My Produce

I opened one of my three grow bags of potatoes today because the plant had completely died back. I'm not sure this is the most efficient way to grow potatoes. I've got about 1.5 times the volume of potato I planted in the first place. Oh, and I pulled up a couple of carrots to see how they were getting on. Not great it seems. Still, nice to have something. I don't have a proper garden, so it's all grown in pots.

August Bank Holiday Weekend

It's been a bit of a family weekend so far. We had a barbecue on Saturday with the Scoffield branch of the family (6 of us, 7 cousins and my aunty). We managed to sit out for most of the meal until we finally got rained on whilest finishing our desserts. I dug out some old toys from my parents' shed for the kids to play with. I didn't know they were still in there.

On Sunday I went with the other half of my Dad's family to the christening of little Millie. I performed my godmotherly duties without embarassing myself (I don't know why I was so nervous about just standing there). I even managed not to collapse into giggles while one of the older members of the congregation was warbelling out a hymn noone else knew, during communion. Afterwards we all went to the Forum for another barbecue (got to make the most of the Summer while it lasts.). As you might expect at a Christening there were an awful lot of pregnant women and babies there. Hope it's not catching.

Sorry if you're sick of hearing about this by now, but I finally finished the cardigan. In time to be blocked, dried and wrapped before the christening. I don't think I've been so pleased to get something finished in a long time. It will be so nice to work on something else.

Today is Becca's birthday. Happy Birthday Becca. So we get to go out for a pleasant meal this evening. Tomorrow we're back to entertaining family. Graeme's brother and family are coming to stay. Hopefully that'll mean getting to use up some of the 5000 plums my mum and dad gave us.

Buttons and Gloves

I seem to have lost my camera cable. It's probably lurking in one of my boxes of office stuff but I can't find it anywhere, so I can't show you the photos of the fabulous chocolate cake we made for Sarah's birthday. Happy Birthday Sarah.
(Yey! Found another cable that works)

We all went out for a curry at the Nila Palace (our favourite curry place) last night to celebrate. It was probably Jonny's last curry there before moving to America and one of the staff ran out after him, opened our taxi door and presented him with a Bangala glass to remember them by. He has been a very good customer over the years. Here he is displaying it in the taxi (sorry for rubbish camera phone pics).

Yesterday lunchtime I headed into town on various missions. I bought myself a selection of buttons, some for the bear cardi, a couple for the flaps on the gloves and some to make cardigan number three from a few posts previous.

I also got some brown wool to sew the bear's faces and because it seemed such a shame to only buy one ball of which I would use a tiny amount, I bought three, so I could make something proper (oops).

And just because I feel like I should show some actual knitting. Here's one of my finished Broadstreet Mittens.

Clearout

Thanks for all the messages. I am feeling much better thanks. I'm eating normal food again. I do love my food.

I've started the big clearout because I've only got about 2 weeks until I leave Leicester. I've been giving away my office plants and things from my flat which I won't be needing any more (I still need to get rid of a folding table and a set of crockery if anyone is interested). Rob came and took my stereo off my hands last night. I bought it in 1999 and it's one of the few items of furniture/electrical equipment which I've kept through many moves. I felt sad to see it go, but we just don't have room or need for it any more. Feels like the end of an era.

The only other things which have which has been with me that long are 2 yellow pans, a batik painting from Africa, and a throw, crocheted for me by my mum, in yellows and oranges. The throw has been on beds and sofa's in all my flats and has been sat on, spilt on and generally loved, by all of my friends and housemates. So much so, that I think it is nearing the end of it's life and will have to be put into retirement, at least for the time being. Even if I do end up doing a PGCE, I still feel like I'm packing up my student things for good. Maybe I'll make myself a new throw that'll see me through the next 8 years of non-studentyness. I hope they'll be as good.

