Not Knitting but Cooking

Whilst (almost) everyone else was at Ally Pally this weekend, my husband decided it was time to make the Christmas Mincemeat. Since I was a child I have had an aversion to Mince Pies and would not eat them. By the time I was an adult I could just about manage to eat a small one politely without gagging but other than that - YEEEEUUUUKKK!
In the early 1990s Delia did her 'Christmas' series and I was hooked (I had serious cookery ambitions then). In the book is a recipe for Mincemeat with Delia's comment that 'once you've tried it, you'll never go back to shop bought Mincemeat'.......
That year I made an enormous amount of her recipe and then used ready made pastry to make Mince Pies. Everyone who tried one said they were delicious and my husband fell in love - not with me, with the Mince Pies. Encouraged by the flattery, I tried one myself and do you know what? They aren't my favourite food but they were actually edible without gagging - I too was in love with the Mince Pies.
Shop bought Mincemeat and Mince Pies are sickly sweet and for the most part, textureless gloop with too much filling in proportion to the pastry - Mr Kipling and Supermarket Own label being the worst offenders. Home made mincemeat is sweet but not overpowering and is full of Christmassy flavours, it retains all the texture of the ingredients and there is hardly any liquid in it - fabulous stuff. Delia was right, we've never gone back to shop bought Mincemeat and it's been 15 years now.
Anyway, it's normally MY job to make the Mincemeat and the Pies but last year I bought a new Food Processor and Husband decided to MAKE THE PASTRY HIMSELF - yes really! Every weekend he would whip up a new batch of pastry and bake some more pies......This year, he decided he would make the Mincemeat as well and sent me out on a shopping expedition for all the ingredients, oh and 'get me two new bun tins as well - the old one is rusty and I need more than one'. Typical man, can't do anything by halves - has to start his own Mince Pie factory instead.
He started weighing out the ingredients with our younger son, but after a while the child was bored and sloped off to watch TV. Then he decided he couldn't work the zester so got me zesting and juicing lemons and oranges whilst he sloped off the to shop for almonds......Needless to say I ended up finishing the Mincemeat. It's made now - complete with a very large slug of Brandy and is 'maturing' until the weekend when, I'm pretty sure, husband won't be able to leave it alone and will start making Mince Pies.
We have also been tempted to make our own Christmas Pudding this year - good ones are really expensive considering what's in them and the Times last week had some good links to recipes for microwaving them, thus avoiding the 6-8 hour steaming process which has always put me off. I'll let you know how we get on this weekend with that project!

I hate Ally Pally

no not really, I'm just jealous. I went online yesterday in search of some luxury yarn for my SoSeSaSwa partners but every store I went to had cleared out their online inventory in order to take it all to Ally Pally!
There's nothing in my stash that I am prepared to part with so I am stuck until everyone updates their shops after the weekend - how cruel is that?

P.S. was trying to knit mittens for Operation Christmas Child last night but I've lost my sewing up needle again......ARGH!!!!

Busy Doing Nothing

Well it feels like I am anyway. I could write a very long list of all the tedious little things I have been doing over the last week or so, but you wouldn't be interested, really you wouldn't. I have been VERY busy frogging though
First I cast on for these
And frogged them when I realised my palm was wider than the glove
And frogged again when I realised that the start of the fingers was way too low
And frogged for the final time when I realised that the fingers were going to be too short and that I really couldn't accommodate all these differences into the pattern because I don't get enough thinking time.
My question now is.....do I get three lots of Frogging Points on Knit Wars or just one?

Fresh from my success at Glove Knitting I moved on with enthusiasm to Corsica and after completing a swatch I plunged straight in to knitting the cabled waist panel. Each pattern repeat is supposed to be 4.5 inches wide and 6 inches long. Mine were 4.5 inches wide and 4 inches long!!! I frogged back to the beginning and started again - managed to get the length up to 5 inches per repeat. Frogged again and cast on with bigger needles - now I have 5.75 inches and I'm going to have to make do with that. I'm completely fed up with the damn cabling pattern now and can't wait to finish the waist band and move on to the rest of the sweater.
How many frogging points do I get for this?

And finally, they say troubles always come in threes, so here is my third knitting disaster of the week - Danbyholm. I'll add a photo or two shortly (issues with the camera and the USB ports again) but lets just say that although the finished sweater is a thing of true beauty on the hanger, once I put it on my body it looks fugly.....I cannot bear to wear it, the sweater will have to be frogged........more Knitwars points for me!

