Modified Babette

One of my favourite patterns is the very colourful babette ,Isn't it simply divine.

The pattern calls for 22 balls of Koigu in 17 colours.It is based on the same pattern motif, they only vary by the amount of rounds It's made of 126 squares .

I have about 10 skeins of koigu and would need to buy at least 12 more skeins .I have to say that as babette needs so many different coloursways it can look fab if done with the right combination ,but if colours choices clash it can look very ugly. I love colour but I'm not sure I'm good enough to chose the right ones on such a grand scale . So, koigu is out.

Whenever I think of great colourists Kaffe Fassett springs to mind He is a colour guru and he has created a beautiful palette for Regia. I happen to have quite alot of this stuff in various colours. so, it was a matter using balls that are similarly toned. Picture number 2 uses two of the same colourways but striped in different ways. It works magically..Pic 2, is all going to be made in the one colourway ,whilst the colour changes arent as pronounced as using 17 different colours I love the effect it's much more subtle.

Being a contrary girl I also decided that I did not want to use the pattern stitch used in the babette .I wanted it made in a traditional granny square pattern. I love it. I'm sure you've noticed I have three babette's on the go, that's a whopping 378 squares. 3rd picture is made in 4ply random dyed cotton and I am making it with 17 colourways, not sure how it will turn out but I threw caution to the wind and I'm trying my best to just use colours I'd never normally put together. surprisingly, it seemss to be working but I'm not sure that the round of blue works in picture, what do you think?

For more inspiration I love looking at Flickr's babette blanket gallery.

Im off now to make 300 odd more squares wish me luck.

Recipe 2 ;Saltcod tartlets and a ball or two of yarn

We love salted fish, some of the best I've eaten was in Portugal. My fav shop is on the golborne road a Portuguese deli with the most amazing stuff, chorizo, beautiful fresh bread,all the portuguese produce you'd want.

I love soaking the fish I love how it is transformed into plump soft thick fillets .You change the soaking water boil it for a while.The saltiness is not overpowering as you would expect. I'd cooked a batch of onions,red and green peppers some fresh thyme and chilli flakes all sauted until soft and brown add a few plum tomatoes , add lots of freshly cracked black pepper add the salffish and cook until you have a reduced sauce . Mix and serve with rice, salad.


We had leftovers so I made some shortcrust pastry and baked blind and made a liason , added saltfish filling to tartlets pour the liason and bake until golden brown. Four tartlets,perfect for an lovely evening supper with a crisp green salad.

A few balls of yarn, I think they are such fun. Not sure what to make but aren't they just so pretty.

52 new recipes in 2010

A blog drew my attention recently to a plan that some other bloggers have to try 52 new recipes in 2010. I figure that a challenge like that looks like a good one and it may also give me a good reason to make better use of the large number of cookbooks that are sat in my kitchen.

I figure 52 in a year is only one a week and that shouldn't be too difficult, should it? I admit things may get a bit difficult , but I'm determined to give it a go. I'm not sure if there are any formal rules so to speak, but I plan to count any recipes in my tally - main meals, puddings, starters and baking. We're a couple of weeks into the year, but I can think of at least two new things that I have tried - and one of them I even took a photo of - so off I go. I'll aim to record them all on here.

White Fillets marinated in a homemade pesto

Description
An easy homemade versatile sauce that goes with pretty much anything.

Ingredients
50g/2oz basil
30g/1oz pine nuts, toasted
30g/1oz parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
85ml/3fl oz olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Put the basil, parmesan, garlic and pine nuts into a food processor and season well.
2. Whiz together and with the motor still running, pour the oil in until the pesto thickens.
3. Store in a clean jar in the fridge covered with a slick of oil to prevent it drying out.

I doubled the amount coated the fillets with half the amount .I baked them.Served with tagliatelle that was then coated in the remainder of the pesto. i placed the fillets on the pasta and lightly mixed. A lovely salad anointed with lemon and a touch of oil .

Make up remover pads

I try my upmost to be environmentally friendly. I try to reuse everything, carrier bags are turned into coasters . Plastic containers are used for storing rice ,pasta, yarn. It was whilst emptying the bathroom bin (oh, the joys of housework)) I realised the amount of make up remover pads we use and throw away. With three girls we use loads of disposable cotton pads, which ultimately means I'm spending alot on these pads.

