Knitting. A pleasure activity no longer a necessity

I am knitting. I have been knitting now since the end of January. You are probably thinking that I am going to show you a big photo of all of the things that I have made in that time. Wrong. I am going to show you a picture of what I am currently knitting and it is the same thing I have been knitting all this time. It's a scarf. A lovely long fluffy snuggly scarf. It has taken me ages because I am not a very good knitter. I only do about a row or two a night if that. I even have to get my Mum to cast on and she will have to cast off for me too. I have added stiches along the way and I don't even know how to do that. At least there is no holes in it yet though. The thing is I am doing it for the pleasure and the enjoyment.

The trouble is with knitting now it is merely a hobby thing rather than a neccessity to make clothes. As a child in the 80s, I was always wearing jumpers and cardigans that both my Mum and my Nan had made me. In the picture below I am wearing a jumper that my Nan had made me using squares of various colours from left over balls of wool from other projects. I used to love these jumpers, I really did.

It is even seen as being rather old fashioned to wear knitted clothes. Whilst that was all babies ever worn it is now seen as a bit old hat. With the vintage revival there is an increase in little cardigans appearing that are being teamed up with cute dresses although these are still manufactured rather than made yourself.

I just think it is a shame in a way that these things have died out but then jumpers are so cheap to buy in the shops now it makes sense for most people to just buy. The same with everything. Cheaper to buy it than make it yourself now. It has cost me nearly £25 in wool just to make a scarf. I did buy the wool from a fairly expensive craft shop though. It would be much cheaper to go to a chain fashion shop and buy a scarf. I wanted to make it so that when I wear it I feel like I have achieved and accomplished something. It helps me to appreciate what it takes to make something and not just take it for granted.

There is a knitting circle I have found out about and I am tempted to join but I am a little worried that I will be not just the youngest person there but also the least experienced.

You've Got Mail and the death of the independents

In my previous post I touched briefly on one of my all time favourite films "You've Got Mail".

 

I have always loved the film, it has always been one of my favourites. It is one of those snuggly type films that you can put on and slob out with. I have always dreamed of owning a little shop like hers, so cute and quaint, I suppose that is coupled with my love of books especially children's books and the fact that I haven't quite grown up yet!

 

I watch the film alot but usually just watch. I watched it again today and it suddenly occurred to me that for years I have been watching a film about the death of a small independet shop and the rise of the chain store offering cheap alternatives. This film was made in 1998 so it has been a prominent topic for some while now. The sad thing is though nothing much seems to have changed. Chain stores and out of town shopping parks are still taking trade away from the town centres and the independent shops.

"Fox Books threatens survival of a temple to one of the twentieth century's most profound truths: You are what you read." 

I think in our minds we are convinced that chain shopping is going to be cheaper even though this isn't always the case. It has to be said though it can be far more convenient to shop out of town in shops with longer opening hours. I am managing OK at the moment but then I can juggle my hours and be flexible. What do you do if you work 9-5 the same time as the shops are open!

I guess it is just hard for everyone and we just have to do the best we can.

http://www.channel4.com/news/death-of-the-high-street

Independent shops - help me to find you!

 

We were out and about in town (St Neots), running various errands and we didn’t really have time to pop home for lunch in between so we decided to grab something whilst we were in town. When thinking of places to eat in St Neots, I find it really hard to think of somewhere independent. We have a well known chain bakery with a cafe, a well known chain take away selling subs and a couple of chain coffee shops. There are some nice independent restaurants but they are only really great if you want a main meal. I am sure there are other places in town but none of them really spring to mind. Why is that? What are these independent eateries doing or rather not doing to make themselves known or attractive to us? Have I become a victim to expensive advertising campaigns and constant bombardment of brand awareness so that the independents just don't stand out?

I love this "email" from one of my all time favourite movies; You've Got Mail. It somehow is just so true.

I did suddenly think of the little shop on the High Street called Cupcakes and I am so glad I did. We had a jacket pot with salad and it was lovely. Very good value for money and a nice portion size. It is a cute little cafe with pastel colours and vintage-esque decor. Quite darling really.

My plea really is to the independent shops. I want to find you, please help me to find you!

What to eat when the cupboard really is bare

So a couple of days again I had the Old Mother Hubbard syndrome. The cupboard seemed to be bare but I still managed to make a meal. Well actually I haven't been shopping since so this time when I looked the cupboard really was bare. I have been trying to leave it as long as possible before going shopping ...

1. To make the expenditure eek out (it's getting close to end of the month / payday!!)
2. So as to avoid wasting food, so many times I have thrown things out that have gone past their dates because I have bought more food
3. To see how resourceful we can really be
4. To test my cooking skills and creativity
5. To learn what it is like to only be able to cook and eat what you have in. We are far too used to being able to pop to the supermarket and buying fruit and veg from all around the World out of season. I want to get better at learning to use what we have when we have it.
6. To not eat so much, if we have to be a bit more frugally then portion control is better

So far we are doing OK. We haven't starved and we have still eaten fairly nutritious meals. Here is one of my "Oh y God we really don't have anything in at all" meals:

Ingredients

•  Baked Beans
• Chick peas
• Onion
• Chilli Flakes
• Tom Sauce
• Curry powder
• Potatoes

Method

Chop the pots up into bitesize cubes and boil in a pan until cooked. In another pan lightly fry the onions until transparent then add the curry powder and fry off a little. Add the remaining ingredients to the onion pan and warm through. If the sauce gets a little too thick add a couple of spoons of water to loosen. Once the pots are cooked add them to the other ingredients.

