HRYC

November 28, 2013

Sale! And a birthday celebration

Sale stuff! Hooray! I fancy a bit of a clear out and so you get some pretty super deals if I do say so myself.

There's 20% off all Addi needles, Zealana Willow, Cascade Sport (non superwash), Twilley's Echo Cotton (in-store only) and a bunch of other stuff. Oh, and Blonde Chicken Yarn is down from $24 a skein to $14.40.

All are absolutely beautiful products, but we need to make space for summer stock and some new treats that the second store will allow us to introduce to our ranges.

In other news, it's my birthday this weekend! Eeep! And yeah, it's a milestone. Numbers don't bother me, but I find it interesting to reflect on my twenties. Who would have guessed that taking up knitting as a rebellion against crocheting colleagues when I was 23 could lead to opening a yarn store? Not me!

Anyway, to celebrate, tonight is the last Knit Night of the year, so there is a fancy-pants raspberry chocolate cake, Six Barrel Soda Co sodas, and bubbles. Plus a whole lot of knitting and giving thanks for surviving another year. Couldn't come at a better time, really, considering it is, actually, thanksgiving in the States today.

Happy thanksgiving! Hopefully see you at the shop tonight from 7 - 9pm!

xx Tash

May 13, 2013

This is not the spiced apple cake you are looking for.

A few weeks ago I decided to make a cake. A spiced apple cake. One that I used to bake for office morning teas, with a layer of oats and apple that perched atop a spiced apple cake. I went ahead and made the recipe below. Turns out it wasn't the recipe I thought it was, but it tasted pretty damn great. As promised to a few people, here is the recipe. (no photo, as we ate it too quickly)

Jane's Apple Cake

from Alison Holst's Dollars and Sense Cookbook.

1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 medium-sized apples
100g butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 tsp each cinnamon and mixed spice
pinch ground cloves (optional - I didn't have any so didn't use it)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (again, I went without)

Grease your baking tin and turn the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Measure the sugar and egg into a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter. Peel and grate the apples, then quickly add them to the egg and sugar mixture. Throw in the metled butter. Sieve in the dry ingredients. Stir until mixed, then pour into greased baking tin. If you are adding nuts, sprinkle these on top.

Bake for about 45 - 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to sit for 5 - 10 minutes before turning out. Serve with cream or yoghurt or nothing at all.

I may not have taken a photo of the cake, but on the same day two of our Saturday Sit & Knit regulars came in wearing the same hat. In different yarns, though! They looked so fantastic I had to take a photo.