*The Holly and the Ivy* and the You Know What 2013 Chatter Thread.

Ruth_honey

Well, we've just finished our first meat-based slow cooker meal & it was lovely! Beef skirt, potatoes, carrots & parsnip in a sauce made from a beef casserole packet (because it was in the cupboard & we're not sure about stock etc yet). We've got enough meat & veg left to do another one as I wasn't sure it would it fit in the slow cooker. How filled can you make it? 3/4 full, maybe?

m155piggy

bunbun2 wrote: »

don't worry one is a good start. I only got my kindle mid December and am still learning. I didn't know there was a kindle section.

I have subscribed to the kindle users forum which sends me an email every day with all the free books available to download. There are loads of recipe books and everything else you can think of too.

http://www.kuforum.co.uk/kindleusersforum/

FeistyFidget

Ruth_honey wrote: »

Well, we've just finished our first meat-based slow cooker meal & it was lovely! Beef skirt, potatoes, carrots & parsnip in a sauce made from a beef casserole packet (because it was in the cupboard & we're not sure about stock etc yet). We've got enough meat & veg left to do another one as I wasn't sure it would it fit in the slow cooker. How filled can you make it? 3/4 full, maybe?

I fill mine about 3/4 - little bit of advice; make sure you don't keep taking the lid off to stir. If you do all the heat gets lost and can ages to get back to temperature - it 'shouldn't' burn, providing you have enough liquid in. Obviously because of the way it cooks, things can be quite runny - always have corn flour in the cupboard and it isn't an issue HTH - you have inspired me to get using mine again

Do we have any crocheters in the thread? I have a hook and tried to learn earlier in the year (much prefer knitting) but would really like to make some of these next year;

http://www.squidoo.com/crochet-headband

Can anyone suggest the best way to start?

Also, could someone point me in the direction of some nice (really, really cheap) gloves? I want to buy some for friends and family for Christmas, and then knit matching scarves and ear warmers.

Own_My_Own

FeistyFidget wrote: »

I fill mine about 3/4 - little bit of advice; make sure you don't keep taking the lid off to stir. If you do all the heat gets lost and can ages to get back to temperature - it 'shouldn't' burn, providing you have enough liquid in. Obviously because of the way it cooks, things can be quite runny - always have corn flour in the cupboard and it isn't an issue HTH - you have inspired me to get using mine again

Do we have any crocheters in the thread? I have a hook and tried to learn earlier in the year (much prefer knitting) but would really like to make some of these next year;

http://www.squidoo.com/crochet-headband

Can anyone suggest the best way to start?

Also, could someone point me in the direction of some nice (really, really cheap) gloves? I want to buy some for friends and family for Christmas, and then knit matching scarves and ear warmers.

You Tube
Learn to crochet-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqca00LdmAc

jakesbakescakes

Feisty the headband looks lovely - would make lovely pressies. I am much more of a knitter but do plan a bit more crocheting this year - what advice i can give you is... check what crochet pattern you are using-instructions, abbrevs and even stiches are different depending on whether the pattern is British, US or Canadian. As a beginner you are best to buy a book with tutorials and some simple patterns in it so you know you are definately using the right techniques for the right patterns. I once spent hours and hours (if not days) sweating over some crochetted xmas angels... i couldn't work out why they were so mishapen and wrong-looking.... it was only after i chucked the hook in and pulled them apart that i realised i had been using British stitches but following a Canadian pattern! Tskk!
I am a 'ravelry.com' addict - it is free to join and has literally billions of knit/crochet patterns for free (as well as others you can buy to download) it truely is a knitters paradise, sigh...
I have just spent weeks knitting 12 days of xmas characters for BF (she's opening one a day for each of the 12 days) 'Lord A Leaping' is def my favourite :-) but now i am feeling all inspired to get a crochet hook out...... watch this space....

girlinayellowdress

I'm considering getting a new sewing machine. I bought a lovely one for DD for college but she never looked after it. I'd like something good but reasonably priced.....hmmm now shall I start looking online, dangerous thing when I see lots of nice sites...