Bored of Raspberries

It's official - I am bored to death of raspberries. I never thought I would see the day when I would look at a plate full of freshly picked raspberries and think - YUK but today it happened every time I opened the fridge.
I bought 5 canes of Autum Bliss 2 years ago and stuck them in the bare earth in January. By summer I had 3 feet tall plants with just a few raspberries. Last year I had more raspberries each day than I could eat and froze a lot of them. This year, despite the rain, we have been inundated with them - I can't face the sight of them now. If I shut my eyes, I can see raspberries - it's awful. I have made two lots of Oven Jam a la Nigella and given them away to friends. I have filled every empty ice cream container in the house and frozen them all, I've made raspberry sauce and raspberry cake and now I have run out of raspberry recipes.
This summer I planted a thornless blackberry so next year I shall be moaning about all the blackberries aswell - you have been warned!
P.S. As I have now lost 3lbs in 2 weeks with the dreaded Weightwatchers, I can't eat puddings (I need all my points for alcohol instead) The raspberries will have to stay in the freezer for a few more weeks but once I feel able, I will make Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake, yum yum.

Where the Hell are all my Needles?

I've finished knitting Danbyholm but I can't find a sewing up needle. Is there one lurking in the bottom of my Knitpicks Options bag? - Nope. Looked through the bag containing all my dpns - Nope. Is there one in the bottom of the knitting bag containing an unblocked but finished Skin of The Sea? - Nope. What about underneath all the Aran Weight Silk that's waiting for a suitable pattern? - Nope. In the sewing box with all the reels of thread? - Nope. In the tin containing all my pins?
I am reduced to wandering aimlessly around the house looking for places I might have left a sewing up needle.......
Where do you keep yours?

Socktopus

Signed up for the Socktopus Secret Santa and here are my answers to the questionnaire:-
1. What are your favourite colours and fibres?
Colours - Blue, Purple, Dark Red, Baby Pink
Fibres - Merino, Silk - anything really really soft.
2. Anything that makes your toes curl? (Fibre, colour, other)
Day Glo Brights, Fuschia Pink, Mohair and Angora
3. Would you describe yourself as a beginner, intermediate or advanced knitter?
Advanced but not extreme - no two at a time socks on DPNs or double knitted bags!
4. Do you have an online wishlist? (Amazon or other)
Amazon
5. Any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Can't think of anything but I'll keep you posted.
6. What is your favourite:
Snack? - Chocolate, anything Coconut
Book? - Crime Novels are my Favourite but I am also a Sci-Fi Geek
Movie? - This is really hard becasue the only time I get to go to the Cinema is to see kids' movies. I like the original 3 Star Wars films, James Bond, Indiana Jones - that kind of thing.
Music? - I am forced to listen to my son's ipod in the car so we currently like The Feeling, Melee and Mika but his tastes change daily so it can be hard to keep up.
7. What are your favourite items to knit? Sweaters, jackets, cardigans.
8. Any patterns that are top of your queue? My Ravelery queue is long but not in any particular order - I tend to get swayed by the latest issue of Vogue or Interweave and am currently trying to find cheap Chunky Weight wool for this
9. Do you have any other hobbies? Gardening, Sewing, Cooking, Reading.
10. Tell us about yourself. When did you first pick up your needles? Who/what encouraged you to start knitting? How would you describe your knitting style? Are you a process knitter or a product knitter, etc.
I was forced to learn to knit as a child and hated it but was soon knitting little outfits for my teddies with my Mum's left overs. Didn't knit anything full size until I was a teenager and then stopped knitting for about 10 years in my thirties when I had too many other things to do with my time. I am both a Product and a Process Knitter - I knit jumpers and cardigans in order to wear them but will only knit something that is complicated or has an unusual construction. I sometimes knit socks but don't really like wearing home made socks much so I only knit socks that are difficult to knit!! I hate knitted hats, so I never knit them. Don't like shawls because they fall off all the time but love lace knitting because it needs concentration.
I am trying to reduce my stash - no I really mean it - I have enough yarn to make 9 sweaters and I really need to get cracking.

