Secret Recipes
Happy I Love Yarn Day! TRIANGLE GRANNY – Half of a Granny Square (For 3 Rounds) By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in her self-published folder… Granny Square How To (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Fall 1986, p. 1). [NOTE: As always, I’m asking only for proper credit if you care to share this.] HOOK NEEDS […]
Happy October and National Women’s Small Business Month! Additionally, the second Saturday of October is also I Love Yarn Day. Next to journaling, crocheting was one of Mom’s favorite hobbies. For centuries, hobbies have often been turned into small businesses – more so by women than by men. Mom’s mom, my grandma, was a passionate […]
Happy September and happy National Sewing Month! AMISH WINDMILL QUILT PATTERN (Hand Sewn) By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in her self-published newsletter… Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Sep.-Oct. 1990, p. 5). INSTRUCTIONS: Make your pattern for the 2 squares from heavy, box-weight cardboard. Use a T-square to be sure corners […]
HOW TO MAKE POCKETS FOR GRANNY SQUARE VEST By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in her self-published newsletter, Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Nov.-Dec. 1987, p. 11). Whether you use one pocket or two pockets on the Granny Square Vest, per directions… [see also https://therecipedetective.com/2024/05/06/light-spring-vest/]… You will make a 12-round Granny […]
CROCHET ABREVIATIONS & STITCH EXAMPLES CROCHET ABBREVIATIONS By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in her self-published folder, Granny Square How To (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI: Fall 1986, p. 1). The only abbreviations in my patterns… STITCHES: ½-DC…….Half Double Crochet DC………..Double Crochet SC………..Single Crochet sts………..Stitches rnd(s)…….Round(s) ch…………Chain SIZES: X-Lg………Extra Large Lg…………Large Med……….Medium Sm………..Small [For reference, see […]
LIGHT SPRING VEST By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in her self-published newsletter, Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May-June 1986, p. 10). This crocheted, light, spring vest (pictured above), made with large granny squares, brought Mom many compliments, every spring. See also Mom’s ‘Granny Square – How-to’, which was featured on […]
Granny Square – How To By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in her self-published folder, by the same name (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI: Fall 1986, p. 1) #GloriaPitzersCookbook
HOBBIES THAT HAVE KNOWN ME By Gloria Pitzer – Recipe Detective (circa mid-1970s), as seen in… No Laughing Matter (her syndicated series of articles). EVER SINCE I SAW Carol Duvall make Sonny Elliott weatherman buttons out of baby food jar lids, on her television craft show, I was determined to do something creative. I […]
COAL GARDEN By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in her self-published cookbook, The Original 200 Plus Secret Recipes© Book (Secret RecipesTM, Marysville, MI; June 1997, p. 44). About this coal garden: Usually, around power plants or [old] factories, you might find the burned remnants of real coal, with which you can make this pretty dish garden. […]
HOMEMADE FINGER PAINTS By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… The Original 200 Plus Secret Recipes© Book (Secret RecipesTM, Marysville, MI; June 1997, p. 44). INGREDIENTS: ½ cup laundry starch, like Linit 1 cup COLD water 1 envelope plain Knox gelatin powder 2 cups HOT water ½ cup soap flakes, like Ivory Food coloring INSTRUCTIONS: Combine, […]