bekswhoknits

Pea soup

Posted on December 18, 2012December 18, 2012 by bekswhoknits

For when you can’t stand anymore takeaway, but are so tired you put the frozen stock (in the foil packet) in the microwave to defrost.

Top tip! Foil packets can burst into flames when you put them in the microwave. Fortunately they do make crackling noises before they burst into flames. Otherwise this may be a very different type of blog post.

Fortunately I’m not being nominated for a Darwin Award, but sharing a soup recipe.

Add stock, frozen peas, whatever herbs sound good at the time to a pan.
Cook.
Blend.

Check to see if there’s any ham or bacon in the freezer. Nope.
Check for cream or Greek yogurt. Nope.

Eat it anyway.
It’s not that bad.

~~~
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Christmas spirits with hats!

Posted on December 17, 2012December 17, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Someone very kindly sent this my way this morning.

I am a little bit of a grinch when it comes to Christmas. I prefer to celebrate Boxing Day test match day.

But I did get into the Christmas spirit and decorated my wine rack.
(It would be better if I decorated the spirits rack but there was a gin incident last week and it’s all looking a bit depleted.)

So these little hats are the perfect way to use up those mini-skeins I always seem to have lying around.
It was also a great way to relearn double-pointed needles.
These hats are made before I’m sick of needles hitting me in the chest and am ready to throw the project across the room.

I also used it as an opportunity to learn how to cable without a cable needle. I still need loads of practice with that though.
I think my problem is I’m pulling it all too tight. I think I need to loosen up until the last stitch.

Also! Two finger pompoms! These are pompoms I can actually make.

So all in all a lot of learning went on.

And if I need to give anyone a last minute pressie, these are just the things to make it a little more special.

~~~
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Geeked out knitting.

Posted on December 11, 2012 by bekswhoknits

It’s the countdown to Christmas, and all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a dalek.

So much for rhyming.

I got a swag of doctor who goodies in the mail last week, including Doctor Who monopoly! Which I need to ~~con~~ persuade someone into playing with me.

Apparently Monopoly is banned my bloke’s family due to its rage inducing properties.

But my little brother loves doctor who and monopoly, so I may invite him round for a game.

(Can I congratulate myself on a smooth segue?)

While I was watching all of series 6 & 7 on the weekend, I needed some themed knitting.
As I’m doing dishcloths for Christmas this year, I found this adorable dalek cloth.

So little brother, this is your Christmas present (to go with your Lego storm trooper alarm clock you’re getting for your birthday).
I’m such a cool sister.

~~~
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Always the best of intentions

Posted on December 5, 2012December 5, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Every time I go on a holiday or mini-break I have every intention of keeping to my posting schedule and every single time my blog goes right out of the window.

I’ve just spent 4 days (and 1 day at home recuperating) in the sunshine at the WACA, watching South Africa defeat Australia and become the number one test side in the world.
But while the result didn’t quite go our way, it was still a fantastic time.

I learnt that I can knit whilst standing up, and walking. I didn’t quite finish the socks as planned, but I only have the cuff to do.

It was 4 days of not-cooking, sitting outside in some beautiful weather (except the showers on day 1), sharing a few cold beverages with friends (plus meeting some new ones!) and not-working.

~~~
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Stuck in my head – southbound edition (Django Django)

Posted on November 28, 2012November 28, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Southbound, the camping festival in January, is now 5 weeks away! That is awesomesauce.
So for the next 5 weeks as I’ll be listening to a lot of southbound bands I’ll be sharing them too.

I have a habit of going to a festival and then 2 weeks later really digging a band which I could have seen live. So I now research. Which is fun anyway.

So this week I’ve been listening to Django Django.
This is an awesome album. I’m always impressed when an artist puts in the effort with their album art. It makes old folks like me, who buys CDs very happy. Django Django have provided a list of every band that have influenced them. And it’s quite a list.

Look at all that tiny writing.

Listen to loves dart

There aren’t enough coconut halves in modern music (hint – the percussion in this video is awesome)

For bonus points check out another Southbound band who’s video is going viral at the moment.
Hot Chip – Don’t Deny Your Heart

~~~
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I heart bunting

Posted on November 25, 2012November 26, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Well after being in a funk last week I made it my mission this weekend to snap myself out of it.

I ignored all the cleaning I ‘should’ have done, kicked the Bloke out of the house (well he had other things to do anyway), and took myself to the Internet.

That inspired me enough to try some new things (paper embroidery), put some things on the ‘things to make when I have a shed’ list (metal stamping), and finished some projects that were hanging around unfinished.

I made these little heart shapes a while ago, and then didn’t quite know what to do with them.
So I made them into bunting!

It’s such a simple project which really brightened my day!

I also dyed my hair which always puts me in a good mood. Except that it hasn’t worked out exactly. But I’m still grateful that is light teal, and that I can have it this colour all the time.
And it reinforces that I look terrible as a blonde. And that I only have one facial expression when taking photos of myself.

~~~
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In a funk

Posted on November 23, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I’m in a funk, a rut, whatever you want to call it I just don’t care at the moment.

I’ve been knitting but it’s all boring. I’ve been listening to the same songs on repeat, and eating crappy food.

Blah blah blah.

This shawl is the best metaphor for the way I’m feeling. It looks uninspiring at the moment, but I have a feeling it’s going to look awesome once it’s finished.

I just want to skip to the end.

At the moment I just want to fast forward time and skip to summer, when there’s cricket planned, southbound, festivals, sun and music.

I’m forgetting that sometimes anticipation is half the fun.
Instead I’m being an ungrateful so and so.

I have so many plans I just want to get started, rather than wait for supplies.

I’m just waiting for things.
And I’m waiting loudly.

~~~
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Garden creatures.

Posted on November 12, 2012November 12, 2012 by bekswhoknits

What a delightful weekend.
Test match cricket is back! This makes me a very happy Bek!
Also the weather was fantastic. We spent a bit of time in the garden. I did some knitting. And there was some cricket watching.
That’s my kind of weekend.

~~~
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Outfit post 2 (now with more polkadots)

Posted on November 10, 2012November 10, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I’m going to have to come up with a better titles but I’m really enjoying these outfit posts.
And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a big of a fan of polkadots.
(Shocking I know!)

Yellow and black polkadots are my favourites and this dress is one of my favourites!
It’s an awesome feeling when there’s someone in your life who knows exactly what you like and who you are. I’m incredibly grateful and lucky to have two such people, one of whom bought me this dress.
So I love this dress, I love coloured tights, and I love polkadots!

Embroidering things

Posted on November 9, 2012November 9, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I’ve been embroidering. I asked a question on A Sheepish Girl‘s (oh so lovely) blog about what stitch she uses for her text, I’ve been itching to try back stitch ever since.
It’s just like knitting but in lines. (In a kind of not really sort of way.) but a lot easier then stem stitch.

So I opened up phonto on my iPad and typed in a couple of quotes. (If you then set that image as the home screen it makes it easier to trace.)
So once it’s traced onto the fabric, I used back stitch to make the letters.
And things just clicked. More so than they did with stem stitch.

It is really relaxing. Not as much as knitting. It doesn’t have the same TV watching options (I don’t think you could ever embroider with your eyes closed, or during a really important scene), but it’s great for listening to music.

But quotes!!! And music lyrics! I have so many things to embroider on cushions and to put on walls and I can see a lot of decorating until my Bloke gets fed up with embroidery and I have to start decorating my BFF’s house (who reads this and can now request embroidered items. I promise I want embroider a doily for you!).

I digress! Here’s my embroidery attempts.
The quotes are from Silversun Pickups, Wolf Parades, and Parks And Recreation.