Bonfire night

Just a quick note. We are having a bonfire party tonight so have been preparing lots of foody fun to have with the bonfire and fireworks. So far there is a vat of chilli con carne to have with jacket potatoes, fruitburst muffins (a fruity and spicy concoction designed to invoke the wintery season), and some chocolate and almond toffee. It's all a bit experimental so will have to see if it tastes as good as it sounds.

It's more like a bonfire pic-nic because we are taking everything over to the barns and all the family are coming up to join us. Sadly the weather is absolutely pants so it might end up being a bit of a damp squib. Hopefully, the food will be worth it.........

Bakewell Wool Gathering

It's hard to believe that a year has passed since I went to the Bakewell woolly show last year, but it has come around again. This year I managed to get a place on a 'Freeform Crochet' workshop  with Pauline Fitzpatrick. I mostly follow patterns when I'm making anything, usually because I don't have time or ingenuity to make up my own. I have a few notable exceptions such as Wendy Wensleydale, but on the whole I tend to use or adapt someone else's pattern. I've wanted to have a go at freeform crochet for a while but have not made the time to play and research how to go about it so took the plunge when I saw that there was a place left on the workshop. It didn't disappoint. The pieces of work Pauline had brought were quite stunning and she was wearing a marvellous freeform crochet cardy. I'm not sure I will ever manage anything quite so detailed, but was quite pleased with my effort on the day. I took some photo's of Pauline's work at the workshop, but the photo's really didn't do them any  justice so haven't included them.

I have a bag of crochet motifs that I have been building up on a periodic basis. Most of them I've done when I've been away on holiday as it is really easy to just pick up a ball of wool and a hook and do a motif or two and then pack it all away after the holiday. I made a start joining them together to make a funky wrap or poncho, but there are some odd shaped gaps so thought that I might learn some techniques during the workshop to fit them together better. I've certainly got a few more ideas on how to finish it now. The only problem is that I haven't an excuse for not finishing my wrap thingy apart from the old lame excuse of lack of time!

I have been very productive this week on the crochet and knitting front. I wanted to use up the left over super chunky wool from the fox cowl, plus a ball I bought on holiday, and I found a fab free pattern for a headband for using it up. It took a while to work out the pattern, but once I'd sussed it there was no stopping me. I found that I could easily make one an evening, and on Sunday I made two! The last two were in black and I don't have a photo of these as they have already been despatched as birthday presents. Anyway, it was really satisfying using up all the wool. I also made a pair of chunky mittens to match the fox cowl and these would have been made in an evening as well except that I inadvertently made two right mittens and had to re-do one as a left mitten! 

I'll finish with an absolutely stunning sunset. Our temporary accommodation might be bijou but it has a surprisingly lovely view. I say temporary, but we've been there a year now and it's beginning to feel quite permanent, somewhat disturbingly!

Ooh, I nearly forgot. We had a lovely walk at Carsington water last week. It's just stunning driving through the Derwent valley on the way to the reservoir, but it was equally beautiful there too.

I just can't stop........here are a couple of photo's from the barns. It's turning very autumnal everywhere. I really love autumn........ when the sun is shining, and absolutely hate it when it's foggy and dark.

Failynn Fox Cowl

failynn fox cowl

I've actually finished something that I can show. I'm not really keen on commissions because they tie you to doing something that you might not particularly like and then it becomes a chore rather than a pleasure. I prefer going with the flow and making what I want to make.......and then giving it away! It's a case of like it or lump it with my gifts. So, when asked to make a fun fox cowl, I ooh'd  and  quickly changed the subject. I had a sneaky look afterwards and decided that since it was made with super chunky wool it would knit up really quickly, and was a really easy pattern. The trouble is that even something that is quick and easy to do, it can still end up costing quite a lot, and if you gift one child, you have to gift them all, and then it really becomes expensive. A compromise was reached and this ended up a paid for commission (cost price only!). The pattern was duly downloaded from ravellry and  the wool ordered from the internet and I got cracking.  It really only took a few evenings, although I ran out of foxy coloured wool and had to order some more, so that delayed it a bit. Now I have to find something to make to finish of the remnants of wool, although I've found that you can never use all the wool up. You think that you are and start something, but always run out and have to buy more.

