Long time, no post.

Pumpkin Bread

For the past 12 weeks or so I've been having to do marking for Adelaide Uni maths dept, whilst it kept me from going mad when I didn't have a proper job, it had started to become a REAL chore. This weekend was the first weekend after the shackles have been removed - what did I do? Well I went into town and paid the final installments of my flights - I'm going home for 2 weeks for a friend's wedding - and then I went grocery shopping followed by a whole heap of cooking, which brings me nicely to the subject of today's post....

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
A large handful Roasted pumpkin (I used butternut squash).
Pumpkin seeds
150ml warm water - less than for a standard loaf
500g white bread flour
2tsp yeast
2tsp sugar
pinch salt

Method
1. Roast the pumpkin in the oven until it's soft and sweet - use plenty of oil so that it doesn't stick, leave to cool and then mash with a fork.
2. Follow the method from my seeded white bread recipe, adding the mashed pumpkin when you add the liquid (don't forget to reduce the quantities - also note that there's no oil in this recipe as it's assumed that the pumpkin is roasted using oil).

I put seeds both in my loaf and on the top but they didn't stick properly on the top but they all fell off!

I'm not sure how it'll taste, but it's very yellow!

Simple Baby Booties

Apologies, it's been over a month, I. Am. Rubbish. The new job keeps taking up loads of time! But on with today's post......

People are having babies left right and centre and I've been off work ill so I've been making baby booties....

These were made using this pattern which I adapted a little because they seemed to come out a bit skewiff....

What I did.....

Note: this is all in american so sc is and english dc and a dc is an english treble, i just couldn't be bothered to translate.

First bootie (my changes are indicated in red)

Row 1: ch 15, sc in 2nd ch from hook, 13 sc, 4 sc in first back loop, 12 sc, 2 sc in last back loop. (32 sc)

Row 2: ch 1, 12 sc, 2 sc in next 4 sc, 14 sc, 2 sc in next 2 sc. (38 sc)

Row 3: ch 1, 12 sc, *2 sc in next sc, sc* x 4, 14 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc. (44 sc)

Row 4: ch 1, 12 sc, *2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc* x 4, 13 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 3 sc. (50 sc)

Row 5: ch 1, sc around (50 sc)

Row 6: ch 1, sc around in back loops only (50 sc)

Row 7&8: ch 1, sc around (50 sc)

Row 9: ch 1, 17 sc, *2 dc tog, 2 dc* x 4, sc around (46 sc)

Row 10: ch 1, 17 sc, *2 dc tog, 1 dc* x 4, sc around (42 sc)

Row 11: ch 1, 17 sc, 2 dc tog in next 4 dc, sc around (38 sc)

Row 12: sl st until 2 away from curve, *ch 1 turn, 3 sc* x 11, ch 4, sl st into 3rd sc, sl st down edge of strap and continue to sl st to start of row.

Finish off.

Second bootie

And to do the other bootie I followed the above instructions in reverse from Row 2.

So the first two rows are:

Row 1: ch 15, sc in 2nd ch from hook, 13 sc, 4 sc in first back loop, 12 sc, 2 sc in last back loop. (32 sc)

Row 2: ch1 2 sc in first 2 sc, 14 sc, 2sc in next 4 sc, 12sc (38st)

I'll admit that the instructions I've posted here are a little hit and miss, but if anyone actually wants to have a go and gets messed up or confused then I think loopyjess is fine with questions as am I! They are fairly simple tho so adapting them to your needs or your amount of twisting should be fairly straight forward, just give it a go!

Sookie Stackhouse and True Blood

It's been a while and I apologise.

I've been reading a lot lately - the bus ride to work has been a good time to catch up on all those things I've been meaning to read. I've decided to chat to you about the Sookie Stackhouse books on which the HBO series True Blood is based. I don't expect anyone to read this or to agree, just my two cents' worth!

The first book is called Dead Until Dark and True Blood stays remarkably close to the plot of the book. The serial has taken a few liberties with a couple of characters - notably Tara who doesn't appear until the 2nd novel Living Dead in Dallas and does not appear to be related to Lafayette the black, gay chef working at Merlotte's bar, and with many minor characters that are merely mentioned in the book, but seem to feature more heavily in the show.

Sookie it seems to me is (almost) perfectly portrayed by Anna Paquin, the screen writers for True Blood have completely nailed her character. She is a smart, yet sensitive, seemingly pure telepath who finds herself unable to form relationships due to her 'disability'. Then she meets Bill who is a vampire and whose thoughts she cannot hear and her pureness dissipates (although not as quickly in the show as in the book).

