Holiday Knitting

I love these holidays! They have allowed me to ensure that I spend time with Ethan (the most important) and then also allowed me some proper relaxation time! Despite having guests over the festive period I have not felt guilty when I have taken time out for myself! This is a transformation as I normally run around like a headless chicken for the whole two weeks then return to school (I am a teacher!) a nervous wreck and counting down the days until the February half term!

I have spent time cooking, reading, researching blogging and crafting. I am currently working on a waistcoat/tank top for Ethan in Sirdar Crofter wool. I love the varigated colours that come with this yarn and it is lovely and soft to knit with. I did have a disaster when I was at my Knit and Natter session a couple of weeks ago... I was happily clicking away on my needles, returned to the pattern and then realised that I had been following the pattern for the cardigan! Needless to say there were a few curses and then I had to rip it back for quite a large amount of rows! All sorted and I embarked on the other side... I am now about a third of the way up the right front. I love doing it but I am dreading the borders as they are added afterwards by going along and picking up the stitches and then ribbing. I have never done this and at the moment I am torn between just knitting a separate border and then sewing it on!

Ethan knows he is getting this garment and keeps asking when it is going to be ready! Nothing like an impatient 3 year old to boost the knitting bug...

I must return to my knitting bag and attempt a few more rows before attempting to tidy the house in readiness for more guests!

Christmas Gifts!

I have finally started my new blog after being reminded of how much I wanted to write one by http://whatcanicookwiththis.wordpress.com/ and inspired by reading of blogs such as http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/. My blog is a combination about my two favourite hobbies... any needle related craft (mostly knitting) and cooking!

I love to explore all textile crafts in all dimensions although I am yet to try patchwork... watch this space! I LOVE to knit and have recently completed some smaller projects and am halfway through a project for Ethan (my little boy). I will post about this project at a later date!

For Christmas this year I received some lovely presents from my nearest and dearest who obviously know me very well!

The books are already been well thumbed over the last couple of days and I have marked the 'just can't wait' recipes! This evening I made a curry from the I Love Curry book. Ethan's (my son) Godfather is here for a Christmas visit and so I decided to make a special curry... I made the Beef Madras and it was lovely! I followed the instructions from beginning to end and the only thing I would say is that it can end up quite runny with the liquid and you need to make sure that the last bit of cooking is completed without the lid to allow for some evaporation and thickening of the sauce.

I also had another lovely (but emotional) gift on Christmas Day. I recently lost a very close aunt to a brain tumour and my uncle (her husband) had been sorting through her craft things and arrived on Christmas morning with my aunt's wool stash!

I felt very honoured and priviliged to have the chance to inherit this from her! She and my Mum were the two people who taught me to knit and so this was a very special present to receive! As you can see from the photo it is quite a stash!!! I am thinking of making a blanket from a lot of wool so that it will be a lasting tribute to her. I would also like to make a blanket for any future child that we have from it as she made a whole set of clothes for Ethan when he was born and I felt that this would be little way of her gifting something to another child if we are blessed with one in the future.

I hope that this first posting has given a little insight into my life as a crafter and cooker! I am off now to work on the outfit for Ethan I mentioned earlier!!