Lemons, Poppy Seeds and “Let Me Make Cake”!

I am taking huge liberties with the title today – but I am baking cakes today and it just seemed to work!  One lemon layer cake and one lemon poppy-seed pound cake!  We are going to be the ones eating cake this week!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – I’ll send some home with my Dad – he is coming for supper.

I am rediscovering the joys of baking.  I had taken a bit of a hiatus from baking.  For the first 15 years of our marriage my mother-in-law, who lived in our basement, did all of the baking – cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, crisps – have I forgotten anything?  Dessert was the  most important part of the meal and she wanted to make sure that we always had something sweet in the house.

Now the responsibility falls to me.  I don’t believe that you need dessert every night – though my husband would argue that one!  But on “high days and holidays”, why not?  Today is a “high day” – my husband requested lemon layer cake – which made me think of lemon, poppy-seed pound cake – which meant I had to bake one!  Right!?

We have been for quite a few walks in the last little while – the pictures today were taken at Departure Bay Beach and at Englishman River.  The walk at Englishman River was 2 weeks ago, but it never seemed to make the blog.  The pictures in the slideshow are at about half and half for both walks!

Princess Mittens

Knitting is coming along furiously!  I have finished  the Princess Mitten pattern.   And it has been posted to Ravelry and Patternfish.  I have started a new shawl pattern – shawl is already knit – and two new knitting projects – one a top-down sweater for myself and I have actually started to knit “Patina”!  This new KAL that I am working on is taking longer to come together than I originally hoped.  But I am very pleased with my results so far!

Tamera modelling Espresso Shawl

I love this time of the year – instead of slowing down I gear up – ideas are flowing fast and I can hardly keep up to them.  I just wish that there was more time in the day!  I am definitely a cold weather type of person.  I love the sun, but not the heat.  I love colours, but especially the muted colours of the winter, greens, greys and blue-greys-greens of the stormy ocean waters.  The changing light when a storm approaches or when there is snow falling – the air glows – this is a wonderful time of year!

Fabulous Green Sea-star.

This morning while walking at Departure Bay Beach I found this gorgeous Sea-star – it is a beautiful glowing green and blended right into the beaches rocky background – I almost stepped on it!

There was a lot of debris on the beach this morning.  Lots of the norm, but a few odd items as well.

Kale, Seaweed and Fall leaves – no artist other than mother nature would have come up with this one!

The most notable – an incredibly bright Kale plant, mixed into the sea-weed and just lying there glowing pink against the greys and greens – I can see an incredible dyed piece in my future.  Those colours and some knitted lace.  Ummm – this will require some thought!

From an Earlier Visitor – Inuk-shuk.

It is funny that it took me so long to post the pictures from the walk at Englishman River.  It was a rather magical walk.

We walked along the Hatchery Stream and along the main river.  At the giant Clay Bank some earlier walker had built some Inuk-shuks or “Snow Walkers” – small cairns that just say that someone was here before.  As we were watching the river and the enjoying the gently falling rain we were witness to something quite unique – a large portion of the clay bank separated and fell into the river.

A sneak peek at “Patina” underway!

It was accompanied by a loud crash and roar and then a constant low rumble until it had finished.  I have a few photographs – but they really don’t look like much at all!

Knitting and Life for me are inextricably bound.  The world that surrounds me and the knitting I create – From one I borrow for the other – it is a true circle!

Happy Knitting

Lynette

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A Chicken Soup Kind of Day

It was raining this day at Englishman River – this was about 2 weeks ago – but it wasn’t dreary – just damp!

It is definitely a Chicken Soup kind of day.  Dreary, wet and gray.  Sophie is still sleeping – she doesn’t much like rain!

On the stove is some homemade Chicken Vegetable and Barley soup for lunch – it is burbling cheerfully and beside it a pot of Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs for supper.  A busy morning to prepare for the day ahead.  It is that kind of day.

Longevity Scarf – great chunky pattern – easy to adjust!

It has been a productive week.  Two patterns written and posted on Ravelry – I will add them to Patternfish tomorrow.  Longevity Scarf and Sailor Rib Toddler Sweater are both finished.  And the Purple sweater is only a few hours away from being worn – next week I hope.

Sailor Rib Toddler Sweater – ages 2 to 7 – a fun top-down knit.

For the Purple sweater, I have a woven cord belt that is a good shade of grey – it will have to do until I find a leather belt – it has to be the right colour!  It might be a rich brown – though if I could find a really deep purple I would be so thrilled!

I bought three books yesterday.  One for the pure pleasure of reading about my favorite past-time – Knitting – Fashion, Industry, Craft; by Sandy Black: Two for the patterns – The Sock Report; edited by Janel Laidman:  And three to support a good cause – it doesn’t hurt that there are some great patterns in there as well! – Knit Red, Stitching for Women’s Heart Health!

Fabulous Book – if you love history and just reading about knitting and Fashion!

I spent a couple of hours last night not knitting, instead I immersed myself in Sandy Blacks’ Book Knitting Fashion, Industry and Craft.  I love this book.

Happy Knitting

Lynette