This new relationship leads to many a sticky situation, not least the attention of a killer and the unwanted advances of the local vampire 'sheriff' Erik (he's also been in a Lady Gaga video) and The Fellowship Of The Sun, religious church nutters. I don't want to give too much away in this in case you have a burning desire to either watch or read....

Jason, Sookie's brother is not as big a feature in the book as in the show, however this does not seem an unreasonable leap. The book focuses much more on Sookie's point of view, but this approach might not have worked so well on camera. Jason is accused of being a killer in both the book and show, however there is much less of a connection between Jason and the crime scenes in the book than the show. The show makes a bigger deal of Jason's character whereas the book is much more subtle in this aspect. This then lends itself to the biggest plot skew away from book 2 with season 2 - Jason's involvement with The Fellowship Of The Sun.

There are a few differences that I want to note, there's a vampire in the second book/series that wants to "meet the sun" since he has massive guilt over all of the innocents he's killed. The book's implication that he is in fact a paedophile never makes it to the screen, little wonder really. The show seems to neglect the fact that the story is set in the deep south - there's very little of the racism that's apparent in the book. The show focuses on the mistrust and non-acceptance of vampires whilst forgetting that (in the book) there's still prejudice against the black characters. The show draws parallels between the issues, but in the book they are right there alongside each other.

The theme song (Bad Things, Jace Everett) is on a par with "Woke up this morning" by Alabama 3, the Sopranos theme tune and is well worth a listen!

All in all both the books and the TV show are pure indulgence. You feel somewhat guilty watching and reading, however I fully recommend them both in either order.

Seeded White Bread

Since moving to Adelaide I've found I have quite a bit time(!), some of that time has been used to hone my bread baking skills, so here is my recipe for a seeded white loaf. It's very simple and the base can be used for rolls, plain loaves and to make it your own just add anything you fancy! I've used sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, but you can put any seeds you like. Sometimes I substitute half the white flour for wholemeal flour, as I say, it's up to you!

BASIC INGREDIENTS

500g	White Bread Flour
1 tsp	Salt
2tsp	Fast Action Yeast
300ml	Warm water (3/4 cold + 1/4 boiling)
2 tbsp	Olive Oil

Extras: I add in a small handful each of Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds.

Note: Keep the boiling water away from the yeast unless you want to kill it!

METHOD

1. Mix together a little of the the warm water, sugar and yeast and set to one side (this isn't strictly necessary but I've found that the bread rises better if the yeast is allowed to start before mixing all the ingredients together).
2. Mix together all dry ingredients in a bowl, sieving the flour.
3. Add the oil to the dry ingredients and add the water and the yeast mixture.
4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for approximately 10mins until it is smooth - the seeds disrupt this a little so don't be too worried if it's not looking really smooth.
5. Cover the bowl with cling film - I use a plastic bowl that has a lid - and leave in a warm place for an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
7. Knock the dough back (just knock all the air out of it so it's about it's original size) and knead again for 2-5mins until the dough is smooth, shape into a sausage and put into your lightly greased tin.
8. Leave to rise for 10 mins or until it's peaking over the edge of the tin. I like to leave my tin on top of the heating oven.
9. Bake for 20mins until golden brown - I turn my loaf around after 10 mins since my oven has a habit of only cooking on one side.
10. Turn out of tin and put upside down on the shelf for a further 5-10mins to brown the bottom of the loaf.
11. Tap the bottom, it should sound hollow (if you're unsure what I mean here, tap the loaf when you're turning it out for step 11, it will sound thick and solid), take out of oven and leave to cool.

If making bread rolls, make sure you both grease and flour your baking tray to make sure that they don't stick!

Dan & Dan - The Daily Mail Song

Best go wash your hands Dan

How To Granny Square!

EQUIPMENT

I have chosen:

Main (M) - Patons Zhivago 4443

The contrast colours are all Patons Zhivago Home

Contrast 1 (C1) - 0002

Contrast 2 (C2) - 0008

Contrast 3 (C3) - 0001

Contrast 4 (C4) - 0003

I am using a 5mm hook which makes the squares about 15cm x15cm.

Ok so here goes....

INSTRUCTIONS

Square A

Rnd1:

Using C1.

Make a slip knot and ch6 join with a sl st.

ch3, tr2 into centre, ch3, then (tr3, ch3) 3 times.

