Knitting and Stitching Show

Today has been a fantastic day!  It started a bit too early for a Saturday but it was worth it. I was up at 5 am so that I could catch the 6:21 am train to London! (£13.50 fare rather than £40 upwards at a more convenient time of day.)  It was cold, dark, raining and miserable but I was in such a good mood I didn't care.

To get into the spirit of things I crocheted all the way to London so only another 46 little squares to go now too. The journey was good, and straight forward despite the Victoria Line being completely shut all weekend (resulting in lots of very grumpy people it seemed). The best bit was probably the short bus journey from Wood Green station up to Alexandra Palace. The queue for the free shuttle bus was immense so when a normal bus turned up many of us jumped on that one instead, ('many' being about 80 women). There was a lone man sat at the back at the time minding his own business, upon being joined by so many knitting 'crazy' women he just couldn't stand it any longer and left pretty quickly to stand near the door (still surrounded by more crazy women though). I think he was slightly concerned that he may have got ambushed into the knitting show which, it appeared, would have been a bit of a nightmare for him! His loss...he didn't realise what he was missing.

So here we are - Alexandra Palace - Knitting and Stitching show 2012...

I did feel quite a home very quickly when I found this within the entrance area...

So...maybe, instead of getting annoyed with my unfinished projects, I should just turn them into an art form as they are?! That's exactly what was inside there - lots of unfinished work with the stories that went with them. It was fascinating but I think I will stick to my original plan of actually finishing mine.

The above picture was taken about half an hour after the show opened. Within an hour you couldn't move it was that busy - I was slightly amused by those people that were irritated by the crowds...what were they expecting?!  This is the picture I took while eating a blueberry muffin for lunch (er...diet?! hmmm)...

So much wool...in so many colours...

There was some completely stunning quilts that I wasn't allowed to photograph but we were able to take picture of these ones, below. They are good but not as incredible as the others.

These quilts were about 5ft square so still reflect substantial effort.

I will tell you why this is here in a later post...

Finally, on the way out I found this. I've been to a couple of model villages in the past but nothing quite like this before...

I'm sure child #3 will be overjoyed when he gets knitted model railway stuff for Christmas!...maybe not :-( ...still tempting though!

Amazingly I was really good and stuck to the budget but that still meant that I left the show with at least 4 new projects. I am planning on making a start on the first of those right now and I'm not telling you what it is just yet either. I knew I wouldn't be able to resist a new start today but I am technically allowed 1 new project so all is still good! This one is something entirely new too...I nearly had a go at it last year but never got around to it.  Here goes then!

I'll be back soon.

Chickpea Curry

I've been getting into the winter spirit today! I think this was because when we left the house this morning at 7:40am the world looked like this....

Cold, dark and very very foggy. I was very tempted to put my scarf on too but I decided that early October was just too soon. Anyway the weather did improve, thankfully, as the day went on.

I've been trying to keep on top of things at home and therefore, having got home from work early today, I decided to make tomorrow's dinner a day early. This dish is one of those that always tastes even nicer the following day. It is a lovely wintery meal too...and good comfort food without loads of calories (yes, I am actually more committed to the diet this week...well so far anyway).

Having spent a couple of years trying to follow recipe after recipe in an attempt to find a good vegetarian curry, only to be disappointed, I discovered this one without following anything but simply chucking lots of stuff into a big pan that I thought might be nice. It was, and even the nest agreed! (They are't usually that great with the hippy style stuff.)

So this is it...it looks bad I know...but tastes delicious.

So, just in case you fancy giving it a go this is what I throw in it:

1 large white onion

2-3 cloves of garlic

About 8-10 new/baby potatoes with skins

2 pints of veg stock

A decent amount of hot curry powder

An average amount of ground turmeric

An average amount of ground cumin

Quite a bit (because I love it) of ground coriander

a few bay leaves

about 4-6 fresh tomatoes chopped into 8ths

2 tins of chickpeas

3 or 4 handfuls of red lentils

half a big bag of baby spinach

If I have any in the fridge I also add some cauliflower too and fresh chilli.

