Cables in Lime ....

Hello!

Well, the skinny scarves got made and are wrapped and ready to go! That's the teachers taken care of for Christmas, now just the family, friends and kids to shop for! I do love the Silly Season but I have to say that it's one time of year that I'd love to be able to phone up our local mall, book a time to visit and be allowed to shop with no-one else there! Can you relate? The shopping is fine, it's just the rest of the people that annoy me!!!

Anyway, onto knitting things (always a good way to calm me down....)

After spending way too much time on Ravelry and Pinterest (again, can you relate?), I failed to find a pattern for a sweater that has been drifting around inside my head for a while. It's sleeveless and has cables and a cowl neck. I'm into sleeveless at the moment. South African winters are cold in the mornings and evenings but vaguely cool during the day so a long sleeve sweater can be way too hot. Sleeveless on the other hand, keeps the bod warm all day but allows a little ventilation under the arms which is always good!

So, I had this image in my head but had failed dismally to find a pattern. Finally I decided to go it alone! This is what I've done so far....

It's the front and whilst it doesn't look like much at the moment, I'm hoping that with a large droopy cowl neck and ribbing around the bottom and armholes, it will suddenly morph into something wonderful ... well, that's the theory anyway!

I wasn't sure about the cables going across. I'm no longer a size 10 (and haven't been for ages) so I'm a little concerned that the horizontal cables will turn me into a Winter Teletubby!!! Any name suggestions if it does? Pudgy-Wudgy or Tubby-Cubby? All good.

With the Teletubby fear in my mind, I originally started the sweater with vertical cables but it just didn't look right so I did a quick horizontal cable swatch and it all came together rather nicely. The cables are based on a celtic design (I love all things celtic) and whilst a bit tricky on the fingers, I'm rather pleased with the result.

I much prefer them horizontal to vertical but am still not sure why! You can't seen the colour very well in these pics but it's a rather fetching lime green. It's muted (so not too bright) but I'm lucky that I can wear all shades of green so I know it'll be fine.

I'm thinking deep double rib at the bottom with pockets although I'll decide on that as I go along. The armholes will also be double rib but just 2cm deep. I've done quite a deep decrease for the cowl neck as I really want it big and floppy - double rib for that too.

So, what do you think? Can you see it finished? I can. I just have to get knitting!

Til soon.

xxx

Skinny Scarves & Strudel

Hello!!!

Well, we're winding down now to the end of year at school so I thought I'd better start thinking about those pressies for teachers....

I decided on skinny scarves - always useful and quick to make - so bought three lots of Vinnis Serena yarn (a firm favourite of mine) and have started crocheting ....

I've already finished one (in a deep red) and the above is No 2. One more to do after that and I'll be done! Having been a teacher myself I really appreciate the gifts that the children bring at year end (especially when they are homemade). We don't have devilishly cold winters here but a little warmth around the neck is always useful in the early mornings.....

On a completely different subject, I had a go at making Apple Strudel the other day and actually had a complete kitchen success for a change!!!

I made it at the request of my youngest son who liked it but not enough to scoff the lot so guess who had to finish it all...... least said about that the better.....

I thought it might make a nice change on Xmas Day instead of Xmas Pud so if you want to have a go, here's the super-easy recipe -

Apple Strudel Recipe:

4 Granny Smith apples - 3 peeled, cored and sliced - 1 peeled, cored and grated
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place apples in large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and raisins. Set aside.
Roll out pastry until slightly wider and longer than baking sheet.
Put pastry on baking sheet and put apple mixture down the middle of the pastry lengthwise.
Fold the pastry lengthwise around the mixture. Seal edges together by using water on your fingers and crimping pastry edges together.
Cut three or four lines across width of pastry.
Whisk egg and milk together and brush on top of pastry.
Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 mins.
Serve with ice cream.

It was very more-ish so if you like apples, it's well worth a try!

That's me for now.

Til soon.

xxx