Another shirt, and the story of Nan's buttons.

My best friend, who is also my daughter's godmother, was blessed to have a wonderful grandmother called Nan. Unfortunately, I never got to meet Nan, but I had long admired the wonderful knits she had made for my bestie, and listened with great pleasure to the stories of the clothes she would make for her and her brother when they were little. Not only did she seemed to be a skilled seamstress and knitter, but in every photo I've ever seen of her, she is beaming out to the world. The best kind of Nan, by all accounts.

A few years ago, after Nan  had passed on and the house was being cleared out, my friend and her mum came across some of Nan's sewing supplies, including a huge plastic bag full of buttons. Nan had kept every button from every item of clothing that could no longer be repaired, and squirreled them away for a sewing rainy day. After going through the buttons themselves and keeping the ones that had especial sentimental value to them, my friend and her mum decided to give the bag of buttons to me, as I was the only crafter they knew who would appreciate them. And appreciate them I did! It felt like an honour to be entrusted with something kept so carefully by one who was loved so much by people so important to me.

Fast forward to this weekend, and there I am, beavering away on my sewing machine to finish another shirt for Grumbles. Usually when I buy fabric, I have a very particular project in mind and try and get all my notions and bits 'n' bobs at the same time, but for some reason I didn't buy any buttons when I purchased the fabric to make this shirt. But before the button panic could commence, I remembered Nan's button stash. I found the bag, hunted about and found the perfect set of buttons. One still even had the original thread caught in the holes.

Now the cynics might scoff and say "Buttons. Really, dudes. What's the big deal?" but to my mind, this is the best kind of recycling. I'm giving new life to something that was important to somebody, even though it might seem small and insignificant to others. I'm keeping the crafting spirit of Nan alive, and forging another life tapestry string between me, my daughter, my best friend and her grandmother. These are not bonds that can easily be broken. Tyger is proud that I would entrust Nan's buttons to her wearing, and my best friend was moved to tears to think that Nan's buttons were not only being given another shot at use, but that we were helping keep the memory of Nan alive in their use.

So here, my friends, is another shirt for Tyger. The shirt may be new, but those buttons have got a heck of a pedigree!

Project Details
Pattern: Rousku shirt (no. 23) from Ottobre Design magazine 4/2010
Fabric: 1m of organic cotton from the Scamper collection by Birch fabrics, purchased from GJ's Discount Fabrics
Notions: 3 of Nan's carefully kept buttons, iron-on interfacing

On a budget? Make ravioli!

Whoosh. Swish. ZOOOOOOOM! That, my friends, is the sounds of money leaving my wallet at the moment. Start of term means payment for activities, so with each piano lesson/sports invoice my wallet become noticeably thinner. July was rapidly becoming what Galumph terms "a tight month"!

And then, of course, the washing machine broke down. Cue red hot budget meltdown when we realised that the machine, after 13 years of faithful service, had gone to the big whitegoods store in the sky, and it needed to be replaced asap.

So our month went from tight to what I'd like to term budgetary strangulation. Ouch! After totting up the numbers, calculating necessary expenditure (i.e. we still need to buy food) and figuring our how long, exactly, we had until the next payday (answer: too long!) we decided that this weekend would be a spend-thrifty as possible.

Cue cheapy weekend activities. Bike ride on Saturday, and dusting off of pasta machine on Sunday after realising that I had all ingredients already in the house for ravioli. Viva la household economics!

Spinach and ricotta ravioli

For the pasta:
500g strong pasta flour ('00')
5 eggs
pinch of salt
semolina flour for dusting

For the filling:
250g fresh ricotta
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
250g frozen spinach, thawed
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 - To make the pasta, place the flour, eggs and salt together in a food processor, and mix until a dough forms. Knead by hand on a floured surface for 5 minutes until the dough is nice and elastic, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2 - Meanwhile, make the filling. Squeeze out any moisture from the spinach, then mix well with the cheeses and nutmeg.

3 - Roll your pasta through the pasta machine one piece at a time until thin. When you have two lengths, place one on the bench, and spoon small spoonfuls of the mixture on it, with a couple of cms space between each one. Place the second piece of pasta on top of the first, and press down to enclose the filling, making sure there are no air bubbles and that the pastas are stuck together. Cut into squares. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling.

