Monday....

This is definitely how I feel today. Normally I quite like Mondays but it's a miserable day today, Angus has been up since 5:10am and the husband is on call tonight so I can't go to my knitting group tonight! Grumble grumble!

I do have some positives, over the weekend I managed to make another stocking (no 16) and a very cute baby hat (more of that later in the week!)

Well I suppose there is nothing else for it on this rainy Monday but lots of tea, some knitting and a bit of Agatha Christie! 

Oh don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Hope you're having a good start to the week! 

Fo Friday - baby blanket

I'm super excited today, not only have I finished my first item this year but I've finished the baby blanket! I can't believe how quick I completed this, I thought, in fact worried that it might drag on like the last time I attempted to make it! But no, in just 6 weeks it's all finished. Hooray!

I really enjoyed knitting this and can't wait to use it when our baby arrives! 

I have some yellow yarn left so I've cast on a baby hat that will match! 

Oh don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone!

Giveaway!

In my post on Sunday I was talking about how it's been 4 years this month since I started knitting. In honour of this I am having a giveaway. The prize is 2 balls of lovely purple chunky yarn! 

I used this yarn to make my snood which was also in yesterday's blog.

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is to comment on either this post or Sunday's. I'll draw the winner at the end of the month! 

Good luck! 

Postman calling

Just a small parcel but I love getting knitting goodies in the post! 

Have you received any yarn/knitting/crochet goodies in the post lately?

4 Years!

During a conversation last night with my husband I realised that this month marks 4 years since I started knitting. I can't quite believe it's been 4 years, some days I feel as if I'm still brand new at it! It's been a great 4 years though, I've had some disasters but I'm also really proud of the items I've made, they're not all perfect but they are all mine! I've also made some lovely friends through knitting both on my blog and in real life (not sure real life is the right term!)

In those 4 years I've had a few break from blogging and to be honest knitting too. This has meant I've missed documenting some of my projects. I'd like to take this opportunity to catch up. 

About two years ago I decided to make a snood for myself. I really enjoyed making it and made a couple more for Christmas presents. Unfortunately I only have the photo of the one I made for myself, which of course isn't as good as the others.

The photo doesn't really show off the stitch an I think the yarn colour also makes it hard to see. The pattern for this snood can be found here and you can see exactly what it should look like! 

Around this time I also started to make some quick lace effect scarves as Christmas gifts. I used a lace weight yarn and giant needles, the effect was very pretty. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of these.

The other project I wanted to share with you is Neve's nevermore. Detail of this can be found here. But I did actually finish this, unfortunately it never made it to wee Neve but I did manage to gift it to another lovely little girl who get lots of wear out of it 

Lastly there are some baby bloomer I made last year as a gift for my friend when she had her baby girl. These bloomers turned out much cuter and adorable than I had hoped! I did change the pattern a bit but I love these. Perfect for warm days or with tights on colder days

 If you would like to see the other items I've made over the last 4 years you can find them all on my gallery page! 

Also as its my knitting birthday I have decided to have a giveaway! I have two lovely super chunky balls of yarn that can be made into the snood I made. All you have to do to enter is comment on this post! I'll post more details about the giveaway later, including a photo of this lovely yarn!

 Good luck! 🍀

The end is near...

Could it be, could I actually be about to complete the baby blanket, the baby blanket I started 3 years ago and abandoned, unpicked  and started again last month?

Well if this photo is anything to go by then yes!

I have one square left to do and then I just need to sew it together. I'm so pleased the end is near, not because I'm bored with the blanket, not at all, but because I never thought I would complete it and here I am, just one square away. 

I've loved knitting this, is been so easy and really calming just knitting away, slowly growing (me and the blanket!) I'll be sad to see this one finished but also super chuffed! 

Watch this space next week for a finished blanket! 

My Super Easy, Super Yummy Cheesecake

This is very much a tried and tested recipe, in fact I think I've been using it for about 6 years, it never fails and is so quick and easy to make I would never look at any other recipe, although I'm sure there are some great ones out there.

I made this particular cheesecake last week for our Burns Supper and i think its fair to say everyone loved it. 

300g digestive biscuits

150g soft butter

300g cream cheese

60g icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

250ml double cream

2 capfulls of whisky

1 punnet of raspberries

1. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until beginning to turn to crumbs, then add the butter and whisky and whiz again to make the mixture clump.

2. Press this mixture in a 23cm springform tin; press a little up the sides to form a slight ridge. I then pop it into the freezer as the whisky makes it a little wet.

3. Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.

4. Lightly whip the double cream, and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.

5. Take base out of the freezer, spoon the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth with spatula. Put it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.

6. When you are ready to serve the cheesecake, unmold it and scatter the raspberries on top.

Alternatives:

You can change the biscuits to chocolate digestives

You can leave out the whisky or use a drink of your choice

You can change the topping.

I love this recipe as its so simple, so yummy and so versatile.

The original recipe is by Nigella Lawson, which can be found on her website or book - Nigella Express.