28. Make marmalade

I love maramlade and I've always meant to figure out how to make it for myself - I mean it can't be that hard, right? So when I found a recipe online recently, I decided I should give it a go.

It turned out to be super-easy, very tasty and cheap to make. And if you're really clever (like me), you can make your own levitating maramalade! I've copied the recipe below in case the link disappears. I made 11 jars based on this recipe (I used giant fruit) and need to track down Paddington Bear to help me eat it all!


Magic Levitating Citrus Marmalade
2 grapefruit
2 lemons
2 oranges
2 1/4 litres water
Sugar - 1 cup for each cup of fruit pulp

Wash the fruit and cut into small wedges. Remove any excess pith, blemished parts and the pips. Place the fruit in a kitchen whizz. Whizz the wedges until they are chopped into fine pieces. Place all the pulp into a large saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to the boil and boil for 45 minutes until the fruit is soft. Let the fruit pulp cool down slightly. Measure the pulp in cupfuls and return it to the large saucepan. You may wish to leave the marmalade at this stage and continue making it the following day. Add 1 cup of sugar for every cup of pulp. Bring the pulp back to the boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Boil briskly and stir regularly until the "setting stage" is reached. This can take up to 50 minutes. Place 1 tsp of mixture on a saucer and allow to cool. Run your finger across the top of this cooled marmalade and if a skin forms across the surface, then the setting stage has been reached. Take the marmalade off the stove and cool for 10 minutes. Place into sterilised jars using a ladle or small jug and seal firmly with hot rubber-lined lids. As the jars and marmalade cool, the lids will be sucked down and may even make a popping sound. This indicates a secure sealing of the marmalade. The marmalade can be stored in a cool, dry place and will keep for a number of months.

I bottled mine in recycled jam jars, the ones with the lids that go pop. To end up with levitating marmalade, turn the jars upside down after you put the lids on and leave to cool. Enjoy.

14. Knit/crochet a jersey

One of the things I've been meaning to do for a while is knit or crochet myself a jersey. I have actually done this twice before but neither attempts ended up being wearable. So this time (hopefully) I've picked a pattern that is a flattering style and looks relatively easy - the Central Park Hoodie. The plan was that this was to be my Antarctic project to fill in 3 months of evenings in a remote hut with boys. But I started a little early and have had a week at home recovering from surgery (see new addition #27 to the list) and have now finished the back and the left front of the jersey. oops! The photo below doesn't do the colour of the yarn justice - it is a gorgeous milk chocolate brown.

I've also found a potential replacement Antarctic project if I end up finishing this one before I go. So I might be able to cross this off the list twice!

Shell-brimmed cloche

I recently discovered Ravelry - an online forum for knitters and hookers (of the crochet kind) and it has got me inspired to get back into crafting. So a weekend with the flu seem like the perfect opportunity to laze around in the spring sunshine and crochet up a storm.

The shell-brimmed cloche was super-easy and took a day and three movies to complete. I made it from a soft cotton that makes it nice and light to wear (& hopefully won't stretch out of shape). It didn't really end up being a sunhat (31 things: #26) as I had intended but it's cute nonetheless.

Queen Anne's Lace Scarf

I also needed to clean out some of my random yarn stash - shiny and soft things that my magpie brain has made me by at the yarn store because they were pretty. In my random surfing of patterns on Ravelry, I found a pattern for a Queen Anne's Lace Scarf that looked complicated enough to be interesting to do without being taxing on my snot-filled head.

So I ended up using up two balls of stash yarn (a silver metallic and a purple bamboo) to get two very different scarves. No idea what I'll do with them - they are way too pretty for a jeans and t-shirt girl like me!