4 - Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Carefully drop the pasta in, and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, or until the ravioli are bobbing at the top. Drain, then serve with a simple tomato pasta sauce or melted butter with herbs.

Miette: in progress

So close to finishing my Miette. Normally I lag a bit knitting up the second arm on a garment, but I have developed a serious thing for the Magic Loop method and am whizzing through my second sleeve using it. For those who mightn't know what that is, it's a way of knitting a smaller circumference in the round with a long cable needle, rather than using double pointed needles. Now that I am Lord and Master of the Magic loop, I just want to knit everything with this method!

Sure, I'll be stuck knitting nothing but sleeves, socks and door snakes, but dudes! It'll be GROUSE!

90's pattern timewarp

It all happened so quickly that in later years even Jorth herself sometimes wondered if it was real or a dream. One minute she was merrily stepping along the street on her way to buy groceries, the next she was surrounded by a screaming, whirling wind that picked her up and tossed her about. Her brain felt like it was turning into cotton wool, and she closed her eyes against the harsh, violet light that filled every space.

Round and round she was thrown into a nothing that was everything yet not. How long she remained there she knew not, but eventually the light became less intense, and the wind, if not a true scream, was at least reduced to a dull roar. She landed upright and frantically pushed the hair out of her face as she strained to figure out where she was. From where she stood the world was nothing but a series of chaotic images, flitting past her whilst a dirty and wild fog swirled around. Concentrating hard, she tried to pick up what she was seeing. Was that a pair of happy pants on that person? And was that noise a song by Lisa Loeb being played on a cassette player? Was Beverly Hills 90210 playing on that tv?

Suddenly the atmosphere changed. The fog was replaced by a cruel, quick wind that whipped thousands of pieces of paper past Jorth. She tried to catch them - anything to give her a clue as to what was happening - when once more she was picked up and tossed into the whirling air, and quickly the violet light obscured all else.

Just as soon as it had begun, the wind stopped. The light returned to normal and Jorth found herself on the street once more, only this time clutching some papers tight to her chest. Once her dizziness left her, along with the feeling that she might puke all over her shoes, she looked at the papers and was thrilled to see that they were a collection of patterns from the 1990s.

"I KNEW IT!" she gasped. "I fell through a hole in the time/space continuum. Whoa! This is fricking amazing! Not only am I the world's first time traveller, but I've also got some awesome patterns out of it!"

She wondered briefly if she should call the experts at the Max Planck Institute of Physics in Munich to tell them of her adventure, but realised she had something far more important to do first. She needed to rush home and gets sewing, stat. These were really good patterns!

Weekend breakfasts, with a side of reading

A few months ago the Tyger came to me with a plan. "Mum?", she said. "Can I start making breakfast on my own on the weekend?"

"Hmm", I hedged, imagining the smashed plates on the floor, the burns from hotplates, the potential for electrocution. And all for a soggy bowl of cereal? I was about to answer in the negative when she said "Trust me - it'll be good... real fancy pants stuff! Like you get in a café! Can I?"

I'll give credit where credit was due - the kid knows her way around me. Café food with no input from me? How could I possibly say no?

But then thought of the mess once again entered my brain. Accompanied by images of small severed fingers. And trips to hospital. With me still in my pjs, because when you child has enthusiastically sliced a digit rather than a banana, you don't stop to get changed. Not with all that blood!

I looked down as she stood there, reading the conflicting emotions flitting across my face. I was about to inform her that I didn't really fancy spending my weekends pacing the corridors of the hospital in bloody jimmy jams, waiting news from the finger surgeon with a rumbling tummy when in a last ditch effort to convince me she said "Please Mum? Dad can help me! I really want to do this!"

The magic word "Dad" triggered a lightbulb moment. I suddenly realised that in order to make brekkie, she'd need to read recipes. Which could only improve her reading skills, which, to be honest, could do with a little polishing up. And with Galumph there to prevent accidental amputations, what could go wrong?

