dots or stripes

Red flowers

2012-01-29T13:23:00.001Z

I managed some more secret crafting this week.

I sewed together five panels with applique flowers, that make up the red section. I sewed the pinwheels together, and made both the red and the indigo border sections.

Sew Hip issue 37 has the green and violet sections in it, and issue 38 arrived this week, with the yellow section and making up instructions. But I haven't bought any wadding or backing or border materials yet, having planned to finish all the pieced sections first. Here's my supplies for the next (green) step:

I've hardly got any purple fabric in stash, so I will need to go fabric shopping for that part.

Organisation

2012-01-22T10:30:00.002Z

Yesterday, I did some more sewing, and this time it was something useful for me. I made this tool roll to organise my double-pointed needles. I have quite a few now, and shamingly I have duplicates in some sizes, caused by not storing them in an organised way, so that I can't find the right needles. Hopefully this sewing project will put an end to the over-buying.

When rolled up, my finished dpn case looks like this:

And when unrolled, all my dpns are nicely organised like this:

The gaps are for needle sizes I don't own yet, so I have future-proofed my dpns case!

I'm pleased to say all the fabrics came out of stash. I like the finished result, and it is very tidy. I made this without a pattern and the steps are in the Tutorial below.

Tutorial: How to make a roll case for your dpns (or pencils, make up brushes, anything you like!)
1. Decide how big you want your finished case to be. Add one inch to each dimension for seam allowances. Cut two pieces of fabric in this size, and one piece of interlining. My pieces were 11 ins tall by 15 ins wide to produce a case approx 10 ins tall by 14 ins wide.

2. Decide how tall you want your inner pocket to be. Add 1 in to the height for hem and seam allowance. Cut one piece of coordinating fabric the same width as the other pieces, and the selected height. Pin, press and sew a narrow double hem at the top.

3. Lay the fabrics in this order: back piece right side down, interfacing, top piece right side up, pocket piece right side up, matching the bottom edges. Pin all the pieces together round the edges. Sew round with a 1/2 in seam allowance, pivoting at the corners.

4. Decide how the pocket should be divided. I found it easiest to put the dpns into the open pocket and pin at the tops to indicate the divides needed. Use a ruler and fade away marker to draw seam lines on the pocket. Stitch down each marked seam line, starting at the bottom, taking the stitching just above the pocket top hem, and then lock-stitching back down the hem to ensure secure stitching.

5. Cut a piece of twill tape long enough to be able to tie round your completed case - mine was 23 ins. Fold in half and pin in place at the middle of one side at the back. Stitch over the tape within the seam allowance, stitching several times to secure firmly in place.

6. Make an edging strip by sewing 2 ins wide fabric strips together. Fold in half along the length and press down the middle.

7. With right sides facing, pin the edging to the edge of the fabric. Mitre the corners (if you want instructions on how to do this, try looking here note: not my photos, but I like the clarity of them). Attach the edge to the body of the case with a 1/2 in seam allowance. Turn back and fold to the back, press. Pin the edging strip to the back, folding a small hem inside the edge to obtain a smooth edge as shown below. Slip-stitch in place by hand.

Indigo pinwheels

2012-01-16T14:38:00.001Z

The main problem I'm having with the rainbow quilt is finding time to work on it. Because I want it to be a surprise, I can only do this when dd is out of the house, and since it's cold, it has been the holidays, and she has exams in January so is now doing revision, that's not very often.

Dd was working (she volunteers in a local charity shop) on Saturday afternoon, so I seized the chance to sew these pinwheel squares, which will eventually be the indigo panel. Had to put them away before sewing together though.

Mmm, pinwheels. Top tips (or, what I learned from my mistakes!)

Press seams to one side when making the triangles
Pin, unfold and and check the alignment of both pinned sections before sewing together, unless you want to wield the seam- ripper
It is easiest to sew the pinwheels together if the pressed seams are in opposite directions.

I'm liking the finished pinwheel squares and best of all, I only had to buy one FQ of indigo fabric - the one with the little people on it. All the others came from stash, and include a pair of my old Monsoon shorts from the 1990s. Which is consistent with my decluttering policy for 2012.

Stashdown starters

2012-01-13T12:33:00.000Z

Oh, I've been a bad blogger. Not written anything for nearly two weeks!

I've been active on the stashdown front, though. I made this washcloth, and used up two partial balls of Peaches & Creme dishcloth cotton.

Then I made these little crocheted keyring tags. This was a free pattern from the wonderful Emma Varnam, who also designed the camper van doorstop I made previously. I think I may use them for teacher gifts later this year.

I've also booked not one but two holidays! So I think I shall almost certainly achieve that aim this year. But you'll have to wait until later to discover the destinations.

Plans for 2012

2012-01-01T13:30:00.000Z

Overall, I was pleased with last year's crafting progress. Although I didn't achieve a balance between knitting and sewing, I did learn to crochet and finished two long-term items from my languishing list.

In 2012 my top crafting objective is to reduce my yarn stash. I already wrote about my stashdown plans: I want my yarn stash to fit easily into the two baskets, and I certainly want to finish the year with fewer skeins than I started with.

As to other crafting objectives, I've come to the conclusion that it will be impossible for me to achieve a balance between knitting / crochet and sewing as long as I'm playing in the Rav Harry Potter House Cup. So I won't set that as a target this year. Instead I'll just aim to achieve a minimum of 12 completed sewing projects over the year, with the rainbow quilt counted as multiple projects, one for each pattern instruction (printed in parts) I complete.

I'm not going to worry at all about the last incomplete long term FO that is on my Languishing list. I will however try not to add to that list.

On the non-crafting front, I want to do more cultural things, especially with the children; I want to support dd through her A Level journey and help ds to improve his handwriting; I want all of us to go on holiday.

And that perpetual aim: stay employed, so I can afford to do all of the above.

Christmas treats

2011-12-24T09:14:00.000Z

Yesterday I made a snow-topped spice cake in accordance with family tradition:

And I made some mince pies, which are eaten traditionally in the UK at christmas:

I also wrapped up rather a lot of presents, eight of which were hand-made. :-D

I decanted the blackberry vodka into bottles - one to give away (full) and one for us (not quite full). Nigella suggests whipping some cream and folding the leftover vodka-soaked blackberries into a simple fool dessert. That will be strictly for the over-18s, though!

Yesterday evening, dh and I thought we should sample it, and both of us agreed it was excellent.

Sending holiday greetings to all my readers. See you after the festivities!

Healthy eating

2011-12-22T09:41:00.007Z

Yesterday we had an organic box delivery suitable for the season:

In this house, three out of four people like brussels sprouts. And there's plenty of Vitamin C in there to keep winter colds at bay.

I love our veggie boxes and it's like a present every time to discover what seasonal treats are inside.

I can sew a rainbow

2011-12-18T15:20:00.005Z

... or the blog post in which I describe a sewing Plan, and hope it's not the kiss of death for the project!

I admired this rainbow quilt in Sew Hip magazine. For a while I've been considering making a modern quilt to give to dd, so she can take it with her when she goes off to college in a year or two, and this looks like a good candidate. Ideally I'd like to give it to her on her next birthday, which is in April.

The quilt pattern is being run as a series over several issues. As each of the colour blocks uses a different patchwork technique, and they are presented in order of difficulty, it looks like a great project for a person of limited quilting experience, like me.

As it's in parts, I can also stagger the cost of any materials needed. Although I do intend to use stash fabric whenever possible - I already have enough fabrics to sew the blue, green and red pieces, and probably enough for the indigo too. But I did have to start by buying some orange fabric, as it's a colour I don't work with that often. I got this lot from Fabric Rehab, and some of it was in the sale!

Dd was in London visiting her elder sister this weekend, so I had a chance to make a start. The instructions start with the orange and blue panels (issue 35). I did the blue one first, which uses applique circles:

Then I sewed the orange rail fence section:

Here's the evidence of completed sections from this weekend's sewing:

The small sections you can see at the front will form part of the border.

Issue 36 has the indigo and red sections in it, so when dd is next out of the house, I hope to tackle some of that.

Clementine cake

2011-12-17T13:24:00.000Z

I used to make Nigella's clementine cake as a regular seasonal treat, until How to Eat was superseded by How to Be a Domestic Goddess, when it was usurped by snow-topped spice cake. But this year, I think I will make both. After all, everyone likes cake, and as the clementine cake contains fresh clementines, it must count as reasonably healthy - or is this just wishful thinking?

My clementines were rather large, so I only had to simmer three. This is what they looked like after two hours:

To make the cake, you whizz the cooked clementines in the blender, and then mix the pulp with the other ingredients and bake for an hour. The finished cake looks quite plain:

But when cut in slices, it is deliciously damp and orange-flavoured:

Mmm. I think maybe it won't last the week...

Stock Taking

2011-12-15T19:43:00.001Z

Recently I had a clearing-out frenzy at home, in the course of which, I cataloged my yarn stash (why yes, I am a Ravenclaw student. Why do you ask?!?)

Since I took this photo, I added another four skeins each of Knit Picks Telemark sport and Stroll sock yarn. As a baseline right now, my stash comprises 50 whole balls, 68 partial balls and 27 scraps (each less than half a skein).

I keep my yarn in these two baskets:

As you can see, my yarn no longer fits comfortably inside the baskets. And this photo was taken after I'd donated a large bag of yarn to a knitting group at church, and before the arrival of the last eight balls.

I realise my stash is small compared to some other knitters', but I'm still not happy with its size. I want to reduce it in 2012, as part of a general drive towards having less stuff.

How will I do this?

I will always look for stash options first when I want to knit something.
I will finish one project from stash before I may purchase new yarn for another project. If I can stick to this, it should stop my stash from growing any more.
I will only buy new yarn when I have a specific project for it in mind. No more buying yarn because I like the look of it, or it is on sale.

Here's to the baskets closing by next Christmas!

