Next up on the needles

I know, I know.. I still haven't shown you what is on the needles right now. Maybe you don't even believe me when I tell you I'm knitting a skirt. I can't say I blame you for that. Well the skirt is nearing its end and when I finish I'll get some pictures of it on me. Right now it is just a big blob of grey (sidenote: I got so confused when Ravelry told me the colour was gray, I was certain it was spelled with an e and not an a. Out came the dictionary and it turns out we are both right. Ravelry is American and thus spells it with an a, I favour a British spelling (got it?) and thus use an e, end of sidenote).

Today I spent 7 hours in my LYS keeping my mum company while she was working. It meant that the yarn for my next big project came home with me. I am going to knit pants.  Ah yes, you read that right! Pants, as in trousers, as in a lot of sts. I can't wait.  But what happened to getting rid of the stash you might ask?! Well, remember that I had that grey and purple yarn? I am going to use those. The grey will be hold together with this lace wonder from Drops:


I am not really a fan of Drops' yarns in general, as a lot of them have man made fibres in them and I am a) allergic and b) a snob. But this wonder is 70% baby alpaca and 30% mulberry silk, who doesn't love that?
Here is a snapshot of the grey it will go with:


I do have those other left overs and they are calling to me and giving me a sense of guilt. I have tried left and right to gather ideas, could this go with that, to make this? or how about this for that? But no luck and now I've had it. So I got this today: 


A baby knitting book! And I can't wait to get going and using up all my leftovers. I don't have a clue who will get the items, but a baby will pop up or rather out again, they always do.
First on my baby knitting list is this cute set, a cardigan and pants.


I may also make a few of these...


And these are so stinking cute!


What is next on your needles?

First tomato harvest of the year



There is nothing like it. The taste of tomatoes matured by the sun. And the smell, the glorius indescripable smell, it smells of summer and clear skies and sun, plenty of sun. Then there is the texture,    soft, but firm. The feeling when your teeth brake the skin and the juice enters your mouth. oh and the taste, the glorius taste, unlike any tomato you can buy. You haven't ever tasted a tomato, really tasted one, until yo have had one fresh from the plant. And finally the expectation of the bounty that is about to hit you.    

Cornflakes crunchies

This is traditionally a Christmas snack in my family, but when I found some cornflakes left over from Christmas in my mum's cabinet I knew I had to make some. I am not a fan of processed foods and we are moving more and more away from them, but this treat, I think, will always be a part of our lives.

It is very simple to make and fun to do with children, taking care to teach them that water baths make for hot, hot bowls.

Get some good chocolate, the better the chocolate the better the treat in the end. I used 200g.
melt it slowly in a water bath, there is a science to this but I have never learned it and mine always turn out great.




When fully melted it is time to add in the cornflakes. We use the cheapest possible kind, but try to get one that isn't too loaded with sugar.


By adding the cornflakes in a little at the time, you ensure to get the maximum amount in, without having cornflakes that aren't covered in chocolate. The chocolate i the glue of this treat so make sure they are all coated in it.

The next step is to form the crunchies and place them on some baking paper on baking trays. I like using two table spoons, make sure the cornflakes are all connected and make the crunchies so that you can eat them in a bite or two, otherwise it can get messy, especially with kids.


Now you put the trays somewhere cool and wait for them to become solid, this is the hardest part according to my man. You can satisfy impatient husbands and children by letting them lick the bowl, just remember that it can, as mentioned, be very hot.  

And the winnner is...

With just one entry, the lucky winner is the ever awesome Katie aka antarastar on Ravelry!

I hope she will enjoy the pattern and I look forward to see how her headband or hat turns out if she decides to make it.

At the moment I am trying to walk that fine line of promoting my product, but not doing it too much. I have been turned off from so many blogs because they started to lack content or what content they had was centered arround their product. I will strive not to fill up my corner of the interwebs with adds for myself, but I will also continue to tell you about what I make. I hope to strike a happy medium.

rip it, rip it...

Being home is amazing. Yesterday I finally got to spend the day just laying in the garden reading all day long. 150 pages and I am not a fast reader. Today I plan to do the same and tonight we are going to an outdoors concert.  Ahh, those long lazy summer days.
But all is not play. I am working on a new pattern. For now I'm working with leftovers, it is less than optimal, but it is also a fun challenge. Maybe someday I'll be able to go out and buy the yarn I want for a project I have in mind, but right now I can't.
Instead I find something that is speaking to me. It sounds silly, I know, but when I see it and touch it, I get this feeling that it wants to be something. While holding it in my hands I try to figure out what it wants to be. I have to think about how much I have, if I have something else that would go with it etc.
Then I pick up needles. This is when the frogging party is about to begin. Sometimes it feels like I'm frogging more than I'm actually knitting. The thing I'm working on right now has already been frogged twice. Then it was put away for a day and today I will pick it up and frog some of it again. I don't mind the frogging too much. I learn something from it every time, but sometimes I need a few days between working on it.
I write down what I do as I go, and every time I'm happy with a section I write it on the computer. The project I'm currently working on is a new challenge as I'm planning to offer more than one size.
It is interesting to see where my mind leads me, from casting on to casting off. But what I really like is that there isn't a deadline, which I have to meet. I don't have to work on it if I don't feel like it, ensuring that the projects stay labours of love and not of need or guilt.
It is very exciting to have finally taken the jump and started this micro business and the download numbers for my 2 free patterns have taken me by surprise. So if you are one of those hundreds of people who have downloaded one of them, I thank you.
I can't wait to see where this will go in the future.



Giveaway reminder

Just a heads up on the giveaway! It's the perfect time of year to do a little light winter knitting as it is only a small project. It is also a great stash buster as it takes up less than 100g. So far no one has entered, so your chances of winnning are great.