Grateful for Magic Cornish Days Out

Polperro Harbour

Whilst I work pretty intensely on another sort of project (see my other blog if you're curious about where my energies are going just at the moment), there doesn't seem to be a lot of time for designing and making. I am missing my sewing machine- which looks all forlorn under its dust cover- just as I am missing putting my design ideas to the test, and curling up with hooks, needles and yarn. 

Typically, my mind is still active with design ideas... but they'll have to wait just for the moment. 

Thankfully, there was time for a day in Polperro: a beautiful drive, ambling round the tiny streets, watching the river rush through the town, a picnic in the winter sun, exploring the caves, marvelling at cottages built into rock, gazing at the beautiful woods above the town... bliss! There is so much that is enjoyable about Polperro, and so much which seems to be the distilled essence of Cornwall. 

Unfortunately we did not see the Ryder Lifeboat in the harbour, which we had looked forward to. Not only is it a beautiful mini-piece of maritime history, but it was built in Thames Ironworks. Unless you are partner to a dyed-in-the-wool West Ham fan like I am, that probably means nothing, but if you are you will understand the significance. 

Such Pretty Rust!

I am also really grateful for the short trip down to our beloved Charlestown- a wonderful place to be, especially in the early morning. We met up again with this friendly chap: just another of the fortuitous encounters we are blessed with in enchanted Cornwall!

Lucky Black Charlestown Cat

Miss Lemon, or what to wear in a Cornwall February

Colours for Spring:

I'm not sure whether it is my penchant for bright-coloured gym stuff seeping into my everyday life, my new found body confidence, or just a hankering for spring (probably a combination), but I have found myself inexplicably drawn to brightly coloured clothing.

As a life-long devotee of indigo-blue, grey, and just a few contrasting accents in my wardrobe, this has surprised me.

Where to buy bright colours:

I was overcome by the urge to go bright when browsing in 'Mistral'; I tried these beauties on, and simply couldn't leave them there. Ok, so I did have to check first with my trusty adviser that I didn't look like a crazy lady, but I just love them! 

I can't find the yellow on their website, but they have other colours, so you can click: Mistral

Seasalt Stripey Sailor Tops:

You may have guessed from my last post that I am a devotee of the Seasalt stripey sailor top. When I saw this cyan colour in their new collection I could not resist! 

I have been teaming it with my Dickies dungarees for a real rustic landgirl-inspired look.  The super-soft organic cotton is a so comfortable. This colour, which they call Poseidon Ecru, manages to  combine being bright with also being completely wearable.

 You can shop for this beautiful T-shirt here: Seasalt if, like me, you can't resist!

Week in Paradise

This was the view on Tuesday: a rainstorm out to sea. Once again we succumbed to the pull of the shore and headed out to the beach, despite the fact that it was actually pretty cold. We were hoping for interesting debris in the wake of Storm Imogen, but either there was none on this beach, or we were not early enough to find it. 

I was planning to have a jog up and down the beach too (this is my favourite running beach), but the fact that I had just been to the gym, and the freezy temperature both enticed me to stay and consume the hot coffee and picnic thoughtfully brought along in the car instead.

We shared our lunch with some friendly rooks. They might look aggressive, but actually they were pleasant lunch-mates, and highly entertaining. The feeding of seagulls is totally frowned upon here in Cornwall, but these blue-black beauties were very endearing.

The sun did show up for a while this week, and I was grateful to be able to hang my laundry out in the hypnotic Cornish sunlight. I couldn't resist a picture of these beautiful stripy shirts, both from Cornish company Seasalt. I adore stripes, and these tops feel practically like uniform in this part of the world.

Cake Break!

Orange Sponge Cake, scroll down for recipe

I am working out quite a lot at the moment, and I am trying to increase the variety and the content of the exercise I do each week.

Hand in hand with this goes and increased awareness of what I am eating. As I heard in an aerobics class a while ago: "Great abs are made in the kitchen!" (meaning, as I see it, that there is no point in working really hard at the gym if you go home and pile on the calories).

