Sunday 17 October 2010

TREATS.............


 Good evening! Another frazzled Sunday evening has come around again, as I try to juggle schoolwork, planning, cooking, ironing, blogging and squeeze in a little time for some knitting. Can you guess what my little treat is? You can't? Well let me fill you in.Last Sunday evening, after reading Ozzy Blackbeard's post on her blog, I decided the time had come make a small purchase to aid the future woolly adventures of Snoopydog. I have looked longingly at the handmade swifts for a while now and also 'watched' several not so nice models on e-bay. Having ventured over to the Brownberry Yarns home to have a look, I clicked the 'buy now' button without a second thought.



 The service is really excellent and this little beauty arrived very swiftly :) on Tuesday morning, straight from the maker 'Sunflower Swifts and Spindles'. I love it! The swifts are made from ethically sourced hardwood and smell beautifully of wood oil. I haven't used it yet, as I really musn't be tempted to start yet another project just yet.

 Friday evening was time to settle down and knit up the next step of the 'Through the Loop' KAL sock. I've called mine, 'Raspberry Coulis' socks. Here's how the heel worked up.


The Rowan ''Gayle' is coming along nicely. The back is now complete and I have started the left front. On to the fourth out of twelve balls of yarn. I'm just loving those cables and the soft, soft yarn.


Most weekends, we take a visit to our local farm produce shop. We buy whatever fruit and veg we need for the week and whatever we haven't grown ourselves. It's all locally produced. We like that! Yesterday I just had to bring this little treasure home....


I  really like the colour and simplicity of a pumpkin. I love slicing into it and seeing the myriad of little seeds, nestling in their 'blankety bed'. Today, this beautiful specimen..........

.......turned into......


.... delicious pumpkin and sweetcorn soup. It's a Delia Smith recipe and so, so simple. You sweat two medium sized onions, add chunked pumpkin, sweetcor, some milk, vege Bouillon, salt and pepper. Cook for 20 mins and then whiz it all through a Magimix. Just before serving, toast some sweetcorn in the oven for about 10 mins. Serve with fresh homemade bread. It's one of my 'top 5' Autumn Favourites!

Some of you were asking about the 'Lemon Trickle Cake' recipe from last week. Here it is:


Magimix 175g of butter, flour and caster sugar, 3 eggs, zest of 3 lemons and  a pinch of salt. Pour into a greased and lined large loaf tin (1 litre) and cook for 45 mins at 170 or gas mark 3. While waiting mix 200g of icing sugar with the juice from 3 lemons. When the cake is cooked, take out of the oven, leave in the tin and use a cocktail stick to make holes all over the surface. Slowly pour the lemon sugar mix over the surface and leave it to trickle into all those little holes. ENJOY!




Well, that's about it for this week, except for an update on little Oscar. He had a CAT scan on Monday, which showed no problem with his elbow, thank goodness. The cartilage around the long bone in his shoulder is just taking longer to re-grow than was expected. That could be due to the fact that it is very hard to keep him  quiet and relaxed. He is still on restricted walks and is now having physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, in an attempt to help him regain full and pain free movement in the joint. He is still limping, but not quite so badly as he was, so hopefully he is slowly recovering.

I'll just leave you this week with a recent picture of my little grandaughter, Sophie. Her cute little hat was knitted by by her mum. Yes, she's discovered knitting too! The little cardi was made by MEEE!!!!


She's now nearly five months old and extremely active and smiley. I think she is adorable and can't wait to see her during the half-term holiday that is now just one week away.

Enjoy the week everyone!

17 comments:

Sarah said...

Cute picture of Sophie-lovely hat too. It seems ironic that a dog has to have a CAT scan! Glad he is recovering even if more slowly than you hoped. The swift thingammy looks scarily technical but probably only to me! Hope you have a lovely week-nearly half term can you believe?! Then Christmas then Spring then Summer-I must stop wishing my life away!

Susan McShannon-Monteith said...

Cute with a capital C for that darling grandaughter.
And that bone for Oscar shall keep him still for quite awhile.
The knitting is beautiful and you'll be whirling away with your new wool winder.
Have a great week.
Susan x

Wyatt said...

Oh can't wait to try the recipes. The pumpkin recipe looks so good.
Once again, Sophie's smiling face steals the show!

Wyatt and Stanzie

Diane said...

What a gorgeous honely post. Full of home made soup, hand knitting, dogs and the cutest baby in all of the land. Lovely. xxxx

josiekitten said...

I am very jealous of your swift! I was only dropping hints to Mr JK this week, thinking about ideas for my birthday and Christmas!!!! I shall have to give him in nudge in the right direction! LOL. I'm most impressed with the speed the cabled coat is progressing! It'll be finished by the end of half term knowing you! Have a good week. xx

Molly the Airedale said...

Your soup looks so yummy!
Gosh we haven't had a good bone is awhile Oscar! Enjoys yours!

Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch

bellaboo said...

Love seeing Sophie's adorable little face on your blog!
Glad Oscar's making good progress.
Bella's licking her lips at that bone! :o)

Dawn said...

I'm not sure which looks most delicious - Sophie or the soup! I think Sophie wins!

Tracy said...

Miss Sophie is a doll... she is such a beauty...*sigh*... And so is Oscar! He looks happy with his treat too! That soup looks so good, Ros. Been a LOT of soup making here too--making a cauliflower soup tonight. Your new swift is wonderful. One day I would love one of those too...mmm...Wishing happy, knit-filled days :o) ((HUGS))

Lynne said...

Oh my goodness! I'm turning into quite an enabler! Sorry about that!!

I can't believe you haven't given it a go yet though! I had to force myself to stop. Honestly, you won't believe just how easy it is to wind yarn now. The yarn just spinning around effortlessly as you wind.

And doesn't the wood smell lovely, and, well, woody?! LOL!!

All your knitting is looking fab. I must check out the cardigan pattern. A lady I work with asked me about aran patterns today. Her daughter wants her to make her a retro aran cardigan.

Lyn said...

Oh my word!
Sophie is so cute, adorable!
Only four more get ups-it's been a long half term!
Glad Oscar is getting there and that soup looks wonderful, wish I had a kitchen to make some in!
love
Lyn
xxx

Unknown said...

Hi,
Thanks for your comliment. we think your little grandpuppy and u guys are absolutely wonderful too:)

That thing is called a swift...like 'run swiftly like a lab' swift? we didn't know that!
we looked it up and was surprised 'swift' has another so very different meaning too!

we really learn everyday from our bloggie pals:)

Mummy likes the colours of your yarn...so bright n multihued!
and yeah! THANKS for the recipe...MUST get Mummy to try it soon.
hav a good week,
wags, Buddy n Ginger

Jennyff said...

Lots of lovely things to look at this week. I'm really liking those chunky cables and your progress is great, glad Oscar is doing well and best of all how gorgeous is Sophie, she is just adorable. Have a great week with lots more things to enjoy and Sophie time to look forward to.

melissa said...

oooh - what a lovely swift!
and followed by lovely picture after lovely picture - the knitting, the food, the sweet grandbaby and oscar... i loved all of it!

Tilly Rose said...

Oh I do love looking at your projects hun.... you find some gorgeous wool.
Loving those cables too.
Sophie is a real little cutie pie!

Have a happy wooly week...
Karen x x x

Unknown said...

The soup look mighty yummie.

Congrats on your new swift. It's my favorite tool. I'm loving your's in wood, too...jealous. I may have to go shopping....

Still catching up, but back amongst the living.

The Garden Bell

The Knitty Biddy said...

What a great baby cardi. You have a great eye for color and yarn texture.
The baby is so cute I thought she was a doll for a second!!