bekswhoknits

So another weekend passes by

Posted on April 16, 2012April 16, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Without much notice.

I swear this year is flying by. Unfortunately most of last week and weekend went by with me crook. All better now but my body definitely needed some rest.
So I clocked up a few hours playing final fantasy xiii. And by a few I mean a lot.

I was always a fan of ff7 growing up.
It really was the only video game I’d consistently play. Im hopeless at racing games and most other games give me motion sickness.
So when my parents bought us kids a playstation (none of this ps1 crap, I still have our old playstation and it still works) they bought me final fantasy 7.
And it was my first foray into a game that I could find enjoyable.
I’ve played it on and off for years now.
So for a present my boy bought me final fantasy 13. Ive been pretty blown away by the graphics.
I’m enjoying the game play too.
It’s a bit linear, and it took ages to get to the level up stage.
The leveling I find as the meaty part. I enjoy developing players and figuring out what they can do.
I am really enjoying the storyline as well.

And the whole world is filled with beautiful people and their beautiful hair.
Seriously it’s making me want to dye my hair. I’ve got a teal colour all waiting to go once the red/pink washes out.

So here is a picture of a really cool sunset from FF13

A knitted bag bag

Posted on April 13, 2012April 7, 2012 by bekswhoknits

One of the downsides about online shopping is that you can’t take your own bags. Everything comes in plastic bags. You can give them back to the driver (when you remember), but there’s already an abundance clogging up my already clogged cupboards.

So I surfed Ravelry, took a couple of ideas and made a bag bag.
It took me about 3 tries to get the increases right but I got there.
The yarn is Moda Vera Cardellino in burnt orange. It’s been in my stash for a while. I bought it because the colour is so rich, but it’s not a colour I usually wear. Then I looked around and realised it was surrounding me in the apartment. So it’s going towards house projects.

So the bag bag.

It’s knitted in the round, with an I-cord hanging hook.

I used 7mm circular needles (because I like magic loop – but it could be adapted to any yarn, any size)

the pattern
Cast on 20 stitches.
Knit in 1×1 rib for ~10cms
Knit front and back (kfb) so you have 40 stitches
Knit in 2×2 rib for 5cms
Knit in basket stitch* until desired length.
Bind off leaving 3 stitches remaining.
Use those three stitches to make an i-cord.
Bind off i-cord and sew into bag.

Done!!

*rows 1-4 [k4 p4] repeat to end of round
rows 5-8 [p4 k4] repeat to end

Is there enough interest for me to post this pattern on Ravelry??
Or would anyone buy one on etsy??
Any thoughts??

How to fold a plastic bag

Posted on April 12, 2012April 7, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I know this seems like an odd post, but in preparation for my finished object (a plastic bag holder) tomorrow, I thought I’d share my patented technique for folding plastic bags.

Well it’s not really mine, I learnt this from an aunty’s friend. It was on a trip down south because they had a farm. I always wanted to grow up on a farm. Mostly because I sounded so cool in Enid Blyton novels. The place had a really awesome stream too.
But the real takeaway is how to fold plastic bags.

Plastic bags are infinitely useful. Going swimming its so easy to just put all your wet things into a plastic bag until you get home.
We use them as a bin too. And I always carry a couple in my bag just for emergencies. And they’re easier to carry if they’re folded.

So here is my tutorial for folding a plastic bag.

Take your plastic bag and lay it flat on the table.

Fold it in half, and then in half again.

Roll the bag up.

Pull one loop between the other and tie.

And there you go.
One convenient plastic bag, all wrapped up and ready for anything.

Tomorrow I have a knitting pattern to store all of these plastic bags neatly.

Stuck in my head – children collide

Posted on April 11, 2012April 11, 2012 by bekswhoknits

It’s Wednesday. Listen to some children collide.

I make mistakes (sometimes) (quite often) (a lot really)

Posted on April 10, 2012April 10, 2012 by bekswhoknits

And so a long weekend passes with plenty of football, season 6 of Buffy, and a bit of knitting.

I finished my ‘sexy vesty’ which is rediculously too short. Almost a midrif vest. But really who else can I blame but myself.
I finished a pair of socks (which I knitted two together) but failed at the last minute by opting for a regular bind off instead of super stretchy. They’re super difficult to get on now. Lesson learnt.
I also started two scarves but frogged them both because I didn’t like what they were doing.
It sounds like a bad knitting weekend but it wasn’t. Ok it was, but it didn’t seem like it at the time.

I also discovered knit princess and am now in live with this comic.

I’ve never been an avid reader of web comics. My dedication has only really been to queen of wands and it’s sequel punch n pie.
And scenes from a multiverse for entirely different reasons.

