A Bluestocking Knits

Sorry, sorry, forgot where I was for a moment — "Let the Games begin!"

I cast on yesterday afternoon — needed some time to myself with this Old Norwegian cast-on, which still looks a bit wonky, but I knitted on the sock proper during the Opening Ceremonies.  I’m liking the colors a lot — a lovely mix of teal green, almost-navy, periwinkle, and deep rose-pink, with the different combinations where the colors blur.  These are my first socks!  I’m using Ann Budd’s sock shaping, with a K3, P1 rib.

Here is one of my favorite recipes for scones, this one from Shepherds Tea Rooms in Chichester —

Shepherds’ World-Famous Scones

3 cups/450g self-rising flour
1/2 cup/100g sugar
1/2 cup/50g chilled butter, cut into bits
1 1/2 cups/225g dried apricots, chopped
3/4 cup/150ml milk, plus extra for glazing

Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

In a bowl, sift the flour and sugar together.  Add the butter, and blend with your fingers or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal.  Stir in the dried apricots.

Add the milk, a little at a time, and stir until the mixture forms a soft but not sticky dough.  Add a little more milk, if necessary.  On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the dough about 1 1/2 inches/4cm thick.  With a 2-inch/5cm cookie or biscuit cutter, stamp out rounds.  Gently roll the scraps together, and repeat until all of the dough is shaped.

Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (butter the baking sheet if you don’t have any parchment), brush the tops with milk, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.

Makes about 12 scones.