My favourite is the beautiful pin, though the tube of Udder Cream (my new favourite) and the book are also fantastic, the hidden thread cutter will also come n really handy when I fly out on Monday.
Thank You!
Saturday, 24 July 2010
A belated birthday
My second secret pal parcel was waiting for me when I got back yesterday. I collected this morning and was amazed by the contents, it could be like the person read my mind!
My favourite is the beautiful pin, though the tube of Udder Cream (my new favourite) and the book are also fantastic, the hidden thread cutter will also come n really handy when I fly out on Monday.
Thank You!
My favourite is the beautiful pin, though the tube of Udder Cream (my new favourite) and the book are also fantastic, the hidden thread cutter will also come n really handy when I fly out on Monday.
Thank You!
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Nothing to see here
A big fat fail on the blogging front right now, rather than bore you with boring drivel I thought it was better to say nothing at all, apart from writing boring drivel about how I have nothing to say!
I'm off to Scotland tomorrow so expect the lack of drivel, boring or otherwise to continue, oh and then after that I'm going to America, maybe that will lead to something non-boring....
I'm off to Scotland tomorrow so expect the lack of drivel, boring or otherwise to continue, oh and then after that I'm going to America, maybe that will lead to something non-boring....
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Unexpected beauty
I had to take my car to the garage earlier this week and walked back home along the lanes and footpaths that go through the acres of allotments that surround this edge of the city.
I love looking in to the allotments, hidden glimpses through old front doors and small gaps in hedges. This flower on the other hand had escaped the allotment as was growing all over a section of hedge.
The final section of the walk takes me through several grave yards, in one area is a Jewish graveyard, at the bottom of the hill is the Catholic one, in some areas though nature is reclaiming the graves, ivy now covers the headstones, and the trees are growing back. Just how it should be really.
I love looking in to the allotments, hidden glimpses through old front doors and small gaps in hedges. This flower on the other hand had escaped the allotment as was growing all over a section of hedge.
The final section of the walk takes me through several grave yards, in one area is a Jewish graveyard, at the bottom of the hill is the Catholic one, in some areas though nature is reclaiming the graves, ivy now covers the headstones, and the trees are growing back. Just how it should be really.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
In flight
Last week when Mum and I went to Powis Castle we spent ages walking round the gardens. The gardens themselves are on a steep slope with terraces and beautiful flower beds that lead down in to some more formal gardens, with lots of yes hedges, and apple trees planted in avenues.
Whilst we were admiring the flowers we spotted a bee going from flower to flower who was laden with pollen. This is where I'm very grateful I have my new camera because I actually managed to snap a shot of him.
It's really encouraging to see bees about, they're not doing very well right now because of the cold winters,wet summers, illnesses and other reasons we don't entirely know about. Gardens are really important for bees because they provide flowers with lots of the nectar that they need!
Whilst we were admiring the flowers we spotted a bee going from flower to flower who was laden with pollen. This is where I'm very grateful I have my new camera because I actually managed to snap a shot of him.
It's really encouraging to see bees about, they're not doing very well right now because of the cold winters,wet summers, illnesses and other reasons we don't entirely know about. Gardens are really important for bees because they provide flowers with lots of the nectar that they need!
Sunday, 4 July 2010
An experiment
Mum and I bought some fleeces at Woolfest, we both spin, and I've experimented with carders before but this is the first time we've ventured in to doing things with a whole fleece. Now a small 1 bedroom flat in Sheffield is not the place to be doing things with a whole fleece so out of necessity all of the prep work is going to happen at my parents cottage in WAles.
However they are not on mains water so in the summer water can be a bit of a problem, when we had a very dry spell a few weeks back they did actually run their storage tank empty with the help of a hidden leaking pipe so washing 3 fleeces takes up rather more of the water supply than is ideal.
The hot water is also only heated by an immersion heater, so again producing large amounts of hot water to wash fleeces in is not economical.
This is where the Fermented Suint Method comes in. Basically you lob your fleece in to a barrel of rain water, the dissolved salts in the water make an alkali solution which reacts with the lanolin (fat) in the fleece and you make your own soap in the barrel the fleece is soaking in. The idea being it cleans out any dirt and also breaks down all the greece so at the end of a week you have a nice clean fleece. You can then use the same fluid to keep cleaning any other fleeces you have in a smaller amount of time. Good for the environment, and low work load!
Anyway, here's day 1.
Lots of dirt already has come out, but it is still greasy. No photo today (day 2) because it's pouring down, and I'm heading home after that but Mum has promised to take photos.
However they are not on mains water so in the summer water can be a bit of a problem, when we had a very dry spell a few weeks back they did actually run their storage tank empty with the help of a hidden leaking pipe so washing 3 fleeces takes up rather more of the water supply than is ideal.
The hot water is also only heated by an immersion heater, so again producing large amounts of hot water to wash fleeces in is not economical.
This is where the Fermented Suint Method comes in. Basically you lob your fleece in to a barrel of rain water, the dissolved salts in the water make an alkali solution which reacts with the lanolin (fat) in the fleece and you make your own soap in the barrel the fleece is soaking in. The idea being it cleans out any dirt and also breaks down all the greece so at the end of a week you have a nice clean fleece. You can then use the same fluid to keep cleaning any other fleeces you have in a smaller amount of time. Good for the environment, and low work load!
Anyway, here's day 1.
Lots of dirt already has come out, but it is still greasy. No photo today (day 2) because it's pouring down, and I'm heading home after that but Mum has promised to take photos.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Powis Castle
Today Mum and I indulged in one of her great passions. Mum loves plants and loves to garden. First stop was a garden centre where we might have bought a few plants to transform the wilderness in to a garden.
After that we went for some inspiration at Powis castle, beautiful gardens filled with plants, and the most wonderful yew hedges.
I'd love to see them being cut, definitely not a simple job, they had a photo of it being done during the Victorian era, end it looked tricky then even without modern regulations and another century of growth.
After that we went for some inspiration at Powis castle, beautiful gardens filled with plants, and the most wonderful yew hedges.
I'd love to see them being cut, definitely not a simple job, they had a photo of it being done during the Victorian era, end it looked tricky then even without modern regulations and another century of growth.
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Woolfest
It's that time of year again, the end of June which means Woolfest (and my birthday!)
Woolfest is the largest UK fibre festival and is held up in The Lake District in Cockermouth. This was the area which was hit by devastating floods last November and the area is just being re-built.
Mum and I always go together as my birthday treat and stay in the camper van overnight. On Friday night after a long day walking round spending our money we pulled up on a common round the back of Skiddaw. There were wild ponies grazing which of course made me cooo, and then they came up to say hello. Combined with a beautiful moonrise it really was the perfect end to a fantastic day!
Woolfest is the largest UK fibre festival and is held up in The Lake District in Cockermouth. This was the area which was hit by devastating floods last November and the area is just being re-built.
Mum and I always go together as my birthday treat and stay in the camper van overnight. On Friday night after a long day walking round spending our money we pulled up on a common round the back of Skiddaw. There were wild ponies grazing which of course made me cooo, and then they came up to say hello. Combined with a beautiful moonrise it really was the perfect end to a fantastic day!
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