baking and making with my family of 9
So when the kids are all grown up and can’t remember what it was like growing up……………I’ll just pull out this photo.
Unfortunately, when the twins were babies I shrunk this little number in the wash. Then while I was clearing out wardrobes this week I found it and just in time to get some wear from it before Elodie grows out of it.
Anyway, you crafters know the pride that comes from making something and seeing it worn. Now I feel like casting another placket neck jumper I love seeing it so much. It’s a lovely pattern both to knit and wear.
Keira quickly took the book off me and has ‘told’ me in no uncertain terms what I will be knitting her. Um Keira I’ve never done fair isle before so a dress might be a tad too ambitious! But I can’t decide what yarn to buy as they are all delicious. As you know I have a soft spot for everything pink and girly and I love the bright vibrant girly colours on offer like this one.
Back to the book. Wonderland is stunning. Baby to size 7 and a few size 8 in response to reader requests for larger sizes. And since I have the other two books by MillaMia I have plenty of choice now since the complete set lives at my house. Because you can never have too many craft books. But if that wasn’t enough, the yarns are to die for. Super luxurious and something special. I love this wool/silk yarn.
Now normally I like my frittata hot but this is so good cold. Retro daddy says so and he’s a little bit critical of my food. It’s one of my ‘throw together with what I have in the fridge’ dishes but it really works. And it was soooo good to eat when we were delayed on our trip to Echuca. The kids had hot chips in the backseat as they weren’t interested in it but of course that just meant more for us.
Ok well it’s no secret that I love my knitting and I love Bendigo Woollen Mills. I often share what I’ve been buying or knitting. More buying than knitting usually. So the wedding in Echuca did mean a visit to Bendigo was essential. It had been 4 years since I’d been at the Mill and it was just as enticing as ever.
If you haven’t been (you know you want to!) then the mills are located on Lansell Street in Bendigo. On the city side of the train tracks not the other side. And when you enter the gates you’ll see a little building called the Factory Shop. Enter the doors and you have wall to wall yarn. Mmmmm, heaven. It’s all beautifully arranged and there are patterns and knitwear to check out too. But my advice is to collect your basket – really there should be trolleys for obsessed knitters like myself – and you want to head out back.
You see out the back of the shop is the back room. The bargain room. The place where the odds and ends, older yarns, smaller balls and excess stuff goes. And part of the fun of going to the mill is going to the back room because you just don’t know what you’ll find. You’ll find small packages for a couple of dollars and balls of wool for $16 that aren’t so much a bargain but are rare and NEED to come home with you. This trip it was all about getting things I hadn’t seen before. Like this super soft and snuggly Shetland wool that will make lovely little cardigans for new little babies. No not mine, don’t worry I haven’t changed retro daddy’s mind yet.
And this is just called ‘Pure Wool’ and comes in a variegated design in 12 ply that will make the best hoodies for my little ones ever. This definitely had to come home with me. Love the bright fun colours for girls.
and for finn
Mystique which is still available online and is a 16ply and will make some quick knit cardigans for my girls. I’m all about the quick knit and think I’ll do a beanie for each of my girls with some ear flaps.
There was some lovely 4ply cotton in a colour I hadn’t seen online before and will make a gorgeous cardigan or tee for my girls. At $2.50 a ball how can you say no!
And some luxury in ghost came home with me for the gaptastic cowl
and some silk supreme to try my hand at the big herringbone cowl
And maybe there were a few odd balls that came home with me too. But, that my friends is how to shop at Bendigo Woollen Mills! A mixture of the back room and the rest of the shop but 3 huge bags of yarn to keep me busy! And I’m hoping it won’t be another 4 years before I get back there. If you’re in the area or even if you’re in Melbourne it’s well worth the visit. Plus the Beechwork Bakery in Bendigo is the perfect place to send your other half and little people for a while.
p.p.p.s thanks Julie for the extra photos!
I love the Target Toy sale because there are lots of toys that you don’t see all year round and the prices are so low. I’ve saved up to 50% off toys in the past and now with 4 children to buy for that’s important. I also lay-by as paying $10 or $20 a fortnight means when Christmas comes around it’s one less expense to worry about.
There is always such a wide range of toys available from outdoor swing sets and trampolines to wooden toys to books to dress up, Barbies, tea sets, Fisher Price baby toys and more. I always buy all the presents for the twin’s birthday and Christmas and especially love picking up the special toys that can be hard to find like the Barbie campervan and jet.
I also get a little bit stressed out (don’t laugh at me) that I might miss out or that the queues will be crazy – pregnant with the twins was another year that wasn’t good for me.
Here is how it works:
1. Make yourself a coffee and make sure the kids are not in the room. I say this because otherwise I have 3 jumping monkeys screaming out behind me to click on that page or they want this and that.
