Autumnal London

4th November

My birthday falls in half term every year, rather useful I always thought as a child.  It meant I did not have to go to school on my birthday, but unlike my children whose birthdays fall in the summer months bad planning on my part or was that no planning?!?! the holiday is not long enough for friends and family to forget it!! Apart from this year when my father did!

This year my birthday was a huge success in every sense but mostly because I spent it with my three favourite people in the world and we spent the whole week end together in sun shining London.  Boy did we do a lot!  I make no apologies for the huge number of photographs, in fact I will let them do the talking.  Suffice it to say, the birthday, the half term, the company,  the presents and the good wishes received were all fabulous and I felt, still feel loved and truly lucky.  Thank you all x

Grab yourself a coffee and a pew and let me show you around London, this could take a while...


Saturday

The day started at Camden, something for all of us there

Quirky building adornments everywhere

Fantastic food stalls, good value too.  We each choose
 a stall and then share between the four of us,
that way we taste a bit of everything!

If you have not been, trundle down to the Stable market,
there are so many life size bronze horse statues tucked
around every corner, breath takingly good.

One of Camden's own remembered... Amy

Nothing about Camden is ordinary

From Camden number one daughter and I used our Oyster cards and tubed it to the Tate Modern, whilst Mr H and number one son Boris biked it across town.  Yep, the bikes won by about 15 minutes!

St Pauls, opposite the Tate modern on the north side of the Thames.
Can you tell I was playing with my camera this week end?

I am not a modern art fan, but somehow I am drawn to going to the Tate as often as possible.  Trying to work out why is a mystery, I think I want to try and understand it and to see what all the fuss is about and perhaps the more I immerse myself in it, the more I may 'get it'?  The following photos were taken for a reason however.  Many years ago I used to spin and weave and these pictures would make excellent woven interpretations.  I may no longer weave now, but in the future I hope to again and perhaps, my 'modern' phase may be influenced by pictures such as these.

This would make a great weaving

Neither of my children are into modern art

The wibbly wobbly bridge as it began, but really the London
millennium walk bridge connecting from St Pauls to the Tate Modern

Fantastic autumnal October weather

From the Tate we walked along the south bank, taking in street entertainment and mooching along people watching.  Again I played with my camera...

 

Taken by request of the children!

Err, what happened to the bridge?

Such an eclectic mix of buildings, colours, sights
and sounds on the South Bank

And still they build more...

 

South Bank skate and bike park, some of them were seriously good

 

Graffiti contained like this in an area for youths,
I think is fitting and suits the purpose

 

Rubbish washed up at the base of the bridge

Look how different the same photograph is in colour

Once we crossed the river back to the north side, we came
 across Kipling's old house.  I love some of his writing and
was surprised I had not known about this blue plaque

Can never resist the vivid red of the phone boxes
and next to an old police lamp too!

 

Indian puppets hanging from the ceiling at the busy Masala Zone,
on a side street off  from Covent Garden, highly recommend it. 
Well priced food too.

 

We managed to pick up last minute tickets to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.  We had wanted to see this for such a long time.  We all laughed as we knew we would, but the joy of watching my just teenage son, laugh out loud for nearly the whole show was priceless.  I love this cusp of adulthood that he is becoming a part of.  If you are not after intellect but are in need of a smile and to not have to think but be entertained, you could do worse than see this play.  Try and catch it now before Robert Lindsey leaves, he is fantastic.

I was treated to a night at the theatre to end Saturday evening.

 

Sunday          

The clock 'fell' back and so we had an extra hour in bed, but not me!  I hopped outside with my camera and had some 'me' time whilst the others dozed.  The north side of Kings Cross has been undergoing huge redevelopment and amongst the cranes and the old industrial buildings, new modern works are rising up from the ground.  Rejuvenation is all around.  It is becoming quite buzzy and exciting. 

This is a great coffee shop where you can buy yarn or gifts and in the evening learn new crafts and even some nights dancing.  If you are in the area, pop over.  Link here

I loved the brightness of the yellow in stark
contrast to the  grey concrete

Kings Cross development are trying hard to bring the new and old together, I am sure they are not perfect and make mistakes but as an outsider the garden programme they have come up with seems like a great initiative.  The Skip garden, grew out of a need to get youngsters involved in the community and growing fruit and vegetables seemed like a good idea.  Initially they grew their crops in skips, so they could be portable and moved to different locations as the building developments grew.  The garden now produces food for local cafes and restaurants, including their own Skip café, conveniently situated next to the ball park.  I love how the business areas yellow chairs are used here in the Skip café too, bringing all elements in harmony together.  Want to read more about this initiative, click here

A garden and café within the building development

Almost Halloween, spot the pumpkins

Walking further along I came across these live aboard barges, a boating ideal in the middle of the capital.

