More Unicorns...

Check this out! Another Singaporean unicorn:

http://littleyarnfriends.tumblr.com/post/24411665124/crochet-pattern-lil-baby-unicorn

The person who writes that blog also has a Maltese, there're some adorable pictures of her dog in a Mickey Mouse outfit:

http://littleyarnfriends.tumblr.com/post/20171862556/mickey-hoodie-for-my-little-dog

So cute!

PIGGY THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

The response to Reuben the Pink Fluffy Unicorn has been really positive! Okay, relatively small, but positive all the same.

Also, it's listed on Crochet Pattern Central! How cool is that? (: Thanks guys! I'm sooo chuffed.

(EDIT: Welcome friends from Crochet Pattern Central! Sorry there aren't more patterns :p)

I'd tell you that Reuben is over the moon, but because I gave the original away, I can't show you his happy pose... have a happy Piggy, instead (:

Oops! Piggy was unhappy with this 'naked' picture of him... so here is a new picture of him in all his nice clothes :D And with his best friend, Cow. Piggy is/ was an ongoing project. I made him before I left for uni, and every summer I'd add to his wardrobe. The first time, it was the trousers. Then I got obsessed with ties (he has a small silk necktie - hell to iron). And finally his little vest. The Rambo-ribbon on his head was intended as a bow tie, but since he already had a necktie he decided it would look good elsewhere... Cow is a hot water bottle cover that I received for Christmas.

They get along famously.

Midnight Munchies (ii): FUN WITH YAN YAN

Because life isn't bizarre enough already, I present to you the childhood magic of yan yan...

Lace Collar for Sylvia

Long time no post, but been working on a few things (: Due to the recent crochet binge, a friend at church noticed my lace work and asked for a lace collar. At first, I'd made a straight strip of lace, emulating the style from my Japanese book. I adapted the pattern a little to widen it.

She liked it, but she decided that she'd use it as edging for a blouse, as she preferred a round collar. So I lent her some books, and she asked for any edging from "Knitted Lace of Estonia".

I chose this one, because it looks quite smart and not too fussy, plus the pattern was quite easy to do:

See the progress after the jump!

Midnight Munchies (i)

I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this: Brush teeth, get into bed, get on the internet, and settle in to read recipes... which inevitably leads to an attack of the Midnight Munchies.

Great.

So in an attempt to fend off the attack, and in the interest of recording these ideas to follow up on later, I thought I'd share it with... the internets... from my little soap box... yeah.

Today's minor obsession is PANCAKES.

Now I love a good American pancake. Forget the flimsy European pan-crepes. Wait! Those are good, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing better than a light fluffy pancake. That's more 'cake' than 'crepe', if you ask me... and far more substantial, because they're good at soaking up syrup (oh boy syrup).

This is an interesting article comparing different recipes, but the recipe at the end is, in itself a little odd to me. Also the pictures are quite... I mean the bacon looks great, but those are definitely not my idea of a good pancake.

Here's another recipe, but this time for SCOTCH pancakes. There is a special place in my heart for this pancake cousin. The let on my student house ran out early July, so I spent the last few weeks of my life in the UK like a hobo, living in a few different places before I finally flew home. I stayed with a friend of mine for about a week leading up to my graduation, so while I had access to a kitchen, it didn't seem much point to buy 'proper' breakfast food like toast or eggs or bacon or cereal. I happened to find a packet of these palm-sized babies going for £1 at the nearby co-op, so I basically survived the morning meal with these and a little Nutella (which I'd kept after moving out). Granted, they weren't exactly fresh coming out of a packet like that, but they were so, so good. Quite indulgent for a student diet! They are not quite so fluffy as the American ones, and not quite as big, but sweeter and more cake-like than the English pancake-equivalent. (Is it so bad that I miss English food?)

Got to try making those some time. Pity I don't have any nice pictures to post, but this kitchen we have at the moment isn't very conducive so I don't like to go in there to cook. Ah well!

