Hooray! PE Bag #2

I couldn't just make one could I? Little M doesn't start school for another year but here is her PE bag to be put in a safe place. Little bits of leftovers from the fabric drawer made this...

 

Different colours so that I can tell them apart easily.

 

A monogram to girlie it up a bit.

 

She even put some things in it and they played 'schools' for a while. Perfect. Jo x

 

 

Chain stitch flowers

I made this pattern for my beginner learners who could only chain after the first week. It meant that they felt they had achieved something they could hold in their hand at the end. It is not very sophisticated but great for learning or for young crocheters to decorate bags, hairbands or to stick on birthday cards.

4mm hook, Double Knitting yarn.(UK terms)

To begin, make a slip knot for the first stitch
Chain 4. Join in a circle with a slip stitch.
Chain 6. Without twisting the chain, join it into the centre of the circle with a double crochet.

Repeat making these 6ch petals and joining each one into the centre of the flower. Add 5 or 6 petals, your choice. Add the petals in an anti clockwise direction (right handers) and try not to ruck them up or make them on top of each other.

Pull yarn through the last stitch and ensure it sits snuggly between the petals. Tie off on the back and use the tails to sew it to your item.

Variations - You can make longer petals with more chains to make a daisy shaped flower. Make them on different sized hooks and layer them up. Add buttons to the centre. Find your own style and make loads!

Coffee Cosy rough guide

Here is a Tutorial for a simple cafetiere cosy. Great if you are a beginner and want to practise getting your edges straight or evening out your tension. All you need to be able to do is chain and double crochet. You will need a 5mm hook and some aran weight, or thicker yarn.

UK Terms used.

Row 1: Ch50 (approx.. measure the circumference of your jug)

Row 2: dc in the 2nd chain from the hook. Continue to dc in every stitch to the end.

Row 3: ch1 (turning chain) dc in every stitch to the end.

Continue until you have a rectangle that fits snuggly around your jug.

* If your edges are a bit messy, at this point you could do a row of dc around the edge of your rectangle in a contrasting colour to neaten it up.

Re join yarn to place loops with a chain stitch where you are going to fasten a button on the opposite side. Three loops works well one above the handle, one in the middle and one below, again depending on the handle style. This will depend on the style of your handle. I was lucky with this one because I could just make a cylinder sleeve.

Decorate with crochet flowers.

Hooray! PE bag

What I like to make the most are things that we really need. It gives me the best kind of satisfaction. So Today I made Big Sis a PE bag for school because she needed one.

 

I used fabric I had been given, some handle tape from an old finished Cath Kidston Tote bag kit and years old embroidery thread for the hand sewing.

I popped on a monogram.

 

Then lovingly filled it with clean PE kit to check for size.

The ultimate satisfaction project. Jo xx

Courgette Cake recipe

I sort of knew you ladies would like the courgette cake recipe but when I did the post yesterday there were demanding small people in the background so I cut it a bit short. So here it is....

Courgette cake

60g raisins
250g grated courgette
2 large eggs
125ml vegetable oil
150g caster sugar
225g Self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
zest of 2 limes

Soak raisins until plump in hot water. Grate courgettes and squeeze out excess water. Beat eggs, oil, sugar until creamy. (electric whisk is best) Sieve in flour, bicarb and baking powder. Stir in drained raisins, zest and courgettes. Pour into lined tins. Bake for 30 mins on gas 5. Leave in tins for 5-10 mins. Turn out and ice.

It is a version of one I saw years ago in my friends book Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson but I didn't have the book so I memorised it and use this version. It has the texture of carrot cake and stays moist rather than going dry. You can sandwich two together with lemon curd and put icing on the top for a showstopper or make them as a loaf  for sandwich boxes which are not as messy. It also looks particularly lovely if you decorate the icing on the top with pistachios because of the green colour.

Bloke entered it in last years local show and won first prize - that is the kind of bloke you want to find in life!!

I have some other rather great 'harvest/glut' type cakes that I will share with you as the produce rolls in over the next few months.

I have linked up with Chantille Fleur for her Tea party Tuesday posts to remind me to post my harvest cake recipes for you all.

 

 

Does the great British bake off start this week did I hear? Jo x

Half Given, Half Grown

One of the great things about coming back from holidays is rushing up to the allotment to see what has grown while we have been away.

I was also given these courgettes and a marrow by my auntie and found six cabbages on my doorstep when we arrived back from a mystery friend!

 

 

We added our first few courgettes to the basket as well as brilliant beetroot and perfect potatoes. The beans were a little on the light side but more will come soon.

 

 

A fellow allotment friend said we could pick what we wanted from his blackcurrant bushes which was really loaded down.

 

We also cut a bundle of new young rhubarb from our ever expanding plant, cooked it and froze it for winter crumbles.

 

I made a courgette cake which was divine especially because I had an extra large slice which I shared with my mum as we caught up on our week apart.

 

 What are you picking or eating this week?

Jo x

Hooray! Pink cardigan

Back from holidays with a truly great show and tell. I don't like to be beaten...the cardigan is finished exactly how I wanted it to be. Sometimes I cut corners and just make stuff but I wanted this to be good, warm, wearable and good enough to show.

 

We went away last week to my Uncle and Aunties caravan and I took only this project with me to finish - no distractions, starting a new project on a whim, getting out the sewing machine etc. - I just forced myself into a corner and it worked (it always does in fact!)

 

The knitted flower was a nice touch.

 

When she put it on she said "Ooooh! this is warm" and my heart felt warm too. I knitted it in Katia Aran weight which is 50% cotton and 50% acrylic and it knits up really well. This colour is called fuchsia. It is called the warrior cardigan from Sublime 630

 

 

The reason I ran out of wool is because I made full length sleeves because I don't like 3/4 for children, they get stuck up their coat sleeves and cause a major kerfuffle when we are just about to leave the house vaguely on time.

 

I found the buttons in a lovely wool shop in Sutton-on-Sea which were a perfect match. You know this cardigan that I used to hate? well now I love it and so does she! Jo x

 

ps. I'm off to catch up on some blogging and see what you lot have been up to this week while I have been away eating ice cream, making sandcastles and enjoying the seaside.