Crafternoon Tea with Grannyg

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Intro

Pleased to be back people! So pleased! Majacraft was everything I imagined and more. Lexi was inspiring  so much so I broke boundaries I didn’t think I had.

This week I’ve moved onto spinning some superwash merino from Inspire Fibres and knitting the Pas de Valse from Twist Collective

In the Tins

Raisin Bread, (with no raisins!) from this amazing book

Recipe

2C scalded milk

1C warm water

mix in 1t active dry yeast

1T sugar

6-8C flour

1 large egg

2T melted butter

1T salt

1C dark raisins

Combine milk and water, mix in yeast add sugar and 2C flour and stir until smooth, stand for several minutes.

Add egg and butter, stir in, sprinkle salt and stir in, add flour one cup at a time while mixing.  I used my Kenwood, but this would be easy enough to mix by hand or bread maker as well.  Keep adding the flour cup by cup until the dough become difficult to stir.  Knead dough (either in mixer or on well floured board) for about 5 minutes.

Place dough in clean oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or bag and let rise until doubled.

Then split dough into half, flatten out dough into 2 halves sprinkle with raisins through the centre, envelope fold the thirds over, then fold into thirds again – the other way.  Enhance the rectangular shape to fit into the loaf tins (previously greased)  let rise until double again.  Bake into a preheated oven to 220Celsius.

Of course you could do what grannyg did, leave out the raisins and make 1 loaf and some buns.  Its entirely up to you!

Interview with Kate Sherratt

Kate Sherratt is a “jack of all” and has the pleasure of working for Ashfords, she joins us today to share her adventures in the fibre world.

Conclusion

Have an enjoyable crafting week my friends – we’ll see you next week!

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Intro

Been busy with the secret project and baking. Dyed fibre for the Majacraft Camp. Was a bit frustrated by matted mohair even though it was scoured, thinks perhaps because it had been sitting in plastic for a long time – public service announcement; always check your fibre before purchasing! Genny has reached her goal as she has interviewed Anne Field, her ‘hark the herald angels sing’ interviewee.

Secret Project

Secret project is done, in the hands of NZ Post. Finishing tooks ages, jacket especially. Genny gives a detailed explanation of finishing the project.

In the Tins

Chocolate brownie caramel slice, inspired by a trip to the cafe. Brownie base with a caramel filling and a chocolate icing.

Recipe

Grannyg’s chocolate caramel brownie slice

Base

150gm Chocolate (plus another 150gm for icing)

30 gm Butter

3/4C Sugar

1t Vanilla

2 eggs

1/2C flour

1/2t Salt

Melt Chocolate and butter together, stir in sugar (don’t mind it being grainy looking – it’s the sugar) then the vanilla and eggs one by one.  Once well combined, stir in dry ingrients.  Pour into slice tin and bake at 180 deg Celsius until firm (about 15 minutes) then pour on Caramel filling and bake for another 10 minutes until topping is bubbly. Once cooled down, melt the other 150gm (or more) chocolate and pour over and spread out evenly.  Allow chocolate to set before slicing.  This slice is good to refrigerate.

Caramel Filling

1 tin condensed milk

50gm butter

2T golden syrup

Either melt in microwave or in pot on stove until well combined and slightly bubbled..

Interview with Anne Field

Anne Field is a weaver, spinner and author. Her website is called Anne Field.

Conclusion

Granny G will be at the Majacraft Camp over the next weekend so won’t be back podcasting till the following weekend.

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Intro

Please leave comments on the website: Granny G Crafts or the ravelry board

Crafting this week

Secret project, eight days to go + two days courier. [Lots of sighing here Granny, you’ll get there – hug! ] Podcast a bit shorter due to a busy weekend knitting.

Interview with Jo Reeve

Genny interview Jo Reeve, author of the Ashford Book of Carding and The Ashford Book of Hand Spinning and editor of Creative Fibre.

