Crochet Cowl Ta-dah

Hello Lovelies,

today I have a finished crochet project to share with you, I hope you like it.

Back in November , in need of a portable project , I started a crochet scarf using yarn from my modest stash of luxury yarn. It's made up of various brands of cashmere and merino blends that  I've  picked up over quite a few months........

I had ten shades to play  with and decided to make little, two round granny squares. These were joined as they were constructed using THIS great method...........

As I had just completed THIS blanket using the same technique it was nice and easy.

This was such a lovely colourful project for a time of year when there is not much light or colour outside.

Ideally one or two more shades of blue and green would have been nice to add to the mix, but this is what I had and I think it works pretty well.

These days I'm very good and always sew in my ends as I go. I also kept draping my growing scarf around my neck to see how it looked. When it reached fifteen rows I had an idea.

My small squares scarf has morphed into a small squares cowl :0)

Because I was using the join as you go method creating a tube was super easy. On the last row I simply joined the squares to both ends and hey presto. 

I also added a simple, one row, border of granny clusters to both sides to finish it off......... 

It's wide enough to wear it doubled over so it's super toasty warm.
As you can see from my smiling face, I'm rather thrilled with my first completed project of 2014

 Happy, happy, happy

This way I have home made goodness to keep me warm and plenty of yummy yarn to save for another project.

Right, I'm off to carry on with another WIP .

Thank you so much for all your comments this week lovelies...... they always brighten my day.
Jacquie x

A Roadside Walk

Hello Lovelies,

We have had so much rain over the past few days that I had to abandon my planned route across fields yesterday. One look at the muddy style and the even muddier field beyond told me I was likely to end up slipping over in the bog if I even attempted it...........

Instead I just admired the view through the gap in the fence, it's so nice to see blue sky again......

It was busy along the roadside, I had to wait quite a while to get this shot that makes it look lovely and quiet !

But at least I got to take a picture of this lovely view. Usually I'm driving along this road myself with no chance to stop and take a picture............

It's these cute cottages nestled beneath the steep little hill that capture my imagination........

I like the  Ash trees with their curled up twigs silhouetted against the bright winter sun......

The weather here has not been as extreme as some parts of the country has had to endure, but I thought this displaced sign  illustrated that it's been very wet and windy.........

Walking back home I'm passed by a familiar sight, the milk float...........

And I stop to say hello to the sheep, but they have finished their breakfast and moved on.........

 Mr Blackbird is just enjoying his.......



And , through the bare winter hedgerow I spot one friendly looking face.........

My pavement walk turned out to be rather lovely and I'm finding myself quite liking winter at the moment. Bright walks like this are certain to lift my spirits and delight my senses.

Jacquie x

Celebrating Home 2014 :: part 1

Hello Lovelies,

I'm such a homebody....even more nowadays than when I was younger. I love to be at home in my own space, it's where I can relax and be myself.

My home is a bit cluttered and worn, but it's warm and cosy and full of people I love.

I wish that I enjoyed house work more as I do think home-making is a wonderful role. I'm happiest when things are tidy and I'm organised but so often that's not the case.

 So I guess I'm hoping this series of posts will inspire me to try a bit harder to keep on top of things and  look at these tasks in a new light. THIS post  by Rhonda that Tina linked to really inspires me (as does Tina's blog )

So here are a few images celebrating time at home. Very ordinary but at the same time  so precious .

At this time of year, especially when the weather is miserable, the sight and scent of spring flowers lift my spirits. They are like a promise of warm weather to come and distract my eye from the outdoor gloom.

 My boys are rather gadget obsessed so it always makes me happy when they try some" old fashioned" play. This was eldest making a model he got for Christmas from his Nanna....she buys great, fun gifts for all her gradnchildren.

 On the 3rd of January we took the Christmas decorations down and I spent most of the day tidying up.  When everything had been packed away I did a little dance around the room, relishing the extra space and tidiness.
 The weather was dark and rainy the next day and it felt lovely to light the fire and stay indoors.

 On Sunday more rainy weather led to a quiet day. I slowed down and enjoyed making a bit more effort with Sunday dinner. Fresh flowers and candles decorated the table as well as my favourite tablecloth.
I'm not the best or keenest cook but I can see that there is a great satisfaction to be gained from preparing a healthy, tasty meal for your family, from scratch.

