Yarn Along - Better Late Than Never!

Sometime back in November, a friend of mine asked me to make her son a Viking Hat for christmas.  As I'd already made three of them before without any mishaps, I figured I needed only a few days to make it. So left it until last minute!!   Not sure where I went wrong - four times - but I just couldn't get this to work.  When it did resemble a hat it was big enough for her tall strapping Danish husband but her wee three year old son could have used it as a boat!  Then to add insult to injury the horns came out different sizes!  Guess I just got a bit complacent.

Needless to say it didn't get finished until last weekend.
Winter here has been very mild and we have had only two very insignificant snow falls since December, so he didn't really need it until now, says she, trying to ease her guilty conscience.

 'Traineau a Chien'  in saturdays 'big' snow fall

Whilst deciding on my next project I cast on a headband for myself from Knitting 24/7 with some stash. This is the second project I've tried from this book having abandoned the first.   I don't want to criticize something that myself am incapable to doing, ie writing a knitting pattern, but I don't find the instructions in this book very clearly written.   I don't think I'll attempt anything else from it.  Shame really as it contains some beautiful projects.

Started reading Lord of The Rings but then a friend mentioned that I should have read The Hobbit first.  Another friend, writer and english teacher, said not necessarily....so I'm having a pause to think about it.  Any advice?    In the mean while I'm re-reading The Shipping News.

Counting my blessings this afternoon - a hour ago a guy drove his 4 x 4 with big metal hitch thing, into my car.  Made rather a mess of the front, but thankfully I was stationary, he was going slowly and both Rémi and I had seat belts on!!  Said he didn't see us!  I've got a fairly big, well high, 4 x 4 myself, just glad that it was my car he 'didn't see' and not some small child!!

Looking forward to reading some Yarn Along posts and unwinding a little this afternoon.

La Galette des Rois

"J'aime La Galette,

Savez-vous comment?

Quand elle est bien faite,

Avec du beurre dedans"

Every year, the boys wait with anticipation, for La Galette des Rois.  They attach as much importance to it as I do to mince pie's at christmas.  But, Epiphany, like Noël, comes but once a year - so only once a year do I make 'La Galette'.

In french, the three wise men or three kings, are known as Les Rois Mages, hence the name Galette des Rois.  Tradition has it that the youngest member of the family hides under the table and designates the person who will receive the first slice of galette.  The rest is then shared out in the same way, with each person carefully nibbling their piece so as not to swallow 'La Fève' hidden inside.  The person who finds it is Le Roi.  I put three in for good measure (they're quite small and easily swallowed!)

This is the only time of year that I buy pastry.  Try as I might I just can't master the flaky dough that this recipe requires.  In this one we put in some frangipane, sliced pear and slivered almonds.  Without the frangipane I think it tastes like it's 'missing' something but the kids like it just as much when filled with plain 'ol apple sauce.

How do you like your Galette?