, Recipes Tagged With: baking, butterfrosting, family recipe, independence day, pop rocks, sugar cookies

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the S Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤️ If you love this pattern & didn’t know already, we are going to be doing a knit along (KAL) from October 1-29 featuring this spooky sweater vest & lots of tutorials, especially for the intarsia part. 
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Later today my newsletter will be coming out with additional Knit Along details, so if you’re not already signed up, now is a great time - the 🔗 is in my b1o. 
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Pictured: My Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book by @tanisknits. Model is wearing size 1 with 2” of positive ease, knit in @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted. Vest images via @insighteditions 
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#spiralhillsweatervest #handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
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What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
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