Projects

Well, Happy 2014. The end of 2013 was spent busily crafting a myriad of projects for others, including the stunning Ishbel scarf by Ysolde for my mum, a fun fairisle Christmas stocking for the Cub and about a hundred 'Aviatrix' bonnets for the multiple babies born over the last three months.

Chatting to CC, my very bestest friend round here and a crafter extraordinaire, I was pondering what to make over this coming year. "You should make something for yourself." She stated it unequivocally, like it was a given and my reflex denial gave me pause - why not make something for myself? When was the last time I had? Uh oh - I couldn't actually remember, other than the evening dress I never finished (more on that another time). Unless you count the kitchen curtains or the upcycled curtains-to-cushions in the sitting room it had been more than four years since I even *attempted* something for myself.

That's it, then.  2014 is the year I make things for MEEEEEEEEEE!

(and maybe for the Cub, because he looks so darn cute in handmade)

So let's start a list of things I want to make, then I can come back and tell you how it went.

How about some felting? I'm going to felt up some old jumpers and want something stylish to make out of them. 

Sewn Felt Slippers

These slippers by Stephanie Hung are lovely and should be simple enough to do - and if I love mine then I can whip up some for other people quickly enough that it shouldn't eat into my selfish crafting too much ;-) What? There will still be birthdays and Christmas to provide presents for!

Parisian Twist Headband

Love love love this and it'll use up a lovely ball of yarn I got from someone else's de-stash - lush!

Today's mission. ..

Make do and mend! I've abandoned my knitting for a little darning and sewing on of buttons. Very dull but very satisfying

Going nutty - the season for free food

So, scouting out my new territory has revealed some glorious riches in the way of foraging.  Wild plums, heaps of elderberries, I'm sure there are some heavily laden brambles along the river and oh my!  A gloriously fruitful walnut tree right behind my house.  Look at these beauties:

Shame it's too late to utilise this interesting-looking recipe for pickled walnuts, but apparently you have to pick them in June.  Pity, as it'd make a super Christmas present, never mind, maybe next year!
http://gabrielhemery.com/2011/06/13/pickled-walnuts/

This year I'll just have to gather the ripened nuts and maybe package them up into little bags as gifts! Unless you have a better idea.  Any good walnut recipes out there?

Must check out those plums again later to see if any more have ripened and go along the river for some blackberries.  For now, though, I'm chained to the sofa with a vomity toddler.  Poor Cub.

Poetry Thursday

I have revisited some old thought processes this week and a poem popped up. Enjoy!

Ode to a Toddler

Like a small goblin I find you squatting, unexpectedly, on the kitchen table

Chewing thoughtfully on a screwdriver .

Nothing new. A hundred times a day you find new ways to instill

Terror and make me fear you will be killed.

I wonder how it could have been that my mornings were peaceful, slow and sleepy

Now so manic; flustered and panicked,

Chaos never far from anywhere you are.

Eyes full of mischief, hands and mouth full of jam, or mud

Or worse – that scarlet welt welling such new blood.

No quiet. No respite. Never more will peace be mine.

My boobs no longer my own, nor my nights, nor my time.

Even the simple sanction of a shut bathroom door:

Denied me, or woe betide me!

Everything, now, is yours, forever more.

Mad professor hair, a gleam in your eye, a wicked giggle,

New delight after new delight; tiny bare toes, a soft tummy to tickle.

My life, never dull, never drear, Now you’re here.

Spring cleaning? No. Spring *crafting*!

March is a busy enough month in our household what with 3 family birthdays in close succession as well as Easter and Mothering Sunday, so why on earth I decided that what I really needed was a few more craft projects is utterly beyond me.  However, that’s exactly what happened so I have been busily crafting away and saving ourselves a bit of money at the same time.

I shortened the curtains from our old house so they would fit our new one better, then made some cushion covers from the leftovers – with a little ‘help’ from the Cub…

The pattern I used was a simple Oxford edged envelope design as explained here: http://www.housetohome.co.uk/articles/how-to-update-an-old-cushion_2_368794.html

I then embellished them with a simple broken line stitch around the edge and an embroidery design in the centre.  To cheer the monotony of beige I used 3 bright colours that will feature elsewhere in our sitting room when I’m done: hot pink, turquoise and orange. Psychedelic  it may sound, but the effect was discreet and pretty.

Oh, and I’m working on some tie-backs for the curtains.  So far I’ve crocheted some turquoise ones and was planning to decorate them with crocheted flowers in different colours, but I’m starting to waver (now I’ve actually made the wretched things) and may go with fabric tie-backs made from leftovers and use the flowers on those.  I may have to fake up one of each and decide which I like best when I’m done.

 Here's a little picture of my shortened curtains and make-do tie-backs. Please ignore the baby jail and laundry drying over it. It rather spoils the bucolic prettiness of a rocking chair by a window :)

Valentine's Shortbread

Oops - just discovered this post in draft form from the year before last! With Valentine's Day not that far off I thought I'd post it now to give you a little time to eat-- test a couple of batches before Feb 14th finally arrives!  I might even be making some more myself, I think the husband will probably appreciate it more than the crochet hearts I was planning --to suit myself-- !
---------------------
So, whilst I love the way my darling husband spoiled me for Valentine's Day, I personally refuse to spend money on such a commercially inspired occasion. That being said I still want to take every opportunity to show my chap how much he means to me, so I make him something sweet to make him smile. Shortbread is one of his favourite things and, several years having now elapsed since the shortbread disaster of 2007 (it turned out that my scales were broken, but it still left me with a shortbread paranoia) I felt brave enough to have another stab at it.

I found a well-recommended recipe online, adjusted it to add choc chunks and make the pieces heart-shaped and baked him a batch which, I am reliably informed, was utterly delicious ;-)





I also drew him a card (which still needs colouring in, oops). I think he liked it.

So... do you mark the day? What did you do this year?

Valentine's Shortbread
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
55g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
130g plain flour
35g ground rice
50g dark chocolate chopped into large chunks
Caster sugar, to finish1. Pre-heat the oven to 150C. Put the butter into a large mixing bowl, and beat until soft. Beat in the sugar and salt.2. Sift in the flour and ground rice and mix to a smooth dough; add a little extra butter if it doesn't come together into a dough3. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment, and pat the dough out to 1cm thickness and use a heart shaped cutter to cut into biscuits place on the baking sheet and put in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes until firm. 4. Bake for around half an hour until cooked through, but not browned. 5. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then sprinkle with caster sugar and transfer to a wire rack. Once cold, these should last for a good few days in an airtight container

Testing testing 1 2 1 2

I just downloaded a shiny android app so I can blog on the run. The only down side? Auto fill. Grrrr.

And that's pretty much the sum total of my post for today, except I'll add a picture of the cub, because he's just so darn cute

posted from Bloggeroid