It's raining today. I have a pot of tea with me, and I'm working my way through some intensive documentation for a client. What better way to take a break than to reflect on some happy stitching from this last week? And - lo! a Wednesday WIP post on a Wednesday? My, things are getting better around here.


I've finished the mint stripe on my Up & Away balloon. I love this stripe. It's not only marks the half-way mark on the balloon (not counting the bazillion rays of sunshine that go in the background, of course), it also marks a happy deviation from the pattern which turned out exactly how I had imagined it. While stitching in my mint green, I also recklessly abandoned the dots in between each star's top point which was supposed to be done in yellow and caramel brown. I think that the green is very light, and it just stands out as it is against the pink and yellow stars. I didn't want to complicate it with dots. That also meant that I had to go back and fill in stars where I'd skipped a block for the brown, but that wasn't too bad.


Okay, not all my stitches go the same way. That's mainly due to the stop-and-start nature of the project (I'd like to think). I really like the mint against the warm cocoa brown bunting, like an Aero Mint chocolate feast for the eyes. What an excellent pairing. Ho hum.


In between my stitching, I also cut out the appliqué letters for that bunting project I mentioned. Traced, applied, cut, ironed and voila. We have names. The bunting's going to need another ironing to straighten up those edges, though.


Here's the "boy bunting". I still really like this fabric, it's very cheery. The robots look like they're doing the hokey pokey.


This is my favourite square. Once I've finished sewing up all of the squares, I'm going to stitch around the appliqué letters in a matching thread and neaten it up.

We're off to Paris next weekend. I'm beside myself with excitement.

Winter is here. This weekend, the temperature dropped to a chilly 3'C. I spent most of the weekend faffing about in the lounge, picking up sewing bits, rearranging piles of fabrics, and trying not to let my winter sniffles develop into 'flu.

I also took a pattern from my favourite bag and sewed all the pieces together; it worked like a dream. I discovered that pattern-making isn't so bad, and that using the wrong fabric can be terrible for the final product. I used thick canvas-like cotton that I bought at the market. After cutting the edges, it frayed horribly and all the pieces were just slightly smaller than I wanted them to be. Ah well, I shall have to buy a little spot of oh-so-nice fabrics for more testing, won't I? At least the pattern turned out well.


There are some nice things about winter. I like being warm, inside, while it's cold outside. I like drinking hot tea and warming up from the inside. I like warm colours and snuggly blankets and snow. This will be my fourth snowy winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and I'm looking forward to snow balls, snow men, and that crunchy snowy underfoot noise you get as you traipse around in piles of soft white fluff. In Cape Town, this time of year is all about cocktails on the beach, swimming in the summer sun and enjoying braais outside with friends. I have snow. I'm not jealous. Not much, anyway.

The other thing I like about winter is warming up with hearty loaves of breads, homemade soups, and chutneys.


I suppose chutney is an all-year-round conserve, but I rather like the warmth of a good spoon of chilli chutney on a good hunk of steaming hot bread in the dead of winter. So, after realising that winter had hit, I gathered my fruits and vegetables, chopped them up into decent-sized chunks, and cooked them all into a thick, treacle-coloured chutney which managed to fill up four jam jars. With red spotted lids, I kid you not.


I love the hearty colours and eclectic ingredients that went into my delicious weekend chutney: oranges, chillies, apples, the hugest onion ever seen by man (a 600g whopper), dates, walnuts and a handful of chopped tomato cubes. Not to mention malt vinegar and muscovado sugar. It's funny how all of the Autumn colours melted down together to form a rich treacle brown - like a secret supply of autumn that's just a spoonful away when you're feeling glum in the white coldness of winter.

Yesterday was frantic. In fact, this week has been frantic and hectic and all things -ic. But sometimes, in amidst all the frenetic to-and-fro you have a moment.


This was my moment. I was walking to our Knit & Natter, a little late, had just come off of the sardine-packed tube, and was being pulled along the pavement with the crowds. The sky was lit up like a lightly toasted marshmallow with a roasty spires and trees burnt into the bit where you've gone too close to the fire. The twinkling car lights and street lamps instantly reminded me so much of the glow worms we used to get in the bottom of our garden when I was very little. It was like looking at the world with warm, rose-tinted glasses.

I stopped to take a picture and lo! somehow, everything just stopped for a second.

You'd never know that there was a queue of buses behind me, that people were shoving and shouting as they competed to get on first. That I was just a little late for the start of the natter. That my phone was frantically ringing. That the taxis were honking and stopping willy nilly on the side of the road. Sometimes photos are nice like that - they leave off things you'd rather not have in a picture.