2. Go to target.com.au
3. Search the toys available.
4. Register your details and create your toy list.
5. Select your nearest Target store as your lay by location
6. Submit your list and you’ll then receive an email confirmation including PDF files.
7. Print the email confirmation and take to your nominated store to activate your lay-by (10% deposit required) on or before Wednesday 3 August 2011.
Well grandma betty is here and she’s a little scottish lady who loves her tea and biscuits. And her biscuit of choice – shortbread. And don’t you even think about having her over without any biscuits in the cupboard. With my thermomix now a huge part of my life there was no way I was going to buy biscuits. And so this shortbread recipe comes from the Thermomix Everyday cooking book and the button idea comes from the May issue of Country Living (British Edition). You can easily make them without a thermomix just do it all in your food processor. Shortbread is so easy but so ‘butterly’ gorgeous.
50g rice flour
50g caster sugar
100g cold butter, cut into cubes
dash of vanilla extract
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees. Put all your ingredients into your TM bowl and mix 10 seconds on speed 10. Then mix for 20 seconds on interval speed with closed lid position. Now don’t worry that your mixture is all crumbly. It all comes together. Tip out onto your work surface or I used baking paper then form into a ball. Now if the weather is a bit warm you can chill your dough by wrapping it in gladwrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or so. It’s cold here so I just worked with it straight away. Roll out between 2 layers of baking paper and cut into 5cm (or so ) rounds. Use a chopstick/skewer/toothpick to punch your holes then using a knife slide off onto a lined baking tray.
Bake for about 15 minutes or so until lightly browned on top. You don’t want them too brown just a nice pale shade. While hot I repunched the holes and then you need to leave them on the tray for a minute or two then slide off with a knife to cooling rack. They will crumble and break if you don’t let them cool on the tray – resist! You can do it!
And so if you don’t have a thermomix just do the mixing and kneading in your food processor for a couple of minutes until it comes together. Enjoy. And this is a great school holiday activity. The making and the eating!Next time I’m going to double the recipe because they were all gone by lunchtime!
It all starts off so innocently! You find a craft you like, you start buying a few things and suddenly the bag/box/knitting basket/shelf overflows and you need more space for your craft. Then you might pick up another craft and off you go buying more equipment and supplies for that craft and next thing you know you are taking over the house with your craft. You might be lucky to have a space dedicated for your craft (like me) but you’re busting at the seams. Oh dear. Am I talking about you? Because I know I’m talking about myself.
I remember that I started knitting about 10 years ago in London and I could fit all of my supplies in one bag. Just one bag and I kept it near the couch for late night knitting. Now, I am taking over the house and retro daddy is noticing! So I thought I’d have some fun and share this list with my fellow craft addicts out there. Tell me if any apply to you!
1. you get the urge to craft every day
2. if you don’t get to craft each day you get a little edgy/down/cranky/restless/have withdrawal symptoms
3. you dream that you are knitting/sewing/quilting/of fabric/of yarn
4. your husband/other half asks ‘don’t you have enough craft books/patterns/fabric/balls of yarn/craft’ before you head out to the craft shop/craft fair/open another parcel
5. your husband/other half tells you to clean your craft room (ok, maybe that is just me)
6. your husband has now turned a blind eye to your obsession hobbies
7. you read a blog about a new fabric/book/project and feel the need to go and buy it….immediately
8. you have a craft budget
9. you spend more money on craft than clothes
10. your kids know their way around the local craft store
11. your kids can name your crafts/supplies/know what you’re talking about
12. you sometimes get bored in conversations with non crafters as they don’t talk craft
13. you feel the need to show crafty creations to non crafters even if they don’t ask to see them
14. you know you can’t start another craft because you don’t have the room
15. you know you need to cull some of your crafty supplies
16. you would rather start a new project than finish a UFO
17. you know what a UFO is and I’m not talking flying objects.
18. you have been to casualty/the doctor with a craft related accident
19. you find knitting needles/pins/needles/other supplies down the back of the couch (ok, again maybe I am just talking about myself)
20. you just love craft!
There you have it, it’s not the definitive list but it sums up my life as a craft addict. Let me know if I’ve missed one and I’ll add it to the list. I’m pretty confident that some long suffering craft widows will have something to contribute to this discussion!
A trip to the movies, sharing some popcorn and enjoying a choc top in front of the big screen makes for one happy afternoon. And so my Finn was in little boy heaven last week when we all headed out to a special advanced screening of Cars 2. So special that we had to hand in our mobile phones at the door in case we were going to take photos or videos of the movie.
This is my engagement ring. It’s a Georg Jensen fusion ring. I love it and wear it everyday. It really is perfect and I often receive comments on it from strangers. I feel the luckiest girl in the world. Or so I thought.
Recently, retro daddy came home and said ‘heh, I was on the plane today and saw in the magazine that there is a new georg jensen fusion ring’………..I don’t know why on earth he told me.