I feel I have three key food challenges:
1. Don't eat too much
2. Don't eat too little
3. Don't eat loads of junk

This last one is complicated, because it is very difficult to keep track of the coded ingredients on packaging. I need to get a lot smarter, because even supposedly healthy cereal bars are evidently packed full of additives and sugar.

I'm going back to the philosophy that occasional treats are ok, and if I am craving something really satisfying then home made cake is probably the best- there is nothing quite like the process of baking on a cold winter day to tick all the comfort boxes. And what is more, when you make a cake at home, although it has refined sugars and saturated fats, it has no dodgy chemicals- think inverted this hydrogenated that- and one slice is satisfying and filling, stopping you from being hungry again in an hour.

I improvised this Orange Sponge cake today, so I thought I would share the recipe with you. Let me know how you get on! You will need:

7" spring form cake tin, greased and floured (my tin is 8" and cake is too shallow),
Pre-heat oven to 180º


Sponge:
170g Caster Sugar,
170g Butter,
3 Eggs,
170g Self-raising Flour,
Grated rind of one Orange,
Vanilla Essence,
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice as required,

Cream the butter and sugar, add beaten eggs one at a time, sift in the self-raising flour and fold in. Add a few drops of vanilla essence, the grated orange rind (take care not to grate the white pith of the orange), and any juice needed to achieve a soft dropping consistency.

Pour into your cake tin, tapping the sides to spread the mixture evenly in the tin.

Bake for roughly 30 minutes until the sides of the sponge have come away slightly from the tin, and the centre springs back to the touch.

Allow to cool, then turn out and slice in half horizontally (I find a long bread knife is best for this).


Filling:
150g Icing Sugar,
180g pot of Philadelphia Cheese,
1 desert spoon of Lemon Juice,
Orange Juice as required
Beat all the ingredients together, adding just enough orange juice as necessary to make a filling that will keep its body when sandwiched between sponges. Spread all of the filling onto the bottom of the cake. Allow to stand for just a couple of minutes, then place the top sponge onto the filling.


Glaze:
50g Icing Sugar,
Orange Juice

Add just enough juice to to dissolve all of the sugar and achieve a pouring consistency. If you make this too wet your glaze will roll straight off. Pour over the finished sponge.

Enjoy!

The Best Type of Rainy Sunday is a Cornish One

This afternoon we took a trip out on one of our regular quay walks. There was not a soul in sight for most of it (if you don't count the majestic swans, cormorants, seagulls and these brave little chaps in the background).

Some places are depressing in the rain. Cornwall is simply enchanting: a timeless magic seems to descend. 

The boats were soundly moored in preparation for the next storm to crash in off the Atlantic, expected tonight. 

This is another of our favourite haunts: Portmellon. It seems to capture the essence of Cornwall: the sea comes up and laps over the road, washing up sand, seaweed and its secret treasures. The pub is called The Rising Sun, as the bay faces east. Whilst I am not really a pub person, somewhat conversely I love them as landmarks, and I love their history and heritage. I would bet that this one has seen a good amount of smuggling over the centuries. 

Working on Workshops

I have some upcoming crochet workshops later in the month, in Falmouth (Cornwall). The first one is detailed below.

There is so much that you can do once you are confident crocheting a humble granny square, and after we have gone over some basics I am quite open to where we go with it. Pictured are some options: we can look at how to make slippers, bags, blankets, even this lovely shawl is based on the humble granny.

If you're not sure the workshop is suitable for you, or you'd like a little more info please contact me, or if you'd like to book please contact Sweetpea & Betty (or pop in- it's very easy to access in central Falmouth).

February 16th,
Sweetpea & Betty, Falmouth

'Learn to Crochet Granny Squares and Beyond'

Description: If you are a complete novice crocheter, are just branching out into crochet projects, or are a bit rusty then you are welcome at this class to learn how to make granny squares, and get some inspiration about what to do with them next! Be it a blanket, slippers, a bag or a scarf... once you can granny the possibilities are endless! And if you can granny confidently already I will show you how to make a beautiful pair of slippers. All basic materials included, 10:00-1:00, £30pp