Pancake Day and Baking

Happy Pancake Day everyone! I hope everyone have been eating lots of yummy pancakes. I made some over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I haven't been doing much crafting as I'm still finishing my daughter's cardigan and I'm trying not to get distracted by other projects. However, I've been doing some baking. After reading Domesticali's blog on making cinnamon buns, I had to make them. It's funny how you could give the same recipe to two people and the end product will always be different. The buns tasted lovely (even Mum said so......so it must be good) but it looked nothing like the ones Domesticali made nor does it look like the ones The Black Apple made. I think I need to knead the dough a bit more next time and perhaps glaze it before baking. The next thing I must make is Jo's Heritage Lemon Cake which looks absolutely scrumptious.

Ok...I'd better get back to the cardigan.

Finishing Techniques and an 80s Strawberry Cake

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentines Day. Here is a photo of the London Eye that I took while waiting for the river boat with my Hubby.

It's currently half term and I took Monday off to entertain the kids. We bought some popcorn and I made some hot dogs while they watched High School Musical III at my flat. It was all good fun, the older kids watched and sang while the younger kids got a bit bored and brought out the train set.

I'm very close to finishing my daughter's cardigan. This is my first attempt at knitting a garment and I am a bit confused with all the finishing instructions. What do they mean by picking up stitches? I have a some yarn still attached near the neck bit...what do I do with that? How do I sew up the pockets? To try and teach myself these techniques I bought this book.

Hopefully it will answer my questions.

On another subject; I've been addicted to 'Dancing on Ice' recently. I just love it! I was watching a documentary on Torvill and Dean...could you believe that it has been 25 years since they won the Winter Olympics! I remember watching bolero on TV and being completely mesmerised. I haven't been ice skating for more than 10 years....must go one day. Anyway, being inspired by the 80s, I picked up an 80s cookery book that my Dad bought me and made a strawberry cream cake. I was assisted by the Twins who helped to decorate...what do you think?

I-Knit Tomorrow

Oh dear. I've been telling everyone that I will be going to I-Knit tomorrow. However, my rascal has caught a bug and is not feeling too great. Poor thing. So I will be spending some time with her tomorrow evening. A few e-mails have been sent but I thought I'd better let everyone know by writing a quick blog post as well.

I'm hoping to go to I-Knit next Thursday evening and I have arranged to go to Loop next Thursday lunch time with a colleague too. Fingers cross. There are also plans to go to the 'Stitch and Creative Craft Show' at Excel this month with my daughter. I took her with me last year and we had a really good time. Here is a photo of my cheeky girl and a lovely lady showing us how to spin yarn.

Trying to do too much

There is SO MUCH I want to do and make....better make a list:

• Finish my daughter's cardigan

• Take some photos of a fellow bloggger's photo cards (I'm struggling due to poor lighting...where is the sun??) that I received during Christmas and to blog about this month
  
• Goodie bags for my daughter's birthday in May (I need to plan ahead as I do take a long time to do things)
• Knit an apple hat for my daughter
  
• Attempt to knit some socks with this Harry Potter yarn and with my new Brittany needles both from I-Knit


• Knit another hat, but this time with this yarn


• Try making some mittens/wrist warmers (I've drawn up some designs I want to test out)
  
• Attempt to make some summer clothes
  
• Make my first knitted garment for myself - I'm thinking of making a vest using the Debbie Bliss Stella yarn, but I'm not sure whether I have enough yarn, I might look at Ravely. Also I really like the Bergere de France Cropped Jacket

Do anyone have the same problem?

On another subject; I've been asked by Annie from Overmilkwood to show a photo of the finished hat in my last blog post. However, I was so excited to give it to my Mum (third attempt at knitting her a hat after my previous attempts), that I didn't take a photo of her wearing it. Luckily I asked my hubby to model it for me just after knitting it (he doesn't like wearing hats but I forced him to model it...Hee! Hee! Hee!). The hat looks better on my Mum though, I'll take a better photo once I have finished the blue version and I will model it myself next time.

Snowed In and a New Hat for Someone Special

On Sunday evening when it started snowing I was joking with my hubby that we will all be snowed in and there will be no public transport to take us to work. Well, that is exactly what happened today. My Mum got totally snowed in so she could not look after my daughter and I could not get to work. This is the first time my Rascal has ever seen so much snow. At lunch time we went for a walk nearby and helped our neighbours make a giantic snowmen. The view was absolutely amazing. Look at the palm trees covered in snow and the statue below looks like it is wearing a hat and a cape.

[knee deep snow!]

Over the weekend I managed to finish a hat (using the lovely yarn from I Knit) for some one special (my Mum), just in time for the snow. I got this pattern from my first knitting book, Knit 101 (Vogue Knitting). It is a straight forward pattern knitted in the round. It's quite a masculine hat, but the size is just right. I might make another one in blue and purple next time.

In the evening I felt like eating apple pies so I made some mini ones.

The snow is melting now...fingers cross the snow will melt and things will get back to normal.

The Knitting Haven

I was really please when I Knit moved from Vauxhall to Waterloo. It is a bus journey from my current work place and quick tube journey home. So yesterday I arranged for my Mother in Law and husband to keep my daughter entertained while I went to one of their Knitting nights (every Wednesday and Thursdays). I arrived just before six and it was almost full already, but I was feeling a bit hungry so I went to have a quick dinner nearby. By the time I got back (approx 6.30pm) it was absolutely full. I managed to squeeze my way to back and was offered a stall to sit on. I bought my daughter's cardigan with me and started kniting one of the sleeves.

This is the first knitting group I've ever been to and it was lovely. Chatting to fellow knitters and looking at each other's projects and yarns. So I really enjoyed myself and I hope (if I have the time) to go more often as it is so conveniently situated. I also bought a ball of yarn, I saw this guy knitting with it and it looked lovely. Here is the progress I made with the sleeve and the yarn I bought:

I made a little mistake which I corrected at home...I was too busy listening to some gossip.

Before I forget, here are some photos of the New Year Hot Pot we had at my Mums. There were some yummy oysters in the blue bowl. All the ingredients are prepared and everyone helps themselve to the food; cooking it in the hot pot of soup. Yum.

First Awards

The lovely Hannah from Span's Stitchin' has given me my first awards...yay! Thanks! There are some rules (although according to Hannah they are not compulsory..) which are:

1) Put the award on your blog - will be there in a minute

2) Put a link on your blog of the blogger who gave you the award - done

3) Nominate 5 other bloggers - I nominate:

Kyoko from Cotton and Cloud - amazing knitting and tutorials.
Lupin from Bugs and Fishes - the first blog I read
Helen from Angharad - Lovely knitting and sewing
Two Hippos - I always get good tips on where to buy crafty things in London
Jo from Today we are - Great blog and always to the point

I use to lurk around blogland reading these blogs and it looked like fun so decided to join in....thanks for all the inspiration girls!

4) Leave a comment on their blog notifying them - will do

5) List 5 things that I'm addicted to so here goes: Hmmmm there is quite a few:

• Blogging is one....it is very addictive
• Knitting
• Buying books and magazines - Amazon and books shops are very dangerous places....
• Puddings and cakes - I always like to have something sweet after a meal
• This is a recent craze but puzzle games....especially sudoko

Today is Chinese New Year Eve, so will be popping over to my Mums for Hotpot tonight. Yay...will post some photos if I get the chance. In the mean time the lovely Grace Lee has baked an amazing Chinese New Year cake... have a look on our blog.