tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725547917205270322024-03-16T01:09:28.922+00:00Dispatches from the DeisePrimarily a personal blog with commentary on any random issues or current affairs that make an impression.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.comBlogger219125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-35042153321605666142014-03-09T13:20:00.000+00:002014-03-09T13:20:14.818+00:00Thai Chicken Curry - my own version of an Asian Classic<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thai Chicken Curry - my take on an Asian Classic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BywFPQDft_4/UxxaD-HPofI/AAAAAAAAHHE/C0qm_aSYa58/s640/blogger-image--674572996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BywFPQDft_4/UxxaD-HPofI/AAAAAAAAHHE/C0qm_aSYa58/s640/blogger-image--674572996.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I promised this last week for many of you - sorry for delay! Enjoy!😋</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">You need:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">4 chicken breasts - diced.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Broccoli florets - 10-12</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">1 Onion - sliced </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">1green/red/yellow pepper - sliced </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">100g sliced mushrooms - button or your preference</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">1-2 cloves garlic</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Olive oil - 2-3tblsps </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thai curry paste - I use 1-2 tblsp each of red and yellow. You could use 2-3 of either red, yellow or green as you prefer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Coconut Milk - 1 can </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The following are optional:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">1 tsp. smoked paprika </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">1tsp. Cajun seasoning </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">1tsp. Season-all (Schwarz spices/herb blend).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Method: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Heat some oil in wok or heavy base frying pan/skillet, stir- fry chicken and sprinkle with the optional spices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Remove chicken and stir fry vegetable for a minute or two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Return chicken to wok and mix with vegetables. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Add the Thai Curry pastes and mix well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Add the coconut milk and mix well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cover and simmer for 10-15 mins until chicken cooked thoroughly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Serve with boiled Basmati or Thai Jasmine Rice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Saté (peanut) sauce or Sweet soya sauce like Ketjap Manis are tasty condiments with this delicious dish! </span></div>
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Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-47403264459891119382013-05-10T16:10:00.001+01:002013-05-10T16:10:43.314+01:00Reilly apologises over remarks made to nurse at INMO conference - Health News | Irish Medical News | The Irish Times - Fri, May 10, 2013<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/reilly-apologises-over-remarks-made-to-nurse-at-inmo-conference-1.1388787#.UY0NTcr4sBY.blogger">Reilly apologises over remarks made to nurse at INMO conference - Health News | Irish Medical News | The Irish Times - Fri, May 10, 2013</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I haven't blogged in ages but this is worth sharing - our Minister for Health "Calamity" James Reilly visited the annual delegate conference of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation in Letterkenny in the beautiful northwest of Ireland in Co. Donegal.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He delivered a bland 20-minute speech with some massaged statistics and platitudes to negotiate on the more controversial decisions is department tried to impose on nurse in recent months, like having new graduate nurses work for 80% salary for 100% hours. He got the silent treatment from delegates who didn't applaud his entry but did applaud his comment on renegotiating the issues. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, he blew any goodwill he might have won by insulting an African nurse as he left the conference room. She sang "All we are saying enough is enough" apropos "No more cuts", which others were chanting. He said to her as he passed "You should stick to the day job". </span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It enraged the delegates as they clamoured for him to apologise. The INMO General Secretary Liam Doran called out the nurse to the hallway where the Minister apparently apologised for his "quip" which he has tried to downplay, but we are not impressed. We were heartened to see the media clamouring to interview her after lunch. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Given the sensitivities around healtcare delivery at this difficult time of cuts and 3 days of motions debates where nurses described the awful stresses in providing patient care, it was a particularly stupid thing to say, aside altogether from the fact he said it to an African nurse who may be here on a migrant visa with all the attendant hassle of work permits and residency renewals. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No wonder they dub him Calamity James, and Dicey Reilly. Perhaps he should really practice what he preaches and stick to the day job - he certainly isn't doing so right now! </span><br />
Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-22686945317313876682012-12-27T02:40:00.000+00:002012-12-27T02:41:17.484+00:00Christmas Letter 2012 - The Round Robin comes Bob-bob-bobbing along again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year once again - Keeping up with the Rotte-Murray Family - though we are nowhere near as rich or (in)famous as the TV family half the youth of the world are keen on keeping up with, the Kardashians. It's a special day today, being the 12-12-12, a type of date that won't roll around again this century.<br />
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I hope you're all well and looking forward to the festive season albeit in a time of austerity and post-budget blues, when we are all counting the cost of the pain, and are unhappy with some of the cuts that are having an impact on young families and older people. Banks and big business seems immune from the worst excesses of austerity and people are getting increasingly angry and aggrieved, all understandably. I am not complaining personally as I am one of the cushioned public servants as a HSE nurse, but I do resent all the assumptions that I'm on a gravy train and get my gold-plated pension for free! I'll be lucky to retire in the next decade with less than 20 years of service - equal to about a quarter salary including the state pension. Meanwhile I'll grit my teeth and smile whenever I'm told I'm lucky to have a job!<br />
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What a year it's been in our family - one of flux and massive changes, mostly good, although not without some measure of poignancy, as our children move on and make their path in life. It reminds me of us a generation ago and I guess we gave little thought to the impact our choices made on our families. Now I can see that my mother had great fortitude to let me go off on my travels without guilt tripping me, and also that it can't have been easy for her to see us heading to Africa when she only saw her grandchildren when we came on holidays every year.<br />
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The year started with Martin heading off to Australia on a year's work-holiday visa. He went with his friend Bobby and they were based in Brisbane where they had friends. They tried their hand at farming in N. Queensland but it spiralled into a cascade of unfortunate events culminating in their somewhat premature return to the comforts of city living and settled down to working in Brisbane, where Martin is still enjoying working in a graphic design company and he spent some months in a nice upmarket restaurant as well. He'll be back in Ireland in a couple of months, and see where his next adventures will bring him.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wr-Z9qJhYi0/UNuyp8Q5cMI/AAAAAAAAGuM/3Qd92TeWCkc/s1600/siblings+wedding+group.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wr-Z9qJhYi0/UNuyp8Q5cMI/AAAAAAAAGuM/3Qd92TeWCkc/s400/siblings+wedding+group.png" width="400" /></a>Maeve has just turned 17 which is hard to believe and I wonder where all the years have gone since she was a baby - then I realise we are living in Ireland for almost 16 years or most of her life! She has really grown up and is taller than me, peroxide blonde for the past few months after working her way through the spectrum of home hair colours from brown to purple through red. She is in Fifth year in the local Blackwater Community School, and has a far livelier social life than I remember at that age. Learning to drive is top of her to-do list right now so she'll have to knuckle down and get her theory test before she can even take a lesson.<br />
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William has just finished his Masters in UCC in e-business (no, I haven't a clue either!) and is now in Dublin looking for work and enjoying a break after all the study. He seemed to enjoy the course and worked in Cork in an outdoor adventure shop for a few months. He would like to travel but will need to get some funds together after being a student for five of the past six years! He doesn't come back to Lismore much although he will be home for Christmas, which will be great, as it'll be a quiet one compared to the last few years.<br />
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And the reason for this - as many of you already know - is that Shayne and Jany and Sofia and Livia moved back to Spain in late July, a few weeks after their wedding on July 5th! This was the big family event of the year, which we knew would take place in the summer. We were all looking forward to it, and then at the end of May they announced their plans to move back to Spain where they had lived up to three years ago, before they came to Ireland. So that news took us all a bit by surprise, although we knew they'd ultimately planned to return, mainly as we hadn't realised it would happen so soon after the wedding. They had steady jobs in Ireland and in the midst of so much unemployment it seemed Spain would be the last place to find work. Yet within days of checking online jobs in Spain Jany was offered a job in IT in Barcelona. Then Shayne was offered an interview for a customer services job in Citibank in Barcelona. All this fast forwarded their plans for moving so within weeks of the wedding they had moved.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ybdS6Y05rw/UNuytYFXfsI/AAAAAAAAGus/xSAN4v1yctQ/s1600/livia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ybdS6Y05rw/UNuytYFXfsI/AAAAAAAAGus/xSAN4v1yctQ/s320/livia.png" width="320" /></a>The wedding itself was a wonderful day, the ceremony in Cork Registry Office followed by a reception in the Montenotte Hotel. I made the wedding cake which was a new and fun challenge for me!
We had a small group of about 45 sitting down to dinner and then another 30 or so for the afters, that peculiarly Irish institution of extending the party to everyone who doesn't come for the whole day. Anne came over from New Jersey for her Godson's wedding, which was great, and we enjoyed meeting all of Jany's family who came from Holland and who we met for the first time. Sofia and Livia looked sweet in their little flower girl frocks and loved the excitement of the day, and Jany made a beautiful bride, with her lacy dress and homemade crochet bouquet which was so creative, and a lovely touch. I had the heebie-jeebies about being mother of the groom as I am so not into fancy frocks and any I tried on seemed to add about 20 years to me - at least that's how it seemed to me! Finally I saw a lovely lavender ensemble in Shaw’s that felt right and I made a little crochet handbag and was sorted for the day. Maeve wore a beautiful blue dress from TKMaxx and she and her three friends looked great.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eUe9kqR-sos/UNuzHqoQPiI/AAAAAAAAGvA/-RcJi7k-MRo/s1600/IMG_4283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eUe9kqR-sos/UNuzHqoQPiI/AAAAAAAAGvA/-RcJi7k-MRo/s320/IMG_4283.JPG" width="320" /></a>As the move to Spain was so soon after the wedding there was plenty to plan - Jan and William drove down to Malgrat, where Shayne and Jany had lived before, with all their worldly goods in the back of the Trajet, which held a lot once the seats were removed. Shayne flew over earlier, and found an apartment before the stuff arrived, and I flew over with Jany and the girls once everything was in place. I stayed for a week's holidays and enjoyed spending that time with the girls as Jany started work a few days after we arrived. Shayne got the job in Citibank and they are well settled in by now, with the girls in the local crèche and a childminder to help out.
I went over for a long weekend in October and look forward to going over again in the New Year. We miss them a lot but Skype is terrific and with almost daily chat on Facebook it is easy to keep in touch thanks to social media. Cork is definitely not the same without them and I'll always have great memories of the Hen Night in June when we took over Cork by stretch limo and had a great night out clubbing and in the Old Oak.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r4ScNd3QPhs/UNuzBnvdQNI/AAAAAAAAGu4/uaUBlyaYdgQ/s1600/IMG_4058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r4ScNd3QPhs/UNuzBnvdQNI/AAAAAAAAGu4/uaUBlyaYdgQ/s320/IMG_4058.JPG" width="238" /></a>Jan had a busy year with Immrama going from strength to strength and this year's festival had a great lineup of speakers yet again. Despite the Arts funding cuts the festival was a big success, and hopefully this will continue to the second decade. They published a book of essays from previous speakers - The Blue Sky Bends Over All (The words of Thackeray on Lismore) - to mark the first decade of the festival. He was busy with the town council and got elected to be a delegate to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, where he went for a conference in October. There are a lot of changes afoot in the whole local government area and it looks like the town councils will be abolished and replaced with district municipal councils, covering a wider area. Time will tell how it'll all work out, as there's a lot of scepticism around the future of local democracy if there's no representation at town level. So it looks like Jan will go down in history as the last Mayor of Lismore, a somewhat dubious honour if it’s the swan song for the town council as we know it.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lLvanNzQBPY/UNuzKpVjXeI/AAAAAAAAGvI/eP9Zu-KQlnU/s1600/IMG_4060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lLvanNzQBPY/UNuzKpVjXeI/AAAAAAAAGvI/eP9Zu-KQlnU/s320/IMG_4060.JPG" width="240" /></a>As for me, I've been enjoying getting embedded in Lismore as the local public health nurse, and as I drive around the area I sometimes have to remind myself that this is actually work, so much do I enjoy it! I'll take some photos of the mountains or the sky or the views if it takes my fancy and share them on Facebook or Twitter, so that others can enjoy the beauties of Lismore and its environs. I went to the INMO conference in Killarney, and I go to Dublin for meetings of Labour Women. It's the centenary year of the Party and there have been some nice celebrations, although not on the ostentatious lines of the infamous Galway tent of Celtic Tiger days!
I'm still enjoying knitting and crochet and made some great jumpers, socks and scarves, and the knitting circle and Bookclub are my downtime activities and I get a lot of pleasure from my hobbies! This year the knitting circle got involved in Yarn Bombing or Guerilla Knitting, blitzing public space with knitted art. We did a bicycle for the Immrama 10th anniversary which you can see below, and both Jan and I did the Sean Kelly cycle again this year, me the 50km and Jan the 100km. So we really are as fit as fiddles!
We even took part in the second Aengus Finucane Memorial Walk in The Burren in May, which was a great weekend of old friends reunited from our Bangladesh days with Concern onwards through Tanzania and Laos. We are delighted that the Waterford contingent will be hosting the walk in 2013 and have a delightful route planned in West Waterford – and all in a good cause for a charity after Aengus’s heart. This year it went to Jack Praeger’s Foundation in Calcutta.<br />
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On that upbeat note I’ll wind up the newsletter for this year. We loved meeting friends old and new, from near and far, and while we’ll miss having the family all together over Christmas we’ll be Skypeing across the airmiles and looking forward to our next reunion. As ever we wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas and every good wish for a great 2013, in the hopes that the recession will recede as it should, and as the cliché goes - things can only get better.<br />
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Love and good wishes from Jan and Catherine and all the family near and far – Shayne, Jany, Sofia and Livia, Martin, William, Maeve and of course our old faithful Ben!Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-1036522437310233252012-12-09T19:53:00.002+00:002012-12-09T19:53:48.970+00:00Knitmas time again - happy days for Twitter Knitters!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Knitmas gifts!</td></tr>
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Yes, it's <a href="https://twitter.com/Knitmas">Knitmas </a>again and for those of you wondering if I've lost my festive seasonal marbles, rest assured, it's just that it's the time of the year for a dedicated group of Irish-based knitters to do an online Secret Santa via Twitter! It's my second year and it's been fun both times. Last week my "victim" Jenny (@jenbear) posted on her blog about the goodies I sent her; now I'm doing likewise with the lovely parcel I got on Friday from Isobel (@teaandcakes). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving to Dublin on Dec. 8th</td></tr>
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I was thrilled with the lovely gifts I got last year from Caroline, (@scattyhats) who sent me a lovely alpaca silk cowl and two skeins of yarn, which gave me a lot of pleasure as I knitted a shawl and a scarf with those during the year. I drew Cathy (@cathyqtpi)This year I was paired with Jenny and as it's a three-way swop you don't get something back from the person you draw. Via the website <a href="http://www.elfster.com/home/">Elfster</a> I could post anonymous questions to Jenny to see what colours she liked and what her shoe size was! All a bit smoke and daggers, as Bertie "Malaprop" Ahern might say! But she had indicated on her wish list on Elfster that she'd love a pair of handknit socks - so that was a challenge I loved! I made her a nice pair of purple self-striping socks and even though she wasn't too keen on variegated yarns she was delighted with those. I made mitts to match, and a phone cosy as well as sending a few balls of nice yarn - some Cushendale bouclé and merino with a tea cosy pattern. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely Lace Merino - perfect for a shawl.</td></tr>
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So I was chuffed with the parcel on Friday which had this delightful pair of fingerless mitts in a terrific navy, cerise and teal intarsia design - a bit like stained glass - and some fab sock yarn, as well as a 1400m skein of lace merino in a gorgeous lavender colour! I can't even begin to think how I'm gonna wind it into a ball - I'm sure I need a ball wonder thingy but haven't investigated it yet, they always wind the skeins in This is Knit in Dublin which is the only shop where I've bought unwound wool! I wore the mitts going to Dublin yesterday for the <a href="http://www.labour.ie/women/">Labour Women</a> executive meeting and they are perfect driving gloves, keeping me cosy when it was 1°C outside and ice on the roads! <br />
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Isobel also sent me some funky stitch markers, beads and slices of cake (!) as well as a notebook and soap and some cookies and chocolate to keep me happy! Altogether a very thoughtful and generous pressie and I am always touched by the kindness of strangers who've become virtual friends via Twitter - there's a lot of good things about social media despite all the bad press it gets! <br />
Enjoy the photos! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ugWB7ACi2dw/UMTGEocxuWI/AAAAAAAAGsg/kNscRGosR3w/s640/blogger-image--849563381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ugWB7ACi2dw/UMTGEocxuWI/AAAAAAAAGsg/kNscRGosR3w/s400/blogger-image--849563381.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I sent to Jenny!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-R6ItZ-OkJhM/UMTGHO7FyqI/AAAAAAAAGsw/TmhFteGSybw/s640/blogger-image--68743504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-R6ItZ-OkJhM/UMTGHO7FyqI/AAAAAAAAGsw/TmhFteGSybw/s400/blogger-image--68743504.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sock yarn - can't wait to get going!</td></tr>
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Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-54101797667647301722012-11-25T19:41:00.000+00:002012-11-25T19:41:57.378+00:00Speculating on Speculaas Koekjes - a real Dutch Treat for Christmas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-m-QO6xiy6Xc/ULJXlfMU3qI/AAAAAAAAGpc/YiN42-EDEkY/s640/blogger-image-1384511015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-m-QO6xiy6Xc/ULJXlfMU3qI/AAAAAAAAGpc/YiN42-EDEkY/s640/blogger-image-1384511015.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch Speculaas Cookies</td></tr>
