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Saturday 11 February 2017

Conflicting Signs



This morning I pulled back the curtains to be greeted by snow, those big fluffy flakes that settle and drift. 
Ben doesn't mind the snow so we set off for his first walk, wrapped up in warm coats and I had my thickest hat and gloves on as well.

There was only one other walker out and as luck would have it Ben's BFF Dawie was with him, so pleasantries were exchanged before we went on our respective ways.

On returning home I checked out the hedgehog house and spotted a harbinger of spring.







My rhubarb has hurtled  into growth, even though we have been in the grip of a cold spell. I can already see crumble and custard on the menu and possibly jam with added strawberries. Oh Yum.




A few steps further and there was the Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Not Long Now. This is one of my absolute favourite vegetables and I grow it every year. It is a prohibitive price in the shops and is never really fresh. I pick it, wash and sling it in a pot within minutes and the flavour is amazing, right up there with home grown Asparagus and Sweetcorn.





The Pic n Mex socks are ready for their heels.


The solid grey/blue band is the waste yarn where I will be picking up the stitches.


These bed socks are knitted in Scheepjies Merino Soft, colour 626, they are very soft and should be lovely and warm for the wearer.


I cast on another pair but was watching telly and made the legs far too long, I no intention of frogging back so carried on regardless.
Since taking this photo I have knitted the gusset shaping and started down the feet.
Both these pairs will be delivered next week.


This Drops Fabel is set for the next pair of afterthought heel socks and will be finished before I put the heels in the pic n mex pair. I feel that doing 4 new heels back to back will set it in my brain. Fingers crossed on that.


This contrast wool is earmarked for the heels on both pairs.
I am avidly hoarding my left over sock yarn, but am not sure what it will become. I am trying to resist the lure of a cosy memories blanket but the temptation is there.
I may concede defeat but compromise and crochet a granny stripe or a c 2 c.

I have some gorgeous goodies on their way, but as they are from the USA it may be a while. I will show and tell once they arrive, what I will say is that I ordered from the UK website and am paying UK postage and no other charges. Woop Woop.

I did not go doolally, all the yarn is for gifts and the non yarny goodies are to make my life easier. I have decided to knit and crochet for Christmas gifts this year and have started the process by collating all the ingredients.

On that note I need to make a start on dinner, vegetables in a cheesy sauce with a top layer of spicy tomato sauce and then the whole thing covered with puff pastry. It will be a one dish wonder, filled with cauliflower, carrot, swede, parsnip, celeriac, edamame beans and peas. I will get my 5 a day with no probs.

                    TTFN                                             Pam



23 comments:

  1. Your socks are lovely. I love the garden coming back to life.

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    1. I will be having a daily check now, lots of things are stirring.

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  2. Ooh rhubarb....must go and have a look at ours. We had about half a dozen snowflakes this morning, then a bit of light sleet. Freezing cold though. Will you eventually get fed up with knitting socks, do you think?

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    1. I hope not, although I am mixing other things into my knitting and there are lots of patterns waiting.

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  3. How great to know that every piece of work coming off your needles will be another Christmas gift off the list.
    That one dish wonder sounds really, really nice-x-

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    1. Dinner was delish, I decided that all my gifts would be made before the autumn this year and I have made a good start.

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  4. It has been extremely cold here also and trying to snow on and off all day. I have heard many other bloggers mention about Rhubarb sprouting already.

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    1. It is a touch warmer here today, mainly because the wind has dropped.

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  5. Your one dish wonder sounds absolutely delicious Pam. Just the thing for a snowy day.

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  6. Oh yum, you had me at cheese sauce! Rhubarb's looking good, I've never tried growing it, maybe we should. Socks are very cosy looking, love the pic n mex colours xx

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    1. Once you have a rhubarb crown in the garden and let it get a couple of years growth you will have plenty to go at. Just like runner beans, the more you pull the more it grows.

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  7. I love rhubarb crumble but I'm the only one who does so it's off the menu here or I'd eat the whole thing myself. My nan used to grow rhubarb but would water it with the pee from her overnight potty and then she'd wonder why we refused to eat it. LOL!!! I love all your socks, Pam. They look so professional and the yarns are lovely. I'm mostly knitting little bits and pieces for charity these days, they knit up quickly and don't take too much concentration. I hope you and Ben enjoy the snow, our little snow showers haven't settled; it's just nasty and cold and wet here. Have a good weekend. Love, Helen x

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    1. I do cook it in orange juice then have it with yoghurt, I also make cakes with it. I have eaten it raw dipped into sugar but couldn't now.

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  8. Your rhubarb is much further on than ours at the allotment. Love the socks - they're something I have never tried my hand at.

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    1. My garden is fairly sheltered and of course it is milder here on the west coast. The only scary bit of socks are the heels, Winwick Mum has all the advice you need on her blog.

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  9. Your dinner sounds delicious. I am in awe of all your beautiful sock knitting. I am a great fan of purple sprouting broccoli too. My rhubarb is sprouting too, hopefully the new homeowners will love it as much as we did.

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    1. I is such a shame when you have to leave established plants behind, I do miss my orchard very much.

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  10. I havent checked the rhubarb yet, but my first daffs are in flower, we have some purple sprouting broccoli almost ready for picking too :-)

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    1. I love it when the first years picking start, the taste seems so much more defined.

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  11. I have never tasted rhubarb. I tried to grow a plant two summers ago. It started off fine then died. I've heard it won't grow here, guess that was true. The broccoli looks really good. I am amazed at the socks you make. Every pair is so pretty!

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    1. I planted my crowns into very good soil, lots of compost and manure and then planted round them to provide natural shelter.You can grow it under cover, in Lincolnshire it is grown in the dark and picked by candle light.

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  12. I think you're very wise to get cracking with the Christmas knitting. I stopped knitting gifts as I always ended up at the last minute with everything but that wouldn't happen if I got started at the beginning of the year. Looking forward to seeing what arrives from America.

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