Quick 'making' catch up

Wow. Can't believe how many page views I have had over the past few months (8,000!). Thanks very much peeps!  I'd better pull my finger out and getting blogging then....

Right. I have a crochet thing going on at the moment. Maybe it's the time of year (nothing better than curling up on the sofa snuggled up with a ball of yarn) or maybe it's the fact that it is a quick fix and produces such amazingly pretty results or maybe it's the fact that crochet is currently very on trend. I've also noticed crochet has gone a bit mainstream. Granny chic is big news in home decor and Country Living Magazine et al feature granny square blankets and rugs this month.

I've found a simple little crochet flower pattern and have added these to a fabric heart, a crocheted heart and a crocheted tea cosy. Take a look at these lovelies below.

I'm still getting my fabric fix too. I've had many requests for a little soft toy for boys  - something along the lines of my 'mouse and bed' so have tweaked the pattern to come up with a cute elephant in shorts and shirt. At some stage I will design a sleeping bag for him to nap in.

Also at the Product & Development stage, we have funky glasses cases, peg bags, dog beds and play tents for pre-schoolers. I'd like to do a screen printing course this year and finally get to grips with some dressmaking. Bring it on.

There we have it for now. Cheerio x

Little mince pie cakes

Dr Green raved about a mince pie he'd eaten, a couple of weeks ago, which had a cakey sponge top. I've trawled the internet and found a wonderful blog "The Goddess's Kitchen" where there is a recipe. Am going to give this a whirl.

Here's a link to the blog and instructions. Enjoy x

Much making

My making mojo is back with a vengeance!

Over the past couple of weeks I have finished knitting three more Pete the Reindeers - that's Christmas gifts done for Claire, Lorraine, Lynda, Sarah and Claire L. Have crocheted yet another granny square blanket that I don't need or have a home for but it is my favourite so far.

Am also cracking on with a fair bit of stock making for the Christmas season. There appears to be an owl theme going on here - owl cushions, owl pencil rolls and owl aprons. And, many, many more projects are underway.

Tomorrow takes me (and my lovely knitting ladies) to London for the Knit and Stitch Fair at the Alexander Palace.  Time to stock up on haberdashery and lots of gorgeous fabrics and yarn.  This is my fifth year at the Ally Pally and it never disappoints. Will post pictures of my stash soonish.

Little Cotton Rabbits

I've been a fan and a follower of the Little Cotton Rabbits blog for some time now. This lady makes the most gorgeous knitted rabbits with pretty little outfits and has recently added a few other animals - foxes, elephants to her shop.

Do take a look:

http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/

One day very soon I shall treat myself to one of her super cute rabbits.

More cake!

We had our obligatory school holiday bake sale last week - this time raising money for Help for Heroes.

Mimi made monster cupcakes, fairy cakes, an apple and cinamon tray bake, a chocolate smartie cake and a chocolate fridge cake. I helped out with some chocolate kisses, a victoria sponge and some dog biscuits. Well, we have to say a very big thank you to our lovely neighbours, family and friends who gave generously. We managed to raise over £80 for our chosen charity!

Here's some photos of our wares:

Pete the Reindeer!

Some of my knit and natter friends made this reindeer a couple of years ago and I was, as Mad Jen would say, "well jell". It's taken a couple of years for me to pluck up the courage to try this pattern and thank goodness I did 'cause he's gorgeous.

This is the first of my handmade Christmas gifts and Pete will be going to live with my very good friend Claire. I'm a couple of rows into reindeer number 2 as I type (another gift) and then I'll defo make one for us to keep.

If anyone's interested in making their own Pete, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pete-the-reindeer

Doggy biscuits

All ready to go into the oven.... dog biscuits for our Mabel.

From a great book Doggie Biscuits - Healthy Homemade Treats - Seasoned with Affection. There's some really unusual recipes in here but, most importantly, a bit of info about the stuff your dog should and should not be eating. Had no idea that dogs cannot eat garlic or onion, which I'm sure many owners scrape off their dinner plates into the dog bowl.

Well, just for a taster, here's the recipe for the tuna and oat 'bone' biscuits:

1 can tuna
4 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
9 oz cornflour
5 oz rolled oats
2 oz plain flour

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Drain the tuna in a sieve, then puree it with the oil and the egg in a blender. Mix the puree with the other ingredients to make a dough. Add a touch of water if it is too dry.

Roll out the dough to about 1 cm thick and cut it into shapes with your cookie cutter. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Store in a biscuit tin.

The cookies will keep for about 2 weeks if they last that long!