News From the Nest, April 20

From the Knit + Crochet Studio

Spring is the perfect time to cast on a new project, and the Tiny Trails Easy Knit Baby Blanket Pattern is one we’re pretty excited about over here. It’s mostly garter stitch with simple slip stitches woven in to create sweet little trails across the fabric, and it finishes with a crisp applied i-cord border — which sounds fancier than it actually is, I promise! The pattern includes step-by-step instructions and a video for the i-cord, so even if you’ve never done one before, you’ve got this.

This Free Crochet Granny Square Purse Pattern is such a fun one — you build it square by square from granny squares with raised popcorn-stitch centers, then join the panels, add a body, a strap, and, optionally, a fabric lining for a really polished finish. The size is fully adjustable based on how many squares you make, so you can turn it from a petite wristlet to a roomy tote by tweaking the count. The finished bag looks like something you’d find in a boutique!

Whether you’re brand new to knitting or just want a refresher, our How to Knit hub walks you through everything in a sensible order — from understanding yarn and needles all the way through casting on, the knit stitch, the purl stitch, binding off, reading a pattern, and finishing with an easy garter stitch washcloth. Each lesson includes detailed photos and videos, so you’re never left guessing. It’s a great resource to bookmark and share with anyone who’s been asking you to teach them!

From the Kitchen

Nothing says warm-weather eating like a big, bold Buffalo Chicken Salad that actually fills you up. The chicken marinates in a buttermilk-and-hot-sauce mixture that keeps it incredibly juicy, and the homemade ranch-blue-cheese dressing ties the whole thing together beautifully. Most of the components prep ahead easily, making it a great choice for a busy weeknight or casual entertaining.

With blueberry season on the horizon, our No Pectin Blueberry Chamomile Jam is worth having in your back pocket now. The chamomile tea bags hang in the pot for the entire cooking time, infusing a subtle herby note that makes this jam taste like something really special. It’s a wonderful recipe for new canners.

Our Sourdough English Muffin Bread delivers all the tangy, nooks-and-crannies magic of an English muffin in a simple loaf you can slice and toast all week long. The active prep is only about 30 minutes — the sourdough does the heavy lifting overnight — and a cornmeal crust on top and bottom gives it that authentic English muffin feel. Reader Danielle now bakes it regularly for her family and her parents. Picture a thick, toasted slice of this, slathered with our No-Pectin Blueberry Chamomile Jam 👆🏼, melting into every nook and cranny — that’s a pretty perfect spring morning right there.

Spring is prime carrot season, and this Carrot Bread captures all the flavor of carrot cake with a fraction of the sugar — a grated apple mixed right into the batter is the secret behind how moist every slice turns out. Reader Carolyn brought it to work and said everybody loved it! It bakes beautifully into mini loaves for gifting, too.

Living on the coast, a big pot of boiled shrimp is one of my favorite ways to entertain — minimal effort, maximum enjoyment — and I’m seriously considering it for one of our upcoming nights. Which means Old Bay is non-negotiable! Our Old Bay Seasoning Substitutes and Homemade Recipe have you covered if you run out mid-recipe or just can’t find it at your local store. The homemade blend uses common spices you likely already have in your cabinet and comes remarkably close to the original. Reader Amy said she found our recipe when she ran out, used what was already in her pantry, and declared she’s never going back to buying it!

House + Home

If cast iron is your cookware of choice — and IMHO it should be — this post on The Best Oils to Season Cast Iron is worth bookmarking. Not all oils are created equal when it comes to building that nonstick surface, and we break down which ones polymerize well, which to avoid entirely, and walk through the whole seasoning process step by step.

With April being Earth Month, we are reminded of our responsibility to care for our planet. This post, 35 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Sustainable Kitchen, covers everything from swapping plastic wrap for silicone lids and beeswax wraps to using small appliances, cloth napkins, and cast iron instead of chemical-coated cookware. Most of these swaps save money, too — which is how my mom operated long before “green” was a buzzword (she was combining the good legs from two pairs of ruined pantyhose — won my then boyfriend’s frugal heart right then). Head over for all 35 ideas!

With Mother’s Day coming up fast, our Gift Ideas for Moms post has you covered with both handmade and purchased options — think herbal bath salts, lavender sachets, heel balm, hand-knit washcloths, and a crochet-edged linen throw on the DIY side, plus a curated list of purchased gifts for when you need something polished and ready to wrap.

This Desk project is one of my absolute favorites, and the desk I use daily, 12 years later! Terry and I rescued a solid-wood salvage door that had been in the attic for 12 years, paired it with an affordable adjustable-height IKEA frame and a Rockler sliding keyboard tray, topped it with glass, and ended up with the most characterful, spacious workspace I’ve ever had. Head over for the full step-by-step if you’ve got a door hanging about that needs a purpose or are looking for ideas to make your own desk!

In the Garden

Spring planting is here, and our second installment of Container Garden Ideas, Inspiration and Recipes is packed with specific plant combinations — thrillers, fillers, and spillers — along with photos and the actual plant names for each recipe so you can recreate them yourself. There’s something for every situation, from dramatic black elephant ears and electric green sweet potato vine for a shady spot to classic red geraniums and variegated vinca for a sun-drenched porch. It’s the post to have open at the garden center!

If you’re already composting, the logical next step is to get that compost to work harder in your garden — and our DIY Compost Tea Brewer post walks you through building your own 32-gallon, actively aerated brewer from a Rubbermaid container, PVC pipe, an air pump, and a handful of fittings. Since we were using 50 gallons of compost tea a week in our organic garden, buying it wasn’t practical — so Terry built us one, and the difference in our garden has been remarkable. Full parts list, step-by-step build instructions, and links to everything you need are all right there.