On the list of craft 'wanties'...

I always always always have my eye on yarn of some kind and yet again I am drooling over the [above] Starburst crochet blanket by Jane Brocket from the Gentle art of Knitting book (pattern also in issue 2 of Mollie Makes).  I've had my eye on this for an age but recently spurred on by Kath on her Inverleith blog and Instagram feed, who has been making a granny a day of it and has posted lots of lovely images of the finished blanket.  She chose really lovely colours (in Rowan Pure Wool DK) and made me 'want' to start all over again.  I've even been looking at yarn and at the mo considering Rowan Cotton glace.  I have some balls that I got for the 'icing' on knitted cupcakes and the shine is lovely on this yarn.  I love cotton yarn too, it is my favourite I think. It's a double knit wool and has a lovely feel to it too when knitted up.  I am very tempted but as always such a thing is quite an investment money wise. 
I've been looking longingly at this shade card.

There is fabric on the 'wanties' list too but as of yet I have not decided what I would do with it. I have been thinking of trying to make a zipped pouch.  This kind of sewing really is NOT my area.  I get very easily confused when things have to be rightside/wronside/insideout/outsidein/cut/measured etc etc.  I like my sewing machine but it has not (as of yet) turned into love. This 'walk in the woods' fabric by Moda has me tempted to try as it has foxes liberally sprinkled all over it and I love a fox.

(image from the cottonpatch. Click on image to go see the full range) 

It really is very cute fabric and I can picture it on something small. Oh and did I mention?  Love a fox!  I'd love some of this but what to do?
I am constantly fighting the urge to make more quilts/blankets but as I have a few on the go (see this earlier post) I  really must not start another so it's lucky I do not see this fox fabric in a quilt.

There are craft books calling on me at Amazon, whispering to me with their potential.

 I've had my eye on this book for a while as I love embroidered flowers and this book has some really nice ones including daffodils.

This books looks great but I am a little unsure because as I said earlier this kind of sewing does not come easily to me but I like the look of the things in here so maybe I would be inspired to give some of the projects a go. Maybe some of you have it and could let me know hoe easy/difficult it is to follow.

 (Three book images from Amazon.co.uk)

 I love the look of these socks.  I haven't knitted a a pair in a while but the patterns in this book are really lovely.  I am thinking of making some as gifts as last year I made really simple tube socks for a couple of friends and they were very well received. I like the idea too of knitting (as the title says) from the toe up as you can try them on as you go meaning you can be sure of the fit you like. These socks would also mean I can look at hand dyed yarn which is a really fun thing to do on Etsy, especially with the app.

It's not a huge list but there is always, without fail, a list on the go and who doesn't love a list or indeed a notebook (or ten) to write them in?

What's on your list of craft 'wanties'?

X

P.S you can always find me on Twitter or Instagram as jammypudding.

Can you ever have enough......

.......baking books?
I really do not think so.
I make something, sometimes many things, from each of the books I buy, yet the compulsion to have more is always there.  First there is the 'noticing' of a book, whether it be by recommendation from someone (or by amazon - they get me every time). The imagining begins. I begin to wonder what delights may be inside, could there be the perfect recipe for something I already make and love? Something new I have never tried before and always wanted to? What photos are in there?  Will they make be drool at the very thought of the pressure of a pastry fork?
When a new book arrives I almost want to create a ceremonial moment, take the time to enjoy every detail of the book, the feel of the pages turning, the smell, the potential locked inside. It's all very much an indulgence!

Recently I have become obsessed with patisseries, windows full of shiny glazed delights, thoughts of delicate pastries and not so delicate slabs of bread, wanting to refine, to be precise, to hone my baking skills.  I love hearty classics, always, but I want the challenge of having to be more skilled.  Always wanting people to exclaim "you did that?".  You know that slightly insulting/impressed thing we all do? I want to get to grips with liquid fondant and make French Fancies. The book I recently bought by the amazing Peggy Porschen will help with that.  I want to get to grips with pastry so I  ordered this only the other day...

(image from Amazon.  Click here to see the book)

Just look at that cover!!  I cannot wait to delve into this book! I am not scared of pastry at the moment, a little bemused by it, not fully understanding it when I make it, not fully 'there' with it like I am with cakes. I want to become excellent and produce exquisite things. Things made of pastry.

I have that image of a tiered cake stand all prepared for afternoon tea and with that image I hear myself wanting to recreate it with things all made by me. 

You see why I *need* this book??

It may well be the fact that, in the main, it still feels wintry, but I have a notion for nordic baked things too so have my eye on this book...

(image from Amazon. Click here to see book) 

 This book sounds amazing. Those breakfast compotes and jams, those cakes and bread, mmmm cinnamon buns! Big amounts of *sighing*. I am so so so very tempted.

But for now, bring on the pastry making.

Always thinking about baking and loving the abundance of books. 

In my wee world, you can never, ever have enough!

X

P.S I'm always posting photos on Instagram so come and have a looksee, I'm jammypudding on there.

Nearly Headless Nick..sorry I mean Nearly Wordless Wednesday!

Yesterday afternoon...