Till the next wave of midnight munchies...

Reuben the Pink Fluffy Unicorn Dancing on a Rainbow

 

(Edit: welcome visitors from the crochet pattern central, greatamigurumi blog and ravelry! (: And everywhere else, of course (: )

I'm horrified to note that, while I have made up a lot of the stuff that I knit, there is only ONE (measly) pattern on this blog. Therefore, I present to you Reuben the pink fluffy unicorn dancing on a rainbow. Netizens may recognise this theme from this video:

Yes. The strange asian guy with a big mouth and triangular eyebrows. (Somebody make a muppet of this guy already!)

To cut a long story short, due to a fortunate (or for some, unfortunate) string of events, pink unicorns became a 'thing' of a friend of mine. It soon became obvious that I had to make him a pink unicorn with an accompanying rainbow. And naturally, it had to be an amigurumi unicorn. With articulated legs. And prancing action.

Take a moment to admire his flowing mane.

Biscuits, Crochet and a Disapproving Dog

Okay, so I'm writing a post to try and motivate myself to be better at tracking what I've made. I'm considering doing 'archival' posts to track the best of the projects I've made in the past (or the worst, it depends!) It also helps that I've recently invested in a point and shoot camera; it's so much easier to download pictures from that than my DSLR, and the file sizes are small.

So I've been working for a while as a psych intern, and it's been roughly two months since I've graduated. The UK (and sweet, sweet online shopping) seems miles away. Instead of iPlayer, Anime Ultima. Instead of a bike, bus 105. And instead of shortbread, a sorry excuse for what should otherwise be an exquisite butter biscuit (I made green tea ones). Hmm. That's what you get with 30 degree weather, I suppose. And another thing: what to do with my luxury yarns when I can't very well wear them in this heat. HMM.

As an alternative, I've picked up embroidery, basing it off a close-up of a 19th century Gujarati coverlet that was featured on a postcard I picked up at the V&A. It's a chain stitch elephant, which is surprisingly pleasant to complete despite the repetitiveness of the stitch. Hopefully I can finish it and turn it into a purse.

I've also returned to crochet and my favourite crochet book so far: Crochet Lace (ISBN 9784529048194).

Milk, Eggs and Sugar

I told myself that this would be a blog strictly for needlework, but when my obsession with such a magical combination was unleashed, it could not be stopped.

The British call it custard, but this delicate yet versatile ingredient trio appears under several other names and forms: creme anglaise, creme caramel, creme brulee, zuppa inglese (Italian), kogel mogel (Polish), 鲜奶炖蛋 (steamed egg pudding sometimes served with ginger, Chinese), iles flotants (French)... A most simple dish, so often associated with comfort, warmth and childhood, that can be so fiendishly tricky to prepare. (Of course, depending on which form you choose to make!) The difficulty lies in pouring the hot milk mixture into the egg and beating it in such a way that a silky consistency is achieved, without curdling the eggs by applying the heat too fast. On the other hand, there is also the more stalwart kogel mogel: often constituted of raw egg, milk and sugar, beat till light and fluffy, then consumed over fresh strawberries or similar fruit.

Of course, one could argue on the side of shop bought custard or the powdered variety (a tip of the hat to Mr. Bird), but if you have the time and, like me, absolutely adore the challenge of a custard with such a rewarding end, there seems to be no end of delectable adventures in the kitchen. That being said, I do love custard... so whether presented with shop-bought, home-made or Mr Bird's, I find no sides to take.

I am not British, neither did I grow up in Britain (though I was brought up on Enid Blyton). My love for custard began with my grandaunt's creme caramel... sitting at her glass table slowly savouring every spoonful, ensuring optimum levels of caramel sauce and creme before I could put it in my mouth. It's funny how things stay with you like that. Now at university I have the freedom of my own kitchen, the luxury of time, and 6 housemates eager to eat whatever I cook.

My journey begins with this: