Colourful Home-knit Scarves

Tango by Woolcraft is a 'novelty' machine washable yarn in 7 shades.  Just one ball creates a wonderful ruffle scarf, ideal for presents.

Instructions for knitting this scarf are printed on the ball band.  It is suitable for beginners and is so easy to knit in less than a day.

  

These three rotini or potato chip scarves are easy to knit but more time consuming.  They can be knit for kids or adults in which ever yarn you fancy.  Peaches & Creme do a fabulous selection multi-coloured 100% cotton 4 ply yarns, of which the acid pink and green (colour 172 pink/lemonade) scarf is one.  The purple, orange multi-coloured wool scarf is a Fairytale Colour 4 Me 100% wool DK knitted on 4mm needles. 

And lastly the orange and purple Rotini below is Gedifra 88% cotton Fiorista.

Ceramics Batch Number 2

Job Done!  aqua glaze on coil pot

That'll Do!  aqua glaze on coil pot

matt blue glaze on coil bowl

slab pot with incisions, matt white glaze

matt black glaze wash with black/gold glaze wash on rim

lime green glaze on coil fruit bowl

Ceramics Number 1 Batch

Would have blogged about cakes last month, as I made five cakes for my daughter's birthday party and didn't think to photograph them.  I was so upset with myself, that I haven't stopped kicking myself!

Took up Ceramics in September.  The first course at Camden Arts Centre: excellent teaching, very creative, limited materials.  Second Course at Morley College: good teaching, professional ceramic students and a fantastic array of materials and endless glazes (not for the indecisive)!

The above piece is based on a Diarmuid Gavin's tropical Shark Fin garden in NW2.  It is full of verdant Dicksonia Antartica tree ferns, black grasses, Cannas and several hardy varieties of palms.



The bowl above is based on the absolutely splendiferous Mr Gum books by Andy Stanton.  Fabulous to read to the emerging reader or for independent readers.  LOL



For the person that has everything that you are hoping to inherit!

Frozen Coffee Yogurt

Ingredients:
720ml / 720g / 3 cups / plain Greek yogurt (0% fat) or any other plain yogurt
360ml / 360g / 1 1/2 cups organic fat-free milk or any other milk
120ml / 150g / 1/2 cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons / 8g instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons / 10ml / 10g lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients together and put into an ice-cream maker for 30 minutes.  Then transfer into a container and place into the freezer until required.

Enjoy on a hot spring day with an Amaretti biscuit.

Pizza Mania

Ingredients for two bases:

350g wholemeal spelt flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 packets (14g) easy-blend dried yeast

1 teaspoon molasses or brown sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

240g (240ml) hand-hot water

Polenta (cornmeal) for rolling out

Sift flour, salt, and yeast together in a bowl, make a well in the centre, then add the oil and water and molasses.  Mix and knead into a dough.  When the bowl is clean, lightly oil the bowl and put the dough back into.  Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for an hour at room temperature till the dough doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 230oc.  Sprinkle the work surface with cornmeal and lightly roll out the dough into two rounds, rectangles or squares to fit your lightly oiled baking sheets.  Cover with cling film again and leave until risen (30 minutes) and then add your toppings.

Topping for Green:

1/2 jar pesto

handful of green olives

1/2 cup of frozen peas

1/2 packet of Feta cheese

Topping for Red:

1/2 jar red pesto / tomato sauce

handful of black olives

1/2 red pepper

1/2 packet of Feta cheese

Cook for 10-12 minutes. Check to make sure it is cooked on the bottom of the pizzas, especially the centres. If not give it a couple of extra minutes in the oven.

Enjoy with a lovely fresh green salad.

  

Flowers in the park

Spring is most definitely here.  The Magnolia stellata - Star Magnolia have their lovely finger leaves out, the traditional magnolias are in bud.  Tulips are out, some daffodils are on their way, and the cherry blossom makes London feel like a wedding ceremony.

Love is in the Air

Luscious lips in the air.  Blue sky in London is enough to make us feel happy, but quirky cloud shapes...