Mix together and serve in nice deep comfy huggable bowls.

Eat on the sofa in your PJs watching a nice film knowing that you are eating a heartwarming snuggle comfort food!

So you see, very little ingredients needed, mostly store cupboard items. Cheap as chips, fairly healthy, tasty and very comforting.

April Showers bring May flowers

It's raining. Again. I don't know why people seem to moan about it all the time. OK so it is a bit wet and it is a bit cold but then isn't that a case of just having the wrong items of clothing? Like it or not we need the rain. It feeds the garden which in turn feeds us. So it's here, we need it, get over it and if nothing else embrace it!

I have said before that I work from home, for those of you who don't know what I do I am a photographer and Graphic Designer. For me, I see the rain as a great source of inspiration and a great way to create art.

So as a celebration of rain and all things creative and arty to do with rain, I have created a fun little inspiration board over on pinterest, if you are stuck in doors and feeling miserable, go and take a look and maybe you will start to look at the rain in a different way? Just click on the image below to be transported!

My internal conflict eco vs niceity: National Stationery Day

Through the wonders of Facebook I found out the today is National Stationery Day. I love the initial paragraph on the promoting website:

The bit that actually got me is "Do you believe in the importance of writing by hand?". Now this is where I am torn between niceities and Eco-ness. I don't know where my heart lies. It is true that we never get any post these days. We don't even get bills anymore. Banks and utility companies have switched to e-statements under the pretence of being environmentally friendly, it is but call me an old synic but somehow I can't help thinking that the cost saving behind e-bills is more of a reason that the eco one!

When was the last time you received a letter in the mail?

So part of me with this blog and journey wants to get back to doing nice old things that are dying out, like the chutney making, things that will give me a feel good factor, enhance my life and make me appreciate where our consumables come from. So from that point of view I am all up for the letter writing business. It is more personal and has more meaning that wizzing off an email. On the rare occassion that I do get post, I love it, it's so exciting and I think it shows people you care far more than an email. So for all that it gets my thumbs up.

So where do I stand from an eco point of view? This is what I am struggling with. Sending letters and cards is encourgaing our use of paper and card. What are the environmental implications of that? I did a search and came accross this website: http://www.secret-life.org/paper/paper_environment.php it's probably best if you go there and read it for yourself rather than me paraphrasing.

Paper making does seem to be quite intensive though.

Image credit: http://www.secret-life.org/paper/paper_environment.php

I have to say in the past I have been a bit of a stationery addict, I was always buying something or other but have cut back these days, in part mainly because I haven't been anywhere to buy any!

I am still learning on our little journey and I need guidance from time to time. I love what the campaign stands for in terms of sending letters but it conflicts with my eco point of view. Arghhhhhhh!!!!!

Old Mother Hubbard Syndrome

Is the cupboard really bare or are you just not looking?

OK so you remember when you were a kid, you used to look in the fridge, then the cupboard, then the fridge again then hollah “Muuuuuuum, there’s nothing to eat” and of course your Mum would respond that there was in fact lots to eat if you were only to look. Of course you were looking. What you saw was ingredients for meals that quite frankly you didn’t want. It had been a while since she had gone shopping and all the quick grab and go food was gone. You know the sort of thing, sausage rolls, crisps. All the things teenagers love. What your Mum saw on the other hand was a fridge full of lovely fresh ingredients ready to make fabulous gourmet meals with. So really in fact she was right, there was lots of food and you were an ungrateful teenager.

I still sometimes think like this now. You know when you are in a rush and hungry and you just want something quick to eat, you don’t want to have to prepare food. Isn’t it funny though, you open and close the fridge door, somehow hoping that rather miraculously a fairy had placed something in there. No matter how many times you look though there is no change. Still the fresh ingredients crying out for something to be done with them.

Now I try and be sensible with our food shopping. I try and make it last as long as possible eeking the time out between shops. I hate to see food going to waste or being thrown away so I try and plan meals to ensure that I am only buying the ingredients that I actually need. This works most of the time, occasionally though there are things left where you have bought too much due to pack size etc. I have already said that I am not an avid recipe follower so what I tend to do on these such occasions when we are in between shops, is scratch around and make meals from whatever I have in. Sometimes this is great and we have even had some pretty good meals this way. Sometimes this has dire consequences lol!

I opened the fridge and all there was really was a pack of cherry tomatoes and a sweet red pepper. Hmmm! What to make what to make? Ahhhh this:

Anna’s tomato and pepper pasta I have nothing in concoction

• Pack of Cherry Tomatoes
• One Red pepper
• Basil
• Thyme
• Salt
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Red onion
• Pasta
• Black Pepper

Cut the tomatoes into half, and pop in a roasting tray along with the chopped pepper and chopped garlic. Sprinkle your herbs, black pepper and salt on top and then smother with olive oil. Roast in a hot oven for approx half an hour.

Take the tray out, lightly crush the tomatoes, pour over some balsamic vinegar and put back in the oven, this time reducing the heat right down.

Pop your pasta on to boil.

Chop up a red onion and fry in a little olive oil until softened. I didn’t add this to the oven tray as I find that the onion get burnt and over cooked.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and leave in the pan. Take the tray out of the oven stir and add the onions. Mix everything together with the pasta.

I also served with some nice bread to soak up all the lovely juices. Nom nom!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!