Out with the old and much less of the new

I have been increasingly frustrated by the amount of 'katunda' ( excess stuff) in my life, you'll know what I mean when I say that I will open a kitchen drawer and over the years I have amassed 4 sets of measuring spoons...and have kept them all - why?
Or I will open a cupboard and find I have several serving dishes that I have not used for years....so why do I keep them? I don't even LIKE them.....
I have piles of books under my bed and in my cupboard - because my bookshelves are full - and I know I will never read them again - so why do I have them in the first place??! Does any of this ring true with you?


Then I read this and was inspired! 


So, armed with enthusiasm and several bin bags and boxes - just look what we achieved - ooh it felt so-oo cathartic! 

I also went through the boys clothes, they both have grown suddenly and we were able to pass on a big bag of clothes to a smaller friend who was delighted - and that felt good :)

I've not really sorted my New Year's Revolutions out yet - but this one is definitely a keeper - it is going to the top of my list!

Being Creative

As part of my Revolutions - I wanted to tackle my reluctance to draw more which due to time constraints, due to lack of confidence, due to lack of -  well, lack of 'oompff'  I never seemed to get round to.

So when  Julia from julia crossland  offered the opportunity to bloggers to 'Be Creative', I jumped at the chance.  

Then, me being me, and well, lacking that oompff I mentioned earlier, I only managed to do a quick sketch yesterday and photo-ed it today. I wanted to make the end of March deadline. 

The theme was "Garden" and I kept looking at my winter weary garden and felt no inspiration so in the end I found a photograph I took last year of the honeysuckle that drapes itself in a cheerfully untidy tangle over our fence and used that as inspiration - with that in mind, I now present to you :

Being Creative for March - Garden

I have to post my picture on a flickr group page, but seem to have bungled that!! Oh well, off to try again. :)

Show and Tell

Been rather busy recently with this and that and the other! But now, with a moment to spare, I thought I'd share what  crafty things I've been getting up to with a little bit of hooky happy time :)

A birthday pressie - now hanging on a white day bed, made in a silky ice blue cord.


Good grief that fibre was difficult to handle! It was a wilful thread, easily unravelling itself, sliding off the hook and refusing to behave, until, when finished it look so pretty I forgave all it's foibles and fell in love love love with it. 


I really really didn't want to part with this little heart bunting, draping it all around my house thinking that where every I placed it, it looked just right! But with a heavy heart (my own) I passed it on to it's new owner.....she was so delighted that I stopped wishing I'd kept the little bunting. 
Will I make another for myself? Will I heck! 

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Another gift for a friend - this time to say thank you-for-watching-over-our-hens-while-we-were-away. 


A felted crochet hook holder. The colours  were dictated by the fabric inner - a personal choice by our friend and I wanted the patterning to appear like flashes of painterly colour. I had such fun making this. 

The exterior of the roll

The hook bag shyly unrolling to reveal the inner fabric

I love the macro facility of my camera, you can get up close and personal with fleece and see the fibres in the cord. I know, that technically, this is felting not crochet but seeing there are links, I have let it slide! 


I was really enjoyed making the felted hook roll and delighted with my friend's response, I think I might be making more! 


Well, the sun beckons and I am intrigued by the unusual warmth and brightness of the great outdoors! So armed with a bowl of oats, fruit and yoghourt - I'm off out for a spot of breakfast (yes I know it's late) before I go to work :)




Have yourselves a sunny and happy Tuesday xx

Sunday round up

Today's heart 

is brought to you

 from one of my favourite pictures

a lovely play on words and a bicycle - excellent!

Picture supplied by a Sustrans booklet

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Sunday - so of course it was raining......... it's kinda what we've come to expect at the moment, and in order to keep us all entertained we did loads of bake and make.  

Eldest made the kitchen his own...............

Youngest raided my stash and started making a 2CV - carefully snipping and cutting small pieces of felt, pinning both the fabric and his fingers, stitching and cussing, cussing and stitching....................

Himself carried on (in the rain and the mud) and finished chickenham palace, they now have a 'pop-hole' complete with mini locking door, porch cover and a brick for a step up (nothing is too good for his girls!)

