January Craftings

Green Squares: 27
Mittens/Gloves: 6
Hats: 9
Balls Finished: 7
Items Finished: 15

Utensils Drawers

After ditching the out of date nuts, seeds and various other bits of food stuff we no longer eat, there was almost a whole drawer left in the kitchen. The utensils drawer was almost overflowing, and I do use them all. 

The almost empty drawer was cleared and cleaned. A drawer liner was cut to fit. (This helps reduce the amount of movement of items in the drawer.) Then I started putting the metal utensils in the new utensils drawer. The old drawer was emptied and cleaned, and the wooden and plastic items returned. It's so much easier to see everything. I know where things are! I'll have to have a think about the metal sieve and trivets. The sieve will remain, but what about the trivets? Do I use them? 

Keep Daily Items Within Reach

Whilst listening to an audiobook, I heard, "Keep the things you use every day close to hand. Store the items you use less than once a week on the higher shelves."  It was so simple, breathtakingly obviously, but it hit me hard. I haven't been doing this. Another idea is to have hobby stations. Gather together all of the items pertaining to a hobby, and store them together. When you want to engage in the hobby, you go to the box/area, and everything you need is right there.

With these two principles in mind, I've decluttered and organised the cake decorating supplies that were in drawers in the kitchen. One item remains in the utensils drawer, a rolling pin. This is also used when I'm baking, and so straddles the two activities.

I now have two empty drawers in the kitchen.  What shall I do with them?

Mug-Rug

Back in 2017, I made the Pre-Quilt. Today, I used some leftovers from the quilt to make a little mug rug.

Creamy Parmesan Chicken

10ml olive oil

900g chicken, cubed

25g butter

1 onion, diced

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chicken stock

170ml double cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

100g coarsely chopped spinach

Heat the oil in a saute pan, and cook the chicken cubes. Then add the butter and onion, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze the plan with the chicken stock. Reduce the heat, and add the cream and Parmesan. Then add the spinach. 

Serve with lots of veggies.

Clypse Reservoir

This is where we were this morning, but, it was incredibly windy, and rather chilly! There's a path around the reservoir. On the left of the picture, there's a high stone wall. This was an excellent windbreak. Out from the protection of the wall, it was windy enough to cause us to stumble if we didn't keep moving. At the right corner, the water was covering the path to a depth of about 4cm, and the wind was whipping it up a bit.

Cobwebs have been blown away!

Goodbye Sweet Ginger

One of my favourite shops is closing down. Ciara has welcomed a new baby, and Julie has recently qualified as an oncology nurse. They are moving on to new, exciting challenges and periods in their lives. This is wonderful, but also sad for the customers. We shall see them around at crafty things, just not in the shop.

At Christmas I was given a gift voucher, and wanted to redeem it before the shop closed. I'm exceptionally pleased with myself as I only bought the fabric I needed for the back of the Elder Offspring's quilt. I loved two shades of light grey, but even combined there wasn't enough to make the back. A dark 'school uniform' grey was added to the mix, and I'll use some white, and a tiny bit of teal to make a pieced back.

Zero Waste

"Zero Waste" is a concept, a goal, something to aim towards, but I don't think it is possible to achieve it and still live a normal life. However, this doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

I had been wanting to reduce the household waste, and was delighted when the recycling boxes were delivered by the local council. It was great, it was brilliant, look how I'm doing my bit and protecting the planet... And then I realised how much non-recyclable plastic was going into my kitchen bin, not to mention the veggie scraps. The veggie scraps were easy to deal with as all most all of them could be tossed into a compost bin, as could some paper, egg shells, and garden weeds.

The switch to Lush shampoo bars was great. One bar lasts us about 3 months, and the packaging is one paper bag. A little while later, a local shop started a re-fill service. You bring your empty bottles, and they fill them. We are now using this for conditioner, body wash and washing up liquid. We've bought some gluten-free flours this way too.

This month, I wanted to try get through the month without buying any plastic bottles. This was revised slightly to 'no single use plastic bottles'. I had been trying to get the lid of a plastic bottle to refill it, and was failing. The shop had some bottles designed for re-use, and the easiest thing to do was buy a couple of them. The hard-to-open bottle ended up in the recycling. This has been a little tricky as so many products are sold in plastic bottles. We've tried a new sauce, simply because it was a sauce in a glass bottle. I prefer my previous sauce, but haven't seen it in glass. We had a few fizzy drinks from cans instead of bottles.  We'll see how this works out.

The plan had been to try one new way to combat waste each month. Those that made the grade would be included. It's only the beeswax wraps we haven't kept. 

Earlier this month I realised our washing tablets were wrapped in plastic, two to a packet. Why I had never thought of it before, I don't know, but now I had noticed, I wanted to do something about it. A recommendation for 'soap nuts' was made. I've used them in seven washes. Nothing has been washed twice, so we are still in the testing period. 

The soap nuts were meant to be February's change, but I was impatient. I'd also been wanting to try using vinegar as a surface cleaner. In the pantry, there's currently a jar of citrus peels steeping in vinegar. This will be March's test.

