Christmas cards!!!!!!

So here are my first two Christmas cards. I tend to make them a few at a time and all slightly different because I do so dislike making something twice!!

To make these I used a digi-stamp for the first time - basically an image you print out instead of stamping with ink. I coloured it with my watercolour pencils which I love because they are super quick, finished with some glitter and a peel off greeting.

(This digi-stamp came from Imag-e-nation. If you sign up to their email newsletter they will let you download a free image every week.)

I have knitted a sock!

I cast on in February, and a mere seven months later (!) I have one sock. I did have a few months off during that time as my attention span and enthusiasm for these projects tends to go off the boil.

But it is a very nice sock, so later I will cast on the other one so it is at least started. Perhaps by the end of May next year I will actually have a pair...

Mallorca holiday fun

I am out of practice for scrapbooking; this simple layout has taken me ages!

These are pictures of us having fun in the pool on holiday. I have mounted the photos onto white paper and rounded the corners.

The title and journalling are handwritten, and I have avoided lots of fussy embellishments as I think the page is already pretty crowded.

Incidentally this...

...is the mess I have made on the dining table. My inability to work neatly is a major deterrent for this pastime!

Lemon and Blueberry Loaf

I decided to make a loaf cake purely because I'd bought these loaf tin liners from Lakeland. They are bleeding marvellous!! Oh, how I love Lakeland, but I digress...

Cream 225g soft butter with 225g caster sugar.

Mix in 3 eggs, one at a time.

Add zest and juice of a lemon.

Fold in 150g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 50g ground almonds and 100g polenta.

Fold in 150g (ish!) blueberries.

Bake at 180 degrees for an hour.

I topped mine with some lemon glace icing, and the result is a yummy, moist lemony cake.

Cards for men

Just made this for my father-in-law with a stamp I bought a while back.

And this super simple one for a friend.

Chocolate cupcakes

Mmmmmmm.........

Granny square to Granny stripes...

A while ago now I decided to learn to crochet, and embarked on some granny stitch.

Well, I've decided it's finished. (ie. I don't want to do anymore.)

It's not very big, but I shall give it to Poppy for her dolly.

A few online friends have mentioned granny stripes, so I googled it and found Attic24.

I made a practise piece as suggested,

which came out pretty well.

And so, in a fit of optimism and confidence I made a foundation chain of 120 stitches (about single bed size) and began my very own granny stripe blanket!

It's only two stripes long at the moment, but I can't put it down; it's fab!!

Pecan Butter Rolls

For the dough;

1 egg, 150 ml milk, 50g soft butter, 50g sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 425g bread flour, 2 tsp dried yeast.

Mix into dough, I used the breadmaker as usual.

Allow to prove, then punch down and allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.

Divide into 2 pieces, then roll each piece into an 8" circle.

For the filling;

I spread pecan butter all over the 2 circles, then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.

(If you have no pecan butter you can make some by mixing about 2 tbsp butter and 50g finely chopped pecans.)

Cut each circle into 8 pieces (like a pizza!) then loosely roll them up towards the point.

Stretch slightly and place on a greased baking tray.

Allow to rise for about an hour, then bake for 12-15 minutes at 190 degrees C.

Mama made Monday - slouchy hat

I have been productive this week!

This is knitted from some leftover self patterning aran procured from my mum's house.

I used 5mm needles, and cast on 60 stitches.

(It's quite roomy for my 2 year old dd so I could have got away with perhaps 55 stitches.)

The first 6 rows were 2x2 rib, then I switched to stocking stitch for 2 rows.

Then continuing in stocking stitch I increased on the knit rows as follows.

K2 (Kfb, K4 - repeat) K3 (72 stitches)

K3 (Kfb, K4 - repeat) K3 (86 stitches)

K3 (Kfb, K4 - repeat) K2 (103 stitches)

Then I carried on in stocking stitch until the knitting was 7cm long (not including the rib.)

Then more stocking stitch and decreased on knit rows as follows.

K3 (K2tog, K4 - repeat) K3

K3 (K2tog, K4 - repeat) K3

K2 (K2tog, K4 - repeat) K2 (back to 60 stitches)

K2 (K2tog, K4 - repeat) K2 (50 stitches)

K3 (K2tog, K4 - repeat) K3 (42 stitches)

K3 (K2tog, K3 - repeat) K2tog, K2 (34 stitches)

K2 (K2tog, K2 - repeat) (26 stitches)

K2 (K2tog, K2 - repeat) (20 stitches)

K2tog, repeat to end (10 stitches)

K2 tog, repeat to end (5 Stitches)

I cast off by pulling the yarn through the last five stitches and pulling tight, then sewed a seam down the back.

Poppy seems quite fond of it, wearing it for a very important game of fairy skittles.

Mama made Monday - stripey jumper.

It seems ages since I actually finished knitting something, but here is a little jumper I've made for Poppy.

The yarn is Sirdar Juicy DK, which is a bamboo viscose and cotton mix, lovely and soft.

The pattern is just one I made up as I went along; the front and back are basically both stocking stitch rectangles, with a few rows of garter stitch at the top and bottom.

I put 6 buttons and buttonholes at the top to hold the shoulders together.

The sleeves have garter stitch cuffs, then stocking stitch gradually increasing to end up wider at the top.

Strawberry ice cream; no ice cream maker required!

Pour one can of condensed milk and one 600ml pot of single cream in a large bowl. Whisk with electric mixer until frothy. (You can use double cream which will give you a richer ice cream; whisk until thickened, but be careful not to over-whisk.)

Open a tin of strawberries, squash strawberries up (reserve juice from can for smoothies) and add to cream mixture. Mix it all together with the whisk. (You can of course use fresh strawberries but I find tinned ones are squishier.)

Pour into a loaf tin which you have lined with cling-film.

Freeze and slice!