Projects and a question of starch...

This very cute coffee pot

was found at a resent thrifty trip...

I love the colour!!!

I also have a lot of projects going on at the moment...

I need to finish the flowers on my

extraordinary blanket...

make some more flowers

for my grandma's garden cushion

that we are making in my crochet class

finish my shell patterned blanket

and

I am half way through a new project...

Yes last night I started something new

not that I haven't got enough on already...

nooooo

So the next few days I will be slightly

obsessed with it and probably will get not much else finished...

But I do need some help with this project...

Do you know about starching???

If you do I would love to hear from you...

I need a stiffening agent that will be quite strong

and will last...

But everytime I try something

I still get a residue of the white powder on the yarn...

It is not noticable on white but on coloured yarn mine is really

noticeable...

any thoughts or helpful links???

I will do a bit of experimenting so please leave a comment and I will try it out...

So till next chat...

say safe 

and full of granny goodness my dears...

Almost Finished...

Almost Finished...
Originally uploaded by Loving The Vintage

I just need to add
some pretty flowers
to my second
extraordinary blanket...
Then I can relax...

Well maybe not...
I have started to paint the outside
of River Cottage...
Several sample pots of colour later...
I have come up with a combo
that I like...

I have also bought a new camera...
Still trying to work out the settlings thou...
I took this picture
using the "light globe" setting
for inside
I think it has turned out a bit too blue looking
But you can at least get the general idea
of how the blanket is coming along...

And I do want to say a big thank you
for begin so patient waiting for a post from me...
I have go really caught up with the kids going
back to school and trying to organize crochet classes...
and of course finishing of this extraordinary blanket...
so sorry and I do hope I will not let it happen
again...
Well to often...
Till next chat...
Keep up the granny goodness...

Comfort food...

Comfort food...
Originally uploaded by Loving The Vintage

It's weather like we are having now...Freezing!!!
That leads me straight to the fridge,
or pantry...
Hunting through...
Thinking of the next creation to warm me up...
This is a vegetable tart with danish feta...
Yum!!!

All made in the dodgy fuel stove...
I call it dodgy as it
never cooks the same...
never the right temperature...
and the same recipe can turn out anything from
raw to cremated...
It just reminds me of what our grandmothers had to put up with...
No temperature gauge...
No timer...
and the luck of the draw...
But some how their culinary creations turned out just perfect...
I really need to work on it...

But maybe that's the secret!!!
I need to cook on this primitive device until I am a grandmother...
Than by that stage in my life I will have this thing down pat...
Here is hoping...

Lots of crocheting happening but not many pictures at the moment...sorry...
I am 3/4 of the way through another Dottie Blanket...
So hopefully there will be a finished blanket to show soon...
And a quick mention that I am having my pattern sale in my etsy shop till the end of the weekend...
You can buy one pattern and get your choice of a
second pattern for free...

So till next post...
Say safe and full of granny goodness...

Granny Square Scarf and too much pudding

Granny Square Scarf
Originally uploaded by Loving The Vintage

Warming up with
my granny square scarf...

I wanted my crochet class
to make something a little extra
than just a granny square...

so I had them join them together
and make something pretty and very useful...
perfect for winter...

But I am finding it hard to move with all the layering happening...
Hmmmm I really don't think it is all the bread and butter puddings
and watching Master Chef 6 nights a week...
Nooooo indeedy...
That has absolutely nothing to do with it at all...

Now where is my mixing bowl?

Meet Aunt Harriet

Aunt Harriet
is a woman of a maturing age with substance and virtue ...
Head of the CWA for the western region sub branch...
She fills her time by organizing herself and all around her...

Sponge cake is her vise and her saviour
winning the inaugural prize for
'Best sponge at show' four years running...
When asked of her success
she replies most politely
"that it is in the care and attention to detail
that makes all the difference..."


When Aunt Harriet isn't committing her time
to her many organizations
or planning her next overseas cultural holiday...
she likes to sit and relax
watching a spot of television
(of course not past 8:30pm as Aunt Harriet deems this not appropriate viewing hours
filled with unjustified levels of violence)
with her companion "Maude"
Maude is a 10 year old Himalayan blue cat
that is now retired from show life and spends her nights by Harriet's side...


Aunt Harriet's husband passes away some years back

and due to having no children
she fills her home with many nieces and nephews
every school holidays...
filling the hours with baking, laughing
and memories...
telling them tales of the past went she and her sisters were young
and rather silly and carefree,

all of these children adore Aunt Harriet
as she does love to entertain and keep company...
"they make me feel young again"
she says...
and with that she reaches for her hankie...

Aunt Harriet was made
one night without a pattern or any real idea
at the time...
she evolved to this stage out of pure delight
and is still a work in progress...
her story and clothes and accessories might even change yet,
I will just wait and see what comes to me...
but for now I do hope you like her so far....

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July

It is finally finished...
The American Flag blanket
I have made for my son...

I am so glad he is a sharing kind of kid...
as I think this is one project
I am finding hard to part with...

I don't usually follow patterns very well
I do change them and detour a tad
This one worked really well
and I only changed the stars a fraction
due to not quite beginning able to understand the pattern
more than anything..
but I am still more than happy with how it turned out...

In recognition of the kindness and friendship
that so many of my American friends have shown to me...
These pictures are for you...
I do hope you have a very happy 4th of July holiday
with lots of stars and fireworks to celebrate
your special day...

Are my granny knickers showing

Are my granny knickers showing
Originally uploaded by Loving The Vintage

Sneak Peek....