Preparations

2011-12-11T11:28:00.001Z

This weekend, we....

And I also ....

Sometimes pictures speak louder than words.

A lesson in sewing jersey

2011-12-06T19:01:00.001Z

I've had my sewing machine since 1982, and last Sunday was the first time I ever used stitch pattern setting no. 2: triple stretch stitch.

This was because I made my first foray into sewing with jersey. I've never tried to do this before, as too intimidated by the stories of how hard it is to sew with stretch fabrics. But actually, it wasn't too bad, even though I didn't have a blunt-tipped needle. (I will get one for next time!)

Here's my super-stylish Superdry cushion made out of one of dd's discarded Tshirts. I cut out a square with the logo for the front, and used the back and bottom front to make the back envelope pieces. The logo isn't centred owing to its position on the tee.

I stitched the label into one of the side seams, for fun.

If you decide to try and make something out of jersey and using the special stitch on your machine, do take care to pin correctly. It is really difficult to unpick the resulting seam. (Go on, ask me how I know!)

It looks blue on my monitor, but in fact, this Tshirt is a blue-green colour. I still have the Tshirt sleeves left, and I'm quite tempted by this little piece of whimsy:

It's a craft project in a back issue of Mollie Makes. I might look for some more old green Tshirts and maybe make it some time.

Little green apples

2011-12-04T12:47:00.000Z

Regular visitors here may remember the apple dapple cushion I made back in August. I just made a green version, as a certain family member keeps admiring my red one.

But don't say anything: it's a christmas surprise!

The applique is a free pattern downloadable from bustleandsew. I added the gingham borders, just because I like borders, I had to buy some more osnaburg for the base fabric, as mine was running low, but everything else came out of stash.

Next up: how I turn a discarded logo T-shirt into an accent cushion, I hope!

Advent

2011-12-01T14:10:00.000Z

Feeling festive?

#1. Four crocheted snowmen, to go on the christmas tree (once I add some hanging loops).

#2. Two crocheted snowflakes, ditto.

How are your preparations coming along?

Sleepy squirrel is back...

2011-11-27T09:47:00.001Z

... only this time, in a cushion incarnation.

I used the same applique templates as for the hot water bottle cosy, applique'd and embroidered the squirrel onto a square of osnaburg fabric, and used that as the centre piece of a patchwork cushion. I worked out all the sizes of the patchwork bits myself. I've clearly improved at patchwork over the last year, as now my seams line up!

All the fabrics in this cushion, the felt for the squirrel, and all the thread came out of my stash. I used a cushion filler I had already. It is good to use stuff up, and what a good result! I'm really pleased with this, my second completed Christmas present.

My next two planned presents are also cushions. Hope I don't get bored...

Camper Van

2011-11-22T17:14:00.000Z

I finished the camper van:

The crochet parts were easy enough, but the making up took a while. Felt windows, licence plates and the logo circle to sew on, embroidery for doors, doorhandles and VW logo, plus 8 buttons.

For the doorstop weighting, rather than putting loose lentils in the camper van, which might escape through the crocheted fabric, I made a cotton bag out of an old pillowcase, filled it with out-of-date lentils and quinoa (yay for reuse and recycle! I just cleared out our kitchen cupboards last week, and it was very timely!) and stitched it closed. Then I put the bag and some toy stuffing inside the camper van, and sewed the final seam closed.

Completing the doorstop means I have now finished one Christmas present - that's great. I also cut out the pieces for the next, which involves patchwork, so hopefully I'm on a roll!

The advance party

2011-11-20T09:50:00.001Z

My crafting has taken a festive turn, even though it's only November.

I blogged before about the candy cane baby hat, but I just knitted some matching little bootees to go with it, as I like to make a set of things for a present.

I sent them off to the mama of a baby due in December.

I made this vaguely festive pinwheel purse, to keep my seasonal jewellery in.

It was easy, although rather fiddly at the sewing up stage. If you want to try it, you need scraps of 4-ply/sock yarn, small needles - mine were 2.25mm - and patience! The pattern is free on Ravelry.

Children in Need

2011-11-18T09:45:00.001Z

Children in Need is an annual UK charity fundraiser, run by national broadcaster BBC. Primary school-aged children in particular get very excited about it.

On Thursday evening, ds and I had a little cooking session and made chocolate fairy cakes, and choc-chip cookies. Ds did most of it - I just dealt with the hot things. Here he is looking very proud of his achievements:

He was very pleased to go to school this morning with tins full of goodies, to be sold for 20p each at his school. Very good value!

If you want to contribute to this good cause, online donations are accepted here.

Sleepy squirrel

2011-11-12T18:48:00.004Z

Today I sewed this hot-water bottle cosy:

The pattern was in Sew Hip issue 25, with templates for the applique squirrel. It was very easy. I made a couple of changes - I used white fleece instead of felt for the main pieces, and I left off the rick-rack trim - which I think may have been a mistake. It looks a little too plain without it. I think I also misplaced the applique slightly, so this will most likely be a practice version that stays in our house.

It has to be said that dd has already identified this as "cute", so possibly the squirrel will end up sleeping in her room!

Earlier this week, I got almost to the end of my camper van - and ran out of yarn. More has arrived, and I hope to finish this soon, but it also depends on finding some large buttons for the wheels. There were only two in the right colour in John Lewis.

Festive plans

2011-11-06T10:56:00.001Z

Now it's November, my thoughts have inevitably turned to preparations for the festive season. Last time I blogged about my plans (with timeframes!) it turned out to be the kiss of plans-going-awry, so I hope I have better luck this time! Anyway, it is my intention to give some more hand-made presents this year.

I've already started by preparing the blackberry vodka. It's turned a lovely deep red colour, and I found some presentation bottles in Lakeland, so I'm hoping it will make at least one present. I've probably made enough to fill two 500 ml bottles, but I rather think we shall want to keep one for the festivities at home!

My plans for November crafting to give away in December include this:

The pattern is in the latest Inside Crochet magazine. Since I took that photo, I've finished the whole of one side piece and worked half-way through the second.

I also have sewing plans:

Just waiting for some felt in various shades to arrive. I'm charmed to have found this felt which is, apparently, machine-washable. Awesome!

If I get through that little lot by the end of November, that will be four presents done, and then I might make some more!

How about you, dear reader? Do you make things to give away for christmas presents? Do share the details in the comments box!

Baby gifts

2011-11-05T08:44:00.001Z

I sent off some knitted baby stuff to two newly-arrived or soon-expected babies:

I made a little pair of bootees to match the baby hat I showed you previously, and sent these to a little baby girl. This was a riff off various bootee patterns, and used the same Debbie Bliss cashmerino dk yarn as the hat.

I also made a tiny owls hat, in which the owls are made from knitted cables:

One owl has sewn-on button eyes and a beak made of felt, but the rest (all the way round the hat) are sleeping! The pattern is available on Ravelry but is not free. I used Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran yarn.

I love owls, especially because of their Harry Potter associations. Thinking snowy (Hedwig!) rather than tawny (Errol?) owls, I think this hat would also look seriously good in winter white.

Experiments in chocolate

2011-10-29T14:33:00.001+01:00

After a few hectic weekends - wedding, ds's ninth birthday celebrations, Yorkshire to stay with my parents during half term - I was pleased to get back to routines at the end of this week.

Ds wanted to do some cooking, so we spent a very pleasant afternoon in the kitchen yesterday. We made a chocolate fudge cake, using one of the American cake mixes I bought from the Stateside Candy Co. and a packet of ready-made icing from Lakeland.

The result is not quite up to proper home-made standard, but is still pretty nice, and ds loves the fact that he did all the mixing and icing himself. My job was to grease tins and deal with the hot oven.

We also made some home-made chocolates:

This was very easy - melted chocolate, in spoonfuls onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, and then decorated with what we could find in the cupboard - silver balls, sugar strands, dried cherries and pieces of crystallized ginger. Then just leave to set before peeling off the paper.

Ds says we could make more of these for christmas presents. Glad to see he is already thinking handmade!

Leafy mittens

2011-10-22T09:31:00.000+01:00

I finished making some very pretty green mittens with a textured leaves design. I feel it's the yarn that really makes this project, which is Lang Jawoll magic degrade sock yarn, in a shade sold as "parakeet".

It was worked on quite small needles and rather fiddly as a pattern, but I like the results. The texture is achieved with knit, purl, and slipped stitches. Very leafy.

Vodka in the jar

2011-10-15T20:26:00.000+01:00

I made some blackberry vodka today, following a recipe in Nigella's Kitchen.

It's very easy to prepare it. All you do is tip sugar and blackberries into the vodka, in a sterilised jar, seal it and keep shaking it till the sugar dissolves.

Apparently I'm supposed to shake it every day for two weeks, then every week for 6 weeks. I already put a sticky label on top warning family members not to unseal it. Some are too young to drink alcohol, but dh and visiting step-daughter might be tempted.

The result is described as a liqueur, and I should think the addition of sugar and blackberries will do that to the vodka, after the requisite steeping time. The timetable means it should be ready for Christmas, and I'm hoping to have enough to give a small bottle away. That's if it's good enough, of course. I shall have to sample it first!

Pumpkin Pie

2011-10-09T16:40:00.002+01:00

A while ago I expressed a wish in an international Internet forum to make a pumpkin pie. Americans present kindly informed me I would first need a tin of pumpkin - something I've never seen for sale in a British supermarket.

I went online to look for a UK supplier, and found The Stateside Candy Co. Into my cart went tinned pumpkin, and also, because I could not resist the temptation, two packets of American cake-mix (including one for red velvet cupcakes. Wow!), American frosting, mellowcremes, saltwater taffy and Reese's peanut butter cups. Most of these I had never tried before and all of them are Awesome!

About the pumpkin pie, should you wish to make one, a can of tinned pumpkin and an 8-in deep pie dish are the base requirements. The recipe is on the Libby's can label.