 Retuning home on this windy but sunny afternoon my porch was bright and cheery. I noticed how nice this old project of mine from 2009 was looking in the corner. I even managed to find a link to the pattern for you lovelies if you are interested it's on Ravelry HERE. This was made shortly after I had rediscovered crochet and had only just discovered blogland.

Getting up in the dark is never easy for me, that feeling of being dragged from a deep sleep by a buzzer going off in what seems like the middle of the night is pretty unpleasant. I'll be so glad when the early  mornings are lighter . When I stumbled into the kitchen, still half asleep,  yesterday morning this sight made me smile....lots of cheerful flowers and my Amaryllis is suddenly shooting up now.

As you can see I've been having fun doing a bit of  editing....I may or may not continue to do this bit ....photos in my other posts will be how they always have been.

At the end of 2014 I hope to have lots posts, all celebrating the little homely things that mean so much.

"Where we love is home - home our feet may leave, but not our hearts" Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Jacquie x

How I make Yorkshire Puddings

Hello Lovelies,

Thank you so much for your comments on my Yorkshire puddings. I took some photos as I made them on Sunday with the idea that I might share a "how-to"  for any of you lovelies who are interested.

I wonder if Yorkshire puddings are a worldwide thing? In case you are wondering about them , they are basically oven cooked batter that is supposed to puff up and be light and fluffy. They are then usually  served as part of a Roast dinner.

For years I bought frozen, ready made ones as my own attempts were so awful. But a couple of years ago, when they had gone up in price again, I decided it was time to master making them from scratch.

My method is an adaptation of Delias version  that gives me the right amount for five of us and reliable results.

I always start my Roast dinner preparation by making the Yorkshire pudding batter as it benefits from chilling a while in the fridge.

First accurately measure out 4 ounces  of Plain Flour into a bowl , I don't bother sifting it. Then add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Next add 2 Large  eggs, medium  will do if that's what you have, mix with a fork

Accurately measure out 4 fluid ounces of milk ( I use semi skimmed ) and add 3 fluid ounces of cold water. I weigh this out rather than using the lines on my jug.

Gradually add this mix to the flour and eggs, mixing with a folk.

Next whisk with a hand whisk to make a smooth batter. I like to  pour the mixture into a jug and whisk it some more, rolling the handle of the whisk between my palms to get some speed.

Your batter should be the consistency of single cream and have lots of little bubbles on the surface like this........

Then pop the jug in the fridge till you are ready for it.........

To get your Yorkshires to rise the fat you use needs to be preheated in a hot oven. In my fan oven 200 degrees Celsius is hot enough, but 210 degrees is even better.

I make individual puddings in  a muffin tin. Sorry about the state of this tin....they do get stained with the hot oil.
At least half an hour before you need them , put a small amount of oil ( I use sunflower oil) or fat into each section, you really don't need much.......

Then fifteen minutes before you need them carefully remove the tin from the oven. Get the batter out of the fridge and give it another quick whisk.

 Pour out the batter, dividing it equally into each section. Then return the tin to the oven ( top shelf) straight away ..........

Mine take fifteen minutes, or slightly longer to cook, but I don't open the oven door before fifteen minutes.......

Don't be disappointed if it takes a few attempts to get great results. But hopefully if you follow these tips you will get light, fluffy Yorkshires first go :0)

Enjoy!

Jacquie x

Slow Sunday

Hello Lovelies,

these January days are pretty short ,cold and dark. It doesn't inspire a lot of activity.

Today I woke just after eight am and headed out for a short walk as there was a beautiful sky.

This picture was taken at 8.45 am. The cloud patterns were amazing..........

By the time I got home the cloud had already thickened and blocked out the sun. I spent a happy hour browsing lovely blogs.

After a while , with freezing temperatures, baking seemed most appealing.
It was nice to take my time and notice the lovely colours of the egg shells.........

I also love the retro packaging on the margarine. For the first time I noticed the "by royal appointment" and the serving suggestion made me smile...........

The things that are significant to me  in this photo are the freshly ironed apron and tablecloth......lovely......

As well as baking I enjoyed  time in the warn kitchen making  a roast dinner for my little family. My Yorkshire puddings turned out pretty good............

While we ate that meal together middle son announced he was going to try and photograph some of the birds that we saw visiting the peanut feeder.

