The log cabin production line

Today I finished Diana's log cabin blanket. Diana is a friend of my younger daughter and she is getting married next year. The blanket is a wedding gift. This is the first log cabin I have made using only 4 colours and it looks quite sophisticated. It has been finished in record time - usually I take a month to complete a throw of 20 squares with borders but I have spent more time than normal sitting around at home, hence the faster finish of the project.

The question is what next? To complete the stash buster which is more than half done? A complete new one in some of the new colours? A potential Christmas present one? Yikes - that is a thought- Christmas. It is October next week and I am usually well prepared for the festive season - but not this year. Much time has been taken over by wedding planning and recent months have been overtaken by illness. Perhaps a list is required and a plan. Last year was a year for scarves. I usually think that a year of socks would be a good idea but I never quite get round to that. I rather wish that I enjoyed knitting socks as much as I love knitting log cabin blankets but the sad fact is that I don't. I did want to attend a sock knitting class recently but it wasn't possible. I wonder what might help switch my pattern allegiance. Certainly not stock - I don't have quite as much sock yarn as yarn for log cabins - but it's not far off. Socks would be much easier to carry around in my bag - yet I have a mini log cabin on the go in my bag at the moment. I will just have to face the reality that I like the simplicity of the log cabin and don't really feel confident about socks - fear of failure, the unknown, the difficulty and, to be honest, my lack of patience.

The log cabins keep on coming

I discovered that I can buy my favourite, cheapest, log cabin yarn online and this is the first of what is likely to be many more throws for those I love.

This one is for Amy and Michael and Amy chose the colour scheme. I hope they love it as much as I do.

A good year for pumpkins and figs

The garden is looking splendid after a summer of sunshine. Our usual crops of coriander, rocket, radishes and courgettes have done well but the real stars this year have been the figs - again and the pumpkins.

Coriander has been frozen in small batches and soon the seeds can be harvested and dried. The Mary Berry recipe for courgette loaf will no doubt reappear in the next few days and this morning was spent freezing a batch of figs - coated in lemon juice to keep the colour. As for the pumpkins - a possible autumnal display at the wedding in October or plenty of pumpkin soup - or both.

The impulse purchase

I started to write this blog as a response to some heartbreaking news about a dear family member. I have started writing a post about the whole story but have not yet managed to press the publish button. The draft sits in the ether and one day I may feel ready to share the whole story - but not today. 

Today my mind is elsewhere - in the not knowing an outcome, in waiting for a event which may or not give an answer, in some fear as to what the future may hold but an awareness of a powerlessness over the whole situation. My usual mantra of taking life one day at a time has never been more relevant so, in the spirit of faith and a belief that everything will be alright in the end, I made a rather large, impulsive online purchase.

Not a brilliantly well thought through purchase. 

43 100g balls of double knitting in a variety of colours, 1 of some, 2 of most and 3 of a few.

The plan is for log cabins but, if I had properly thought this through, I would have bought sensible a,punts of some colours. Inevitably, once I chose the colours for a throw, I will need to out in an order for additional balls of the more popular colours around the edges of squares and on borders.

The box was big, though, and it was exciting to open it and see what I had actually bought - and wonder why I had selected the range of colours. A good few months' knitting here - what joy.

Musings on today's log cabin

Making these blankets or throws really makes me feel happy and, at the moment, I need something that does that. Life is life and no one ever promised that it would be easy or fair. I try to lead a life where I can look at the positive and, when difficulties arise, wonder what there is to be learned from the situation. I was talking to a close friend this morning and explaining what all these throws are for - presents for those I love and our conversation moved on to learning lessons from life. Dissecting a situation and trying to find the message can be illuminating and it is great to be able to do that with someone else who understands and is able to listen to the workings of the mind - that is what friends are for. Sometimes I am perhaps not grateful enough for those around me and for my wonderful life. That is something to remember on a daily basis and no matter what curved balls are thrown everything will be alright in the end.

Some favourite photographs

Vancouver Island.

Favourite city in the world - Vancouver.

New Zealand.

The best holiday with my son - one of many destinations.

Where we went next - and watched the first whales of the season in the harbour.

The Eden project and a reminder of lovely family holidays in Cornwall.

Honfleur and a reminder of all those camping holidays in France when the children were small..... A day of nostalgia.

Rosemary focaccia

I very much like this recipe for a delicious bread to eat with barbecues and salads on a glorious day like today; the sun shining and an excellent victory for Andy Murray at Wimbledon.

500g strong white flour

1 sachet yeast

350ml tepid water

Add the yeast to the flour in a bowl then pour in all the water and mix together. Empty onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes.

Leave to rise in a cling film covered bowl with about a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom - about an hour.

Empty out onto board and flatten. Transfer to oiled baking tray. Leave to rise for another hour.

Make indents with fingers and sprinkle with a handful of rosemary leaves, some sea salt and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake in pre heated oven - gas 7 - for an hour. Place a tray of water on a lower shelf in the oven - this seems to help