Knitting!

Another very cold day dawns.....I'm thankful that I do not have to go out until this evening....a day of knitting beckons!

'Nuala' Baby Knitting Pattern

This is my first design of 2012 comprising of a baby girls lacy bolero style cardigan with beret style hat and the cutest little ankle strap shoes.

Designed to fit a baby 0-3 Months it is a very quick and easy knit and a great little stash buster as the whole outfit only takes 100g of yarn.

Knitted on size 3.25mm and 4mm needles it makes up in a jiffy!

I think the design would work just as well knitted in one colour but I think the picot detailing looks lovely picked out in a contrast to the main yarn.

This is a pink and navy blue version - not to everyone's taste but it is good to show how different colours work!

You can find the pattern on my website : Tipeetoes.co.uk for baby knitting patterns it can also be found on Ravelry, Etsy and my Ebay shop

A Treat for The Weekend..

It's been such a dreary, wet day today that I fancied making us a treat for the weekend.  I have made this dessert before and believe me not only is it sooooo easy to make but it tastes absolutely delicious.

Key Lime Pie

75g butter

225g crushed gingernut biscuits (you could use digestives instead)

1 Medium Carton Double Cream

Juice of 4 Limes 

397g can of condensed milk

I start off my weighing out my butter and popping it into the microwave to melt.

Meanwhile I blitz the gingernuts in the processer until they resemble breadcrumbs

Next mix the biscuits and melted butter together and press into the base of your tin.  The tin is then popped into the fridge to chill.

Whilst the base is chilling prepare the filling.  I always pop my limes into the microwave for about 40 seconds as this helps to maximise the juice from them. 

Place the condensed milk, double cream and the lime juice together in a bowl and whisk until thick and creamy.  This happens in a very short time probably less than a minute.

Spoon the cream mixture onto the chilled biscuit base and pop into the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight if you prefer

I decorated the top with chocolate flakes but sliced fruit works equally as good. 

Enjoy!!

A Bit of A Leak....

I had a dentist appointment yesterday morning and on returning home the first thing I did was to go into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.  I glanced up at the ceiling and saw that the plaster was bubbling away from the wall and a dirty stain was appearing on the white ceiling.....

I rushed upstairs to the bathroom as this sits directly over the top of our kitchen and around the bath was a pool of water....we must have a leaky pipe!

Hubby has sorted out our little disaster upstairs but now the kitchen needs some attention.  The plaster will have to be removed from the section of wall and ceiling and redone.  Thankfully my husband can sort this out and we will have to re-decorate (which I am secretly pleased about)

At the moment we have a terracotta shade on the walls with beech cabinets, white ceiling and white paintwork. I never really took to the colour the last time we painted but I had learnt to live with it!

I think this time around I fancy something completely different......an olive shade of green.....similar to this shade

Looking on the internet I have seen similar shades working well with the colour cabinets that we have.

I came across this picture whilst looking for inspiration last night.

I think it will work well in our kitchen as we have lots of light coming in so it won't be too dark.  I am quite looking forward to popping to the DIY Store soon and choosing the paint......although I can't say that I am looking forward to the actual painting!

Still Chilly!

Another bitterly cold day today so I am thankful that I am tucked away in our warm and cosy home.

I've spent the morning taking photographs and listing in my ebay shop.  I can't say that I am thrilled with how the pictures have turned out but it is hard to get a good, sharp picture when the day is so dull and dreary.

I am awaiting delivery of some fluffy yarn to start on my next knitting order but I feel at a bit of a loss whilst I'm waiting so I am going to start a small project.  This afternoon will be spent looking through patterns and hunting through my stash of yarn....heaven!

These are the items I've listed in my shop this morning, if you have a moment or two to spare please stop by and take a peek.   Ebay Shop

Brrrrrr...It's So Cold

The last couple of days have been so cold!  Hubby wasn't happy at having to leave the house a little earlier than usual so that he could scrape the frost from the windscreen before his journey to work and we have below freezing temperatures forecast again for tonight.  I have already seen the gritters out helping to make the roads safe and it certainly feels like Winter is well and truly here.

Monday's are always a busy day for me....I do very little housework over the weekend so Monday is my day for cleaning upstairs and down....changing bed linen and doing the laundry.  I always feel a great sense of satisfaction when the house is looking spic and span.

I also made a rice pudding in my slow cooker...although I use my slow cooker on a very regular basis it's the first time I have made a rice pudding in there.  It was so easy to make and tastes so delicious....a perfect dessert for a cold winter's day and there is ample left for tomorrow too..what more could I ask for :-)

Still Here, Still Knitting

I'm afraid I have been guilty of neglecting my blog.....life kinda caught up with me!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a great start to the New Year.  I caught the dreaded Infulenza virus a couple of weeks before the big event but thankfully come Christmas Day I was feeling much more 'human' and an enjoyable day was spent with family.

I've just started working on a new crochet granny square throw for the sofa in shades of burnt orange, cream, coffee and chocolate brown, it may take me some time as I am going to make it in my spare time and my aim is to do a couple of squares a day.  

The knitting needles have also been busy with knitting orders  and I've been beavering away  to ensure the outfits are ready for the babies once they are born. (pics to follow soon)
 It's been  very chilly here today with a real nip in the air.  I cooked a traditional Sunday lunch with Roast Beef, Roast Potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire Puddings with lashings of gravy...it went down a treat!  Homemade apple pie with custard to follow and I was so full I didn't feel like moving off the sofa for the rest of the afternoon...but after a little crochet time hubby and I wrapped up well and went for a walk to blow the cobwebs & the calories away :-)