the minute, even though I don't twitter

~ new fabric, courtesy of my secret addiction fabric rehab

~ with the likes of the above I might be tempted to make more of these. I *needed* this at 7pm the other night and *needed* to make it right then too. It's a bag to go inside my regular bag. Yeah I know how that sounds. But it' for my knitting stuff, so that's OK. I can't tell you how vibrant and uplifted this piece of sunshine Harris tweed makes me feel. Leftover bit of Swedish Christmas skirt blue for the lining.



~ it contains my two favourite current bits of knitting (this carefully worded sentence hides the basket load of unfinished and neglected projects I have lying around). Answering questions on just when do I find time to knit, the answer is I don't. I really don't (hence the masses of half finished and now uninspired bits of knitting I have here and there). I sometimes look around blog land and am truly puzzled at how woman with families find time to knit (and home educates, decorate houses, look after animals, cook, clean and stay sane)..... and then last night, at about midnight I found myself in bed, lying knitting. This is certainly useful, it means I can use my portion of allocated resting time (when I am too tired to stay upright any longer) to good use. Which is ridiculous, but with circular needles (so small! so compact! so non-sticking into bed covers and arm rests and small peoples faces!) I am renewed and reborn. I have discovered the way that busy mamas might be able to squeeze knitting into previously thought of unmanaged spaces and places. It's terribly exciting. Which shows you exactly how exiting my life is :) Who cares, it just is.



~ on my circular needles I am knitting these cuter than cuter Kanoko Pants. Again anticipating the birth of a friend's baby. Honestly if someone even mentions someone else they know who is pregnant I start wondering what to knit (and I don't even know them). It's nice for once not to feel like a slightly crazy stalker type person and be knitting for a genuine bonafide person I actually know with a small person in utero. Yes, this addiction to knitting small things did mean my children wore pretty much nothing but hand knits for as long as it was possible to knit for them. And someone did comment recently whilst we were all winter woollie knitted out that we looked like a Scottish family from the 1950's.... then laughed. Not unkindly, I hope we managed to spin off a wholesome retro look, but doubt it. I don't mind having a homespun look sometimes. The boys current favourite nylon-pylon static football shirt look certainly puts a foot in that trend. The wool I am using for the pants isColinette Art, a merino and bamboo blend. It's very delicious to hold - which is very important in keeping a project on-going I think (unlike the half finshied sweater/tank that wasn't so delicious and of course never made it to wholeness.)

~ oh! I finally stopped neglecting my ravelry page and actually have begun the laborious if satisfying process of uploading new and old pics of knitted stuff.(I am 'mamauk' there) Not enough time to label and categorise every project, so instead I have stuck, like ten projects of the same label under each heading. It'll do. I am not a facebooker, so this feels like a step in that direction, only nerdier. Actually come on, what could be nerdier than facebook? twitter maybe? I don't know even know what twitter is? People saying, oh ok I am going to have a shower now, or OK now I am buttering a slice of toast.... see? That's probably geekier. And crazy. Blogging is enough of a spewing of ones thoughts, let me try to keep the minute in my head where it belongs.

~ and so on to the utterly my minute of my life where I contradict my previous thoughts (although can you get more minute that talking about knitting, and bags, and knitting to go in bags?). I have made an awful lot of Falafels recently, and finally tweaked my recipe to perfection. Utter perfection I'd wager. These are of course gluten and dairy free etc. No one else in the house likes them, they are not fans of chickpeas, although a French lady I spoke to in the shop last week told me falafels are originally made from broad beans. I love how I pick up so much interesting food trivia in that shop. It's very exciting. I feel just brainier overhearing conversations (or like one guy said in there - ohhh I feel just healthier standing here looking around, I don't need to buy anything! It made me laugh... and the guy I work with telling me when I said sorry, what was that I didn't hear you? he replied Oh, don't worry I'm like a radio station you don't always need to listen, I'll just keep on talking all the same... ) Bit like this blog.....

This recipe is a basic - assemble a pile of ingredients - throw into food processor - empty out and form into balls - bake in a tray in the oven. Easy. Esmé can do it and she's two. Really.



The Falafel Recipe:

Toss all of these into your magi-mix or similar machine:

1 tin or carton of cooked chickpeas
1 large chopped red onion
2-4 gloves of peeled and roughly chopped garlic
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tbsp fresh coriander
splash of olive oil
salt and peper - be generous

Blend well, scraping down sides every now and again.

Turn out into bowl and sprinkle with rice flour (or buckwheat), maybe 2-3 tbsp or more. Mix with a spoon until manageable by hand. Scoop and shape into balls with hands (toddlers enjoy this bit far too much and don't let adults help much) then plop onto a baking paper lined tray/dish/bowl.

Bake on a medium heat for about 20 mins.

Lovely dipped with hummus for a snack, or with salad for a proper meal. Or if you don't eat grains, as a dry type of side to something like chilli (I did this and it was good).

I have made these three times this week, so I think I should probably make double quantities next time. But then I'd probably just be greedier and eat them quicker, so maybe not.



~ Look at this cute thing my dh brought me back from Scotland - I have wanted this for ages brought down from the Scotland house and always forget. I love these old style sturdy pretty ways of holding tiny cupcakes or sweeties. I am trying to be careful with it, only yesterday I broke, in order: one teapot, one heirloom Wedgwood childhood Peter Rabbit dish, one blue denby dinner plate, two child size glass tumblers. Cold butter-fingers, that's my only explanation.