The Knitting and Stitching Show 2013

Last week I went to The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, filled with lots of yarn, beads, fabrics and crafty thing. I go every year and love to see whats new and stock up on yarn and beads and a few  bargain magazines.
There was an interesting taxi at the entrance covered in knitted and crochet insects, flowers and picnic items..
This year it was really packed with people, good to see so many people doing crafts but also very hard to get to the stands and see the products, even going down isles was difficult as areas were bottle necked with people.
I still managed to buy to much lots of nice beads and crystals from the Southampton Bead Shop and Totally Beads. Plus some nice 100% alpaca and a merino mix yarn from Drops love their yarn and their prices :)
After the shopping there is lots to see at this show. Students have their textile degree work on display, the embroidery and quilting guilds run competitions and have work on show and much more.
I liked the bird embroideries in the corridor leading to the different halls. I love robins.

I always love the stained glass window in the main hall I remembered to photograph it this year.

Limequats

Limequats were in the reduced price section in the local supermarket at the weekend. They are a citrus fruit, a hybridised cross between a key lime and a kumquat (I looked them up online). Small like a kumquat with a thin edible skin (it tasted sweet similar to a kumquat) I don't really like the skin on kumquats but its good zested so I think the limequats also be good where zest is required. The flesh inside tasted of lime (a lime taste that was very bitter but also with a sweet after taste).

I decided to use the limequats in a couple of recipes instead of normal limes, so I made a banana and limequat jam (I had over ripe bananas I needed to use up) and limequat curd.
I have been baking with yeast lately so adding some homemade spreads to the breads was great.

Banana and Limequat Jam on toast yummy

Here's some pics of my latest bakes and experiments. the banana and limequat jam is on my cake/ bake blog, the curd recipe will be posted next week.

English Muffins

Pikelets

 

Diner Rolls