Tuesday 30 September 2008

Stained glass

Last Friday I had my first stained glass lesson. My friend Jenny is teaching me. She's got all the tools and an amazing choice of glass. I am doing a suncatcher. I've cut all the pieces and placed them on the pattern to be sure they fit together (using some blue tack to keep them into place on the pattern). Cutting glass is quite tricky but easier than expected (well, I had to redo 2 pieces because I broke them when I was cutting them).

I now have to put some copper tape around the edge of each glass piece. Then, I will have to lead the pieces together.
I really enjoyed it and I am already planning on making a lamp...

Monday 22 September 2008

Jam and yarn

The bramble season is extremely good this year and I've been picking a lot.

My freezer is small so I have to do something with all these goodies nature gives us. I've made an apple and bramble crumble (and will make another one on Saturday) and jam (bramble and bramble/raspberry).

This summer I made jam, probably a bit more than usual, so I decided to count my stock so I know what's in my cupboard:


Flavour Number of jars
Bramble 31
Raspberry 17
Strawberry 15
Blueberry 9
Yellow raspberry 7
Plum 5
Blueberry/Raspberry 11
Bramble/Raspberry 11
Yellow raspberry/Banana 4
Total 110
and this does not include all the jars I've already given, which is about 30 I think.
I can't eat all that in a year but I trade it against lift to/from work/knitting shop, barley flour, knitting pattern....etc... :o)

On the knitting front, things are a bit slow at the moment but my stash I've grown again! I bought some Katia linen (£2/Ball, a bargain!) to knit a nice summer cardigan (from Interweave) and some Freedom spirit yarn (it was to make it up to £40 so I wouldn't pay for shipping).

Sunday 21 September 2008

D.R.A.M.08

Dundee Running Adventure Marathon 2008 took place yesterday. Stephane ran it in relay with 2 friends. They came the night before for a pasta party at home.
This is the team (Left to right): Kenny, Stephane and Craig.

Stephane was running the last bit (10 miles). They did it in 3h and 43min.

The next run they are doing is 19th October at Scone Palace. It is a 10K run for cancer research UK.
Any volunteer?

Saturday 20 September 2008

Swap (revealed)

Earlier this week I sent my parcel to Kath, my swap partner for the celtic warmers swap on Ravelry.

She managed to retrieve her parcel from her local post office on Friday. This is what she found inside: a neck warmer, two pairs of fingerless gloves, a crocheted flower brooch, a tablet of chocolate and some tea from France and Germany.

She likes it, so I am relieved. As it was my first swap I didn't know exactly what to send.
Well, I really enjoyed myself and I am now ready for the next one :o)))

Monday 15 September 2008

Swap

Time flies and I've been so busy that I had no time for posting!
I joined the Scottish swap group on Ravelry and I am taking part in this month swap. The theme is "celtic warmers". My swap partner lives in Edinburgh and I am hoping to send the parcel this week if I can manage to finish the few bits and bobs left. Only when she will have received it I will be able to post details and pictures of what I knitted and crocheted for her.

On Saturday, it was our monthly knitting group at Twist Fiber Craft. We had no chauffeur, so Andrea and I rented a car for the day. It was a perfect knitting day: cold, damp, miserable. I forgot to take my camera, which is a shame. After knitting, we had a lovely lunch at Jamesfield, and then we headed south, to the Cocoa Tree Shop in Pittenweem, for our dessert: crepes with chocolate sauce and ice cream...hhhmmmm....

I can show you a picture of the yarn I bought at Twist Fiber Craft: 80% merino 20% silk lace weight yarn. It is gorgeous, I know what I am going to knit with it....

Friday 5 September 2008

Sad

My dear beloved oven died on Monday evening. It's been really good, had a long, busy life (17 years) and followed me almost everywhere. I will now have to learn how to bake in a simple electric oven...
One of the last thing I've baked in my wonderful oven, is a blueberry amandine tart:

Recipe:

Shortcrust pastry
250g blueberries
80g sugar
60g grounded almond
2 eggs
1 spoon of corn flour
20 cl single cream

lay out the shortcrust pastry into a greased tart dish. Add the blueberries.
Mix the cream with the eggs, the corn flour, sugar and grounded almond. Pour this mixture on the blueberries.
Bake at 190˚C for 45 minutes.

It is a very good and easy recipe. Bon Appetit!!!