Hey Ho and Away We Go!

Chelsea Buns

Really really busy packing and sorting for our 6 week trip to the UK. We leave on Saturday and I have sooooo much to do. So before I go, I'd like to leave you with this yummy recipe from my friend Kate. I'm just going to have to make it just one more time before Saturday, despite the mountain of jobs I have waiting. Will bring them into Kindy on S's last day, Friday. It'll be a treat for the teachers as they are sooooo delicious. I had so many projects I wanted complete before leaving, but this trip has descended upon us so quickly....and boy do we need a holiday. We've not really had a decent one since arriving here over 4 years ago. We've just had the odd weekend away here and there. So this is long awaited and much deserved. A has been working like a trojan and I've been doing the usual frantic Mummy thing. I will try and post while I'm away as we are bringing the laptop. But I warn you, it will probably be just photos of my shopping. But that won't be dissappointing, fingers crossed. Any of you gals from the South of England have any recommendations for fabric/craft/wool shops PLEASE do let me know. We will be based around Brighton/Worthing area and will be doing day trips into London.


Here's the recipe scribbled onto a beautiful recipe card from my friend Glenda's Phoenix Trading. I think you should be able to read it once you've enlarged the photo. Anyhoo, happy blogging fellow bloggeroonies and looking forward to keeping up with your projects from the 'other side'. xx

A FO at last!

A Child's Cornish-Style Sweater - Pattern Notes

I knitted this sweater/jumper in 8ply Turkish cotton with 3.75mm needles. The pattern actually called for 4ply and 3.25mm needles. So I did some swatching and managed to get the correct tension of 22st and 30 rows (10cm x 10cm). I can't tell you much about the pattern/designer as I photocopied the pattern from a library book and failed to note down the title or author of the book - opps!

This 'Gansey' pattern was really fun to knit as it gives the opportunity to practice some different stitches and techniques. There is ribbing, cable, moss and grille stitch. The front and back are exactly the same. You leave the shoulders and neck stitches live and then come back and knit them together using a third needle. Quite simple once I got the hang of it. You then use a circular need to knit the ribbed collar.

Any modifications? I added an extra 5cm to both the sleeve and body length. All my children are long-limbed and have a long torso. If I was going to re-do it again I would have made the neck very slightly smaller. But overall I'm quite happy with the outcome. The cotton will machine wash nicely and will be light enough for the warmer weather we are looking forward to in a couple of weeks (off to the UK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

Made some really yummy things over the long weekend. Eaten far too many of them - about to go and get another to accompany my cup of tea. Will share soon.

Savoury Pinwheel Scones

You can't say better than this....here I am sitting on my comfy couch, writing a post listening to Chris Moyles on my brand spanking new laptop! AND the kids are out with their Dad getting some fresh air. Now I have just sat down after 1 1/2 hours of clearing up the dump that was my house. So I do feel quite justified having a bit of space for myself. Oh and did I say I was drinking a very yummy cup of coffee. Since my friend Kate has returned from the UK - she has introduced a love of real coffee! Naughty but nice!

Well as you can see by the title of my post and if you take a little glimpse of the photo below, you'll realise I've been a-busy a-baking again. Thanks to Liz who camp up trumps with the recipe for me after putting up with me for a good couple of months of badgering her for it. I tasted her lovely cheesey hamy scrolly delights at the school's local teddy bears picnic and I new I had to have this recipe for myself. I have struggled with making scrolls in past and this is my best attempt to date.

2 cups flour

2 heaped tsp baking powder

1 tsp mustard powder

salt n pepper

4 tsp butter

50g tasty (mature) cheddar

3/4 cup trim milk

filling: 100g ham, 100g tasty (mature) cheddar

• set oven for 220C
• sift flour, baking powder, mustard powder and s n p
• rub in butter and cheese
• gradually add milk using knife
• knead gently
• roll out to form rectangle
• slice ham into ribbons and spread over scone mixture and cover with cheese
• roll up and cut into 8
• place on greased oven tray and bake for 20m or until golden
• ENJOY!!!