Zero Waste is a pipe dream for us. But I can honestly say these little changes have been adding up, and I've barely been noticing. They are simply the way we do things now.

A Rainbow of Fat Quarters

Why did this not occur to me before!  This is a brilliant way of storing fat quarters. It's almost how the shops display their fat quarters. With a little re-folding, I can get two lines of fabric in one box. 

It's neat. It's tidy. I can get a general impression of the fabric at a glance. If the fabric is wibbled slightly see more of the pattern can be seen. There will be space for 40 fat quarters per box. 

I'm feeling inspired already.

Now, I just have to work out what to do with the pieces that have already been cut. How should they be stored?!

Cake or Homework

L’orco ruggì “Dov’è il mio tributo?” “Il tributo?” sussurrò la donna. “IL MIO TRIBUTO! IO VOGLIO IL MIO TRIBUTO! Dove sono i verbi coniugati? Dove sono i tempi? Dove sono i compiti?”

La donna tremò di paura.“Sono stata occupata a riordinare la mia casa. Stavo lavorando i cappelli a maglia. E, ho fatto una torta. Una torta al limone.” L’orco ruggì, “La torta al limone sarà il mio tributo!”

“Ma, ho scritto la storia.” disse tranquillamente la donna. “La torta è meglio dei compiti.” L’orco mangiò la torta al limone. Tutto andava bene.

----

Anna, my tutor, set homework of writing a few paragraphs using different tenses. She was expecting diary entries, but that's not really my style. Instead, she received a story about an ogre demanding tribute. The 'tribute' is conjugated verbs, tenses and homework. The quivering woman replied she was busy tidying the house, knitting hats and making lemon cake. Apparently, lemon cake is better than homework. The orge ate the cake, and all was well. 

Anna read out my story, laughing as she did so. At the end, I reached into my bag and brought out lemon cake. This resulted in a howl of laughter. I do like it when my stories and cakes are appreciated.

Frogging Bees

This might look like a pair of black and yellow socks, but they're not. The one on the right was made with my standard sock pattern, but proved too small in circumference. The sock on the left was made to be wider. Before the matching sock was knitted, she moved away, and I didn't see her any more.

Two mis-matched socks have been sitting in my yarn stash for a good few years. It's time they morphed into something useful. These socks are going to be frogged.

"Frog" is a word knitters have been using for quite some time, and it is being added to the Oxford English Dictionary in March. When knitting is 'frogged', it's ripped out. "Rip it, rip it, rip it."

Dark Skies

I forgot to write about the first new place I visited this year. On New Year's Day, the Beloved and I walked Ava along a closed section of cliff road, Marine Drive. I had walked part of the way from the Douglas side, but not from the Port Soderick end.

It was a beautiful crisp, sunny day, and it was a pleasure to be out walking. I was amazed by the geology on display. There are so many layers, and folds and re-folds. It's as if Escher design it! And, it's all on display, so easy to see, easy to reach too. Part of Marine Drive has been close to vehicle traffic as parts of the cliff have suffered storm damage, and the road on the top has some serious cracks in the surface. However, it is still open to pedestrians and cyclists. The forces on the road surface due to vehicles is quite different to the slower moving creatures.

Marine Drive also boasts one of the Dark Skies sites on the island. There are 26 official Dark Skies site, but the reality is we can stargaze so very much more easily than many in Europe. Even in the middle of the capital city, you can still see a great deal.

Port Grenaugh Beach

I'm part of a group called Sigma 19. We have each set for ourselves 19 challenges for the year. One of mine is to visit 11 new places. I've already been to Marine Drive on New Year's Day, and today we travelled a little further along the coast to Port Grenaugh. We didn't check the tide tables before we went, and there was a only  small section available for walking whilst remaining dry. We'll go again another day when there's more beach to play on.

My Sigma 19 challenges are: 

19 make hats

18 make more hats

17 make mittens

16 make more mittens

15 make fabric gift bags

14 make finish or frog WIPs/UFOs

13 make gloves

12 new recipes to try

11 new places to visit

10 areas to declutter

9 read new books, rather than re-reading old ones

8 make quilts

7 techniques to learn or practise

6 and make more gloves

5 new items of clothing to make for me

4 stones to lose

3 make sweaters

2 make hooded blankets

1 new language to learn (British Sign Language)

Strikket Lue

"Strikket Lue" means 'knitted cap' in Norwegian. This is a pattern for a knitted hat loosely inspired by Norwegian designs. 

Using colour 1, cast on 100sts. Join. Work 15 rounds in (k2, p2) rib.

On the 16th round, k1, kfb, p2, then (k2,p2) 12 times, k1, kfb, p2, and (k2, p2) to the end.

Switch to stocking stitch.

1. Knit in colour 2.

2. Knit in colour 2.

3. KK1 in colour 1, k1 in colour 2, repeat to end of round.

4. Knit in colour 2.

5. Knit in colour 2.

6. Knit in colour 1.

Repeat these 6 rounds a total of 4 times.

