Monday 3 October 2011

I am Woman; Watch Me Multi-task

Yeah, chance would be a fine thing! If I was the master at multi-tasking then my house would not stink of burnt rice right now! Apparently I cannot work on a spreadsheet for my swap, talk to the patent agent for our company, cook rice and reply to emails all at the same time. Something had to give and now my house reeks.

I have spent a good deal of time on my computer today replying to comments, sorting out the swap, etc. If you left a comment and I failed to reply then I do apologise. I ran out of steam after about 200 emails. There was a wee back log, shall we say. I do appreciate each and every comment I get on my blog (except the spam ones which are creeping in more frequently) and try to reply to everyone but it may be just too much for me this week.

Thanks to everyone for your terrific response to my giveaway. It has been lovely to have old friends enter as well as meet lots of lovely new people. For those who decided to follow this blog, welcome and I hope you like it enough to stick around.

If you are in the Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap - please ensure that you have sent me your postal details as well as having a  mosaic posted on the group page on Flickr. Just about everyone has but there are a few more to go.

I did take a little time to sit down today and have a play with my crochet hooks and some cotton yarn.


I think I may be down to have a table at the PTA Christmas Fair so need to find some smaller things I can make and sell for small amounts. Because you know, and I know, I wouldn't be about to shift a whole pile of quilts there. So I tried making some snowflakes. I experimented with different size crochet hooks and came to the conclusion that the larger hook is the best, which surprised me. I also played with patterns, making up my own eventually. That would be the one of the top right. These snowflakes would need to be soaked in a fabric stiffener and pinned out to give them more shape definition and durability on the tree as a decoration. But as the start of a small project, what do you think?

My only fabric news is slightly old news. I got my fabric for the October blocks for Brit Bee from the lovely and talented Miss Laura Jane at the end of last week but I seemed to have other thoughts in my posts, and sulks about car reversing, etc going on. So here, belatedly, is the latest block fabric.


Our brief is to make stars. Any kind we like. Big ones, small ones, singular ones, multiple ones. Just so long as it is stars. I think I am going to like this month. Thanks Laura!

So my best cooking pot is sitting outside with oven cleaner sprayed in it to see if that will shift well cooked on rice. I have to leave the house in an hour to take Helen to dance and the girls are not fed yet. Best get a move on and see if I can manage rice on attempt number two. Best stay in the kitchen this time though!

Susan

28 comments:

  1. oh noooo - stink one! (that's a kiwi saying - no pun intended ;) )

    I cook my rice by the absorption method - but I do quite often boil it over when I'm doing the initial blast to temperature...

    Can't wait to see what you make with those fabrics!!

    Oh and the snowflakes are fab! I also like the top right best.

    xx

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  2. I was watching "how clean is your house" the other day when I was ill... and they used coke (the drinking kind not the snorting kind) heated up in the bottom of the pan. It worked a treat to get rid of a years worth of burnt on crud. Just a suggestion! Glad you like the fabrics, look forward to seeing what you come up with!!

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  3. I can't cook rice even when I am just focusing on cooking rice. In fact I keep a supply of biological washing tablets especially for boiling up in pans covered with burnt rice! Snowflakes look great, top right I my favourite too.

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  4. For the burned pot, put water in the pot with baking soda and bring to a boil. The burnt rice should lift up.
    Please don't ever think you need to answer every comment on your blog. As much as we all enjoy writing and receiving comments, there is no rule that you must reply to all comments. Everyone understands that life comes before blogging!
    XOXO

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  5. Those snowflakes look awesome! Hope your house airs out soon. Whenever I get an unwanted smell from cooking (or increasingly from the dog tee hee), I light an ordinary tealight and just let it burn. It seems to help. :-)

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  6. Love the snowflakes and I'd definitely buy some from your stall - any chance of a pattern/tutorial?!! Your post reminded me of these projects I'd seen which I'd love make http://yarnroundhook.blogspot.com/2011/07/off-hook-doily-garland.html and http://yarnroundhook.blogspot.com/2010/12/more-snowflakes.html maybe one day I'll get round to making some of my own!! Good luck with the rice part II!