He wrapped up and sat outside quietly for about half an hour with my camera on a tripod and an umbrella to keep off the rain.
I was surprised and delighted when he showed me this picture of so many sweet little birds I hadn't seen there before..........

I had to get out my bird book to identify them...........

After I tided up a bit and  all the dishes were loaded in the dishwasher I used the last of the daylight ( about 4pm) to work on my latest drawing, a January scene. I'm pleased with how it's coming along and I always enjoy this gentle pastime.........

Then there was time to enjoy a piece of home made cake and a cup of tea.........

The weather may have been nasty but it meant a guilt free slow day and for that I was very grateful.

Tomorrow it's back to work and school, alarm clocks and packed lunches. The rush hour will be awful and there will be a lot of clock watching. I can't say I'm looking forward to it.

Jacquie x

A New Year Begins

Hello Lovelies,

2014...that's got a nice ring to it. I like even numbers and the whole "13" thing didn't sit too well...silly I know, but that's how I feel.

The Christmas decorations are now back in the loft and it's nice to enjoy a bit more space in our little home.

These lovely flowers were a present from my Mum on Christmas eve...........

As was this picture she painted especially for me ( it was an amazing coincidence that I got a Christmas card of the same view a couple of days earlier...which I shared at the end of this post). 

I love both versions and this one will be staying on display all year round.

One of the nicest things about starting a new year is being able to start a new calendar/calendars. 

I bought this one from the Lifeboat museum in Cromer back in August  and I've been looking forward to finally being able to use it.........

it features coastal watercolour paintings by a favourite artist of mine, Emma Ball. You can still purchase it HERE

Another lovely calendar I've been enjoying this week  is the delightful Katie Daisy calendar I won in Heathers give-away..........

 This one is now unavailable, but there's lots more of her beautiful work to see HERE

My next calendar is a photographic one. I've been inspired by Louise at Ramblings of a Roachling. Last year she visited twelve places depicted in a calendar of her local area, the beautiful Peak District  National Park ( THIS post is my favourite, but they are all interesting.

Well, I love where I live, but I'm not good at exploring new corners. This seemed like great way to discover a bit more about places that are easy to visit for a few hours without hours spent in the car.

I  love this photo.

I'm really looking forward to twelve days spent visiting somewhere new this year. Some of the places depicted will be great family outings ( I'm imagining warm sunshine and picnics on colourful crochet blankets) , others will suit just Mum  and I .
 I'm not going to try and visit each place on it's depicted month. For a start this Castle isn't open again till April , I'll just try and tick them all off by the end of the year. And , of course I'll take pictures to share with you lovelies. THIS is the calendar I bought.

This year I'm also keeping up with my local walks. Just a mile or so is enough to fill my lungs with fresh air and clear my head. When the sun shines I head out along my favourite footpaths which are looking properly wintry now..........



The highland cattle seem very glad of the additional fodder..........



And sunlight streams through bare tree branches.........

 On dull days , when it's windy and threatening rain I stick to local pavements, it's nice to see a bit of colour occasionally and I think this shows we haven't had much really cold weather yet........

It's chilly but not bitterly cold and I'm enjoying wearing a skirt with thick tights ( especially as my jeans are a bit tight at the moment ) It's not a fashionable ensemble, my comfy shoes probably look a bit odd but I'm not worried........

I'm not into making resolutions but  I'm trying to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. I was happy to see these British Braeburn apples in the shops.........

Buying British also makes me happy.

Today the day is dark and wet but the first bunch of happy Daffodils are cheering up my kitchen windowsill .........

I usually buy the little pots of tete-a-tete Morrisons sell at this time of year but last year they were a bit disappointing so I went for a small bunch of Daffodils instead and they are wonderful, delicate and a gorgeous mixture of shades......

With flowers in the kitchen and a warm fire in the hearth in feeling happy on this dark winter day......

Ha, just spotted a Christmas card I didn't take down yesterday, can you see it?

This has turned into a rather long post hasn't it. It does seem odd not writing a ♥Happy♥ post but I expect I'll get used to it soon.

I hope the weather is not being too extreme where you are and I hope you have escaped the dreadful floods if you are in the U.K.

Jacquie x

p.s. the card is on top of the painting reflected in the mirror :0)