Thanks!

So many lovely offers of help from you! I am looking for about 10 balls (!!!!) of Panda Purla Colour PY 6020 7 as seen here.

I will be trawling eBay, etc, so am happy to do so, but thank you for the thoughts and offers.

x

Fail to plan, plan to fail

I fell in love with a yarn recently that is not a natural fibre, but is soft and a lovely colour. I scooped up what was on the shelf, all three balls, and grabbed the pattern book I was drawn to.

"I will make it longer, wider at the front, longer in the sleeve, and look great in my hand-knit..."

I returned home, cast on, and fell in love at once with the texture and colour. I knitted all three balls, and now.....

There is not a ball left in Canberra. Not one. (None at 'local' NSW Spotlight either!) Dream torn out, ripped up, spewed on top of. (Melodramatic? Moi?)

I'm rather peeved. Can you tell??

Many others would turn to eBay or similar, but I want to check the dye-lot, make sure it has not been smoked near, and am rather fussy about such purchases, so will just feel sorry for self.

So I have abandoned all hope and the project as well, and will start collecting supplies for the next knitting project! When in turmoil, cast on!!

I am hoping that it will be a green version of this fabulous shawl.

Anyone interested in a knit-along with me to keep me motivated?

j

PS - Still looking for pay it forward people! Is my craft that bad?!

Man Flu requires emergency recipe

Hubby is home with Man Flu. To cheer him up (actually to dull my senses), I felt the time was right for some stodgey, Aussie dessert-food.

Golden Syrup Dumplings anyone? Pile on cream, custard, and extra sauce, and enjoy..... Mmm.


120g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
30g butter
1 egg
3 tablespoons or more) golden syrup
90g sugar
A little Milk (like you are making a cup of tea)

Sift flour and salt, rub in butter and mix to a soft dough with the egg and a little milk.

Roll into small balls.

Boil one cup water, golden syrup, sugar and one tablespoon butter together.

When boiling add balls.

Cover with lid and boil gently for 20 minutes.

Serve immediately.

j

Mmmmm...macaroons!

My dear friend Ann and I love to swap recipes. She recently recited one over the 'phone for Coconut Macaroons. A mouthful of crunchy, yet chewy, delight. Perfect with a cup of tea (or without...), or a serious hot chocolate while you wait for the marshmallows to melt. YUM.

One egg white
One cup coconut
one or two or three or so drops of vanilla extract (to taste)
Three rounded tablespoons of caster sugar. (Note: Australian table spoons are 20ml each).

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C. Put on a pretty apron (you can buy one here!)

Beat the egg white until soft peaks, then add sugar, and beat until it forms a meringue-appearance (stiff peaks).

Add the cup of coconut and stir gently to combine. The mixture will be rather dry. I only had half a cup of coconut, and didn't realise until this point in the recipe, so mine were less crunchy, more chewy - adapt at will.

Spoon spoonfuls of the mixture onto a lined baking tray, and pop into oven. As soon as they go into the oven, turn oven down to 120 degrees C. Watch them, they should only take 10-15 mins.

I opened the oven door and turned off the oven to let them cool, so to ensure chewy factor.

Best eaten same day. This makes about 10-12 macaroons, so perfect for visitors, or an episode of your favourite show!

Enjoy.....

Mail in! Mail out!

The Shopping Sherpa is a super bargain-hunter, and I am a long-time lurker on her blog.

Imagine my surprise when I found out we work in the same office!

In my pigeon-hole today there was a package tied up with string, containing this book on making dolls, and a wonderful vintage wooden puzzle for the kids.

Thanks TSS!! You are so generous!

Also, I have been slack... the first three comments to this post will go in my Pay It Forward bag, to get something in the mail in the next 12 months. I have signed up for a few of these, and received one back from Nicola which I love, so I have wanted to do this for a while. I am nervous that my craft will be kinda lame, but I PROMISE that you will get your packages before the end of the year!


j

Craft for lazy parents...

"Glue Mummy?"

I found a big bag of peel-off shapes in the cheap shop the other day, and pounced. Noting my kids love craft, and I don't like mess inside (we rent...), Miss 2 grabbed some bands from around yarn I was knitting, to make bracelets. Very clever little lass, peeled off the Christmas shapes and we now have accessories.


Orders taken, she may open a shop...

Master 6 sells his paper planes for $2.50 with a discount to kids who don't get their own pocket money, so her craft may also be put on the market. Master 6 reckons he can sell them at lunchtime to the girls.... Ah, I love my enterprising offspring!!

j

Master 6 in the kitchen

When Master 6 hits the kitchen, some interesting discoveries are made. This weekend we farewelled Winter with a huge batch of buttermilk pancakes. We don't measure anything, but throw in self-raising flour, an egg, and most of a 600ml carton of buttermilk, and if we remember, some vanilla extract. Out with the whisk, and off we go.

He likes it how he likes it, and likes three, with butter and jam. There is never any deviation from this. Never. Until this weekend.

Him: "I want vegemite on mine".

Me: "vegemite isn't really a pancake food honey, maybe just a scrape, just to try".

Him: "Nah, I want lots."

When we say lots, we mean thick.


Bless his heart, he ate it, said he felt sick, and retired to his room. When he emerged, he told us that the experiment didn't work so well...

Back to jam!