Waiting (impatiently)

I absolutely adore books. I think I may have mentioned that before?

To have a book full of information is pure knowledge and with knowledge comes a feeling of empowerment. I hesitate to say a feeling of power because that sounds a tad megalomaniacal! I have always had the feeling that if I have the book, then I know how to do whatever it is the book is about - sometimes without even reading it, which is a bit daft... but the mind is a strange thing.

I glance at my bokshelves - which are a bit thinned out from our previous move as I had waaaay too many (much to the despair of himself) - and I get a feeling of joy to see such a varietey of subjects: complementary health (human and animal), jewellery making, quilting, calligraphy, knitting and crochet, marketing, Greek art, cookery, the list goes on...

I ordered a book online a couple of days ago which I am hoping will arrive today, by an author based in the States but with the most gorgeous rhythmic Icelandic name: Lotta Jansdotter. I love her work with textiles, very scandinavian (of course) and inspirational - taking me away from the cutesy Cath Kidston style popular for so long. It's a book on printing. I enjoyed printmaking and fabric printing during my years in school where I focused on all things art and it is something I would love to get involved with again.

But maybe not right now, with so many other things happening?!

Here's a pic of something which reminded me of Lotta's work, a silk cushion from Rockett St George with the most delightful printed motif - what do you think?

Drink for Lily the Pink!

Silly ditty going through my mind now :-)

I finally got round to rebottling the sloe gin I made way back in 2004 into some fab bottles purchased from Lakeland which are perfect to give as gifts (or just look good in the drinks cupboard!). I added some supar syrup as it tasted a tad sharp - and it was only when being organised and writing down the recipe in my new drinks book that I realised I had actually blended sloe gin with damson gin by mistake! Ho hum, I won't tell if you wont?

I also decided to make a raspberry gin out of our newly discovered loganberries - ready in 3 months time, great! Recipe is:

600g loganberries/raspberries
660g granulated sugar
4 x 75cl bottles of gin

All into a demijohn (cos I have loads now thanks to my mum and a kind soul in the town down the valley who wanted to pass on their winemaking equipment) and wait.

Sloe recipe is also simple, but need to find it - so will post this another day (I have over 1kg in the freezer from last autumn to bottle so it won't be long).

Enough to make you want to crochet...

Aren't these absolutely beautiful? Pics taken at the Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey recently and appeared on the Selvedge stand (boy, I love that magazine - textiles galore!).

These stunning pieces are created by French designer, Sophie Digard, and sell for quite high prices - although the work that goes into them, with the yarn being hand dyed and crochet up with an extremely thin ply, you can understand why. I have seen them for sale in Honfleur in Normandy and loved them at first sight - I would love to own one of these... but more so, I would love to try and crochet one myself!  Perhaps one day...