Hexagon Baby Sweater

Here is my attempt at the beautiful free downloadable patter - baby hexagon sweater.

It's crochet pattern, which makes two large granny squares, then folds them and pieces them together to make a little cardi.  Unfortunately I'm not quite 100% happy with it.  I think the wool I used was too thick, and it's all ended up a bit bulky.

I think this would be much better in a finer wool, so don't let me discourage anyone from giving this pattern a go!  You can see it here.

I think this might be destined to be unraveled and made into something else.

Custard Chiffon Cake & Snow Melt

After our Mr Kosciusko ascent several weeks ago, as we were driving home we stopped to stretch our legs at a lovely little park in the mountains.  There was a stream running through the park so I just couldn't resist taking my shoes off and dipping my tired feet into the water.  It was very, very cold.  In truth it probably wasn't actually snow melt - but it felt cold enough to be!!

In other news, Mr Right was flicking through my "Monday Morning Cooking Club" book and requested this recipe - Custard Chiffon Cake.

 This is another winner.  Really lovely.

 My second favourite part was balancing it on the oil bottle to prevent it from collapsing.

 My favourite part was serving it with vanilla ice cream, chopped strawberries and contreau - yumbo!!

Swallowtail Shawl Update & Chicken & Barley Soup Review

I have finished my swallowtail shawl - yippee!!  It was a while in the making, but I'm so pleased with the outcome.

The is pre-blocking...

 

 

Blocking...

 

Post-blocking...

So the plan now is to repeat the whole process again and make a whole second shawl, join them in the centre and make a blanket!!

Next, as promised, here is a review of the chicken and barley soup recipe from my new favourite cookbook, Monday Morning Cooking Club.

This was a perfect find for those colder nights we've been having.  The recipe calls for pre-cooked chicken - I poached mine in chicken stock then used that stock in the soup.  There is a recipe for a stock from scratch on the same page, but I didn't have time to make this (I cheated with powdered stock).

And here is is, ready to eat with a nice big hunk of challah.  Sorry for the dark picture, our kitchen is not particularly well-lit.

Swallowtail Shawl Update + Challah Recipe Review

I feel like I'm making good progress with the swallowtail shawl.  I'm almost finished the Lily of the Valley border, and looking forward to starting the last part - the lace (swallowtail) border.

Next I want to share with you a new cookbook I have.  One of my favourite things to do when I get a new cookbook is to try to cook my way through all, but at the very least most, of it.  It makes me try recipes that I might not otherwise try, I feel like I get good value out of the book, and I often find recipes that become real favourites.

This is the Monday Morning Cooking Club.  It has been compiled by a group of women from Sydney who are from diverse backgrounds, but their common thread is that they are all Jewish.  For some time now I have been fascinated with the Jewish culture in general, but especially their culture around food and meals.  So when I saw this book, I knew I would enjoy it immensely.  And I am!! 

One of the things I love most about this book is that for each recipe there is a story about the contributing cook and the origins of the recipe.  It is often from a mother, or grandmother, or close family friend, and there is a story about the significance of the food itself, as well as the personal significance to the cook.  Just beautiful.

The first recipe I tried was the artichoke stew.  I have to say it didn't turn out well.  I think it was entirely my fault.  I'm certainly not familiar with working with artichokes, and the ones I bought from the market were a bit old and dry.  Next was beef chittarne and tumeric potatoes - you can see the post about them here. So, on to the next recipe - Challah.

I had never heard of challah before, but the book explains that it is a traditional bread served at Shabbat meals.  For Jewish women, making your own challah is a spiritual good deed or "mitzvah".

 This bread requires 10 minutes of kneading 

- a great workout for your bingo wings.

Looking promising in the oven.

This bread was lovely.  The egg in it gave it a richer flavour, and the sugar made it just subtly sweet.  I served it as an accompaniment to the next recipe I will review from this book - chicken and barley soup.

You can find out more about the book here.

Swallowtail Shawl Update + Mt Kosciuszko Challenge

The swallowtail shawl (which I hope to eventually make into a blanket) is coming along nicely.  I'm almost finished the central part and will be starting the "Lily of the Valley" border section very soon.

 

In other news, Mr Right and I have done some exploring around NorthEast Victoria and Southern New South Wales.  We drove to Hotham (a moutain resort) a couple of weeks ago.

On the way we came across a short bush walk to this old rail bridge.  It was a bit hairy in sections where the bridge had rotted and there were holes.  But it was still very cool to see with the old construction bolts.

Than on the Coryong where we stopped in at "The Man from Snowy River" Festival.  If you don't already know the story:

"There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around That the colt from old Regret had got away, And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a thousand pound, So all the cracks had gathered to the fray. All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far Had mustered at the homestead overnight, For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are, And the stockhorse snuffs the battle with delight"
That just the beginning of the poem by Banjo Paterson, but there was a movie made in 1982.  The whole legend has become quite iconic, and it all started in Coryong.

The continuing up into the mountains we visited one of the stations of the SnowyHydro electric scheme.

Then finally on to Hotham with a lovely afternoon walk in the sun.

The following day the plan was to try to get to the top of Mr Kosciuszko if the weather was good - luckily it was! 

Heading up the first part on the ski lift

It was a 13km round trip walk to the summit - the highest point in Australia!!  Here I am at the peak, and yes, I have in fact lashed my hat to my head with the belt from my jumper because the wind was so strong and kept blowing it off.  Not my best look - but practical.

Swallowtail Shawl Update + Exploring Albury and Surrounds

Well, the Swallowtail Shawl is coming along nicely.  Of course there is lots of backtracking when I gt to the end of a row and discover I am one stitch out!!  But still, I'm slowly making progress.

We have been enjoying exploring "the border" whenever there is time off work.  Here is the gorgeous monument hill, which I love to walk up on the weekends.

The view back to town from the top.

Some beautiful lights at the cinemas.

Driving trip around Lake Hume...

Lake Hume actually has an interesting story.  It's an artificial lake, and as a consequence of it being built the town Tallangatta had to be moved 8km West as the original town went underwater in 1956.

Swallowtail Shawl Update & Beechworth

The swallowtail shawl is coming along nicely.  I'm loving the pattern that is coming out in it.  On the written instructions they say it is based on the style of Estonian lace.

A couple of weekends ago we took a little drive to a nearby-ish town - Beechworth.  Beechworth is famous for honey and a very yummy bakery.

It was a cool, but sunny day, and we enjoyed some florentines from the bakery int he sunshine.

Monument Hill & a New Yarn Project

Some of the best things about living in the central parts of Australia are the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. 

I took these pictures from the top of Monument Hill (the highest spot in town I think), one evening whilst eating takeaway noodles with Mr Right.

And for my new project,  it's a sort of a UFO from Mum.  She has cast on and done quite a bit on this project - a summer cardi.

I haven't unravelled it.  I've just snipped off the thread and left it to perhaps complete some other time.  But I have started something new with this giant spool of white cotton yarn - and here is the very first stitch.

It's going to be (I hope) a swallowtail shawl.  I'll keep you posted.