This was becoming seriously win-win. All I had to do was lie back in bed, whilst they busied themselves in the kitchen making some darn good breakfasts and Tyger, in the process, became a master reader and super chef all at the same time. What a way to upgrade her skills! Couldn't have arranged things better myself!

So I wiped the look of concern off my face, replaced it with a beam and shook hands. "You're on, kiddo!"

No regrets from my end! I have a child who might not be interested in tackling War and Peace anytime soon, but is more than happy to curl up on the couch reading a recipe book. And all fingers are accounted for. Huzzah!

Recipe for Cinnamon French Toast with Berry Salsa can be found here.

Liberty winner

Helllooooo! Check out that double chocolate cherry cheesecake. At least, what's left of it. Burp! So good. Too good. I now have a cheesecake gut. Oh vell... you only get a birthday once a year. Thank goodness. Otherwise I might have a cheesecake gut... and a cheesecake booty...and a cheesecake earlobe...and I'll stop now. Before it gets totally ridiculous (cheesecake gnathion, anybody?)

Anyway, enough bumf about cheesecakes. You're here for the winner announcement, ja? Well thanks to random number generator, the winner of the Liberty fabric is comment #103, which is Amanda. Lucky girl! Thanks to everybody for joining in - I've found some very awesome new-to-me blogs to add to my reading list. That's ace!

Right. I have to go and do something very important now. Like prod myself continuously in the belly and marvel at how rapidly cheesecake turns into undesired fat storage. This could take hours!

Liberty fabric birthday giveaway!

Wheeeeeee! Today it's my birthday, and you all know what that means. Yup, the streets are lined with people crowded around for the ticker tape parade in my honour. Confetti is filling the air, the float is about to set off and folks everywhere are chanting my name like I am the best. thing. ever.

Whaaaaat? Dead silence out there? Fear not - the streamers and balloons will be released as soon as everybody realises that birthdays at chez Jorth mean an awesome giveaway. Did anybody say LIBERTY?

That's right, folks - it's a mega Liberty fabric giveaway! We've got 2m of Lantana! And other pieces lovingly saved from projects, all much bigger than a fat quarter. Look - more Lantana! And Tana Lawn! And Liberty Lifestyle! There's more Liberty fabric there than you can poke a stick at!

Couldn't you just reach in and grab it? Mmmmmmm - Liiiiiiiberteeeeeeeee! All this could be yours - just follow my blog, leave a message wishing me the best birthday ever (with your email addy, natch) and I'll announce the winner Monday my time (AEST). Cos fabric this fine shouldn't be kept in a cupboard. It needs to be out there, man. Living the Liberty life!

I'm happy to post to Timbuktu if need be, so if your hot little hands are itching for some Liberty goodness, leave a comment!

Pleats and art

Jorth looked up from her sewing machine and remarked thoughtfully to Galumph, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Agreed?"

"Oh, certainly", said Galumph.

"I mean, look at da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine. Unforgettable composition! Or Rembrandt's portrait of Rosalba Peale - you could lose yourself for eternity in those eyes. Even Milo de Venus - armless, yes, but still a stunner!"

"I agree wholeheartedly", replied Galumph (although secretly he preferred the surreal world of Salvador Dali.)

"And to this list I think we can add my pleats!" finished Jorth.

"Pleats?" enquired Galumph, somewhat flummoxed at this comparison.

"Pleats." answered Jorth. "Like I said, a thing of beauty is a joy forever - or at least until Tyger grows out of the darn shirt!"

Thankfully at this point Jorth busied herself again at her machine to sew even more pleats, and saved Galumph from defending collectively the greatest art ever produced by mankind against this new addition to the canon.

Monthly menu plan - July/August

Winter. I'm thinking lentils. And stews. And cream. Lots of cream, the calories be damned! Besides, I'm sure I'm burning enough just trying to keep warm. It's freezing at the moment! What else... baked potatoes. Oh, yes please! We had them last night, and good doesn't even come close to describing them. Awesome gets close. Magnificent wouldn't be a word out of place. Yup, I think we need to have them again.