I like to buy yarn locally if possible, but I more often than not end up ordering from the internet. This forces a bit of planning to take advantage of free postage and so I have made decisions on everyone's Christmas presents and ordered accordingly. I've now got a basket of woolly loveliness to convert into wearable woolly wonders.

Heage Windmill Walk

We are not far from Heage windmill, the only 6 sailed stone windmill in England. It was restored to working order in 2002 and has been my source of wheat grain and stone ground white flour for the past 18 months. It is in crisis at the moment due to a wet rot problem in the main beam holding the sails and tail, and is trying to raise £50,000 towards the £90,000 estimated bill. Click the link if you want to help the restoration of this historic mill. 

Last Wednesday It was very much like the song "I can see the sunshine after the rain", because after an overnight swamping, the sun came out in the late afternoon and it was just too beautiful to ignore. We decided on a short walk from Heage windmill, going down the valley and then following part of the route of the Cromford Canal. I was particularly intrigued by a section of the map marked 'Starvehimvalley Bridge' and so had to go and visit it before making our way back up to the windmill. It was a short walk but it was so nice to be outside in the sun.

Ongoing and finished projects

I haven't blogged lately about my current works. That is mainly because I haven't actually finished very much. I'm still beavering away with my hexagon quilt which is going to be a variation on the 'grandmothers flower garden' pattern. So far I have completed 40 flowers, so that is growing nicely. I decided to press all the hexagons with their seam allowances so that it makes it easier to sew together, and it does......but blimey, such a lot of ironing. The only way to do it without going mad  is to set the ironing board to a comfy height and do it in front of the telly or whilst listening to a  good audio story (Terry Pratchett - Reaper Man is the current listen).

I am still quilting my african themed quilt at Nottingham Patchwork Group sewing days. I progressed this a bit further last Sunday and it is close to being finished. I reckon a couple more sessions and it will be finished........well, possibly. Here is how it is at the block layout stage

mad pirate

My pirate outfit is finished, but I can't show you that yet because it's a surprise present. Oh, ok then, here it is..........modelled by me! I know, it really suits me.

i-cord vase cover for a jam jar

And finally, something finished and it's for me. It started life with my newest knitting gadget to make knitted cord (see here).  I wanted  a pretty vase and although we have many vases, they are all in storage, so armed with an empty (and clean) olive jar, I decided it would look really nice with the cord wrapped and stitched around it. Well, it does look lovely, but bloomin' heck, it took ages. I'm definitely hanging onto this one - kids, are you listening? 

I'm also working on a very secret crochet project, so I don't know why I mentioned it because I just cannot say what it is. I'm also planning a knitting project which is a special request from a daughter. More on that to follow. 

Ooh, and I found a photo of some pottery that I had a go at during the new year holiday. I was very much guided by Rob Rutterford,  the master potter himself - see here for his website, and I really can't claim any input at all to the glazing, but I really enjoyed playing with the clay! The buttons will go on my hearts and flowers garland when I get around to it. They were made especially for it and are absolutely perfect for the job. Will update with a photo when it's done!

#SourdoughSeptember

Chocolate and banana muffins are another (delicious) way to use up sourdough starter, along with ripe banana's that no-one wants to eat. The sourdough starter needs to be fed regularly otherwise it will get too sour and probably a bit mouldy (or even die), so I try and use some every week and refresh the remains with some flour and water to keep it a happy. You may have noticed that I have a very relaxed *read 'lazy'* attitude to maintaining my sourdough starter!  

family tea

I combined my two starters together (Derbyshire starter and a San Francisco starter from Christmas) because I hadn't labelled them and was getting them mixed up. Interestingly, they definitely had a different smell, although I couldn't tell any difference on baking. Now I have a single starter that could be described as multi cultural. Anyway, back to the story. I wanted to make some different bread for family tea instead of a sourdough, so looked for inspiration at the recipes on the BakeryBits blog. These are generally devised by Vanessa Kimbell and I love that she comes up with new recipes for sourdough bread, and also some interesting cakes and muffins using sourdough starter. She also uses a 'la cloche' baking dome so it fits my style of baking perfectly.