Here are the pie ingredients:

And here is a slice of the finished item, which I was also instructed to serve with whipped cream. Great idea!

I did have a bit of a pastry fail (mine shrunk during the blind baking step, so the pastry does not come up to the top) but the pie itself was delicious - like a variation on an egg-custard, with added spiciness and pumpkin, of course.

I would like to make it clear the Stateside Candy Co has not paid me to write this blog entry, or even asked me to!

Baby hatted-ness

2011-10-05T18:38:00.000+01:00

I do seem to produce an insane amount of baby hats; I just like knitting them. Here are some I recently finished:

#1 The candy cane elf-style hat, ideal for Christmas baby:

This is from Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Hats book, which I recommend for any other fan of knitting baby hats. Contains lots of lovely ideas; so far I have knitted four hats out of there and I have plans for another two.

#2 The baby berry hat, which has a lovely leaf and stalk effect:

Knitted from free pattern available online at randomstitches. I used Debbie Bliss cashmerino dk and 4.5mm needles.

These two I made with actual due babies in mind. I'm knitting another baby hat now though, and it has no destination at all. Unless I send a baby two hats. Can I do that?

Interim report

2011-10-02T13:04:00.000+01:00

Three quarters of the year gone. It seems like a good time to consider how I'm getting along in meeting my objectives for the year. Here's a quick summary.

Staying employed - still working, on a permanent contract, but still much uncertainty in the UK public sector.
Learning to crochet - starting from a base of crochet chains, I have made various bags, purses, scarves, amigurumi, scrubbies and potholders. I can now make clusters, granny squares and filet mesh, and work from written and charted crochet patterns. Much better than I hoped!
Getting my languishing list down - exceeded expectations by finishing two out of the three items languishing as of 1 January 2011. (The embroidery project still on my languishing list is a very long term WIP and I can't see its status changing any time soon.)
Reading more books - I have done more reading this year than I did last, although not as much as I would like.

I didn't write this in my list of planned objectives, but I have also successfully supported dd through her GCSE examinations, and taken ds on some cultural outings.

Things I haven't done: been on a proper holiday, or achieved a better knitting / sewing balance. To achieve that last one now I'd have to sew 16 things before 31 December, and not knit anything else at all, and that seems rather unlikely! Maybe these two will have to feature again on my resolutions list for 2012.

Trevor the Toad

2011-09-27T18:13:00.000+01:00

I want to introduce you to a friend of mine:

Trevor the toad was originally the familiar of Neville Longbottom (did I mention before, my Potter fan-dom?!?) This one belongs to a seventeen year old English boy who is also a HP afficionado.

I got my Pottermore advance access email today. V. excited indeed....

(Due to massive demand, you might find the Pottermore website inaccessible at the current time)

Lavender harvest

2011-09-25T15:56:00.001+01:00

Remember my giant pot, that was planted with lavender and geraniums earlier this year? Now the lavender is pretty much spent, I harvested the flowers off it:

The scent is still wonderful, so I put the flower heads in this basket, adorned with the knitted lace basket edging that had been on my "Languishing" list since 2009.

(With apologies for the photo. The flash is not the best to demonstrate knitted stitches, but without the flash, the picture is too blurry to be post-able.)

The basket of lavender has brought the outside in to our sitting room.

Delicious

2011-09-23T16:12:00.000+01:00

The apple inspiration continues.

I used a 5mm hook and Peaches & Creme dishcloth cotton to make this selection of crocheted potholders and coasters, using a free crochet pattern at Freepatterns.com. (Note: registration required to access the Delicious Dining pattern). The pattern also includes another variation on the coaster (cut apple version) and a placemat, so you can have a wonderfully apple-themed dining experience if that is your wish.

Pocket pie

2011-09-20T20:51:00.001+01:00

I find there is a rhythm to my blogging, now I'm on my third iteration, as here I am again writing about our autumn crop of apples. Once again, they are abundant, and we only have two trees. How on earth do people cope with a whole orchard?!

Last Sunday, I made mini-apple pies, using a new apple-pie mould I bought from the kitchen treasury that is Lakeland. Here they are just out of the oven:

I cheated and used a packet of ready-made, pre-rolled puff pastry. I filled the pies with a mixture of sliced apples tossed with cinnamon and brown sugar, and sprinkled the tops with demerara sugar before baking. The result were like apple-shaped apple turnovers. Delicious. Although, more practice is needed with the pie mould. My pies are not nearly as neat as the ones pictured on the box!

Cabled mittens

2011-09-17T15:01:00.001+01:00

In a fit of awesome productivity, I have finished the cabled arm-warmers I alluded to in my last post.

I made them out of Rowan silky tweed in the shade inky. This yarn is now discontinued, and I am sorely tempted to buy up every available skein on ebay currently, as it's gorgeous. I sometimes find lambswool yarn irritating, but the silk content in this one gives it a really comfortable handle.

The pattern is from the previously mentioned The Knitting Book. I did however make a slight modification, in that instead of carrying the ribbing all the way up the inside of the mitten, I knitted in stocking stitch at the palms and then finished off with 10 rows of ribbing. I like a smooth surface on the hands of my mitts, fingerless or not.

How I appeared in print

2011-09-15T20:01:00.001+01:00

A while ago, a friend asked me to do some test knitting for her, as she was writing a knitting book. I was happy to oblige, but rather staggered later to find the book in question was this:

I had not realised I was working on such a big publication by a very well-known publisher!

The Knitting Book is largely a reference, with loads of technical knitting help and stitch patterns. There is also a projects section, where my test knitting is. (I worked on the bunny toy). And even more fabulously, my name is included in the list of acknowledgements at the back. I really wasn't expecting that.

I'm already working on a pair of cabled armwarmers out of this book - hopefully I'll show you the finished item very soon.

Can't quite believe my name is in a proper book. I will just go and take another look at it...

Toffee apple cake

2011-09-08T17:37:00.000+01:00

I made the apple dapple cake, as previously threatened!

Luckily I have a set of measuring cups to enable me to tackle American recipes, plus the Internet yielded an explanation of what "all-purpose flour" is called in the UK (plain flour, since you ask). How funny that we speak the same language, but it isn't always easy to understand each other.

This is a very easy recipe - you just make a cake with chopped apples and pecans in it, and then pour over a hot caramel sauce (made with brown sugar, yum yum) whilst the cake is till hot. Then the whole thing is left to cool.

The verdict? It's reminiscent of a toffee apple. Quite yummy, in fact. I think I might have another slice!

Cricket tea-break

2011-09-04T16:37:00.000+01:00

Here's my knitting project from this weekend:

I made this tea cosy out of stash yarn, for a cricket fan who is also a Harry Potter lover. Gryffindor colours, as that is his preference.

The pattern came from P/hop, a knitting fundraiser site for Medecins sans frontieres. Medecins sans frontieres is an independent international medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters or exclusion from healthcare. P/hop offers free patterns to download; donations are requested and can be made in various currencies.

So if you're looking for a new project, and want also to help a good cause, that might be an option. There are about 30 knitting and crochet patterns currently on the p/hop site.

Apple dapple

2011-08-29T11:51:00.006+01:00

Don't faint, but I have actually sewn something!! The inspiration came from picking the first of our apples on Friday. I don't know why, but it made me want to do some sewing. Perhaps it's the idea of Autumn kicking in.

I went on the Internet and found this new, free pattern on the Bustle and Sew website. I had absolutely everything I needed to make it in my stash.

I added gingham borders to accommodate the cushion pad I had in hand, and used gingham on the back to edge the envelope opening. I also adopted a slightly more random approach to placement of stalks and leaves. I really like the country-style result, and it seems very seasonal.

Now, what to do with the actual apples? I rather fancy making this apple dapple cake. If I do, I'll be sure to post about it on this blog.

A day out by tram

2011-08-19T11:54:00.001+01:00

Here I am with another what-I-did-in-the-summer-holidays blog post. This week, we spent a day at the National Tramway Museum at Crich.

The picture below was taken whilst we rode on the open top deck of a 1903 tram originally from Southampton. There are trams from all over Europe and beyond, all carefully restored.

There is a village area with an old-fashioned sweet shop and ice cream kiosk. The ambience was enhanced by many vintage constructions, such as this old Police Box. Ds was excited to see a TARDIS as featured on Dr Who. I believe this one is just the regular size inside, though!

When not riding on the trams, we enjoyed a walk and picnic in the woodland park, and saw some lovely Derbyshire views, like this one over the Derwent Valley:

I'm back at work on Monday, so the tourist-board posts are most likely at an end for a while.

Lazy holiday

2011-08-15T17:23:00.004+01:00

The school summer holidays have a very negative effect on my crafting life, ie. this week, I haven't done any! It's not down to lack of time, more to do with disrupted routines and because the kids are lounging around doing very little, laziness also overtakes me. Instead, I turn to playing board games with the kids, punctuated by occasional outings.

Today we went to Twin Lakes theme park near Melton Mowbray - at about 40 minutes' drive from us, it's the nearest such place. This summer, they've added an unashamedly warm-weather attraction:

It's a fabulous collection of water slides, with added water sprays, and the periodic emptying of a large bucket all over the attraction and its users. Ds and friend thought it was wonderful.

There were also dry slides, once the cold water lost its appeal:

We had a lovely time. But if you're going there, I recommend taking your own food - we always pack up our lunch, as the on-site catering is not up to much. You can get nice ice-creams though. And if you forget to put your child in socks, which are required for hygiene reasons in the indoor play zones, you can buy a cheap pair in the cafe in the Labyrinth building.

Tomorrow the plan is to see Arrietty at the cinema. Another favourite book of mine, and the film is from the same studio that made Howl's Moving Castle, so obviously there is a lot to live up to.

Coin purse

2011-08-10T18:58:00.001+01:00

I'm a bit more cheerful than when I wrote my last blog post. Dh will be home at the weekend; the ortho appointment is made for a new retainer, and ds is my best friend once again.

