Knitted cakes

Who could resist this title that brings together two of my interests - knitting - and cake...both of which are frequent topics on my blog? I can't remember how I came across the title, I think Amazon recommended it to me, but I was sufficiently intrigued to pay the 85p reservation charge to request it from the library.

There are twenty cakes in this book, all photographed and looking good enough to eat (actually, I'm not sure about that as the thought of wool in my mouth is enough to make me shudder). There is a double chocolate layer cake, mini furry muffins, a Valentine's heart shaped cake, fruit tarts, iced donuts, carrot cake...

Unfortunately the standard of knitting required by the patterns in this book is far beyond my current abilities (although I could probably manage the swiss roll, which is essentially the equivalent of two knitted dishcloths stitched together). More fortunately, one of my more skilled colleagues was fascinated and horrified by this book and has offered to knit me the piece of wedding cake. She's got a year (well, 357 days now...) and I look forward to seeing how it turns out!

My next knitting project is to make a little case for the ipod touch that I acquired whilst I was on my break from work - I'm not much of a gadget girl, but this is great as it enables me to follow blogs and keep up with my emails without switching the computer on, and when I'm out and about (if I find free wi-fi) (although I'm struggling with the touch screen keyboard). I've got a recipe, or should that be pattern, which looks quite straightforward in my Usborne "How to knit" book, so when I finish my current cross stitch it will be out with the needles again.

There's nuffink like a puffin...book bag

I mentioned earlier in the week that I had decided to reward myself with something bookish that wasn't a book to celebrate the fact that I had gone for a fortnight without buying any books (and making inroads into my TBR at the same time...).

Just before I went on holiday, the Seven stories museum ran a competition on twitter to win a rather special book bag - unfortunately I was unlucky, but when I contacted them, I found out that their shop sold them...

And as you can see, I couldn't resist.


The bags have been produced as part of Puffin's 70th anniversary celebrations - I wrote a couple of months ago about two books which had been published as part of this.

There are also mugs, but at the moment I resist... (I don't think they are quite as good as the Penguin mugs - I wish they used some of the beautiful early puffin covers) I am tempted however to get the bag in the other, smaller size, in a different colour (they also come in Orange and Green; my colleague with the evil influence has the orange one and very nice it is too (and I blame her almost entirely for this purchase)).

Carrots!

I didn't used to tend to make recipes calling for large quantities of grated vegetables, as I have a very cheap (in fact from the Sainsburys "Economy" range which predated their "Basics" range) grater, which is fine for grating a small amount of cheese, but not large amounts of vegetables. This has all changed since the acquisition of my Kenwood mixer with its grater insert for the food processor attachment. It was SO easy to grate the quantity needed to make this appealing carrot and walnut loaf (decorated with sunflower seeds) from Leila Lindholm's Piece of cake book which I still have on loan from the library.

In fact it was so easy, that I ended up with far too much carrot, and had to make these little carrot muffins from The primrose bakery cupcake book too. Don't they look delightful in the pretty paper cases on my gorgeous cake stand??

July Reading

The end of July passed while I was on holiday so I didn't have a chance to post about the books that I'd read during that month. I got back a bit more into my reading groove having finally got the medication that had made me feel so unable to concentrate out of my system, although still feeling unwell for a lot of the time, and being tired from being unwell alongside training for my swim, put paid to much reading, but the high total for this month again (74) is skewed by the fact that I read a large number of Babysitters Club titles during the month - comfort reading that didn't really require any concentration at all. I also read a large number of novels by Richmal Crompton, which I greatly enjoyed, which were lent to me by Simon from Stuck in a book, and I read a couple of books about Austria where we are heading for our weddingmoon this time next year (less than a year to go now!), and some more cake decorating books as I continue to think about making my wedding cake. One of the highlights of the month was rereading Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood which I read at school but could barely remember, and another was Olga Grushin's wonderful The concert ticket. I think I only read one Virago Modern Classic for my other blog which has been sidelined a bit.

Not too sure that I have many plans for August - I don't feel terribly interested in the Booker longlist, although that may change if I see some of the books in the library. My TBR is of reasonable proportions, but I intend to save most of the books on it to take away on my holiday at the start of next month. I hope I will find some books that I want to blog about...

