The Making Granny

Now I’m not known for my culinary skills in a good way - when my family say “Granny is a legend in the kitchen” they are referring to all my many disasters, which still occur regularly! That said, this recipe is one of their favourites and NEVER fails! They’re crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle and can be made really quickly. Ingredients 125g butter 100g caster sugar  1tsp vanilla essence  2tbsp syrup 200g SR flour Pinch of salt 50g chocolate chips  First melt the butter in a jug in the microwave for 30 seconds ( it may take a few seconds longer if it is straight out the ‘fridge). Meanwhile put the sugar, syrup and vanilla essence into a bowl. Pour on the melted butter and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the flour, salt and chocolate chips and give a really good stir. Then, with your hands, form them into walnut sizes balls and place them on a non stick baking tray. Give each one a little press so that it is ab...

This is one of my favourite patterns, it is so easy and grows really quickly, which is so satisfying. It is also really warm so I have already made 2 to match my jackets. One of the best things about this pattern is that it only uses 2 stitches, knit and purl, so you can work on it whilst watching TV or to pass the time on a long journey - that’s when I do most of my knitting! I made one in a soft lightweight wool and the other in a chunkier, heavier wool. Once you have it to the length you want, just cast off and sew the ends together. Then just twist it twice around your neck for a really snug scarf. The pattern is from Pinterest and can be found here:  https://pin.it/IFYD4LJ  ( click on the link for the website under the picture on the relevant Pinterest page) I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do. 

Another of my Granddaughters saw some tiny log slice earrings in a shop in Finland and thought it would be an excellent thing for Granny to make for her! I like a challenge and so I set about the task. First I had to find a suitable stick... Then I used the band saw to make 4 slices and carefully sanded each side. Next I drilled a small hole into the top of each one... I burned Christmas trees on each side of one pair and small downhill skiers on the other pair, as my granddaughter is an avid skier, adding a little sparkle to the Christmas trees using sparkly gel pens. A coat of varnish finished them off before adding the silver plated earring hooks purchased previously. I shall definitely be making some more with different themes in the future. As always, if you have any questions please post a comment and I will do my best to answer them.

Yesterday I was asked to make a little gift for one of my Granddaughter’s friends who was coming for a sleepover. I found this easy knitting pattern for the bunny which took no time at all to make up. I embroidered the eyes and nose on before I sewed it together. The knitting pattern can be found here:  https://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/free_knitting_patterns/tiny_knitted_toys/ I also found a knitting pattern for the little dresses and learned 2 new knitting stitches in the process - always good to learn something new. The dress pattern can be found here: https://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/free_knitting_patterns Next you just need a suitable box which is big enough for bunny to sleep in and store her dresses. Any scraps of material can be used to make the matching mattress, pillow and duvet, adding a bit of lace as a finishing touch! As always, if you have any questions please post a comment and I will do my best to answer them.

Today I felt like messing about with wood and came across this idea for the bookworm in your family, in our case that’s our son in law! It fits on your thumb and allows you to read a thick paperback with just one hand - useful if you’re commuting or just fancy a cup of tea! So to start find a piece of scrap wood, I used oak but any wood will do and drill out 2 holes big enough to get your thumb through ( I also checked that it fitted my husband too!). Next cut across the centre and draw the rough shape out using the newly created hole as centre point. Then begin cutting out the shape. All that remains to be done now is the sanding off to make them smooth, especially where the thumb sits in the hole. Then a coat of oil or varnish for a nice finish. You can easily add some detail to make them more personal.  As always, if you have any questions please post a comment and I will do my best to answer them.

As the sun was actually shining, I decided on some miniature gardening today! I like to take a small gift when we visit friends and they have come to expect the unusual! This time I thought I would make miniature planters. My mum has already walked off with this one. You can use any small shallow dishes, I used a sundae dish and a dish I bought from a charity shop for 50p. Just fill it with compost and plant some tiny plants. I use plants with shallow roots as in the pictures. They are really easy to propagate so I always have a ready supply in the greenhouse, although you can just as easily grow them on a windowsill. I bought the original plants from a car boot sale several years ago and have been propagating them ever since!  When your masterpiece is complete scatter tiny gravel across the surface of the soil for a finishing touch. I bought a small bag from my local garden centre, which has lasted forever. Any pieces lodged in the plants can be flicked out with a cockt...

It was really nice to try something different this week. I used an old, out of date travel book as I love reading and would hate to use anything that could be useful to someone else. It was just a matter of folding the pages and adding buttons for his eyes and nose and some black card for his feet. If you fancy making one, the details can be found here:   http://make-origami.com/hedgehog/