Wednesday, 5 June 2013
A knitter's life
I knit, I always have, since from before I can remember. It's the way I relax and the way I earn my living, I do test knitting, sample knitting, tech editing and designing. I did try holding workshops but I got so nervous if someone asked even the simplest question I just went blank ( on a bad day I couldn't even come up with my own name! ).
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
seagulls and banana cake
I had a close encounter with a seagull in the supermarket car park this morning. I was standing by my trolley of shopping when a gull landed on the railings next to me, and for some reason I shall never understand I said " hello".
It looked at me, hopped onto my trolley and put it's head into one of my bags looking for something to eat. It took a few minutes of me jumping up and down, clapping my hands to make it fly away.
Then this man came over and said- " brave bird, going up against a redhead like that". He will never know how close he came to wearing my shopping! ( unless of course he reads this ).
The reason for the shopping trip was this
Sticky banana cake ( I really need to learn how to take photos )
My sons and their friends love it.
If you want to try :-
125gm self raising flour
50gm ground almonds
100gm light musovado sugar
150gm honey
1 mashed, ripe banana
2 medium eggs, beaten
25gm flaked almonds
Preheat oven to 180 C, and line the base of a 28cm x 17cm tin.
Sift flour into a bowl, add ground almonds. Melt butter with the sugar and honey in a pan over a gentle heat, cool slightly and stir into the flour and almond mix,add the mashed banana.
Beat all together, pour into the tin and scatter flaked almonds on top. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, cool on a wire rack and slice into squares. Easy.It doesn't usually have a chance to cool properly in our house, it gets eaten too quickly.
It looked at me, hopped onto my trolley and put it's head into one of my bags looking for something to eat. It took a few minutes of me jumping up and down, clapping my hands to make it fly away.
Then this man came over and said- " brave bird, going up against a redhead like that". He will never know how close he came to wearing my shopping! ( unless of course he reads this ).
The reason for the shopping trip was this
My sons and their friends love it.
If you want to try :-
125gm self raising flour
50gm ground almonds
100gm light musovado sugar
150gm honey
1 mashed, ripe banana
2 medium eggs, beaten
25gm flaked almonds
Preheat oven to 180 C, and line the base of a 28cm x 17cm tin.
Sift flour into a bowl, add ground almonds. Melt butter with the sugar and honey in a pan over a gentle heat, cool slightly and stir into the flour and almond mix,add the mashed banana.
Beat all together, pour into the tin and scatter flaked almonds on top. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, cool on a wire rack and slice into squares. Easy.It doesn't usually have a chance to cool properly in our house, it gets eaten too quickly.
Monday, 3 June 2013
Bookworm
It has been a bookish day today. First I discovered that one of the bloggers I follow also has a book and reading blog in addition to her craft blog, so I spent a few minutes enjoying that.
Then I discovered a group on ravelry for people on Library Thing, which in my ignorance I had never heard of, so I went off and investigated and joined up.
I now have somewhere to catalogue all my books, read and write reviews, and just generally catch up with all things booky.
I thought the best way to list my books would be shelf
by shelf ,by my calculations it will take me two months, one shelf a day.
Then I discovered a group on ravelry for people on Library Thing, which in my ignorance I had never heard of, so I went off and investigated and joined up.
I now have somewhere to catalogue all my books, read and write reviews, and just generally catch up with all things booky.
I thought the best way to list my books would be shelf
by shelf ,by my calculations it will take me two months, one shelf a day.
Saturday, 1 June 2013
updates
I have been in knitter paradise, choosing yarns for my first Etsy projects. There is a lovely cashmere/silk/merino blend for a striped hoodie I thought of walking past beach huts. I also found some of my favourite fair-trade organic cotton on sale so that is going to become a little dress, a sweater, bolero to go with the dress and anything else I can think of, possibly a 1950s style coat/cardi.
After being up to my eyes in yarn I took the dogs for a walk on the downs to get away from it all, but it didn't quite work as you can see from my photo, I still found some wool,even if it was in it's natural state.
The experiment with my sons is progressing. My middle son was bemused and confused when his keys weren't in the key bowl - after a moment's thought he just took the spare set from the hook by the back door. He discovered his set when he went to the fridge later looking for food!