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Today is a filthy wet Sunday and I am happily stuck indoors with my knitting and the Sunday paper which I did venture out for earlier on, and browsing Facebook and the Twitter machine. I saw an enthusiastic post about <a href="http://www.lidl.ie/cps/rde/xchg/SID-FCB4F424-BE25990B/lidl_ri_ie/hs.xsl/4179_25274.htm">Lidl's Spekulatius cookies</a> from Susan (who blogs at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1340703451"></span>Queen of Pots<span id="goog_1340703452"></span></a>), and she had bought up the shop's stock from what I could gather. So in the interest of cookies, international cultural and culinary relations, and the much-vaunted <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ElectricIreland">Electric Ireland Random Acts of Kindness </a>that <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151544260227907.612515.70425092906&type=1">Sean Moncrieff </a>was banging on about on Newstalk last week as a fundraiser for Concern, (of course I'm too late for that but I hope they won the competition, especially as he was doing the final show of the week in a onesie as a random act of humiliation).<br />
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So I posted to Susan that I had a recipe so she asked if I'd blog it. Of course I will, and better still I'll make the darn things. So the dough was chillaxing in the fridge and I've just baked the first batch. The Dutch recipe is from a book called "Dutch Cooking Today" and is very simple. I'll post it and also a pic from the page which you can read. I'll also post a page of a German book called "German Baking Today" from Dr. Oetker who's well known for baking products (somebody's very busy today writing cooking and baking books!) which is much more complicated and way too much hassle for a quiet Sunday so I'll wait till another time to try that one, but for anyone ambitious out there in the blogosphere you can click on the photo and see the recipe. <br />
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So here goes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wuMwMX6yJSQ/ULJrbouQi9I/AAAAAAAAGqU/utnKZJrOdFg/s640/blogger-image-648321446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wuMwMX6yJSQ/ULJrbouQi9I/AAAAAAAAGqU/utnKZJrOdFg/s640/blogger-image-648321446.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Recipe I used</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b><i>Ingredients for Speculaas Koekjes (Spiced Biscuits)</i></b></span><br />
200g/7oz Self-raising flour<br />
125g/4oz soft brown sugar<br />
2 Tablespoons Mixed Spice <br />
Pinch Salt<br />
150g/5oz chilled butter<br />
1 Tablespoon milk<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><b><i>Method</i></b></span><br />
Mix flour, spices, sugar in a bowl.<br />
Add butter, using knife chop up and rub in lightly with fingertips to breadcrumb texture. (Like short crust pastry)<br />
Add milk and quickly knead to firm dough. <br />
Wrap in cling film and put in fridge for 2 hrs minimum, ideally overnight to let flavours develop.<br />
Preheat oven 175°C/375°F. <br />
Cut dough into thin disc if it's been rolled into a sausage shape, or roll out flat and cut with cookie cutters. <br />
Place on lined baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins until nicely browned. <br />
Result - a nice light-as-air spicy biccy perfect for dunking - briefly! - in tea or coffee!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9Y5Y-2gG2Pc/ULJrgeB5nPI/AAAAAAAAGqc/M9JuEJ_TGpc/s640/blogger-image--1785503957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9Y5Y-2gG2Pc/ULJrgeB5nPI/AAAAAAAAGqc/M9JuEJ_TGpc/s640/blogger-image--1785503957.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sausage of cookie dough and Stars </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aRAgtgrswX0/ULJrhwGbaGI/AAAAAAAAGqk/aJoCf4iR6Uc/s640/blogger-image-858448977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aRAgtgrswX0/ULJrhwGbaGI/AAAAAAAAGqk/aJoCf4iR6Uc/s640/blogger-image-858448977.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Dutch Cooking Bible!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uPIhKC4Bmy8/ULJrjho5WyI/AAAAAAAAGq0/Nobmc2DUSa8/s640/blogger-image-1166338806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uPIhKC4Bmy8/ULJrjho5WyI/AAAAAAAAGq0/Nobmc2DUSa8/s640/blogger-image-1166338806.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German Spekulatius recipe - on my to-do list!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kdkNPHAJzkg/ULJrlnSHPyI/AAAAAAAAGrA/T-KjRjJzYJo/s640/blogger-image--1593499574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kdkNPHAJzkg/ULJrlnSHPyI/AAAAAAAAGrA/T-KjRjJzYJo/s640/blogger-image--1593499574.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar and Spice and all things nice…and flour!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cAZcHeOr-lA/ULJriixGqcI/AAAAAAAAGqs/EX05BpADLEc/s640/blogger-image--866155387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cAZcHeOr-lA/ULJriixGqcI/AAAAAAAAGqs/EX05BpADLEc/s640/blogger-image--866155387.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chopping butter in the spicy floury mix</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wdWSj-hlCCo/ULJrk28NiSI/AAAAAAAAGq4/83PEcqKVfH4/s640/blogger-image-499240695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wdWSj-hlCCo/ULJrk28NiSI/AAAAAAAAGq4/83PEcqKVfH4/s640/blogger-image-499240695.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I thought Dr. Oetker just made baking ingredients and pizza!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yum yum!</td></tr>
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<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-55313647434605028162012-11-11T16:16:00.000+00:002012-11-11T21:05:08.264+00:00The Knitting and Stitching Show Dublin - Craft Heaven for Knitters and Quilters<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ITXY8aO6W1g/UJ-8l1zIHqI/AAAAAAAAGhk/Ao_RhUu4oMs/s1600/IMG_4494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ITXY8aO6W1g/UJ-8l1zIHqI/AAAAAAAAGhk/Ao_RhUu4oMs/s320/IMG_4494.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary & Me at the Big Knit Innocent Stand </td></tr>
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Back after a long hiatus for no particular reason other than Bloggers' Block - I just couldn't seem to find time between life and work to do anything other than knit and read and think "I must write a blogpost soon"! Of course it just kept getting deferred and now I'm <strike>almost</strike> totally embarrassed that it's been two months without a post which is a first since I started blogging from the Déise in 2008. So I have to really make more effort - must try harder, in school reportese.<br />
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So I decided this post would be about a recent event - the <a href="http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/viewExhibition.aspx?id=39">Knitting and Stitching Show</a> in the RDS (Royal Dublin Society) in Dublin last weekend. I won two tickets in an online competition on the <a href="http://www.innocentdrinks.ie/blog/2012/october/win-tickets-to-the-knitting-stitching-show">Innocent Ireland Big Knit</a> page which didn't even seem like a competition as all I had to do was post a comment who I'd bring to the Knitting and Stitching Show. I wrote that in a wishlist I'd bring my mother who taught me to knit, and Jany my D-i-L who I taught to crochet and who has been blitzing everything with her craft ever since, and as she's in Spain I would then love to bring my Knitting Circle knitters. So I was delighted to get the email telling me I'd won - then I had a reason to go! <a href="http://www.facebook.com/knittingandstitchingshows">The Knitting and Stitching Show (Facebook too) </a>is a UK venture that puts on 3 shows every autumn - a London one in Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace) in October, this one in Dublin in November, and the final one in Harrogate also in November. They bring over a lot of exhibitors from the UK but there is a huge Irish craft element to this show, which gives the best of both worlds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xygzok7FvS0/UJ-8t3JAUDI/AAAAAAAAGhs/Xu-rAyvi8ts/s1600/P1100101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xygzok7FvS0/UJ-8t3JAUDI/AAAAAAAAGhs/Xu-rAyvi8ts/s320/P1100101.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patchwork quilt on show</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AVt6DGKr0DI/UJ-9cUxIX6I/AAAAAAAAGik/hQR5uEOQ58A/s1600/P1100107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AVt6DGKr0DI/UJ-9cUxIX6I/AAAAAAAAGik/hQR5uEOQ58A/s320/P1100107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe Williams Needle Felting - Saola and Rhino</td></tr>
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I found out a bus was going from <a href="http://www.tallowenterprise.ie/">Tallow with their knitters</a>, and Helen kindly let me join them. I brought a friend from work, another friend wasn't able to go as she had another gig on, and I was delighted that Mary could come at short notice. We joined the Tallow knitters early on Saturday morning for the bus, and there was a sharp frost which made everywhere very Christmassy for about an hour! The trip to Dublin took about 3 hours plus a half hours pitstop in the <a href="http://www.midwaym7.com/">Midway in Portlaoise</a> for tea and scones, and then we were brought to the door of the RDS.<br />
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It was a great day, and as Mary is interested in Patchwork Quilting and my interest is in knitting and crochet, we were well served. As well as drooling over the wonderful displays and exhibitions of various crafts and some graduate shows from the art and design colleges, we were able to indulge our wishlist fantasies and get some stuff we mightn't be able to find in our local yarn shops. The <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2012/1027/1224325720754.html">Limerick Prison Quilt</a> project was very good, and we were amazed at the multimedia element of some of the work, like the felted cables from a GMIT student. I saw some new crafts I had never heard of like <a href="http://www.thelucet.co.uk/index.htm">Luceting </a>which seems a bit of a cross between <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Macrame">Macrame</a> and <a href="http://www.allaboutyou.com/craft/knitting/knitting-techniques-French-knitting">French Knitting</a>! Also saw some marvellous silk felting by Limerick-based <a href="http://www.fabulousfelt.ie/">Kate Ramsey</a> which was a new concept for me but looks amazing!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7VPpZMRzDP0/UJ-9kWqFfuI/AAAAAAAAGiw/LnQqrch-XvQ/s1600/P1100108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7VPpZMRzDP0/UJ-9kWqFfuI/AAAAAAAAGiw/LnQqrch-XvQ/s320/P1100108.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limerick Prison Quilt Project</td></tr>
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I was very restrained in that I only got one skein of yarn from <a href="http://winniethewoolwagon.com/index.php/blog/entry/knitting_and_stitching_show_in_the_rds">Winnie's Wool Wagon shop</a> - <a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/yarn.php?id=100">Drops Lace in Alpaca and Silk</a> blend in Turqouise (6410 if you wanna see it on the website), over 800m. in 100g. which gives an idea of how fine it will knit up and make a fab shawl when I get round to a)winding it into a ball and b)finding a nice pattern and actually making it! I also got a fab circular needle for socks - a pair of 3mm KnitPro wooden needles and a separate 120cm cable! I'd been looking for a long cable to knit up twin socks (two at a time) and the 80mm 2.5mm cable needle I had was just a tad short, though manageable. Also the wooden needles are wonderfully smooth to knit fine yarn with and will do grand for socks and maybe shawls and also I can get interchangeable needles for the cable at any time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGzzxfnlnbw/UJ-95J5q7_I/AAAAAAAAGjM/fSnf2Nxk50g/s1600/P1100111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGzzxfnlnbw/UJ-95J5q7_I/AAAAAAAAGjM/fSnf2Nxk50g/s320/P1100111.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NCAD 2nd Year textile structures</td></tr>
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We visited the Innocent Smoothies stand and saw all the knitters busily knitting little hats for the Age Action Big Knit. We introduced ourselves as winners of tickets to the Show and they took our photos and gave us smoothies which was really nice of them, thanks a lot girls! We also introduced ourselves to Rosemary of <a href="http://theconstantknitter.ie/">The Constant Knitter</a>, who's also a Deise girl, and who won an<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2012/0623/1224318472775.html"> Irish Times Best Craft Shop</a> in a reader-nominated competition recently. We'd had some Twitter talk lately and she'd said to drop by, so we did and took a pic.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OMxVDlnycGI/UJ_DaBoYXSI/AAAAAAAAGlE/-q3akA4iZJc/s1600/P1100125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OMxVDlnycGI/UJ_DaBoYXSI/AAAAAAAAGlE/-q3akA4iZJc/s320/P1100125.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Rosemary The Constant Knitter</td></tr>
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We had a cuppa and a sandwich and wandered around for the afternoon, enjoying the craic and meeting others from the group laden down with bags of wool - one intrepid knitter had brought an empty suitcase, redolent of the New York-bound Christmas shoppers from the Celtic Tiger days! We bumped into an old colleague from my Concern Tanzania days and her sister who's an avid knitter and we've linked up on Ravelry since, she's there as <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/finishmyrow">FinishMyRow</a>, a familiar knitters' refrain.<br />
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We hit the road home at 5pm and stopped for food at the Midway where we had lovely Thai chicken curry, and snoozed in between showing off and admiring our purchases on the bus. Next year the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheDesignWorkshopLismore"> Tuesday Knitters from Lismore Design Workshop </a>will organise our own bus and look forward to another good day out.<br />
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To conclude on the school theme - in the time-honoured words of the annual school essay - we arrived home tired but happy!<br />
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Scroll down to see a gallery of photos of the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcE9fEB42ls/UJ--wZYMp1I/AAAAAAAAGkI/HBmUJhoHyn4/s1600/P1100118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcE9fEB42ls/UJ--wZYMp1I/AAAAAAAAGkI/HBmUJhoHyn4/s320/P1100118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary with crafty mags!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PE4cWnY7jvk/UJ_D8LqUPnI/AAAAAAAAGlk/1J6XqiLYlNA/s1600/P1100129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PE4cWnY7jvk/UJ_D8LqUPnI/AAAAAAAAGlk/1J6XqiLYlNA/s320/P1100129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary gets some fat quarters (quilter's lingo)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vad8C0qAGFs/UJ_EE7giKPI/AAAAAAAAGls/YRxXXHf7xTE/s1600/P1100130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vad8C0qAGFs/UJ_EE7giKPI/AAAAAAAAGls/YRxXXHf7xTE/s320/P1100130.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some great Innocent Hats</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more cute hats</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My KnitPro cable sock needles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matching hats - mine and the smoothie!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing Knitted Village</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Granny Square bag idea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-73oeV3Bk-ao/UJ_K5gSxlrI/AAAAAAAAGok/wmwactVieR4/s1600/P1100161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-73oeV3Bk-ao/UJ_K5gSxlrI/AAAAAAAAGok/wmwactVieR4/s320/P1100161.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fabulousfelt.ie/">Kate Ramsey Fabulous Felt</a> (Silk)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schoolkids' quilt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knitted Village</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knitting Stash Heaven! Bargains galore.</td></tr>
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Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-13793098996346803402012-08-26T23:07:00.002+01:002012-08-28T00:51:25.418+01:00Not just for Pandas - Knitting up a Lacy Bamboo Cotton Cardigan<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NO_8O4eAwU/UDqTPgGSnjI/AAAAAAAAGfE/ebbVSukyrvE/s1600/P1090919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NO_8O4eAwU/UDqTPgGSnjI/AAAAAAAAGfE/ebbVSukyrvE/s320/P1090919.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished cardi </td></tr></tbody></table>I have been working on this fab cardi for the past month and am very happy with the end result, so much so that I am writing this quick blogpost to share it with those of you on Blogger who may not be on Ravelry, where I shared some photos and pattern details <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/LismoreLady/serena">here. </a><br />
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The pattern is by <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/anniken-allis">Anniken Allis</a> who is a pattern designer for, among other publications,<a href="http://www.letsknit.co.uk/"> Let's Knit,</a> a lovely UK Knitting monthly which I have been getting when I see it in the bookshops for the past few months. This pattern is called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/serena-10">Serena</a> and is from the May 2012 issue. It is in <a href="http://www.kingcole.co.uk/knitting-yarns/dk/bamboo-cotton-dk.html">King Cole Bamboo Cotton</a>, a lovely yarn with a great fall and drape, which means it hangs well on the wearer! It also doesn't seem to crease, as I've had it bunched up in a bag in my car and it was fine, so it's a dream for holiday packing.<br />
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I got the yarn as a stash-busting treat to myself when I got a gift voucher from my daughter-in-law's mother Irene last month when she was here for the <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.ie/2012/07/of-hens-weddings-and-emigration-our.html">wedding of Shayne and Jany</a>, and they came to visit us for an afternoon during their holiday after the wedding. As the yarn is a bit pricey (about 7 euro for 100gm) and the cardi pattern called for 4-5 balls, I probably would have balked at buying it with my guilt-inducing stash and my pledge to forego any new purchases till it's diminished. But a gift voucher is different isn't it? Yes, thought so!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtbhdc-6R7U/UDqTMMkcLII/AAAAAAAAGe8/bWP8xH061R8/s1600/P1090918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtbhdc-6R7U/UDqTMMkcLII/AAAAAAAAGe8/bWP8xH061R8/s320/P1090918.JPG" width="263" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the matching nail polish!</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSsDyRAINTo/UDqTwY-G11I/AAAAAAAAGfo/JPKuevLvmwk/s1600/IMG_3992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSsDyRAINTo/UDqTwY-G11I/AAAAAAAAGfo/JPKuevLvmwk/s320/IMG_3992.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blocking on foam playmats!</td></tr></tbody></table>And in the spirit of supporting local crafts, I was delighted the voucher was from the fabulous <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Design-Workshop-Lismore/161676637195374">Design Workshop </a>where Angela plays host to our Tuesday Knitters Circle. I dithered over the colour to choose, given that she had my fave colour hot pink but I decided to be daring and go for another fave colour of this vivid Peacock Blue Shade 531. I started the cardigan in one piece for the fronts and back, and it worked fine, to the sleeve divide and then I worked as if I was working each piece individually. The only thing I didn't do was eliminate the side seam stitches for a totally seamless pattern of lace. I think my maths and chart reading aren't good enough for that yet, or my confidence.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JQvjXRP3ij8/UDqUOFn9huI/AAAAAAAAGgU/-UOg4Dkr7-o/s1600/IMG_4026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JQvjXRP3ij8/UDqUOFn9huI/AAAAAAAAGgU/-UOg4Dkr7-o/s320/IMG_4026.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blocking the sleeves</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kkv959LNdYM/UDqTiF4ttdI/AAAAAAAAGfY/8xDEftmWdG4/s1600/IMG_3979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kkv959LNdYM/UDqTiF4ttdI/AAAAAAAAGfY/8xDEftmWdG4/s320/IMG_3979.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WIP Stitch and side seam detail</td></tr></tbody></table>The sleeves were worked in the round using the Magic Loop method with a circular needle, size 3.5mm used throughout (size 9 UK). I had used that method on two previous jumpers and it worked fine. They were also Anniken Allis designs from Let's Knit. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUpvpe2aVa4/UDqT-jClpOI/AAAAAAAAGf4/8srZwFS5y3A/s1600/IMG_3994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUpvpe2aVa4/UDqT-jClpOI/AAAAAAAAGf4/8srZwFS5y3A/s320/IMG_3994.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blocking on playmats</td></tr></tbody></table>The shoulders were joined with the three-needle cast off, and I had some short-row shaping to do for the last few rows. I liked the detail in the lace pattern that meant right and left front were mirror images of each other, not identical. This kind of detail is something I'd never think of which is why I knit, not design! This is the third Anniken Allis jumper I've made in the past 4 or 5 months so I think I can safely say she's a favourite and very easy to follow. The charts are also easy to follow and she explains the technical stuff too, like short row shaping and neat buttonholes.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tj1pjxrB-bI/UDqUFOiRUsI/AAAAAAAAGgE/gEitkcPIjDw/s1600/IMG_3995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tj1pjxrB-bI/UDqUFOiRUsI/AAAAAAAAGgE/gEitkcPIjDw/s320/IMG_3995.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">detail of armholes</td></tr></tbody></table>I took some photos of the WIP and the Blocking (on kiddies' foam play mats that slot together) as well as the modelling - it got premiered at a colleague's hen party last Friday and got plenty of praise, much to my delight. There's something about hand-knits that's extremely satisfying and I am delighted I rediscovered the Zen of knitting and crochet in recent years - as I said to someone on Facebook yesterday - it's my Yoga!<br />