True things about me	Kay Davies, Deborah
Out of the red, into the blue	Comyns, Barbara	AB
Mary Anne and the great romance	Martin, Ann	C
Roofs off	Crompton, Richmal
Stacey's movie	Martin, Ann	C
The family GI diet	Gallop, Richard	NF
Jessi's babysitter	Martin, Ann	C
Frost at morning	Crompton, Richmal
Diary of a mad bride	Wolff, Laura
Cakes to inspire and desire	Smith, Lindy	NF
Mackintosh	Pickeral, Tamsin	NF
Stacey vs Claudia	Martin, Ann	C
The quilter's kitchen	Chiaverini, Jennifer
A seasider practice	Smith, Tom	AB
Hello Mallory	Martin, Ann	C
River trail	Lloyd, Marjorie	C
Kristy's secret admirer	Martin, Ann
Cake: a history	Humble, Nicola	NF
Road to Leenane	Du Maurier, Angela
The great sister war	Frewin Jones, Allan	C RR
Quick and easy party cakes	Farrow, Joanna	NF
Food doctor diet	Farber, Ian	NF
Two lives	Trevor, William
Mary Anne's big break up	Martin, Ann	C
Abby's twin	Martin, Ann	C
Maru	Head, Bessie	VMC
French revolutions	Moore, Tim	AB NF
Narcissa	Crompton, Richmal
Mary Anne's New House	Martin, Ann	C
Blind man's buff	Crompton, Richmal
Baby sitters European Vacation	Martin, Ann
My sister, my slave	Frewin Jones, Allan	C RR
Inheritance: the story of Knole	Sackville-West, Robert	NF
No time party cakes	Deaocn, Carol	NF
Modern British posters	Ree, Paul	NF
Star search	Frewin Jones, Allan
Wedding cakes and cultural history	Charlsley, Simon	NF
Cats eye	Atwood, Margaret	RR
Claudia and the middle school mystery	Martin, Ann	C
Fell top	Watson, Winifed
Traveller's Austria	Cook, Thomas	NF
Dancing in a distant place	Dewar, Islar	C
Jessica	Rushton, Rosie	C
Oddysey of Euphema Tracey	Crompton, Richmal
Austria	Rough guide	NF
Single girl in the city	Gorman, Michelle
Mary Anne vs Logan	Martin, Ann
Yellow lighted bookshop	Buzbee, Lewis	AB
Cake chic	Porschen, Peggy	NF
Stacey's emergency	Martin, Ann	C
Avalanche	Rogers van der Luff, A	C
Stacey's ex best friend	Martin, Ann
Dancers dancing	Dhubaine, Eilis Ni	RR
Sandy	Toye, C.R.	NF
Dawn's big move	Martin, Ann	C
Get well soon Mallory	Martin, Ann	C
Making of Amelia	Moriarty, Jaclyn
The song house	Azzopardi, Trezza
School on the North Barrule	Allen, Mabel Esther	C
School at Skelton Hall	EBD	C
Summer term	Greyfell
The concert ticket	Grushin, Olga
Jean of storms	EBD
Aloha BSC	Martin, Ann	C
Other people's marriages	Watson, Shane
Getting over Mr Right	Manby, Chrissie
The fancy	Dickens, Monica	RR
Dawn and the We love kids club	Martin, Ann	C
Welcome to the BSC Abby	Martin, Ann	C
The sea room	Nicholson, Adam	NF
The first woman doctor	Baker, Rachel	NF
Guyaholic	Mackler, Carolyn

I'm back!

My week off is over, and I'm back to work and "normal life", but not for too long, as it's only three weeks until I have over a fortnight of holidaytime. I was wondering whether or not I wanted to resume blogging, as I really enjoyed having a break from the computer and have enjoyed doing other things (more of later) in the last week or so, but I still have things that I want to write about. My focus may change somewhat, but I'm not sure in what direction!

