Who'd a thunk it!

I am going to post a bit about my newest obsession - spinning, but first I have to do lots of house stuff

Until then, arty shot

Weekly Therapy

Tonight I was thinking about hobbies and interests.  I've cycled through a lot of crafty obsessions over the years: sewing, quilting, mixed media art, rubber stamping, silversmithing, embroidery, crochet..... But the most enduring one is my beloved knitting (and now its close relative, spinning, of course).

I think this is partly due to it's portability; partly the sheer usefulness of the product that follows so much happy activity; partly due to the community of Ravelry and the instant lessons on YouTube but most definitely due to the weekly therapy that is my Thursday knit night in the pub.

We're definitely not the kind of knitting group that non knitters would think of. With indie dyers, knitting designers and artisan crafters amongst us, our day jobs vary as much as our ages - from 20s to 40 plus - as do our lives outside of knitting.  No tight perms or pursed lips and minds broad and open are the order of the day when we meet.

We've been a group for almost 4 years and we've survived changes in venue; members joining, leaving and returning; unexpected personal pictures and lots more. There's a core of members who have changed from 'other lovely people who knit' to friends who support each other through good and bad. These are the ones who make me cry - once when one of them unexpectedly returned home but more often through sniggering at something a bit rude if not extremely dirty.  There's nowhere else where I experience a cramped diaphragm from laughter on a regular basis and nowhere else where I know I can get a range of viewpoints on any problem, all delivered with love, friendship and a kick up the bum if necessary.  Thursday knit nights have become sacrosanct and I wouldn't have it any other way

A day with a friend is like a holiday for the soul

Jill and I went out for the day, poking around the charity shops of Long Eaton.  We hoped to find lots of knitting and crochet related things, but it was an almost yarn free town.  We managed to pick up a copy of Have You Any Wool and I was delighted to find a barely used Royal wool winder (why yes, I do already have a different ball winder, thank you for paying attention - now I have a spare!). 

One shop had a dedicated retro and vintage area which was truly wonderful. I was a bit over stimulated, so forgot to take pictures of such wonders as the 1940s cooker in mint condition, the old milk rack, the sledges, the old ice skates, the typewriters......  Jill and I agreed that we were in heaven picking out things from our childhood/teendom.

It was in this shop that I found something that I've been looking for over the past 8 years or so. As an accountant I often have to explain budgeting to people who just don't get it. As a prop to illustrate the principles I've had in mind something that my auntie had when I was a child

Ta da - a thrift box!  I just love the labels on this one.

Something else found its way onto the counter.  

The heaviest iron in the world, ideal for dressmaking when instructed to PRESS rather than iron.  It's wonderful and comes PAT tested

We both adored the old fashioned drapers in the town - Rowells. I was mentally transported to the top of Grimsby's Freeman Street in the 70s and 80s -  Swabys?  Think of the famous Two Ronnie's fork handles sketch but with linens.  Again, no photos, but there is a great set on flickr, here

We rounded off the outing with lunch at The Beetroot Tree.  New to Jill but just her kind of thing. I was so pleased as I thought it would appeal to her

Back at her house, she kindly gave me some plants, so my garden is starting to fill nicely

Being kind to myself

I'm transitioning from one job to another this week.

I've been a contract accountant for rather a long while now and have fallen into the habit of going directly from one role to another without a break.  Good sense financially, but for once I thought a bit wider and  decided to be kind to myself by taking a week off.  I've hit lucky with the weather, so that in itself makes the week seem like an extra special bonus

So, what to do with the week?  I've a day charity shop touring with my lovely friend Jill (and I know exactly where we're going for lunch!) and a day with my hubby.  I've got the computer repair man booked and a craft fair to visit with the lovely Elly.  I have to squeeze in a visit to Sarah if we can sort out a time. I've got a long list of possible things I might want to do, but have promised myself that I don't have to do any of them unless I want to

Today though, has been busy already.  The garden's been a bit neglected as I'm a fair weather gardener, and the weather has been anything but that for rather a long time.  Yesterday, inspired by the return of the sun, we went and bought some plants to restock. Now, I don't really know what I'm doing with plants, so I buy what I like and put them where I think they'll look nice.  Oddly, my taste currently seems to accidentally be on a yellow/acid green and purple scheme

This morning I was out gardening by 8.30.  There was a whole run of shrubs that were lushly overgrown, so out came my favourite loppers and shears....

Yes, that is a lawn rake on top.  This pile was over knee high

I was quite pleased with this planting

 and this one

Planting above the rodent graveyard led to a tense time with the border spade

but not so chuffed to see these little visitors who had been hiding in an old plant pot

(I'm hoping the blackbirds have been busy over lunch time....)

So, a short afternoon and then I'm picking up an excited daughter and friend from school to take them to a manga evening in a comic store.  Mother love or what!

That's more like it

My last batch of bread dough was very tasty, but it just wouldn't rise as much as I wanted. Something had to be done....

I perused and planned, made my dough and added an extra 25 grammes of flour as I felt every dough so far has been too wet, even for this no knead high moisture technique.

After a few days lounging in the fridge, the dough was beautifully chilled when I finally had time to play.  I formed it into a plait and let it rise as per the recipe,

 gave it an egg wash and then into the oven.

The smell as it baked was amazing and the end result -a beautiful looking chollah. 

The whole family was tortured by the wait until it cooled, but oh my life, it was worth the impulse control.  I've always loved this type of bread, but my bake was magnificent both with and without butter.  My teen son very seriously informed me that it is the best bread he's EVER eaten.  Thank goodness I froze the other half of the dough for a future treat

You can't win them all

My bread book is very insistent that unbleached plain flour (not bread, just plain old plain flour) is used.  I wasn't sure whether my wonderful el cheapo Aldi floor was unbleached, so I bought some organic flour from the health food shop.  Twice the price for half as much and the results today have been, quite frankly, disappointing.  I've made two loaves that even though they were baked in a tin, look more like ciabatta (still taste great though) and have had a disastrous attempt at pitta breads.

I'm going back to Aldi tomorrow, especially as I've since found out that all UK sold flour is unbleached

Bread Mania

I found a really good deal with The Book People on a book I'd been considering for ages - Five Minute Bread.  The idea is that you make up a huge batch of sloppy dough that you keep in the fridge and then use portions as you wish.  The results have been fantastic so far so my Facebook has been full of what one friend described as food porn.  Like these

I am very pleased with the results so far as everything tastes even better than it looks