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Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-2815633910671385842012-08-12T15:04:00.000+01:002012-08-12T15:05:39.273+01:00Knitting Noro Silk Garden - from Sock Yarn to Zig-Zag Scarf<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5pOczNNO1jU/UCeyYAtH7II/AAAAAAAAGdU/-vqdgOAkAXg/s1600/IMG_3863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5pOczNNO1jU/UCeyYAtH7II/AAAAAAAAGdU/-vqdgOAkAXg/s320/IMG_3863.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn Scarf</td></tr>
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I wrote about my Noro sock yarn find in Kinsale in June <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.ie/2012/06/knitting-surprises-yarn-bargains-and.html">here</a> so I just wanted to share the finished product with you. I have been very busy and lots going on in my life over the past few months what with the wedding and emigration of our eldest son and his new wife and their two daughters to Spain, where I accompanied them for their first week in the new apartment. I am back from Spain a week now and feel I'm ready to tackle the blogosphere - though not yet with a holiday post! That'll wait for a bit as I have already posted the photos and they are on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/catherine.rottemurray">Facebook page.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-blYD-2IdLuI/UCeySZ22WnI/AAAAAAAAGdI/HaTfguOUY0o/s1600/IMG_3862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-blYD-2IdLuI/UCeySZ22WnI/AAAAAAAAGdI/HaTfguOUY0o/s320/IMG_3862.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blocked Scarf</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_Hs-SEPv9M/UCexwLiRVnI/AAAAAAAAGc4/qVOtOtwl9Fg/s1600/Unknown_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_Hs-SEPv9M/UCexwLiRVnI/AAAAAAAAGc4/qVOtOtwl9Fg/s200/Unknown_2.jpg" width="151" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kqkgayFOHLg/UCe125HKDoI/AAAAAAAAGeA/MhcKrsjSxwY/s1600/IMG_3855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kqkgayFOHLg/UCe125HKDoI/AAAAAAAAGeA/MhcKrsjSxwY/s320/IMG_3855.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before blocking</td></tr>
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Meanwhile knitting has been my constant, an anchor in an otherwise turbulent time, and I love the way it helps me Keep Calm and Carry On like on those now fashionable posters. I also like the Father Ted version - Keep Calm and Drink Tea!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qi2g9vgb8hg/UCexb8gHmbI/AAAAAAAAGcs/w66CUkMuaGY/s1600/Unknown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qi2g9vgb8hg/UCexb8gHmbI/AAAAAAAAGcs/w66CUkMuaGY/s200/Unknown.jpg" width="200" /></a>Hope you like the scarf - I had blocked it with pins at the side to give some feature peaks but they vanished soon after the scarf dried out, so now it's just wavy ends! I used the pattern from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-zig-zag-shawl">Ravelry</a> for those of you interested, and it was a very simple Chevron design but very effective for showing off the beautiful Noro colours at their best. I like the lacy holes too, and the needles I used were 4mm. If you wanted a lacier scarf, bigger needles would have done the trick, but I felt the 4mm suited the double-knit (worsted in USA) weight just fine. I also used a provisional cast-on using a crocheted chain length and that meant both ends were matching - a handy tip on the pattern. My first Provisional Cast-On and very simple to do, I'd do it again. Got the info on it from my Stitch'n'Bitch Superstar Knitting book but it's <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Crocheted_Provisional_Cast_On__D17.html">online too</a>. </div>
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Happy knitting and I'll be back soon with my current WIP when it's done -hopefully in the near future! </div>
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</div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-21470319538404675512012-07-21T01:19:00.003+01:002012-07-21T01:44:07.520+01:00Of Hens, Weddings and Emigration - Our Irish Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MCCvbWeYApc/UAnv57oxVwI/AAAAAAAAGY0/fzrjpLkQ-4k/s1600/P1090510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MCCvbWeYApc/UAnv57oxVwI/AAAAAAAAGY0/fzrjpLkQ-4k/s320/P1090510.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Family with the kids</td></tr>
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So much for my good intentions of blogging regularly - it's been almost a month since my last post and so much has been happening I think I got so totally overwhelmed by the pace of events that blogging was the first casualty. At any rate I think I'm ready to face the blogosphere again by just posting a summary of the excitement - the highs and lows.<br />
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For those of you who follow me on Facebook you'll know that the big event of the year in our family is the wedding of our son Shayne and Jany his fiancee and mother of their two lovely girls, our beloved granddaughters Sofia and Livia. This special day was planned with fairly military precision (that sounds a bit oxymoronic!) to take place on July 5th in Cork, and we all looked forward to it greatly. It was all a bit surreal as I didn't know what it should feel like to have a child marry and take on the official mantle of family responsibility that marriage confers, but I know I am very happy that such a lovely couple tied the knot.<br />
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A major announcement in the run-up to the wedding was the decision of Shayne and Jany to return to the country where they met and lived for a number of years before coming to Ireland - Spain. This had been flagged a few times as a future probability but I hadn't reckoned on it happening in the near future, so it came as a bit of a shock to hear they were seriously jobhunting and making plans to move after the wedding. The next milestone was the news that Jany got a job offer in Barcelona a few weeks before the wedding, which made it all very real, and gave me the chance to get accustomed to the fact they'd be living 3 hours away instead of an hour. There are 2 hour flights from Cork to Girona and Barcelona on a daily basis and can be as cheap as chips if you plan ahead so I think we'll have a track worn to there - I'm already going over with Jany and the kids tomorrow week for a week to help them settle in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_sMOKuEs9vo/UAn0Cezab5I/AAAAAAAAGcM/vx3_sBKj3uc/s1600/P1090395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_sMOKuEs9vo/UAn0Cezab5I/AAAAAAAAGcM/vx3_sBKj3uc/s320/P1090395.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hen Party girls!</td></tr>
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Where there's a wedding there's always a Hen Party - and that was the best fun ever! I really enjoyed the night out in Cork with Jany and her workmates (her boss organised it) and her friends. I was definitiely the Mother (in Law of the) Hen and the most - ahem - mature among the party, as well as being the only Irish there, showing what a cosmopolitan friendship circle Jany has. Magda had us all meet in her apartment and we had a number of delicious cocktails there to prime us for the night ahead, and Jany opened her gift box which had a nice tasteful selection of Hen Party pressies! We headed off in a super stretch limo for the nightclub, but the best part was the hour-long jaunt around Cork city in the limo which was a raucous noisy celebration and we must have driven the poor limo driver nuts, with our karaoke skills - not! We had champagne in the limo and hung out the windows cheering and ensuring the passers-by knew we were partying! For most of us it was the first time in a stretch limo, so we were determined to make the most of it and do the bling thing to the limit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUwwkuYQNIg/UAnvzc89VqI/AAAAAAAAGYs/CRSVQO0gS5c/s1600/P1090434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUwwkuYQNIg/UAnvzc89VqI/AAAAAAAAGYs/CRSVQO0gS5c/s320/P1090434.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jany and me in the limo</td></tr>
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The nightclub, <a href="http://www.cubinscomplex.com/">Cubins</a>, was nearly empty when we arrived so we danced around our handbags for an hour or so, and then cut loose for a place with more atmosphere - <a href="http://www.munsterpubs.com/2004/09/the-old-oak-pub/">The Old Oak</a>, a Cork legend which has a great buzz and terrific music. They have some good gigs there but we just had the regular DJ that night, but we danced and took photos and generally enjoyed the craic, and made sure Jany did as well. We were there till the small hours and ended the night in a kebab house nearby where we had curry chips which are my food of the gods at 3a.m. I don't get out often enough evidently as I was amazed at the crowds thronging the streets of Cork at that hour, and thankfully it was good-natured and there were no rows that we could see. Taxi and home, end of a great night for all and no hangover for me, as I kept the mixing to a minimum!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gn_Sp4I92rs/UAnwLszgodI/AAAAAAAAGZA/E07cbkzB8Vo/s1600/P1090425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gn_Sp4I92rs/UAnwLszgodI/AAAAAAAAGZA/E07cbkzB8Vo/s320/P1090425.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partying in the Stretch Limo!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vqcpKOQlDnU/UAnwuy83zQI/AAAAAAAAGZI/DyboaUsx8QI/s1600/IMG_3795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vqcpKOQlDnU/UAnwuy83zQI/AAAAAAAAGZI/DyboaUsx8QI/s320/IMG_3795.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting the Cake!</td></tr>
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Then a few days later the Big Day - the Wedding of the Year! We were all in Cork before noon to check into the hotel and get glammed up for the day, and it was a fantastic day. It was a Civil Ceremony in the Cork Registry Office where we met up with everyone else for 3pm and the beautiful bride arrived in the wedding car - hubby Jan was the chauffeur and had taken out the middle seats of the 7-seater to turn it into a limo; with ribbons it looked the part to perfection. Jany looked beautiful in her lovely lacy dress and bolero, and Shayne looked very handsome in his pink cravat! Jany had made her own bouquet from crochet flowers embellished with beads and ribbons, and it was lovely, and I had crocheted my bag, which went with my lavender outfit. My gear had only come together a few days before the wedding when I got a cardi to go with a lovely lavender dress I already had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4gUyu76c4B8/UAnw_SjWAnI/AAAAAAAAGZg/v1ZGM0wzDbs/s1600/IMG_3798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4gUyu76c4B8/UAnw_SjWAnI/AAAAAAAAGZg/v1ZGM0wzDbs/s320/IMG_3798.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The happy couple</td></tr>
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After the short but lovely ceremony with Joan, Shayne's friend from Catalunya and Jany's sis Nikita as Best Man and Bridesmaid, we went back to the <a href="http://www.themontenottehotel.com/">Montenotte Hotel</a> in the wedding bus, and the rest of the day passed by in a blur of celebration with our friends and family meeting for the first time in most cases, as the Dutch contingent all came to Ireland for the wedding from Jany's family. We had a lovely drinks reception back at the hotel and then took photos out in the garden, as it was the only dry day that week; in a dreadful summer the weather gods were certainly looking us on the day!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lcgmoS4lARU/UAnxfq1w9xI/AAAAAAAAGaY/hvYDMa8kUX8/s1600/P1090531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lcgmoS4lARU/UAnxfq1w9xI/AAAAAAAAGaY/hvYDMa8kUX8/s320/P1090531.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My creation!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sWqwmeW6R-E/UAnxjjPmVgI/AAAAAAAAGag/htaNOt8X82E/s1600/P1090532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sWqwmeW6R-E/UAnxjjPmVgI/AAAAAAAAGag/htaNOt8X82E/s320/P1090532.JPG" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living the moment with hubby Jan!</td></tr>
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The dinner was absolutely delicious and the hotel had prepared the room beautifully - and I was delighted with how good my first wedding cake turned out, when it was decorated with a pink ribbon and some gerbera flowers. It was presented on a lovely swan shaped stand which really set it off. Best of all was the gathering of family and friends - Maeve had 3 of her girlfriends there and they looked wonderful in their long ballgowns, bling central and hair and shoes to match, and Martin had come home from Australia, while William is finishing off his Masters degree in UCC, and they both looked very handsome in unfamiliar suits! Jan's shirt coincidentally matched my lavender and he looked great in a new grey summer suit. Anne my best friend from nursing days (<a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.ie/2009/08/barcelona-from-bus-turistic-and-beyond.html">see my Barcelona blog from 2009</a>) came all the way from America for the wedding of her Godson, and her sis Fran joined her from Galway. Jany's extended family enjoyed visiting Ireland, and some stayed on for a holiday after the wedding. It was fun being at the top table along with Shayne and Jany and the family, and to see all the rest of the guests having a great time. After the meal Jan made the only speech of the day, as Shayne didn't want to and Joan didn't feel his English was up to it! Jan's was a resumé of Shayne's early years in Africa particularly and of course welcoming Jany into the family officially!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFWpzgQU4VY/UAnxzVemMAI/AAAAAAAAGa8/R9Hjdm1IX3Q/s1600/P1090535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFWpzgQU4VY/UAnxzVemMAI/AAAAAAAAGa8/R9Hjdm1IX3Q/s320/P1090535.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the Parents!</td></tr>
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After the meal we went outside to enjoy the evening sun, such a rarity this year, and spent time chatting and catching up with everyone, before the dancing and music started. DJ Liam from Lismore was the music man for the evening and he played a great set, from Spanish through Dutch and Irish and 80s and 90s hits - Golden Oldies by the young people's standards and familiar enough for us all to sing along to, as well as enough current hits to keep the teenagers happy! We were on the floor most of the night, and<br />
managed to find time to spend with the many guests who came for the Afters, including a some old friends of the lads from their Africa days. The Afters might be an Irish thing, not sure, but it's the norm here to invite friends to the party after the main meal, and to enjoy the evening. At around 11 there's another round of eating and tea and coffee as the cake is served, along with sausages and sandwiches, just what you need after all that dancing. We kept going well past the music as we stayed in the bar and enjoyed the fun till we finally fell into bed around 3am.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQf9BwnqOX8/UAnypvmj19I/AAAAAAAAGb8/vHVaoWvnD1M/s1600/P1090542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQf9BwnqOX8/UAnypvmj19I/AAAAAAAAGb8/vHVaoWvnD1M/s320/P1090542.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters and Brothers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BGvyNAKQLKU/UAnyvF0jkEI/AAAAAAAAGcE/7GlHnp5Iy60/s1600/P1090543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BGvyNAKQLKU/UAnyvF0jkEI/AAAAAAAAGcE/7GlHnp5Iy60/s320/P1090543.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wedding Party</td></tr>
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We had a wonderful time and wish Jany and Shayne and the girls years of family happiness especially in their new life together in Spain. Shayne flies out tomorrow morning and has some interviews lined up next week; I fly out next Saturday with Jany and the girls, and Jan will drive down with William to bring over their stuff, a van full of luggage! So we'll all converge on Catalunya in a week or so, and I will stay on for a week's holidays. I'll miss the trips to Cork at the weekend, where I could go on a whim without any forward planning, but hopefully with a little bit of planning I will be heading to Spain every few months for a long weekend in the sun and see the girls grow and the family settling into the country they love so much. Enjoy the photos!Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-41146704214835915282012-06-24T00:42:00.000+01:002012-06-24T00:42:36.468+01:00Knitting Surprises - Yarn Bargains and Blog Prizes!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QDqBX6tsftE/T-Y32dG6kCI/AAAAAAAAGX4/9TR2Z_npzgg/s1600/IMG_3588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QDqBX6tsftE/T-Y32dG6kCI/AAAAAAAAGX4/9TR2Z_npzgg/s320/IMG_3588.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank You Kathy! </td></tr>
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Last week I got a delightful surprise - no, make that two delightful surprises - when I won a blog prize from Kathy B at <a href="http://irisheyesknitters.blogspot.ie/2012/06/back-to-back-bloggers.html">IrishEyesKnitters Blog </a>, and I found a great yarn bargain in Kinsale.<br />
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Firstly the yarn prize came as a complete surprise, as I hadn't expected to win the competition. All I did was post a comment linking to another blog on knitting that maybe needed more visitors and comments, so I trawled a bit and thought of <a href="http://irishknittingandcrochet.blogspot.ie/">Irish Knitting and Crochet </a>which is a great resource of all the Irish crafty sites, although they don't update too often. Anyway KathyB informed me I'd won and asked for my address so she could forward my prize. So I sent it off and forgot about it till a box with an American postmark arrived during the week. I had to think what it might be and wondered then if it was my prize, which it was - all the way from Illinois! I had missed the blogpost that showed the prize, so it came as a real thrill to see all the lovely yarn! I got 2 x 50g skeins of<a href="http://www.berroco.com/shade_cards/denimsilk_sh.html"> Berocco Denim Silk</a>, which I'd never heard of, and 3 x 50g balls of <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tivoli-Linen-Cotton-/200777760984">Tivoli Cotton and Linen </a>slubby boucle yarn in a nice creamy colour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iP6sM1ZyVjE/T-Y3ySIynjI/AAAAAAAAGXw/1AE77gOA2VQ/s1600/IMG_3587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iP6sM1ZyVjE/T-Y3ySIynjI/AAAAAAAAGXw/1AE77gOA2VQ/s320/IMG_3587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lovely prize from Illinois! </td></tr>
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The irony of the airmiles undergone by the <a href="http://www.tivolispinners.com/">Tivoli</a> didn't escape me as it started life in Cork about 50 minutes drive away from Lismore! In fact my son and his family live in the suburb of Tivoli, near the original woollen mills. Sadly now most of the yarn is made in Turkey but still marketed out of Cork as one of the oldest most regarded Irish knitting brands. Thanks KathyB for making my week a lot brighter - especially given the foul weather we're enduring in pursuit of our Irish Summer, which is making a mockery of us! I have yet to decide what to make with this fab prize but I'll let you know in good time! This yarn is now discontinued so I will make sure I use just enough!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MItKfp_xQ1M/T-Y3siWR2WI/AAAAAAAAGXo/eZi8q3AJc_4/s1600/IMG_3582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MItKfp_xQ1M/T-Y3siWR2WI/AAAAAAAAGXo/eZi8q3AJc_4/s320/IMG_3582.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Silk/Wool blend Sock Yarn</td></tr>
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The second surprise which actually preceded the yarn prize, was this find of a ball of 100g <a href="http://www.knittingfever.com/c/yarn/noro-silk-garden-sock/">Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn</a> Colour 301 in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ViviTradingCo">Vivi</a>, a lovely crafty shop in<a href="http://kinsale.ie/"> Kinsale</a> where I went last Saturday. I wandered around the pretty seaside town while hubby Jan attended a town councillor's national meeting in the Blue Haven Hotel, and as I'd never been to Kinsale before I figured I'd make like a tourist and do all the touristy trail things. Like wander the narrow streets, visit the shops and go down the quayside to the plummy Kinsale Yacht Club and gawp at all the recession-busting yachts in the Marina, which were the ship equivalent of bumper-to-bumper (stern-to-stern?).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EhtMrjk0NAw/T-ZMZk6tIDI/AAAAAAAAGYI/xHAqFGBwm5g/s1600/IMG_3572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EhtMrjk0NAw/T-ZMZk6tIDI/AAAAAAAAGYI/xHAqFGBwm5g/s320/IMG_3572.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Yarn shop in Kinsale</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A0B6chdPTu8/T-ZMmEbcJBI/AAAAAAAAGYU/nrTe0ZX46uk/s1600/P1090319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A0B6chdPTu8/T-ZMmEbcJBI/AAAAAAAAGYU/nrTe0ZX46uk/s320/P1090319.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kinsale Marina</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2B23dszjkWU/T-ZMro6FLdI/AAAAAAAAGYc/_Z4_ASdzRWA/s1600/IMG_3576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2B23dszjkWU/T-ZMro6FLdI/AAAAAAAAGYc/_Z4_ASdzRWA/s320/IMG_3576.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A colourful Kinsale street</td></tr>
