Saturday 17th October - new me! Cooking and knitting

Today's plan of action... cooking and shopping (and knitting)

When did I last make a cake? August, I think. But I've eggs to use up... hence cake and quiche.

I cannot believe the same person has been slumped for a couple of days managed all this before lunch;

At the back, all the ingredients for a chocolate cake ready to mix together. I often used to make little cakes with my aged 5-7 years Sunday school class. I'd put all the ingredients in a tupperware mixing bowl, leaving the eggs whole, and when it was time we would sit in a circle. I'd crack in the eggs and get the mix started, and pass the bowl round.

 I'd explain that they had to treat the mixture gently, Just One Stir Each so as not to spoil it. Of course there was the one who just had to go at the cake madly and give it a wild whirring... 'oh no!' I cried out as the other children looked taken aback. 'You've taken too many turns, and all your friend's turns too'. 

He looked at his friend, quite upset and passed the bowl to him. 'I think if you have your stir, and do it very gently, everything will be all right', I said.

Well, of course the little cakes were fine, and were borne in triumph to their families when it was time to go back into church. 

In front of the cake are two pots of stewed fruit, a thermos of warm milk with a bit of live yogurt to make a new batch and a crustless quiche for supper. That's five eggs used, one to go.

After lunch I made up the cake and put a loaf into the bread machine. I do feel virtuous! I expect normal me will return soon enough... and I  don't think I'm going to make dahl today,  although one never knows...

.....

While I was slumped yesterday I watched some  a lot of YouTube videos.

I don't know how I came upon this one... apparently this style is called Combination Continental knitting. Maybe it was the title that caught my eye...'fast and lazy knitting '

All I know is that it has transformed my attitude to purl knitting. Hurrah! I haven't watched all of it as I wanted to remember how she does knit and purl before I went any further. 

I was really looking for videos of Joan Hickson and Julia McKenzie knitting when they were being Miss Marple. I've always admired the way they hold the needles in a pencil hold, so elegant. This style is known as the English style, apparently very common before circular needles and continental knitting styles came in over here.

When I first learned to knit aged about 7, from Sister Patricia at the convent school, I held my needles in a clumsy grip which meant taking my right hand off my knitting at every stitch. I was looking for a video to demonstrate, and found this;

Although I'm not sure how any garment ever got knitted looking at the way they hold and use the yarn!

Gromit the dog is another 'celebrity knitter'.