Happy boating life in central London

 

 

But on closer inspection and taking in the full view,
living by such dirty canal water may not be so ideal after all

By now I needed a coffee and decided to head to St Pancras International Station to people watch.  I found myself a lovely bookshop that sold coffee and I sat at one of their tables just outside their doors away from the main concourse but in great people watching position.  Whilst there, the piano with the sign, 'Play Me' was played on and I was royally entertained.

 

A perfect simple filter coffee

The buzz of people on the move and destinations
to be reached makes me excited

Yet amongst it all, some find time to stop
and literally hear to the music

By now it was time to re-join the family, Mr H had been for his run and sent about a hundred work emails, the children had had their teenage lie in and in one case completed some homework.  But I was greedy even further and whilst making my way back to them, I snuck into the British library to have a peak at Jane Austen's Persuasion, Elgar and Mozart's sheet music, of which I could not understand and to nose at Da Vinci's notebooks written backwards, genius. 

We decided as a family to be tourists for an hour and headed over to Oxford Street.  We spotted our first street Christmas decorations but were soon fed up of the pushing and shoving from the thousands of pavement beaters that we decided to call it a day and hot footed it to a pub, choosing Karl Marx' local drinking haunt.  After quenching our thirsts, we met up with an old London friend and ate near the British museum in the UK's first Wagamama restaurant, our daughters favourite restaurant.

We didn't last much longer as we were all shattered and called it an early night.  I don't think any of us had trouble going to sleep that night after the full on weekend we had had.  I know I don't even remember going to bed at all I was so tired, but I do know this; I went to bed very happy.

♥ I hope November is good to you ♥



Movember November

November 3rd 

Last years Movember fun, given to us by a good friend

Here in the UK over the past few years, November has seen an inordinate number of men sprouting facial hair.  Almost as if some new fashion fad was taking over whereby cleanly shaven men stop shaving and sprout tufts of furry facial hair, but no, it's all in aid of men's health with a focus on Prostrate Cancer.  November in the UK is unofficially known as Movember  (Moustache + November = Movember)  The charity began in 2004 and originated in Australia.  But all money raised here in the UK stays in the UK and is sent to The Prostrate Caner Charity, with the hope that funding will raise 'hope for tomorrow'.  For further information about the UK charity follow the link here .


So to follow along, despite the fact I am not male obviously. I thought as we were touched by Prostrate Cancer to detrimental effect this year that I should jump on the band wagon so to speak.  I did think about doing what a friend of my son's did last year (he was 11) and drew a moustache on a little bit more each day with pen until the end of November I would have had a full grown beard, but decided that work colleagues and others that I come into contact with may think I have finally lost all my marbles.   I will save that for another year when I am closer to truly loosing them all.  This left the question,  what could I do?  What do I love to do?  Crochet!  Luckily for me a clever lady named Tara in Alaska, don't you just love how easy it is to be in touch with people from all over the world!  Had already thought of this and had written up a jolly clear pattern for just such a thing, a CROCHET MOUSTACHE!  I set to immediately!  Each one took under an hour, including the stuffing and shaping, pretty quick I think.  But, what do you think?

Excuse the Victorian stern looking face,
the moustache made me do it!

Not happy with just black, thinking about breast cancer,
 made me make one in bright pink too!

I still look stern!

Have a play, join in with Movember or just have some fun.  Easy dressing up kit for the children to have in their dressing up box!   To find the pattern for your very own moustache follow the link here .

 

 

♥ Have a great week ♥

What do we want... half term WAFFLES

28th October 


Waffles in the  making Norwegian style

This half term we are staying put so to speak.  Life is often lived in the fast lane and there is little time to spend at home doing nothing.  Other than a couple of day trips out, the plan is to be home bodies and enjoy doing nothing!  (Believe that and you believe anything, the number of new projects I have started this week is ridiculous! but the good intention was there.)

So to sweeten the half term staycation, I promised my lot that I would make waffles and lots of them at that.  So far we have had waffles for breakfast two mornings this week already.

So what are waffles?  Waffles are leavened batter heated between two iron plates with an engraved/raised pattern to provide the final product with shape and impression.  See above photograph.