Here's something pretty in keeping with my improved mood:

I made this little coin purse to go with my watermelon handbag. It was an accompanying pattern in the same book, Easy Crocheted Bags. I used a 4mm hook and the same Rico essential cotton dk yarn. The seeds are sewn on, using Rowan handknit cotton dk as that was what I had that was black.

Nice little pattern; I like the finished result. I'm going to get one of those little keychain holders and clip it on to my bag as a finishing touch.

Bad week

2011-08-06T21:30:00.000+01:00

I'm not having a great week.

Dh is away with work, half way around the world in Japan. He's been away since last weekend, and a reliable landline connection has only been achieved once so far - all other call attempts lasted maybe 3-4 seconds. His mobile phone does not work there, which is not a surprise as it's so old, but I'm rather staggered that the ipad will not connect either as that is current technology.

I did some housework, and collected all the empty cups and glasses from dd's room. Her orthodontic retainer is clear plastic and hence difficult to see (you know where this is going, don't you?!). Found the retainer in the bottom of the dishwasher this a.m. These devices are not supposed to be put in hot water as they can be warped or melted. A replacement will cost about ninety quid. The ortho office is shut till Monday so dd is having to wear the old one in the interim and hope for the best. At least it's clean....

There was also a bad-tempered exchange between me and ds today, regarding the downloading of Wii channels (not allowed without advance permission, as some are not really suitable for someone who is only eight).

Hopefully equilibrium will be restored soon. Although I'll still be in sole charge next week, and working the usual hours, my parents are coming down to help out, so I won't have to rush to and from holiday daycare every day.

A bed of roses

2011-08-03T08:08:00.000+01:00

Practising my new enhanced crochet skills, I made these rose-based granny squares. One red one:

and one white one:

When I made them, I was thinking about Grimm's fairytale Snow White and Rose Red. I love that story, especially when the mother carries the rose trees to the palace, so she can be reminded of the happy time when her girls were small and "the sweetest and best children in the world".

After I'd finished these two squares, I idly remarked to dh that if I made lots more and sewed them together, I'd have a bed of roses. But right now, I lack the energy to start another big project. Maybe one day.

If you like these, you can find the free pattern at Fiona Kelly's blog.

Knitted Jacket

2011-07-30T11:04:00.004+01:00

So I've been posting and posting on the subject of crochet, and you've been waiting patiently for me to knit something (or even to sew something, but that has to wait for another month to pass, probably!)

In the background, though, I've been steadily working away for the past several months on the Violetta cardigan. In fact, I haven't blogged in the last ten days as I was focusing on completing it:

This was the second cardigan pattern I made from Yarn Forward (now Knit) magazine and after encountering pattern errors in both, I will hesitate before tackling another large project from that source. (The first one was the Apple Strudel.)

For this jacket, I corrected for inadequate decrease instructions (decrease lines are uneven in the back piece owing to this), incorrect sleeve cuff and pocket lining instructions, errors in the button band instructions (that was minor though, about the identification of WS when RS was actually involved). Even the half-linen stitch pattern defined at the pattern start is incorrect. And worse, the errata on the Knit magazine Rav group are still incorrect, in spite of sending them a message to draw this to their attention.

As ever, I noted the various pattern errors on my Rav project page, so if you want to tackle this one, you know where to look.

I made it using Amy Butler Belle organic yarn, which was a dream to handle and knit with. But it is pricey, and I'm sure the yarn investment has contributed to the stress of making it, as I didn't want to make an expensive mistake. Which I may have done, as the FO seems a bit large on me (even though I made the smallest size). I do like the vintage styling on it, though, and at least I've finished it!

I now plan to do NO KNITTING for the month of August. :-)

On the difficulties of crocheting a granny square

2011-07-17T09:55:00.002+01:00

In my quest to learn to crochet, I have now covered the final element in the beginner's crochet repertoire - the Granny Square.

Preliminary research very quickly indicated that a granny square should definitely NOT be your very first foray into crochet! Here's why (according to me): it is very difficult to judge which are the chain spaces to work in, until you've had some practice.

As an illustration, I'm reproducing below the photo of my initial granny square swatch, which I had to make owing to the rules of the Harry Potter Rav group. Try counting the clusters in each round (if you can!). You'll see I totally failed to produce even rounds:

On my next attempt, which was after I'd had thoroughly practised clusters, including some into chain spaces (see previous blog entry Plaited Scarf) I discovered that using different coloured yarn can help to maintain even rounds:

Traditional granny square

The same technique works for the Granny Mandala:

Granny Mandala

Then I made a Granny square with a centre heart motif:

And if you make two 9-in squares, one 6-in mandala, and a length of granny stripe, and crochet the pieces together, you end up with a bag that looks like this:

Instructions for making this bag can be found on Ravelry (note: Rav log-in may be required). To make mine, I used a 4mm hook and ggh Tavira aran yarn in plum, pale pink, white and burgundy.

A handbag for summer

2011-07-14T18:17:00.000+01:00

After muttering to dh about wanting a new handbag for the summer, I have now used my new crochet skills to make one:

The pattern was from a library book called Easy Crochet Bags. But take care: there are errors in the printed version, and I have not fixed them all in the FO - the dark green stripe should have been two more rows. I noted the pattern errors on my Ravelry project page, which you'll be able to find without too much trouble if you search on Rav for "Summer Stripes Bag".

I made this using Rico essential cotton dk and a 4mm hook. The bamboo handles I bought off ebay - I had to buy two pairs, as the first ones were too big - the perils of online shopping! But at least I have another pair of handles in my stash, should I want to make another bag in future.

I sewed a lining for the bag, using a layer of interlining as well as cotton fabric, to give it more structure. Here's a view of the inside:

I took that photo before I replaced the too-big handles, and also, I since sewed up the side seams about 2 ins further, as I found my bag gaped a little.

Overall I am happy, and the proof of success is that I have actually taken it out of the house.

In the garden

2011-07-10T10:06:00.001+01:00

We have a lot of shrubs and herbs with foliage in our garden, but relatively few flowers. But we now have geraniums flowering on our patio.

Everything has grown wonderfully since I first posted about that pot.

Our clematis is also producing a fantastic display of flowers this summer:

Inevitably, we are also attempting to grow a few crops. There are plenty of beans coming:

After lifting the early potato harvest, ds's pumpkin plant has now been planted in our raised vegetable bed:

It has plenty of flowers so hopefully we will get something to use at Hallowe'en, although in previous years, our home-grown pumpkins have been too small to make an effective jack'o'lantern.

Lincoln visit

2011-07-08T17:40:00.001+01:00

Back in January, I declared an intention to see Katherine Swynford's grave. Today, ds and I fulfilled that ambition.

It was a teacher training day, so the school was closed. We took advantage of the free time to catch the train to Lincoln - we have a family railcard now, so this is a cheap option. Here's our trip in pictures for your enjoyment:

View of Lincoln and cathedral.

From the shiny wet road surfaces in the photo above, you'll see we had to contend with English summer weather, which today was disposed to showers.

Inside the cathedral

Inside the cathedral were rather splendid stained glass windows, a 12th century font, and below the Main Attraction, as far as I was concerned:

The tomb of Katherine Swynford, d. 1403, and her daughter, Joan Beaufort.

It wasn't all rain, and so we were able to enjoy wandering about the cobbled streets, and be entertained by various musicians:

We ate lunch out in a pizza restaurant.

After that we went to Lincoln castle, where we walked on the fortified walls, visited the Victorian prison (pictured in the background below) and saw the Lincoln Magna Carta (strictly no photography allowed! It dates from 1217)

On the way back to the station, I even got to visit a yarn shop - Spins and Needles on Clasketgate. They have a lovely selection of yarns, including Colinette, Noro, Louisa Harding, Araucania, and Millia mia. However, having spent a small fortune on dd's prom outfit lately, I restrained myself to two balls of Crystal Palace Mini Mochi and a small bottle of Eucalan. This means I will have to go back, when finances allow.

Plaited scarf

2011-07-05T08:13:00.001+01:00

I finished this over the weekend:

This is the Rapunzel scarf from a pattern out of Inside Crochet no. 16. I substituted a 4.5mm hook and King Cole Riot yarn. I used about 1.25 skeins in two colourways.

Nice easy pattern to make, but I'm not sure the finished scarf will stand up to washing! The plaits seem quite delicate, even though I have tacked them together at most of the three-way join points.

It is rather pretty though. Dd has admired it, so perhaps she will snaffle it, come the Autumn.

Weekend treats

2011-07-03T18:45:00.002+01:00

It was ds's school summer fete yesterday, and in the the evening, dh fired up our barbecue so our dinner involved very little work by me. Ds also helped me make this dessert, which used the blackcurrants from this week's organic box.

The blackberries and pastry case came from Marks & Spencers, and the custard used as base was out of a tub, too!

Today we went out for lunch to Hardwick Hall, a National Trust location only about an hour from us. Here's ds with some splendid delphiniums in the garden there:

After last weekend's cooking and entertaining marathon, I appreciated a rather lazy time.

Hope the sun is also smiling on you, dear reader.

Seasonalities

2011-06-30T09:17:00.004+01:00

My gooseberry bush, after fruiting superbly in its first year, has done nothing at all this year. No blossom, no fruit at all. But it does look pretty healthy, and has grown really well, so maybe all its energies have gone into that.

I had a craving for seasonal gooseberries, so was pleased to discover some in our organic box delivery last week. I've only just started on the fruit deliveries, and this week our box had blackcurrants, cherries, nectarines, apples and bananas. Three out of four people in this family love fruit, so we have no trouble at all consuming it.

I used the gooseberries to make this tart:

I'm still a learner on the pastry front, but the tart tasted just fine. It was the gooseberry and creme fraiche tart out of Delia's How to Cook Book 3.

