In June this year we decided to go on a long weekend break to our favourite Cornwall.  We usually camp, but after the problems last year decided on a cottage.  Having browsed the net, I found the perfect little get away.

It really was special, our little Cornish Vintage retreat in Porthcothan.  On arriving I recognised the place, later to realise a TV program had been made about it.

The Red Buoy, was the wonderful home of artist & film maker Jane Drake.  Who’s husband made the film The Wrecking Season, an insight into the life of a fisherman, beachcomber and wrecker, gather the interesting finds of north Cornwall beaches.

The place was full of objects found and tracked back to there origins, be that the Amazon or Florida.  It really is an interesting watch.  I am yet to watch her current film the Art of Catching Lobsters, a look into her life during her husbands illness and death, though it seems like an emotional insight into grief and love.

The house was perfect, vintage, quaint, and exactly what I love.

Having been knitting for a number of months, it was only a matter of time before a wanted to dye my own wool.  I had been worried about the use of chemicals, so when I heard of Kool-Aid I was thrilled and wanted to get started right away.

I went out and bought some  Mirasol Yarn Cotanani, which is beautifully soft and will be wonderful to knit with.

I set about with various plastic cups of dye, plastic take away containers and spirals of wool. (Not forgetting the rubber gloves!) It went really well, though I mixed the dye with way to much water and my wool had a high cotton content, all adding to the less viberant colours.  However, I was please.

Originally the wool was going to be used to make myself a little jacket, but the colours turned out a bit to pale so I am going to shelve it and use it for baby clothes.

The pictures above show it looking a bit brighter, but it dried much lighter as you can see below.

My 70’s vintage fabric, now has a nice new home.  I has been made into cute cushion’s by my very own creative mother in law.  I’m loving the green against the red sofa!

I need to go on a sewing & dress making course myself, I am in need of cute hand made items for my home.  If you know of a course in SW London feel free to let me know.

Well, school holidays and I have 100 reports to write, so what am I doing, baking of course. I bought a new piping kit in Worcester and its great!  Though I did end up with frosting up to my elbows, not sure that is supposed to happen.

Aart from the poor lighting in the picture, I thought they weren’t bad for a first attempt.  They taste pretty good as well.

The shalom cardigan seems to be on every knitters list at some time, there are 2482 completed projects of this on ravelry and I’m sure it will increase by the time I publish my post.

After an afternoon in blacksheepwools new barn, I purchased way to much wool with no idea of projects.  The Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran in lovely bright pink, a massive pack of bargain pale pink cotton, lovely Rowan Country in green tones, for possible felting and some baby wool.

The pink aran was used to create my very own Shalom cardigan.  I changed the pattern a little, added a bit of extra length, and changed the design to close at the front and added a row of pattern to form cap sleeves.  I am pleased with the results, though still need to find wooden buttons.

I added a little crocheted flower for detail whilst waiting to find the perfect buttons.

I now have a queue of 5 projects to be completed, the first being a poncho that purchased Sirdar demin ultra for and then a few things for summer.

My first attempt at muffins, I used a recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery book cheese and spinach muffins.  Well, the mixture was a nightmare, so sticky and thick, I had to add lots of extra milk to it to be a managable consistency.

After the tricky start they tasted great, especially when warm with a nice cup of tea!  I’m going to try a few more things from this book when I get some ingredients. Yummy!

Its my first married Valentines day, I don’t usually go in for this type of thing but couldn’t resist a bit of baking.  My husband loves cakes usually, so I thought I’d try something a little different, Strawberry Jam cupcakes!!!

Veryberry Cupcakes

2 Large Eggs

Self Raising Flour

Soften Butter

Caster Sugar

Good Strawberry Jam

Milk

Weight the eggs in shells and then measure out the same of all other ingredients, apart from jam.  Cream butter and sugar, getting as much air in to the mixture as possible.  Add the eggs one by one mixing after each.  Next add the flour and a little milk, then the remaining flour and milk to make it a good consistency.  This should be mixed at a good speed.  (It should fall off a spoon if tilted, not slide or stick.)

Place cases in a cupcake tray and spoon mixture into each, followed by a blob of jam and a little mixture on top.  Take care not to put to much jam in and not to near the bottom of the case, as it sinks a bit when cooked.

Cook on Gas mark 4 for 20/25 minutes, don’t open the oven before.

I wasn’t sure about frosting, so iced them with pale pink vanilla buttercream.  I ended up with lots of buttercream left over, so does anyone know if you can freeze it?

Pink Vanilla Butter Icing

Pink food colouring

Good quality Vanilla

Icing Sugar

Creamed Butter

Cream butter, vanilla and food colouring, next sift sugar bit by bit.  Mixture on a good speed and ice the cake with a knife sticking to one direction.

The finished items,

Its shame I finished making them when the sun was fading, the lighting in this picture just doesn’t do them justice.  I only hope they taste as good!

This is impressive, Tif the star of dottie angel blog has decided to create a challenge. She will use and buy secondhand and handcrafted goods for a year.  Check the few below who have made a good start.

Abigail’s Pocatello

Mum design

May the cloth be with you

I love the idea of it and am thinking about it, but worried I won’t keep it up.  Please send me ideas and advice if you’ve started with dottie’s challenge.

Halloween was my favourite!  I sent my husband off to the shops to buy a pumpkin.  I was going to make the soup and he could have fun carving it.  I wasn’t sure about a recipe, so had a little go at making my own and it worked wonderfully.

Verymissberry Pumpkin Soup

1 small Pumkin

I large Sweet Potato

1/2 an Onion

500ml Veggie Stock (Low salt)

200ml Milk

1cm grated Ginger

2 small cloves garlic

A bunch of Corriander

Pinch  of Salt & Pepper

Chop all the veggies and garlic and roast them with a touch of oil in the oven for 30mins on Gas Mark 6. When they look soft, pop them in a pan on the hob and add the 500ml of stock along with ginger, coriander and salt & pepper and leave to simmer for a further 15mins before adding the milk and then turn the heat and continue to simmer for 10 mins.  Taste and season as needed!

Its really nice to save and roast the pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on top. (Keep them out of the hubbys sight, mine ate them all before hand.)

Yum yum yum!