I didn't know I had nodded off until my phone beeped and with a thudding heart, my arms flew into the air, my book went flying onto the floor and my mouth went "aarrrhhhhh".

X

An out of body experience??

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

It's not my fault!  I couldn't  help myself!  Effing Amazon!  It made me buy books I didn't 'need'!  I don't know how I even arrived at the craft book section, let alone the whole site.  

I was hypnotized.

Brainwashed.  

Led by the hand like a distracted toddler unaware that Mummy is going to 'her' bit of John Lewis.

It clearly was not my fault.

That is my story and I am sticking to it I tells ya!!

I'll be telling Mr Biscuit I needed them for Christmas presents that he need not be involved in even a teeny bit.  He'll roll his eyes and hope I won't be asking his opinion (I say opinion, I really mean 'let me discuss this with myself out loud until I come to a decision') on fabric/wool/colour/size/recipient etc etc.  

Besides he'll only find out if I tell him mmmwaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaa!

*shakes fist at Amazon*

*gets excited at thought of new books*

Here's what I bought and of course I am slapping my wrist for the utter lack of self control, sort of, well pretending...

 and

(images from amazon)

Not content with getting a fix myself, I am going to be a 'pusher' and encourage you too.  

Click here for the first, here for the second and you will be taken to the land of temptation otherwise known as Amazon.co.uk.

Surely I am not alone in this, I cant' be?

X

I am but a weak and feeble woman when it comes to......

****Cupcakes****

I had to, I just had to.  I'm supposed to be saving to pay for decorating.  I had my splurge last weekend with the monies saved for that purpose but already this week I have succumbed to the temptations of Ms Fish (hang your head, you Temptress!) and her glorious ribbons (see here and here for wonderful things) and today after fighting the urge for a few days I ordered this....

 

...from Amazon.  Can you blame me?  

I love the title:

    Eat me! The Stupendous, Self-raising World of Cupcakes and Bakes According to Cookie Girl  

It's thinking of Alice in Wonderland that did it before I even thought about the delights that are inside.  Or course Hubby will utter the question that shows the quintessential difference between man and woman.... 

"Haven't you got enough cupcake books already?" 

Duh!   

"NO!?!?!"

Can you EVER have enough books about cupcakes?

X

Release the inner geek!!!

This weekend is a cool weekend.  I am taking my mum for a night away to a Hotel in the not so exotic Dundee. We were both born there, my mum spent quite a wild youth there, my mum and dad met there when he worked on the dodgems at the Shows (do I need to translate that to Fairground for the non Scots out there?) and this weekend we will be eating, definitely drinking and being merry there.  It's a nostalgia trip for her mainly as part of her 60th b/day (she still doesn't know the destination yet), although I did see a Morrissey gig in the Caird Hall in my youth, proud to say when I should have been studying for my highers.  I wasn't always boring, I really wasn't!  Under normal circumstances a night away without the men folk would have been amazing, tickled me pink to be fed by someone other than me, I like to cook but I like to eat more!  No chores, no shouts of 'Mummy!!!' well not unless my mum's annoying me, and well just getting away.........but this weekend something way cooler is happening.

Come Sunday night at 7pm, with a large glass of red, I will be plonked comfortably on my sofa with the men folk around me for the much anticipated ( I cannot emphasise this enough!!  I won't even knit while watching it!) latest episode of DOCTOR WHO.  I love Doctor who, I come clean now.  My name is Ali and I am a sci-fiaholic!!! I also love Harry Potter but I'll bore you with that on another occasion.

My inner is geek, my favourite books are those that take me to far away places filled with magic and machines that make perfect cups of tea in little china cups out of thin air.  If it has a vampire, monsters or spooky happenings I'm there.  As a youth I did read the classics too (still do!) but my heart was and still is with the fantastical, hence why the re-done Pride and Prejudice with zombies book was a hoot.  Above of the story must be good, I have cried lots at Doctor Who and will again come Christmas time when the tenth doctor must regenerate.  For those who do not know, this means he must DIE....boo hoo!!!  It will be a harrowing time but I will console myself with hands dipping into Roses and Quality Street tins.

Even though I shall be having a fab Friday night and an excellent Saturday morn c/o a full breakfast, Sunday night is where it's at!! (NB. This does include the Antiques Roadshow!)

I leave you with the tenth Doctor!!!   Enjoy!!

I have a confession about the larger of these action figures .... ..this blog is a long one but I do blether, all my report cards said 'Alison talks too much' but I figure it's my party and I'll vomit verbally if I want to.......when my eldest bought himself this figure ( I called it a doll, can you imagine the look I got?) I came over all funny and it hit me, full in the face, I MUST PLAY WITH IT.  So I did the only thing a girl could, I took all his clothes off and put them back on again, quite a few times I might add until I had got it out of my system.  I hadn't realized what had been laying dorment.  I remembered my days of playing with my dolls (I was a Sindy girl mainly but did get a Barbie eventually) playing house until I got older and made them sell their posessions and become punks.  I decapitated my Barbie later trying to brush out the backcombing.  Aah those were the days.........

X