MEANMAGENTA-PHOTOS

Far Breton with icing sugar and recipe postcard

2012-01-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

...far breton with or without icing sugar? Uhm, decisions, decisions... We bought this recipe postcard while on holiday in gorgeous Brittany, lovely and yummy memories!

Far Breton

2012-01-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

this is truly a delicious and simple cake to prepare, the original recipe is from Brittany.

A tiny shell...

2012-01-22T07:46:00.000-08:00

...or an inverted comma, cute isn't it?

Thrilling stitches...

2012-01-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

...these stitches are thrilling in the sense that I always get a buzz when I learn to do something new simply by experimenting, no tutorials online, youtube videos or books came to my aid. This work in progress may not be or look particularly exciting to those who know everything about crochet, but I am pretty chuffed. My plan is to carry on and make a scarf, having fewer stitches on either sides on the next row and the row after will have again the same amount of stitches you see here.

I was supposed to crochet squares....

2012-01-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

...and I ended up with these two "not so square" samples! I am experimenting and trying to follow the written instructions from the latest issue of the fabulous "Mollie Makes" magazine, but alas something has definately not gone according to plans and to my best intentions.
I guess that crochet for me is like doodling, I am still learning and I too easily get off on one of my tangents; I ask myself: "What if I do this, what if I go round this loop,..." and the initial idea metamorphoses into a new bizarre experiment.
...but wait. there is more!

Winter patterns III

2012-01-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

Stitches and lilac texture

2012-01-09T04:32:00.000-08:00

.Just like knitting, I find crochet addictive and fascinating, the possibilities are endless, I only need more yarn and more time...

Grass under ice

2011-12-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

While I was looking up....

2011-12-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

Grass and a stone-the frost series

2011-12-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

How I keep snug and cosy on xmas day....

2011-12-26T03:14:00.000-08:00

...I wear these lovely booties Mumsy has knitted for me as one of her xmas gifts, wonderfully warm! Thank you Mumsy!

A cute little house for Mumsy...

2011-12-26T02:19:00.000-08:00

...this is one of the handmade gifts I prepared for Mumsy; when she saw this house-threads container she was delighted and could not stop giggling, I think she likes it!

Countdown to Christmas on a swing...

2011-12-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas to all of you, have a wonderful day full of joy, happiness, laughters and yummy treats!

Along the countryside lane III-the frost series

2011-12-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

Tilly and the sewing machine

2011-12-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

The red gingham heart...

2011-12-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

...one of my Mom's recent cretive projects. Where does she get her endless patience to create such pieces I really don't know! Awesome, cute and inspiring!

...and let's celebrate Mumsy's b'day with a homemade cake!

2011-12-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Giulia, Awesome and Wonderful Mum!

Let's start with homemade meringues...

2011-12-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

Cosy late Autumn afternoon

2011-11-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

Acid green and white petals IV

2011-11-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Moss and still water

2011-11-18T05:35:00.000-08:00

Secluded lane-from the Autumn walks series

2011-11-15T03:11:00.000-08:00

The Magenta Trio III

2011-11-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

Poised petals III

2011-11-09T06:46:00.000-08:00

I was planning to carry on with my knitting projects....

2011-11-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

...but our cat in residence Tilly got there first!

Scattered petals IV

2011-11-05T02:35:00.000-07:00

Playing hide and seek...

2011-11-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

A tiny ghost has landed on our cake...

2011-10-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

.....wow, we have a spooky cake, and it is yummy too!

At the end of the garden IV-the Autumn series

2011-10-27T03:23:00.000-07:00

Blue in the morning....

2011-10-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

At the end of the garden III-the Autumn series

2011-10-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Autumnal rose

2011-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

The maiden and the rose

2011-10-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

At the end of the garden-the Autumn series

2011-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

By the garden gate...

2011-10-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Blurred pink IV

2011-10-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

The petals' contours IV

2011-10-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Orange pistils and lilac petals

2011-10-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

Layers of magenta III

2011-10-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Petals and shadows IV

2011-10-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

Silhouettes and shadows

2011-10-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Playing with shadows III

2011-10-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

Holding the bouquet...

2011-10-11T03:53:00.000-07:00

My very first sewing machine

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

They have flown the blue nest...

2011-10-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

...new "tenants" will move in soon, we are surrounded by so many beautiful and lively birds!

Slices of apples and petals

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Recycling the jam jar...

2011-10-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Magenta and violets III

2011-10-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

When I feel restless and lose my focus...

2011-10-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

...I head towards the kitchen and bake a cake. Mom joins in also to help me choose the recipe and make sure all goes smoothly, the cake looks lovely, on top underneath the icing sugar you can spot slices of apples from the orchard and between two layers of dough we put some delicious apricot jam, alas it is not homemade.
The cake is still cooling off so we have decided to wait until tomorrow to taste it,... I don't usually sleepwalk, but I think I might tonight, and probably will go straight towards the kitchen.

The white background

2011-10-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

The magenta heart

2011-10-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Admiring country houses' front doors....