I fry the garlic and onions, and then add the potatoes for a few minutes before everything else gets added. I then leave it all to simmer for about an hour (ish - there's no real science to it). We eat it on its own, or with some rice or flat breads. It really is my kind of cooking - minimal effort...maximum taste. 

Give it a go...dare you!

Jam Tarts

Yesterday was lovely. I didn't go anywhere or do anything spectacular, it was just a nice family day at home with my youngest. We watched TV, did our own thing, and baked some jam tarts. I've not attempted pastry with any of the nest before (partly because I only learnt to make it last year!) so I wasn't sure how he'd get on but I was pleasantly surprised as his baking skills. I barely did a thing to be honest.

He thought I was crazy to suggest he used his hand to mix it but he soon got into the idea...

Ta-da!!...

They were a bit scrummy! We ate them with custard after a delicious Sunday dinner (at which child #2 was present and content to be there!).

I also made a start on these this weekend...

They do form part of an existing project so all is good. Well it was until I calculated that I needed to make 54 of these! Oh well...they keep me busy and away from snacking  anyway. I didn't really commit to the whole diet thing last week, partly because the kitchen was full of home baked sugary stuff until Wednesday! So this week I am going to be far more dedicated...maybe.

See you soon.

Blackpool Lights

From where we live, Blackpool lights is just about do able as an evening trip. We don't go every year but I think we went the year before last. It takes us an hour and a half to get to Blackpool, and then HOURS to get to the start of the lights. We arrived at the light queue just before 8 pm yesterday - at about 10 pm we got to the start of the lights. We knew that this would be the case though and so went prepared with drinks, snacks and good music to keep us entertained in the queue.  Even child #3 was relatively patient considering he was confined to a car for hours on end. 

It was worth it, despite the actual lights taking less time than the queue! I think we did them in about an hour and a half. Its not easy to take pictures but I got a few after persevering with my camera settings. The lights are 100 years old this year so the theme was based around that with a bit of Jubilee and Olympics thrown in here and there.

I think they are the best of the bunch photo wise, there was lots we couldn't photo too, you can only really appreciate them in person but you get the idea. We left Blackpool at 11:15 and got home at nearly 1 am this morning with a very sleepy nest. 

Sleeping Beauty

I just had to share this. I always go in and check on him as I go to bed. He's often the wrong way up....or even on the floor somewhere after falling asleep while playing (when he should have been asleep in bed of course!). I usually just put him back in bed the right way, or put the covers back on him etc. Last night I went in and he was like this, just snuggled up with the little dog that he's had since he was born and looking completely adorable so I took a sneaky pic! If only they didn't grow up so quickly.

Door Handles

I bet you have internal door handles? I bet you've never given them a second thought really? They are a new luxury to me. I waited 15 months for internal doors to be fitted on the ground floor of Vivod, and a further 5 months for handles! Its not that I am lazy, broke or have been unlucky with joiners. I live next door a great joiner which means, on the plus side, I get very cheap joinery...when it suits him (helped along by a little nagging from his wife thankfully). Anyway today, finally, the handles were fitted so I have spent a little time today simply opening and closing doors...because I can. Later I will amuse myself further by closing the door and waiting for the meow...hahahaha. No longer can the cat rule the temperature of my living room! 

Today has been a very productive day. I am now set for a stress free week, ironing done, shopping done (thanks Asda for substituting my vegetarian soup for one with bacon in(!)...genius...I now only have 3 days soup supplies for work...sigh). I did lots of baking! Another Bread Pudding (different recipe this time - tastes delicious), and a batch of Oat and Cherry cookies (very messy but equally delicious). 

So now is not the best time to vow that I will lose at least half a stone (or face the expense of new clothes). I will begin when the cookies are gone - luckily the nest return later so that should solve that one. I will keep you posted as to my weight loss progress...or lack of, as the case may be.

I did attempt to sort out my stash but didn't really get that far. This is the stash cupboard...

