Apple cake is good for you, honest!

I have had a couple of requests for this recipe, so here goes. It's an old family recipe I got from my mum, and hope to pass on to my monkeys when they have bakers of their own.

Applecake

3 eggs 180° C for about 30 min.

150 g granulated or caster sugar

150 g unsalted butter

150 g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 – 5 apples (peeled, cored and cut into wedges)

Cinnamon & sugar to sprinkle on top.

Beat eggs and mix in sugar, add melted butter and baking powder, then add the flour bit by bit. Distribute evenly in a greased and lined tin. Poke the apple wedges into the batter, sprinkle sugar & cinnamon on top. Serve with whipped cream or good quality vanilla ice cream.

I can haz a purty!!!

I have just this morning received my brand new blocking wires in the post, very promptly, as I only ordered them on Sunday :)... Then I realised I could have collected them as the shop is only a few miles away...

So after excitedly opening the tube and finding the wires and T-pins inside, I set to blocking my freshly finished Centrique in my luuuurvely Babylonglegs Semi-Precious yarn specially dyed for ME! And boy, was it a good buy! I am a blocking convert, and every shawl, shawlette, scarf and neckerchief I knit will now be properly blocked instead of just flattened with that clothes-flattening-device-thingamabob that hubby uses on the boys' school shirts.

The Centrique (pattern by Carol Feller) was a very quick knit, and although it looks rather intimidating at first, beginner lace knitters should not fear! It is deceptively simple, and with rather instant gratification too - what more can you ask for? I made only one mod to this pattern (and I'm usually a very heavy mod'er), and that was the centre. I didn't want the spine you get
with the yarn over increases at the centre the pattern called for, so decided to try something else. When I got to the centre st, instead of the YO, I picked up and knitted the front of the st below the centre st, knitted the centre st, then picked up and knitted the back of the same st below... Does that make sense? Anyone who wants is welcome to nose in my Ravelry projects to see more pictures.

A year! Phew!

Omigosh! I can't quite believe it's been a year since my last post... See, I said I was a terrible procrastinator. So since my last post I have made a few batts, sold a couple, spun a lot of yarn, and bought 2 new wheels. Oh, and Freya is no longer in the McCormick household... she's with a friend who is sure to look after her. Now I'm beginning to really miss her, even though she's been gone for months. In February I bought Ginny, the Ashford Joy, and about 6 weeks ago I bought Tilly the Ashford Traveller. At the moment she has some merino silk in Woodland from Saras Texture Crafts on her bobbin.

I also went to Knit Nation this year, as I couldn't make it to Wonderwool... I WILL be going to wonderwool next year :) as hubby has promised he'd take me. I spent far too much money and bought loads of fluff anyd yarn. 2 skeins of Wollmeise lace came home with me, 2 skeins of Natural Dye Studio Dazzle HT, plenty of Babylonglegs fluff, some alpaca sock blend and cappucino alpaca/merino from John Arbon, some Easyknitter BFL, 2 braids of Juno Fibre Arts fluff.... and some wicked little stitchmarkers from The Bothered Owl. I am sure there is more, but I can't remember.

In a few days, my eldest son will be 10. That is scary. And just last Monday was my youngest's first day at p/t preschool... That was even more scary. I admit it, I cried like a girl. Well, I am a girl so I'm allowed to do that, right? Besides, he's my baby and he's growing up - something he should never do. He should remain my little cuddler. No, he should grow to be a big, strong kind little brother (although I do have my suspicions that he'll be the biggest of them all). He's settled in fine, and is learning new stuff at an alarming rate. He'll be fine.

A collection of spinning done the last few weeks... I'm a terrible procrastinator, so I ended up with two bags of yarn to take out in the garden for a "photoshoot".

I hate waiting...

I have reserved a cheap value range steamer for dyeing yarn and fibres, but it is not in stock so I have to wait... And that is something i don't do very well. I say I'm definately not a patient person, and hubby says "how can you say you're not patient when you knit lace, big jumpers and you spin to boot"! I just know I do not like waiting, but where knitting is concerned, I can see the results as I go along, so gratification is very regular. With most other things, like waiting for out-of-stock items, gratification does not happen until the item is in my posession. To me, that is the big difference, and I think I can safely say that I am not patient.

I have also finished a pair of Evangeline gloves that I started on yesterday morning, and now I am contemplating the Debbie Bliss Cabled Beret from the F/W issue from last year (1st issue). I also want to complete the ensemble with the Evangeline Cowl, and put it in the Pressie Box.

My own yarn!

My very own handspun, waiting to be plied with  2 friends. This one is a  70/30 oatmeal BFL/silk, and will be plied with 2 x oatmeal BFL.