My three monkeys loved them! These are great lunch box fillers! I'm thinking of substituting the ham with marmite as we are a family of marmite lovers. Hope you all are having a fab weekend!

PS - I hope you're trying some of these recipes Carina. After getting your cups you've got no excuse honey!

Baby Eva

I just had to share these photos of my gorgeous little niece. She lives with her Mummy and Daddy in the UK with the rest of our family. I was chuffed to bits to receive these photos of baby Eva wearing the gifts I knitted. Isn't she gorgeous!

Cornish Knitting and Tomato Relish

Life is just so busy. I can't imagine how some of you Mums get time to produce so much. This weekend was full of a mass organisation of childrens' clothing. The weather seems to have skipped autumn and it's now winter for sure! So it's time to dig out the winter clothes.

Now, clothes really annoy me, I know we need them and all that. Perish the thought of walking around starkers. But washing them, hanging them out, bringing them back in again, discovering and treating stains, folding them, ironing them (doesn't happen often in my house), putting them away, putting them in storage - GOSH!!!! Anyway I spent my 'me-time' sorting the childrens' wardrobe. Making piles for the Plunkett sale (children's clothes/toys bring and buy type thing), piles of summer clothes for the UK (we have a 6 week holiday back there mid June), piles for the opp shop and piles for storage for next summer. JOY!

Today I've thought a lot about my lovely Gran from Cornwall who taught me to knit and crochet. It would have been her 92nd birthday today. Well here's the progress made on my Cornish jumper for little E. I'm determined to finish it this week.

Tomato Relish

Some slightly over-ripe tomatoes caught my eye at the fruit and vege shop and I remembered Monique's tomato relish recipe. So I bought up large and spent yesterday evening simmering up the above ingredients (plus white vinegar) in a big pot. And it is truly YUMMY!!!!! Had some with cheese and crackers this afternoon and was really pleased with the outcome. Do pop over to her lovely blog and check out the recipe.

Off to enjoy an evening of knitting while watching Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters - excellent.

PS - did anyone else think that Adam from American Idol was totally robbed?

PPS - What is it with the spacing in blogger - I cannot change my linespacing. arrrghhhh!

I actually won something really cool!

I can't believe it.....I won the giveaway on Sue's hilarious blog "Dollytub Cottage". You must stop by and treat yourself to giggle or two,- my visits there truly brighten my day. I am going to be the proud owner of one of these...

...a Cath Kidston Tesco shopping bag. As an English gal living down under, I am chuffed beyond measure! I soooo miss Tescos (sad I know!) and Cath Kidston stuff is kinda hard to come by here in NZ. So I'm made up! Thank you Sue!!!

Well - I've amended my dodgy looking flower, sorry about the glarey photo. I'm currently in a knitting frenzy trying to finish the Cornish Style Jumper before E is too big to wear it.

Oh and guess who arrived to join the family today?

This adorable mini lop-eared bunny sits in the palm of your hand. He is currently adjusting to his new environment, so eager Es has to wait before she can handle him. I will post more cute pictures of this bundle of fluff very soon. He hasn't been given his name yet...but the contenders are...Skippy, Pixie, Thumper and Ziggy. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks for all your comments - I do love to read them!

Flowery Fun!

With the cold, dark evenings drawing in I am enjoying some crochet snuggled under a fluffy blanket in front of the tellie. The flower pattern is from Luce's colourful blog at attic 24 and the hearts are from here. I'm thinking of making a bunting for Es' bedroom with these. I've used up left over cotton, but am running out. So will have to add that to my shopping list. Do you think I should keep to the same sort of palette of pastels or do you think I could throw in some brights? The flowers are not perfect.....in actual fact I've just realised why the purple flower looks slightly odd. There are only 5 inner petals and there should be 6. Oh well, will have to fix that otherwise it'll annoy me.

I have actually used this crochet flower pattern before. Remember this?

With the cold, dark evenings drawing in I am enjoying some crochet snuggled under a fluffy blanket in front of the tellie. The flower pattern is from Luce's colourful blog at attic 24 and the hearts are from here. I'm thinking of making a bunting for Es' bedroom with these. Well off to sort out that rather sad looking purple flower....ho hum!