Doesn't really look that bad...but that's just what's in the cupboard. The real problem is the many bags and other containers that litter every room of my house containing more wool. A friend has offered a 'solution'. Vacuum bags. Granted it will allow me to fit more wool in the cupboard, however, I'm not sure it really helps the underlying problem of my tendency to buy wool faster than I can knit with it! That's another promise for another day. Besides...if I were to commit to using up the stash it would entail beginning new projects...and you know why I can't do that. In short, I tidied one shelf of the above mess, and closed the door. Rome wasn't built in a day!

I'm persevering with finishing the last book in the Fifty Shades trilogy. I did have to read other books in between each one for the sake of my own sanity. I sometimes wish I wasn't so stubborn in insisting on not giving up on books that I start. I had to read them though...they are the biggest selling books of the year but, like many of my friends that read books on a day to day basis, I wasn't that impressed with the writing. There are only so many eye rolling, lip biting, and palm twitching sentences I can read. The story is ok but a little long winded - surely one book would have sufficed? I am the one rolling my eyes at the friends that never normally read more than their Facebook news feed but suddenly began talking about how amazing the books were. Have they even heard of Waterstones or ventured into their local library? I doubt it. My sudden motivation for finishing the book is because I've been reading reviews for the new J.K. Rowling book - The Casual Vacancy. I never did read (or even watched) the Harry Potter series - Wizards and anything mythical just aren't my thing but I am quite curious about Rowling's first adult book. The reviews have been mixed so I think I might treat myself tomorrow and make up my own mind. Watch this space.

One thing I am really pleased about is that it is the last day of September. Being my least favourite month of the year, and I'm sure you now understand why, I'm quite pleased to see the back of it. Here's to a more calm October!

Welcome Back Serenity

Hello! Oh we are all so excited here at Vivod, and I am officially the best mum in the world according to my daughters. Why? Well, as I mentioned in my last post, Mumford and Son's new album, Babel, was released on Monday (it is amazingly good) following this they announced a quick tour this autumn. Tickets went on sale yesterday morning at 9am and guess who bought three for Manchester Arena? Moi!!! I was so proud of myself! The girls are incredibly happy, particularly child #1 who I think loves Mumford as much as I do. It is hard not to sit here feeling a little smug when reading other fans comments about the tickets being sold out. We can't wait!!

Things are slowly getting back to normal at Vivod too. The deadly cold seems to have  almost passed now too thankfully. I actually found time to do a weekly shop this week and I took lunch to work nearly every day. Also, instead of spending the evenings working, I've spent lots of time on my Emily Peacock kit...

I am trying to finish this by Christmas as there are another 2 kits that will be featuring on my crimbo list. The Hug and Kiss kits... 

So this weekend, with an empty nest, I have promised myself that I will finish getting things at Vivod back on track...lots of cleaning, washing, food shopping etc etc...oh and ironing...look!! :-( (This blog is 'warts n all'!)

Not very exciting but it will make for a much more organised and stress free week with any luck. It also means I won't go out spending money. This is for a good reason. In 2 weeks time I am going to the Knitting and Stitching Show in London and therefore I am doing my best to keep some money aside for that. This is also the reason that, despite completing 2 projects, I have not started anything new as I suspect I may be tempted to after the show! 

Aside from all the cleaning I have a couple of nicer things on the to do list. I might get a chance to do a little more on the ripple blanket (nearly halfway there now). I'm also in the mood for a bit of baking, so once Asda have delivered my shopping tomorrow I'll see what I can find to make. If I'm really feeling motivated I may have a quick sort out of my stash too. There seems to be quite a few bags of wool all over the house that need a home - not convinced that they will actually fit in the stash cupboard though, even with a sort out! 

In the shorter term, once I have cleaned the bathroom...sigh, I am going to settle down with the Telegraph. Its not my normal read however Cath Kidston has produced a little booklet which I just couldn't resist obtaining a copy of. I do need to thank a very lovely friend of mine for this who informed me that he had to search various local shops and supermarkets across the area in order to find a copy. Isn't he great? He was clearly far less impressed with the booklet than I was too and questioned whether it was worth it?...of course it was worth it!! I now feel that, given the efforts, I should at least read the rest of the newspaper too...looking at the size of it that could take some time!