"This is all very well and good", I can hear you saying, "but what's with the oranges, Jorthy?" I'm glad you asked. The oranges, my dear friends, would be for my crepes suzette birthday breakfast. Yum!

Week One:
Monday - Ricotta and spinach cannelloni with lentil and tomato sauce
Tuesday - Baked potatoes with sour cream, cheese and red cabbage coleslaw
Wednesday - Bacon and vegetable lentil soup
Thursday - Zucchini pasta with salad
Friday - Birthday dinner! Still haven't decided what to have for main, but I think a double choc cherry cheesecake is a must for dessert.
Saturday - Beef and rosemary casserole
Sunday - Ricotta gnocchi with tomato sauce, baked in ramekins with mozzarella

Week Two:
Monday - Pea and lettuce soup with pumpkin bread
Tuesday - Celery and silverbeet pie with salad
Wednesday - Spaghetti bolognaise (put half sauce in freezer)
Thursday - Thai sweet potato soup and lentil soup with vegetable pilaf
Friday - Chicken and lentil korma with cauliflower
Saturday - Coconut baked fish with home made wedges and green salad
Sunday - Home made ravioli with tomato sauce

Week Three:
Monday - Indian cauliflower and chickpea curry on brown rice with raspberry lassis
Tuesday - Salmon and leek tart with garden salad
Wednesday - Hearty vegetable soup with chickpeas
Thursday - Mushroom, herb and spinach fettuccini
Friday - Home made pizza
Saturday - Roast chicken with vegetables galore
Sunday - Roasted pumpkin risotto

Week Four:
Monday - Creamy chicken pasta, using left-over roast chicken
Tuesday - White bean and vegetable soup with garlic baguettes
Wednesday - Huevos rancheros with corn bread
Thursday - Baked potatoes with bolognaise sauce (from freezer, used in week two)
Friday - Cauliflower and parmesan soup
Saturday - Beef and beer stew with herbed dumplings, served on sweet potato mash
Sunday - Tacos with winter greens

Week Five:
Monday - Black-eyed bean and vegetable soup
Tuesday - Lamb, apricot and prune tagine with roasted vegetable couscous
Wednesday - Broccolini and chilli spaghetti with pangrattato
Thursday - Cauliflower and lentil pilaf
Friday - Veggie burgers with wedges

What's everybody else cooking? I need ideas!

Holiday knitting

Hello! Did you miss me? We've been away for a glorious week at the beach and of course I snuck a bit of knitting in whilst we were there. Are you ready to be blown away by how much I did? Then feast your eyes, reader!

Hmm... it looks bigger in real life, I swear. Oh, okay, okay - I did bugger all besides that feeble effort. But what I lacked in high quality knitting time I more than made up with in 8km barefoot beach walks, long sessions at the kitchen table gazing out the window at the majestic scenery whilst nursing an endless succession of cups of tea, and plenty of recharging. After coughing for a month straight, I needed a few days of STOP. And it was goooooood!

School's back today. Ye olde routine has begun again. Sigh...wouldn't it be nice if holidays could last just that little bit longer? Not forever, because then I would get bored but I wouldn't say no to another week, that's for sure.

Oh, and I may have developed a slight addiction to watching the Tour de France. I finally get it - that's why people have televisions, so they can watch hours and hours of incredible French scenery. And handsome cyclists. Phwoar!

Spots and pleats...

...and plackets! Don't forget that sterling placket!

Once I get over my fear of the tricky bits, I invariably discover that I quite enjoy putting shirts together. It feels like jigsaw sewing - making sure each piece fits correctly into it's place. Ja, I know that technically all sewing is like that, but I really feel that when you are making a shirt, you almost complete a mini jigsaw on certain pieces, and then that becomes part of a much bigger jigsaw. It's rather mediative, in its way. And the perfect sort of project for winter, when you are coughing for the fourth week straight, and the wind is brisk and cruel, and there's really not much worth going outside for, anyways. So why not do a jigsaw? Er, make a shirt?

Rather happy with how this baby turned out. I love the fabric (I'm a sucker for spots), and the pleats and placket give it a nice polished tailored feel, without being formal. I've got another one cut out for the Tyger, with added length, as I don't quite feel this one will be long enough to see her through next winter. Note to self: measure her before she leaves for school in the morning, instead of cutting out on the fly and presuming that it will fit. She's growing so fast!

