George

Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie....

For those of you who did not hear my delighted tweets at the weekend, we have a new love and I'm infatuated. While we healed from losing our  beautiful One True Love we received a call from a Doberman rescue home that a delightful bouncing boy needed a new home. Nervously we agreed to an introduction and when this charming young man licked my face and sat at my feet expectantly, we knew that we had to bring him home. He was already leaning in for more kisses when I said 'Let's give this pup a good life'.

George is 13 months and has had a pretty tough time of late. He was found as a stray, frightened and underweight then placed in a police pound for weeks. In the pound, he was caged in a crate that was far too small for a growing Doberman pup and so he is a skinny and slightly balding wretch (the crate rubbed the fur off his tail).

However, we have him in the nest now and are enjoying learning this docile pup's favourite things. Thus far, these things include any food item, cuddles and soft gentle whispers in his oversized floppy ears. 

Be my Valentine: No.98

Good morning all. I'm so excited to share this feature with you..... it involves one of my favourite people right now! Ever since I was given two jars of jam from No.98's Handmade Couture Preserves to review, I've been like a woman possessed. I've told everyone I know, tweeted and shouted from the roof tops that I am in love with this jam. One thing I haven't done is share but I'm expecting you to be better behaved than me.

My next suggestion for Valentine's involves one of my favourite treats: breakfast in bed. Slather these distinctive spreads over freshly baked croissants, dollop in porridge or simply do as I've done the last week or so and just grab a spoonful. What's more No.98 have waited for YOU, the playful member,s to announce their limited edition spreads: Bergamot and lime marmalade, Lemon and Strega Marmalade and Seville and Ginger. Nothing says I love you more than food. I'm just sayin'

I caught up with the Goddess of Jam that is Rebecca from No.98 to find out all about her, the wonderful world of seasonal goodies and to get some more ideas for jammy Valentine's goodness.

Tell us a little about you and your products.

I’m Rebecca and I’m a little bit obsessed with putting things in jars! A few years ago as I was finishing up my PHD I realised that I couldn’t get an academic job, and was spending a lot of time in the kitchen. The more I played and experimented with flavour, the more obsessed I became, and then one day my boyfriend casually suggested that I do it as a business. I did a couple of test markets and got great feedback, so off I went, registered my kitchen, and launched the business. Now I balance making my preserves and a part-time job in a local deli. Up until this week I was still only working with one preserving pan! I have about 15 flavours at the moment, but am already working on new ones for this year, which I find really exciting.

What makes your jams so special?

The aim of the business is to produce a very high-end couture product. It’s not mass produced, it’s made with real care with British or organic produce, only what’s in season and with a real attention to complex flavour construction. People laugh at me, but I think jam (and chutney) should be like a good wine, it should have a really complex flavour with distinct notes in it. If you buy something that claims to have several components, like my plum and rosemary jam, I think you should get a clear balance of them. Also, many of my products are designed to age like wines and get better. If you buy my Seville and Whiskey Marmalade now it’ll be good, but leave it six to twelve months and it’ll be really amazing!

Also, if you buy something from me, it’s all been done by me, from chopping the fruit to labeling the jars and standing behind the market stall and selling it. I think that has real appeal for customers: they can stand and talk to the person who is so passionate about what their doing at every stage of the way. Of course I want to expand, but I always want to be the person in the kitchen and talking to the customer. I never want to be a detatched CEO sitting in an office.

How do you decide new ranges?

I decide new flavours in a number of ways as I find inspiration from so many sources, and often that sparks an idea and then it’s into the kitchen to start one of numerous test batches. For example, I had a dessert in a restaurant in Italy last year, which has lead to the development of one of my new jams due this summer. Sometimes a customer asks for something I don’t have, and if I like the idea and think I can do it well enough within the ethos of British produce and complex depth of flavour I’ll give it a go. When I first started lots of people asked if I had a strawberry jam. Now, everyone does a strawberry jam, and I’m not a huge fan, but a few weeks later I was having a glass of Pimms with friends and thought, 'now this would be a good idea for a preserve', and so my Strawberry Summer Cocktail jam was born! [side note from Ms Playful: this is made of win]

The underlying aspect though is whether I think it’s good enough to qualify as a truly impressive flavoursome preserve. If I can’t make it to my own high standard then I won’t sell it. And you certainly do get duff batches, which is why my under-stairs cupboard is filled with jars of test products that we have to eat year after year!

