Hot Chocolate, Knitting and Chocolates! What more could a girl want?

Well Tim descided that he was going to go camping and 4x4 driving for the weekend. The sleeping under the stars kind of camping (which is just not my style! - give me a tent and a....)

So I have had a crafty weekend. I am getting there on the blue jumper - it is getting exciting now cause I am almost up to the sleeves and the sleeves have colour and I am a little bored with the blue!

I also knitted up a dishcloth - I was unable to get what I wanted - the ladies in the shop looked as me like I had two heads when I asked for dishcloth cotton! Well I have read it in all of the books - granted that they are American and English books but still, So if any of my lovely blog followers know where I can get this stuff called "Dishcloth Cotton" please let me know. I ended up finding some Patons cotton and just did it in that.

I finished a bunny for the Crafty Mamas Easter swap (you will have to wait for pics as my swap partner knows who she is!) And did some sewing for my Kitchen Swap over at EB

Knitting Pattern Swap

Mister postman delivered a parcel for me today. In the form of knitting patterns and other little treats from Joy. Thankyou Joy the are great and I cant wait for a friend to have a baby so I can do the little beanie for them! Come on people - pop those bellies...

Work in Progress Friday

Wow - is it really Friday again - ALREADY. Where has my week gone.

Here is a progress photo for you all. Getting there slowly. back is finished and I am half way throught the front. I cant wait to get onto the sleeves and add some colour into it.

Double Pointed Needles and working in the round.

Well Double Pointed needles really put a new spin on "Women with two pointy sticks!"

Tim sat watching me last night and just said "Why dont you just drop a needle?" Humm - I dont really think he got the whole concept of why I was actually using them!

I would really love to get a set of bamboo ones - so that is my mission - and I would love to use them to knit the red dress for Amelia and would really like to knit a pair of socks!

A Little Bit RED!

Ok - so this is going to be the next knit for Amelia. I found the wool at the op shop the other day ( not that I need any more wool) It is 5ply and is from the Wangarratta Wool Mill - what a find.

The picture is from the latest copy of Shop till you Drop for Kids. I dont actually have a pattern for anything like this so it will be my first attempt at making up a knitting pattern.

WIP - Friday.

Ok so I know that it is not Friday. Amelia and I went to Melbourne to pick up Tim. Yeah we have a husband and dad back. This is my Work in Progress. I know that it looks a little different than last weeks. That is because I unravelled it and started again (one of the advantages of knitting)

This will be a very plan and boring jumper, but I will jazz it up with a cherry appliqued into it!
Hopefully it will not look as boyish then.

Chocolate Cake and a Piggy

Chocolate Cake and a PIGGY!

Well it was Emma's birthday (my friend from Darwin who followed us here - or did I follow her???)

And since both of our Tim's are away I thought that I would invite her over for dinner!

Emma is a confessed lover of CHOCOLATE CAKE and PIGS. So my gift to her was just that.

I was a little worried though and very red after the experience of making the cake. As I descided to try a new recipe. Yes that is beetroot in the picture and YES it was in the cake!

Ok Edited to add the recipe:

BEETROOT CARROT CAKE ICING
4 eggs 125g cream cheese
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 30g chocolate
2 cups castor sugar 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons bicarb
1 x 825g tin of beetroot - drained and blended

METHOD
Beat eggs in large bowl. Gradually blend in oil. Mix in sugar and vanilla.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt and soda together and fold this into the egg mixture with the beetroot.
Pour mixture into two greased cake tins. Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour or until cakes are cooked.
Cool for 15 minutes and then remove from tins.

ICING
Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add melted chocolate and fold in icing sugar.

MY NOTES
I used my sponge tins for the cake. When cooled I placed strawberry jam and cream in the middle and the icing on top. Next time I will SIFT the icing sugar - but I was running out of time and needed to get Amelia through the bath.

I hope that you enjoy this. And come back to let me know what you think of it.