Ravelympics

I signed up for Ravelympics - in THREE categories....I Must be mad.
Firstly we have WIP Wrestling which for me involves just 2 projects - Skin of the Sea which I recently re-started in a blue-green Aran Silk, a Pink Daisy Cardigan which has come out way too big (I misread the size of the needles required, translating the US size into millimetres!).
Secondly we have Designer Discus in which I am designing a pair of colourwork mittens with a theme of Glendurgan (a beautiful garden in Cornwall).
And finally we have bead wrangling which requires me to finish the beaded Mystery Stole 3.
Nothing too ambitious but I am conscious that the Games have been going for several days now and I haven't finished anything.....

I did however sign up for Mystery Stole 4 and Secret Stole in an effort to use up my Laceweight Stash. I absolutely love lace knitting but hate shawls so Stoles are a good way to get my fix. Need to go get beads.....

UK Swap Questions

I've got really behind with these but now I've managed to combine my Blogger accounts, I can use this Blog without being logged out of my Gmail account.


Question 1

What are you doing to participate in WWKIP day on Saturday?

I can't participate in WWKIP - I am way too embarrassed to knit in public. I have no knitting friends who would share the embarrassment with me so I will be staying indoors. The last time I knit in public I was knitting through my eldest's school play and made a huge mistake in the pattern. Never again....


What is the strangest place you have ever knit?

See the above...


Picture Bonus: Post a picture of you knitting in public on Saturday, or if you don't get a chance to knit in public on Saturday, take a place of your favourite place to knit at home.

My favourite place to knit is curled up at one end of the sofa, in front of the TV with a glass of wine resting precariously on the arm!





Question 2

Which three guests (alive or not) would you invite to a dinner party and why?

First two are easy - Stephen Fry, because he is just so interesting and clever. Despite the fact that I know he has an earpiece and a computer in QI, he is still amazingly funny and clever and provided he didn't monopolise the conversation, he'd be great company. Second is Patrick Stewart who I don't know that much about in real life but as I have been in love with Jean-Luc for 20 odd years I can't resist putting him next to me at my imaginary dinner table. The final choice is more difficult as I am not really a celebrity worshipper and would rather have somebody witty and clever than somebody famous - do you know anyone I could choose?

Question 3

Is there a TV programme you watch religiously?
Not anything that I would cry over....but I do REALLY like House, CSI (only Vegas), Dr Who and Bones. Sky+ is also set to record Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Dexter.

What TV programme(s) do you avoid like the plague?

Big Brother. Anything with 'Celebrity' in the title. Any kind of Sporting Activity.

Is there a TV programme that you find works particularly well for knitting along to?
No, I can knit whilst (not) watching anything.

What was/is your favourite kids TV programme? Maid Marian & her Merry Men. Scooby Doo (the original series not the latest 'Get a Clue' series) Art Attack.

Question 4

What is your favourite thing that you have knit? (It might not be your favourite thing to wear but it was the most enjoyable to knit). I'm only half way through it - Mystery Stole 3 From Pink Lemon Twist - love the lace, the concentration required, the beads, love everything about it except the fact that I can't knit this project when the kids are around.
What is the worst thing you've ever knit? I have knit many awful socks that have almost all be frogged - I usually hate the way the hand-dyed yarns knit up and so I never knit the secodn sock.
What are your favourite knitblogs? I have lots on my Google Reader but prefer to read blogs written by people I actually 'know' from elsewhere on the web - e.g. Ravelry or Swaps.
What is the most amazing knitted thing you have seen (This Ravelry thread might help)
I've ploughed my way through that thread and now my head is buzzing with hundreds of things - can't make up my mind at all now. I'm leaning towards the lace projects though as I know they need concentration to knit.


What is your favourite knitted item to wear? Post a picture if you can.

I am super -critical of absolutely everything I knit and so although I wear all my sweaters I never fall in love with any of them. They are all too hot, too big or too small in a particular place, don't fasten, itchy etc. In fact, reading back through that list - why do I knit at all?




Question 5

Choose one - don't think just choose...

1. Stop or go? Stop.

2. Going out or Staying in? Staying In.

3. Small town or big city? Small Town.

4. Happy or sad? Sad.

5. Straights or Circulars? Straights.

6. Red or Blue? Blue.

7. Seaside or countryside? Seaside.

8. Fish or chips? Chips.

9. Surprises or plans? Surprises.

10. Wine or beer? Wine.

11. Sweaters or cardigans? Cardigans.

12. Pizza or Pasta? Pasta.

13. Chopsticks or fork? Chopsticks.

14. Early Bird or Night Owl? Night Owls.

15. Knitting or crochet? Knitting.

16. Hot or cold? Cold.

Soapnut Update!!