Join with sl st into 3rd chain at the beginning.

Rnd2:

Using C2.

Pull a loop through any 3ch sp.

ch3, tr2, ch3, tr3, into same space.

ch1, and in the next 3ch-sp (tr3, ch3 ,tr3, ch1).

Repeat in all 3ch sp.

Join with sl st into 3rd chain at the beginning.

Rnd3:

Using C3.

Pull a loop through any 3ch sp.

ch3, tr2, ch3, tr3, into same space.

ch1, [tr3 in next 1ch-sp.

ch1, and in the next 3ch-sp (tr3, ch3 ,tr3, ch1)] repeat to end.

Join with sl st into 3rd chain at the beginning.

Rnd 4:

Using C4.

Pull a loop through any 3ch sp.

ch3, tr2, ch3, tr3, into same space.

ch1,

[(tr3 in next 1ch-sp, ch1) repeat twice, and in the next 3ch-sp (tr3, ch3 ,tr3, ch1)] repeat to end.

Join with sl st into 3rd chain at the beginning.

Rnd 5:

Using M.

Pull a loop through any 3ch sp.

ch3, tr2, ch3, tr3, into same space.

ch1,

[(tr3 in next 1ch-sp, ch1) repeat 3times, and in the next 3ch-sp (tr3, ch3 ,tr3, ch1)] repeat to end.

Join with sl st into 3rd chain at the beginning.

Note: The ch3 spaces form the corners of your square.

I have decided on making 8 different squares and will probably make 10 of each before sewing them together - I'll post about this later and link to it. They are

B: C2, C3, C4, C1

C: C3, C4, C1, C2

D: C4, C1, C2, C3

E: C1, C4, C3, C2

F: C2, C1, C4, C3

G: C3, C2, C1, C4

H: C4, C3, C2, C1

Which should give squares that look like this:

Top: A, B, C, D,

Bot: E, F, G, H

Tips

1. My general technique is to ch1 in between treble clusters (groups of trebles) unless crocheting into a 3ch-sp then ch3 instead, this makes it kinda easier than following a pattern every round.
2. Whenever you have a loose end either from joining a new colour or from fastening off, crochet over the ends to secure them and make the sewing in of the ends a bit easier.

Stitch Abbreviations

st stitch

ch chain

sp space

tr treble

sl slip

Crochet Addict

I'm not doing very well at this posting thing am I? It probably helps that there aren't any people reading this anyway!

I have become a bit obsessed by crochet and have made 2 things and started a third in the last week.

Note that in the given patterns the stitches are labelled using the US conventions and since I use the UK/International naming conventions my amendments are given in these.

Dishcloth
Based on this pattern, a present for a friend in the UK. I say based on this since I didn't follow the pattern particularly carefully and found that when I went back to it it didn't quite work so I made up my own. Don't panic if your dishcloth curls at the edges, a bit of blocking should sort that out.

Crocheted in MODA vera bamboo/cotton (70%/30%). I chose this since both bamboo and cotton are natural and bamboo is slightly antibacterial.

Doily
The second is the doily that I said I would make for Vicky (Ferris Wheel Doily). There seem to be a couple of discrepancies between the picture and the pattern - Rnds 5-8:... looking at the picture there are only 2 rounds crocheted in this way so I split the difference and did 3, then carried on with the pattern. The edging seemed a bit long and unattractive to me so instead of ch7, I ch5 then sl st in 3rd st from hook and then ch3 and dc in ch5-sp (you might find that moving the thread around the hook as if you're twisting the stitches stops the point from pointing the wrong way at some points).

Crocheted in DMC BABYLO 3ply crochet thread (100% cotton). This was chosen simply because I couldn't find anything else of the right size! I don't know what difference the bamboo would make here. The doily was a bit "crinkly" when I'd finished and needed ironing and then was fine.

Next on the Agenda
I've decided that I'm going to make a traditional granny square blanket and my own design doilies and see where that takes me.

Oh and I'm not starting my internship until the 6th April so I should have plenty of time to spare...

Crochet and C++

It's been a while but I do have news. I have a 6 week (paid) C++ internship starting in a couple of weeks, yey! And I have started to learn how to crochet. This is a consequence of trying to find friends in a new city and having shipped my knitting needles and them not having arrived as yet.

So far I have made a double crochet coaster in jade! A coaster wasn't really my intention, but since I's started I continued on to a square! I shall be adding to this a variety of shapes and stitch types just to see if I can!