He tried to start measuring up for their nest boxes when one of the hens decided she couldn't wait any longer to lay and bustled him out,  so he put a couple of mushroom boxes in as a temporary nesting place, then Himself came back to the house for a brew and one of Eldest's biscuits. After what he considered enough time, he returned to find the first egg in chickenham palace. The girls obviously approve, just need to finish making the nesting boxes proper - oh for a longer weekend!

And me? 

Well, when I wasn't helping Youngest source suitable scissors, checking which felt he wanted to use, showing how to pin without stabbing himself, threading his needle - first with blue thread, then with red, then back to blue.... or when I wasn't reminding Eldest to put in the key ingredient into his PEANUT BUTTER biscuits mix.....or running out between the rain drops to see how Himself and the hens were.....I was trying out this..............

It is from one of our Orkney Isle holiday photos of some of the stones in the Ring of Brodgar.

I'm trying some fabric art - sort of collage in cloth! I am sure there is a proper technical name for this style of sewing,  all I know that I end up with lots and lots of snippity bits and thread on the floor and a smile on my face :)       

I'd tried something a little closer to home and a lot smaller - my first attempt - I know that in time I will look back and cringe that I showed these rather amateurish attempts but for the time being I'll share my tentative steps. (All in the name of the Revolution!)

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All for now, well that sort of sums up our weekend, a bit of sunshine a lot of rain, crafting, building, cooking and creating (a mess) - not bad really!  Once again it has been lovely sharing our weekend, hope your all had good weekends too xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hearts around the house

It's late and the house is now mine, all the knit and natter coven have gone, only little threads and bits of wool, plates with crumbs and mugs waiting to be washed indicate the invasion.

*happy sigh* 

I really enjoy our group, it is a gentle, non-demanding, friendship strengthening time.

SO.... with out any further delay, I now present to you...

Today's hearts
are those quiet ones
that live along side you in the home,
not saying anything but always there. See how many you can find.........

On a biscuit tin that holds my sewing, 

open at your peril, 

threads and ribbons leap out in cheerfully chaotic colour

All over a round tin filled with felt snippity bits, carefully saved for future projects,

all jumbled and rainbow hued

it always makes me happy to open this tin as it spills out it's its brightly coloured fun contents

A gift bag, 

secreted in fav sis-in-law's knitting bag,

for that 'just in case' moment'

Quietly nestled near some of my favourite books

Sitting in my baking drawer, 

waiting for it's moment when we make biscuits

Scrawled on a scrap of paper, saved and often stared at, 

another version, written in the form of a Chinese proverb

Cradled in a wire basket

Decorating the frame of a picture of the nephews

Dangling on a cord against the wall

On a work's file

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And...did you count? Can you guestimate?

Would you have said 75 hearts?

Told you they were quiet.

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I hinted that I might (or might not) show you what I needed my sewing machine for, well, here is a clue....

I've never attempted  'drawing' with my sewing machine before, I suppose there is always a first time, it was difficult initially, difficult to be free with a regimented machine that happily does straight lines. We were both rather intimidated by my plans, but sewing machine and I soon got going and we actually ended up enjoying our experiment (so much so I was late for work!) hey ho! (Sewing is part of 2011's Revolutions)

Any hoo, it's late and I must still tidy up before I go to bed, it's been lovely sharing a bit of my day with you, hope you had a lovely one too, 

night night xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh yes, and to see what hearty happenings where happening last year, please follow this link and part two on this link - you need to read them both, particularly about Himself, the milkman, the underpants and the belching fire....... I've got your interest now haven't I??!!?

Work In Progress***, weekend walks and Number 2 of 52

***I have had to change the name of this post as I am getting an extraordinary amount of traffic from rather saucy web sites and searches that I would rather not encourage!!

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I took my new hat for a walk yesterday - my new hat loved it, my new hat wants to go on LOTS more walks. It wants some friends and my new hat asked me, yes, asked me to make more new hats - and I said yes! Sigh, crafting life is good......... (if not a little nutty)


Let me introduce you to my new hat.                Tadaaaaaa-a-a-a-a!!

Ooooh - I love it when I attempt something without a pattern and it works!!


Right - details:
Wool - 100% pure 'Isle of Auskerry' wool - Aran 3 ply from North Ronaldsay sheep

Measurement :    'Band' - 60 cm done in BLO (Back loop only). 'Top' - ever increasing 'disc' in single crochet of a diameter of 18cm

Amount of yarn used : Under 100gm - still have some left for another project

Cost: £6.00 from the Fossil Museum on the Isle of Orkney


Photo - me and that hat - do you know how difficult it is to take a photo of your own head?!


