Cornflower

A token gesture

    The makers of Monopoly have announced that one of the game's playing tokens is to be retired, and something "that reflects the interests of today's players" is to be brought in in its stead!

    We played the game as recently as last week, passing some hours on New Year's Eve in Switzerland trying to prevent the ruthless capitalist Mr. Cornflower evicting widows and orphans and bankrupting his fellow players (in vain, I might add - his strategy allows him to beat all comers). Above are the tokens from our set of Edinburgh Monopoly which has a horse and rider and a field gun in addition to the shoe, racing car, top hat, battleship, dog, iron, wheelbarrow and thimble, and as I play with the dog whenever I get the chance, that would be one I'd hope would be kept, though why they are tinkering with the pieces (originally inspired by the pendants on charm bracelets, apparently), I do not understand.

    You can vote here to save your favourite and then you can vote for a replacement, though the options are a bit dull, and here you can read about the game's wartime role in helping Allied prisoners escape.

Breakfast order

 

    There has been much talk in the media over the last few days about breakfast, sparked by Seb Emina, author of The Breakfast Bible, and his advice on starting the day as given on the Today programme. He says you should take your time over breakfast, have the radio on, read the paper and not talk, and for what's it worth that's rather the pattern in this house as generally, being first up, Mr. C. and I eat alone together with Radio 3 and the newspapers for company, and the only talk apart from the need for chivvying whoever else should be up betimes, is to comment on the music that is playing or to remark on something of interest in the news.

    If you're in London in mid-March you can attend a 'breakfast evening' with Seb Emina and Dr. Kaori O'Connor, discussing the history and rituals of breakfasting, and here's a nice piece by Oliver Pritchett in which he talks about "toast and telepathy" and the Pinter-esque breakfast table conversations he has with his wife. (Click the link and scroll down for his bit on paint colour names, too - "Haughty Porridge" and the rest!

    The plate is from Emma Bridgewater's Black Toast range.

Monday miscellany

    Random bits and pieces:

- How do you fancy making a quilt a week? Lene is doing just that!

- It's a bit of a wait 'til October, but Sarah Raven has a new book out then - Vita Sackville West's Sissinghurst: The Making of a Garden, drawing on Vita's weekly Observer columns to reveal her loves and hates and practical advice.*

- My current favourite savoury biscuits - Fudges', especially the Oat & Walnut Crackers (the accompanying Charcoal ones are very good, too) and the Walnut Wafers.

- Danish drama: we were the last people in the country to discover this, but my word The Killing (III) was good, and now we're taken with Borgen (II). How about you?

*Edited to add: see link in comments to 'an evening at Sissinghurst'.

Tea time

    In a Swiss supermarket I found a range of what the makers call 'Clock Tea', herbal infusions for 'harmonically tuned consumption' at different times of the day. Predictably, I bought the 2pm-5pm one as the mixture includes cornflowers - blended with hibiscus, rose hips, mint, lemon balm and calendula to provide a little afternoon boost.



    It may look like pot pourri but it tastes good, and was an excellent restorative after the lengthy business of taking down the Christmas tree today.

And casting on

    A second ribbed cowl, and more Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino from Mrs. Moon; the first one was 'Earth', this time the colour is 'Mystic'.

Hearty

    The heart is the recurring motif in the lovely Swiss chalet we are staying in this week - these are just a few of many.

Casting off

    My attempts at getting a modelled shot of the ribbed cowl I've just finished were fruitless, so here are some rather odd pictures of it straight off the needles.

    I used about one and a half skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino, which I bought from Mrs. Moon, and the result is full and drapey while being very soft and warm.The lower edge is slightly flared due to the larger needle used for the cast off.

    While my human model was not happy with any of the shots I took of her, the house bear is less of a perfectionist - he does have a shorter neck, though.

    This was such a pleasant, easy knit, perfect for keeping the hands occupied without demanding much of the brain.

Slàinte!

    Although I'm in Switzerland as the new year dawns, the chalet we are staying in has Scottish connections, and so what better way to greet 2013 than with the gaelic toast 'slàinte' - health - and a picture of the chalet's quaich, the vessel from which such a toast might be drunk.

    Our hosts have helpfully left a note explaining that the design of the shallow bowl with handles or 'lugs' remains unchanged over centuries, although the material of earlier times - staved wood, horn or leather - has been superseded by silver or pewter. Traditionally the quaich is used when offering a guest the cup of welcome and again when giving the farewell or parting drink; so farewell then, 2012, welcome, 2013, and good health and happiness to all who visit here!

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    Today is also the fourth birthday of Cornflower Books and we're having a draw to celebrate, so if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning a mystery book, please put your name in the hat by way of a comment there.