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Along one narrow winding lane I saw this shop which was manna to any knitter, and I browsed covetously for a while, like I do in bookshops, not buying but loitering with guilty intent. I had taken my stash-busting pledge seriously, or maybe I thought I had; well I had told hubby not a <strike>drop</strike> ball of wool would enter the house till the stash was diminished to virtually nothing, but like any self-respecting knitaholic, I was only one ball away from falling off that wagon, and the temptation of a lone ball of Noro was too much, and I caved in. The real lure was the price tag - a fiver, that's 5 Euro or about $6, or £4, anyway about a quarter of the normal price. Seems it was the last of the lot and the saleswoman didn't seem to make much of my enthusiastic reaction to my find, as she told me she wasn't a knitter herself.<br />
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I have spent the past week deliberating over what to make and while it's sock yarn, all 300m of it, I think it's far too pretty to hide in my boots, so I'm going to make a scarf/shawl in a chevron pattern that'll show up the stripes beautifully. I know it'll have a right and a wrong side but I don't think that'll matter as the reverse stocking stitch will be lovely with the lacy design. I have decided on a pattern I found in <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/68891069270519983/">Pinterest,</a> as it's simple and easy.<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/68891069270519983/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://media-cache-ec1.pinterest.com/upload/68891069270519983_rt1ll4i4_c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-zig-zag-shawl" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">ravelry.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/anemonetanlup/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">anemone</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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I think it's very delicate and hope it does the Noro yarn justice! It's also on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-zig-zag-shawl">Ravelry as a free download</a>.<br />
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Right now I don't have time to work with complex charts as I've a wedding in a week and a bit. Our eldest son Shayne and his fiancee Jany are tying the knot after 4 years together, and regular blog readers will know they have two beautiful daughters, Sofia and Livia. So I have a cake to bake and decorate, albeit simply, and a frock to find, again not getting too stressed about that, as I'm not going the whole mother of the groom thing with hats and shoes and bag matching a serious rigout. More like a summery frock and a shawl or bolero and I'll be grand. I got nice white sandals in New Look in Cork today so that's a start!<br />
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Enjoy the photos and be sure to visit Kathy's blog and all the blogs people in the competition recommended to her and thanks again for thinking up a lovely surprise to make my week!Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-57124034995515035522012-06-17T11:33:00.000+01:002012-06-17T11:33:00.830+01:00Immrama 2012 - Celebrating Lismore's 10th Travel Writing Festival - Part One<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-94fiCwXToG0/T92gb2lYGXI/AAAAAAAAGW0/iyx05rhhpHI/s1600/P1090129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-94fiCwXToG0/T92gb2lYGXI/AAAAAAAAGW0/iyx05rhhpHI/s320/P1090129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan and me with Artemis Cooper and Colin Thubron</td></tr>
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I will blog about <a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/">Immrama</a> in two parts as there is far too much to report for a single post. This was a very special anniversary for Immrama as it was the 10th festival. We marked it with the publication of a very special book called "The Blue Sky Bends Over All" which is a quote from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Makepeace_Thackeray">William Makepeace Thackeray</a> that I<a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/nameandmotto.shtml">mmrama adopted as its motto</a> at the festival's outset in 2003. It was his remark on the Catholics and Protestants being buried in opposite sides of the Church of Ireland cemetery which he visited in the 1800s. He noted that the sun didn't shine more on one side than the other and "The blue sky bends over all", an early nod to ecumenism that deserves to be lauded.<a href="http://www.paulclementswriting.com/"> Paul Clements</a>, a long-time friend of Immrama, was the editor of the book along with hubby Jan, and it comprises essays from around 20 earlier speakers at Immrama from the first decade. I already blogged about the Yarnbomb homage to Immrama <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.ie/2012/06/yarnbombing-lismore-for-immrama-and-our.html">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prof. Eoin Burke at the launch</td></tr>
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This year's festival was another successful milestone on the literary calender. Immrama has become recognised nationally and internationally as a world-class literary festival, a boutique festival that has a global reach far exceeding its perceived niche of travel writing. Visitors come from as far afield as Vancouver and Melbourne, and from all over Ireland and the UK and mainland Europe. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ciaran Murphy at the book launch</td></tr>
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The participants and speakers always love the hospitality and Lismore welcome they get, from the preparations for their journey to and from Lismore to the attention lavished on them by the committee during their stay. They will be looked after and brought to see local sights like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballysaggartmore_Towers">Ballysaggartmore Towers</a>, a local folly, or The Vee up in the Knockmealdown Mountains, or Mount Melleray, a local Cistercian Abbey. And if they want to chill and do nothing, that's fine too. The fact that after each evening's event we all repair to the festival club in a local pub, a different one each night to keep everyone happy, means the speakers get to chat with the locals and there's very little standing to ceremony, which they all seem to enjoy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine de Courcy at the launch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfMgc9nzgWk/T90eBRpOg6I/AAAAAAAAGVk/ba82ul8ElaQ/s1600/P1090084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfMgc9nzgWk/T90eBRpOg6I/AAAAAAAAGVk/ba82ul8ElaQ/s320/P1090084.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan, me, Paul, Peter, Claire, Catherine and Bernard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Story Trail led by Bernard and historical Lismoreians!</td></tr>
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Thursday evening saw the<a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/programme.shtml"> launch of three books</a> in the prestigious Lismore Castle Arts Gallery. First was "What Happens on Tour|", Waterford man Ciaran Murphy's adventures in Australia and New Zealand, followed by Galway University Professor Eoin Burke's tome on German travellers in 19th Century Ireland in translation which is quite academic but fascinating, and finally our own Immrama book which <a href="http://www.catherinedecourcy.com/">Catherine de Courcy</a> launched, as she was at the festival as a returning visitor, having been a speaker and creative writing workshop faciliator other years. That event took place in the Castle Arts Gallery amid the massive sculptures of Hans Josephsohn, whose work adorns the gallery and the gardens for the summer exhibition.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Carthage in his Cathedral in Lismore</td></tr>
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Friday was a busier day with the school children doing the Story Trail with local characters like <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03384c.htm">St. Carthage</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Boyle">Robert Boyle</a> of the eponymous Law who was born in Lismore Castle, as his father Richard was the Earl of Cork. The weather held despite vile weather earlier in the week and a bad forecast.<br />
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That evening the first main event was held in the Courthouse Theatre. It was a panel discussion on the Legacy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Leigh_Fermor">Patrick Leigh Fermor</a>, an acclaimed albeit little known travel writer. The panel consisted of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Thubron">Colin Thubron</a>, the legendary Asian and Silk Road travel writer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_Cooper">Artemis Cooper </a>(wife of Antony Beevor the historian), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Morris">Jan Morris</a> on a return visit to Lismore, and <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/about/our-founders">Tony Wheeler, the co-founder with his wife Maureen of Lonely Planet,</a> the gold standard guide series.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Boyle explains Boyle's Law</td></tr>
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The topic was timely given that <a href="http://patrickleighfermor.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/obituary-from-the-independent-by-paddy-leigh-fermors-biographer-artemis-cooper/">Leigh Fermor's death</a> occurred a year ago on the same Friday night of Immrama, when it was announced during that evening's event in the same venue. There's a Lismore connection too, as he was a great friend of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Cavendish,_Duchess_of_Devonshire">Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, formerly Deborah Mitford</a>, the youngest of the famous Mitford Sisters. She is now in her 90s and her grandson Lord Burlington is a frequent visitor to his home in Lismore, where he established the Castle Arts exhibitions, always highly regarded internationally even if a tad avant-garde.<br />
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The panel discussion was chaired by Paul Clements and was riveting as Artemis Cooper introduced the man she called Paddy and knew as a dear friend. She is his biographer, and Jan Morris and herself and Colin Thubron are all involved in administering his estate on Crete, where he called home for many years. It was a fascinating insight to a dashingly handsome boys' own adventurer who had a somewhat rocky childhood - parents left him behind in England when they headed off to India, and when they returned as strangers he was uprooted from the only home he knew.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AVsPY73xU2o/T92hFUR_MPI/AAAAAAAAGXE/bZSduxhI4eU/s1600/P1090110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AVsPY73xU2o/T92hFUR_MPI/AAAAAAAAGXE/bZSduxhI4eU/s320/P1090110.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Panel discuss Patrick Leigh Fermor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LHTWLNuEn6A/T92gWgV-SKI/AAAAAAAAGWs/TsNq6BPqnnQ/s1600/P1090128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LHTWLNuEn6A/T92gWgV-SKI/AAAAAAAAGWs/TsNq6BPqnnQ/s320/P1090128.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan with Colin Thubron</td></tr>
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He hated school and when he was about 18 he headed off on foot to walk from the Hook of Holland to Istanbul or Constantinople. The diaries of this journey are in two books while a third will be posthumously published when completed. He had a penchant for parties and seemed to fit in wherever he went, and I'm looking forward to reading his two books and eventually the third. I also have the book of letters between him and Deborah Devonshire, <a href="http://books.google.ie/books/about/In_Tearing_Haste.html?id=gtlj91BpfgYC&redir_esc=y">In Tearing Haste</a>, which I got for my birthday and which Artemis Cooper and Colin Thubron both signed. The Q&A Session after the discussion was animated and showed the knowledge of an informed and erudite audience that packed the theatre to capacity and beyond. Easons as the main sponsor of the festival ensure a wide range and good supply of books of all the speakers and the entire panel were happy to sign books after the talk, a great chance for informal chat with the public, to be continued in the pub or hotel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artemis, Tony, Jan, Colin and Paul</td></tr>
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I'll continue with the events of Saturday and Sunday in the next blogpost.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-23459687454951705992012-06-11T14:19:00.000+01:002012-07-01T20:52:17.259+01:00Yarnbombing - for Immrama and Lismore's Travel Writing Cyclist<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXiFBZGS-_I/T9XngCPnpHI/AAAAAAAAGTg/yvkSwBTcJyM/s1600/IMG_3536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXiFBZGS-_I/T9XngCPnpHI/AAAAAAAAGTg/yvkSwBTcJyM/s320/IMG_3536.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A colourful attraction!</td></tr>
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I just had to share this with you all in the blogosphere and knitting and crocheting community - a craftosphere perhaps - as it is the coolest thing to hit Lismore since the Barber of Seville Yarnbombing of the previous weekend, which you can see <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.ie/2012/06/yarnbombing-barber-of-seville-first-for.html">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unlikely Urban Guerilla.</td></tr>
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In the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-design-workshop">Tuesday Knitters</a> at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Design-Workshop-Lismore/161676637195374">Angela's Design Workshop </a>we had a plan afoot for the <a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/">Immrama Travel Writing Festival</a>, especially as this is the 10th Festival and has just concluded last night after a very successful weekend. I will blog about the festival anon. Meanwhile, a bicycle yarnbombing seemed most appropriate given that it's the preferred mode of transport of our own renowned traveller <a href="http://www.dervlamurphy.com/">Dervla Murphy</a>. Dervla is world-famous is travel writing circles as an octogenarian who has written of her journeys through life from her first book, <a href="http://www.dervlamurphy.com/fulltilt.html">Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle</a>, through her autobiography <a href="http://www.dervlamurphy.com/wheelswithinwheels.html">Wheels within Wheels</a> to her latest work <a href="http://www.dervlamurphy.com/islandthatdared.html">The Island that Dared - Journeys in Cuba</a> and she is soon bringing out her book on Palestine. She has a wonderful body of work, Lismore is very proud of her, and we are delighted to have her as a friend. She visited <a href="http://www.dervlamurphy.com/onefootinlaos.html">Laos</a> after we told her what a wonderfully unspoilt place it was back in the 90s, and she is a real inspiration to all generations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YPqboJuRZ4k/T9XowrIU39I/AAAAAAAAGUA/H-X9emPpLEM/s1600/IMG_3433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YPqboJuRZ4k/T9XowrIU39I/AAAAAAAAGUA/H-X9emPpLEM/s320/IMG_3433.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My crocheted contributions</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street art!</td></tr>
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So this is the outcome of our endeavours! Angela kindly supplied the bike, which was somewhat past roadworthy and its prime, and we embellished it with love and lots of crochet and knitting and weaving to make this fabulous work of art. Many Tuesday Knitters made various parts - mine was the half-moon rear-wheel "skirt-guard" which is a peculiarly Dutch innovation - "Jasbeschermers" or coat protectors. I found these wonderfully colourful embellishments online and on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/skirt-guards">Ravelry</a> and adapted one to my end procuct, which I love. Then Dairiona made the beautiful front-wheel covers in crochet shades of blue, while sisters Annie and Agnes made the basket - in basketweave stitch with a pre-patterned yarn. I can't name each and everyone as I'd be sure to omit many but suffice to say there were myriad contributors!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B7IQ3d0Lemo/T9XotJesCJI/AAAAAAAAGT4/EybAkOsJYsU/s1600/P1090099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B7IQ3d0Lemo/T9XotJesCJI/AAAAAAAAGT4/EybAkOsJYsU/s320/P1090099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ornate basket - bees making honey!</td></tr>
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Last Friday, coinciding with the Immrama Festival, the bike was placed on the steps of the Heritage Centre, a nerve centre for tourism in Lismore, and the visitor numbers were certainly up this weekend, due to the festival but of course we take some credit with our own visitor-magnet! I saw lots of people photographing it, being photographed beside it, and in one case, in it! A little baby was placed in the basket for the sweetest photograph, which I saw on Facebook! Some people thought it was Dervla's iconic bike, <a href="http://cycling.ahands.org/dervla_trailblazer.html">Roz</a> (Rozinante, the Quixotically named bike that took her to India and beyond in 1963 and which found a home in the Lismore Library, where her father was once <a href="http://www.dervlamurphy.com/about.html">County Librarian</a>).<br />
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So what do you think? We are totally biased and love it and hope it finds a long-term home in Lismore, as a tourist attraction in its own right. Who knows, it might even go down in history.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-20419686728213600712012-06-04T02:36:00.001+01:002012-06-04T02:37:39.787+01:00Yarnbombing The Barber of Seville - A First for Lismore<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EAgzLC7zcKM/T8wLPpopXaI/AAAAAAAAGR8/HcvCdL6toLU/s1600/P1080975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EAgzLC7zcKM/T8wLPpopXaI/AAAAAAAAGR8/HcvCdL6toLU/s320/P1080975.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lismore's "Opera Lane" aka The New Way</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vptxQ2iz16k/T8wLFtnvlVI/AAAAAAAAGR0/l77bb6O2jwY/s1600/P1080971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vptxQ2iz16k/T8wLFtnvlVI/AAAAAAAAGR0/l77bb6O2jwY/s320/P1080971.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela, Brian and Minnie</td></tr>
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This June Bank Holiday weekend was marked by the staging of Rossini's <a href="http://www.lismoremusicfestival.com/">The Barber of Seville by the Lismore Music Festival</a> in Lismore Castles's salubrious setting. The Opera was staged outdoors, a risky venture in itself given our unpredictable climate and indeed it didn't disappoint as last night's performance took place in a veritable deluge. Luckily they had the presence of mind to erect a tent to protect the audience and hopefully the stage could be covered as well. The previous night was the dress rehearsal which I already blogged about in <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.ie/2012/06/presidential-moment-meeting-michael-d.html">this post </a>about the visit of our President Michael D. Higgins to the Castle, where we met him afterwards at a reception. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A yarnbombed pole</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u3ujSHOd9zA/T8wMi4RX0kI/AAAAAAAAGTE/Xh0CKHMWedg/s1600/P1080989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u3ujSHOd9zA/T8wMi4RX0kI/AAAAAAAAGTE/Xh0CKHMWedg/s320/P1080989.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Angela's Window - Mary's knitted banner!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6f7o9SAQr1Y/T8wLy00nw1I/AAAAAAAAGSY/_URXvjVI1ok/s1600/P1080980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6f7o9SAQr1Y/T8wLy00nw1I/AAAAAAAAGSY/_URXvjVI1ok/s320/P1080980.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All roads lead from Lismore! </td></tr>
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<div>
The Tuesday Knitters from the Design Workshop, our self-styled Knitting Circle, decided a while ago to get into the whole <a href="http://yarnbombing.com/">yarnbombing </a>movement, which seems to be a global phenomenon. As the name implies, items made from yarn either knitted or crocheted are bombed into public spaces to decorate street furniture, and it can be themed or random. We decided to mark the Opera weekend with yarnbombing on the theme of Barber poles - lots of red and white stripes along the lamposts of Lismore especially en route to the Castle from the town - our very own Opera Lane.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Mi-cPv8fik/T8wMNd1rz-I/AAAAAAAAGS0/vhZ2zZ4C2vc/s1600/P1080983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Mi-cPv8fik/T8wMNd1rz-I/AAAAAAAAGS0/vhZ2zZ4C2vc/s320/P1080983.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Granny Squares pole</td></tr>