I digress......back to family tea..... I found two recipes that fit the bill for today's family tea; Chocolate and Banana Sourdough Muffins, and Cumin and Sultana rolls.

The muffins are incredibly easy to make. It really is a case of mix the crumble topping ingredients and set aside , mix the dry ingredients together, mix the wet ingredients together and then combine the wet and dry together. Plop the mixture into the muffin cases and then pile topping  on the er.... top. Bung in the oven for about 20-25 minutes and there you have it, delicious chocolatey muffins

Muffins ready to mix

chocolate and banana sourdough muffins

The bread rolls are an unusual combination of cumin and sultana, but it really works as a taste combination. The fragrance of the lightly toasted cumin seeds and the baking bread  permeates the whole house making you instantly hungry. The rolls are shaped and then proved in the baking dome base and then popped in the oven with a pre-heated lid. It's so easy. In fact I made another batch this morning, since the last lot didn't make it past teatime.

cumin and sultana bread rolls

I have to mention the amazing purple smoothie I made last week. It started with a spot of blackberry picking from the back of the car park at the flat. They are the most succulent, huge blackberries ever. I just couldn't resist and it only took about 20 minutes to pick nearly a kilo! I didn't fancy making jam using the pretty useless cooker that's in the flat, so decided to freeze the blackberries for smoothie-ing and juicing. What a purple delight a blackberry, yoghurt and banana smoothie is! And so very delicious with sourdough cheese scones for lunch.

Sunny Sutton on Sea part 2

Here again at Sutton on Sea. It's the August Bank Holiday weekend and the weather is glorious. Great news for the seasonal seaside economy, and of course great news for us because it truly is beautiful. Sutton on Sea has been a perennial seaside favourite of my family and I still love it here. Sometimes I don't even mind if the weather is a little less than welcoming......sshhhhh say that quietly,  because it means that it is perfectly acceptable to stay indoors and read or sew or crochet, or even just watch a good film. Occasionally, we break out the board games, although not so much these days as the children are all grown up and mostly not here. However, when the weather is good you just want to be outside. Yesterday I went for a swim in the sea and was treated to the sight of terns diving right in front of me. Today I managed a swim and then a jog along the beach before breakfast. Again, the bird life was teeming. The terns were scouting back and forth and my little jog along the beach was interrupted by the sight of a host of terns, gulls, sanderlings and even a giant black backed gull all resting? roosting? on the part of beach restricted to dogs. 

Later I walked to Sutton on Sea village along the sea front. It's a typically british seaside view with all the brightly coloured beach huts. Joy of joys, my favourite beach hut was open and occupied. I wrote about it in my post 'Sunny Sutton on Sea'. I couldn't resist asking if I could have a look and take some photo's. Fortunately, the owners are used to these sort of requests and were happy to oblige. I've since been informed by a blog reader that the painting of the beach hut was commissioned by the town crier for Sutton on Sea, Mablethorpe and Trusthorpe when he owned the hut.

I have to mention my new favourite wool shop 'The Mill' in Sutton on Sea. It opened in Feb this year  to a new owner @TheCountedSheep  It has all sorts of lovely yarn, and some very tempting ribbon as well as other bits and bobs. I'm so inspired that I'm looking  for a pattern so that I can buy some wool whilst we are on holiday. I'm also particularly taken with the antique sock knitting machine in the window. I really want one. In fact I came very close to buying one from  a lovely gentleman in Ashbourne. He has a huge collection of antique sock machines ready to restore and when our finances have stabilised after the barns are completed, I'm having one!