last weekend

My Open University project report is submitted at last. I am so used to spending my weekends hunched over books & netbook, watching the sunshine through the window, I hardly know that to do with a free weekend. We can even go away on the odd weekend (when son can be torn away from capoiera, MC club, drama group, rugby and D&D).

So last weekend we headed up to the North East to stay with my BFF and help another Dear Friend celebrate his birthday. Major baking was in order; I am all about the muffins and have even started experimenting with savoury ones.

We went to the coast, to the gorgeous Marsden Bay and its very lovely limestone, ideal for DF to try out the pirate hat I made him.

pattern: We Call Them Pirates by Adrian Bizilia (free ravelry download); yarn: James C Brett Pure Merino shades PM9, PM7, PM10; needles3.25 mm, 3.00 mm; ravelry project page.

I was a bit worried about the tension on this, as I do knit slightly loose anyway and was using DK instead of sport weight, but it came out perfect.

I do love knitting hats, you can just spot a couple of others in this picture.

(that’s a Guimauve and an Into the Valley).

I blame Granny G

Our house has seen an outbreak of baking activity in the past couple of weeks, due to a combination of son watching Great British Bake-Off and me listening to Granny G’s most excellent fibery cakey podcasts.  We’re sort of celebrating me finishing my course and also getting ready for up-coming birthday and fund-raising baking.  And it’s actually pretty quick and easy to turn out a batch of muffins, if you’ve got a food processor and wash up as you go along

So we’ve made several batches of muffins, including a first wobbly attempt at cupcake icing.  Most are straight out of recipe books but I do have some variations of my own.  Here’s my recipe for today’s special, banana nut muffins.