2011-09-29T04:42:00.000-07:00

By the garden wall III

2011-09-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Green texture III

2011-09-28T02:04:00.000-07:00

Defying gravity in the afternoon

2011-09-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Bloom and petals III

2011-09-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

Nine cookies baked on a Saturday afternoon....

2011-09-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

I wonder how long they will last...

We might get snow as early as October...

2011-09-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

....and even if we don't, I am stocking up and buying as much as knitting yarn as I can.
Earlier on this week I raided all the local charity shops: I could not believe my eyes when I saw this gorgeous 100% mohair yarn, a new full set of 500gr of divine colours and softness. I pounced onto the yarn as if I had seen a huge gold bar, I guess this means I am utterly addicted to knitting.
I also bought pure wool imported from Italy, some pale grey yarn and a book, a biography of Marie Antoinette, about 500 pages, so I don't worry, even if it is going to be a long Winter, I will certainly be quite busy.

Jam making, let's start with strawberries...

2011-09-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

After a masterclass in jam making at the farm next door,(on the night there were tons of Damson prunes), Mom and I decided to try with strawberries. We simply love jam making, I think it could be as addictive as knitting....

A handful of roses...

2011-09-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

Poised IV-the magenta series

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Harvest after the rain I

2011-09-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Harvest after the rain

2011-09-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Petals and drawn leaves

2011-09-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

The magenta trio

2011-09-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

4 P.M.

2011-09-13T05:46:00.000-07:00

In the orchard before the rain

2011-09-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Harvest time

2011-09-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Blurred magenta III

2011-09-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Re-arranging the flowers IV

2011-09-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Tilly and the feather

2011-09-10T02:38:00.000-07:00

Hilarious Tilly! I am not sure whether she has realised she has a feather stuck on her mouth. She looks at me very dignified and poised , wondering why on earth I am giggling away and yes, taking yet again more photos of her,...by now she thinks I am a very annoying paparazzi!

Re-arranging the flowers III

2011-09-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

The little things that make a house a home...

2011-09-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Sunny spells from the south west III

2011-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sunny spells from the south west...

2011-09-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

...and the petals are brighter after so much rain and wind.

Stepping down...

2011-09-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

I do like this photo, it has that paparazzi-slightly out of focus style, Tilly is stepping down from the chair, she knows she should not be there, sitting on my crochet, making biscuits and drooling over the mohair crochet. She is avoiding any eye contact, and I am smiling behind the camera, all is well.

Sitting pretty and caught red handed...

2011-09-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

...Tilly is striking a diginified pose, hoping that I am not going to scold her for sitting on my crochet project, she is so poised!

In reverse order...

2011-09-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our cat in residence Tilly decided to make "some biscuits", (or put it in another way, "massaging"), on my in-progress crochet project. She was utterly delighted to find not one, but three layers of rounded shapes stitched together, soft mohair and pure wool, bliss for Tilly!
In her typical feline fashion she reminded me that I really ought to get on with this project if I want to use this warm blanket this Autumn, well, it may be only the beginning of September, but it feels Autumn is already here, which I don't mind.
Note to myself: I must set a deadline for this project and carry on stitching!

The magenta roses Mumsy picked up...

2011-09-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

...this morning and she then gave them to me, one of many birthday presents! Thank you Mumsy Giulia, you are truly the best Mom of the entire universe and you are the best present ever! MWA!!!

Apple cake take two

2011-09-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the post below, Mumsy prefers this shot, I guess that it shows off better the texture, the details, and the cake's "yummy-ness"!

From the orchard....

2011-09-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

Mumsy and I have been baking over the weekend: a very simple cake with cherries jam and some apples that fell from one of the apple trees in the orchard. Damsons are almost ready, so it is is nearly time to prepare some yummy jams!
I like this photo of the cake, but Mumsy prefers the one above,... and we both think that the cake is utterly delicious!

Pearls on leaves-After the rain series

2011-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

Into the garden VI

2011-08-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

Over the garden wall III

2011-08-29T02:33:00.000-07:00

At the end of the garden IV

2011-08-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

Crouching under the lilies III

2011-08-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

Looking at lilies III

2011-08-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Petals like wings III

2011-08-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Walking along the countryside lane...

2011-08-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

The cat and the vintage footstool in the garden

2011-08-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

This garden makes me think of Alice in Wonderland, the cat, even though it is not really the Cheshire cat, the gigantic clock facing the main street of the village, (and I immediately think of the Mad Hatter rushing about), and the 1970s footstool that reminds me of the mushroom where the caterpillar sits and smokes. I wonder where Alice and the Queen of Hearts are...

While I was walking along the countryside lane

2011-08-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

The clouds this morning...

2011-08-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Petals and pistils III

2011-08-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

The lilac lilies III

2011-08-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

Bliss III

2011-08-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Into the magic garden

2011-08-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Poised VI-the garden series

2011-08-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Harvest time is approaching

2011-08-20T02:39:00.000-07:00

Bliss

2011-08-20T02:35:00.000-07:00

The statue framed by leaves...

2011-08-20T02:30:00.000-07:00