Something I wasn't expecting is their co-operation, they have realized they can find each others' things more easily than their own - I'm not sure what to make of that.
I really am going to have to buy a proper camera instead of using my i-phone, looking at my photo of the downs I can see I haven't done the view justice, it was actually much greener and much more beautiful.
After being up to my eyes in yarn I took the dogs for a walk on the downs to get away from it all, but it didn't quite work as you can see from my photo, I still found some wool,even if it was in it's natural state.
The experiment with my sons is progressing. My middle son was bemused and confused when his keys weren't in the key bowl - after a moment's thought he just took the spare set from the hook by the back door. He discovered his set when he went to the fridge later looking for food!
Something I wasn't expecting is their co-operation, they have realized they can find each others' things more easily than their own - I'm not sure what to make of that.
I really am going to have to buy a proper camera instead of using my i-phone, looking at my photo of the downs I can see I haven't done the view justice, it was actually much greener and much more beautiful.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Some progress
There was a bunch of keys in the fridge this morning, not unusual as it's the first place my sons go when they
come in, and if they have their keys in their hand - well you can guess the rest.
Normally I put them in the wooden bowl by the front door, but because of my experiment, I haven't done that, I've left them in the fridge. I shall be watching, trying not to giggle, whilst my middle son tries to work that one out tomorrow!
I have finished the little banded beanie and started another in soft blue, and have just bought the yarn for a
jacket based on an old photo from the family album of a great uncle in a sailor suit. The album is a great source of ideas - there are children and adults from the late 19th century onwards - wearing some fantastic things.
come in, and if they have their keys in their hand - well you can guess the rest.
Normally I put them in the wooden bowl by the front door, but because of my experiment, I haven't done that, I've left them in the fridge. I shall be watching, trying not to giggle, whilst my middle son tries to work that one out tomorrow!
I have finished the little banded beanie and started another in soft blue, and have just bought the yarn for a
jacket based on an old photo from the family album of a great uncle in a sailor suit. The album is a great source of ideas - there are children and adults from the late 19th century onwards - wearing some fantastic things.
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
the start of an experiment
I cannot believe how much work I was able to get done yesterday, and I know why, I didn't have to keep stopping to find things - a wallet, clean t-shirt, right trainer, jacket etc.
I don't know if it's something to do with the male chromosome but my sons can't see for looking, the "lost"
article is often right next to them - as my grandmother used to say " if it had a mouth it would bite you ".
One of my sons has a friend with a six year-old sister and she is more aware of where his things are than he ever is!
So as I sat and knitted and sewed yesterday I came to a decision - I would try a little experiment - and stop finding their things.
It will be interesting to see if they adapt and improve their finding abilities. I doubt it very much and the house will probably be even more chaotic than usual, but you never know, miracles do happen!
On the knitting front, I have finished my day job knitting and have just started a little beanie to use up some oddments of yarn left over from a larger project,it's a lovely,soft cotton and cashmere mix, beautifully gentle
for delicate skin.I hope to finish it today, so might have a photo tomorrow.
I don't know if it's something to do with the male chromosome but my sons can't see for looking, the "lost"
article is often right next to them - as my grandmother used to say " if it had a mouth it would bite you ".
One of my sons has a friend with a six year-old sister and she is more aware of where his things are than he ever is!
So as I sat and knitted and sewed yesterday I came to a decision - I would try a little experiment - and stop finding their things.
It will be interesting to see if they adapt and improve their finding abilities. I doubt it very much and the house will probably be even more chaotic than usual, but you never know, miracles do happen!
On the knitting front, I have finished my day job knitting and have just started a little beanie to use up some oddments of yarn left over from a larger project,it's a lovely,soft cotton and cashmere mix, beautifully gentle
for delicate skin.I hope to finish it today, so might have a photo tomorrow.
Monday, 27 May 2013
Peace and quiet
Today is a bank holiday Monday and I have the house to myself. I am completely alone - no teenage sons, no sons' friends, no friends dropping in, no relatives. I can't remember when I had so much peace and solitude, and what am I going to do with it? Knit of course!
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| Calm, quiet and peaceful. |
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