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<div>
What makes Yarnbombing special is the surprise element - not for nothing is it also called <a href="http://www.instructables.com/community/Guerilla-Knitting/">Guerilla Knitting</a> - so nobody outside the select members of the Knitting Circle morning and evening groups were told what all this frantic red and white knitting or crochet was about, and it was assumed we were knitting up the Cork colours, our rivals on the fields of sport, who are always pitched against the blue and white of Waterford. Alas no, it was much more than an homage to Cork, and by yesterday morning the town was blitzed. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FjJcvPv2No/T8wMD1MVyNI/AAAAAAAAGSo/0rq7Chcp4xU/s1600/P1080982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FjJcvPv2No/T8wMD1MVyNI/AAAAAAAAGSo/0rq7Chcp4xU/s320/P1080982.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">En route to the Castle Avenue</td></tr>
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<div>
Like a duel of old, it was up at dawn for Angela of the Design Workshop and some other trusty members who were out in force with the lengths of knitting and crochet, cable ties, stepladders and darning needles. Sadly I slept it out till 8:30 by which all the hard work was done and I went around taking photos feeling rather sheepishly guilty for not having been there - but Saturday mornings are sacrosanct and the alarm is silenced - I forgot to reset it.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aRcBXV-35-Q/T8wMa5G4z9I/AAAAAAAAGS8/olJCeqK6ZYw/s1600/P1080988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aRcBXV-35-Q/T8wMa5G4z9I/AAAAAAAAGS8/olJCeqK6ZYw/s320/P1080988.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My crochet stripes - concertina-ing!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-c6udoSJFM/T8wMpv0X5tI/AAAAAAAAGTM/mC5GZzm32dE/s1600/P1080948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-c6udoSJFM/T8wMpv0X5tI/AAAAAAAAGTM/mC5GZzm32dE/s320/P1080948.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My yarn bombs pre-deployment! </td></tr>
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<div>
So when I arrived on my bike Angela and fiance Brian and trusty dog Minnie (who is a prima donna star in her own right, with a whole range of greeting cards in her image) were breakfasting on the terrace of the Lismore House Hotel, and I was delighted to see the end result of the poles draped in Barber Pole stripes - some quirkier than others. Mine included a length of granny squares in alternating colours and they looked lovely on the pole, and it was great to see them on the corners of the Main Street too. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EkvzdP1dpk/T8wL6pQWDlI/AAAAAAAAGSg/kr9aYO2sgWI/s1600/P1080981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EkvzdP1dpk/T8wL6pQWDlI/AAAAAAAAGSg/kr9aYO2sgWI/s320/P1080981.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Barber's this way!</td></tr>
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<div>
We have plans afoot for next weekend and the <a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/">Immrama Festival of Travel Writing</a>, so watch this space! Like Arnie, we'll be back - and it's gonna be fun. I hope you enjoy the photos of our venture into this brave new world of knitting and crochet! </div>
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<br /></div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-29549022759244833582012-06-02T22:47:00.001+01:002012-06-05T22:25:35.571+01:00A Presidential Moment - Meeting Michael D. in Lismore<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2fWG3BNIZS4/T8p-p-RhsYI/AAAAAAAAGPU/NLGxO6AH_2w/s1600/599567_10150827306300672_690915671_10043880_1447588009_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2fWG3BNIZS4/T8p-p-RhsYI/AAAAAAAAGPU/NLGxO6AH_2w/s320/599567_10150827306300672_690915671_10043880_1447588009_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting the President - local Labour Councillors and wives!<br />
(Dan McGrath photographer)</td></tr></tbody></table>Tonight was very special as it marked the visit by our <a href="http://www.president.ie/">President, Michael D. Higgins</a> and his wife <a href="http://www.rte.ie/tv/masterpiece/judges.html">Sabina</a> to Lismore for the first time in his new role. We had a visit in 2004 from President Mary McAleese, his predecessor, who came to unveil the Tidy Towns' commemorative plaque in the Millenium Park. That was a special occasion too and we all enjoyed it. This time it was different - firstly as a former <a href="http://irishelectionliterature.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/leaflet-from-michael-d-higgins-labour-party-2011-presidential-election/">Labour Party</a> President, this was a whole new elevation to the President of our Country for the very affable and much-liked Michael D. He is a poet, politician and academic, and he is an erudite speaker and a wonderful orator. At previous Labour Party Conferences I have seen him hold the audience spellbound while he debated some moot point. Now of course he is apolitical in his Presidential role, but I think Labour members will always lay claim to him as one of our own!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AFcmtHqIcyI/T8p_PB_1WTI/AAAAAAAAGPs/Yxi2O37isPY/s1600/P1080957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AFcmtHqIcyI/T8p_PB_1WTI/AAAAAAAAGPs/Yxi2O37isPY/s320/P1080957.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">The Tricolour flying over the Castle<br />
</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m-WiEo6Y-Uc/T8p_BvL3fPI/AAAAAAAAGPc/3UKaXiDQJ2c/s1600/P1080955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m-WiEo6Y-Uc/T8p_BvL3fPI/AAAAAAAAGPc/3UKaXiDQJ2c/s320/P1080955.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lismore Castle Courtyard</td></tr></tbody></table>We were privileged to be invited to the reception in the Pugin Room of<a href="http://www.lismorecastle.com/"> Lismore Castle </a>where he was attending the dress rehearsal of the <a href="http://www.lismoremusicfestival.com/">Lismore Music Festival's The Barber of Seville</a>, which is running for two nights this weekend, as the main part of a broader festival. A number of guests were at the reception from Lismore and the surrounding area, and we enjoyed a chat and a glass of wine or the Castle's own delicious apple juice while we waited for the Presidential party to arrive. He had a busy day, firstly going to <a href="http://www.nationalist.ie/news/local/president-higgins-to-be-made-freeman-of-clonmel-1-3889765">Clonmel </a>where he was made a Freeman of the town, and thence to Waterford where he opened <a href="http://waterfordnaturepark.drupalgardens.com/">Waterford nature park at Kilbarry</a> on the site of a former landfill, and finally to Lismore for the Opera and reception. <a href="http://www.president.ie/engagements/week-beginning-28th-may-2012-2/">Here's his official engagements </a>for last week - exhausting to even read it!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rouB3i-ZIXw/T8p_5DBoboI/AAAAAAAAGQk/3-NQPHFOtTk/s1600/P1080963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rouB3i-ZIXw/T8p_5DBoboI/AAAAAAAAGQk/3-NQPHFOtTk/s320/P1080963.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan presenting the Immrama Book to the President</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
It was a beautiful balmy evening, with cloudless skies as we entered the castle grounds via the Greenroad, or the tradesmen's entrance round the back where the old sawmills once whirred and where locals could go to buy vegetables from the head gardener back in my childhood days, David Montgomery, a taciturn Welshman, long deceased. I used to go there with my mother to get lovely early salad and veggies from the <a href="http://www.gardenlovers.ie/lismore_castle_gardens_.garden.7113.html">Paxton greenhouse</a> which is now sadly defunct, awaiting a substantial grant-aid to restore it to its former glory.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LILUacYop1g/T8p_xQsvBvI/AAAAAAAAGQY/m1qAaxWKJSY/s1600/P1080962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LILUacYop1g/T8p_xQsvBvI/AAAAAAAAGQY/m1qAaxWKJSY/s320/P1080962.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan sharing a laugh with the President</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FLLl0g9h7to/T8qAsALahCI/AAAAAAAAGRk/mdK83OuiLLE/s1600/P1080970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FLLl0g9h7to/T8qAsALahCI/AAAAAAAAGRk/mdK83OuiLLE/s320/P1080970.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Ann Hanley with Sabina Higgins</td></tr></tbody></table>We passed the marquee housing the punters at the<a href="http://www.itsafeeling.com/blog/848-lismore-music-festival-approaches.html"> Opera</a>, a wise move given our unpredictable weather, and heard some of the lovely arias. We weren't able to crash the gig though so we continued down to the Pugin Room and chatted out in the courtyard until we were ushered in by Denis, the head butler, who announced the arrival of the President in both Irish and English. It was lovely to meet Michael D in this role, and we were delighted last year when he was elected, as he was the only candidate to retain his dignity and while he's apolitical in the role, it's more than ceremonial as he has to sign off on new legislation.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C8hqmxr5PjM/T8qABFZo_mI/AAAAAAAAGQs/Qg74Uv3DLeU/s1600/P1080964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C8hqmxr5PjM/T8qABFZo_mI/AAAAAAAAGQs/Qg74Uv3DLeU/s320/P1080964.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President and Sabina Higgins with Robert O'Byrne, art critic</td></tr></tbody></table>We were lucky to meet him as it was a bit of a scrum like a <a href="http://www.planetjedward.net/">Jedward</a> concert to get up close to him, and as we chatted to him he remembered us from his former Labour life, and hubby Jan presented him with the book the Immrama Festival Committee published this year to mark the 10th Immrama Festival (more of which anon!) and he seemed pleased to get it. We had a longer chat with Sabina, his wife, and I managed to get a photo with her, and we could tell her we'd met their daughter at a Labour function in Dublin some months back. We had a press photo with the President which might be in one of the local papers next week.<br />
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Altogether it was a very pleasant evening and we are delighted that Lismore featured on the Presidential itinerary, and maybe Michael D will make it back here another day. Meanwhile enjoy the photos and share the event with us all!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kgZMYkYff3s/T8p_qOIMl4I/AAAAAAAAGQQ/r0RwsZFjiPs/s1600/P1080961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kgZMYkYff3s/T8p_qOIMl4I/AAAAAAAAGQQ/r0RwsZFjiPs/s320/P1080961.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guests at the reception for the President</td></tr></tbody></table>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-32216162367082818942012-05-24T21:37:00.001+01:002012-05-25T01:00:46.294+01:00A Weekend in The Burren - The Aengus Finucane Memorial Walk<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vqYI8psPOGY/T73lXf1I7CI/AAAAAAAAGJA/b43eOQL5C3A/s1600/The+Burren+2012+142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vqYI8psPOGY/T73lXf1I7CI/AAAAAAAAGJA/b43eOQL5C3A/s320/The+Burren+2012+142.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aengus Finucane Memorial Walkers 2012 </td></tr>
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Two weekends ago the second <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2009/10/goodbye-to-legend-and-old-friend.html">Aengus Finucane Memorial Walk </a>took place in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burren">The Burren</a> in Co. Clare, organised by a committee of former Concern Bangladesh volunteers from the heady early days of Concern, back in the 70s. Aengus was one of the founding fathers of <a href="http://www.concern.net/about/history">Concern in Nigeria/Biafra</a> in 1968 and it has grown from strength to strength since. Our lives are inextricably linked to Concern since we met as volunteers in Bangladesh in 1979, and we have a great grá (love) for the NGO that was home to us for over a decade between Tanzania, Bangladesh and Laos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qxhBqmkqf5A/T75sEGUMUhI/AAAAAAAAGJs/EIJzWLzQb1Y/s1600/P1080853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qxhBqmkqf5A/T75sEGUMUhI/AAAAAAAAGJs/EIJzWLzQb1Y/s320/P1080853.JPG" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan and me at Ailwee caves</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XJFRV6VOc1k/T75sZj4zdOI/AAAAAAAAGKM/uiA6qgSXeys/s1600/IMG_3174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XJFRV6VOc1k/T75sZj4zdOI/AAAAAAAAGKM/uiA6qgSXeys/s320/IMG_3174.JPG" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous signpost the CoCo shrank!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bare Burren Mountains </td></tr>
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Hubby Jan and me were walking for the first time as we had been unable to go the previous year when it was held in Leitrim. This year I came home from the INMO conference in Killarney a day early and this meant we were able to head for Clare on the Saturday morning, arriving in <a href="http://www.ballyvaughanireland.com/">Ballyvaughan</a> in plenty of time to check into the hotel and have a snack before the walk. We also met some of the other walkers, friends and former colleagues in many instances. Most of the Concern family have met up over the decades at various AGMs and reunions, particularly the 40th Reunion a few years ago in 2008. It was a great weekend and it raised money for a cause close to Aengus Finucane's heart, the <a href="http://www.jackpreger.com/calcutta-rescue---profile.php">Jack Praeger Rescue Project in Calcutta</a> (or Kolkata)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanzanian Friends Reunited in Ballyvaughan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Poulbrone Dolmen - 5000 yrs old or so. </td></tr>
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Jan and me went to the pier where the meet-up was, and it was a bit drizzly at first but this cleared up in jig time and we headed off to the walk, a gentle 5km out and 5km back the same route. We had a terrific guide who talked for Ireland and gave us a potted history of the Burren, its pots and caves and limestone history which you can read for yourself<a href="http://www.burrennationalpark.ie/"> here</a>. It's way too technical and geological for me, just know that it's the most unusual ecological and geological spot with rare unique flora that grows nowhere else in Ireland. The limestone surface is slowly being restored as trees begin to grow again, now that people are no longer collecting firewood in the hills. Seems like there's a reversal of deforestation going on in the Burren and I wonder will it change the place. The bareness is what makes it look so special, and it's very bleak in places with all the drystone walls and the dolmens or standing stones.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windswept at the Poulnabron Dolmen</td></tr>
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The walk was beautiful as the sun came out and we walked and talked through the path to the Ailwee Caves entrance. The caves have to wait for another day as they probably deserve a visit on their own with all the stalactites and stalagmites. We had a group photo taken at the Cave entrance. and then we walked back, with the view totally different and overlooking the sea at Ballyvaughan all the way across Galway Bay to Connemara. We chatted to various people and it was lovely to see everyone reconnecting, and meeting people we had last met in Bangladesh over 30 years ago, or Tanzania over 25 years ago.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limestone Burren landscape</td></tr>
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We repaired to the pub when we got back, some of us getting ready for the night ahead first. I went for a very hot bath to prevent any possible muscle ache and it worked a treat, and then we headed out. Dinner was for 7pm in L'Arco Italian Restaurant in Ballyvaughan, across the road from the Burren Hotel where we stayed. There were some moving speeches as Jack spoke about his beloved brother Aengus, and the decision was taken to have next year's walk in Waterford - who knows, it may even be around Lismore!<br />
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We had a lovely meal and a great laugh at our table with a mix of people from Bangladesh and Tanzania days. Lots of photos were taken and promises to keep in touch, and we went back to a different pub after the meal where we continued the craic well into the night. Sign of the times and the demographic we all represented, we didn't party like back in the day when we would see in the dawn before hitting the hay, and we were all back in our hotels and hostelries between 2 and 3 am.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardy walkers under Bare Mountain on the Burren</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the rare Burren flowers in bloom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road back to Ballyvaughan</td></tr>
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The next morning after breakfast another old Concern tradition was relived as <a href="http://www.ucc.ie/en/current/conferrings/HonoraryConferrings/CeremonyTimetables/5June2009/Title-110211-en.html">Jack, a Holy Ghost priest like his late brother Aengus</a>, celebrated Mass in the conservatory of the guest house. It was a lovely personal and warm ceremony, with none of the distance and reserve that a formal church setting demands, and we all gained from it, whether religious or not. We all headed off homeward bound around lunchtime, and said our goodbyes till next year in Waterford!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connor Pass, Dingle Peninsula, Kerry.</td></tr>
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Jan and me took the long road home, going through the Burren and visiting the Poulnabrone Dolmen for a photo opportunity.We continued on down through Kerry after crossing the Shannon Estuary by the Killimer to Tarbert car ferry, going out to Dingle via Tralee and over the Conor Pass which has spectacular views over both sides of the Dingle Peninsula. We came back via Killarney and Mallow, and we're still awaiting the summer that eludes us thus far.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-38264026136471935192012-05-16T22:31:00.000+01:002012-05-16T22:31:44.370+01:00Enter the Dragon - at the Nurses' and Midwives' Conference in Killarney<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Norah Casey, my new Twitter friend!</td></tr>
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Last week I spent three very busy full days in <a href="http://www.gleneaglehotel.com/shows/index.php?v=m">Killarney</a> at the Irish Nurses and Midwives Annual Delegate Conference (INMO). It was great to get together with friends and colleagues for a celebration of what we do best, and catch up on the news and the gossip over the past year, as well as developments in nursing and midwifery on the national and international stage. I'm not going to bore you comatose with too much detail; suffice to say that the conference is an ideal opportunity to recharge the batteries and have fun at the same time. </div>
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We had a number of motions debates, and a wonderfully inspiring keynote speaker in Norah Casey from <a href="http://www.rte.ie/tv/dragonsden/">Ireland's Dragon's Den</a>. She was a nurse in an earlier life, and spoke warmly and very movingly about her late husband's death from cancer last year, and the great care he got from the nurses in Blackrock Hospice. I'd heard her speak on <a href="http://www.rte.ie/radio1/marianfinucane/2012-02-04.html">Marian Finucane's Saturday programme on RTÉ Radio back in February</a>, and she had the nation spellbound with her openness and honesty in talking about her late husband so soon after his death. She also shared her Top Ten Tips for Success - 9 of them at any rate - and No. 1 was Tweet Tweet! Which she does, @NorahCasey and she had already been tweeting about the conference since the previous week's Dragon's Den with me and some other Tweeting nurses. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Waterford Branch Delegates </td></tr>
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Compare and contrast Norah's 42 minute address and her Top Ten Tips for Success with the 9 minute address from <a href="http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0511/james-reilly-closed-hospital-beds-to-stay-closed.html">Minister for Health Dr. James Reilly </a>the following day. We were all wondering what he would say to inspire and encourage us in these dark gloomy recessionary days - and we're still waiting and wondering why he bothered to come to Killarney. He spoke on nurse prescribing which has been around for enough years to not be news anymore, and about the need for flexibility in changing work practices. This is a none-too-subtle toe-dipping exercise in bringing back shorter and possibly split shifts. The latter will go down like the proverbial lead balloon as they are the most appalling family-unfriendly soul-destroying work practice, which I did as a student but would strongly resist if they come back. What nurses don't need or want is the erosion of the profession on cost grounds or that we are seen as replacement doctors - there's a sense that role expansion could be seen as a value-for-money exercise by the bean-counters, while we want role expansion to be within the realm of nursing and not a medical model. There's a sense of a widening theory-practice gap with health economics the driving impetus rather than the patient journey. The nurses among you will know what I mean. I hope you watch the two videoclips. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Essene, Grainne and me, PHN reps from Waterford</td></tr>