Project Details
Pattern: Rousku shirt (no. 23) from Ottobre Design magazine 4/2010
Fabric: 1m quilting cotton from GJ's Discount Fabrics
Notions: 3 x 1.5cm buttons, iron-on interfacing

Sabrina in Miette

"Oooooh!" said Sabrina gratefully as the semi-completed Miette was draped upon her. "Yes, I do like this! I don't think I've ever had a knitted object on my person before. How very delightful - I wonder what Jorth is up to now?"

"Excuse me miss, but it's the Miette cardigan. For the knit-a-long!" piped up one brave cable needle.

Silence fell in the room. Being relatively new to the sewing/knitting bureau the poor old cable needle didn't know that to interrupt Sabrina was paramount to sedition, but everything else in the room knew the fact only too well, and held their collective breaths anxiously.

"Do not disturb my enjoyment of this soft knitted delight with your impertinence!" scolded Sabrina, but without much malice, as she couldn't summon up too much anger with such delectable yarny goodness warming her shoulders.

The general consensus in the room was that the cable needle had gotten off very lightly indeed. That Sabrina was usually one tough broad!

Placket perfection

"Check checkity check this out!" roared Jorth excitedly, throwing a half-finished shirt at Galumph as he staggered inside after a hard days work. "This, my dear long-suffering husband is placket perfection! See how the stitching is perfectly straight! The placket triangle folded with 60 degree equilateral precision! The interfacing strong yet unobtrusive! The placket underlay underlayed absolutely! Marvel, dear man - marvel!"

"That's nice, dear" said Galumph as he stowed his pannier bag and began to pour himself his post-work soda water and cordial.

"Nice? NICE?" retorted Jorth. "Old chap, I don't think you appreciate the flawless beauty what I have created. This placket is a thing of beauty! Seamstresses shall weep before me. Saville Row tailors shall erect giant monuments in my honour! Craft bloggers shall bow down before me and tremble with fear at my great and glorious abilities. I AM A SEWING GOD!"

"Uh huh" said Galumph, to whom this scene was somewhat familiar. "Shall we tell those trembling craft bloggers about the swearing as you screw it up for the third time in a row? The ranting at the sewing machine? The clouds of tailor's chalk filling the air as you angrily cross out another failed seam? The shower of thread ends falling from your quick-un-pick?"

"Er..." said Jorth, as she sheepishly filled his glass with ice cubes. "Maybe we'll keep the sewing tanties to ourselves, eh?"

Miette cardigan knit-a-long

I know what you are all thinking. Namely: what the heck is Jorth doing with more red yarn? And such big bouncy balls of the stuff, eh? Surely she doesn't - couldn't - possibly need any more yarn in that stash of hers?

Well, until recently my thoughts were running along the same lines. Especially since I'm having a wee bit of trouble closing the wardrobe door where my yarn is stashed in amongst a jumble of evening dresses, pannier bags and toy stuffing. But then I saw this pattern, and the rest, as they say in the movies, is history:

There is no WAY I am not making myself this beautiful, beautiful garment. It's the Miette cardigan by Andi Satterlund, and when I showed it to Nic we both started squealing like over-excited little girls. Before you knew it half the studio was crowded around our computer monitors, oohing and ahhing over the knitterly goodness. That was when I, super genius that I am (bwah ha!) hit upon the idea of having a Miette cardigan knit-a-long.

I know - I'm awesomely clever, ja? And the cherry on the cake is that we'll also be running a class over at Handmaker's Factory, to show any new knitters the skills they need to make their very own.

Because, truly, I would hate for anybody to miss out on having their very own Miette just because nobody had every shown them what ssk or ptbl was. That would be a gross crime against knitters. I will not perpetuate these crimes! There must be Miettes for one and all - or at the very least, those prepared to wield their own circular needles.