The tart formed part of a buffet lunch for 40+ that happened at our house last weekend, to celebrate this occasion:

Ds as First Communicant, June 2011

It was a lovely weekend, but I've been a bit tired at work this week, so it's rather good I have a day off today, even though it's been forced on me (teachers' strike leads to school closure).

End of Term

2011-06-25T12:29:00.002+01:00

...end of an era, really, as examinations are now complete for dd, age 16. We also have this beautiful wallhanging added to our home - it's dd's final examination piece for her Art Textiles GCSE.

My stepdaughter came to visit, and brought these cakes in celebration.

They came from the bakery shop at London St Pancras. I ate the blackcurrant one, and it was yummy.

How nice for dd to have freedom for the rest of the summer. Although for the rest of us, it's really business as usual.

Filet crochet

2011-06-18T16:38:00.002+01:00

My latest crochet project also incorporated a little sewing, with the crochet element being mainly decorative.

These are pot pourri sachets to hang in your wardrobe or keep in a drawer to gently scent your clothes. They measure approx 18 x 20 cm.

For the crochet, I used a 2.5mm hook and Rowan siena 4-ply mercerised cotton. I followed a pattern in The Crochet Bible, which I'd borrowed from the library, and produced two squares with different designs using filet mesh technique - the first time I'd tried this. Apparently filet crochet is most often done in white thread, but I like the contrast of the red one. Here's a photo where you can see it more clearly:

I also learned how to do a crocheted picot trim, and work a pattern partly from charted instructions.

The bags were made of repurposed fabric, from my extensive stash of worn-out pillowcases. The sachets are stuffed with dried rose petals I bought off ebay.

I think these are not too bad at all, so they are destined to be gifts.

Mollie Makes

2011-06-14T19:29:00.004+01:00

Having read a lot of hype on teh Internets about the new UK crafting magazine, Mollie Makes, I bought a copy of issue 2 at the weekend.

The magazine is beautifully laid out and the photography is awesome.

However, the fundamental problem I have with magazines (and this is just my humble, personal opinion here: I'm not wanting to start a war! nor is it just about Mollie Makes) is that a lot of them are just glorified advertising. Although it's nice to know about current trends, when page after page is just recommendations of things you can buy (even the so-called features!) I start to ask myself why *I've* had to pay for this.

There is also a horrible clash with my aim to lead a more sustainable life, in which case I'll be shopping less, not more. (See my previous blog post titled Reduce, reuse, recycle for more explanation.)

The other dissatisfaction I had with this particular issue of Mollie Makes was the nature of the makes included. Being a practical kind of person, I like my crafting to have utility. I don't mind things being beautiful, obviously, but I also like them to be useful. For those without a copy, this issue's sewing projects were several felt softies, strawberry pincushions, add-on pockets to sew onto your existing skirt as embellishments, a decorative felt flower, and a piece of floral embroidery.

But there were also crochet directions for a rather nice granny square blanket - designed by the illustrious Jane Brocket:

It's not worth buying for this alone, though, IMO, not least because there are loads of free patterns for similar types of crocheted blankets on the net.

I will however look for this magazine again to see if I like the makes better another time. Thank goodness it's not sold in a plastic bag, so you can peep at the contents page before investing your fiver!

Boys

2011-06-12T08:43:00.000+01:00

Some ways in which boys are different to girls, according to me.

#1. They don't mind if their replacement buttons are not an exact match.

#2. They steal your crocheted projects and use them for storage of lego mini-figures:

#3. They get invested into Cubs and require badges sewing on:

But wait! Surely I did exactly the same for Brownies?

Subconscious

2011-06-09T07:39:00.000+01:00

New crochet theme! Not fruit!

First there were shells, as demonstrated in this camera cozy:

I made this a few weeks ago, using a free pattern from Ravelry and various scraps of dishcloth cotton, plus a 4mm hook.

With this project, as well as learning to crochet a shell pattern, I practised pick up and crochet (is that the right term? it's the same technique as pick up and knit, basically, only using sc instead) to make the closure flap, making a buttonhole, and crocheting a seam together.

After the shells, I moved on to (fishing?) nets, in the form of filet crochet. Here's my latest WIP:

Mmm, a trip to the coast would be lovely. Maybe I'll organise one in the summer holidays.

Don't worry, fruit will most likely be back in my next crochet-related post!

Lemon heaven

2011-06-06T08:17:00.000+01:00

I made a cake at the weekend to test my brand-new, silicone cake mould. I bought a version in royal blue:

I was dubious, as I only ever used old-fashioned tins before, but it was very easy to turn the cake out, and there is no lining or greasing required at all.

This is not a visually spectacular cake, just your basic loaf-type:

But it was drenched in lemon syrup, and tasted absolutely wonderful.

The recipe is the lemon syrup loaf cake from Nigella's How to be a domestic goddess. I've made loads of cakes from there now. Surely I must be at least Level 2 in the domestic goddess training front?

Exams

2011-06-04T07:45:00.002+01:00

It's been very quiet at our house, this week, because dh and ds are away in Ireland. This is supposed to create an environment to facilitate revision:

Dd doing maths revision, June 2011

Obviously it is traditional for the weather to improve just when exam candidates most need to stay in and study. I remember this from my own school days, along with sitting in a sweltering examination hall trying to focus in the golden heat.

Only two more weeks, and then dd will be free for the rest of the summer. And then what will she do all day?!

Trio

2011-06-02T14:32:00.003+01:00

My finished trio of crocheted purses:

For the pear, I had to re-work the pieces using a pattern of my own devising, as the original instructions totally failed to produce a shape bearing any resemblance to a pear!

I like the strawberry best.

Fruit salad

2011-05-29T09:13:00.003+01:00

More crochet to show you already, and I seem to be making crochet fruit salad at present!

Apple tawashi scrublets. I made these as a new home present for some friends of ours. They were very easy. I used a free pattern from Lion Brand (note: it's a free pattern, but you may have to register and log in to Lion Brand to view and download it) and Peaches & Creme dishcloth cotton, plus a 4mm hook.

And the second in my trio of little crocheted purses - a strawberry this time. I'm very happy with this one, but I think there are pattern errors in the third, which I now have to correct for. And I'm only a beginner!! Gulp.

ETA: I realised some time after posting this, the strawberry leaf is on the bottom of the strawberry, so I had to take it off and re-sew it at the right end. Oops.

She does still knit

2011-05-27T14:27:00.000+01:00

I've blogged quite a lot about crochet lately, but just to reassure you, I am still knitting (although sadly not sewing. Not sure when I'll have time to remedy this.)

My latest knitting project is a "proper" garment, and hence will take me some time to complete. Here's my progress to date pic, which is basically the back, plus a little bit of one front piece.

My plan is to finish it by the end of July.

I have also made this - an illusion dishcloth featuring Hedwig the Owl.

The HP theme which recurs rather a lot in my knitting reflects my, dd's and ds's interest in this subject, not to mention assorted nieces and nephews, and rather a lot of dd's friends. Thus a continual supply of bookscarves, dishcloths etc, has a regular outlet!

Crochet magic

2011-05-21T16:06:00.001+01:00

I feel I'm starting to get the hang of crochet now.

#1. Crocheted Gryffindor bookscarf / teddy bear scarf:

#2: Crocheted watermelon purse. Worked in the round! This pattern is a set of three fruit purses, so more to follow:

Working on a third project now, which features shells. I am working up to the granny square, at least, that's part of my plan!

Rites of Passage

2011-05-17T19:32:00.005+01:00

My dd had her last ever day of compulsory education on Friday. She is now officially on study leave, but exams started yesterday so there is not so much of the leave involved. Eight examinations this week, but dd seems remarkably serene.

We also had a trip to the orthodontist's last week, at which the orthodontist announced he would take off her braces right there and then! We weren't expecting this till the end of June at the earliest, so my dd was overjoyed. It has been two years with the braces, but the results look impressive, and it was very nice to see her happy smiles in all the leaving photos taken at school last week. But sorry, authorisation has not been given to post any on teh Internets. You'll just have to take my word for it :-)

Braces off, exams on. Now she just has to decide on her next move - she's been offered places at two Sixth forms. How nice to have choices.

Lessons in crochet stitches

2011-05-14T13:55:00.003+01:00

I'm on a mission to learn to crochet! I've planned four projects as a progressive introduction.

The first is a Work Your Way Up Bag, for which I used Rowan hand-knit cotton, and a 4.5mm hook. This is designed as a beginner's challenge, introducing various crochet stitches.

Here's a pic of my Work In Progress, just to show you what a true beginner's crochet work looks like (hey, I'm not trying to pretend perfection on my blog!). I achieved smooth colour changes, but found it hard to maintain a consistent stitch count. However, I also improved as I worked, because the edges towards the top are not so bad.

Luckily I was able to hide all the unsavoury edges in the making-up! Thank goodness for seams! Here's the FO, which I think will be nice to take to the beach, if I get a chance this summer:

As well as learning lots of new stitches, I have learned two other things about crochet in the process of making this bag:

For the future, I will remember that it is necessary to work into the top stitch of the previous row's turning chain, in double-crochet rows. I'm hoping this may be easier when I'm more familiar with crochet and can identify more easily which is a stitch and which is a turning chain.
When making colour changes in crochet worked flat, you should work the colour change as part of the last stitch of the preceding row, to avoid the colour change showing in the work. Luckily I spotted this at the first colour change and so didn't have to go back too far to correct it.

For my next project, I will be working in the round, working increases to produce a flat circle, using slip stitch (sl st) to join rounds, and undertaking some simple shaping. If all goes well, I should have more crochet to report in a couple of weeks.

Strawberries & Cream cake

2011-05-09T17:52:00.001+01:00

This weekend, we enjoyed a summertime treat in the garden:

I used English strawberries, although not out of our garden - I bought them off the market - to make this cake:

The recipe was the Swedish summer cake from Nigella's Kitchen.