rosalie-lavender

jakesbakescakes wrote: »

Feisty the headband looks lovely - would make lovely pressies. I am much more of a knitter but do plan a bit more crocheting this year - what advice i can give you is... check what crochet pattern you are using-instructions, abbrevs and even stiches are different depending on whether the pattern is British, US or Canadian. As a beginner you are best to buy a book with tutorials and some simple patterns in it so you know you are definately using the right techniques for the right patterns. I once spent hours and hours (if not days) sweating over some crochetted xmas angels... i couldn't work out why they were so mishapen and wrong-looking.... it was only after i chucked the hook in and pulled them apart that i realised i had been using British stitches but following a Canadian pattern! Tskk!
I am a 'ravelry.com' addict - it is free to join and has literally billions of knit/crochet patterns for free (as well as others you can buy to download) it truely is a knitters paradise, sigh...
I have just spent weeks knitting 12 days of xmas characters for BF (she's opening one a day for each of the 12 days) 'Lord A Leaping' is def my favourite :-) but now i am feeling all inspired to get a crochet hook out...... watch this space....

I will second this advice. I recently made my son a 20 sided dice and couldn't figure the pattern out at first. Turned out it was American and what we call treble crochet they call double. Their treble crochet was a different stitch again.

jakesbakescakes

Now you all know what a techno-phobe I am but gonna try to add a link (crickey!) if it works this will be the crochet afghan throw that i plan to make a few of this year for xmas gifts

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L20287.html?utm_source=201228_Dec28&utm_medium=Emails&utm_campaign=Weeklynewsletter&utm_content=P-CrochetModHexAfghan

OH YAY!!!! get a load of me........ lol!!!!!!

Hanley25

Happy Birthday Daisiegg. Hope you've had a lovely day.
Well I just had a rather interesting walk home from my Mum's. She lives about 2 minutes away from me, as I was passing some large double gates I heard a bit of a commotion. I asked the ladies standing by the gate if they needed any help as they looked like they were struggling with something. Turns out that one of the ladies had a little Jack Russel with her, he had run up to the gates and somehow got his paw stuck in it. There were 2 rather agressive big dogs the other side and they had attacked the paw. There was blood everywhere and they couldn't free the poor thing. I rang the fire brigade to see if they could help, while I was speaking to them another lady came out of a nearby house to help. One of the big dogs somehow got his head through the gate and bit this lady. Cue more blood everywhere and a call to an ambulance! :eek:
After about half an hour the owner of the big dogs came back and freed the dog using an angle grinder. By then there wasn't much left of his paw, the owners rushed off to the emergency vets while I called the fire brigade to tell them they were no longer needed. The police have since called and taken a statement from me. I felt so sorry for the poor little dog, I have 2 Lancashire Heelers and it could easily have happened to one of them. I always make sure I keep them on a short lead passing those gates because of how nasty those 2 dogs are. I'm still a bit in shock from it all, sorry to bring the thread down.

nic2075

Evening lovelies. I've had a productive day today.
I got the tree and decs all down and cleaned the living room. Then I packed 8 boxes. So thats a start for the move. I was having a panic this morning as I had nothing done and the place felt a mess. So I feel much better now.

I made a lovely cheese, onion and potato pie for tea, it was lush. Nice comfort food. I plan to make as many cheap meals from scratch this year. So thought I'd start now as we need to run the cupboards and freezer down.

Happy Birthday Daisiegg xxx

My partner is a Primary teacher. it makes me really cross to hear people havng a go at teachers. He doesn't come in til 6pm at night and then spends the rest of the night planning. He spends most of the holidays planning the term ahead too. Plus is a stressful job standing up infront of 33 Kids all day and keep them interested and teach.

We have our M&S nibbles and Prosecco all ready for Hogmanay. We were going to go out to a family Celidh, it decided to stay in with the kids and have a we party night with them x