The Bluestocking - the one with the Christmas stocking

[lcakethereforeIam]

New thread here.

Former thread here

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5218621-bluestocking-the-one-where-boiled-gets-to-the-bar-first?page=1

I fear Android has heard the gossip rumours and she is not amused. Someone had better keep an eye on Kevin though.

During the interval they will be serving Tunnocks, and we can all get a look at that peculiar AI magpuff.

Sorry, Fuzzy and I just can't stop producing secret love children. Apparently.

Did somebody say teacakes <rushes to table>

It's ok, the annex and its furniture were designed by Escher.

(I strongly recommend using the lift if you want to explore its upper storeys)

Don't worry boily, there's plenty left!

I agree about the lift. I tried the stairs (when I was helping the gerbils bring the Christmas decorations down from the loft). They were endless and, despite always climbing up, I kept winding up back where I started.

Love the singing pix - amazed at the normal women in the last one!

I've taken some pix of a few crochet bits. These are all using the same pattern of a circle in a square. The first one is just using up leftover DK yarn & some 'impossible to use' colours which the camera hasn't really captured. The mustard is really yellow & the pink is really bright & in your face.

The second is DK with the circles all being the same yarn in different colourways. The third is the same idea but in chunky.

This is a shawl I made a few years ago. I love this yarn & I still have a few balls of it but I don't know what other pattern will mix up the colours like this (apart from the virus one & I don't want to do that again). I might try to convert the shawl pattern into a straight pattern for a scarf, but I'm not sure I'm clever enough to work out the necessary part-patterns at the edges of the rows.

Beautiful colours!

I attach pictures of my craft week results.

Android those are absolutely beautiful. I impulse bought a kit to make granny squares from WHSmiths earlier this year. So far I've taken it out of the box.

The chunky one looks a bit ropey in that pic, so here are nicer ones...

Go for it! Do you crochet? If not, everyone recommends Bella Crochet's videos on YT. I did a short beginner's course at a yarn shop & it was invaluable.

Those are amazing! How did you make the tree, & what are the whirly things with the candles?

I don't crochet but I've always wanted to learn. I can knit a bit (I've forgotten how to increase but I'm sure I could work it out). I'm hoping these granny squares will dip my toe in the water to get me off to a start. Between you and me, the colours are a bit bright and clashing.

MyrtleSingingCarols - beautiful, I particularly love the tree.
Android's crochet work is lovely too, the purpley one is so stylish!
👏bravo, but in the feminine plural - brave??

The tree was made by painting a glass solution onto glass sheets and adding glass shards. You can see the originals attached (the table cloth below the glass is colourful smarties). These were fired in a kiln by the course leader. She then smashed the glass panels into separate shards and fired them in the kiln again to make pebbles.
I then sorted the pebbles into a Christmas tree on a new pane of glass nd added more glass bits and the yellow and red baubles and stars. Finally it was fired in the kiln again.

The whirly things are wax melts. Melted wax with fragrance oil added and then poured into silicone moulds like the ones you can use for cooking. You then put them in a candle burner with a tealight underneath. The wax melts and the fragrance is released.

Thank you. I was unsure about the tree but everyone likes it!

Lovely stuff.
No crafting but I did make a pot of roast red pepper, tomato and lentil soup, most of which has just gone into the freezer for some healthy lunches amid Xmas fare. I'm now procrastinating because I should be vacuuming and dusting.

I'm finding it very difficult to stop procrastinating… have you got a recipe for that soup, it sounds lovely?

The only vaguely productive thing I've done today is buy and attach a new wiper to my car!

Roast/grill 4 cut up red/orange/yellow peppers till charred, put a tea towel over for a bit and then skin and chop. (But can skip this and sauté with the rest of the veg if you CBA, I'm not sure it makes much difference.)
Meanwhile chop a couple of medium onions, a couple of sticks of celery, 2 or 3 carrots. Sauté those in a tablespoon of olive oil (or butter ... more flavour). I like to get the onions quite golden before adding the other veg. Blend the veg with 2 tins toms (can leave some of the chopped pepper out if you want). Back in the pan with a generous dollop of of tomato purée, a veg stock cube, a tablespoon or so of smoked paprika, plus some hot paprika or pepper if you like a bit of heat, a can or two of water, a couple of bay leaves and about 6oz washed red lentils. Bring back to the boil - stir a lot to stop the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pan at this stage then simmer for 20 mins.
I don't add any salt, DH has to watch his sodium so it may need more seasoning but undersalting is good if you're going to add cheese to serve.

I've just been doing some pottery, I've made a witches hat, I've got all my clay together and reclaimed it and I've made some sample cat dishes [I need about 10 and to be able to stack them]...and I've had a kiln firing today which is currently done and cooling.

Cat dishes? Dishes for cats or dishes with cats on them?

I keep meaning to procrastinate but I never get round to it.

I've managed to read the paper.