I cut the recipe by a third, as I was sure it wouldn't keep beyond the weekend. I can't check to see, as it was all gone by Sunday afternoon!

May blooms

2011-05-07T16:05:00.002+01:00

Here's some photos of plants currently in bloom in our garden, for your enjoyment:

Peonies

Wisteria

Solomon's Seal

Crochet swatches Part 2

2011-05-01T16:48:00.003+01:00

#1: The Granny Square. Working out which were the "chain spaces" was really hard! 4mm hook and ggh Tavira aran yarn.

#2: Double crochet. In which I appear to have worked fewer stitches in every row. More work definitely needed. I want you all to know, I am a beginner!! 2.5mm hook and Rowan siena cotton 4-ply yarn.

I am however ready to submit my next OWL proposal, so all good.

Crochet swatches Part 1

2011-04-27T19:15:00.004+01:00

Remember in Jan 2011, when I posted my objectives for the year? The first one was to stay employed, and last week I learned that I still have a job, at least until the next round of public sector spending cuts. So that's good. For my crafting objectives, I've already reduced my languishing list, so now I'm about to focus on my aim to learn crochet.

I'm planning a progressive challenge of crochet projects over the next few months, using participation in the Rav Harry Potter group to provide the necessary motivation, not to mention assist with perseverance / endurance. In preparation, I need to make a few swatches.

Here's the first, in single crochet (I'm using US terms here), using a 4.5mm hook and including a colour change and rather inept use of turning chains. I did improve a bit as I worked up the swatch:

The second one is in the round, also in single crochet, and using a small-ish 3.0mm hook - includes increases, and first use of sl st to join the rounds:

Next up is a small granny square motif and a swatch in double crochet. Wish me luck!

Easter Parade

2011-04-22T18:41:00.000+01:00

Easter falls so late this year, the egg decorations hanging on our apple trees are quite difficult to see owing to leaf growth:

We keep the Good Friday hot cross buns tradition here:

Chocolate is reserved for Easter Sunday. As well as the chocolate lollies in the pic above, there are assorted chocolate eggs stashed in readiness.

Wishing all my readers a Happy Easter.

To the Tower

2011-04-21T08:52:00.005+01:00

It's the school holidays here, and given ds's growing interest in history, I thought we'd take the opportunity for a train trip to London. We had a perfectly smashing time. Recognise any of these famous sights?

Tower Bridge

The Tower of London

The Tower was a great place to visit, but the queue to see the crown jewels was very long (see right on pic above) so ds and I skipped that. Maybe next time. There were plenty of other things to see, some of them very evocative, such as Traitor's Gate, and the green where famous people were executed, including a couple of Queens of England.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

I'd not been to Westminster for some years and was startled by the visible signs of heavy security: a double, very tall wire fence surrounding the buildings and multiple CCTV cameras. Very different from when I was a girl. And that was in the 1970s when there were plenty of threats from domestic troubles, so this change can't just be down to the violent world we live in.

Finally, here's a picture with me in it. It was taken at the Tower, with one of the costumed guides.

I would like to make clear, that I'm not as short as that! There was a step!

Sampler cushion

2011-04-18T09:07:00.000+01:00

On Saturday, I said I had an idea about a patchwork cushion. And on Sunday, I sewed it:

I forgot, having done very little sewing for a while, how sewing is instant gratification compared to knitting. A completed project in the space of an afternoon!

I used the piece of counted cross-stitch for the centre panel and scraps from my fabric stash to make the patchwork border. It's a while since I made any patchwork and I felt a little rusty, but the finished item looks pretty enough to be a birthday present for my grandma.

This is not the granny who gave me the linens and taught me to knit, but my other grandma, who will be ninety-one next month. She is another craftswoman, who sewed - both at home and professionally - and worked in quality control in a textiles factory making men's suits. I hope today's work will pass her inspection.

Embroidery stitches

2011-04-16T18:42:00.004+01:00

I'm pleased to report another unfinished, long-term project just came off my languishing list. After seven years, I've finally finished my hearts cross-stitch sampler.

Don't worry, I'm not going to start any more cross-stitch, as clearly it's not for me. I have an idea about sewing this finished piece into a patchwork cushion, just to ensure it does actually have purpose, now it's finished.

Finishing at least one WIP off my languishing list was in my 2011 resolutions. There are just two unfinished projects now left on it, and I'm working on one - the knitted basket edging - right now. I started this about two years ago - it was on hold as I had no basket to attach it to, but I finally bought a basket in a kitchenware shop last week.

The last item on my list is an embroidered tablecloth, but I think that one will sit on a languishing list until I am retired! When I originally bought the printed cloth, back in 1990, I was living in a small rented flat with a small, square table. We now have a much larger, rectangular table, for which this cloth would be too small.

Also, I since inherited my granny's linens collection and so have two beautiful hand-embroidered tablecloths of a similar size on hand. Here's one of them beautifying my dressing table:

The two little glass lidded pots at the front also came from my granny's house. There is more in the set, including cut-glass candlesticks, more pots and a ring holder, but believe it or not, I'm trying to reduce the clutter so I don't have those out.

Sixteen

2011-04-13T07:57:00.002+01:00

My dd was "sweet" sixteen this week. But sixteen! How did that happen?!

It's a cliche, but it seems hardly any time since she looked like this:

(Taken at about 3 months. Apologies for photo quality - I had to use my ancient scanner to produce this, as dd's christening pre-dated digital cameras).

Unfortunately I can't provide photographic evidence of dd's more recent appearance, as she won't allow me to post any of my recent photos of her on teh Internets. If it should happen that I identify an acceptable pic, I'll update this post.

Pot plants

2011-04-10T12:09:00.003+01:00

Dh and I took a quick trip to the garden centre yesterday to buy plants for my giant pot, that my parents bought me for christmas. This time last year, we didn't even have a patio to stand the pot on! It now has lavender in it, plus a couple of geranium plants to add some colour:

Ds has a little blue pot, in which we planted a strawberry plant:

This is a companion to dd's pink strawberry pot (ahem. Gender stereotyping clearly alive and well at my house, despite my best efforts!)

We grow some vegetables in deep plastic pots. Mine are not as pretty as the ones this blogger painted, only it's a bit late to do that now we're in the planting season - maybe next year. The one you can see in our border here, has been planted with runner beans:

I love this time of year, especially because of the lovely tulips.

Two

2011-04-09T08:48:00.000+01:00

My blog is two years old! That's right, from my first steps in April 2009, I've come a long way, baby.

My knitting productivity has ballooned in the last year. (Sewing rather less so, but you can't have everything). My list of unfinished projects has diminished (currently down to just two) and no more have been added to it. Quite staggering.

Here's to another year of blogging, and crafting. With a bit of luck, I'll master crochet before I write my happy third blogiversary post next April!

Knitting catch-up

2011-04-04T08:08:00.001+01:00

After a mad knitting frenzy between January and the end of March, I'm rather enjoying not having anything on the needles, and my plan is to do no knitting at all in April. There are a few recent projects, though, that I didn't post here yet, so I'll wrap these up now.

Here's a rainbow baby hat I made for a friend's new baby.

This was yet another pattern from Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson. I had this book for christmas, and it's turning out to be a very useful addition to my knitting library, as there are loads of cute baby and toddler hats in there - they make great gifts. This one was also an excellent stash-reducer, from my large collection of Rowan handknit cotton dk.

I also made this lacy bookmark, for a Harry Potter class challenge.

This one was a free pattern available on Ravelry (note: Rav log-in required to access link).

Yarn love

2011-03-30T08:13:00.000+01:00

I made yet another baby set. I just fell in love with some Sirdar Snuggly Smiley Stripes yarn, and wanted to make something with it. This is what it was like in the ball:

I suppose I'm one step ahead when the next girl baby come along.

Cakes and covets

2011-03-27T17:17:00.001+01:00

My dd was away for a while, on a school visit to Paris (lucky girl!) She is at that age, when having her out of the house for a few days means respite from perpetual arguments, but nonetheless, I made a cake to welcome her home again.

This is the chocolate-orange loaf cake from Nigella's Kitchen. It's the very first recipe I've made out of there, and the cake turned out very well.

But forget the recipes, what I really, really want out of that book is the gingham apron with the ric-rac trim that Nigella wears to make blackberry vodka:

I intend to make a version of this before next Christmas. As I've discovered, a woman can't have too many aprons, at least not in my case. (And I may also try the blackberry vodka!)

Springtime in the suburbs

2011-03-24T08:56:00.001Z

Spring is well and truly here - the blossom is out:

So I made this little seasonal rabbit to celebrate:

The bunny pattern was free from Spud and Chloe. I used Cascade 220 wool, polyfil for stuffing rather than the suggested tennis ball, and made her a cute fluffy tail out of cotton dk.

She is just perfect for Spring.

Red Nose Day

2011-03-18T09:18:00.000Z

Ds has gone to school with his clothes on back to front. Dd is taking part in a fun-run this afternoon. More info about this annual UK fundraiser is here.

Earthquake lessons

2011-03-14T08:06:00.001Z

Watching the news of the earthquake in Japan, my heart went out to all those people who have lost family members or friends, or who have lost their homes. In the blog-o-sphere it seems more local, as I regularly read blogs by people who live and work in Japan, or have family connexions there.

I was interested to see, in amateur footage, that Japanese children are schooled to take cover under a table. Of course, here in the UK, earthquake tremors are very rare and typically very mild. They are still scary though.

Sachiko, whose family in the affected area is luckily safe, wrote:

Through this experience, I learned a couple things. We need to show and tell people in our lives how much we love them and appreciate them whenever we get the chance to. You never know, that might be the last time you get to do so. There is no time to waste in fighting and holding grudges. Unexpected things happen and when we want to show love, it might be too late.

And she is so right. That is a good lesson for us all, in earthquake zones or not.