Challenge: Name 5 uses for Jam....

Only five! Well, I have to be obvious as say on toast, because frankly for me nothing beats and amazing piece of bread toasted and slathered with jam. A nice chewy sourdough with a strong flavour and crisp crust is hard to beat. But I find so many uses for jam. Rich fruit jams such as plum, blackcurrant and blackberry are great stirred into meat juices to make gravy, they give it a richness and lovely sheen. I sometimes heat my apricot and vanilla jam and pour it over vanilla ice cream, a real treat! My lemon and rosemary marmalade cake has become a bit of a favourite at the deli, and is a great way to use up the dregs of all those marmalades sitting in the fridge. Recently a customer emailed to say she’s been using my pear, ginger and brandy jam to glaze her parsnips as they roast- what a wonderful idea! Oh, and if I can sneak in a sixth? If you make American-style pancakes for brunch I love layering them with a slather of jam between them, or heating the jam and pouring it over the top with some maple syrup. Delish.

Describe YOUR perfect Valentine’s date.

I have to say that I think my perfect date is probably what we do each year; I cook, usually putting a bit more effort in that a normal night, and we enjoy an indulgent homemade dessert, maybe Tiramisu (his favourite) open a really posh bottle of wine and curl up with Casablanca. If the 14^th happens to fall on a weekend I always do brunch in bed, with a bottle of fizz. There is something very delightful (and playful!) about having a glass of booze before “lunchtime” and having a really smart breakfast in bed. I might even go the extra mile and make jam-filled Danish!

What was the best Valentine’s gift you were ever given?

I received my best gift last year. I was at home, but the boyfriend was working. I got up late and came downstairs to find a sealed envelope containing a love letter left on my desk. It was so beautiful. It still makes me tearful, it was so perfect and touching. I guard that letter very very safely indeed.

 

Anything else?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past year or so it’s to be serious and yet not take yourself too seriously. I love what I do and am passionate about it, but I used to be such a worrier, I’d stress over the things I had no control over, as well as many of the things I didn’t. The past year has been a whirlwind of hard work, and it taught me that there really isn’t time to sweat it. If you want something, make it happen, because you really can, and you should certainly have a laugh about it along the way. That batch of jam that refused to set? Call it sauce, file under “learning-curve”, chuck it under the stairs and stop dwelling on it! 

To order wonderful jams, marmalades and chutneys, please visit www.no98.co.uk or you can order direct by emailing infoATno98DOTcoDOTuk. Be sure to check out Rebecca's highly popular blog where you can win some new flavours and keep up to date with her on twitter, NO98limited.

Be my Valentine: Jane Richmond

It seems like we're just letting the dust settle on the holiday season and already I'm seeing banners and adverts going up for the lover's holiday: Valentine's Day. Who stole January? 

Here in the playful house, we're not really much for celebrating Valentine's and tend to do our own little nod to it with something sweet, possibly hand made and a dinner.... AFTER the 14th February.

So whether you're coupled up, loved up or planning to show yourself some indulgence, I'm going to feature 4 Valentine's posts over the next 2 weeks with some ideas for crafty gifts that will work especially well for Valentine's but also, for gift giving in the future.

First up, is Jane Richmond, a favourite designer of mine with beautifully fashionable garments and to die for accessories. I'm definitely a fan of accessories when it comes to gift giving as they're fast, lower cost and instant gratifcation. The patterns that really caught my eye were these 3 hats: Bailey, Christopher and Elizabeth. 

Bailey is a lovely textured hat which I think is perfect for men and women alike. It's knit inside out from 1 skein of Cascade 220 so there's both interest in terms of a different construction method and ease in terms of 1 skein of readily available yarn.

Bailey, Image Credit Jane Richmond

Following on from the theme of interesting construction is Christopher, a top down striped beanie. Again this struck me as unisex and super warm and snuggly and I just loved the fact it was reversible. Two hats in one!

Last but not least is Elizabeth, my personal favourite. A friend on mine once knit me a Jane Richmond hat and I've worn it to death. I see this hat in my very near future! Elizabeth is a bulky weight yarn so super speedy and with cabled textures that just makes my heart sing. 

While I ruminate on which hat I want to knit myself first for Valentine's (the giant doesn't wear hats so more for me I say), I will share some lovely answers Jane gave me to an interview earlier this month. I found her warm and charming and I love, love, love her web pages design style. Yum.