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There's a soul-destroying recruitment embargo going on for the past four years that means posts are not being filled on retirement and staff aren't being hired. The waste in training nurses for export as they can't be hired in the public sector is a tragedy and we are all hopeful that the powers-that-be see sense and give work to the expensively trained nurses in Ireland and that we return to a time where we emigrated from choice not necessity, just like I did back in the '70s and '80s.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterford's Claire Mahon speaking to a motion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handover of the Presidential Chain of Office</td></tr>
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Ending on a lighter note, the highlight of the conference for the Waterford Branch (of which I was a delegate) was surely the election of our Chairperson Claire Mahon as President of the INMO for the next 2 years. Claire has been on the INMO Executive for the past few years and it was terrific that she was elected. We wish her every success in raising the profile of nursing and the profession at large in her term of office. We partied well into the night on each night, as is our wont at such gigs, and even though I missed the Gala Ball on the Friday night, having come home early for a weekend away (more of which anon) I enjoyed the two nights I spent in Killarney. We came second in the opening night's Table Quiz which raised 2000 Euro for the Kerry Rape Crisis Centre, and were beaten by a mere point. That event has become a conference fixture and is very enjoyable, with the inimitable Dave Hughes as Quizmaster who brooks no challenge - the only right answer is his one! Dinner and awards the second night was followed by dancing the night away, the only exercise we got, as the days were full on. The weather was awful, dull and wet, and only on the final day did the sun come out, making for a lovely 2 hour journey home that evening.<br />
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Next day we headed for The Burren in Co. Clare for a reunion and walk with a number of old friends - the next blogpost will tell all!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gleneagle Hotel and Conference Centre, Killarney</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-27711935402674202752012-05-03T01:33:00.000+01:002012-05-03T01:33:20.084+01:00A Snug Solution - for a Sony e-Reader Cosy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished Sony cosy </td></tr>
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I just wanted to share this latest project with you - it's been gestating for the past two months as my friend and colleague asked me if I'd make her a cosy for her new e-reader - a Sony - when she saw my iPhone cosy. Of course I agreed, and it would be in the same hot pink - but the only caveat was that there wouldn't be any time pressure. Probably a mistake as I am the queen of procrastination and unless I have a deadline I'll put everything off till tomorrow...or next week, or month, or year.<br />
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In this case, my friend was on hols so I didn't get the dimensions of the e-reader till she returned. Then she sent me the model - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-PRS-T1-BLACK-lightweight-paper-like/dp/B005ME1L1G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336003640&sr=1-1">Sony e-Reader PRS T-1</a>. All Greek to me, but at least I could go on Amazon and get the dimensions - 11x17.3x0.9cm. (How precise is that - 0.9? Couldn't they just round it off at 1cm? I think it must be mind games like 99c sounding better value than 1 Euro - 1cm must be soooo much fatter than 0.9cm!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the job, halfway there.</td></tr>
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So I needed <a href="http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/12/negative-ease-and-positive-ease.html">negative ease </a>in this cosy (Ahem, betcha didn't think I knew anything techie about knitting!) I've learnt so much from my knitting library and friends in the knitting circle. Negative ease for those of you wondering is making something with a bit of give in it when it's being worn. Like socks. You don't want them concertina'ed around your ankles (even if they are ankle socks) so they must be smaller than your leg to snugly embrace that ankle or calf. A phone cosy likewise, and an e-reader cosy. It must hug the object of its desire so it doesn't fall out when moved. So the item must be larger than the cosy, if only by a few millimetres. This worked out fine, as the width is just 11cm which allows ease in the 1.8cm for the sides. The length is slightly longer than the reader, again allowing for its thickness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blocking (too red!)</td></tr>
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Where you don't want negative ease is in a jumper (sweater to the American readership!) - unless you're willowy svelte and slim with no excess of flab or muffin-top spare tyre you want plenty of positive ease! I'm at the stage where I'll adjust my pattern shaping accordingly, like my last teal jumper where I modified the waistline shaping - in my case to not much shaping at all, as it was a short jumper. I've just started another lacy jumper which is quite longline and more tunic-like, so I'm looking forward to seeing how this will turn out.<br />
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A word about the cable pattern on the cosy. I loved it when I saw it on Ravelry, and as it was in <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/jolakey/kindle-cosy">Jolakey's projects as a Kindle Cosy</a>. As it was a personal pattern not in Ravelry or available for purchase, I decided to decode it - a first for me. It was a nice challenge and very satisfying when I eventually cracked it. It was another challenge to write it down, and I'm still working on that. I left a note on the comments box about my using the cable for this project, so I hope she likes my interpretation of her design. The only glitch is that hot pink is well-nigh impossible to photograph properly with my fairly basic cameras (my Panasonic Lumix and my iPhone.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cable Design, colour good match</td></tr>
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How I made it:<br />
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<li>I used Cotton yarn, DK/Sportsweight, and it took just over 25gm, which was pretty good going as the ball is 100gm. </li>
<li>I cast on 52 stitches, and put 26 on each needle of the 3.5mm circular needle, using the <a href="http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2009/09/16/the-magical-magic-loop.aspx">Magic Loop method </a>which meant no side seams. I use this method for everything possible now, like the sleeves of my last jumper, to socks, to the body of my current jumper. </li>
<li>I used the 3-needle cast/bind-off for the end seam, worked on the inside, so it's very neat on the outside. That's another technique crossover from sock toes, which is very adaptable. </li>
<li>The Cable was worked over 18 stitches in the middle of one of the 26 stitch groups - so K4, work cable panel over 18, K4 (total 26 stitches), K all 26 stitches on 2nd needle. </li>
<li>As you're using Magic loop for stocking stitch, you knit each round, (excluding the cable panel of course!) and no purling. </li>
</ol>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeCjMYiJ0pA/T6HP_2nyVLI/AAAAAAAAF-0/OlRdDhhZ938/s1600/IMG_3028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeCjMYiJ0pA/T6HP_2nyVLI/AAAAAAAAF-0/OlRdDhhZ938/s320/IMG_3028.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable design detail, one repeat. Colour a bit too lavender!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I'll try to do the written pattern instructions and/or a chart which would be a first for me as I am not really used to them; they seem to be a very American thing.<br />
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I do like the end result, after blocking and drying. Happy knitting!Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-8048674083213833572012-04-29T13:55:00.000+01:002012-04-29T14:06:04.013+01:00New Knitting - My Teal Lace-Trim Jumper<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOnGs4HbzLI/T50v7LHo-uI/AAAAAAAAF7A/BUSmrAqQDVc/s1600/IMG_2926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOnGs4HbzLI/T50v7LHo-uI/AAAAAAAAF7A/BUSmrAqQDVc/s320/IMG_2926.JPG" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new cotton jumper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is a jumper I finished in time for the<a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/"> Immrama Launch in Lismore Castle</a> so you've seen it being modelled if you read <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2012/04/celebrating-decade-of-travel-writing-in.html">the blogpost</a> on that event - and it's also on my Facebook profile pic, as it was taken by the pro photographer on the night and the quality is great. Better than my Panasonic Lumix point'n'shoot or my iPhone pix!<br />
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I thought to share this project with the various knitaholics among my blog readership, apologies to the rest of you who find knitting up there on a par with watching paint dry, but that's the joys of blogging - anything goes.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UcNBcCum_zM/T504Jhv-WNI/AAAAAAAAF7c/Re_HhDDCsgM/s1600/Lets_knit_cover_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UcNBcCum_zM/T504Jhv-WNI/AAAAAAAAF7c/Re_HhDDCsgM/s320/Lets_knit_cover_medium2.jpg" width="236" /></a>I got the pattern from the March 2012 edition of <a href="http://www.letsknit.co.uk/">Let's Knit</a>, a UK knitting mag, which was new to me, but has lovely patterns in it. I get a lot of American crochet and knitting mags, and find the crochet ones easier if they're American as I use the American stitches in crochet, which means the UK crochet mags wreck my head. I have to do a translation of the pattern as I go along, and often mess up, and even though I am totally baffled by pattern charts in crochet, which the Americans favour, I am getting used to reading knitting charts for lacy projects, as in the cast of this jumper.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4lYvSrkSG7M/T50vxyijpqI/AAAAAAAAF6g/lPw-mm3piD4/s1600/IMG_2922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4lYvSrkSG7M/T50vxyijpqI/AAAAAAAAF6g/lPw-mm3piD4/s320/IMG_2922.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom mirror modelling - to show neck detail!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It was designed by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/://www.ravelry.com/designers/anniken-allis">Anniken Allis</a> (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kaja">her Ravelry link</a>) and it was a first for me, working from a lace chart. Also the shoulders were not cast off, just left on a stitch holder and they involved the <a href="http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2012/01/sweater-shoulders-transform-stair-steps.html">Wrap and Turn technique</a> to slope them, and then they were joined by the 3-needle cast-off (bind-off for my American readers). This is a technique I was used to from my sock knitting, as I always use it for the toes, and my iPhone cosy too. It leaves a lovely neat finish, and I will use it ad infinitum!<br />
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Another first for me was knitting the three-quarter length sleeves in the round, which meant they were seamless. I was chuffed with that as it wasn't on the pattern, and I managed to incorporate the sleeve shaping with no problems. I also blocked the pieces, which was a step I've never done before - all those knitting books are paying off - and it really gave it a neat finish.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NzCMdA0PxOw/T50wCHz2eGI/AAAAAAAAF7I/33SE53NfWBY/s1600/IMG_2927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NzCMdA0PxOw/T50wCHz2eGI/AAAAAAAAF7I/33SE53NfWBY/s320/IMG_2927.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of neck back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My favourite part of the jumper was the lace detail, especially on the neck back. It is a little triangle, and it was easy enough to do once I could concentrate on the counting. The same trim was in the pattern for the sleeves, and I adapted the pattern to include the same trim on the front and back hem. I think that enhanced it and it turned out lovely. What do you think?<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GwWvBFS_8rs/T50vJcGfEtI/AAAAAAAAF5o/Tcstx4AQ2GU/s1600/IMG_2913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GwWvBFS_8rs/T50vJcGfEtI/AAAAAAAAF5o/Tcstx4AQ2GU/s320/IMG_2913.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note seamless sleeve: pre-blocking, a bit too blue.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dwsPTHcXqtA/T50wro6TN1I/AAAAAAAAF7Q/dXjzmxqXLWE/s1600/IMG_2966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dwsPTHcXqtA/T50wro6TN1I/AAAAAAAAF7Q/dXjzmxqXLWE/s320/IMG_2966.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swanky launch at Lismore Castle - with hubby Jan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The yarn was adapted too - as long as it was cotton 4-ply (sportweight for American knitters) I was happy to go along with it. I had lovely teal cotton yarn from <a href="http://www.lidl.ie/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_ri_ie">Lidl</a>, called Lima - but I only had 250gm. That should have been enough, but that wasn't applicable to this yarn, and I ran out before the front was done! Disaster loomed as Lidl only bring out wool about twice a year and don't always run the same ranges from year to year, so I thought I'd have to park the project. Then an angel of mercy appeared, in the person of Annie, one of the <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2012/04/lismores-first-sitnknit-tuesday.html">Tuesday Knitters</a> at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Design-Workshop-Lismore/161676637195374">Angela's Design Workshop</a>. She heard of my dilemma and offered me a pack of the same colour yarn she had bought last year! It was called Spring, and it was a 5-ply yarn with a slightly larger gauge, however, I decided to continue on the 3.5mm needles and it wasn't discernible. So unless you look with a gimlet eye for flaws, and spot a tiny discrepancy at the neck, it's totally fine by me.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9B-nJxiQHog/T50vRUmdPhI/AAAAAAAAF5w/t-vJ-SIvzMc/s1600/IMG_2914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9B-nJxiQHog/T50vRUmdPhI/AAAAAAAAF5w/t-vJ-SIvzMc/s320/IMG_2914.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Border detail - colour very hard to capture but this is it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvvzZ6ixEGc/T507167Pm0I/AAAAAAAAF7o/QctrJkqTDQw/s1600/IMG_3009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvvzZ6ixEGc/T507167Pm0I/AAAAAAAAF7o/QctrJkqTDQw/s1600/IMG_3009.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I wore the jumper for the launch of the Immrama Festival in Lismore Castle, and it got many compliments. The photos from the launch have been in the local papers so everyone can see my lovely jumper. I hope you like it too.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-31034494272455361652012-04-24T01:08:00.000+01:002012-04-24T01:23:39.973+01:00Celebrating a Decade of Travel Writing in Lismore - the Launch of Immrama 2012<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T4wSEf_TeJE/T5XA408WBvI/AAAAAAAAF1I/58olIXqhNas/s1600/IMG_2966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T4wSEf_TeJE/T5XA408WBvI/AAAAAAAAF1I/58olIXqhNas/s320/IMG_2966.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Jan at the launch (photo by David Clynch)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last Thursday saw a landmark day in the evolution of the <a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/">Immrama Festival of Travel Writing </a>in Lismore when the 10th festival was launched to great anticipation as to what the line-up would be for such a momentous anniversary. It was a special occasion for hubby Jan and the Immrama committee who have done trojan work for the past 9 months to bring this year's festival to fruition; a fitting gestation metaphor for this baby, whose birth is always the fruit of much hard labour.<br />
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The 2012 festival will be held from June 7-10, and bookings are already flooding in. Jan is the administrator and this was his first year doing the presentation for the launch, announcing the speakers and presenters. In previous years the manager of the Lismore Heritage Centre did the announcement presentation, but as she has moved to greener pastures as Tourism Officer for Co. Waterford she is no longer involved in Immrama. So this was a new challenge for the committee as they did all the preparatory work themselves. Jan has been working hard at contacting the speakers and arranging the logistical minutiae of travel, accommodation and venues right from the end of the last Immrama in June 2011.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gMo0B_Q_ST8/T5XBryJ3dvI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/pPsYy_4r3yE/s1600/P1080770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gMo0B_Q_ST8/T5XBryJ3dvI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/pPsYy_4r3yE/s320/P1080770.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Immrama Committee at the Launch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another first for <a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/lonely-planet-co-founder-set-to-speak-at-travel-writing-festival-191424.html">Immrama </a>is the commemorative book they are publishing for the 10th year of the festival. It's a compilation of essays by former presenters and speakers and will be a classic collectors' item, with much local interest as it portrays their individual impressions of Lismore and/or Immrama. It will be ready for sale during the festival, and Jan co-edit it with <a href="http://www.paulclementswriting.com/biography.shtml">Paul Clements</a>, a stalwart of Immrama from the outset, as he returns year after year to run Creative Writing Workshops or to just soak up the ambience. The book is called "The Blue Sky Bends Over All" which is the motto of Immrama and is attributed to<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Makepeace_Thackeray"> William Makepeace Thackeray</a> who, when visiting Lismore in the 1800s, noted that while Protestant and Catholics are buried in opposite sides of the same cemetary, the sun shines equally on both and "The blue sky bends over all". It's a lovely image and even if the story were apocryphal it has become embedded in local lore.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKLHTUfsoFs/T5XBS4uFljI/AAAAAAAAF1w/Ui3Y1ML1sWE/s1600/IMG_2946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKLHTUfsoFs/T5XBS4uFljI/AAAAAAAAF1w/Ui3Y1ML1sWE/s320/IMG_2946.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theme of Immrama 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back to the <a href="http://www.theview.ie/10th-immrama-festival-launched-2/">launch of this year's festival</a>. It was held as before in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lismore_Castle">Pugin Room</a> of Lismore Castle, where Devonshire Day takes place, and thanks to the generosity of the Duke of Devonshire's son Lord William Burlington, who spends a lot of his time here with his wife Laura Lady Burlington and their children Maud and James, the Castle has become synonymous with these events. The Burlingtons were at the launch, as they are in the final stages of preparing the summer exhibition of the <a href="http://www.lismorecastlearts.ie/">Lismore Castle Arts</a> gallery, which will be opened on May 12th. No doubt there'll follow a blog post on that next month! As there was much interest locally in who'd be coming to the festival this year, there was a nice crowd of locals and "blow-ins" at the launch, and we all enjoyed the cheese and wine while we chatted and smiled for the local photographer, who very kindly sent me the pic of Jan and myself, as it's often the only one of the two of us I end up with, as I'm so busy taking photos of everyone else.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nc0kmDireVQ/T5XBdBYZz2I/AAAAAAAAF2A/PViVa8C5Uuc/s1600/IMG_2934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nc0kmDireVQ/T5XBdBYZz2I/AAAAAAAAF2A/PViVa8C5Uuc/s320/IMG_2934.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lord William Burlington and Jan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the President and Chairman of Immrama spoke, and the County Manager officially launched the Festival, Jan presented the 2012 programme. There's a great group of speakers this year, with the theme of the festival "In The Footsteps of Marco Polo" and will feature a tribute to the late famed travel writer <a href="http://patrickleighfermor.wordpress.com/">Patrick Leigh Fermor</a>, who died last June and news of whose passing filtered through during Immrama 2011's Friday night talk and was mourned by many of the speakers who felt they'd lost a friend and mentor.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/tonywheeler/">Tony Wheeler</a>, co-founder of <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/">Lonely Planet</a>, and <a href="http://literature.britishcouncil.org/colin-thubron">Colin Thubron</a>, the renowned travel writer who has written on The Silk Road and Siberia, will be the main speakers on the Saturday. There's a panel discussion on the Legacy of Patrick Leigh Fermor on the Friday night with Jan Morris making a return visit to Lismore after two years, and the aforementioned Colin Thubron and Tony Wheeler, who will also be joined by Leigh Fermor's biographer <a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/artemiscooper.shtml">Artemis Cooper</a>, who is married to <a href="http://www.antonybeevor.com/">Antony Beevor</a>, and this will be a fascinating evening.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bcjD64c5o5Y/T5XBQM4lbwI/AAAAAAAAF1o/PIiewsWPlII/s1600/IMG_2945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bcjD64c5o5Y/T5XBQM4lbwI/AAAAAAAAF1o/PIiewsWPlII/s320/IMG_2945.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan presenting the programme</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Patrick Leigh Fermor has connections to <a href="http://www.lismorecastle.com/">Lismore Castle</a>, as he was a personal friend of the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/12/deborah-duchess-of-devonshire-chatsworth">Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, the former Deborah Mitford</a>, youngest of the famous - or infamous - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitford_family">Mitford sisters</a>, and her niece-in-law, Charlotte Mosley (yes, that Mosley; she's the daughter-in-law of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2003/aug/14/guardianobituaries.thefarright">Diana Mitford </a>who was married to fascist leader <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_Mosley">Oswald Mosley</a>) compiled their correspondence over many years in a fascinating book <a href="http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/collections/in-tearing-haste/">"In Tearing Haste: Letters between Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor"</a>. Coincidentally I got a present of that book for my birthday and look forward to reading it before Immrama. I suppose there's a certain complacency in Lismore over the Devonshire connection and the castle, as we live in its shadow, and it's only when we are shown it through the eyes of outsiders we see what a magical and beautiful place it is and indeed Lismore as well!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S-JC6FqkZMM/T5XBkfPjzLI/AAAAAAAAF2I/ycjfazHi5Co/s1600/P1080760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S-JC6FqkZMM/T5XBkfPjzLI/AAAAAAAAF2I/ycjfazHi5Co/s320/P1080760.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audience at the launch in the Pugin Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mary Russell will also present at Immrama on the Saturday at a lunchtime talk. She wrote <a href="http://www.maryrussell.info/pages/print/the-blessings-of-a-good-tick-skirt.htm">The Blessings of Good Thick Skirt</a>, a book that I read in Tanzania and which I gave to <a href="http://www.dervlamurphy.com/">Dervla Murphy </a>when she visited<a href="http://www.iringa.go.tz/"> Iringa</a> and came to dinner with us while she was researching The Ukimwi Road back in 1993. I absolutely loved that paean to women travel writers, and it marked my introduction to Freya Stark, Mary Kingsley, Isobel Burton and of course our own Lismore heroine Dervla who featured in it. Mary has recently published her latest book on Syria, <a href="http://maryrussellwriter.wordpress.com/">My Home is Your Home</a> and it's very topical with all its current tribulations.<br />
