Bonne Année

After a very busy week I had some time to myself to appreciate what santa brung me, especially the woollie things: a book to knit baby shoes, some bamboo needles and 100% merino wool to knit a Debbie Bliss pattern (Juliet, Rialto DK). Initially, I wanted to buy the Debbie Bliss Rialto, but I decided against it after some knitters from the knitting group told me they had some problems with the wool. I hope the Katia merino yarn will do the job. I've done the sample, the tension is the same and the feel is really good. I can't wait to knit the jacket!


Tomorrow santa is coming again (Monday as well) and then we are having a big party at my friends to celebrate the new year. We don't have to go very far as the house is just in front of my parents' house. We just have to cross the road and as it is a dead end (and we are at the end), it is pretty safe.
I think it will be my last post for 2007. I hope you will have loads of fun.

*** Happy New Year to everybody ***

Ginger Marmelade

My mum makes a really wonderful ginger marmelade and I have to share it, it is too good to keep it to myself! If you want to try, the recipe is below.

Ginger Marmelade

10 big untreated Oranges

3 grapefruits ( you can mix yellow and red)

2 lemons

5kg sugar

400g fresh ginger (peeled)

Peel the skins of all the fruits and grate the skins finely.

Put them in a big pan, add the fruits cut in small dice, 5kg of sugar and 1 litre of water.

Mix it and leave it for 24h.

Boil for 1h.

Grate the ginger, add it to the marmelade and continue to boil till the jam is thick (around 30 minutes). Take the scum of the jam and pot it.

Enjoy!

It is really delicious on homemade bread. For a good and simple recipe, go on Louise's blog.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you !

We are enjoying our holidays in France. No snow though, but it is crispy cold, I love it. As usual, good food and good wine... Santa have been very generous again this year, although it is not finished as we are spreading out the all thing over several days.
Some pix from Clermont-Ferrand:

I can finally post the picture of the hot water bottle cover I made for my friend Diane (the one from work, not Di)

For all the GruikGruik's fan: He had a wonderful Christmas and 5th birthday. He's got a new jingle bell and a red ribbon.

Enough for today! I have to prepare the "poule au pot" for lunch and then, we are going to my grandma this afternoon for more cakes and presents...

Blanket

I have finished Matthew's blanket and done about a third of Olivia's.Olivia's blanket will be roughly the same size as Matthew's (60x70cm) but the pattern is different: a square in the middle (with a heart) surrounded with 4 fitting rectangles.

This is my last post before Christmas. Tomorrow, I am flying home for 2 weeks.

***** MERRY CHRISTMAS ******

Sunday with friends

Today, Diane invited us for gluwhein and german biscuit. It was great to be together in a very christmassy atmosphere.




I finally took a pictures of the buttons I bought in Copenhagen a few months ago. Some are very appropriate for this time of year !

Newburgh knitting group

Today was the monthly knitting group at Twist Fiber Craft in Newburgh.
As usual, we had loads of wonderful things to eat: biscotti from Louise (I am sure she will put the recipe on her blog), cakes from Allyson, Biscuits, meringues and macarons from Andrea...and much more. I made a parmesan and courgette cake (the recipe is here but it is in french).

We gave Laura and Peter the poinsettia wreath we made together and they loved it. It is now hanged on the wall behind the counter.

Blanket

As I told you before, I am knitting 2 baby blankets for my brothers twins (Mathew and Olivia). They are due in March but as you know, time flies... This is the one for Mathew: 30 squares (I initially planned 35 but the blanket is big enough with 30). It will be around 60x70 cm, a bit bigger once I've knitted the border. The sewing is taking ages so I will design a blanket without sewing (or far less) for Olivia.

I am also trying to finish the bits and bobs that are lying unfinished here and there like this jumper. It is a size 5-6yr so it will probably be for Elliot, my brother's son, for his birthday in September (he will be 4 then).

Finally, These are some of the crochet flowers (brooches) I've made for the gallery.

Jam Gallery

The Jam Gallery in Dundee, run by Julie, exhibits and sells work from local artists and crafts people. If you are looking for nice and unique gifts for Christmas, you should go and have a look., prices start just at a few pounds.





Stephane is exhibiting some of his paintings (the 5 at the bottom) and I am selling my cards and crochet flowers.

Forfar

This weekend friends from Paris were visiting. Although they spent 7 years in Dundee, they've never been to Forfar ! To be honest, this little village is not really worth a visit. The only reason we went there was because Stephane is exhibiting a couple of paintings at the museum. The exhibitions runs till January 4th.






The Meffan Museum of Forfar:



Stephane's paintings: a scottish croft (white frame) and a church in Vik, Iceland (underneath the croft)

Knitting

Yesterday was the knitting group at Borders. I didn't knit anything but I did improve my sewing skills. I am currently knitting 2 baby blankets for my brother's twins (they are due in March so I am on target to have them finished by then). I have decided on a simple pattern: 35 squares, half plain, half stripy, then a border. So, for an hour and a half I've tried several sewing techniques, all a disaster. I had advice from several experienced sewers so I kept trying and later in the evening I manage to sew a couple of squares and I was pleased with the result ! :0) I'll post pictures later when I will have done a bit more.


I've been knitting lots of Christmas presents but I can't show you them all as some of the people they are for are watching.


I can show you the cushions:

Book

Today, I went to Borders to have a wee wander in the knitting books and see if I could use my 25% off voucher. Found one :0)

Disaster

On Saturday, my brother, his wife and their 3 year old came for lunch. Initially, I wanted to post something about the wonderful banh bao I would have made for the occasion. Unfortunately, it was a disaster: the bread dough was a bit too wet, also I didn't have proper bread flour, so by the time the banh bao was stuffed, left to rise and ready to be cooked, the quail eggs were trying to run out of the buns. I should also mentionned that I made a pandan and coconut cake (it was a mix, I just had to add water) that didn't turn out well either. It was a 2 layers cake but the bottom layer escape as I was putting it in a tray and broke in several pieces. I had to cut it in small pieces to try to make it eatable... Anyway, we did eat the banh bao and the cake but we also had steam veg and a fruit salad.
I am posting some images, at least you can have a good laught ;0)))

Quilling

As promised donkeys ago, pictures of the quilled cards I bought in Vietnam (It was the first thing I spent money on actually).