The weather report

2011-03-12T15:30:00.005Z

We recently installed a weather station in our garden, a donation from my parents, who just upgraded to a new improved model (they are both scientifically inclined). We've got their old one.

The sensors record rainfall, windspeed and the like, and transmit the results to a little information unit on our kitchen wall:

Ds especially likes the little weather man pictured, who is dressed according to the weather, and holds an umbrella whenever it rains. Today is the first day since we had it that he hasn't been wearing a woolly hat.

Spring is definitely here. Here's a little evidence from our garden:

#1: Peony shoots pushing through the earth (excuse the weeds. I took this photo before I did today's weeding)

#2: Forsythia in bloom:

If it continues to warm up here, soon we'll have to cut the grass.

Blackberry Shawl

2011-03-06T18:52:00.005Z

May I introduce my Blackberry Shawl:

I made this shawl out of one of my favourite yarns: Schoppelwolle Zauberball 4-ply. All the beautiful colour stripes are down to the yarn dye sequence. (If you would like to try it, this yarn is on offer right now at Meadow Yarn, which is where I get my supplies. In fact, I just bought another two balls to add to my stash.)

The pattern is the Willow Shawl which was in Yarn Forward magazine no 27, by the very clever Vikki Harding (note: Rav log-in required to access link). This is the third pattern I've made by her, and all have been a dream to work.

Incidentally, I hear Yarn Forward magazine is being re-named Knit from the next issue. Which seems a pretty uninspired choice, but I suppose they have their reasons.

I'm particularly pleased to have finished this because it means I have scored another OWL - History of Magic this time! Regular readers will know, I play an online Harry Potter-themed knitting game on Ravelry. The shawl goes with my red socks and my cable scarf and represents knitting skill-building within a specified timeframe.

ETA: shared at Tea Rose Home Link Party No. 45

Cable scarf

2011-03-02T08:10:00.000Z

Dh had a birthday last week and this year, I made him a knitted present. I rarely knit for men, as generally I prefer working with more feminine colours, but dh had admired the Irish hiking scarf pattern (available free from Hello Yarn) so I thought I would make an exception.

I used 200g of Donegal aran tweed. Be warned, if you want to do a fringe (as I did) 200g of yarn is only just enough. I advise you to cut the fringe pieces before you get right to the end, so you know when to finish up with the cables.

Deadline Stress

2011-02-28T08:57:00.001Z

Our dining table has been inaccessible for days:

There was a reason for this, and it involved GCSE coursework. (Note biscuits on windowsill in pic below, required to maintain strength in face of imminent deadline!)

The required item - an art skirt - is now complete. Dd is doing GCSE Art Textiles, so garment construction is not being tested - it's the use of different embellishment techniques which is being examined. Candidates are also supposed to draw on different artistic genres.

We're definitely in the final stages of the GCSE period and the pressure is ramping up. This week, dd also has a maths module, a French test, and an IT project submission deadline. Final exams end in early June. Wish us luck...

Crochet creation

2011-02-26T09:18:00.001Z

In my last post I mentioned I had finally learned to crochet. More than a year after I first tried, I've actually completed a simple project, YouTube videos having succeeded where all written instructions and diagrams had failed! Here's the evidence:

This little amigurumi toy is a representation of the mushroom character found in Nintendo's Mario games. I made it using a free pattern at Wolfdreamer, a 4.5mm hook and scraps of red and white cashmerino dk yarn left over from ds's Where's Wally hat.

Before I started, I could only produce a simple crochet chain, as used in provisional cast-on and to make chain edgings and ties. Ravelry enquiries had identified videos as a good way to progress from this point, so I studied the following aspects of crochet on YouTube (note: American terms used below, as that's what was specified in the Mario pattern; I've also included links to the video demos I used when learning).

single crochet (sc) - Mikey's mail single crochet lesson
magic circle - Teresa's magic circle demonstration (I particularly like Teresa's demonstrations because they are followed by a slow-motion repeat, this is very helpful. In fact, for magic circle, I had to sit in front of the computer and follow her movements exactly several times, before I finally got the hang of it)
sc in front loop - sc in front and back loop tutorial - relevant part of demo starts about 6:14
sc decreases - Teresa's decreases demonstration

I found the Mario Mushroom was a great introductory pattern, as pretty small and quick to do. It also feeds my recent obsession with the fly agaric. As documented here and here.

Trebles and half-trebles up next (or whatever the equivalent US crochet terms are!)

Wizard!

2011-02-24T15:30:00.006Z

Ds and I had a lovely surprise this week. We were staying at my parents' house near York over half-term, and made a trip to the National Railway Museum while we were there. They had a very special visitor. Can you guess who it was? Here's a clue:

No, not Thomas - ds is far too big for that!

It was the Hogwarts Express steam train as seen in the Harry Potter movies!

I may have mentioned previously that me, ds (and dd, only she wasn't with us this day) are all massive Harry Potter fans. It was very exciting for us to see it. If you were prepared to queue for over an hour, you could even have a ride on it. But ds was perfectly happy just to admire it, and have his photo taken:

We had a wonderful time at the NRM, and I highly recommend it as a day out.

Also, whilst I was away, I learned to crochet. So all in all, it was a very successful visit.

Catch up

2011-02-19T08:34:00.003Z

Oops. No blog posts for over a week, and I haven't got any crafting to report since my last post, as I've had to rip out most of what I'd done recently (lace knitting errors!)

Dd's school was closed yesterday due to staff training, so we went to buy new shoes, and out for lunch. Here she is about to tuck into chicken ramen at Wagamamas:

Later on, dh and I took ds to Nottingham Light Night. There were lots of light-based art installations:

... and also street entertainers. This robot squirted unsuspecting passers-by with water. The "builders" on stilts (left in pic below) were fun too.

I understand there is a "lite" version on this evening, so it's not too late to catch some of this, if you're in the area.

Sweethearts

2011-02-10T16:21:00.002Z

The imminence of St Valentine's day seems to have affected my recent knitting. Although I didn't think of it when I cast on for these socks - I had red apples in mind - the red colour is very seasonal!

I made these from the June apple socks pattern in issue 12 of Yarn Forward magazine, and easyknits biffle in a colourway called Ruby Slipper. (To any non-knitter who may be wondering why I'd spend time knitting socks when I can buy a pack of three from Asda for less than a fiver, if you'd ever enjoyed the superb comfort of a pair of hand-knit socks on your feet, I wouldn't have to explain!)

I also knitted a couple of valentine hearts for the girls in the family using left over sock yarn. These have lavender inside, so are suitable for scenting wardrobes or drawers. I used a very clever pattern by Vikki Harding (note: Ravelry log-in required to access link), in which hardly any seaming is required - only a few stitches, and a little grafting at each top.

Little houses

2011-02-05T19:00:00.001Z

I spent a very pleasant afternoon sewing today. Here's my work in progress:

I used the Little House coasters pattern from Sew Hip issue 25, and this time there is not a single pattern error to report. Templates were the correct size, instructions were clear and easy to follow, and I'm pleased with the finished items. Although inevitably, I did introduce some errors of my own, such as getting the apple fabric upside down in the spoon-loop! Oops.

I will definitely make more of these. They are much, much more fun than the shop-bought coasters I have at present (although those ones are eco-friendly. They are made of recycled coffee cups).

Here's a view of my lovely new coasters in service, protecting our dining table:

The coasters are Zakka-inspired, and I did have some genuine Japanese ribbon to use in them, that my step-daughter brought me back from her holiday there last year.

The designer also sells these as hand-made items on etsy (really, I ought to start asking for commission, I promote so many designers with direct links on here!!) as well as lovely Japanese fabrics. I've got to stop going on etsy, actually, because my favourites list is starting to get a little out of hand. I have no spare money this month, either, as I've spent it on all on a burglar alarm.

Fruit and fungi

2011-02-03T16:12:00.002Z

How I love Finished Objects:

#1: Apple baby hat, Jan 2011. Rowan handknit cotton dk and a free pattern by Spud and Chloe

#2: Woodland mittens, Jan 2011. JC Rennie supersoft 4ply lambswool and a knit hack of my own devising.

A slice of lime

2011-01-30T17:25:00.004Z

I quite liked this month's Sew Hip magazine. Not only was there an article about Heidi's Sew Hip challenge, as featured at Sewing Daisies, there were interesting pieces on indian textiles and Liberty's of London, plus several patterns that appealed.

I especially liked the look of the tutti frutti purse and already had lime green and white felt in my fabrics box. I cut out the pattern templates, laid them next to a 15 cm zip - and realised the printed templates are completely the WRONG size. Much too small - a tiny coin purse would result, not the 18 cm little bag stated in the pattern.

I am experienced enough now at sewing to be able to tackle making my own pattern pieces, but this magazine is supposed to be suitable for beginners. To tell the truth, I've been rather disappointed with it for the past several months as there's been very few patterns that appealed to me.

Anyway, back to my sewing project. Here's my finished result:

I had a lot of trouble cutting the right size of "peel" piece, and I'm still not entirely happy. Also, this is still a bit smaller than I would like - only about 15 cms long. But it's big enough to hold my stitch markers, row counters and possibly, cable needles, which is what I plan to use it for, as I'm fed up of having to search through my stash basket for these.

If you like the look of this purse, and you don't fancy scaling up the pattern yourself, take a look at the designer's Folksy page, where you can buy citrus and other fruit purses ready-made.

A trip to the Middle Ages

2011-01-28T10:20:00.031Z

This is the blog entry in which I begin to share some of my historical interests. Yes, I do have other interests apart from crafting, as shown by these books I read during January:

I'm clearly in a medieval period, set off by being given a copy of The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer (Note: I don't buy new books myself, for environmental reasons, but am happy for them to feature inside gift-wrap).