It was a busy week off. The highlight was undoubtedly our weekend in a "room with a view", where I didn't make that much of a dent in the books that I had taken, but I appreciated having plenty to choose from (in fact I'd already read 2 of the books in the pile I showed before leaving, and added three library books).

The main purpose of our weekend in Cornwall was to participate in the Padstow-Rock swim - an annual event, which involves swimming a mile across the estuary to the other side. Friends and regular readers will know that I am a keen swimmer; friends and regular readers may also know that much as I love swimming, I hate being cold. Unfortunately I got very cold waiting for the swim to start, but I did manage to complete it, and it was an excellent preparation for The Great North Swim that I'll be doing in Lake Windemere in September. Long standing readers may remember that I did this challenge in order to raise money for the mental health charity Mind last year, and this is my motivation once more. Mind do an amazing job of raising the profile of mental health in Britain, and one of their current campaigns involves the promotion of mental health in the work place. Please consider sponsoring me if you can, however little the amount, as Mind are a hugely worthy cause and I am keen to raise as much as possible. There is more information both about my challenge and how Mind can use the money raised at my justgiving page.

And here's an action shot from last time around...


Besides the weekend in Cornwall, I managed to fit in a behind the scenes visit to a college library, courtesy of a friend who has just changed jobs, a behind the scenes visit to Chastleton House, a National Trust property where I was lucky enough to spend some time looking at the library collections, a wedding, and a trip to Hobbycraft. I also did quite a lot of baking and a few crafty things, of which more later in the week. Some reading also took place, and I have one book that I especially want to write about soon. Although I'd like to mention the fact that it is OVER TWO WEEKS since I have bought a book (a fact that I partly attribute to being away from the bad influence of one of my colleagues); this is something that I felt should be rewarded with something bookish (a fact that I attribute to returning to the bad influence of my colleague who has just purchased one) - when it turns up later this week, I shall reveal all (and take no responsibility for those of you who feel you have to have one too).

Off on a break...

I've got the next week off work, and although I'm not away for the whole time, I'm planning on having a bit of a blogiday (that's my new word for blogging holiday). We're heading off to Cornwall to do the Padstow - Rock swim, and then spending some time at home (with a behind the scenes visit to a National Trust property nearby to see its library while they're shut) before heading back to the South West for a wedding. It's months since my fiance and I have been away, so I had a stack of new books on my TBR to choose from. The picture above shows my selection (I know, it's a lot for 2 nights, but it's important to have choice, so you need proportionally more books for 2 nights than you do for a week).

So what have I got? I've written about many of these on my recentish TBR post so I'll keep the descriptions brief.
The wavewatcher's companion - kindly sent to me by Bloomsbury - absolutely perfect for a seaside trip (I'll post the view from the hotel room we'll be staying in at the bottom of this post!)
Sandy - a book abouta boy growing up in Cornwall at the end of the 19th century - have actually already started dipping into this to get me into holiday mood.
Summer Term - Susan Pleydell - seemed appropriate to read this Greyladies title at this time of year, although the schools are just about broken up now.
South of the lights - Angela Huth - I enjoy her novels and when I spotted this one in Oxfam which I had come across I thought it would make a nice light holiday read.
The school at Skelton Hall - Elinor Brent Dyer - the first of a pair of non Chalet School titles which I've never read, brought back into print by GGBP.
The school on North Barrule - Mabel Esther Allen - another Fidra book which I spotted very cheaply on Amazon - I have enjoyed some of her other Fidra books.
Juliet Naked - Nick Hornby - this has been on my TBR for a while, but looks like something holidayish - I've enjoyed Hornby's other novels.
Dreaming of Amelia - Jaclyn Moriarty - I love Moriarty's YA books, Feeling sorry for Celia in particular is a fantastic read. They don't seem to get much publicity and the publication of this one passed me by. It is delightfully chunky, but I know it will be enjoyable.

And as promised, this is where I'll be sitting and reading - the beauty of where we are staying is that even if I am poorly or the weather is rubbish we can still sit and look at the sea and enjoy being somewhere completely different.

