Spinning and more bread!

The pattern for this month's BareNakedKnitspot treat was released on Monday. As I am pattern only, I have decided to try and spin yarn for each project. The pattern is a hat, mitts and cowl set in a worsted weight yarn. The yarn is gorgeous, specially spun for Knitspot - a mix of merino and Romney, making a lovely bouncy yarn with plenty of loft for insulation. I would love to knit the cowl, which has a stunning cabled design, so I rummaged deep in the stash to find two braids of purple merino fibre.

 

 

I didn't waste any time and began spinning the same day. I made a conscious effort to try to spin thicker than usual, since my normal spinning tends to produce a fingering (ish) weight yarn once plied. I love the depth of colour in this fibre and it is really bouncy.

 

 

A little bit of spinning each day has seen me finish the first braid of fibre. I let it ply back on itself to get some idea of weight. It's definitely heavier than fingering, and will probably fluff up a bit after it's had a soak too.

 

 

As well as spending time spinning, I have also found time to do some more baking. This time, I made some cheesy garlic bread. It is delicious. You can find the recipe here. You mix up the ciabatta bread mix and roll it out into a rectangle.

Spread with garlic butter and cover with grated cheese. I used a mixture of mozzarella and mature Cheddar. Sprinkle on some dried oregano.

Roll it up into a long sausage shape and cut into slices. The recipe suggests cutting into 8, but these would be enormous. I managed to get 18 slices out of mine!

 

 

I arranged my slices on two baking trays making 'flower' shapes around a central slice. Dot over any leftover garlic butter.

Cover with clingfilm and leave somewhere warm. I put mine in the airing cupboard for an hour or so to rise. They should roughly double in size!

Bake for 25-30 minutes and breathe in that delicious garlicky bready aroma. Once cooked, leave to cool briefly on a wire rack before tearing apart and sharing!!

 

Can you imagine how big the pieces would be if you only made 8 of them?! We tear off portions, wrap them in foil and freeze them. Perfect for popping straight into the oven to eat with some soup or pasta. Mmmmmmmmm! Enjoy! xxx