With all the wonderful advances in production of soft cotton yarns of which I have plenty, I decided to make a batch of reusable pads. These pads get softer with every wash. Handwash is best, but I do wash in the machine.I put mine in one of those meshed bags with a zipper used for small things usually socks.If you happen to have some of the coarser cotton yarns they make great exfoliating pads.

I used a variety of cotton, Rowan's cotton yarn milk, purelife ,rowan denim, sirdar, debbie bliss dk cotton, sublime's organic cotton.Feel free to use whatever yarn you have as long as it's cotton. It doesn't have to be done in one colour, it's a great cotton stashbuster. Make one for every day of the week.

Pattern

Stitches; uk . See nezumi's conversion chart for terms

Hook size :3.5mm feel free to use whatever hook for the yarn you are using.

Yarn; whatever you like

Foundation; 5 chain, sl st in the first chain.

Row 1; 3ch counts as one tr, 15 tr into the ring. Sl st in 3rd ch at the beginning of round. (16tr)

Row 2: 5ch, 1tr at the base of this 5ch, ( acts as 1tr, 2ch, 1tr).Continue this in every tr . (32 tr).

Row 3; 3ch, *in next tr make 2tr, 1tr in next tr** rep from * to ** 15 times. 1sl st in 3rd ch at the beginning of round. (48)

Row 4; 3ch, 2tr in the next tr, *1tr in each of the next 2tr, 2tr in next tr** rep from * to **15 times .1 tr in last tr sl sp into 3ch at beginning of round. (64).

Fasten off and weave all ends.

NOTE;

Use this pattern freely all I ask is you dont claim this as your own ,please dont use this pattern to sell .

Ravelry Project 365 , 2010

I failed miserably to complete my 2009 resolution of taking a photo a day for 365, with that in mind and a determination not to fail this year,.Ive decided to adapt it a little whilst taking a photo a day isn't difficult uploading them is my problem. With the wonders of the mosiac maker on flickr I think it can be done. I love the tool .Fingers crossed I start as I mean to go on

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Let it snow

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow". Isn't it simply beautiful? the house has been very ill over the Xmas and new year and we have been in for weeks. What has been lovely is looking at the snow. There is something very comforting about being at home ,wearing my mohair bed jacket having lots of hot drinks staring out at the ethereal beauty.

I love being at home, as long as I have everything i need. I'm sure you know where this is heading . Yes, shopping .So with that in mind I did what I do best ,bargain hunting for yarn, well what else could I do????. Im ill I need cheering up.

A few.......seconds later I'd bought lots of regia and a set of the new knit pro acrylic needles, apair of snow boots.(well , it is snowing).I have a set of the metal knitpro's and a set of the beautifully coloured wooden ones ,both of which I love,so what else would need ?obviously, acrylic ones. I have a confession to make, I first used plastic needles aged 10, hated them then and have always avoided them every since.I told myself this over and over whilst paying at the checkout. But still bought them. This obsession with needles and hooks is soooo out of control. I mean seriously, just how many needles and hooks do you really need?

Yarn arrived as lovely and soft as ever.I do like regia and it's so very reasonable priced. The colour changes are very beautiful . I fretted over the needles, however, I'm happy to report "The man from delmonte says ,yes " needles are lovely. Plastics it seems have moved on. I think the cables and little bits of metal involved have added a weight that I like to feel when i knit.The colours are great and they are just as smooth as the other range. I love the mechanics of the knitpro interchangeable needles. Perfect joins. Beautiful points .I really dont like needles that are so sharp that they can split the yarn.These are just the right shape. Smooth, comfortable to use. I love the practicality of having all my needles in one place. Gorgeous, definately worth it. I bought them here. I quite like the look of the hiya needles , no harm in looking, is here??

Handbags at dawn

A few weeks ago Jimmy choo had a special promotion in Hennes. A range of handbags ,shoes and purses. No woman's wardrobe should be without a Jimmy.My daughter queued up three hours ahead of the store opening ,despite arriving early she was still miles away from the doors.People had been queuing for six hours just to be at the front of the queue.

Finally, after waiting for hours the doors opened a stampede followed .My daughter said everyone was grabbing , snatching, it was a survival of the fittest. Personally, I would like to say that people are mad to queue for hours just for a pair of shoes, but I can't when in fact I have to admit I have been known to queue for yarn , how sad is that. This proves that I am addicted to yarn and could probably kill for yarn. Anyway , this story ends well ,she came home bearing gifts a handbag and a gorgeous purse for me . She bought two pairs of shoes and two handbags for herself, one set of which is my present to her for Xmas.