This week's WIP update is all about new beginnings. I was unexpectedly kept at a client all day yesterday so I wasn't able to make it a Wednesday WIP, but these things happen: I was updating you all in spirit. Promise.

The first new beginning of the week is the new Knit & Natter group!



An EEWI-inspired group, our first Knit & Natter met last night at The Crown Pub, E3. It was a very pretty pub, with couches and large tables and candles. The hostess was anxious (knitting in public tends to do that to people) and the drinks were ridiculously overpriced (£6 for a glass of wine!), but it was a nice venue for a cosy gathering. Together we knit in the round, admired knitted boot cuffs, used giant chunky needles to make a snood for a chilly moped-rider and got a few rounds done on a pebble. There were pug puppies, chatty locals and bar snacks too.

I rather brilliantly left my glasses in my laptop bag, so I ended up with twisted yarn (subsequently cut) and a frustrated bag strap which I think I may replace with something more durable and less knitted - like leather - so I'm afraid no photos this time. Next time we'll be trying out a new venue that has better lighting.

We had a good chat about UFOs - unfinished objects, which are sort-of discarded WIPs - and confessed that we all had them. In fact, that's why I started updating a weekly Work In Progress post so that I'd be motivated to get through some of my projects.

My worst UFO is my Noni-Knitalong Ruffle Coat which I started in January this year. I have very nearly finished it (two rows left, with buttons to sew on), but I just don't like it. Not one bit. I think when we get further into winter I may wish I had a comfy purple knitted coat with pink beaded ruffled sleeves, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I do have a plan to finish one of my UFOs soon though: last night at the K&N, the lovely Julie very kindly offered me some stuffing which I'm going to use to finish up my Moroccan Cross Stitch cushion! I'm really pleased about that.

But I digress. This post is about beginnings, not endings.


The second new beginning for the week is this: I'm making up a pattern for my very favourite cross-body sling bag. It's the kind of bag that everything fits into: books, notebooks, knitting - even a (small-ish) laptop, if you feel like carrying it. It has no lining, is double-sewn around the edges, and needs to be replaced thanks to a leaky blue pen that I can't seem to get out. At least you can't see the stain. I've cut out the pattern parts, and now I just have to go about figuring which one needs to be sewn first, and at what point I put the zip in if I want to add lining (do I? Hmm).



I really like this Cathedral Window Pincushion. I made it using this free pattern when I was learning how to sew and it has been well-used in the time since then! I like how colourful it all looks with the pearly pins sticking out of it and bits of embroidery floss strewn about. Organised chaos.


And the last new beginning for this week is a quick little project I'm making on request. I'm making two sets of bunting for two very lovely little people. This one, above, is for a girl.


This set is for a boy. This fabric is from the Makower Space range which I love love love. How can you not love rockets and spaceships and robots and swirly patterns in blue?



I'm going to appliqué their names on to the front of the bunting - and then pack them up and post them all the way to Sunny South Africa. I think that this may be one WIP that is finished sooner rather than later!

By the by, I just thought I'd explain some of those photographs with a small confession. I do a lot of work on the ironing board, mostly not ironing. It is such a good height, and it is a portable, practical little cutting table for small projects. So, an ironing board of some description usually features in my crafty projects as I always photograph them where they stand rather than arranging them. And, we have a few ironing boards. Things just happened that way. Phew.

It's been some time since I last posted a recipe here at bakercourt; it's something about baking regularly for other people, I think, that prevents you from putting anything in the oven for yourself other than dinner. This week, though, I made Abel & Cole's Breakfast Cookies, and I'm so glad I did.


They're not the most attractive biscuits I've ever had, but they're oh-so-delicious. They're like oat biscuits, filled with the deliciousness of dried fruit and nuts, and doubly delicious with the extra addition of a grated carrot.

And did I mention that they have no butter or eggs in them? My kind of biscuits.


Like I said - not the  most beautiful! I think if you added pumpkin seeds for green, and a sprinkling of grated carrot to the top of each biscuit, you'd end up with something akin to the photo on Abel & Cole's website. Don't let that put you off though; these are the most scrumptious breakfast biscuits ever. I made mine with walnuts, flaked almonds, roasted hazelnuts, dried dates and a spoonful of coconut. Mm.

Here's the recipe, from Abel & Cole.  By the by, you should also try their Rustic Irish Potato Bread and "anything goes" veggie fritters. Yum.