The Guide is written like a travel book, so if I ever get whisked through time and end up in the 1300s, I'll know how to greet people ("Sire/Dame, God be here!"), where to stay, what kind of food I might have to endure, and what not to wear (sumptuary laws apply forbidding commoners from wearing costly garments.)

Having had my interest re-kindled, I went to the library. I was looking for Katherine by Anya Seton, which I first read aged about 15. It's a fictionalised account of the life of Katherine Swynford, John of Gaunt's mistress, later wife and Duchess of Lancaster. I also checked out Alison Weir's factual biography of the same.

Alison Weir draws lots of evidence from John of Gaunt's accounts and I was struck by how much of his expenditure seemed to focus on religion: private altars, chalices for communion, obits and masses. Ian Mortimer wrote that even moderately religious people then would be considered extremely fervent today. I suppose this might be a reaction to these facts of medieval life: death is all around - e.g. the Great Plague wiped out one third of the European population; life expectancy is short - average only 30. More than half of all children died before reaching adulthood. Women had a 1:10 chance of dying in childbirth, and since contraception was not available, also had many children exposing themselves to repeated risk.

Do take care when looking on the internet for details about Katherine Swynford's life, as some allegedly factual sites base their information on Anya Seton's novel, which is a work of fiction. For example, there is no evidence to show Katherine was educated in a convent, she probably did not object to her marriage to Hugh Swynford, or give him poison (however unknowingly!) this is artistic license! Just to add though, the novel is still a really good read.

I also discovered that Katherine Swynford's tomb is in Lincoln Cathedral, which is not so far from me, so am planning an historical outing soon. Ds will think this is cool; he is enraptured by the Horrible Histories, books and TV programmes so I shan't have any problem persuading him to come along.

Baking days

2011-01-22T17:27:00.002Z

It was my birthday again, so I made myself a chocolate cake:

I decorated it by sprinkling chopped hazlenuts over the chocolate icing (not in the instructions! they said to use hand-made chocolate leaves). As you'll probably have guessed by now, the visual side of cake-making is not my strong point. I really ought to take a sugarcraft class or similar.

This cake recipe was in the chocolate lovers' treats section in the Feb 2011 issue of Country Kitchen magazine, which I've bought sporadically over the last few months.

The magazine also has a section entitled "nutrition" which contains wholesome recipes. Last week, I made this very "healthy" cake out of the October issue, with wholemeal flour and chopped prunes:

This cake contains no sugar or butter at all. I found it best spread with butter, though, which negated some of the healthiness!

The fat in the cake was coconut oil - a solid oil sold in jars, which I found rather difficult to source - they don't sell it in mainstream UK supermarkets. When I asked in a health food shop, they tried to sell me a version used to keep skin supple. Er, no. You need edible grade coconut oil. It looks like this:

After extensive research, I can now reveal this is best sought in ethnic food shops. Mine came from the caribbean food stall on the Vicky Centre market in Nottingham. It says made in Sri Lanka on the label, and I am credibly informed that Asian and Thai food specialists may also stock it.

Woodland knitting

2011-01-16T16:20:00.002Z

This weekend, I've been trying my hand at knitting design.

I wanted to knit something with those red and white toadstools on, which are so evocative of fairyland. So I used the fairisle fly agaric pattern from the free mushroom pulse warmers available at Hello Yarn and worked that into my own fingerless mitts. I've knitted so many different fingerless mittens now, I felt I could construct my own pattern to fit me. Which I have done, if the first mitten is a guide. I'm knitting the second one now, following my own instructions.

I don't think I will write this pattern up - too derivative. But possibly I will use the measurements and base pattern for something more original in the future.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-01-15T18:57:00.005Z

Heidi (Sewing Daisies) has nominated me for a stylish blogger award! How kind! I'm thrilled to be nominated, and really glad you like visiting here, Heidi!

Receiving the award requires me to share seven facts about myself. So here we go:

I am actually from Yorkshire, although I've been transplanted to the Trent Valley.
I like liquorice - all kinds of it, from commonplace liquorice allsorts right through to bassetti and black and white mints
I speak three languages. (Although to be perfectly honest, two of them are rather rusty now. I need to make another trip abroad very soon to keep them in currency)
I'm fascinated by English history, currently the medieval period. Maybe I'll blog about this some time.
I occasionally waste time playing the Sims. Gosh, what an admission. It was my teenage daughter who got me into this.
I've had 15 smear tests in the last ten years, following loop diathermy treatment for grade 2 CIN in 1999. When did you last go for one?
I couldn't think of anything else!

I'm supposed to pass the award on to someone else. I'll nominate Crafting With Mel, whose blog is described as "crafting for the impatient and imperfect". Although her finished items always look really nice to me, especially the jewellery!

I'll be back with more knitting progress soon.

Jan Finished Object shock

2011-01-08T09:14:00.000Z

Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted a FO (Finished Object) has already appeared in my 2011 list! I know, I'm rather stunned as well. But after a whole month off knitting, I was very keen to click the needles again. So I made this wash set, which will be a gift for a colleague:

I used Peaches & Creme dishcloth cotton in black cherry colourway. The hearts washcloth pattern is available online, but the matching soap sack is of my own design.

I'm now about to enter another crazy knitting frenzy, as evidenced by these three swatches:

The swatches are prep for one cabled scarf, one pair of socks, and one lace shawl by end March. We'll see...

They are for a planned History of Magic OWL - see Ravelry, HPKCHC group for further info (Note: Rav log-in required to access link). It may sound geeky, but playing this Harry Potter themed game really motivates my knitting, provides inspiration and the necessary incentive to stick at it. I've even overcome my resistance to crafting deadlines.

Twelfth Night

2011-01-05T14:30:00.003Z

Having read Ruth's so-interesting post yesterday about Polish traditions for the Feast of the Three Kings, I decided to make a cake - although I didn't have 8 eggs, so I had to make something less celebratory than the one Ruth wrote about.

Actually, here in the UK we also used to have a tradition of Twelfth Night Cake, which tradition has now sadly fallen into disuse. I first learned about it when I read The Thirteen Days of Christmas by Jenny Overton, in which the final scenes are set on January 6th and "there was a great deal of left-over twelfth night cake dressed up as trifle". (By the way, that book is an excellent introduction to old English christmas customs altogether.)

English Twelfth Night cake is a dense, spiced fruit cake - you can find a recipe for it here. The inclusion of spices recalled the three kings, who came from the East. Traditionally, a bean was included in the cake, and the finder of the bean became lord of misrule for the evening. This is the recurring bean allusion in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather (gosh, this is turning into quite a literary post!)

As I've already eaten quite a lot of christmas cake, I didn't fancy any more like that, so instead I made Nigella's winter plum cake, which is basically an almond cake, with added chopped tinned plums. I've made it before, but never iced it. This time, I added a glace icing using unrefined icing sugar, as a sop to the Twelfth Night / Feast of the Three Kings occasion.

In the photo below, you can see my cake next to our crib, with the three kings added to it to mark epiphany.

I have to go back to work tomorrow, so this really is the end of the holidays.

2011 objectives

2011-01-04T09:37:00.000Z

Here's my promised new-year's-resolutions post.

I will try to stay employed. This one seems to get a bit more difficult every year, so my fingers are crossed for the year ahead.

On the crafting front, I will try to:

achieve a better balance between knitting and sewing (baseline: 7 sewn items and 26 knitted items completed in 2010. Although admittedly one of the sewing items was a double patchwork quilt, which is probably worth at least four smaller projects).
finish at least one of the three items currently languishing as long term WIPs
take further steps in crochet i.e I hope to be able to produce a flower, snowflake or other small item by the end of the year.

That's all. I won't make blithe statements about spending less time on the computer, as I'll never manage it. I would like to read a few books this year, though, and maybe even go on a proper holiday.

A new year

2011-01-01T09:15:00.000Z

New Year's Eve 2010: the champagne (well, it was sparkling anyway!)

And the candles - we lit the angel chimes, in an annual NYE tradition:

Note dh hiding behind the paper there. He was reading the Review of the Year. After that we tried to do a quiz, but unfortunately hadn't paid enough attention during the past year to be able to answer many questions.

I'm really glad to see 2011 arrive. Hope it turns out well - for us and for you, dear reader.

Dots-or-stripes' Review of the Year

2010-12-29T10:17:00.036Z

This is the blog entry where I look back at the past year, and consider whether I met my aims as expressed in my New Year's Resolutions.

Overall, I would say 2010 has not been a bed of roses. Although I've written almost nothing about it on this blog, I've had a lot of teenager-related trouble. The temporary acting-up job I took on in April turned out to be much more stressful than I had anticipated. I had other job-related anxiety due to my substantive post being threatened with redundancy. I'm learning to live with this, just like many other public sector workers in the UK. This means although I achieved my resolution to stay employed in 2010 - I'll need to renew it for 2011.

The other three resolutions were craft related, as follows:

to increase my knitting output. In a complete reversal from 2009, I've finished over 20 knitted items and only a handful of sewn items. Next year, a more balanced approach between the two would be better. Having written that, I'm planning my second OWL, which means a lot of knitting until end March.
to complete at least one item off my list of four languishing items. Achieved in March, when I finished the Regatta stole. Nothing else has been added to the list, so it's now down to three items. I intend to get another long term WIP off there next year.
to learn a new skill, such as crochet. Erm... I learned how to do crochet chains. I have used these to edge a couple of washcloths, and to make wrist ties for a pair of mittens. So I can't really claim success on this one.

I also said I would spend less time on the computer, but I totally ignored that one :-)

Look out for my 2011 craft resolutions in early January.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T17:12:00.002Z

The rest of the christmas baking is done:

Just for clarity, those are cranberries on top of the little cakes - not holly berries, as ds enquired! I don't put poisonous berries on top of my cakes :-)

All presents are wrapped, and advance preparations for christmas dinner are done, including the cranberry sauce:

Merry Christmas to all my readers! See you soon!