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<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/a-winter-on-the-nile-by-anthony-sattin-1996804.html">Anthony Sattin</a> will speak at the Sunday Breakfast in <a href="http://www.waterfordhotel.com/">Ballyrafter</a>, a year late as he was scheduled for 2011 but fell ill at the last minute and had to cancel. The final speaker on Sunday night is <a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/dianagleadhill.shtml">Diana Gleadhill</a> who met some Lismore friends when travelling in Ethiopia last year, and who has written on her travels on the Silk Road including a trip to the Kamchatka peninsula.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USQzDV6tyg8/T5XBG-0eJoI/AAAAAAAAF1Y/YnT0mEQMRSA/s1600/P1080773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USQzDV6tyg8/T5XBG-0eJoI/AAAAAAAAF1Y/YnT0mEQMRSA/s320/P1080773.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Foley serenading Niamh in his bar!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sunday afternoon is an afternoon of family fun, music and circus acts in the town's Millenium Park. That's become a fixture of the festival from its inception and draws crowds of children and their parents from far and wide. The Sunday will have the Farmers' Market, and there will be a great buzz around town all weekend culminating in the fun day. I look forward to another great weekend and even though I end up wrecked by Monday, after being on First-Aid duty in my Hi-Viz jacket all weekend at every event, I am blessed that I get to see and hear all the speakers, even if I have to keep a vigilant eye out for any untoward incident.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ju9ufmsUMBc/T5XBMzYEjJI/AAAAAAAAF1g/AG80SHyTjd4/s1600/P1080774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ju9ufmsUMBc/T5XBMzYEjJI/AAAAAAAAF1g/AG80SHyTjd4/s320/P1080774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donal, Edward and Jan in Foley's on The Mall pub</td></tr>
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After the launch at the Castle, we repaired to the pub, and spent the next few hours enjoying the craic in Foley's on The Mall, where we were entertained by the proprietor Michael Foley, who's a wonderful tenor, and gave the launch a fitting finale. Roll on the second weekend in June, and if you can make it to Lismore, why not drop in on one of the many events during the festival.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-35352166962463159922012-04-15T14:15:00.001+01:002012-04-15T14:15:46.891+01:00Lismore's First Sit'n'Knit - The Tuesday Knitters at the Farmers' Market<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NlaJc0GHN28/T4q0eTvHNiI/AAAAAAAAFuM/nk4ntP9J5ng/s1600/IMG_2902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NlaJc0GHN28/T4q0eTvHNiI/AAAAAAAAFuM/nk4ntP9J5ng/s320/IMG_2902.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tuesday Knitters - on Saturday!</td></tr>
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Today was the first Sit'n'Knit session of a number that may take place over the summer in the run-up to the inaugural exhibition of Knit One, Purl One planned by the Tuesday Knitters from the Design workshop run by Angela Nevin. The exhibition will take place in the off-site gallery of <a href="http://www.lismorecastlearts.ie/">Lismore Castle Arts</a> at <a href="http://www.lismorecastlearts.ie/index.php/st-carthage-hall.html">St. Carthage's Hal</a>l in November 2012.<br />
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We have been meeting as a Knitting Circle since late 2010, shortly after the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Design-Workshop-Lismore/161676637195374">Design Workshop</a> opened, and it is very pleasant to get together every Tuesday evening with fellow-knitters and crocheters, and occasionally I go to the morning session if I'm off, as it's not really an option for those of us working outside the home. As a result, a lot of the morning knitters are retired, and as <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2012/02/knitting-nirvana-crafty-books-done.html">I wrote before in this blog</a>, some are retired nurses, which shows what a crafty crowd we are! Also that generation knitted regularly and it had none of the cachet that it has today, where it has become practically a celebrity must-do in some circles. I read in one of my myriad<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Guide-to-Knitting-Crochet/dp/1445405563/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_3"> knitting books</a> that Hollywood stars can now be seen knitting away in the downtime between takes on set, so that can't be bad! There is a children's knitting circle running on Tuesdays as an after-school club which attracts a group of enthusiastic early knitters - the future is safe in their nimble fingers!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j4dgx_c3GXo/T4q0SqMTBcI/AAAAAAAAFt8/142XtGfMOxk/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j4dgx_c3GXo/T4q0SqMTBcI/AAAAAAAAFt8/142XtGfMOxk/s320/IMG_2900.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farmers' Market on Lismore Castle Avenue.</td></tr>
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Anyway, recently we decided all our multiple and diverse talent should be shared with the wider world and with that end in view Angela hit on the great idea of an exhibition in November. We'll try to do some events in the meantime to shamelessly self-publicise, like getting involved in <a href="http://Knit-in-Public International">Knit-in-Public International</a> Day on June 12th, and maybe some <a href="http://www.facebook.com/InternationalYarnBombingDay">guerilla yarn-bombing </a>activities. Of course by their very nature they have to remain secret and surreptitious till the community awakens to an explosion of colour in their public spaces!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C_7qcECdcz8/T4q0rI0s4XI/AAAAAAAAFuc/yflk9FtI9Gw/s1600/IMG_2904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C_7qcECdcz8/T4q0rI0s4XI/AAAAAAAAFuc/yflk9FtI9Gw/s320/IMG_2904.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knitting and cakes - note needle box- not whiskey!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5i8jf6WaT0A/T4q0lEvAXKI/AAAAAAAAFuU/7jLthU4tj0w/s1600/IMG_2903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5i8jf6WaT0A/T4q0lEvAXKI/AAAAAAAAFuU/7jLthU4tj0w/s320/IMG_2903.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knitting away! </td></tr>
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The Sit'n'Knit yesterday was the second activity in the past week - Easter Monday saw some wonderfully clad ducks infiltrate and visit the charity Duck Derby in the Strand, Lismore's watering hole for generations of children and indeed where I learnt to swim with an old inner tube, in the shallow waters below the salmon weir waterfall. There was a salmon hatchery in Lismore back in the days of yore - my childhood - and the waterfall was integral to that as it had a sluice gate nearby that diverted the water to the hatchery. Blackwater salmon were famed far and wide and indeed still are though for the chosen few who have salmon fishing licences. Luckily one of our friends is in a syndicate that fishes the Blackwater and we are always blessed with a couple of fresh caught delicious salmon every year.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ6l3eG_oHw/T4q0xiTOMGI/AAAAAAAAFuk/-hlYCEtMiSA/s1600/IMG_2905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ6l3eG_oHw/T4q0xiTOMGI/AAAAAAAAFuk/-hlYCEtMiSA/s320/IMG_2905.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The poster for our exhibition</td></tr>
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The Duck Derby pretenders wore hats and scarves knitted by stalwarts of the knitting circles, especially Dairiona and some of the children's circle; there are numerous photos on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Design-Workshop-Lismore/161676637195374">Facebook</a>, and even a videoclip which you can see on the Facebook page.<br />
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The afternoon went very pleasantly, with a group turning up in the Millenium Park in the afternoon, with their WIP or their stash to make whatever took their fancy, and we repaired a few yards down the road to the Castle Avenue where the Farmers' Market was in full swing. Normally that takes place on a Sunday but as this is the weekend of the <a href="http://waterfordfestivaloffood.com/">Waterford Festival of Food</a>, it was held on Saturday.<br />
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We commandeered a table and chairs in the sunshine by the Castle wall, and we had tea, coffee, and carrot cake from the delicious cake stall run by Helen Fitzgerald, who makes the most yummy carrot, coffee, lemon and other madeira cakes, soda breads and scones. We had chocolate biccies, and passed a very pleasant hour and a half. We attracted some curious visitors, who were probably unaware of our existence, and we had a great laugh with everyone. We even made some headway with our knitting, and everyone was wearing something they'd knitted themselves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h32CFSlKPj4/T4q0Yb7C2dI/AAAAAAAAFuE/eQaLJZWoNfk/s1600/IMG_2901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h32CFSlKPj4/T4q0Yb7C2dI/AAAAAAAAFuE/eQaLJZWoNfk/s320/IMG_2901.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farmers' Market Lismore - cakes and fudge and lots more!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-42015170819721790452012-04-04T01:40:00.001+01:002012-04-04T01:40:25.897+01:00Lavender and Old Lace - Spring into Summer Socks<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3GwqcD3VT0s/T3uR9LM3RaI/AAAAAAAAFmg/ql39IQEidH4/s1600/IMG_2805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3GwqcD3VT0s/T3uR9LM3RaI/AAAAAAAAFmg/ql39IQEidH4/s320/IMG_2805.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lavender and Old Lace Socks</td></tr>
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I finished these new ankle socks a few days ago and I absolutely love them. They have a lacy Feather and Fan or Old Shale Cuff - the name seems interchangeable but I've made a scarf and a cowl in that design in recent months so I'll stick to Feather and Fan, which describes the lovely lace design perfectly. </div>
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The pattern comes from the aptly named <a href="http://stitchesofviolet.blogspot.com/2004/12/old-shale-two-yarn-sock-pattern.html">Stitches of Violet Blog</a> - and it was an adaptation in this wool as I had no plain colour sock wool. I got the wool in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Design-Workshop-Lismore/161676637195374">Angela's Design Workshop in Lismore</a> where our Knitting Circle meet every Tuesday evening. It's <a href="http://www.springwools.com/shop.php?page=category&action=view&category_id=367">King Cole brand, Zig Zag 4-ply Sock Wool</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CEbM6W3SY6M/T3uSFm0zfmI/AAAAAAAAFmo/hE_hxRNY_-8/s1600/IMG_2806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CEbM6W3SY6M/T3uSFm0zfmI/AAAAAAAAFmo/hE_hxRNY_-8/s320/IMG_2806.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuff and Eye of Partridge Heel Flap</td></tr>
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This is the first pair of socks I'd made in this lovely lavender and violet self-striping wool. Most of the socks I've made in the past year and a half have either been double knitting acrylic - not good as they fray at the heel after a few week's wear - or pure wool which promptly felted as I didn't realise it wasn't machine-washable superwash wool. The most successful were made with<a href="http://www.lidl.ie/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_ri_ie"> Lidl</a> Sock Wool, which has been terrific value and made comfy hard-wearing socks that have kept me going for over a year now. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtQ7us9_0J4/T3uRuMG0k3I/AAAAAAAAFmQ/U_nFbGfvIvM/s1600/IMG_2803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtQ7us9_0J4/T3uRuMG0k3I/AAAAAAAAFmQ/U_nFbGfvIvM/s320/IMG_2803.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing cuff rib on left</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFOgEpYv92E/T3uSUIhVbQI/AAAAAAAAFm4/yWGPWLW8ils/s1600/IMG_2802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFOgEpYv92E/T3uSUIhVbQI/AAAAAAAAFm4/yWGPWLW8ils/s320/IMG_2802.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eye of Partridge Heel & Gusset - soft light</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wqm7e_C1HBo/T3uR1GEd3NI/AAAAAAAAFmY/Gj2T0PJbth8/s1600/IMG_2804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wqm7e_C1HBo/T3uR1GEd3NI/AAAAAAAAFmY/Gj2T0PJbth8/s320/IMG_2804.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuff and Rib detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EEP_vtYtkZU/T3uSNMvzvOI/AAAAAAAAFmw/-UrAHkhHi74/s1600/IMG_2801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EEP_vtYtkZU/T3uSNMvzvOI/AAAAAAAAFmw/-UrAHkhHi74/s320/IMG_2801.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modelling the socks - soft lighting.</td></tr>
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I think I'm officially a Sockaholic - I have to have a pair on the go at all times, along with any other WIP I'm busy with. I used to use 4 DPNs (Double-Pointed Needles) but then about a year ago I learnt how to use the <a href="http://knittinggirl-lovetoknit.blogspot.com/2008/03/magic-loop-socks-tutorial.html">Magic Loop</a> with circular needles and haven't looked back. </div>
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Here are some links to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE7A31A2EF2519D5C">YouTube Video Tutorial</a>s on the Magic Loop. It is the easiest method and make socks more portable than ever with no fear of losing a needle. I am to be found knitting away in the passenger seat of the car as we drive anywhere - Cork or Dublin mostly - and hubby Jan is used to it now, having a knitwit beside him getting odd looks at traffic lights! </div>
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I would love to try these in the pattern colours, with a plain sock and a patterned cuff, heel flap and toe. It's just harder to get plain yarn than patterned or self-striping for socks, but I'll get there eventually. </div>
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There's been great intercontinental collaboration in the world of sock-design and knitting lately as Stephanie over at <a href="http://rowanberrystudio.blogspot.com/">Hookin', Knittin' and Livin</a>' took my photo of the <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2012/03/local-knitting-hall-of-fame-moment.html">Lismore Cable </a>designed by Cyril Cullen and adapted it to the most wonderful socks - which you can see on her blogpost <a href="http://rowanberrystudio.blogspot.com/2012/03/saturday-stash_31.html">here</a> - aren't they gorgeous? I hope to make them one day, and you'll be the first to know! </div>
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Meanwhile I hope you like my photos - they show the socks in daylight and under soft lighting taken at night - what a difference the light makes! Of course the daylight is the real deal - and they are a lovely colourway that is currently a favourite of mine - going with my <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2012/02/knitting-nirvana-crafty-books-done.html">frilly scarf and my Rathcooney hat and mitts. </a> By the way, my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/LismoreLady">Ravelry name is LismoreLady</a> if you want to visit me there!</div>
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<br /></div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-84184797518960827312012-04-02T01:08:00.000+01:002012-04-02T01:08:33.167+01:00On My Bike in the Spring Sunshine - Out and About Around Lovely Lismore<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zRcPnJ0B4ec/T3jK_-Ng3iI/AAAAAAAAFj4/HLZ7MRbRMzw/s1600/IMG_2766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zRcPnJ0B4ec/T3jK_-Ng3iI/AAAAAAAAFj4/HLZ7MRbRMzw/s320/IMG_2766.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Ballyduff Bridge in Hi-Viz!</td></tr>
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The past week we have had fabulous summer weather in late March and this unseasonal weather was such a treat that everyone tried to make the best of it.<br />
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We did some gardening and planted some new shrubs in a bed near the patio and I finally got out on my bike for some longish cycles around the beautiful countryside. I've been very bad with getting going on the bike and hubby Jan's put me to shame by keeping up his cycling during the winter, but this is my first week of proper cycling, apart from trips to the shops for the <a href="http://machinenation.forumakers.com/t661-giving-out-about-hiberno-english">messages</a> (a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiberno-English">Hiberno-English</a> expression for grocery shopping).<br />
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Like everything I tend to defer the moment but once I get started I'll be on track for a few times a week and aim at the Sean Kelly Challenge 50km charity cycle in late August. This will be the third year I'll be doing this event and I've enjoyed it immensely for the past two years. You can read about<a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2010/08/cycling-cruise-sean-kelly-tour-of.html"> 2010</a> and <a href="http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2011/09/2011-sean-kelly-tour-of-waterford-my.html">2011</a>, and watch this space for 2012.<br />