A friend of mine, who makes the most wonderful cakes (once her website is up and running I'll post a link), is getting married! Her boyfriend took her on a romantic weekend break to Prague and produced a ring! Congratulations Vicky and Andy!

I was already planning on using my new crochet skills to send her a present, I guess it'll now double as an engagement present - I suspect that Andy won't be too enamoured with it tho!

I'm off to crochet some more!

Interview!

I have an interview! It's a junior programming role with some maths too, it sounds like a really interesting job (yes, I know I'm a geek!) and I thought I'd really messed up the phone interview, but I got a call today and I have an interview! There's a software design problem that i have to have a think about before tho and I'm a bit daunted by it!

In other news I am trying to find netball, badminton and knirtting clubs so that I can start finding some friends! I start at the netball club next thursday.

Things are looking up!

Tips on Getting a Flat in Australia

Here is my quick guide to getting a flat in Australia....

The system is different to Britain in that you don't phone for an individual appointment, but turn up at a very short time slot (usually 15mins) and look around the place with a bunch of other people. These times can usually be found on the real estate websites but occasionally you'll have to ring the agent directly. Good websites for looking are: domain and real estate Australia.

Once you've found somewhere you can see yourself living you now have to apply and the landlord gets to choose who is best out of all the applicatnts. You should expect to have to give references for everything, at a minimum 3, quite a lot of the time more.... Some people go all out on the application, one girl who I spoke to told me that she had put together a portfolio with graphics and all kinds of stuff in it because she wanted her house so bad! It's not overly necessary tho.

Some things to note:

• Most places come without fridge, freezer and washing mahcine so be prepared to shell out for these.
• Air conditioning is a big thing - if you're moving to a hot state then you'll need it - something to remember in the winter!
  
• They have a seriously weird 100 points of ID system which is required for each person on the application.
• Agencies get really pissed off if you apply for LOADS of places and especially if you don't let them know you're not interested, it's all a courtesy thing. So if you're successfull and still have other applications in - do the agents a favour and just give them a call.
• The application will probably contain some section devoted to a connection agency, if you can be arsed phoning around to get all your ameneties connected then don't tick this box, if you want an easy life then this is for you - it's free apart from the usual connection charges.
  

Rough guide to 100points....

• Passport: unfortunately doesn't count for that much, expect around 40-50 points
• Driving license: roughly 40 points - that's right, just a passport and license gets you nowhere
• Bank Statement: 10 points
• Proof Rent Payments: 50 points if you can get hold of 4month's worth
• Medicare Card: 20points - unlikely to have one of these if you've just arrived in the country, they take 3-4 weeks to arrive and you need an address!
• Uni/School ID card: 10 points
• Birth Certificate: 10points
  

This is just intended as a guide, is by no means completely accurate and the points awarded to each ID vary between agencies - there are also other forms of ID that count

A New Beginning!

We made it, all the way to the other side of the world, Adelaide to be precise!

We have been here 2 weeks now and things are progressing fairly well - my fridge just arrived and I am more than a little bit excited! I mean it is fairly hot here (32 ºC today) and we've been coping for the last few days using ice and a coolbox!

Week 1:
When we first arrived we were put up by Phil (the bf's) new work in a serviced apartment while we looked for somewhere to live. The jetlag hit us pretty hard tho so looking for an apartment in the sweltering heat (about 39ºC) was pretty fraught.

That first week our main aims were:

• Internet - to help with the search for...
  
• Flat
  
• Sim Card
  
• Bank Account (Phil)

We found two flats and put in two applications - they expect you to jump through some hoops (see below) here tho so we crossed our fingers! Unlike in Britain there seems to be a shortage of apartments, ah well.

Week 2:
Right, upstix to Hostel109 where we stayed for 3 days and which I totally recommend, Malcom is the nicest guy! The morning after our first night there we got a phone call, one of our flat applications was sucessful! This flat comes with both a washer and dryer - this is not usual.

Main aims for week 2:

• Bank Account (Gem)
  
• Medicare Registration
• Furniture
• Fridge
  

So far it's going OK, we have a blow up mattress, table and 4 chairs, a shelving unit and have been lent a computer that is also a TV. I'm feeling pretty good about living here now, I've been loving the Central Markets and have baked bread for the first time ever, I'd put pics up but I can't find the camera cable... tomorrow maybe.

Now I have to find a job.