Hat - Very warm, snug, sporting a snow flake and on my head at this very moment.


   And me? Happy happy !!

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Any way, I know why my hat loved the walk - it just sat on my head (or Eldest's head) for over 13 km of country lanes and muddy paths, while I slipped and tripped along. Still not up to full strength I struggled a bit, but it was wonderful to be out and we finally returned to the car in the dark. Tired but a good tired.

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For Angela - 

Apple topped almond loaf cake (2)

150gm butter

150gm sugar

2 eggs - beaten

200gm plain flour

1 tspn baking powder

1 tspn almond essence

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

100mls milk

1 red eating apple - cored, in half and thinly sliced

icing sugar - for dusting

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C. Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth
• Add the eggs a little at a time and stir well between each addition
• Stir in the flour, baking powder, almond essence and lemon zest. Add milk to give the cake mix a soft 'slump'
• Pour mix into a well greased loaf tin (I was given some excellent silicone baking trays - thanks Mum) and level the surface
• Arrange the apple slices over the top
• Bake in the oven for 45 - 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the cake has risen and is golden.
• Leave to cool then turn out onto a wire rack.
• Dust liberally with icing sugar and then eat!!

This cake has been made twice by Eldest and  it is very yummy - especially warm as the apple is soft and sinks into the cake............oooh delish!! 

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So, a very brief synopsis of my weekend. It has been lovely sharing with you what I've got up to - hope your weekend was good too :) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A quick happy post

Looky looky! 

I have finished my latest WIP - I posted about it here and here but I never mentioned what I was making.

Well, I can reveal all now..................... I was making a messenger bag!

And it has worked out so so much better than I had hoped that I am all giddy about it. 


I hot-fingered the last stitches just before I went to work so that I could use it and I am so glad I did. I felt really happy as it swung from my shoulder. 

I am really pleased (uh oh think I may have already mentioned that?!) 



Wool - 100% pure merino wool - from The Wool Boutique, a mixture of merino brights and merino rainbow - a festive gift from two very generous people

Measurement :    Roughly 30cm square


Composition:
Random granny squares, rectangles and free form infill stitched together to make two panels, with a dark green 'gusset'. 
The wool panels were then 'fulled'** (not felted as I previously mentioned) 
Lined with a cream and blue nautical style linen - off cuts from a curtain maker's throw away pile
The strap is made from a belt from a charity shop. You've just got to love charity shops!


Amount of yarn used : Roughly 200gm - still have some left for another project

Cost: A gift - priceless :)

Photo: 

Top row - measuring the lining and sewing the seams

Bottom row - lining hand sewn in and strap stitched on

Messenger bag: Now sitting on a chair so I can stare at it when I am not looking at the computer screen

And Me? : Silly grin on face - that should say it all!

**I learned today that true felting is the process which uses raw wool, treated with moisture, heat and friction which causes it to matt together.  Fulling is when matting occurs with a ready knitted or crochet item.

Wet weekend, Baking and "How-To'

What a wet weekend.

That is all I am going to say on the matter.

Grrrrrrr.

So, instead of me waffling, here for your perusal is a pictorial account of our weekend. (sans rain) (oops wasn't going to mention that wasn't I?)

The boys did baking - Eldest did his first 'solo' cake and made an apple topped almond loaf

Talk about yum!

Youngest (with me as his side kick) made courgette, carrot and apple muffins

very yum too, 

especially while still warm with a little bit of butter and raspberry jam

My patchwork freeform crochet has now been 'felted' and blocked. 

It hasn't 'felted' as much as I hoped but it is still progressing nicely.

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Continuing the Revolution - here is the first 'How-To' of 2011.

Due to us all suffering one form of lurgy or another we have 'enjoyed' the associated snotty noses that go with it. The boys very quickly ran out of tissue and resorted to loo roll. I could not bear that but understood their need. So I came up with this idea - and it worked really well, so I now share with you....