Oooh, this is going to be such fun! If you want to join in the KAL, then leave a comment at the bottom of this post on Handmaker's Factory, telling us that you too will be joining in the fun, and providing us with your blog address. The KAL will finish at the stroke of midnight on the 31st of August - this gives us just over 2 months to make up our Miettes. It's made up in a worsted weight yarn, so it should be a fairly quick knit to put together. And if you get stuck, I'll be more than happy to answer questions about it. Leave any questions either here, on the Handmaker's Factory Miette KAL post or contact me on email (jorth AT bigpond DOT net DOT au).

Once your Miette is done, post it up on your blog and let us know it's finished, either via email or by leaving a comment on the Miette post. And the pop it up on the Handmaker's Factory Project page. We'll then make up a gallery of finished Miettes, and then sit back and congratulate ourselves on being such brilliant knitters.

What are you waiting for? Dash over to Ravelry and get your free copy of the Miette pattern and start knitting! Can't wait to see what you all make!

Red cables

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a very red blanket? Why, no, sillies - it's part of the cabled shawl that Tyger requested for her birthday. Naturally!

Sorry - what was that you said - most nine year olds don't want cabled, hand knitted shawls for their birthdays? Well, my girl marches to the beat of her own drum and that is what she declared she wanted. I could pretend her request came as a shock, but it didn't - although I did have one awful moment when I though she'd asked for a ball, not a shawl. Glad that didn't come about! I might have needed to venture outside and be sporty or something. Perish the thought!

(Oh, and yes yes yes, I know it's now officially late... but this dreadful flu I've had has completely knocked me for a six {look at me go - a sporting metaphor. Wowsers!}, plus I sliced my thumb open which really blimming hurt, so the fates appear to be working against me. But it shall be done. And soon! I'll even pinky promise, since the thumb is out of action. But pray, give me a break - there's 328 stitches per row in the darn thing. A quick knit this ain't.)

**UPDATE: The pattern is Sirdar 1386. Silly me forgot to mention that before. Whoooooops!

9

My funny, sassy, clever, always-beaming girl is nine today. Nine! Time sure flies when you are having fun, and I can think of nobody I'd rather spend my time with. You are truly awesome company. Don't ever change.

Have a brilliant birthday, my wonderful kind-hearted girl. I'm so lucky to be able to be your mum. Seriously - I get teary just thinking about how close I was to not being here to share my days with yours. The best years of my life have been since you came along, and every day I thank my lucky stars that I can wake up and see your smiling face.

Love you for as long as the stars shine, and probably a bit longer than that,
Mum xo xo

Sunki - this time in Liberty!

What can I say - when you have a pattern this funky, and such loverly loverly fabric, it's no wonder that things get made up twice!

Even though we both adore the Elephant Sunki, Tyger and I think this one is the best version so far. To own the truth, I was a little bit worried about how well the red contrasting panels would go with the vintage-style Liberty print, but I think it's turned out rather well - given the Liberty a bit of a modern edge, if you will.

The Liberty fabric is part of the new Liberty Lifestyle range, which is made in regular quilting cotton weight, rather than the traditional Tana Lawn weight, which is light indeed. As much as I love the Lawn, this weight makes a fabric that is far more versatile - and long wearing. A few things I've made in the Tana Lawn have ended up with tears at stress points, simply due to the fragility of the fabric. This is not only more robust, but also comes in some rocking prints plus can be purchased at a far more economical price point than the Lawn generally comes in. Hooray for Liberty!

I made a couple of slight alterations to the pattern this time around - namely I added 5cm length to the sleeves and 6cm to the front and back, which gives the Tyger a wee bit more growing room.

Not much else to say except that I TOTALLY LOVE THIS DRESS! Seriously - why does this not come in grown up sizes? Between this and Vogue 8184, I could have my wardrobe totally sorted!

Project Details
Pattern: Sunki Dress ePattern from Figgy's Patterns
Fabric: 1.2m Liberty Lifestyle Bloomsbury collection - Garnett in Rich Red Blue from L'uccello, plus scraps of red cotton for the side panels
Notions: 28cm invisible zip

Sunki #2 - in progress

Jorth and Tyger let their eyes travel along the path of the coin, never letting it out of their sight as it left Jorth's fingers, soared briefly in the air, did a few flips and then plummeted back down to the ground. They both leaned over its landing spot, Jorth doing a few raspy coughs whilst Tyger absentmindedly wiped double-barrel streams of snot onto her sleeve.