Decrease for the crown.

1. Knit in colour 1. (Repeat this instruction in each odd round.)

2. (K1 in colour 2, k1 in colour 1) 7 times, k1 in colour 2, k2tog in colour 1) 6 times.
4. (K1 in colour 2, k1 in colour 1) 7 times, k2tog in colour 1) 6 times.
6. (K1 in colour 2, k1 in colour 1) 6 times, k1 in colour 2, k2tog in colour 1) 6 times.
8. (K1 in colour 2, k1 in colour 1) 6 times, k2tog in colour 2) 6 times.

Fingerspelling

At sign class I was delighted that I was able to remember some of the signs we used last week. The ones I can remember are accountant, addition, subtraction, accident, help, Christmas, see, access, and after. Yes, there are a lot of 'a' words in there!

We played the Fingerspelling Game. I was on the slowest setting. My first attempt was a pitiful 5 words in 2 minutes, but I was having problems with the touchscreen device. My second attempt was a much better 18.

Over the last 25 years, when I have had a cold, throat or chest infection, my voice disappeared. First I taught fingerspelling to the Beloved, and then later to the children. It has been a really useful way to communicate when my voice has gone. Unfortunately, this means I got to be quite good at signing the letters, but not so good at reading what someone else was signing. 

A great, and more fluid means of communication was one of my reasons for wanting to learn BSL. I could learn, and then teach my family the signs I would most commonly use. But, now I stop to think about it, the last time I lost my voice was Easter 2018. My doctor put me on a hefty dose of steroids. Whilst it brought my asthma under control, cleared the chest infection, and brought my voice back, it also did weird things to my taste buds. Everything tasted metallic and saccharine. It was horrible having everything tasting so sweet.

As I was weaned off the steroids, the first things I could taste, and enjoy were vegetables. We ended up buying a large fridge to house all of the vegetables. Our tiny fridge was no longer sufficient. It was at that point we started eating more vegetables. In September last year, this was kicked up a notch when white carbs all but disappeared from our diets. Our weight started reducing, and our health improved. My original reason for learning BSL seems not to be needed any more. 

However, it is interesting, it's fun, and I'm enjoying myself.  If more people had a basic understanding of BSL it would make life a great deal easier for those who are deaf and use BSL to communicate.

Misty Mittens

Yarn: Deramores Studio Anti-pilling DK
Composition: Acrylic 100%
Colour: Mist 70025
Pattern: Flip Top Mittens
Size: Adult
Needles: 3.75mm
Started: 8th January 2019
Finished: 13th January 2019

Flip top mittens for the Elder Offspring. These match the Brioche Scarf I made for her just after Christmas.

Parsnip and Apple Soup

Ingredients
25g butter
700g parsnips
1 large Bramley cooking apple, cored, peeled and chopped
1.1L vegetable stock
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cloves of garlic

Method
Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the chopped parsnips and apples. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, garlic, curry powder and cinnamon. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until the parsnips are soft.

Cool slightly, and then puree in a blender. Return to the pan.

Serve hot garnished with parsley, chives or pancetta.

Misty Hats

Yarn: Deramores Studio DK
Composition: Acrylic 100%
Colour: Mist (70025)
Yarn: Patons Nylox
Composition: Wool 80% Nylon 20%
Colour: Petrol Marl 1939
Pattern: Hat
Size: Child, small Adult, large Adult
Needles: 4mm
Started: 12th January 2019
Finished: 14th January 2019


Cast on 96(104, 108)sts. Join.

Work in 2x2 rib for 16 rounds. Then switch to stocking stitch for 26 rounds. 

Decreases for crown.
1. (K14 (15, 16)sts, k2tog) repeat to end.
2. K.
3. (K13 (14, 15)sts, k2tog) repeat to end.
4. K.
5. (K12 (13, 14)sts, k2tog) repeat to end.
6. K.
7. (K11 (12, 13)sts, k2tog) repeat to end.

Continue in this manner until there are 6sts on the needles. Break yarn, leaving a tail. Draw the yarn through the remaining stitches, and weave in the ends.

Bye Bye Recipe Books

Over the last few years I have been reducing the number of recipe books I have. At last, I have come to realise, I don't use paper recipe books any more. The books I had saved in the last declutter have sat untouched for a year. It's time to set them free and inspire other people.

I've checked through the books, just in case there's something to spark my interest. Somerset Chicken was one such recipe. Goodbye books. My inspiration will now be coming from the interwebs.

British Sign Language

"fit/well" and "Are you fit/well?"

I've been wanting to learn BSL (British Sign Language) for quite some time. Various things have prevented me from doing so, but at last circumstances have conspired, and I can attend a sign language class in a convenient location, at a convenient time, and for a reasonable price.

It had been my goal to restrict my spending on physical things to only food, toiletries and emergencies. But, now I need 'the big book of signs'. My desire to learn BSL is greater than my desire not to buy. Therefore, the book has been ordered.