In our household there is only one type and it comes in a heart shape.  But many know waffles as the American favourite used with maple syrup and called Belgium waffles.  To us, these are not waffles, sorry, but they are not!  These 'waffles' are large in size with deep grid pockets and the batter uses yeast.  They are incredibly popular and when out and about in the UK and America, these are generally what you are served.  True waffles, not that I am biased at all you understand, come from Scandinavia.  Scandinavian waffles are heart shaped and have a thin, easy to hold in one hand size about them.  They tend to be made with sugar and are sweet, although there are several savoury versions of the batter available too.



Nothing beats a stack of Norwegian waffles


Whenever I am not sure what to make, waffles are our families firm stand by, they are quick and easy and as mentioned can be made sweet or savoury.  If the children have a class party day, they always request waffles to take into school.

I do not follow a recipe anymore as I have made them so often over the decades, wow, decades, that makes me feel old, but it is true, I have been making these for about 30 years and eating them for a lot longer than that! So I tend to go by look and I add a bit more here and a bit more there. As a rule of thumb, I make the mixture quite a bit thicker than you would pancake mixture.  So you can use the ingredients below and just make sure the batter is thicker than pancake mixture and there is no need to measure, just go with your gut feeling, or alternatively below are a couple of recipes.  I have successfully substituted the flour with gluten/wheat free flour before and although the mixture looks different, the taste is fairly similar, I know my friends with these intolerance enjoy the waffles.


Basic waffle mixture


Waffles best served with crème fraiche
and home grown raspberries

♥  500g plain flour
♥  250g icing sugar or 150g sugar (we prefer icing sugar)
♥  1l milk
♥  3 eggs
♥  150g melted butter
♥  optional cardamom powder or vanilla essence


Melt the butter and then add all ingredients together and mix till smooth.  I use an electric whisk.  Leave to stand for 30 minutes in an ideal world.  Often the children cannot wait and the mixture only stands for a few minutes, but it is best to wait if you can.

Heat waffles iron, spray for the first waffle with oil to prevent from sticking, but this should not be necessary after the first spray.  the melted butter in the batter should prevent sticking to the sides of the iron.

Each waffles takes only a minute or two at most to cook. 

Continue cooking until all the batter is used up and serve.

Any topping work well, but traditionally in Norway in the summer months you would serve with cream and sliced strawberries.  but anything goes!


Sour cream waffles 

♥  600ml sour cream
♥  1 tsp salt
♥  1 tsp baking powder
♥  220g plain flour
♥  200ml water


Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and let stand for about 10 minutes before cooking.

These are savoury waffles and work well with smoked salmon and crème fraiche, thin omelette on top of them, sliced meat etc.  Anything that you fancy really!  These make great canapés and just that little bit different!



No waffles maker, no worries. 
Make drop scones instead!

Don't have a waffle iron?  There is a way... 

You can now buy waffle irons here in the UK, so I suspect you can in most countries, however you can still use the above recipes  and make drop scones on a griddle or in a frying pan instead.  Make the mixture as normal, but instead drop some mixture onto a very hot griddle or frying pan, sprayed with a thin coating of oil and cook for a minute or two on each side.  Add toppings as desired! 




I am sure we will be having waffles again for breakfast tomorrow, after all isn't half term about having fun and enjoying yourself?

Heart shaped waffles



♥ Enjoy half term everyone ♥

Too many WIPs!

October 17th

I have suddenly become overwhelmed by the number of projects I have begun and not finished. Not least because I have two projects that I really want to begin but feel I must complete the outstanding ones first. Am I alone? Do you always complete what you begin  or are you little like me?

So without further ado the next week is all about finishing off. Wish me luck and hope I come out the other end triumphant. 

Wine bottle carrier in the making

1930's hat in the making

Cushion cover in the making

Small blanket in the making, terrible tension!!

Decorative pictures in the making

So I have some crocheting, knitting, embroidery and machine sewing to tackle this week. Hope to see you on the other side!!

♥ Have a wonderful weekend whatever you do! ♥

Felted bowls

October 8th  

Drops Eskimo felting wool with a 8mm hook

So I have had this yarn in my stash for a while as I am a little bit in love with wool for felting.  In fact I love the whole idea of felting that a good friend sent me on a wet felting course for my birthday some years ago with the wonderful Gillian Harris, when she used to work from a colourful shed in her garden, before the Fluffatoriam was born.  What?!?! you have not heard of the Fluffotoriam, you are missing out, pop over and see all her colourful goodness and amazing creativity that she is. Click on link here



But to be honest, despite buying all the kit for wet felting it has sat under the spare bedroom bed, gathering dust and increasing my guilt feeling of neglecting it.  So I thought it time to start on felting by crocheting first to re connect me with the texture I enjoy so much.  My favourite slippers to don on at this time of year, when the wet rot and chill begin to set in are a are knitted pair of  felted ones, I'll share the pattern soon.  I digress, onto these bowls.

