My head is too muddled to cope with intriguing plots or complex patterns but I can find calm in the rhythm of the needles slipping in and out, the looping of wool, pulling the stitch off the needle then beginning the whole process all over again. Remembering my grandmother, little nanny Boardman chanting as she taught me to knit: "in, over, out, through...off..."
So the sock drawer will soon be full. I use the "Quickie Socks" pattern adapted from one in this book, over and over again. Just a simple plain rib, not even the off-set-rib of the pattern. I make them a little longer than the it suggests for toasty snuggly, slipping through the house socks.
I have little time for reading so I'm selective. Still learning about the trials and tribulations this man endured to be known as 'Africa's first freedom fighter'. And have at last picked up Nigel Slater's 'eat' that I got for Christmas and actually started reading it. And it is readable. The name says it all, non fussy fast good food. The recipes are written in the way that I'd jot one down on the back of an envelope for a friend. They are listed under the following headings:
- In the hand
- In a bowl
- In the frying pan
- On the grill
- On the hob
- Little stews
- In the oven
- Under a crust
- In a wok
- On a plate
- Puddings
Simple...those headings say it all. But of course there's a healthy serving of his wit at the beginning of each chapter as he reminisces about his first frying pan, or favourite soup or how he sometimes uses shop bought pastry. I love it...even the book is lovely, backed in tactile woven mustard fabric. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet but I think it's going to get very well used this year. I'll let you know how I get on...
...I wonder who taught you to knit?
One of my favorite pass times is to sit and read cookbooks and since I already adore Nigel I know I would love his book.
ReplyDeleteI need to throw some sock knitting in my bag for when I am out and about, hand knit socks are always a wonderful item to have don't you think?
I adore him too Tracey. I've only had a quick scan through so far but it looks like my kind of food with lots of vegetable and grains.
ReplyDeleteI love hand knitted socks and when I've stocked up for the family I'm going to take a leaf out of Karen't book and start making some for Christmas presents. I'm starting early this year. New years resolution...
Oh, Debby, I love your blog. So warm and cozy and beautiful! I must see if I can find a copy of 'eat'. It sounds wonderful. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. That's very kind of you to say.
DeleteHave a cool week,
deb
What a book! I'm looking for that one next time I'm in a book store, hopefully this weekend. I am eagerly looking forward to a simpler life once the kids leave. It's been quite hectic!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a nice restful weekend Karen.
DeleteHappy New Year! Isn't 'eat' amazing? The only thing about it is the binding means it won't stay flat on the countertop without a tin of chickpeas or similar weighing it down, but that's a small flaw. I'm amazed that you find knitting socks therapeutic and simple - I find knitting very calming, but only if it involves one row of plain stitch after another!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried working with it yet Lucy...hopefully soon. Fortunately it's a pattern that I've made a few times recently so it's quite well embedded in my muddled brain.
DeleteI love flipping through cookbooks--I'm putting Eat on my 2014 list (I hope it is available here). Socks are my favorite thing to knit. I love simple, small portable knitting projects that make something cozy and useful. The print in your photo (is it on a note card?) is such a lovely winter scene. : )
ReplyDeleteI hope you find it Susan. Socks just seem right for me to make at the moment. The card is lovely. It's actually one of the Christmas card's from a friend that I couldn't let go just yet. It's from the Ashmolean an amazing museum of art and archaeology that we have in Oxford. The image is from a wood engraving called 'London Snow' by the Scottish artist, Iain Macnab of Barachastian (1890 - 1967) I think it looks contemporary. I may have to find a small frame for it.
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend
deb
Thank you for sharing the artist's information. I love wood engravings (and linocuts, too). 'London Snow' is definitely frame worthy. : ) Wishing you a happy weekend.
DeleteThis book looks interesting I hope impatient than you cook some of his recipes.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend ... or not , I wach on tv that have seen a very very bad weather.
Thank you Montse. At the moment it's very cold but lovely and sunny with no rain. We are nice and snug and dry. The main road into town was closed for a few days because of flooding but I think it's open again now.
DeleteHave a lovely weekend too.
debx
Thank you for the book recommendation. Amazon let me see quite a bit of it, and now I'll have to see if I can get it from the library.
ReplyDeleteMy mother's family is from Oxford! We went a couple of years ago (2007?) and I'm relatively sure we went to the Ashmolean. It was pouring rain when we went to leave, so we wandered around inside a little longer hoping the rain would slow. It didn't. No real surprise there. I adore Oxford, and am glad it was the first non-US place my boys visited.
Hi Amey, you're welcome. That's a coincidence about Oxford, shame about the rain though. Next time you should visit the Pitt RIvers museum too. Your boys would love it in there. When we visit there I always imagine that Indiana Jones will run around a corner any minute!
ReplyDelete