Ingredients:


125g wholemeal or spelt flour
150g jumbo porridge oats
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
a pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g dark or light brown sugar
4 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
1 large carrot or 2 medium-sized carrots, coarsely grated
100ml olive or coconut oil
100g chopped dried fruit (raisins, dates, apricots, mango and/or figs)
100g chopped nuts or seeds
Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Method:


1. Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

2. Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt to a big bowl. Mix well to ensure the baking soda and salt are evenly distributed. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix everything together.

3. Scoop by the tablespoon and press into rounds on an oiled baking sheet. Tidy up the edges. You'll probably get about a dozen per tray. If you don't want two batches, just freeze the rest of the mix for another day.

4. Bake for 10 mins, or till just starting to set and just picking up a little colour. They'll set to be soft and chewy like this. If you'd prefer them crisper, flip the cookies over and return to the oven for 3 mins or so to crisp up the bottoms.

5. Once cooked, they store nicely for a week in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

It was cold in Glasgow. We knew it would be, but still ... the cold surprised us. So did the hills. Glasgow undulates, and our hotel was located right at the top of the hill.


The hotel was neither here nor there, a strange little place at the top of some lofty stairs. The rooms were small but pricey, and they were relatively comfortable. A legacy of watching "The Hotel Inspector" made me instantly aware of minor defects - like a cracked bathroom tile, a chipped mirror, a peeling ceiling above the shower. The soap dish wasn't fastened properly to the wall which created a see-saw of soap suds if your balancing act was up to scratch, and the bed was pushed against the wall to afford walking space on one side. But, it had a certain Glaswegian charm which went hand-in-hand with the city.



We upped and walked from our side of the city to the otherside, ambling along long, windy roads and counting the pubs and the Greggs. Strangely, we passed seven Greggs within an hour. (Greggs is a bakery here, a kind of "London Pie" for those at home).


We also passed two American Candy stores selling giant lollipops, giant Lindt balls, American candy various and packets upon packets of sweets like milk bottles, vampire teeth, bon bons and sour coke bottles.


We stopped to listen to Clanadonia, an amazing Tribal Highland Band playing in Buchanan Street. They were incredible - it was really difficult to pull away from their drumming and carry on with our Glaswegian explorations. There were quite a few pipers along the way, but this band really stood out with their energy and amazing rhythm.


Incidentally, they were playing right outside Nelson Mandela Place. Trust the South Africans to find the biggest Madiba reference in Scotland.


The architecture was unusual with great, big lumbering installations (this is a peacock, by the by) climbing over ancient walls. There were fairy lights covering walkways, plenty of old buildings covered in scaffolding, lots of construction and cleaning, and lots of people. They just walk on, like they have somewhere better to be.


We stayed for two days. It rained on the first day, but that was fine. The sun peeped out for the second day which was a lovely addition to city walking.



I really like that the city has a strong sense of history and living energy. You can feel aeons of energy as you walk through the city; some of it is channelled into trouble with painted-black, uninviting pubs with angry grey-haired patrons blocking the doorways. Some of it is channelled into the most beautiful art, scattered across the city.


Most of the energy is channelled into keeping warm though. Brr.


We enjoyed a browse around Glasgow's fabulous fabric stores as well. Where else would you find a sequinned pink flamingo? This was in Mandors.


And good golly, a mermaid. I can't tell you how much I want this. This one was Remnant Kings, where I bought a teeny tiny bundle of blue and green patchwork fabrics as my Scottish Souvenir. One day they will make their way into a teeny tiny little quilt and I'll always remember my Glaswegian adventures.

No, there were no deep-fried Mars Bars. We talked about them. We ummed and ahhed. We agreed that if we saw one advertised, we'd share it between the four of us. But we didn't see a sign, and we didn't go into any chippies to ask if they might drop one in the fryer for us.


We did, however, see this sign advertising man crèche. And, because I was with three men, we had to go in and see what it was all about.


This is only one very small corner of the bar boasting 400 different kinds of whisky. The three of them stood in awe, amazed at the choice, wondering what to order (mainly because all they could think of was "Bells" - and you do not order that in any bar, never mind in a discerning whisky bar dedicated to the refinement of this famous Scottish drink).


This is a water tap. You can turn it to let out just a drop of water for your refined whisky drink. Thankfully we weren't at the bar long enough to start playing with drips. The bar keep was jolly knowledgeable and gave them each a whisky of their preference so we could sit down. I had a lemonade, and suffered the dishonoured glares of my male companions.

It's funny how this whole world is just a short flight away. Despite the one-hour-by-plane option, we've agreed that we'll drive back next year to see Highland Kyloes and enjoy the countryside a bit. Can't wait.