But knit princess speaks to me as a knitter.
I particularly enjoyed her camping series (even if I don’t agree with it). Some of the comments are very insightful too.

So I went to sleep last night peacefully dreaming of knit stiches, pretty yarn (I bought some from etsy a whole back and am not so patiently awaiting its arrival) and knitting comics.

Does anyone know how to get rid of that hole when rejoining the heel to the rest of the sock? Or is it a curse of toe-up.
I had forgotten about that knitting mistake.

The polka-dots remind me of sunshine.

Posted on April 5, 2012April 5, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I made another hairpin skirt.
This time with a sewing machine and with more material.

I adore it!

I used more material than last time to make it really gathered. I also made it even longer as I’m sick and tired of skirts that I can’t bend over in. This skirt design is so super easy it took me less than an hour. Three seams, some elastic and you’re done.
And top tip, the polka dots mean that it’s really easy to see where you’re cutting. I measured everything in polka-dots!

I want to twirl around and sing songs to woodland creatures.
(Maybe it’s because of my new The Little Mermaid iphone case that I’m thinking disney. I’m so supercool.)

I may even attempt to take some decent outfit photos for this one (instead of hiding out in the work bathrooms). Now that’s me stepping outside of my comfort zone.

Stuck in my head – editors

Posted on April 4, 2012April 4, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Sometimes you just want to listen to the classics.

baked goods

Posted on April 3, 2012April 5, 2012 by bekswhoknits

There’s not much of a backstory here, except last night we had a power failure.
Fortunately we have a gas oven and dinner was already cooking. But to fill the time I decided to look up something else to bake.
And I found this recipe.

It was amusing cooking with a head torch on in my own kitchen.
We eventually did get the power on but it was rather close to bedtime, so these photos are taken at work. And they do not do these muffins justice.

I adapated to make some simple sweet muffins.
this may be my new default muffin recipe. I like how the brown sugar gives it a caramel taste, which is dense but not too overpowering.

the ingredients
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or milk and lemon juice)
100g melted butter
1 egg
1 cup of chocolate chips

the method
Sift the flour and brown sugar into a bowl.
Make the buttermilk (I used regular milk and added some lemon juice, but apparently vinegar works well too).
Add the melted butter and the egg to the milk mixture.
Add the liquid to the flour and sugar. Then add the chocolate chips.
Mix until combined, and then spoon into a muffin tray.

Cook in a 180 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

I think this would also be wonderful with frozen berries. I can’t wait to make these again.

They’re also really good with hot custard.

Stuck in my head – silversun pickups

Posted on March 28, 2012April 16, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Best tuna bake ever

Posted on March 27, 2012March 17, 2012 by bekswhoknits

This is the comfort food that comfort food eats when it feels down.

And to think I very nearly didn’t put it in the oven.

Let me step back. Zomg! Tuna bake.

So I took a couple of chances, and used what was in the cupboard.
There’s three key differences between this and my usual tuna bake.
I still haven’t got any cream and was low on milk so I used evaporated milk to make the sauce,
I added ravioli into the pasta mix, and nutmeg into the sauce.
If I was only cooking it for myself I would have added pineapple but that’s neither here nor there (I’m dating a lunatic, albeit a lovable one).

And I have explicit instructions to write this one down so I can make it again, and again, and again.

the recipe
Cook the pasta. I used fusilli and cheese ravioli.

Empty 3/4 tin of evaporated milk into a pot and slowly bring to the boil.
Add a tablespoon of cornflour to the remaining 1/4 tin of evaporated milk. Whisk well.
Once the evaporated milk starts gently bubbling add the cornflour/milk mixture. Whisk until it thickens.
Add nutmeg (probably more than you think – i accidently tipped in more than I would have and it worked a treat), a small tin of corn, two small tins of tuna, and about a cup of grated cheese.
Whisk some more until the cheese has melted.

Drain the pasta, and pour into a lasagna dish.
Pour over the sauce.
Top with salt, pepper, a drizzle of garlic olive oil, and more grated cheese.

Bake in the oven (about 180deg) for half an hour.
You know when the cheese goes all crispy and slightly burnt but ridiculously delicious? Yeah that’s how you want the cheese on top to be.

Serve with some fresh parsley and a good episode of Grand Designs.

(They restored a sea rescue house and it was right on the shoreline, Kevin wore a nautical striped suit and the house was all round and it had pretty red window frames. It was a very relaxing house.)

I think this would be a perfect camping recipe. It’s mostly in tins and uses dried pasta. And would go very nicely baking on an open fire.