Sunday 26 October 2008

Pirate gloves

Another knitting project finally complete.
Blue striped 'pirate' fingerless gloves for the freezing winter at the castle. Woolly for cold and fingerless for artefact handling. Stripes don't match tho, I haven't done stripes before.
Cheat's glove method...forget that annoying knitting in the round etc. Knit flat in 2x2 rib for wrist then stocking stitch then 2x2 rib for finger hole end cast off in stretch cast off. Knit thumb separately in rib and sew the hand and thumb together after.
Next project: a woolly headband with odd knitted flowers, for ear warming.

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Paris eating

Sweet Things to eat in Paris....
I always try to eat food from the country where I'm staying and try different things. I'm not the most adventurous but these are some of the puddings I really enjoyed.....

Teeny chewy Macaroons (come in about a billion flavours)
Floating Islands (wierd yet addictive dessert of big ball of soft meringue floating on custard)
Caramel Brioche (brioche bread and butter pudding with fudgy caramel sauce, stodgetastic)
Rum Baba (actually just a bready cake absolutely swimming in dark rum)

Feel that sugar rush. Life is good.

Sunday 19 October 2008

Paris 1

Warning...unreasonable amount of Paris related blogging about to appear. First, I thought I'd share some of my favourite Paris places to see/shop/eat from this trip.

We stayed at the Aviatic Hotel near Montparnasse, a small traditional B&B (depuis 1856) with a Charming Hotel Award 2008. All fab apart from the noisy plumbing (also I suspect depuis 1856).

Fave Museums include the Musee Cluny (medieval art in an amazing medieval/Roman townhouse) Musee Guimet (Oriental collections including statues from Angkor Wat) Musee Carnavalet (history of Paris and pretty period rooms in a historic townhouse in the Marais).

Fave Parks are Jardin de Luxembourg (tree lined avenues around a luxurious palace and not too many tourists) Place des Vosges (small park in lovely 1600s square).

Nice shopping at Shakespeare and Co (classic English language bookshop opposite Notre Dame) Le Bon Marche (classy department store on left bank) Monuments of Paris Bookshop (in Hotel Sully, wonderful art, architecture, design, food books sadly French language only, in rooms with original painted ceilings).

Enjoyed eating at Hippopotamous (Steak'n'Frites chain but great food quite cheaply) Relais d'le Entrecote (famous steak house with no menu choice but amazing steak and wines) Montparnasse 1900 (classic restaurant with lovely Belle Epoque decor, traditional food and a very kind Japanese waiter) Le Pre Verre (fusion food in a traditional bistro).

Sunday 5 October 2008

A Brief Technical Interlude

I'm known and reviled by many people I know as a complete Luddite. Until now I had moved no nearer the white heat of recording technology than the video recorder......discount section of Asda Ashton-under-Lyne circa year 2003.
However, I would like to say how fantastic my new HDD Hard drive recorder/DVD player is. So easy, with menus like on a computer, no 24 hour clock or channel selection doofers. It's like an Ipod for your TV.
I suppose the companies love it cos you can't share the recordings, but DVDs are very cheap these days and there's Iplayer.
Now I need to buy all my favourite obscure films on DVD though......I suspect no joy with Fantasia or Scaramouche. Maybe I'm getting old or cynical but technology seems to be accelerating madly now which is A) scary B) brilliant C) expensive....!