Maccabags!

Knit a Snood

I love that word!   Snood. S-N-O-O-D. I just like saying it. Like Kumquat.

Anyway, I have knit about 8 scarves over the last little while, and I was getting a little bored with that. (Only a little). And then I saw this snood - a knitted tube:

I have a black jacket with biscuit-coloured large checks on it, for which I needed something warm to wear 'round the neck. Black looked drab and although I entertained the idea of a biscuit-coloured pashmina, brown-and-variations aren't actually my favourite colours. Enter the Rowan Winter Gifts Book and the DK pattern above.

Here's my snood - snood - snood (did I say I like that word?) - it's about half done.

And here it is with the jacket. (Jacket looks a little rumply. I wore it out yesterday and got rained upon).

 

I am sure that I probably shouldn't do this because Rowan will probably not be pleased. But this is such a simple pattern that you could have figured this out for yourself, probably. Takes 4 50-gram balls of DK weight yarn. I used Rowan Cashsoft DK for the black, and Rowan Purelife Cotton for the biscuit shade - 4mm circular needles, cast on 144, 8 rows K2P2, continue in stockinette until 40 cm, then 8 rows K2P2 and cast off. And for great tutorials on casting on and casting off ribbing, go to Cotton and Cloud and find Kyoko's instructions in several great tutorials that she has done. I have used these methods since I read about them on her blog, and I am sold! (See how I am trying to hide the copyright infringement instructions by sticking them in the middle of the paragraph? Winter Gifts is a great book, with patterns for scarves, socks, hats, bags, shrugs, and loop flowers - which you can buy here at Colourway - and I will not give away any further of Rowan's intellectual property).

Oh - and on a completely different and OX-like note: Happy Chinese New Year!

(More)Things to do with ...

....gorgeous fabrics from the remnant bin.

SO: a while ago Dylan helped me make drapes. I have to say that I just don't find making drapes that inspiring - I mean, you take a rectangle of fabric, and a rectangle of lining, and you sew them together to make a rectangle of drape. For excitement, you can sew on some gathering tape, and then as a finale, you can hem them. Oh la!

HOWEVER - the story of these particular drapes is that my friends, A & J, got excited by some Laura Ashley fabric that they wanted to use for their drapes. And quite rightly so, it is very lovely. However, being very lovely, and being Laura Ashley, it was very expensive - their windows are large, and the total cost of making and lining the drapes was staggering. So I suggested that they have plain drapes, and then buy a small amount of the fabric to make tie-backs, maybe some pillows, and whatever else might be used to accent a pretty grey and white bedroom. They ended up buying some of the fabric that they had originally chosen - Floral One - also a smaller piece - Floral Two - and a small striped piece. (I don't know if they actually were remnants, but they are remnant size and the three of them together would make a meter or so. Being home decor fabrics, these fabrics are lovely and wide - as wide as Rhode Island maybe. (Well, ok, maybe not, but they are very wide).

From right to left, Floral One, Floral Two and Stripes

Making the plain drapes was my before Christmas project, then on this past weekend, I  got to do the fun part - being creative with their beautiful fabric (which was SO very nice to work with). First tiebacks, made this way. I used Floral One, but I cut loops out of the striped fabric as a little contrast.

 

The finished tie backs. (These photos do not do these fabrics justice. They are much more striking in person).

Trying them out on my own livingroom drapes. Tied like this ....

... or like this.

 

Next, I cut triangles out of the striped material, and sewed them back together to make a square. I used Floral One for the reverse side of the pillow, then pulled the pillow tight in the middle with some thread, and attached self-covered buttons. What a long process to decide whether to use the striped button on the striped side, or the floral button on the striped side - decision made, here is the outcome:

The first side, with floral button on stripes.

The other side, with striped button on floral.

I also made a larger pillow out of Floral One- and inset a zipper like these ones. And forgot to take a photo of it. But, you can see it below in this photo:

The fabric lying on top of the two pillows is Floral Two, which I have not done anything with yet.