"Well", said Jorth, "on the one side we both have ghastly colds, and are stuck inside on a beautifully sunny winter day. Boo!"

Tyger sniffled loudly in agreement.

"But on the other side of this coin, we are snug inside with Pride and Prejudice on - the Ehle/Firth version, naturellement. And a new Sunki dress in progress. AND it's going to be made out of Liberty. Lifestyle Liberty, if you please! So really, on the whole I think things aren't too bad indeed."

"Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care!" said Tyger, letting her snot-covered sleeves do some dancing.

Jorth groaned inwardly, and hoped to high heaven that while she kept on sewing, Tyger might pick up a few deportment tips from the fine ladies and gentlemen of P & P.

Monthly Meal Plan - June/July

I'm pretty excited that it's going to be school holidays soon, and I think that might be reflected in this menu. Not only is it birthday month at chez Jorth (so there will be cakes and desserts aplenty to be baked) but with Tyger being home for the holidays, we're going to roll up our sleeves and get properly sprinkled with flour in the kitchen as we busily make our own pasta, gnocchi, pizza and tacos. CAN.NOT.WAIT!

Week One
Monday - Roasted vegetable risotto
Tuesday - Lentil, farro and vegetable soup
Wednesday - Beef stroganoff
Thursday - Roasted sweet potato soup
Friday - Tofu burgers with red cabbage coleslaw and wedges
Saturday - Chicken schnitzels with creamy garlic mash and broccolini
Sunday - Roasted vegetable lasagne with salad

Week Two
Monday - Garlicky tomato soup with buttered baguettes
Tuesday - Steak Diane with potato gratin (birthday dinner)
Wednesday - Malaysian vegetable curry
Thursday - Butter and onion tomato pasta with garden salad
Friday - Spiced cauliflower and lentil pilaf
Saturday - Roast pumpkin ravioli (with homemade pasta)
Sunday - Coq au vin

Week Three
Monday - Zucchini soup with cheddar scones
Tuesday - Potato and split pea curry with garlic naan
Wednesday - Oven baked tuna and tomato risotto with rocket salad
Thursday - Ricotta and spinach filo triangles with garden salad
Friday - Vegetarian chilli con carne
Saturday - Winter tacos with creamy greens (from Mexican Food Made Simple by Thomasina Miers)
Sunday - Ricotta gnocchi with fresh tomato sauce

Week Four
Monday - Smashed felafel burgers with Greek salad
Tuesday - Potato and leek soup with brie toasties
Wednesday - Lentil spaghetti bolognaise with feta and rocket
Thursday - Crumbed lamb chops with minted peas and broccoli
Friday - Spinach, tomato and cheese omelettes with salad
Saturday - Corned beef with mash and vegetables
Sunday - Home made pizza (mushroom and cheese, roasted capsicum and marinated feta)

And for a bonus - here's some breakfast ideas!
 - Maple banana bread with fruity compote
 - Buttermilk pikelets with strawberries
 - Huevos rancheros, heavy on the coriander and freshly ground black pepper
 - Coddled eggs with spinach

Yarn + bloggers + one super cute baby

I performed a vital public service today: I taught a very cute 5 month old how to shop for yarn. Never too early to start, says I!

Bwahahah! Actually, I taught his mum, the talented Julia Bobbin, and very good she proved at it too. Oh, and that bag I'm holding? Er, well, yes, I may have purchased a little myself. As did Nic. Our mission today was to come, to paw and to conquer. Well, maybe credit cards were conquered, but nobody got hurt in the process. Besides, it's for a jolly good cause - there is going to be a Miette knit-a-long in the works rather soon. Exciting times!

So watch this space, knitters! We'd love you all to join in, so once we figure out our time frames and all the other bits and bobs I'll pop the details up here, and we might even run a class over at Handmaker's Factory for beginner knitters who want to knit along but need a little help. Yarny goodness for one and for all! Hoorah!