(A belated throw picture)

Feeling Poo

Sorry for lack of posts. Seem to have some sort of bug, which has attacked my stomach. Felt too icky to post or even knit :S Bit better now, so I should have something to show tomorrow. Going home to vegetate and eat plain toast. I just can't take the excitement.

Summer Fruits Cake

I promised to make cake yesterday and bring it to work. We've had coffee-time treats almost every day this week. I wanted to use up ingredients that I had in my flat but do something a bit different. So I made a standard victoria sponge cake mix (4 eggs quantity) and chucked in most of a packet of defrosted frozen Summer fruits. I think it turned out rather well considering I didn't have anything to measure amounts in or any recipe books and had to guess. I also didn't know what temperature I was suppsed to cook it at, because I only work in gas marks, so I guessed at 170° C. It ended up being in the oven for 2 hours in total before it was cooked in the middle. I think if I make another one I'll stick to a smaller quantity. I hope people like it.

Knitting Plans

I still haven't finished the bear cardi I am knitting. I have procrastinated over it so much that I have now totally lost interest in it. If I'd paid more attention to it when I first started it I would have got it done in no time. Damn my sock obsession. I spent 15 minutes this morning pulling out most of Sunday evenings efforts because I made so many mistakes in it. The bear in that section is missing the left hand side of his chin, one of the cables is longer than the others and I forgot to shape for the armhole (dur!). Which all goes to prove, predictably, that knitting when hung over and sleep deprive is not a good idea. I have a definite deadline for finishing it so it really will get done before I go back to Newcastle (27th August) and am reunited with my stash. In the mean time I pondering what to start next.

I like to have a little thing and a big thing on the go at the same time. The first little thing I want to do is a tea cosy, requested by my friend Steve, for his big brown teapot. He gave me the dimensions this morning. I'd like to do something quite funky and interesting. I have about a million ideas, but I haven't yet found one which quite fits with my expectations. Plenty of time to think about that though.

The next big thing I want to knit is a jumper for myself. At woolfest I bought 1 kg of natural cream coloured aran (I could dye this). I also have 500 g of Debbie Bliss merino chunky from Lewis' sale.


I need to find a pattern which uses one of these. My current favourites are in the list below (Notice I am too cheap to go out and buy a pattern.). The biggest problem I am having decided is wondering how all of these would look with a pair of FF cups under them. A lot of jumpers which would look lovely on most people end up looking very odd on me. 3 would probably be the best looking but I suspect it would be extremely boring to knit. I would be greatful if people could let me know what they think or suggest alternatives.

1. 


2. 


3. 


4. 


5. 


6. 

Best Starter Ever

I was downloading some pics from my camera phone and came across this one which I had forgotton all about.


It was taken in Milazzo at a restaurant owned by a friend of the owner of the villa we stayed in. This is their ham and melon starter, which is possibly the best starter I have ever had. I love ham and this appeared as a towring vision of lovely parma ham with bits of melon and mozarella. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Last night I had the pleasure of eating more lovely food. This time pizzas cooked by my Italian friend Enrico, with the assistance of all the rest of us. This is the one I made. Sadly I couldn't eat it bcause I was so full from the previous slices I'd eaten. I do like the shape though. Makes life more interesting.

Prize Marrow

Yesterday Suzie asked if anyone would like a courgette from her garden. I said yes and this morning she presented me with this beast.

It is 46 cm long and the circumference is 35 cm at it's widest point. It's going to feed me for a week.

BA halts flights

Long time no blog

OK, I suppose I should apologise or something because it's been about a week since I wrote anything on here. Maybe I don't need to because I'm not sure anyone actually reads it, apart from my mum who's been on holiday. I suppose the truth is that I'm put off about writing about my life by the thought that some creep/nutcase is sitting at home reading it, just in case I let slip any information about my anti-fashist (I spelt that wrong on purpose) activities. By in case you ar reading, hi to all of you and just so you know, I am not involved in any activist groups, I have barely done anything political in my life except vote and I don't know anything about anybody else that does. Just because I don't believe the same things as you do doesn't mean I deserve to be punished in some way.

