Snow, Swanson, Seed Catalogues and Stocking stitch

The snow came back. This time properly.  The wind blew drifts that closed the roads and sealed us neatly and tightly into our little old house. It was like a big soft white wooly scarf was wrapped right round it.  The fire crackled, we were warm and cosy and it felt a bit like the Christmas holidays all over again. 

Before you knew it, seed catalogues and reading books were out and knitting needles were dancing again.  Promised half done projects got finished and new ones started.  

Knitting:

• Bergen cowl by Carrie Bostick Hoge
• La La Simple Shawl by Laura Linneman
• Chunky tweedy pullover, copied from an old favourite 
• Finished long promised leg warmers and mitts
• Working test swatches with vintage wool 

Reading: 

• Her Every Fear, by Peter Swanson, 2017... Enjoying this easy to read thriller. The first of his novels that I've read and I like his uncluttered use of words. 
• Pouring over new seed catalogues. Sarah Raven's is always a favourite even though some edible flower seeds I bought didn't germinate. It's such a pretty one. Chiltern Seeds too... 

I'm joining Ginny Sheller for her yarn along link up...

are you coming too? debx  (you can link over to her here

January...Where did you go to?

Looking back January was a bit of a blur of feeling ill, and 
mindless tv viewing of a million box sets. Wishing that instead of snoozing on the sofa and drinking juice and ginger tea, that I was in the garden digging and planting. Of knitting a randomly striped sweater inspired by the little urchin in the film about Hugo Cabret. In-between a spot of driving over more than one bridge to visit some of my favourite people. Of making the scrummiest basil and tomato soup, thanks to my very own baby's recipe.

Now it's February and we've had snow and rain and sun and showers. Sometimes all in one day.  The hellebores are blooming and the snow drops are out. We've had  Pancake and then Valentines day, and even Chinese New Year but didn't manage to celebrate any of them.  Soon another month will have flown by and we'll be spring cleaning for Persian New Year...

But I have decided to slow down a bit this month. The second half. To be kind to myself and keep telling that little voice in my head that things don't matter and I can take a few short-cuts. Sort out my seeds and send for those nice seed catalogues that I'm always too late to send for. To sometimes just stop working and make sure that I don't miss the next little buds as they peep out. To go and say hello to the sheep down the lane...

...or just sometimes sit down by the fire and read a book...and not feel even the teeniest bit guilty...

Reading: 

• The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry. A gothic novel set in the marshlands of Essex. Strong women, fossils, folklore, mud and overcoats.
• Leaf by Niggle, J. R.R. Tolkien. A sweet short story that I could relate to. A late birthday gift from my acorn and her larger oak. 

Making and baking: 

• Ahmad made bread and I made pastry
• A bit of a plum celebration, regular short crust pastry open tart and my new obsession, tarte tatin.  
• Bagel sandwiches with cold nut roast and homemade cranberry sauce - feeling glad for stock of nut roasts in the freezer
• Pancakes... somehow they always seem to bring a smile to my face

Recipes:

Hannah's awesome tomato soup

Ingredients:

• Five large ripe tomatoes
• Two red onions, chopped finely
• One carrot(not peeled, chopped finely
• Three tablespoons of olive oil
• Three minced garlic cloves
• One tsp of sugar (or alternative e.g. honey/maple syrup
• One tsp of tomato puree
• A quarter of a cup of chopped basil leaves
• Three cups of vegetable stock
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Cook the onions in the olive oil until caramelised.
2. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, stirring to ensure that they don't burn.
3. Add all the other ingredients including the hot stock. Stir well, bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for thirty or forty minutes until everything is tender. Blend and then reheat if necessary     

As February winds it's way home, I hope that you can make a little time for yourself too. Getting ready to say hello to March and  then spring and all the gorgeous things that it promises... dx

On the road...

"Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase, it the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things it will come and sit softly on your shoulder..." Thoreau 

There are just thirty five stitches for the needles to work, for the yarn to meander in and out and keep my itchy fingers busy when I'm in the passenger seat. I'm knitting another simple garter stitch scarf. This time in Icelandic Lopi yarn to match Ahmad's Cobblestone Pullover. Perfect timing for Hannah's invitation to help with the move, basement to attic. From up on the hill, down to the creative Bohemian quarter. 

When there wasn't enough room in the car for bookcases and me, I happily inhabited a big comfy armchair and borrowed a copy of Walden from the bookcase. What with Thoreau, knitting, ginger beer and Swedish ginger biscuits it felt like the butterfly was comfortably perched on my shoulder. 

We even had time for a lunch at my favourite friendly Bristolian. 

