A Year of Projects Update - week 34

And we come to the end of our half term break.  I'm always sad as I love spending time with the boys   but it's only six weeks until the next one!  So this week didn't go quite to plan  - the weather wasn't great, which doesn't usually put us off,  but this time we were all under the weather and just felt like doing nothing!  I did do a fair bit of crafting and I did do a lot of tidying and spring cleaning.
I have made progress on both sweater projects that I have on the needles right now, but both are fingering weight so they are quite slow growing.  Still enjoying both though!
Like a cloud  is coming along nicely.  I have joined for the body and now it is just back and forth until it reaches a good length.

Stonecrop is also coming along  I have a couple more pattern repeats before I  split for the sleeves and then, given that it is cropped, shouldn't be much more after that!

As Thomas was unwell  we didn't make it to unravel.   I was quite disappointed, but I don't really need yarn right now and I have promised myself a class next year instead.
I also didn't get to my sewing as I picked up the wrong cotton.  Maybe next weekend! 
Anyway, I hope everyone has a good week.

A Year of Projects Update - week 33

I didn't post last week,  by the time I found time it was far too late!  So here is a bumper post!
I finished Aiken last week and although one sleeve is a little different to the other you can't tell once it is on.

I really like this and can't wait to wear it in the summer.   I knit it from a new to me yarn called zig zag by interlacements. The resulting fabric drapes wonderfully.
I also finished my socks.   These are a made up shortie sock with a German short row heel.   The yarn is by Life in the Long Grass.

Having finished those two,  I have made some progress on Like a Cloud.

I am knitting this from a lace weight from Blacker yarn held together with some mohair from Homespun Wonders.

And finally, I cast on my Stonecrop by Andrea Mowry.   I had to enlarge the chart but other than that it appears to be going well.

I am knitting this from John Arbon Textiles Devnonia yarn.
In other news my meal planning has been going very well.  I found a lovely recipe we have had a couple of times now which involves various vegetables  from my veg box and the addition of ras el hanout spice.  Lovely!
We are on half term this week so as always I am looking forward to getting lots of crafting in.  Hopefully I will be able to do some sewing - I want to put together some trousers and another dress.
I would also like to get out into the garden, but we had a rather large tree fall (about 50 foot) so we need that removing first!  We have had a couple of storms here in the UK  (Dennis is still with us now)  but Ciara brought this tree down, otherwise we seem to be ok.
At the end of the week it is Unravel at Farnham.   We shall be going and I intend to make a few purchases whilst there.   I will fill you in next week.
I hope everyone has a lovely and safe week.

A Year of Projects Update - week 31

It's been a busy week here what with parents evenings,  meetings and karting.
Very excitingly (for me) Susan B Anderson came up with an addition this week!  And here it is modelled!

I didn't do the pocket or the little  toy bunny  - maybe next time.
I also made progress on my Aiken and now have bound off the body - just some short sleeves to go.
Several people asked about my meal planning last week, so I thought I'd write a little about it.
I decided that I would like to start meal planning at the start of January.  There were three reasons:

• We had got stuck in a rut with our meals.  I always get our shopping delivered, and that together with working full time meant it was very easy to have the same ready type meals every week. 
• Although I try to grow my own veg, I'm not organised enough to be able to harvest throughout the year.  So I decided to have a veg box delivered every other week to increase our intake of locally produced organic veg.  We use Riverford and are very happy with them.
• I have at least 100 cookbooks (I've never counted them!) And get more each Christmas and birthday, but once I have looked at them,  I put them on the shelf and leave them there.

So, meal planning it is.  Every Saturday or Sunday I sit down with some cookbooks and plan what we will have along with the contents of the veg box.   I have really enjoyed it and we have found some real gems.  I will try to remember to share some here.  This week our favourite came from this book

I did seared turmeric chicken.   This consisted of a marinade of turmeric and oregano on the chicken.  This was then pan fried with some Romano pepper  and served on a bed of swiss chard and cous cous  made with chicken stock and mint.  It didn't take much longer than a ready meal and it tasted really good!

I will leave you with a pic of my boys before they went karting yesterday.