Ninja knitters

A couple of months ago on my early morning walk,  I came across a  lamp post with,  what looked like, a knitted neck warmer round it. A puzzle until this weekend, when  I found ‘Streatham Pulse’ on the internet  with this posting :

‘A couple of days ago news came to light that overnight some “guerilla street knitting” had appeared, covering the metal cycle barriers on Potters Lane near Streatham Common station. Yesterday all became clear when Streatham Pulse received an email from a mysterious group known as the Streatham Ninja Knitters. Here’s what they had to say…

“The Ninja knitters are a group of people who live in the Ferrers triangle area behind the ice rink. They are a fluid group of like minded souls who, after many hours close study of such uplifting and enlightening texts as “Woman’s Weekly” December 1972 edition and “Women’s own” 1952- 57, realised that the only way to live a good, clean and just life was to take up the needles, not in anger but in love. They plan to make Streatham a warmer, more cuddly place by knitting it up in a fluffy cozy.
“Having launched their TOP SECRET project on the unsuspecting and heart warningly grateful public of SW16, they are in the advanced planning stages of the ULTRA TOP SECRET project. They will be recruiting more members soon and shall be issuing a communiqué to this effect.”

Their message was accompanied by a strange little video proving that they are indeed responsible for this attack of urban arts and crafts. Expect to see more street knitting. As the message at the end of the video reads… “This is only the beginning”.

Earl Grey and Rose

Living as I do within in half a mile of, what has been described as Britain’s worst road, Streatham High Road, I was very pleased to discover today it is changing its image and in common parlance is ‘coming up’! On one of the roads off the notorious High Road is Streatham Parade, home to The South London Press. On this rather unfortunate piece of  London Sprawl a new tea cake and craft emporium has opened up. It embodies all the things I love most, food, crafts, a place to have a cuppa and nostalgia. It is the brain child of Lydia Wood-Power and her husband. I took my daughter there  for a  Saturday treat of a cup of Earl Grey and something yummy to eat. The place was bustling and friendly  with lots of interesting things to look at including magazines and books to read, crafts to purchase.  There were posters on the walls of some of the courses that Lydia runs. These  include jewellery, knitting and sewing.

Earl Grey and Rose  1 Streatham Parade London SW16 1EQ    0208 696 0375

A talented Armenian photographer : Ida Kar

Last week I had the good fortune  to see the Ida Kar photography exhibition at The National Portrait gallery in London. I am embarrassed to say I had not  previously heard of this magnificent photographer.  Ida Kar was born Ida Karamian on 8th April 1908 to Armenian parents in Tambov 400km south- east of Moscow. The family went to live in Yerevan the capital of Armenia, where her father taught French and Persian at the university. They later lived in Egypt, however  it was in Paris, where Kar went to study medicine and chemistry, that  she decided  to pursue  more creative courses of singing and Violin. It was four years later when she met Heinrich Heidersberger, a young German surrealist painter and photographer and  Kar started to work as a photographers assistant.

Always drawn to artists, and writers she chose to make them the subjects of many of her photographs.  During the 1950′s she was at the heart of  the creative avant-garde in London and the exhibition includes portraits of artists such as Henry Moore, Giacometti and Bridget Riley and leading literary subjects such as Iris Murdoch and John Paul Sartre.

On 22nd March 1960 Ida Kar had an exhibition at The Whitechapel Art Gallery . It was the first major photographic exhibition to be held there. At the time photography was used more as a form of documentation rather than an art form in its own right. What makes her work so fascinating is that Kar was one of the first photographers to take  her subjects in their working environments.

Exhibition continues until 19th June 2011 in Porter Gallery at National Portrait Gallery.  www.npg.org.uk/kar

The exhibition book

Doris Lessing

Lauri Lee

St Patrick’s day cup cakes made by Jessica

My daughter Jess has just sent me a recipe and photo’s of some cup cakes she made today especially for St. Patrick’s day and guess what they contain. Yes Guiness! Guess what they have in the topping? Baily’s!

yummy cup cakes

Guiness cupcakes with baileys and cream icing

100g softened butter
175g light brown soft sugar
1 egg
100g self-raising flour
50g ground almonds
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
5 tbsp cocoa
150 ml Guinness
icing
200ml emla or double cream
75g icing sugar
big glug of Bailys

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
place 12 muffin cases in muffin tray.
Beat  butter, sugar, egg, flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate, cocoa and Guinness together in a mixing bowl until smooth.
Divide between muffin cases then bake for 15-18 mins until risen.
Cool.

Topping :
Whip cream and Bailys and icing sugar until thick. Put onto the top of each cake and dust with cocoa.

The Affordable Art Fair in Battersea

A recent new addition to our ever changing household, is Rosa Roberts, an artist who works mainly in charcoal and pastels. Her art, particularly her portraits, is  exciting , large scale and impressive. She is a graduate of St.Martin’s and is showing at the affordable art fair this week. For a comprehensive view of her work  her web site is http://rosaroberts.com

The affordable art fair was established in 1999 and  is a real mixed bag reminiscent of the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. The good the bad and the ugly!

Despite the recession, trade was brisk.

With more than a passing nod to Roy Lichtenstein, is the work of Deborah Azzopardi  www.deborahazzopardi.com

In complete contrast to Deborah’s work, is that of Nick Jeffery,  who is represented by GrandyArt.

Beetle Spectrum

Close up of Beetles

D.I.Y and some good finds on the Isle of Wight

I have just returned from the Isle of Wight, where I spent a weekend doing D.I.Y. It was mainly painting plus a little filling and sanding . We decided to paint everything white as a clean up and base for something more creative. I took before shots but didn’t manage to do finished ones, so they will have to wait until my next blog. I have started to collect late 50′s early 60′s china and bought this set of a coffee pot, jug and 6 tea plates in an RSPCA shop. I purchased the coffee pot cup and saucer fairly recently and love these too. it is strange how one’s eyes and tastes change.

another coffee pot

Trinity Hospice knitting

I recently purchased some knitted squares from Trinity Hospice charity shop. I took them to my mother, and never one to turn down a project, she sewed them together using a blanket stitch. She crotched a very pretty wavy border to finish off what is now a cot blanket for Max.

A cot blanket

Crotchet details

I started out with these