Christopher Image Credit Jane Richmond

Tell us a little about you and your designs
I am very mechanical (in another life I worked in the garage of a car dealership and desperately wanted my trades ticket as an auto mechanic) so my interest in knitting construction isn’t surprising. I love both math and art and never thought I would find a career that marries the two so well. I am both a process and product knitter so enjoying a well written pattern is just as important to me as the end result. I often sacrifice design elements in order to deliver a headache free knit.

You have a very fashionable look, how closely do you monitor trends?
Thank you! I don’t really follow trends too closely. I love fashion and admire people who do it well but I’ve always just done my own thing, regardless of trends. My look doesn’t really change very much from year to year, I think because my style is simple and minimalist it never really feels outdated.

You describe your designs as classic and simple, could you explore this a little further?
I think this is a result of my process & product duality that I mentioned above. I don’t think that knitting needs to be overly complicated to be beautiful and I always try to think of the knitter and their level of enjoyment. I am drawn to classic looks because they cross over current trends and will always be fashionable.

Elizabeth, Image Credit Jane Richmond

Many of your patterns are named after family members and loved ones. As this is a Valentine's post about clothing your loved ones, perhaps you could explain this inspiration.
In the winter of 2008 I challenged myself to hand knit Christmas gifts for everyone on my list. Not only were the gifts handmade they were all designed from scratch. These designs became my first self published knitting patterns and over the years I have continued to name pieces for their intended recipients, most of which have been family members.

Describe YOUR perfect Valentine's date
A homemade meal that was well thought out and from the heart would certainly make me feel loved ...And maybe the ultimate sacrifice of sitting through a sappy romantic chick flick!

What was the best Valentine's gift you were ever given? Or perhaps one that sticks in mind (mine is a dead frog. I was 5 and it was the boy next door. I screamed blue murder)
I always loved exchanging those cheesy Valentine’s Day cards at school (and keeping tabs on just how many you received!). I also loved candy grams and secret Valentine’s... who doesn’t love to know that someone somewhere is secretly crushing on them!

You can keep up to date with Jane on her blog, Ravelry or on Facebook.

12 women in 12: Jen Arnall-Culliford

In my bloggerly and professional world I have found a theme growing this week: attention to detail. I have come to realise that the designers I respect the most are those that are as exacting in their patterns as they are creative in their designing. This level of professionalism is one I have huge admiration for and want to celebrate the kind of attention to detail that means audiences pay for patterns that are hugely fun to knit but also easy to follow and understand. 

Enter technical editing, my focus for the first woman in my '12 women in 12' series. I invited Jen Arnall-Culliford to share her experiences and bring a profession that many people might not even be aware of, to the forefront where it can be celebrated for all that it brings to the knitting world.

Jen in a Wooly Wormhead wonder

Jen works as a freelance technical editor which means that she works for a range of different people and companies who publish knitting patterns. Jen's job is to check, and correct the instructions to ensure that they will produce the same thing as the photographed sample. This involves checking that the tension (gauge), and number of stitches and rows will make the right sized pieces, and that those pieces will fit together to make a garment or accessory of the correct dimensions. This is not a job for the faint hearted or mathmatically challenged. 

Jen will also rewrite instructions to make them clearer and/or to fit them to a house style of pattern instructions. When knitters work regularly from a company's patterns, they should become familiar with the style of pattern wording. This makes it easier as the style is comfortable and known. As I described above, this is what really makes me fall for a designer and most importantly, stick with a designer as I know what to expect.

The work of a technical editor may also include re-drawing knitting charts and blocking diagrams, and grading patterns. Grading is the process of taking the first pattern (written in the sample size) and adding instructions to make the design available in a range of sizes. 

In something I can only describe as detective work, Jen will also occasionally pattern-write from scratch. In this situation, the designer only provides a schematic or fabric toile to give the shape of the desired garment, as well as a knitted swatch of fabric. Jen is then required to write a full set of knitting instructions, so that a sample knitter can create the sample garment, ready for photography.

Talking to Jen I was really struck by both her professionalism and her commitment to getting it right. One of the questions I asked, 'If I could do it all again, I would be.....' resulted in a fervent answer that she loved what she is doing. Jen describes her work colleagues as being her personal heroes and this dedication really does show through.

