Flowers, reeds, leaves, berries. Rainham Marshes. A quiet weekend. The sound of cows as they tell each other lazy tales across the fields. Dinner with friends, dancing sheep (Countryside Live, an event here) and even a spot of knitting. All in all, a pleasant weekend. Fingers crossed, this week will follow suit. ...
This week has had lots of ups and downs, but we're very nearly at Friday already which is a good thing. Work can wait over the weekend. This is my new mantra, it's rather liberating for someone used to working 8 - 8, 7 days a week! But, all things in moderation. Even chocolate. And knitting. And so, after lots of evenings filled...
EVERYTHING is better with nougat. Huge, giant slabs of it. Cut into itty bitty bite-sized pieces. Om nom. And so, that was yesterday. I made nougat, with pistachios and almonds - lightly roasted, gently chopped. Whipped sugar syrup that forms boiled sweets if you drop bits on a plate to check the soft-crack stage. A giant, foaming nougat base in your Kenwood Mixture...
This isn't the first time I've found myself writing about cephalopods, or chuckling about the built-in autocorrect who has tried twice to correct cephalopods to hydrocephalus. He's still a knit-in-progress, but is very nearly full-sized. A few more rows, and I'll be narrowing down the mantle and adding fins. And then done. His eyes arrived this week; they could - and should be...
You know how sometimes everything is kinda themed? I noticed that my desk is full of foxes. This is a little "thank you" card I got out this morning. Looking foxy. And inside that little greeny blue paper bag? A Fantastic Mrs Fox that I bought as a gift while at The Fringe Arts in Cape Town. It's a small but wonderful little shop...
A quiet weekend: an opportunity to bake cakes and to finish off small tasks. Buttons sewn on the Esme Top. Cuffs puffed. Knitting put aside until large plastic safety eyes arrived. Yes, you were right: I'm knitting a giant squid. It's a small one (about 40cm tall from mantle to grasping tentacles ala Hansi Singh's fantastic book) but I already have aspirations to knit...
Sometimes, all you need to do is sit down and knit. It uses up your stash yarn (which really, means that you're actually tidying up - sensible, isn't it?). It soothes and calms your mind after a long, long, long day at work. It makes trips on the Underground go so much quicker. And in the end, you have something wonderful to show for...
I'm back! Thank you for all of your wonderful messages, thoughtful comments and encouraging emails. I appreciate every single good wish and positive thought. There hasn't been much change in my little cousin's condition, but we are ever-hopeful, and we are all being strong. It's funny how there really is no place like home. After flying for 12 hours straight, it feels as...