Cross stich cards (domestic arts 9)

I mentioned how lovely it is to give things which one has made in a previous domestic arts post; I've been wondering for a while what I could do with my cross stitches and now I have a solution. Whilst at Hobbycraft last week I purchased a number of very small cross stitch kits which can be made into cards. This little design only took 2 hours to complete and I think is a lovely thing to send someone.
The design on the left came from a kit; I liked the pattern very much but not the colours that they had chosen, so I decided to make it again with some pretty pink threads that I had in my sewing box. It's definitely a pattern that I will use again for cards. I hope that I might be able to utilise some of the patterns in the other kits that I have bought in different colours.

A pattern in the carpet (Drabble)

I discovered the author Margaret Drabble last year, and I've written about her before on this blog. I recently came across her memoir, A pattern in the carpet at the library, and like the rest of her books, it was beautifully written and an absolute pleasure to read.

As much as it is a memoir of Drabble's life and her family members, it is also a book about jigsaws and games. Jigsaws are something that I find extremely relaxing because they require so much patience. It's been at least three years since I've done a jigsaw but it would be lovely to get one out again. Drabble used jigsaws to help create order out of chaos whislt suffering from depression and the jigsaw theme provides a framework for the book, blending history of games with memoir extremely successfully. Some reviewers have quibbled with the way that the book reads like a stream of consciousness, but this seemed to me to go with the jigsaw concept - it is only at the end that it all starts to fit together. I loved reading about Drabble's Auntie Phyl, one of the principle characters in the story, and about her childhood growing up in Yorkshire, and I loved the way that it was interleaved with writing about games and jigsaws.

Apparently Drabble's family are also described in her book The peppered moth, which is one of her works which I have not yet read, so I will definitely be on the look out for that now. And I'm thinking that jigsaw doing might be another thing that I should do in the near future.

Focaccia

One of the things I think that I am going to use the Kenwood Mixer for most is making bread. We've not bought bread at all since last November when my fiance stopped working and needing bread suitable for sandwiches, with the exception of some Genius gluten free loaves for me, having instead been making use of my bread machine (we already used it, but only once a week as opposed to twice). However, we've tended to stick to a basic wholemeal recipe (no point adding herbs if you're using it for both breakfast and lunch - not sure rosemary and thyme would really complement marmalade or blackcurrant jam). Whilst I'd love to be the sort of person who makes fancy bread by hand, the reality is that either I don't have time or am too tired or just can't face clearing up the messy worktop. The Kenwood mixer solves this - although you need to be around for each stage of the recipe (unlike the bread machine which can just be filled and left, and left on a timer if you are going out), it does all of the messy mixing in one bowl, and then it is just a case of proving it, kneading it once more, putting it into a tin, proving again and then baking - total hands on time no more than 10 minutes. It's prompted me to experiment with different recipes and ring the changes on the bread that my fiance eats. I was extremely proud of this cherry tomato and basil focaccia that I made at the weekend; the recipe came from Leila Lindholm's Piece of Cake which I have from the library (and would quite like to own myself).

I also made some biscuits from Piece of Cake at the weekend; they are Swedish toffee fingers and absolutely wonderful. I broke my wheat restriction and had two (later regretting the pain I had caused myself) and they were delicious. They're shown here on my cakestand with some fig rolls that I made from Baking Magic and a couple of chocolate macaroons from the same book.

Good one Amazon

I bought a book online last week, having discovered that my favourite Josephine Pullein-Thompson pony trilogy (Pony Club Cup/Pony Club Challenge/Pony Club Trek) had a sort of prequel series. I was very excited about the arrival of Pony Club Camp, which was one of the few of this earlier series that I could lay my hands on via Amazon marketplace. I was very mystified when a very thin Amazon envelope popped through the door (it was an Amazon marketplace order "fulfilled by Amazon"). It turned out that my order had not been fulfilled by Amazon, quite the opposite, as they sent me a very basic guide to plumbing (which my fiance said was not worth the paper it was written on).

Have been in contact with Amazon and hope that I will get a response! In the meantime, I thought I would share the picture with you, as it is really quite beyond my imagination to see any similarity between a plumbing book and a pony book. Maybe there is someone out there who was hoping to solve their plumbing problems this weekend, who instead got a story about ponies. Who knows?!