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[podcast]http://www.grannygcrafts.com/podcasts/episode16.mp3[/podcast]

Intro

It’s been a while since the last podcast, Granny’s been on holiday. Podcasting on the go was a bit too ambitious as she drove over 3000km in nine days. G discusses the wonderful places she visited in New Zealand, she especially enjoyed Dunedin (where Jayshree is living now) and its Larnach Castle & Gardens. She especially enjoying visiting crafty places: Milton’s Mill which is now run by ; Qualityarns, the Oamaru
Textile Exchange and Ashford’s.
Genny spent Saturday with James at Joy of Yarn in Greytown for the Annual JOY Weekend. In baking related news in Greytown Genny loved the Le Pommier French Bakery and James’ partner Ian’s Coconut Loaf.

Crafting this week

Wee bit of knitting on the Secret project & some sewing on PJs.

Interview with Peg Moorhouse

Peg’s website is Peg Moorhouse Weaver, she’s a damask weaver. She recently exhibited at COCA. Peg was involved
in the World of Wearable Art in its infancy and she’s donated her first exhibited in the very first show held in a tent in Nelson. She mentions Nelson’s celebs such as WOWA founder Suzie Moncrief and cafe entrepeneur Eelco Boswijk

In the Tins

Genny really enjoyed baking with Ian from JOY who taught her a no-knead,
no-rise bread recipe

Five Grain Bread: Easy & No kneading – Recipe
4 teaspoons of dried yeast
One teaspoon of raw sugar
850mL of warm water
¼ cup of rye
¼ cup of flaxseed
¼ cup of wheat germ
¼ cup of millet
2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups of plain white flour
4 cups of wholemeal flour
1 egg, lightly beaten

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water and leave to dissolve (stir once or twice)
Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir through to mix, make a well in the centre drop in the beaten egg and then pour in the yeast mix (looks like a porridge mix)
Pour the mixture into 2 greased loaf tins and put into a COLD oven. turn the oven onto 200 degrees celcius and cook for about 50 -60 minutes untill the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Cool in tins for 5 minutes and turn onto cooling racks.

Essay: My Fibre Night in Dunedin

Genny talks about visiting a knit group in Dunedin which isattended by previous interviewees Morag & Stella. She talks to Ngairie about her knitting t-shirt business.

Secret Project

Going well, should have it done by when its due.

Conclusion

Genny encourages people to post comments on the site!

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Intro

Genny’s main focus at the moment is preparing for Jay’s departure.

Crafting this week

Granny’s been working on the secret project and sewing. She’s been making pyjamas for her granddaughters and encourages sewers to get their sewing machines serviced as its made a huge difference to her. She got her’s done at the Pakarunga Bernina Centre.

Genny taught Livvy to sew using stretchy floral cotton on the weekend of the 3rd. They used the New Look pattern number 6813. She taught Livvy the techniques of using patterns, laying out the fabric, lining up the pieces and understanding the pattern ‘hieroglyphics’. As a beginner sewer Olivia found the advanced techniques tricky like putting in the zip, sew the waistband and using the overlocker. She felt disappointed that she didn’t do some of the work and Genny suggests she buy some cheaper fabric to try it out herself.

In the Tins

A banana cake! A staple of the Granny household, using ripe bananas, spotty to rotten but not mouldy. There is discussion on the Ravelry board about New Zealand’s fumigation policy meaning that bananas are not ripening the same. Granny makes her cakes in loaf tins as this makes them very portable. Her go to recipes are the Edmond’s cookbook recipe and from Dorie Greenspan. As she had six bananas she didn’t have enough sour cream to make the Greenspan recipe so weent with Edmond’s.