One of Jen's proudest moments (and there could be many, she struggled to be pinned to just one) was the Fyberspates first pattern collection, 'The Scrumptious Collection: Volume 1'.  Jen says, 'I think that Fyberspates wins by a whisker, because I was responsible for so much of the project' and goes on to describe the moment when she first saw the copies come back from the printer:

The Scrumptious Collection, (c) Fyberspates

"I could have burst with pride"

The Scrumptious Collection was the first big project that Jen worked on as a freelancer and helped Jeni from Fyberspates with almost every aspect of the book, from commissioning through to the styling for the photoshoot which she admits was out of her comfort zone. As well as the editing, the book also involved a few of Jen's own designs which she also does from time to time. 

It is Jen's final word's on the project that makes me really appreciate the importance of her role. Jen finishes talking about the project by reflecting that 'Seeing how well the book has gone down with knitters at shows just makes all of the hard work so worthwhile'. It is commiting to both the knitters and the designers that makes the job of technical editors so important.

Congratulations to Jen for being such an inspiration for knitters and knit professionals alike. If you're wondering where you might see Jen, you might spot her in future projects with Susan Crawford, Kate Davies, Kyoko Nakayoshi, The Knitter, Simply Knitting, Fyberspates and Jamieson & Smith. Alas, she cannot reveal details as the importance of confidentiality on creative projects is high. Instead, follow her antics on twitter, JenACKnitwear or her own blog.

Cover of Knit Real Shetland, Jamieson & Smith (c)

Stay tuned for more 12 women in 12 and please do join in to show your appreciation for technical editing by tweeting along on twitter (#12womenin12) or sharing your feelings about well written patterns on your own blog. Be sure to let me know/ link us in, we'd love to know what you think!

Review: From Season to Season

A little while ago I was browsing through my local library, as always looking for recipe books to ponder. I found 'From Season to Season: A year in Recipes' by Sophie Dahl (Published 2011 by HarperCollins) of the Delicious Miss Dahl fame and brought it home for closer inspection.

The series that spawned the first of her 2 cookbooks was met with mixed reviews. Some found it sweet, whimsical and pretty to look at (the series possibly therefore captured Miss Dahl?) but most found it just too twee and were left unimpressed as to Sophie Dahl's ability to be anything more than a stupendously beautiful clothes horse. Persumably then, this is the follow up book to really make her stamp in the cooking world.

So what did I find?

The book is set out by seasons and then each of these are divided again into Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. This works well and makes the book easy to navigate. Unlike many cookbooks I can source ingredients as they are currently in season as long as I'm looking at the correct section.

Image Credit The Telegraph

However, delving further in I'm dismayed at the array going on here- aloo gobi for breakfast nestles in amongst poached pears with healthy vanilla custard. Sophie is well travelled and seems to want to showcase it all inside one book. I'm all for new exciting cuisines and being adventurous but I began to suspect that Sophie spread herself too thin. Finding a fish finger sandwich confirmed this.

There's also a habit of stories throughout the book that I can't decide whether I like or not. I love food writing and have a real weakness for the food section of most newspapers at the weekend but it all comes over a little saccharine to say the least. Once again, I felt cynical and wondered how much material there really was for this book. I don't like feeling this way. I want to enjoy and delight in this book. There's pretty pictures in it to help me delight.....

Ah yes, the pictures.

The food pictures are wonderful but most of the book largely consists of Miss Dahl who by now I suspect is not eating some of the fuller fat disher. Plenty of pretty pictures of Miss Dahl,dressed in pretty, quaint little outfits, possible forgaging for food (she lives in a farm cottage).

What I tried: Baked Pumpkin with lemon, sauteed greens and toasted cumin dressing, and a Lentil Salad with a mustard dressing.


Verdict: A few nice recipes here and those I tried worked well with a good balance of flavour. I have to admit the seasonal ingredients are tenuous, as in the case of the lentils it was Mint providing the seasonal flare but I found it in the Autumnal segment. I would recommend this to someone like my sister who is a newly developing cook who wants a visually appealing recipe book with simple to recreate recipes. I would not recommend this for the die hard cooks out there. You will shudder at the fish finger sandwich rather than rejoice in the 'studentness' of it and devour one immediately, while still not following the recipe instructions as you have NO need to.

I have no idea why I mentioned that last gluttonous part......