I had spotted a fantastic set of melamine nesting bowls in vivid primary colours and it began me thinking about making some in wool.  this is my first attempt and as I had only green was not able to re create my own rainbow effect of nesting bowls, but you have to start somewhere, right?




Crocheted bowl before hot water felting

I used a very quick basic pattern for the above bowl and just adapted it for larger and smaller sizes.  It was all a bit of a guessing game, but for the basic bowl, the pattern was:

• Make a magic circle and chain 3
• ROW 1:  12 dc into the ring, sl st into the 3rd chain and then pull the magic ring tight (you should have 12 stitches)
• ROW 2:  ch 3 and dc x2 into each stitch, sl st into 3rd chain (24 stitches in total)
• ROW 3:  ch 3 *dc into first and second st, then dc x2 into third stitch* continue in this pattern between the * till the row is complete, sl st into 3rd chain (32 stitches in total)
• ROW 4:  as row 3 (42 stiches in total)
• ROWS 5-8:  dc into each stitch
• ROW 9:  ch 1 then sc around until the end of the row.  sl st into the ch 1

Your bowl is now ready for hot water felting. ♥

Failed attempt at felting by hand

I tried boiling some water and using fairy washing up liquid but failed miserably, although I did succeed in really hurting my hands with the hot water, picture me whining "oh, oh, oh" and hopping up and down whilst still trying to felt by hand.  It was a messy sight!  It didn't take me long to realise this was futile, so I resorted to the washing machine.  I should have known better as this is how I felt my slippers, but thought a small bowl, surely felting by hand would be OK...

Various crocheted bowl sizes

Crocheted bowls ready for the washing machine

So out came the delicate bag and in popped the crocheted bowls.  I set the machine on at 60 degrees and waited the hour or so for the programme to finish.  Of course it worked and the bowls had shrunk somewhat in size and had produced a lovely thick texture.  They had felted well.

Felted bowls left to dry on upturned vessels
found randomly in the kitchen

I wanted bowls and so placed each one on various vessels that I pulled out from different cupboards to try and find the right size for each bowl.  This felting business is not an exact science in my household and no two bowls were the same size.  Here I left the bowls in this position until completely dried out, so that they would hold their new and forced shape.  In my case this was 3 days.

The bowls are not the same height,
but I did manage to get them to nestle within each other

Autumnal and ready for Halloween later in the month

Autumn sun streaming in through the windows on the filled bowls

I have had such fun making these that I now need to put in an order for bright colours of felting wool and make a whole range!  The Drops Eskimo yarn was easy to use and these bowls crocheted up in less than half an hour each.  Easy TV crocheting! I think a bowl filled with little treats would make lovely thank you gifts too...

♥ What are you crafting/making these days

as the nights draw in? ♥

Crochet rings

October 1st 
I think  my crochet mojo might be slowly returning.  I have been squirreling away making things for
Christmas and I will show you all in good time, but do not want to freak anyone out about the C word yet!!

However in the mean time, to ease myself back into crochet I have begun on small and very quick projects.  Shh, these would make good Christmas presents, ahh, did I say that!?!?!?

Ring blanks ready for a crocheted adornment

A good friend of mine recently sent me some happy post of ring blanks, these are rings with a small circular base ready for attaching whatever ornament/decoration you choose for your ring.  This got me thinking and as I have several books that include crochet flowers and a quick search on the internet will produce many free patterns also.  I set to work.  Again using just what I had at home, often these ideas take hold after shop hours and when the small ones are in bed, I used cotton yarn and a 1.75m hook.  I was, pardon the pun, hooked.  Such fun trying out different crochet flowers and seeing how they turn out.  Red is one of my favourite colours and so as it is the season of remembrance, albeit in 6 weeks, I thought to try my hand at a poppy first.






A great book for both knitters and crocheters is one of my favourites and one which I return to again and again for inspiration is Lesley Stanfield's 100 flowers to knit & crochet.  It was from here that I used the three patterns below, the poppy, the Michaelmas daisy and the rose.

A quick crochet flower, some glue and a basic jewellery
making ring and you have a unique custom made ring!

Once the flowers were made I used crafting glue, very similar to PVA which when wet is white, see above picture of the poppy, excuse the blurred picture and on drying dries clear.



This was made by crocheting four separate petals and then stitching
 together.  The centre was a larger version of a petal but then
gathered together to make the bulbous look

 

 

I think the rings rather quirky, a little bit of frivolous fun and am looking forward to wearing them and making more!

♥Have a happy October everyone!♥