Edmonds Banana cake recipe

125gm butter

3/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1.5C mashed ripe banana

1t baking soda

2T hot milk

2C standard flour

1t Baking Powder

Cream butter and sugar till butter is white and mix is fluffy, add eggs one at a time. Mash bananas seperately and stir into wet ingredients. Boil milk in the microwave and store in the baking soda, which will come up foamy. Granny’s doubled recipe made three loaves. This recipe can also be used for muffins or cupcakes. The size of the tin predisposes the length of cooking time, remember to preheat to 180 degrees. This mixture isn’t a high riser, Granny half filled her loaf tins. They took 45 – 55min to cook. Edmond’s suggests using lemon icing, also nice are cream cheese or chocolate butter icing.

Banana cakes aren’t Granny’s fave, more a necessity. She finds that banana cakes can be a bit tickly, perhaps the baking soda or overripe bananas. Mr T found the cake too soft and moist, so would break when held to eat.

As Granny’s out and about for her holiday she thinks she might talk about a cafe that she visits. She’s planning another afternoon with Jasmine to discuss baking.

Secret Project

Granny describes knitting the sleeves of the jacket and errors that result in brilliance. She’s finalised her items, a jacket, dress and hat. The underneath dress will be a seamless top down raglan or circular yoke with a small funnel neck and capped sleeves, fitted around the upper torso going out to an A-line knee length. The third accessory will be a sideways knitted slouchy hat.

Conclusion

Genny can’t wait to see what the next two podcasts will be like. She hopes to have lots of time for recording with her new iPhone microphone dongle on her roadtrip.

[podcast]http://www.grannygcrafts.com/podcasts/episode15.mp3[/podcast]

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Happy New Year!! Welcome 2010 it’s good to see you!

Intro

Granny G discusses New Zealand holiday dates for 2009/2010, she’s off for a family road trip to the South Island. Christmas celebrations are discussed and crafty gifts. G’s organising the house for a new boarder and reorganising her craft room. Granny has relaxed by reducing the amount of crafting and baking she has done.

Crafting this week

Super secret knitting project to be the main focus, will now have a Super Secret Update section. G’s been making dresses for Jayshree and her sewing machine was overwhelmed. She’s got very keen on elastic. Granny has decided to not take on any new crafts as she is impressed by Meg’s dedication to her one craft.

Interview with Meg

Meg Nakagawa’s Website, which has a blog post about the interview with a few more things she wanted to say and a gallery with lots of beautiful pictures of her work plus links to her exhibitions. Meg is a professional weaver who lives in Nelson. When she started becoming a full time weaver she worked through the book The Artist’s Way.

Meg jokes that she learnt everything about New Zealand from Kim Hill, she hosts the Saturday morning show on our main public brodcasting radio station Radio New Zealand National.

Meg’s first public weaving event was a workshop at the Marlborough Weavers.

Secret Project

Project to be entered in Creative Fibre’s Fashion Parade. Genny’s been spinning Gottland fleece and plans to knit a jacket in the dark fleece, a dress or skirt in grey and an accessory item. She describes her design process and knitting so far.

Conclusion

G is happily still in holiday mode. Granny thanks Celeritas2 (that’s me) for doing notes for the show.

[podcast]http://www.grannygcrafts.com/podcasts/episode14.mp3[/podcast]

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Hello!  Welcome back friends.  This week has been a lot of fun as usual!

I have some great news – I have my first volunteer and here is the result of her hard work, my show notes!
Crafting this week

[podcast]http://www.grannygcrafts.com/podcasts/episode13.mp3[/podcast]

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The random number generator came up with “5″ and the 5th comment was….

Congratulations Rachelle – I’ll email you for your address! and hopefully have it to you in time for some Xmas spinning.

	Rachelle Crosbie	Submitted on 2009/11/20 at 2:29pm I would love to win a copy of Pat’s book, she was one of the judges of my yarn for the correspondence course I did.

Hello!

Welcome to episode 12, we talk with Margaret Stove today – I had such a wonderful chat with her and came away completely fizzing with inspiration.  There is a lovely cheesecake for you in the tins and I get a little bossy..

sit back, pour yourself another cuppa and enjoy!

We’ll see you next week.

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