The Tissue Bag (or as the boys affectionately referred to as the 'bog roll bag' - *sigh*)

1. Carefully remove the centre card roll by kinking it inward, gently twisting then removing it.

2. Equally gently find the 'end' of the paper and tease out (will need this later)

3. I then dabbed around the exterior of the roll with a proprietary decongestant (although there are other varieties on the market - we really like this one) The decongestant pervades the whole roll and helps keep noses clear.

4. I had previously made drawstring bags from vintage cottons which  I commandeered for the rest of this 'How-To'.

5. Place the loo roll inside the bag

6. Pull tight the draw string ensuring the tissue paper is easily accessible

Final step - pass to a snotty child - Job's a good 'un!!

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Well, that was our weekend, it seemed to go by in a flash - never mind hopefully by next weekend we will all be fighting fit and raring to go :) Been nice chatting to you, must go, got to get the boys ready for school tomorrow. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

As promised - Broccoli cheese pie with grated potato crust

The original recipe came from the February edition of the Vegetarian Living magazine, but as usual I adapted it somewhat.

Broccoli cheese pie with grated potato crust

Crust
100gm (3 1/2 oz) grated raw potato - with all the liquid squeezed out
60gm (2 oz) finely diced onion
pinch of salt
1 egg white - lightly beaten
Oil

Filling
tbsp oil
2 onions chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs (half a teaspoon!)
300gm (10oz) broccoli cut into small florets (the original recipe called for cauliflower but I baulked at the price when I went to buy one hence the broccoli which looked so much nicer)
130gm (4 1/2 oz) mushrooms sliced
250gm (8 1/2 oz) grated chedder cheese
2 eggs (thank you hens!) (I added the remaining egg yolk from the crust ingredients)
slosh milk
pinch paprika (optional - purely coz despite knowing I have some somewhere - I couldn't find it!!)

• preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 6
• combine the grated (squeezed) potato and onion, salt and egg white in a bowl and mix well.
• chuck mix into a lightly oiled pie dish (23cm/9inch) and pat out to line the base and the sides
• bake for 30 minutes, then brush the now crisping up and smelling yummy crust with a little oil and bake for a further 10 minutes. Turn temperature down to 180C, gas mark 4

• meanwhile heat the oil gently in a large pan, add onion, garlic, seasoning and herbs and cook for 5mins, add the broccoli and mushrooms and 'stir fry' for about a further 5 minutes.
• sprinkle half of the cheese onto the baked crust, spoon the vegetables on top and sprinkle over the remaining cheese 
• beat the eggs and milk and pour over the top, sprinkle lightly a dusting of paprika**
• bake for a further 35 - 40 minutes or until set, serve hot or cold

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** I am assuming that coz the original recipe called for cauliflower the paprika is used for colour. I found the cheerful bright green of the broccoli seemed to negate the need.

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Right - brass tacks time

What did I alter?

1. The quantity of potato, I know the dish I used was slightly larger than the recommended one but I felt the crust was just too thin so I added more
2. Swapped broccoli for cauliflower
3. The original recipe called for baby leaf spinach to be included - I forgot to add it
4. Paprika? Well, may be if a) I used cauliflower and b) I could find it in my cupboard...........

What would I do different?

1. probably make the crust thicker again, still think it was spread a bit thin

General consensus?

It was given a good review by my veggi and non veggi friends - so a good start to this year's 52 new recipes.

Birthdays and broccoli

Sitting quietly in the early morning gloom, the only sound is the click of the keyboard and the back ground drivel of the radio. Upstairs Eldest sleeps off the last of his lurgy, Youngest and Himself have decamped to school and work. I am so very tired, still weary from my viral-what-ever.

Last night we celebrated a girlfriend's birthday here and it was lovely to see all the gang. We have been together for nigh on 20 years and every couple of months or so we meet up bearing news, food and increasing amounts of wrinkles. Last night's affair was lovely and relaxed, we can just pick up conversations and carry them on as if we'd never been apart.

Happy birthday Christine!!

Now to finish tidying up the detritus from last night.............!

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On the Revolutions front, I have finally started this year's 52 New Things Not Cooked Before - 

Broccoli cheese pie with grated potato crust

A simple enough recipe, shame about the cook (but that's another story) and when I served it at last night's birthday bash - it seemed to go down well. I will make it again with modifications and post the recipe.

Sorry there is no 'after' photo......it got eaten.....completely

A good sign me thinks.

Vive la Revolution and other such things.........