I still have enough striped material to bias cut and make some piping, also enough of Floral One for a pajama bag or something - but what to do with Floral Two? I love this part - so many ideas, and lots of tossing them around to decide what to do. Lamp shade? Cut into largish squares, combined with plain fabric for a quilted throw? Cosmetic bag? Placemat for a reading-in-bed snack tray? What else? And how much is too much? I don't know - YET! (Maybe I'll consult the owners).

And, speaking of Dylan, I leave you with ... the Princess and the Frog:

Things to do with .....

…Forced Rhubarb

 

 

• Poach forced rhubarb until tender, then fill a pavlova with mounds of whipped cream and top with chunks of bright pink rhubarb.
• Stir pieces of preserved ginger through poached rhubarb and drizzle with syrup from the ginger jar. Serve with ice cream and thin ginger biscuits.
• Instant trifle: poached rhubarb in layers with custard and whipped cream.
• Add chunks of rhubarb to apple crumble and serve with hot custard.
• Poach rhubarb with cider and brown sugar, then puree and serve with grilled mackerel or pork chops.

 

…Pomegranates

 

 

 

• Scatter pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachio seeds over vanilla ice cream.
• Make a salad from baby leaves, chunks of cooked beetroot, soft goat’s cheese and pomegranate.
• Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over slices of peeled oranges and scatter with chopped fresh mint and use as a side dish to accompany Middle-eastern dishes.
• Make red jelly from pomegranate juice and top with ice cream and a scattering of pomegranate seeds.

 

… January King Cabbage

(This photo is of a print which you can buy  here.)

 

 

 

• Stir cooked, shredded cabbage into  mashed potatoes, then dot with a knob of butter.
• Sautee shredded cabbage with onions and sprinkle with caraway seeds – really good served with pork.
• Fry cabbage with bacon lardoons and thinly sliced garlic.
• Finely shred cabbage and stir-fry with garlic, ginger, and a dash of sesame oil – serve with pan-seared salmon and rice.
• Steam or boil shredded cabbage until tender, then stir in a knob of butter and just enough double cream to coat. Sprinkle with black pepper.

 

….and my favourite – Purple-Sprouting Brocs!

 

 

 

 

• Lightly steam, then drizzle with an Oriental dressing of sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil and Thai Fish Sauce
• Saute garlic, chilli and anchovies in olive oil, then add broccoli, chopped into 3cm lengths, and cook until tender. Serve over hot cooked pasta.
• Steam broccoli until tender, then sprinkle with lemon juice and lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil, and Parmesan shavings.
• Stir-fry broccoli with tiger or King prawns, chilli and garlic.
• Steam broccoli and top with chunks of Roquefort.  YUM. 

 

 

 

Inauguration Fun

My daughter sent me a link to this site where you can turn photos of yourself, your baby, your partner, your cat - whatever you like - into a poster which looks like the newly-legendary one from Shepard Fairey.

Below: my dearly-beloved-and-now-posterised-first-born. Try it - just for fun!

2009!

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

And may 2009 to good to you and yours.

 

No New Year Resolutions this year - aside from losing weight and saving more money, hanging on to my job and being sweet, loving and positive to everyone.

(The usual. Not to make those things sound banal. But I will try harder this year to be good to myself and everyone around me).

So - now it is ok to show the bags that were made for presents this year - each of m neices got one and I think they did like them. I will do a tutorial on these very soon, because they are fast and easy and I have learned a new trick with wadding which I will share with everyone. I alo knitted like a fiend this Christmas - scarves for my brothers-in-law and their brother. But I did not take any photos of them ...).

Camels for Kerry to take back with her to New York, and pears for Meg to take with her to Sydenham Hill!

Cute little pigs for Jo, home from Berlin and going where we know not next and Russian dolls for Canadian Alex to take to her UK home in the 'Sham.

 

And for Zoe - Kentish geese!

And finally, for Kristy - hopefully safely back with her in  Columbia.

 

It was lovely making all these bags for my favotrite people, but the best part was having them all at my house for Christmas so I could give them to them in person. 2008 ended on a lucky note for me!

 ;o)