I don't have a recipe for crunchy Danish ginger biscuits but this is an old family recipe for fairings which are traditional Cornish ginger biscuits. They are named after the edible treats that were traditionally sold at English fairs:-

Ginger Fairings

Ingredients:

• 6oz of Self Raising flour
• 3oz of golden caster sugar
• 2tsp of ground ginger
• 4oz of butter
• 1tbs of syrup
• A pinch of bicarbonate of soda

Method:

1. Prepare a baking try by oiling and preheat the oven to 275-300c/140-150f
2. Melt the butter and syrup in a saucepan
3. Sieve the dry ingredients into the melted butter and mix well.
4. Roll  teaspoons full of the mixture in the palms of your hands to make little balls.
5. Place on the baking tray and cook for 15 to 20 minutes using the bottom shelves in the oven.

joining ginny and nicole...
...coming?

debx

yarn along - Free Mittens for Mum Pattern - Erika Knight

"Pappy and my father sat side by side on the swing, it's rusted chains squeaking as they rocked gently. Gran and my mother shelled butter beans and peas on the other side of the old porch. I was lounging on the top step, within earshot of the radio...waiting with the adults for the heat to finally relent. I missed the steady hum of the old fan..." The Painted House, John Grisham

Well my sock plan went a bit topsy turvey. I'd packed the yarn away. All the projects I was working on squashed into my old well travelled leather suitcase, ready for a long weekend in London. Twice as much yarn as clothes. Imagine all the knitting I'd be able to do away from home, with no decorating to even think about. I might even be able to squeeze in a visit to Liberty or Portobello road, or (with a slight ulterior motive) to my sister who lives a stones throw from this amazing yarn shop. 

Then it happened again. The first day in London, I came down with the flu or some horrible virus and I couldn't do a thing. I tried and kept knitting. But I unravelled as many rows as I knitted. Sitting curled up on the sofa in my sister-in-law's flat with a pounding head and a barking cough, a mug of lemon and honey close at hand, I kept making mistakes and the yarn was dark and the needles tiny. I couldn't see when I dropped a stitch. Eventually after I dropped one too many, I gave up and resorted to plan B and bought socks. I'm so sorry I didn't manage to make them but my brain was a bit addled with the germs and I couldn't get my head round the wrap and turn again...I don't know where that sudden aversion has come from...It's also stopped me finishing Ahmad's Cobblestone sweater...I really need to get a grip of myself.  I've made tons of those socks before...Really deb...Get a hold, and pull your socks up!

For now, it's easy peasy baby steps. I'm making simple fingerless mitts using a lovely free pattern by Erika Knight. They are made in the softest Blue Faced Leicester wool. They take two sweet little 25g balls. Hopefully they are the first of a number of stocking fillers. This pair a long overdue gift. It took me ages to decide on the colour. I did quite a bit of cyber stalking. Checking instagram photos to try and decide. Would my long distance friend favour grey or blue, maybe bright red or orange. Not a clue. Maybe 'milk' a subtle winter white, but it was out of stock. Finally I fell across the perfect colour. It was all in the name. 'Gift' a pale honey colour. 

I'm still on the porch in Arkansas when it comes to books. It's a slow read so far but I know that will change very soon, so I keep on reading. 

I'm joining ginny and nicole this week,
coming?

yarn along

SOCKS...I made so many pairs last year that the pattern was indelibly ingrained in my mind. I've promised to make some for a kind blogger friend whose organised a thoughtful project... I need some too...The first pair is on the needles. I'm using some randomly died sock yarn from here because it's a cool colour and because it's 75% wool and 25% polyamide, nice and soft but won't wear too quickly. I go through tons of socks...all that running about in stocking feet. The pattern is my favourite Quickie Socks in The Joy of Sox (love that title). 

My annabel pullover's almost finished and I can't wait to start wearing it. Just one more sleeve to knit and thread in those pesky yarn ends. Like the annabel cardigan, the garter stitch makes it a little bulky and because of the boxy unshaped body, it's not the most flattering sweater. But it's going to be so cosy and comfy to wear. It took hardly any time to make  and half the amount of yarn I expected...so there's lots spare...Just think how many socks I could make...

There's been little time for reading lately except for catching up on friends' blogposts. Oh and Hannah's  latest article about the Bristol school of artists on The State of the Arts magazine where she's the Museums, Galleries and Exhibition section Editor.

In  the beginning :: the Bristol School of Artists

photo credit: Hannah Emadian

I'm proud of my little bean...

Best get knitting those socks in time for Thanksgiving.

I'm joining with ginny and nicole to share projects.
Are you coming along for a peek?
debx