Update - They're great, but not perfect.....
The underwear experiment is a success and they undies now come off the line soft enough to wear straight away. It makes you wonder what exactly is in the washing powder that makes your clothes go so stiff and scratchy!
The towels are better than they used to be but not as soft as the tumble drier. They are getting softer though so maybe I need to keep using the soapnuts for longer to get rid of the old stuff still lurking in the fibres.
The only disappointment is that they have almost no effect on tougher stains like grass, fruit juice, tomatoes etc. This is where a Biological Powder really wins the day. Despite using a stain remover stick and soaking for hours, these stains just won't come out. I have resorted to buying a small tub of 'Vanish' to use on my daughter's 'little accidents'. Still the whole laundry kit is much cheaper and much greener than it was so I'm happy for now with the Soapnuts and I'll be sticking to them from now on.

Soapnuts update

Yesterday I finished the last of the Concentrated Washing Liquid so I had to take the plunge and use the Soapnuts. I put 6 of them into an old pair of tights and put them in the drum on top of the clothes. I can honestly say that so far I am very very impressed. Those 6 little nuts washed 3 whole loads of coloured clothes. Everything came out just as clean as it did with the ordinary washing powder or liquid and the clothes smelt of absolutely nothing.
This morning I am doing 2 further experiments - I have hung a load of underwear out on the line to air dry, this will test the theory that without chemicals, laundry should dry to a soft finish rather than like cardboard. The second experiment was on a 6o degree wash for a load of towels - this will be the fourth load of washing from just one lot of shells so I'm testing how far I can push them. It will also be the ultimate 'line-drying' challenge as I can't bear towels that have been dried outside and have been using the tumble drier on them come rain or shine.
Let you know later how I get on.....

Summer Reading (again)

It's here again - The Richard & Judy Summer Reading List I mean. The book shops (and Amazon) are still promoting the last list of books but the new list of 8 is here:-
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
East of the Sun by Julia Gregson
Down River by John Hart
Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller
Addition by Toni Jordan
The Resurrectionist by James Bradley

I have trawled Amazon for the ISBN numbers and logged on to the Library Website - none of the books are stocked in my local library, 2 of them are not listed as being in ANY Cheshire library so I'll have to wait for the Library to catch up with reality..... Will put in my reservations today if I can but I still haven't finished the latest Dalziel & Pascoe - A Cure For All Illness and I have another book waiting behind it in the reading queue. DH doesn't like it if I stay awake all night reading either!

Going Greener

Hubby came home yesterday talking about Soapnuts. Now neither of us are Monster Raving Loony Eco Warriers but he was obviously keen on the idea, so this morning I ordered some.
Soapnuts? Here's the blurb (shamefully stolen via Google, but hey why reinvent the wheel?)

In India and Nepal, the soapnut (sapindus trifoliatus) has been used as a vegetable washing detergent since time immemorial.
The soap nut tree grows mainly in South India. In March and April, the tree is adorned with white flowers, and the ripe soapnuts are harvested in October. When removed from the tree the soapnuts are sticky and golden in colour. They are dried and their colour becomes reddish-brown. Then the nuts are cracked and the black kernel, which can neither be eaten nor used for washing is removed and the shells, which contain saponine (a natural detergent), are packed up in cotton bags.

How does it work?
The somewhat sticky saponine in the shells of the soap nuts acts in a similar way to normal soap. As soon as the shells get in contact with water, this natural saponine soap is released and creates mild suds. Place 4 to 5 half shells in one of the provided cotton bags. Tie the bag and place it with your laundry in the washing machine. Start your machine as usual, with or without pre-wash. The remains of the soapnuts can be composted or be disposed of through organic refuse.
The soap nut can be easily used in your washing machine. Unlike common washing powders and liquids that contain considerable amounts of chemicals, the soapnut is environmentally friendly and is gentle on the skin.
Can be used for all fabrics and with all temperatures.

No need for fabric softeners
Works well with delicate fabrics such as silk and wool
When washing in cold to warm water, soapnuts can be used for a second time the same day
In the case of heavy stains, we recommend adding one tablespoon of stain remover.
For a fragrant wash add your favourite essential oils

These work out at about 6p per wash against 20p per wash for your standard powder. I have also read that your clothes don't go hard on the washing line either and anything that leads to reduced ironing is a winner as far as I am concerned. I plan to use Ecover to boost the Whites wash but since almost all our clothes are coloured, I don't think I'll need much. I'll report back and let you know how I get on with them.