Crochet monkey see, monkey do

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

I haven't crocheted for a very long time.

A very long time.

I gave it up because I wanted to learn how to knit. You know, because you either knit or you crochet.

I hadn't realised that the two weren't mutually exclusive. You can crochet and knit. I know, gasp.

Turns out, it is pretty easy to pick up again. I made this monkey for my friend's baby's first birthday. They call him monkey, and I wanted to give him something hand-made and special.

The pattern is from Crocheted Wild Animals by Vanessa Mooncie.

He's quite a sweet monkey, and definitely one of the nicer patterns out there. I looked through loads before choosing this one and ordering the book from the library. He's got long legs and arms, and a windy spiral tail. I particularly like his ears, and the way the front of his snout looks like an oooo.

All wrapped up with ribbons!

I don't think people realise how much effort and love go into handmade gifts. Supplies - especially yarn - costs an awful lot, and then you have to make each and every stitch by hand. By hand. It takes a lot of time.

That's why I rarely give handmade gifts. First birthdays are special, though. You should have something extra special for your very first birthday. It kinda sets a precedent for all of the amazing birthdays to come.

baby

Katy's Carrot and Squash Biscuits

Friday, August 07, 2015

Isla insists on feeding herself. Spoons are banned. Purees are too. It's a phase, I keep telling myself. Baby cannot exist on cucumber sticks and biscuits alone.

Baby biscuits - the type you buy in a box from the supermarket - cost a fortune. There are all of these new rules about what you can and can't feed a baby, but I figure that we all got by without Organix and Kiddylicious and Annabel Karmel, so there must be some baby-friendly recipes out there.

I've tried out a couple, and these are the first ones that got the baby-seal-of-approval. Katy's carrot and squash biscuits from I Can Cook.

They are completely baby-friendly: no egg, no sugar, no salt, sneaky veg.

With added cute factor because they look like squidgy baby carrots with their little rosemary tops.

Baby likey.

Texturally, they're not quite biscuits. They've got quite a dense cakey structure that is easily mashed by baby gums. When I make these again, I'll make them into little nuggets so they last longer ... the carrot shapes are fun for older children but in baba's hands they're crumbled up into a big mess on the carpet in no time at all.

You can find the recipe on the BBC website, and I've copied it below too.

Katie's carrot and squash biscuits, makes 6

Ingredients

30g butter, at room temperature

70g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp golden caster sugar (optional - we didn't add this)

20g grated carrot

50g butternut squash pieces, roasted

Sprigs of fresh rosemary

Method

- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

- In a bowl, mix together the butter, flour and sugar, if using. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.

- Stir in the grated carrot and roasted butternut squash using a fork.

- Bring the mixture together as a dough using your hands, then turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

- Divide the dough into six equally sized pieces. Roll each piece into a sausage shape and place it onto a baking tray.

- Flatten the lengths of cookie dough into carrot shapes about 0.5cm/¼in thick, using your hands.

- Tear individual mini-sprigs off the rosemary sprigs and insert one into the top of each cookie to resemble the carrot tops.

- Bake the cookies in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the baking tray and set aside to cool on a wire rack.

geranium dress

Again, again!

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

How is it the end of July already? Whoosh! The days are flying by. Soon we'll have a little itty bitty baby first birthday party to celebrate.

Isla's friends are all turning one, and this little miss got another dress for another party. Geranium Dress, how I love thee.

This time I made the basic dress with a gathered skirt and flutter sleeve and one enormous pink bow.

The bow was a source of great amusement and was absolutely covered in baby food before the day was out. I made the bow out of hot pink cotton, stiffened with interfacing and hand-stitched it on along the bottom of the bodice to one side. Ta ra!