Today whilst cooking dinner I started thinking about the individual things my parents and grandparents cooked. They each had a dish no one else could match.
My mum made the most amazing and delicious sausage rolls and stuffing, she mixed something in with the sausage meat.
My grandad was quite the cook but the main thing we all think of when we think of him is bacon butties. Every visit he would make who ever came a bacon roll or sandwich. The rolls had to be crusty and sometimes he’d fry some tomatoes to go in them. He also made the best gravy for which I do have the family recipe. His Christmas stuffing was also delicious as he added various ingredients and he made the best roast potatoes.
Nan was known for her pastry and every year she would make it for people to make their own pies. I still have her Kenwood Chef with which she used to make christmas cakes and puddings. I can remember the smell from the red tin of black treacle she would use. She also made all grandads pies and puddings from scratch. She used to have a large chest freezer in the kitchen and I can remember many a time as a child watching her roll out the pastry on top of it.
Grandma made the best daal around and to this day I haven’t found anywhere that makes it as well. She also made an oxtail stew which as a child I used to love.
In our family I am know for my homemade coleslaw, rice salads and spaghetti bolognese . Continuing the tradition my daughter makes an amazing cheesecake and lasagne
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Mystery Cushion 2011
I have finally unearthed last years Mystery Cushion from Debbie Abraham and am on the way to finish it.
I had hit a block on the lower back piece, not sure if it was the pattern or the changing of colours or both but at some point this week something clicked and I was on my way. I finished it and started the upper half which is going a lot quicker than the other half. My aim is to finish this before the week is up. I have so many projects I want to knit as well as get on track with this years Mystery Blanket and I need to cast on a sock for baby jones labour in case it’s a long one.
Owl
My daughter requested this but wanted it in greens instead so I knitted it in Sirdar baby crofter and Snuggly DK. This was a quick knit from a Knit Now insert, Again I had help from Zoe with the stuffing and the sewing.
Cot Quilt & Bumper
Here’s the quilt and bumper in it’s final place. Also in place is the baby comforter I made with help stuffing and embroidering from Zoe.
Cot Quilt 1
Next is a close up of the cot quilt. It was made using Rowan Free Spirit, the David Walker designs. I used two ounce wadding. It was my first proper attempt at quilting. As much as I am trying to knit and sew from stash this year I didn’t have any neutral fabric in my stash so I have had to buy a few metres to make lots of bits for baby Jones
Baby Blanket
First is the baby blanket. I was working on this before my daughter was even married let alone expecting. It was meant to be one of those projects that would be ready long before my daughter became pregnant, but as usual I got side tracked by other projects. The blanket design is by the wonderful Debbie Abrahams, called Building Blocks and knitted in the lovely Rowan Wool Cotton. All from stash.
The only change I made was that I knitted it 5 x 7 instead of 7 x 7
Busy Busy Busy
Having just looked through some of my knitting and sewing books I have come to the realisation that I am a project knitting. I have a long list of items I want to knit and the list is continually growing. I often find a pattern in one of the many magazines I sunscribe to and if the yarn is in the stash will knit it. On many occassions I have no one in mind for the item I am knitting. I just knit it and it will go in the bottom drawer for the appropriate time, when the person who it should go to finds me. At the moment my mind is buzzing with baby bits I want to make. So many vests and slipovers to make, tiny dungarees to be sewn in under an hour, socks with colourwork, norwergian mittens, too much choice.
Baby Shower
Today was the baby shower for Sarah and baby Jones. I was given my orders and everything had to be ready for it and even though she’d seen most of it she wanted it to be given to her at the shower. If I’m honest I’m not sure of the point of baby showers, other than to get lots of gifts. I’d rather do my gifting after the baby is born. none the less a good time was had by all. We had to blind taste some baby food and all agreed that the savoury ones were disgusting but I found the banana and apple one quite nice! Predictions were made for the labour length, time and date of birth. The ranged from April 12th – May 7th and labour times from 3 hours to 12. Lets hope it’s the lower end of the scale.
For the shower I had made a cot quilt, a cot bumper, some flannels which were edged in the same fabrics as the quilt, a swaddle and the blanket. I am really pleased with the results and my other daughter Jemma was rather shocked for some reason. She kept saying did you really make all those they’re really good. I wasn’t sure whether I should be insulted or complimented. I also made the baby a few comforters which some of the mums there were so impressed with they asked me to make them some.
My favourite item was the swaddle which will be my new must make present for new babies. It’s not long now and I am so excited. I am so looking forward to becoming Nanna Jen.
As soon as I can find the lead for my camera I will upload pictures
A change of scene
If this period of waking up in the middle of the night keeps up I may have to think about finding a night job instead of a day job. The only good thing about being wide awake in the wee hours is that I get to catch on on my knitting , television and maybe read a book. On the needles at the moment is still the Building Blocks blanket for baby Jones. I have just finished the fourth of seven strips and am really pleased with the way it looks. However, I am becoming a tad bored with it. I have managed to knit a couple of sets of bootees inbetween sqaures. I must get it finished then I can relax a bit.
I still have the quilt to finish for baby Jones but I have been inspired by a friend to add strips of plain fabric inbeween the patterned squares. This will not only look very effective but will also cut down on the quilting time. I have managed to make a pair of maternity PJ bottoms, shorten some maternity trousers into shorts, insert a jersey baby bump into a pair of skinny jeans (did I mention my daughters pregnant) and three vintage aprons. The PJ bottoms were made from stash and the aprons were from the new Amy Butler for Rowan Lark range fabric.
I am trying to get in the habit of spending at least three hours every weekend sewing to catch up on some bits. Whereas my knitting WIPs are under control with only the blankets, my sewing WIPs are getting a little out of control. It happens when I think I’m being organised by cutting all the fabric and pattern out so it is ready to sew, all this means in reality is that I have lots of bags with projects ready to go.
Next weekend I am going to unearth them all, make one of my lists of what I have, prioritise them and make a time frame for sewing them. I remember a famous seamstress saying once that you should make appointments for your sewing and treat it almost like a job, You set aside a timeslot and use that time for your sewing and because it’s in your diary there’s not need to feel guilty about not doing other bits. I have to confess I generally put my crafting time ahead of housework etc. The housework will always be there but my sanity without my crafting won’t.
New Start
As I will be moving and downsizing I am having making a real effort to sort the stash out and get rid of the stuff I know I am not going to use. I have made a good start and given away some bits to friends and I have sold over three kilos of yarn. It doesn’t sound that much until you realise that it was all mohair. I inherited lots of acrylic and this has been given to friends and charities. It’s quite good having to sort through it all as I am finding the gorgeous yarns and fabrics and also uncovering some which begs the question, What was I thinking!
I will also be sorting through all my books and magazines and finding new homes for those I know I won’t use. The magazines I will definitely be keeping are all issues of the Rowan magazine, The Knitter and Knit Now. I have some books I have had since the 1980s and I never knitted anything first time round so am unliely to knit them now. These will be destashed gradually. I also aim to get on and update this blog a bit more regularly.
Jen Sews and Knits 