Firstly some OxfordKitchenYarns news – A third of the remaining Chunky Yarn is labelled up and ready to go.

The rest are in the dyepots. Later this week (probably this friday) I’ll post a preview of the rest of the current chunky collection, and then off to Darn it and Stitch they will go on Saturday (assuming everything has managed to dry in time.)

I’m also planning to show you the cowl I knit up so that you can see the yarn in action. (I love the stitch design it gives when you just knit up stocking stitch.)

Until then…

 

…or a list of good things.*

Tomorrow (until next monday) there is a great ‘Learning Through Play‘ ebook bundle going on through Raising Playful Tots (more on them later!) and NurtureStore. (You can see a great preview here at Bird and Little Bird.) £60+ worth of ebook for £6.30.  I’m a big fan of a good bundle, (and a good ebook for that matter!) and have had great success with the ones I’ve bought over the last year or so.

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I really enjoyed Finding Time to Read When You’re Mothering Littles over at Fimby. Personally I have always relied on digital readers – first a palm pilot and now a kindle for reading in bed when there are small children around. That way I can read in the dark and hopefully not bother them. (I do most of my internet reading that way – cutting and pasting things that look interesting and then reading them hours later in bed.) Right now – unless it’s a read aloud – actual paper books (despite my huge love for them) are harder to read, though now I have a tiny book light I should pull my finger out and read some of those too in bed. But yeah, last thing in the night, and – right now – first thing in the morning, since I keep waking up before my alarm, I read. I would be lost without it, in a way.

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Since the children both had their birthdays I have continued to make batches of Nigella Lawson’s Roll-out Cookies (which can also be found in ‘How to be a Domestic Goddess‘.) Both the dough and the cooked biscuits freeze really well. In fact I tend to cook the entire batch and then freeze half. I just add them to the biscuit box (still frozen) later in the week and they are totally fine. Each time I’ve made them I’ve played with the recipe – rolled out and cut out and then ice, rolled out and cut out and left plain, cut into circles and then a large chocolate button pushed into the middle (thanks Kim – the chocolate was great!) and today, rolled into balls and then rolled in cinnamon and sugar.  NOM!

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I am also making TONS of playdough right now. (In fact I have Christmas playdough plans which I must get onto!) My mum gave me her recipe, which I lost. However the same recipe turned up in Let’s Play Dough which is a free ebook from the NurtureStore which is full of good ideas and well worth checking out.

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I said I would talk more about Raising Playful Tots. I came across this podcast because they interviewed Annie Riechmann from Bird and Little Bird (and the creator of Alphabet Glue, which I LOVE!) a couple of weeks ago. Since then I’ve been slowly downloading the archive and having a good time listening to older episodes. I am really picky about podcasts and right now the only other ones I listen to are the Friday Night Comedy podcast from Radio 4 and Savage Love, both of which I can only listen to when the children are asleep or I’m on my own. Raising Playful Tots however can be on during the day. Which is great. If you have small children it’s worth checking out.

So there you have it. A short list, of mostly interlocking things that are of interest to me right now. Maybe they might interest you too. 🙂

 

 

*Btw NONE of these links are affiliate links. Not that there is anything wrong with affiliate links, but I’m not currently affiliated to anything (apart from the shops that sell my yarn, maybe?) I’m just putting these links out there because I genuinely think they are good things. Have at them, if they also seem interesting to you.

 

This week was all about dozing and pruning. W took out a load of brambles and my job was turning the apple and raspberries

from this…

to this. It was a couple of years growth and a good hack was necessary. And very satisfying. 🙂

We also covered the asparagus in rotted down chicken poo. (Thanks girls!)

All in all, a good afternoons work.

Introducing…

(Chunky in ‘You Shall be Queen‘, ‘Shining Gold‘ and ‘Ribbon‘)

The lovely Jo from Darn it and Stitch, in Oxford asked me if I would expand into a chunky yarn in time for Christmas, and of course there was only one answer – YES!

Since then I’ve been beavering away, picking yarn, dyeing it up and playing nicely knitting up said yarn to see how far it goes (it goes just far enough. 🙂

Tomorrow, the first batch it going to the shop (where I expect to buy at least a couple more buttons and a piece of ribbon or two for FB and his slowly growing button box.)

The Yarn is British Bluefaced Leicester plied with a cotton thread. It’s slubby and squishy and soft and knits up like lightening on 10mm needles (which Jo stocks as straight pins and double ended needles).

There are approximately 100m per 100g (for £14), and a single skein is enough for a cowl, or hat or chunky mitts. Perfect for that last minute knitted Christmas gift, or that evening when you’re sick of knitting for everyone else and just want to whip up something warm for yourself.

Two skeins would knit up well into a snuggly cushion and 3 or 4 skeins would make an amazing baby blanket (this is on my list even though I’m half way through no3’s baby blanket already.)

Next week (all being well) there will be blues, and greens and purples to add to the collection! Cue a week of busy dyeing! 🙂

Currently this yarn is exclusive to Darn it and Stitch and won’t be stocked in my online shop.

Next week I’ll show you the rest of the colours and the cowl that I knit up so you can see the yarn in action.