Wednesday seems to have come around awfully quickly this week. It has just gone 11pm, and I'm finally finishing up work for the day and have a cup of tea ready for my WIP update... and wouldn't-ya-know-it: it struck me, I haven't stitched this week. No, not even a half-cross stitch. Not a strand of embroidery floss or even the tip of a tapestry needle is to be found in the week that has just past.

I must admit, I had to look up "Ally Pally" when I received the information about the Knitting and Stitching Show. Where was this mystical place? What is a Pally? It turns out, it's really Alexandra Palace, the "People's Palace", built in 1863 in 196 acres of parklands. It has burned down a few times, been used extensively over the last 150 years for exhibitions, shows, theatrics and community events, and has even now got an all-year-round ice rink. There's your history lesson for this icy Saturday morning, and know we all know.


Yes, it's a spectacular building, and the view from up there is incredible - even on a cloudy, wet morning - but we were more interested in what was on the inside. 



Why hello, Knitting & Stitching Show. With EEWI ladies and knitting friends aplenty, we set out for a yarny adventure through the many halls of Ally Pally.


We admired the knitted village, complete with prize-winning fire station (and fire fighter brooches!), a Stratford-upon-Avon styled cottage, and a maypole.


My favourite knitting village entry was this little farm. Look at those knitted piggywigs in the top left!


We admired the handiwork of Mr X Stitch.


Here's a close-up. I love this piece - it's a brilliant use of juxtaposing materials (in function as well as ideologies!) and the colours are perfect. I love, love it. I really like Mr X Stitch's work, but this one bumped him up to a whole new league in my book.

And, when we were done admiring the "serious" straight-faced art...


... we frolicked with the dinosaurs who were all very welcoming and generally fun. How fabulous is that triceratops? And the bobble trim on the ankylosaurus!


Black Sheep Wools were on top form with their yarny bargains, as always. We stopped for a chat with some other WI-ers and all around us, knitters were frantically rummaging for bargains in the pile of yarny goodness. Some even seriously considered diving in. We saw women making off with armfuls of yarn they could barely carry, trying to decide the best way to get home.


I bought this: 10 balls of Sirdar Snuggly Kisses in Twinkle colourway. It happened upon my feet as we stood at the edge of the rummage pile and for £16.00, I thought it was quite good. It's a soft variable grey/white yarn that is going to find its way into a blanket, I think.


From another stall, I bought a strip of Makower Space Labels which I'm going to make into a string of bunting for somebody special who celebrated his 6th birthday this week.


I bought some cheery fat quarters as well. The stripes and strawberries are for appliqué purposes (watch this space for tea cosies!), and the coordinating floral fabrics are just to admire. Like you do. It's totally normal.


I also found a Simplicity sewing pattern for £4, which is quite reasonable (I like to think). We saw the dress on the left made up and on display (made out of a distinctly retro lime green and blue quilting-weight cotton) and I really, really wanted it. I don't like the lack of sleeves, so I would make the middle dress which is the same, but with little sleevelets. I like the fullness of the skirt and the length is just right. Of course, I've never sewn a full dress before, so this is one step closer towards achieving my new year resolution!


Our group split up as it tends to do at these large, busy shows and so the lovely Nikki and I hastened to the shortest tea-serving queue and ordered hot drinks. They happened to be accompanied by scones with clotted cream, which we ate gracefully on the floor of Ally Pally with about 100 other people who couldn't find seating.


There was plenty to look at in the afternoon after our tea, like this wall of colour at Jamieson's where I enjoyed the fair isle bunting and Colleen chose yarn for knitting pebbles.


I find it hard to resist such striking displays of colour. Each ball of yarn here is a different shade, in a subtle variegation of a colour that really you can't help but admire. Now THAT is a good display.


I had come to the show with the intention of finding knitting patterns that I actually like, and I was successful. I bought three magazines for £5, and they came with a set of enormous plastic knitting needles which will make a rather cheerful addition to my growing collection. I like the look of those "easy" strawberry socks, and there are some nice quick-knit patterns so I can start using up my modest collection of yarn. Speaking of strawberries, did you notice the strawberry tea cosy peeking out from behind the giant knitting needles? Ha!

And so, we left Ally Pally all rather worn out and successful. I'm ever-grateful to Elizabeth for saving me from the underground trains and giving me a lift to AP, and the brilliant EEWI company which always makes the day that much more pleasant.

I've always referred to knitting as my "winter sport", and it's definitely getting to that time of year with glum weather, icy cold breezes and a definite need to turn the heating up. Brr. Time to get out last season's unfinished bag project...