I feel better now I've got that out of my system. I had a lovely weekend in North Yorkshire at my friends' wedding. It was a really relaxed doo in a marquet, outside a B+B on an farm. We had a hog and lamb roast (haloumi cheese for the veges), followed by some lovely local cheese and cake. There was a free bar with local ales on tap, and lots of wine too. Once the serving staff had left we all got to have a go at pulling our own pints. We danced the night away (well we danced till about 2am), before getting delivered back to out cosy B&B. Even the weather behaved itself and it didn't rain until about 11 pm.

Leicester drunks:

I think it's probably the most enjoyable wedding I've been to in a long time. I really enjoyed having a proper dance. There were no people dancing properly (i.e. with proper steps etc.), so we were all free to flail our arms around, bang our heads or indie shuffle as approriate. We were all a little bit worse for wear yesterday morning (some more so than others) and we had slow, lazy journey back to Leicester. I hope the happy couple are having a fab time on their honeymoon.

In knitting news, I'm part way through knitting a pair of Broadstreet mittens (i.e. fingerless gloves with a mitten flap) in Regia 6 ply. I'm doing them on 2.5 mm DPNs because I wanted them a bit smaller than the pattern suggested.


I've wanted to do some gloves for ages. There's something really pleasing about making them that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it's because they're so fiddly.

When I came in this morning I found a little parcel on my desk with this lovely choker in it, made for me by my officemate Natalie (of the North Pole Socks fame). It's from the Asphyxiation pattern from the Anticraft. It's so lovely to have something made for me, especially something so beautiful. Thanks very much Natalie.

I'll take a picture of it tonight when I am wearing something more appropriate.

Knitting Update

I was behind in reporting my knitting. Now I'm reunited with my camera cable I thought I should do something about it. So here is the current situation:

Finished sock, with short row shaping heel and toe, finished on holiday. They're made from a ball of Lana Grossa sock yarn I bought at WoolFest, but I lost the ball band in my excitement and now can't remember which one it is.

Bear Cardigan from the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino Book 1. This section also finished on holiday.

and sleeves, finished yesterday.

And some more short row shaping socks, which are being made for a friend. The yarn is Opal in 'Owl' shade. It does look quite owly does it?

I also finished off something special which I won't be able to show you till next week. There's something to look forward to. :)

My not so secret pal

Yesterday I finally got to open the parcel sent to me by my lovely cousin Gill (of the -ianic tendancies).


There's some lovely blue-purple-green, 100% merino, sock yarn from fleece artist, some sweets (Real Fruit Fun Shapes), otherwise known as Gummi Feotuses, and a great T-shirt from Urban Yarns, with the slogan:

The parcel really cheered me up when I was really in need of a boost. The past few days have been really hard for me. If you don't know why then I might be able to explain why some time in the future. Thanks to everyone who's been supportive and speacial thanks to Gill. I don't know what I'd do without you.

Happy Yorkshire Day!

Apparently it's Yorkshire Day today, so happy Yorkshire Day everyone! Eee by gum... and all that.

Holiday Knits

Just in case anyone was wondering I did knit a bit while on hols. I finished the back of cable bear cardi I'm knitting and the pair of short row shaping socks. I messed up the kitchener on the second toe because I wasn't giving it my full attention. I think it'll have to come out and be done again. I haven't got any pictures of all this though because I forgot my camera cable and didn't want to fill my camera card with knitting pics while on hols. You'll just have to take my word for it.

However to be going on with here's a picture of some bronze age spindle whorls, which were in the Lipari archealogical museum. I got told off for taking this photo inside, which I find ridiculous since everyone else seemed to be doing what they liked. Typical. I always get caught if I try to break the rules.

I'm not overly convinced by the way they've got the thing set up, but then I'm no expert. Anyone else care to comment?