Autumn love

Well Autumn is well and truly upon us, and it's getting chillier, which can mean only one thing, HOOK OUT and back to crocheting!! Oh how I have missed it during the summer. Anyone that knows me knows that summer is my least favourite season. I like being cosy, cosy. cosy and relish the Autumn and Winter months.

I have just finished this lovely shell stitch blanket for my mum. It's an easy stitch that is quick and relaxing to work up. It took me about 10 days over most evenings. My mum has always loved browns and cream colour pallettes. I think of coffee, Lattes and chocolate when I look at it.I hope her dog doesn't claim this one like she did with the last one I made!

I also made  Lulu a red house coat to keep her warm in the winter months.

 She loves it can't you tell? She does get shivery and it will keep her snuggly when we get a really cold snap. My lap is still her fave place though even though she doesn't fit anymore! Here she is hogging the stripe blanket.

Well I'm off to sunnier climes for a week, destination- Cyprus and really looking forward to it as haven't had a holiday abroad for 8 years, so really going to relax.  Sadie cannot wait to go on an aeroplane and is so excited she can barely sleep. I'm not a fan of flying and the nerves are starting to kick in.....Think I will take my rescue remedy if I'm allowed?

 On my my return I will be holding two Halloween cake decorating classes with children which will be lots of fun. I love Halloween and all its pagan origins/symbolism.

Hope you are all enjoying and embracing Autumn. xx

Cornwall Sept 2013

Not been on here for a while...been so busy this summer!

 My cookery classes take up a lot of time, planning for each week, I am just starting adult classes too, and am hoping to be mega busy in the Autumn and lead up to Christmas - dare I say that word yet?!

This summer has been glorious, but I'm definitely ready for the Autumn and cooler days now, I want to make jam, and get back to my crochet, need to get out and foraging at the weekend, should be plenty of them this year, as summer been good for all fruits.

We have just got back from a break in Cornwall,  it was sunny, breezy and restful for a few days, wish we could have gone for longer. I would move there in a shot if I could. The place just nourishes my soul.

Sadie and Lulu had great fun every day on the beaches.

Until next year. Hope you all enjoyed the holidays.

My girls 6th birthday celebrations

How can time go so quickly? Hard to believe my baby girl is 6 already!! Pictured here with my eldest son Dylan who's nearly 18!

Friday was spent at the park practising on her new roller skates.  Yesterday we had a great fun at  Adventure Island - Southend's great theme park.

Today is her actual birthday. We had a high tea theme for her little party today, we had pink lemonade form proper vintage mismatched bone china teacups, which I've been collecting for weeks now.  I made heart shaped sandwiches, and cute little rainbow cupcakes.

Love this pic of all the girls, under the Tamarix, which looks like candyfloss.....

Favourite party games were played. Pass the parcel, musical statues and Pin the tail on the donkey.

Pass the parcel

Dancing

This years homemade cake... Hello Kitty.

A very happy girl

 I love that all my children have their birthdays in the summer, June, July and August. We have always been able to have celebrations outside.The sun shone today and a lovely day was had! :) Happy birthday my beautiful girl .xx ♥xx

Our new puppy Lulu ❤

My mum got a little Jack Russell girl puppy who is 7 weeks old at the weekend, and it was love at first sight for everyone in the family. During the 2 week wait my mum had, before collecting her pup, I was trying to convince myself and the other half about getting one as have wanted a little dog for quite some time but always talk myself out of it, we have a busy life and already have 2 cats, but I couldn't resist once I met Betsy! So started searching for a little Jack around the same age. I found little Lulu not to far from where we live and she was ready to go, and knew my 6 year old daughter would just love and adore having a little puppy of her own and would play with it endlessly.

We brought  her home yesterday afternoon, she is 7 weeks old and is going to be a longer legged Jack compared to Betsy who is plumper and short legged.  Lulu has settled in really well, I have bought a crate for her for when I need to go out so I know she is safe. The night time training is going to be challenging.

I can't wait for her and Betsy to meet each other, I'm sure they will be the best of friends....

Here is Sadie with Lulu.  Betsy is the bottom picture. How cute are they? xx

Projects and renovations

I Love love this blanket!

 It's the last one now until the colder weather sets in again, I have made 9 blankets since I started my crochet journey last September,  6 of  which have been for here at home, and the others made for other  people.What an enjoyable journey it's been. I love having a project to work on when I'm relaxing in the evening.

I have decided to work up lots of little things for now, stuffed hanging hearts, flowers, leaves, Xmas decorations, I'm just going to build a stash of little things, as they are nice to give as gifts, and it will keep my fingers busy.

Here is the colourful stripe

A previously broken gold frame on a mirror, has had the white spray paint treatment...I forgot to take a before in my haste to paint it! Well it was gold and completely snapped in half. I used Araldite to glue it together. Then sprayed 2 coats of white spray paint deliberately leaving some patchy bits so it looked a little aged.

Sturdy coffee table, a bargain at a fiver from a boot sale... Needed some updating...

After...

I prefer the top left natural.

Longing for some warm days now to get out into the garden and do some tidying.  Surely summer has to be just around the corner?

Ripple reveal!!

Yippee it's done at last, I was half way through a blanket on my last ripple post, but had to unravel the whole thing and start again as my sides were not straight... Boo hoo... that really hurt!

I should have taken more care in reading the pattern, I was getting my two end stitches wrong, so it was decreasing! I am impatient though and can't be bothered with having a little test run, but I did before I embarked on the second one.  I made a little mini blanket about 10 inches square for Sadie's toys and practised an edge aswell, as getting a straight edge on a ripple is no easy feat either.

So I started this second blanket 2/1/2 weeks ago, and finished it last Friday, and worked the five rows of edging over the weekend, I have been very poorly with Bronchitis so a lot of rest has been had, and to combat boredom my fingers have been busy. I have really enjoyed making this blanket, such a soothing easy rhythm, and fast to work up once you get going.

Anyway here it is:

I made it quite long to ensure cosy feet! and double up if its really cold.

                                                                Close up!

Snuggly girl

I couldn't resist rolling up all the blankets I've made and photographing them together. Very satisfying, More than enough to go round if we all want to grab one, it has been very chilly....Brrr...

And now I'm onto making my stripey blanket, as I still have lots of coloured wool yarn left, how could I not?

My first cookery class!

First class update - Spring rolls, Thai noodles & Ginger cake

Well I'm pleased to say that the first class went very well, the children enjoyed it, which is what counts the most!  

We cooked Spring Rolls, filled with chopped cabbage, red peppers, ginger garlic, chicken, and fresh coriander which we wrapped in rice paper which wasn't great to work with to be honest, but the filling was delicious, sticking to Samosa wraps in future though! There was a dipping sauce to accompany them.

We also made Thai noodles

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And sticky Ginger cake.

                                                         We have a shy girl!

                               Looking forward to next weeks class and growing class numbers! :)

If you follow my blog, and are interested in following what we're up to in cookery classes then please follow my other blog:

Jenny's Kitchen. I also have a Facebook page.

Thanks for reading. :) 

XX