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I came home from work two consecutive evenings and went out on the bike for about an hour, doing the same circuit of 15.2km both evenings and glad to see I'd knocked a minute and a half off my time the second day. Yesterday I went for a longer cycle of 22.5km and didn't expect to do too well time-wise as there was a strong headwind on the home stretch, so I was pleased with the end result.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e5-5QqpRMkY/T3jKzgHb-3I/AAAAAAAAFjg/5nTdKNw-vXE/s1600/IMG_2763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e5-5QqpRMkY/T3jKzgHb-3I/AAAAAAAAFjg/5nTdKNw-vXE/s320/IMG_2763.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The River Blackwater at Ballyduff - towards Fermoy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jTBPwshc190/T3jK-hcbRRI/AAAAAAAAFjw/RTwaVTGWyy8/s1600/IMG_2765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jTBPwshc190/T3jK-hcbRRI/AAAAAAAAFjw/RTwaVTGWyy8/s320/IMG_2765.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Blackwater at Ballyduff - towards Lismore</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m3qKq1_iWVs/T3jLUOkK4dI/AAAAAAAAFkY/SaFHHfG-s78/s1600/IMG_2735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m3qKq1_iWVs/T3jLUOkK4dI/AAAAAAAAFkY/SaFHHfG-s78/s320/IMG_2735.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cappoquin - R. Blackwater and the old Railway Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XR6ZLpFXbMY/T3jLy7LFoQI/AAAAAAAAFlA/gVumBUujVvw/s1600/IMG_2728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XR6ZLpFXbMY/T3jLy7LFoQI/AAAAAAAAFlA/gVumBUujVvw/s320/IMG_2728.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Cordylines and old banana trees</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-niOdFLEUQ/T3jKvJBxcsI/AAAAAAAAFjY/TKVkD7oTDJ4/s1600/IMG_2762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-niOdFLEUQ/T3jKvJBxcsI/AAAAAAAAFjY/TKVkD7oTDJ4/s320/IMG_2762.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Knockmealdown Mountains from Glencairn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are some wonderfully picturesque cycling routes around Lismore, with the river valley providing circuits out one road and home another, with no major hills to wear down the weary start-up cyclist.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I only wish I had the stamina of our world-renowned cycling author and travel writer extraordinaire Lismore resident, <a href="http://www.dervlamurphy.com/">Dervla Murphy</a>, whose exploits on her various bikes and other modes of more exotic transport have been documented in her numerous books for the past almost-fifty years, since Full Tilt - from Ireland to India on a bicycle was published in 1965. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Rozinante was the name of that bike and she surely was an Irish Don Quixote tilting at more than windmills, certainly she threw the book at the stereotype of Irish womanhood in those pre-feminist wave days. We are very pleased and proud to call her a friend and have spent many a pleasant evening in her company.<br />
<br />
Here are some of the lovely scenes around Lismore and Cappoquin and Ballyduff, and our newly planted shrubbery out in the back garden. Hopefully the banana trees will flourish again this year with a nearly-frostfree winter, and the cordylines will thrive and grow.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8gqQ5JRDTQ/T3jLmiHEYpI/AAAAAAAAFkw/qAWPDczE8vg/s1600/IMG_2738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8gqQ5JRDTQ/T3jLmiHEYpI/AAAAAAAAFkw/qAWPDczE8vg/s320/IMG_2738.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My trusty steed - nameless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-go-BpSVZrd8/T3jL5lbM9-I/AAAAAAAAFlI/LHvW5BI0QHI/s1600/IMG_2732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-go-BpSVZrd8/T3jL5lbM9-I/AAAAAAAAFlI/LHvW5BI0QHI/s320/IMG_2732.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben and our newly planted garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lUaxE-bbOMo/T3jLF8GPn_I/AAAAAAAAFkA/YMwO0lPH69I/s1600/IMG_2753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lUaxE-bbOMo/T3jLF8GPn_I/AAAAAAAAFkA/YMwO0lPH69I/s320/IMG_2753.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dromana House at Villierstown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pEQ0ba9z8Xc/T3jLO8v33MI/AAAAAAAAFkQ/ZSwn6EdLY9s/s1600/IMG_2772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pEQ0ba9z8Xc/T3jLO8v33MI/AAAAAAAAFkQ/ZSwn6EdLY9s/s320/IMG_2772.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horses on R. Blackwater Inches<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Enjoy the beauty of our Blackwater River Valley - and if we only had this kind of good weather here we'd be living in the best place on earth - in fact it's pretty good as it is despite the weather, as it's the rain that help the Emerald Isle live up to its name!</span></div>
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</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_EqSfyTjw6k/T3jLYv8wRUI/AAAAAAAAFkg/I9_uuolxWQs/s1600/IMG_2736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_EqSfyTjw6k/T3jLYv8wRUI/AAAAAAAAFkg/I9_uuolxWQs/s320/IMG_2736.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Blackwater from Cappoquin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aKeod6PBoJ4/T3jLrGVxHYI/AAAAAAAAFk4/M3Bbs8B-RoY/s1600/IMG_2739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aKeod6PBoJ4/T3jLrGVxHYI/AAAAAAAAFk4/M3Bbs8B-RoY/s320/IMG_2739.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflections from the Kitchen Hole, near Cappoquin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-22898435657764393362012-03-26T19:50:00.001+01:002012-03-26T19:50:33.519+01:00An Early Summer's Day - in March<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jOp_moXpekY/T3CzjWklWGI/AAAAAAAAFfM/VBlhORpMsbs/s1600/IMG_2720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jOp_moXpekY/T3CzjWklWGI/AAAAAAAAFfM/VBlhORpMsbs/s320/IMG_2720.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our street in Lismore - with St. Carthage's Church.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today was a beautiful Spring Day - and I wanted to share some photos with my Blogger friends - I've already put them on Facebook, this way they'll hit the Twitter machine as well. It's been unseasonally warm, with the temperature outside today around 16 degrees C and yesterday 17 degrees. It was windy but sunny and cloudless skies - a real perfect day!<br />
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It's also Livia's first birthday and we celebrated it yesterday in Cork, and I'll post some birthday photos soon. She is a sweet baby and it was great to celebrate it out in the garden in balmy weather.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kj_VGVATKWw/T3Czhe5iaaI/AAAAAAAAFfE/bphppjQVtBc/s1600/IMG_2719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kj_VGVATKWw/T3Czhe5iaaI/AAAAAAAAFfE/bphppjQVtBc/s320/IMG_2719.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Mall Lismore with Knockmealdown Mt.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermoy">Fermoy </a>this morning with teen daughter and her friend who were starting a week's work experience from school at the Creche there, where she went years ago when I worked in Fermoy. I went to Lidl and SuperValu for some shopping and then home, where I had a nice relaxing morning home alone with my knitting and read the papers from the weekend and today, and did a minimum of housework, like two lots of washing which are now dry after a few hours blowing in the brisk breeze, and making Shepherd's Pie for dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hBl1GKhJY9Q/T3Czgbr7ytI/AAAAAAAAFe8/vZkMXYEzi70/s1600/IMG_2718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hBl1GKhJY9Q/T3Czgbr7ytI/AAAAAAAAFe8/vZkMXYEzi70/s320/IMG_2718.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our back garden in the morning sunshine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0QP-vpHIkA/T3Cz1AzAoUI/AAAAAAAAFfk/PudRYiJQGYM/s1600/IMG_2724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0QP-vpHIkA/T3Cz1AzAoUI/AAAAAAAAFfk/PudRYiJQGYM/s320/IMG_2724.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">List of past participants in Immrama</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We just spent an hour in the polytunnel planting spuds and strawberry plants - and tidying up the ones from last year. Earlier I went down to the <a href="http://www.lismoreimmrama.com/">Immrama</a> office in the Main Street and helped hubby Jan with the window layout after we took down the <a href="http://blog.lismoreimmrama.com/2012/03/guest-post-devonshire-day-2012.html">Devonshire Day</a> posters and information. Time now to put up the info on the launch where the 2012 programme will be unveiled. That launch is on April 19th so I 'll be blogging that at the time. Continue to watch this space! There are some of my frilly scarves in the window in case anyone wants me to make them one, and our friend <a href="http://www.janejermynceramics.com/www.janejermynceramics.coms/info.php?p=3&pno=0">Jane Jermyn</a>, a renowned Lismore-based ceramic artist has a great selection of her work on display.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K0JsDpFKNmI/T3Czo6cGufI/AAAAAAAAFfU/MVHLi8-sejY/s1600/IMG_2722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K0JsDpFKNmI/T3Czo6cGufI/AAAAAAAAFfU/MVHLi8-sejY/s320/IMG_2722.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Window dressing for Immrama</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4NCdDKoqiRs/T3CzvoW7BUI/AAAAAAAAFfc/KKrNVZIR28g/s1600/IMG_2723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4NCdDKoqiRs/T3CzvoW7BUI/AAAAAAAAFfc/KKrNVZIR28g/s320/IMG_2723.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some past Immrama posters & programmes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tomorrow's the last day off before I check back into work on Wednesday, so I'll be off to knitting circle morning and evening sessions. There's a new <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-design-workshop">Ravelry group </a>started by one of the knitters on the home of our Knitting Circle, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Design-Workshop-Lismore/161676637195374">Angela's Design Workshop</a>, so check it out here and join if you're on Ravelry. We plan an Exhibition in the Autumn, and maybe a bit of guerilla <a href="http://yarnbombing.com/">yarn-bombing</a> wouldn't go amiss either. Of course given its nature there's no point of broadcasting it in advance outside of the participants - we wouldn't want it sabotaged, now would we?<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-73477282660390436062012-03-25T04:21:00.000+01:002012-03-25T04:21:16.751+01:00Currying Flavour - Beef Curry and Trimmings<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-hPNim3XfQ/T25c1IaSy_I/AAAAAAAAFds/wDMV6tGrSYs/s1600/P1080498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-hPNim3XfQ/T25c1IaSy_I/AAAAAAAAFds/wDMV6tGrSYs/s400/P1080498.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Curry with Rice, Dhal and all the trimmings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've been asked to share my recipe for Beef Curry over on Facebook so I thought the best way is to post it for posterity on my blog! This way everyone can enjoy it and it'll link to Twitter and Facebook. I have a really simple approach to curries - don't be a curry snob is the starting point and then it's straightforward after that!<br />
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I lived in Bangladesh over 30 years ago for over 2 years as a young Concern volunteer and that was the start of my love affair with kari or what we know as curry. (Along with another love affair but that's a whole 'nother story!). Ireland in the '70s wouldn't have been a hotbed of exotic epicurean delights and we were just about getting used to yoghurt and pasta as fancy foreign food, so for me going to Asia and encountering Bangladeshi cuisine was a real eye-opener. I got to love the food, the lack of spuds didn't bother me too much as I adored the rice staple, either boiled or fried as Biryani, and there was the added bonus that I lost 2 stone (about 14kg) in the first three months there from a combination of amoebic dysentery and a healthier diet with lots of rice and delicious fruit.<br />
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This paradox is quite explainable as I had a steep adjustment to make in relation to building resistance to bugs in water and the environment and I'd say all us sensitive Irish nurses and teachers and engineers and agriculturalists had to cross that Rubicon! Once we got over the first nasty dose we were pretty well assured of cast-iron constitutions for the duration of our stay - which was just as well as I loved street food and lassi and just got sense, with the maxim "boil it, peel it or forget it" as my mantra. The joys of tropical living were myriad and I've just touched the surface. Another time I'll tell you about the skin problems, the filaria risk and the general day-to-day hazards of daily life in such a challenging climate.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLVr39sxZk4/T26Mp229VEI/AAAAAAAAFeQ/lZRXGBJ8JDE/s1600/P1080493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLVr39sxZk4/T26Mp229VEI/AAAAAAAAFeQ/lZRXGBJ8JDE/s320/P1080493.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curry bash at Martin's Oz send-off - a big hit with the lads!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back to the curry. I fixed on this beef curry a few years ago and it is a big hit with everyone, family and visitors alike. I make it a day before serving as like any decent stew it benefits from standing for a day or so. Think back to your student flat days when the stew made on Monday lasted through to Thursday (or made on Sunday if you had a good Irish mammy and could do some home shopping!) The rice has to be Basmati - I use Lidl or SuperValu Basmati Rice as the cheapest and best. Again no need to be a rice snob either.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Perfect Beef Curry</b></i></span><br />
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<i><b>Ingredients</b></i><br />
<ul>
<li>2lbs/1kg stewing beef (with some fat marbling or trim to give it extra flavour)</li>
<li>2 onions - slice thickly</li>
<li>Some garlic - 2-3 cloves </li>
<li>Patak's or Sharwood's sauces - <i>I use a mix of the following with 3 tablespoons of three of the following - a combo of mild and medium. I mix the flavours quite randomly and find a combo is better than a single sauce. Totally unscientific and probably give the Patak family the vapours, but it works for me. </i></li>
<li><i>Mild = Tikka or Tandoori or Korma; </i></li>
<li><i>Medium = Rogan Josh, Jalfrezi or </i></li>
<li><i>Hot = Madras, Vindaloo.</i></li>
<li><i>These last two are for the foolhardy who think they can handle hot curries. You've been warned!</i></li>
<li>1 can (400g) of chopped tomatoes</li>
<li>1 can (400g) of Coconut Milk</li>
<li>Tablespoon of Mango Chutney (optional)</li>
<li>Tablespoon of vegetable oil</li>
<li><i>Optional Extra: Dried spices - a teaspoon of each of the following can be fried in hot oil before adding the sauces and meat.</i></li>
<li><i>Garam Masala</i></li>
<li><i>Cumin (seeds or powder) </i></li>
<li><i>Coriander (seeds or powder)</i></li>
<li><i>Mustard seeds </i></li>
</ul>
<i><b>Method</b></i><br />
<ol>
<li>Put oil in heavy base saucepan - heat to smoking hot.</li>
<li>Add dried spices if using and stir for a minute but don't burn them. </li>
<li>Add the sauces as in 4 above. </li>
<li>Add the meat and onions and garlic and mix well.</li>
<li>Brown the mixture but again don't burn - turn down heat as it will stick if you're not careful.</li>
<li>Add tomatoes and coconut milk and mix well. </li>
<li>Cover and turn down to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 hours. </li>
<li>It's done when the meat is so tender to be falling apart when you cut it. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S-73e8I5keQ/T25dHx7clII/AAAAAAAAFd0/kiqQgr0UKvw/s1600/P1080491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S-73e8I5keQ/T25dHx7clII/AAAAAAAAFd0/kiqQgr0UKvw/s320/P1080491.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last family curry - Martin's going-to-Oz party</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
</ol>
<i>You could use any quality sauce you can get locally - Patak's and
Sharwoods are the commonest avaiable here. I'm sure there are specialty
shops where you can get any variety of sauces. I use sauce in preference
to dried powder as it gives more intense flavour and they are pretty
oily and infuse every pore of the meat.The secret is to add the sauce to
the meat before browning it - no point in searing the meat before the
flavours can permeate the fibres. There's my science bit for you.</i><br />
<br />
Serve with freshly boiled Basmati Rice.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Perfect Basmati Rice. </b></i><br />NB: I don't do any of the things you should do with rice like washing it or soaking it. <br />Put 200-300gm rice in heavy base saucepan.<br />
Cover with boiling water to about double the volume of rice - ie. if rice quarter fills the saucepan then add water to half fill the saucepan.<br />
Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil - I use olive oil - and stir through.<br />
Cover and bring to the boil; when rolling, stir again and turn off heat. <br />
Leave on stovetop for 10-15 mins and steam will cook it through dry and perfect. No need for rinsing, draining or anything. Just stir to separate and serve. I use this rice for making fried rice dishes like Nasi Goreng another family favourite for midweek fast food dinners.<br />
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<i><b>Side dish - Garam Masala Fried Eggplant (or Aubergine) - Brinjal </b></i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NYtRk7p2fuk/T26LIFqlmtI/AAAAAAAAFeE/IvCKXjstJko/s1600/P1000655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NYtRk7p2fuk/T26LIFqlmtI/AAAAAAAAFeE/IvCKXjstJko/s320/P1000655.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fried Eggplant </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ol>
<li>Slice eggplant.</li>
<li>Sprinkle with Garam Masala (a blend of sweet spices - a store-cupboard essential!)</li>
<li>Heat oil in heavy base frying pan to about 0.5cm depth to smoking</li>
<li>Add eggplant slices and fry in hot oil, turning after a few minutes.</li>
<li>When golden brown on both sides remove from pan and drain on kitchen paper (it's pretty oily as the eggplant absorbs a lot of the oil - don't even think about calories!)</li>
<li>Eat with the curry - it's delicious. </li>
</ol>
<br />Any other side dish like Raita (yogurt with thin slices of onion or cucumber and sprinkled with garam masala or cumin) or sliced banana or just a green salad with chunky beefy tomatoes. Chappatis or Parathas are also delicious Indian Flatbreads to serve with curry and they are the mopper-uppers of the juices as curry is best eaten with no cutlery but with the fingers. Try it sometime - have a bowl of hot water with a slice of lemon on hand to cleanse your hand afterwards. <br /><br />
Enjoy! Ask me anything I didn't explain properly and I'll try to help.<br />
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<br />Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72554791720527032.post-48350870896843060142012-03-23T14:34:00.001+00:002012-03-23T18:40:23.765+00:00A Birthday Experiment - Blogger to go!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multitasking me last Tuesday at breakfast!</td></tr>
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Today I'm on a day off and it's also my Birthday - not a significant one or anything as at this (st)age I'm not really dwelling too heavily on numbers - and I just found this mobile app for Blogger.<br />
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So this is just a trial of blogging on the move from my iPhone. Pretty apt app too as it's also my iPhone's birthday! So far it's just like texting with added bells and whistles. I'll add a few pics and post it off.<br />
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I'm having a do-nothing day which is bliss. I'm reading a great book on North Korea <a href="http://nothingtoenvy.com/">(Nothing to Envy, by Barbara Demick)</a> for our Bookclub, a glimpse behind the kimchi curtain, you could say. I'm knitting a second sock with a doty feather and fan cuff, and a bit more of a cotton jumper that's a WIP for a while now. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--Ay5zoJ1SVA/T2yIol8O3wI/AAAAAAAAFbs/ecM-WVnpXtw/s640/blogger-image--972281067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--Ay5zoJ1SVA/T2yIol8O3wI/AAAAAAAAFbs/ecM-WVnpXtw/s400/blogger-image--972281067.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton jumper - nice lace detail - WIP</td></tr>
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I spent ages Skyping Jany in Cork, where Sofia is fast getting the hang of it - she chats away and looks for Opa (hubby Jan) over my shoulder! I know Skype's more associated with far-flung convos with emigrant offspring but I use it a lot here, beats the phone and mobility enabling - ie. I can knit and chat! I've an issue with multitasking but I'd need a twelve-step programme to wean me off it now. Here's a pic hubby took of me last Tuesday at breakfast with a lot of fringe events going on, and it ended up on Facebook garnering amused reactions. <br />
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I'm curious how this app will make the post look in it's web version, but here goes. Where will the photos end up? I normally spend a few minutes on the final layout. This is very fast, as little editing seems possible. A good thing for mildly OCD types like me! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-35_8RKYQ2yA/T2yImfeNBdI/AAAAAAAAFbk/ebminn2LTBE/s640/blogger-image-1338073101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-35_8RKYQ2yA/T2yImfeNBdI/AAAAAAAAFbk/ebminn2LTBE/s400/blogger-image-1338073101.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My current Bookclub read. Terrific! </td></tr>
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I'd say if you have a Smartphone there's a Blogger app for all platforms, so give it a shot if you're into blogging. Mind you, I'm after updating the blogger appearance and now I can't find the dashboard to read all your great posts! Help if you can and thanks! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JWYzGIfFV9Y/T2yIrRV2g7I/AAAAAAAAFb4/27Ada7IOwdU/s640/blogger-image-1821711403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JWYzGIfFV9Y/T2yIrRV2g7I/AAAAAAAAFb4/27Ada7IOwdU/s320/blogger-image-1821711403.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sock no. 1 done - ZigZag yarn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-g-_6Vjqwy1Q/T2yIsFbkFwI/AAAAAAAAFcE/aI0oVAcN0DQ/s640/blogger-image-823986513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-g-_6Vjqwy1Q/T2yIsFbkFwI/AAAAAAAAFcE/aI0oVAcN0DQ/s320/blogger-image-823986513.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sock nearly done. King Cole ZigZag.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16116884676266268214noreply@blogger.com8