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  7. washing powder is what I use when I really burn things on. Leave it soaking overnight and it comes off like a dream.
    The snow flakes look great and what a fantastic idea

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  8. Love love love the snowflakes Susan. You are certainly a busy bee at the mo. Don't reply to this comment. I know you are very diligent but give yourself a wee break tonight. I'm delighted that your swap has attracted so much interest, I'm going to nosey from the sidelines - I love making Christmas things!

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  9. top right is right :))they are super duper and will sell well ...........make some of my birdies out of scraps .
    this is a no reply comment so dont :)).as you have far too much to do these next few days getting all organized.
    when you do the partner thing remember have not being doing this quilty thing for long so give me another newbie type :)))))
    hugs xxx

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  10. I love the snowflakes! Are you using cotton and what Fabric stiffener would you use? I am also wanting small items to make, to sell.

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  11. I nearly set kitchen on fire a couple of weeks ago - drained a pot of rice, put a cloth over it (like what Delia does)and then came thro to my laptop..........I had left it sitting on cooker and the cloth caught fire - oh ****! Lots of black smoke.
    By the way, I love that you said reeks.......

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  12. Your snowflakes are great, it's years since I did the very fine crochet, don't know if I'd have the patience or eyesight for it these days haha.

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  13. Oh, I use washing powder in hot water soak it over night and all the nasties should be lifted by the morning.

    Snowflakes are lovely, starch them up and stick them onto cards, bigger onex for coasters, make little circle puches and sew them onto those, ooo I could go on!

    (I must confess I almost choked at Laullipops coke comment!)

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  14. Oh Susan I love those snowflakes! I'd have them all over my house. Seriously. I love snowflakes so much I have a tattoo of one :) - those ones are prettier though!

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  15. Mr. P is the rice cooker here. I'm hopeless at it. We end up with either one big rice ball or hard little rice grains.

    Im in love with the snowflakes. Cant crochet at all. Marg tired to teach me when she was here and I just don't get it.

    Im so pleased your table runner swap is a roaring success-even if that does mean more work for you. I know you can handle it. You CAN multi task!

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  16. LOVE your snowflakes - please send me the pattern. Jxo

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  17. Lovely snowflakes, your judgement is spot on too. Hope you manage to have some fun matching up swappers, cant wait to see who I get!

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  18. Sadly cannot watch you which is a shame as I would be dead impressed and might learn something!

    Great snowflakes would look nice with my table runner! Looking forward to the stars and I burnt lamb casserole last week - it reeked too! Uncharred my pot with soaking and elbow grease! We still ate what hadn't stuck to the bottom! That's my level of cooking for you!

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  19. Oh, honey! Burt rice stinks and 200 emails will make you go cross-eyed. Enjoy the night. Your fabric from LJ will give you something pretty to focus on :)

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  20. Oh dear, I had burnt pancetta smell tonight, apparently I'm not so shit hot at multitasking either lol

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  21. oh dear! Love the snowflakes though! x

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  22. Oh, so that's why we get that Microwave-able rice! Good luck with the mult-tasking, you can do it! x

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  23. Now I remember why I use "boil in the bag" rice! Very difficult to mess up hehehe

    Enjoy your stink! LOL

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  24. Do what I had to do .... learn to cook rice perfectly in the microwave - you have to think about it once you've switched it on. What pretty crochet work - lovely!

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  25. Love your snowflakes! I can't begin to list all the pots I've had boil over or dry while multitasking, hang in there.

    Carolyn

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  26. Love the snowflakes, I want to make some and was going to use spray starch to stiffen them. If it's not too late for the pot I have a suggestion - Fairy Power Spray. Amazing stuff. Spray it on, leave it half an hour, wash it off.

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  27. Frozen rice is the answer. Honestly. 3 minutes in the microwave and it's done. I learnt about it about 20 years ago and I don't think I've used ordinary rice since.

    Your snowflakes look wonderful. Clever you for making the pattern up yourself! :o)

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