Sunday 19 June 2011

I was wrong!

I did not think my next project was going to be curtains as you can see from my previous posting! However a pair of stripy nautical curtains it is.

These are for our sometime weekend retreat in lovely Suffolk.We are fed up with being woken up at the crack of dawn with sunlight streaming through at the weekend, don' t get me wrong, I love the sunlight but not at 5.30am so we popped off to a fabric shop in Felixstowe ( I also took the opportunity to have a look in a couple of charity shops!) . I chose this ticking material because I really like utility fabrics and  it looked like it should be in a home beside the sea! I am going to line them with blackout lining which should  do the trick....lay ins at the weekend...hooray...

What a  weekend it was dodging the  heavy showers, particularly on Saturday, however we were not to be put off and we went to the Owl sanctuary at Stonham Barns near Stowmarket. It was  interesting to see the different owls and eagles they have there, but I would have liked to know more about their rescue work with the owls, still, a very worthwhile charity.

Sunday 12 June 2011

mmmm...blackcurrants from the allotment

I remember, when I was a teenager living in North Bedfordshire, my friend Frances and I went blackcurrant picking. What I remember most, was how back breaking picking blackcurrants was, for very little pay! It was brought to mind when I was picking my very own blackcurrants on the allotment. I managed to pick 1.2kg from my one bush and there is at least another 2kg to pick once they ripen. The next step was to convert them into gorgeous blackcurrant jam, which I did with the following recipe:
 Simmer 900g  of blackcurrants in 570ml of water for about 30mins until tender. Add 1.23g of warmed sugar.
dissolve the sugar over a low heat and then boil rapidly for about 10 mins.
Test for setting by spooning a little jam onto a cold plate (place 2 or 3 small plates in the freezer compartment beforehand) let it cool and  when pushed with your finger it crinkles, it is set. If not just boil again for a few minutes and try again. Leave to cool for 15 mins then ladle into warmed sterilised jars.
Voila, home made bread and jam....mmmmmm delish!

My next project, (once I have finished knitting some gorgeous socks in really pretty wool which is designed to knit up looking like Fair Isle, and it does,) is going to be made in the following fabrics:
but I am not saying what the project is, not yet, watch this page!

Friday 3 June 2011

where have I been....

actually no where but I have been so busy I haven't had time to blog! What have I been doing I hear you ask. Well, when I wasn't on the allotment tending the vegetables and weeding, I finished making Joni and Poppie's ice skating costumes and they looked fabulous. The girls looked really lovely with them on.
I finished making Andy this pullover in a really nice organic cotton yarn in a colour called runner bean!
I have a stash of lovely fabrics and made some pretty bags from it, filled them with dried lavender and tied them  with ribbon and lace. I love these and they smell divine, perfect to put in drawers or fabric / wool stashes!
I have also just finished knitting a cable cushion that I had made the front ages ago and hadn't got round to finishing, I just need to sew it up and then plonk it on one of my sofa's. I am also in the process of making myself a waistcoat in a colour called bone in organic cotton. Just needs stitches picking up round the armholes  and voila!