That's my name...

...from Stephanie. Look at that amazing presentation! Thank you x x

Bed Sox

I received a multitude of knitted gifts this Christmas. No less than three pairs of socks!

One pair from my mum, the others from my granny. And my mum made this crazy pin which I love...


My cousin made Baileys!

We wish you a knitted Christmas!

.

First up is the hat I knitted for Big V, my aunt. It started life last year as a wrap but each row took about a thousand years to knit, but luckily it was the right size for a head so I just decreased the top and there you have it. It actually looks quite cool on.




This was also for Big V, a hottie cover. If you look closely you can see that the cables are slightly uneven...


Here fingerless mittens which after much deliberation and discussion ended up with my brother, who looks quite scary modelling them. Although I knitted the flaps, we decided they were stupid so he hasn't got them.



These were knitted while watching many 80's movies on TV over the Christmas period. They are for Frederike, (pronounced Fredereeka) who is my new baby German cousin.

Over Christmas I ate my weight in cheese and chocolate and now feel the need to eat only salad for the next week.

Merry Christmas!

x

Twas the night before Christmas and only one sock was finished...

My challenge this Christmas was to knit my mum a pair of socks. Proper socks in sock wool on 4 needles. I made her some socks before (on 2 needles) and she shrank them. So, throughout December this is what I've been doing (VERY SLOWLY)...

Unfortunately, the final picture is my progress on the first sock on the way home for Christmas on the train. So on Christmas morning my mum opened one sock...

But by the end of the day, there were...TWO!!

I actually love knitting socks. I just said that.

Mary Mary

Here's Mary, I made her for my friend Leah for Christmas. She would like a knitted nativity so I will be adding to it each year...

And here she is posing next to 'Star' by Pamela Anderson. She's saucy...

Put a ring on it

Robert and I are making each other's wedding rings!

Our friend Nikki is an amazing jewellery maker and has a room in her house full of files, hammers, saws, crazy chemicals and terrifying soldering guns.

These rings are our prototype ones - made of silver. We wanted something that looked "beaten". The real ones are going to be yellow gold I think, melted down from a couple of old rings that have been donated to us (!!)

It was SO fun making my ring, and I am very proud of it. I dont think I have an aptitude for jewellery making, there are so many little processes. But I did like filing. And my 'bangs' are pretty even. And I love the sound the metal made when you put it in the water to cool down.

Rose, it's snowing here...

No craft, just an informative update for Rose. Here is a murderous icicle outside my kitchen window...

And look at these old skool (see, kind of craft / vintage related?) decorations in Somerset, they are my favourite...

Shelter from the storm

Knitted Christmas is underway. This is for 2 years old Baby (Bob) Dylan. Hopefully it will fit him, it's too small for me (which is a good start) and just right for this wooden mask...

Mum's the word...

My mum has been selling stuff at a craft fair! Here's her stall / ladder (made by my dad). I have given instructions that nothing is to be sold but just displayed and then all given to me.

Pixies and Pickles

Here is Robert's childhood Teddy, ET modelling the Pixie baby hat I made for Baby Garfield. I hope the hat will be big enough but its super stretchy.

And here are my Bread and Butter Pickles and Panforte which I made for Christmas presents. The Bread and Butter Pickles have cucumber, green capsicum, mustard seeds, tumeric, sugar, onions and malt vinegar. The Panforte is Nigella's recipe and is delicious. (Must try not to eat it all myself!)

Hanky Panky

Today I decided not to bother getting dressed ever again and I made 13 lavender bags from vintage hankies. Lovely.

Smoothie Criminal

Made a bunch for the Innocent Smoothie Big Knit :o) They go on the tops of Innocent Smoothies and then a portion of the profits go to Age UK.

Chutney and Cake Anyone?

First up here is a slice of the chocolate and zucchini cake I made yesterday, it was being eaten before I got to take a picture of the whole thing....The Zucchini came from our garden and it takes really yum. It has LOADS of cocoa and a whole bar of galaxy chocolate in it (not a small bar either).

Then, I harvested all the tomatoes, red and green (and yellow) from the garden and made green tomato chutney. I used all the big ones and as you can see there are quite a few cherry toms left, so hopefully they will go red over the next few days and can just be eaten. The last picture is a closeup of the chutney - as well as tomatoes it has apples (some from our tree!) in it, raisins, brown sugar, shallots, chillies and ginger, vinegar and salt. It tastes good!

Lady Marmalade

Hi Everyone !

Its been ages but I have been crafting. Mostly making cakes and tarts and slices and...marmalade.

Since returning to Aotearoa, I've not had to buy one lemon. In fact, generally I have thousands of lemons and now have lots of frozen pottles of lemon juice in the freezer. So when my aunty Kate foisted a big bag of limes on me I had to make marmlade. I used the Edmonds recipe. The Edmonds cook book is this New Zealand institution. The Edmonds Baking Powder Company used to send a free copy to all newly engaged couples so basically, every family owns one and it contains thousands of recipes of cakes, slices, marmalades, jams and the odd mention of a vegetable.

Despite me not reading the recipe right, my lime marmalade turned out perfectly. I didn't over boil it so it set nicely and it tastes very sweet and limey... Next I am going to make Bread and Butter Pickles - thinly sliced cucumber, mustard seeds, onions and vinegar. What could be better?

Also, I made another version of Flair's Mum's hat. I think I'll keep it for myself.

Sending you lots of citrusey love, Rosex

Fists of Fury

Fingerless Mittens, for Rachelle's birthday. I think she liked them!

I don't think you're ready for this jelly!

I made Elderberry Jelly from the Elder tree in our garden.
These are the ingredients (recipe from Waitrose website):
1.8 kg Elder berries.
about 500 g sugar
2 lemons
140 mls water

Instructions:
Pick the Elderberries:

Wash the berries and de-stalk them: (Use a fork, it is easier, although they tend to ping off around the kitchen.)
Put the berries in a pan and crush to release some juice:
Boil the berries:
Strain in a muslin cloth (or a handy pillowcase) overnight:

Measure your juice, add the juice of 2 lemons:

Weigh an appropriate amount of sugar:
Add sugar to juice and boil:

When it reaches setting point, put into hot jam jars: (Only 3 and a half full!)

When cooled, eat! (I look worried but actually it tastes quite nice.)

Snoooooood

This is Stacey 'working it' wearing the snood I made for her birthday. It was And's pattern,
basically (Thanks And!). This may be the gift that everyone gets for Christmas this year.....

Flower Power!

Here are the flowers I have been slaving over for the last couple of weeks! If any wedding guests leave them on the table, there will be trouble!!! xxx