Cornflower

Saucy

    I've talked about this roasted tomato sauce before, but it's worth repeating for anyone who has missed it as it's so easy and versatile.

    Above is a large roasting tin filled with tomatoes of different kinds (or the same - whatever you happen to have), red peppers, garlic, thyme, olive oil, seasoning, perhaps a little sugar if you doubt the tomatoes' sweetness, and some flakes of dried chilli if you're so inclined. Put it in a hot oven for about 40 minutes (it should have browned, and the liquid reduced nicely) then use it as it comes, blend it, or put it though a mouli to remove skins and seeds.

    Serve it with gnocchi or pasta, with or without meatballs, on pizza, in aubergine parmigiana, ratatouille, as the basis for tomato and mozzarella risotto ....

Friday flowers, here and elsewhere

    Here, the Blush Noisette rose is still going strong.

    Elsewhere, Mary's embroidering cornflowers*,

     Victoria's been smelling them,

    and Freda's swooning (I'm not surprised!).

 

*Do look at her earlier ones, too.

                                    ~~~~~

    Out of the garden, don't miss Simon's Bake Off recaps.

A load of Tosh

   Apologies to those with no interest in knitting - of which there has been a lot here lately - but I have another finished object and high praise for both yarn and pattern.

    This is the Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland, made with one skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Sock 'Ink' (and again I've put full details on my project page);

this was a joy to knit, and I'm so pleased with the result that I have plans to make more.

Yet more socks

    A third pair of Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder - the others are here and here - and this is such a nice, easy knit that I'm sure I'll make more.

    The yarn is Madelinetosh Sock 'Stovepipe', bought at Loop, and the colour in the picture above is most like the real thing - lovely to work with and very soft on.

    More details on the project page.

                                                    ~~~~~

    On another matter, there's an addition to the prize for our bag giveaway - have a look here.

Project bag, anyone?

    I'm currently using my Edinburgh International Book Festival bags for holding my needlepoint projects, but they'd do fine for knitting or other handwork, and of course, for carrying books.

    I have one of the new designs to give away, so please pop over to Cornflower Books to see it and to leave your name in the virtual hat.

    Good luck!

Lit. knit: pen & ink

    The Missing Ink: The Lost Art of Handwriting, and Why it Still Matters

    Juno Fibre Arts 'Alice': 'Ink Blot' (in the skein there, but now on the needles)

    Madelinetosh Sock: 'Ink' (already knitted up - proper pictures soon).

The Age of Brass and Steam

    The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief, finished a couple of weeks ago and worn a lot already. It's made from one skein of Yarn Pony Show Pony, (fingering weight) 50% merino 50% silk, and after blocking measures 53" by 20.5"; my Ravelry project page has more details. This was a very straightforward, pleasant knit,  and worth repeating.

The lamps are going out ...

    To mark the 100th. anniversary of the beginning of the First World War, here once again is the Great Tapestry of Scotland* panel which some local friends and I embroidered.

 

   * (There are several posts on the Tapestry in the needlework section of the archive.)