Today is yet another dreich day. But I am not letting that dampen (sic) my spirits! I thought I would just quickly post a bit more about those beautiful jewel coloured wools I received. I had intended in finishing the crochet part of my latest project whilst out on the 'Raid Tan Hill' but I was kinda busy so my crochet is still a WIP.

But every time I look at those colours they gladden my heart and cheer up my day!

How can these wools not make me smile?

What am I making? Well .. it's a - no wait - will tell you later, sorry :) I was inspired by a picture I saw once and thought - I can do that!

And what's more it involves crochet and felting and sewing. How's that for getting on with the Revolution!

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Another of my Revolution edicts was to draw more - I've not sketched for a long time and feel very very rusty so please excuse the wobblyness of it all - 

Right - enough chat, got things to do, places to be, sick children to tend to (yup the next one is down with some sort of bug) our house feel like a cottage hospital at the moment with one or the other of us down with some lurgy. Never mind - these are all things that make the rich tapestry of life (yeah right!!)

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WIP? Nope FO'ed!

Happy? Too right :)

Talk about chuffed to bits with my first finished object of 2011. I took the almost finished claopotis scarf to knit and natter last night and whilst chatting I finished the edging and wove in the threads - and I am delighted with it!

So, shall we get down to the all important details? Ready? right here goes:..............

Yarn - No idea, it had been gifted to me by this lovely lady.
It is a lovely coffee coloured yarn with flecks of rich russety orange and a twist of cream and pale yellow. I did a WPI and it indicates that it is a medium 5ply or 'sport weight'.

Measurement :    170cm x 35cm

Starting chain : 4

Number of stitches at widest part: 64

Rows: 140

Amount of yarn used : just under 250gm

Cost: Freeeeeeeeeee! My sort of bargain :)

Photo: Clapotis stretched out on the carpet

Scarf: Now around my neck and shoulders keeping me scrummily warm and happy

And Me? : well I may have mentioned - chuffed to bits!

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Oh, and I've started another project - but you will have to wait until the light is better before I take photographs, a dull snowy grey day doesn't help to take happy pictures!

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Would you like ice with that?

By Saturday, despite still feeling quite pathetic, I needed to get out, and my boys needed no further encouragement. So a hasty picnic was thrown together and we piled into the car as Himself had spotted some geo-caches he wanted to do over in the Dales.

It was the hardest walk I have done in a very long time - well it was for me....... I could hear my blood roaring in my ears, my heart was pounding and every breath I took was ragged and hoarse, but it was wonderful to be out and as Himself kept cheerfully telling me

....it will be doing you some good to get some fresh air......

it was at this point my head felt like it was going to fall off and I was gasping for breath like a fish out of water. I could barely reply never mind thump him. It was a good thing he was out of range so I just gave him a good glaring at (through rheumy eyes of course!) But he was right, it was nice to be out.

We walked along the River Wenning and were staggered at the size of the ice floes that littered the river bank. They were above the water level and we could only surmise that the river had been very much higher when it froze then as the river returned to it's lower level the slabs of ice became lodged on the sides and stacked up like frozen dominoes. I've not seen anything like this before. Youngest became all intrepid and climbed up onto them whilst Eldest took photos for me.

Sitting back in the car waiting for my heart rate to calm down and my breathing to settle, I thought that despite  struggling with this little potter I enjoyed it. I then promptly fell asleep in the car all the way home!

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For as long as I have known Himself, he has set a challenge to scoff as many sweet mince pies as he can during the month of December. Over the years I have aided and abetted him with either baking or buying the vast quantities he consumes.  He as been the champion for years, until now............. his little protégées are catching up fast. I recorded their attempts last year here. Youngest was bitterly disappointed with his latest efforts but seeing he was down with the flu I think he did admirably well. 

So, with out further ado - the final tally is as follows................

Himself - 118 (12 more than last year)

Eldest -  76 (he managed 45 last time)

Youngest - 75 ( down from 91)

Me - 19 (up from 16 !)

I keep these tally sheets and have done for years and when the decorations come down at the end of the festive season, they are added to the box. I used to be the one who made the chart, now the boys have taken that over. They carefully choose the pictures to suit each of us and then they log each and every mince pie that is eaten. 

If only they were that diligent with their homework!!

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Start as I mean to go on - Revolutions 2011

More crochet - check 

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