The Good Life...Ish.

 Hi guys :D After my wonderful bargain at Woolfest i thought you might be interested in seeing how it goes from raw fleece to yarn. Now this is rather a new journey for me. I've spun before, but only with batts  (ready washed and carded wool) So, i lay me fleece out, inspect it and sort through it to get rid of any left over poo/debris and sort into smaller batches I discover a funny looking yellow/orange gunk which is a mixture of lanolin, know as wool wax, it is a naturally occurring grease which waterproofs the wool (wonderful for your hands, it is found in many moisturizers and ointments), and suint (sweat) I washed the wool in very hot water and detergent. You have to be very careful at this stage as if you agitate the wool too much it will felt!  I then drain the water and set it out for the next rinse  I will do this 3 times and then roll it in a towel to get rid of excess water Then lay out to dry and hope for a sunny ...

Hi guys! What a day we had yesterday at the famous Woolfest! Oh my goodness, it was fantastic! It was a pretty rubbish journey on the way. Don't get me wrong, the views were absolutely stunning! But i'm not the worlds best traveler and spent most of the ride on the mini bus feeling very queasy.  Up and down miles of hills and valleys is not the easiest way to travel when you've only eaten half a ham sandwich for breakfast (my own fault, i admit, i should have had something more substantial) Anyway, where was i? Oh yes.  The yarn.  Look at this. Have you ever seen anything so stunning?  This is the Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was woven by community groups and young people in and around Sedburgh.  So many amazing creations by talented artists Beautiful creations  And of course the sheep that make this happen!                             ...

Hi guys :)  This week i am finally remembering to join in with the Yarn Along! So, this is my progress so far! I gave up on the mock cable thing, it was too complicated to remember to do along with everything else! Maybe next time.  The bottom part is where i practiced just a knit stitch, then i mastered stockinette stitch and added a new colour. Yay!  This week i am reading Whispers In The Sand by Barbara Erskine Synopsis; "Past and present collide in richly mysterious Egypt, where recently divorced Anna Coburn is retracing a journey her great grandmother Louisa made in the 19th century. Cruising down the Nile from Luxor to the Valley of the Kings, Anna carries with her two mementos: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle, and the diary of that original Nile voyage, which has lain unread for a hundred years. As she follows Louisa's footsteps, Anna discovers both the chilling secret of the bottle and the terrifying specters that pursued her great grandmo...

Hi guys :) Welcome to this weeks What's Cooking? Blog Hop  This week i made a  classic Victoria Sponge What You'll Need: 3 large eggs Few drops vanilla extract 175g soft butter  175g caster sugar 175g self raising flour 4tbsp jam icing sugar to dust What You'll Do  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 grease two sandwich tins and line with baking parchment Lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla extract. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugr and butter until pale, light and fluffy   Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition Sift the flour over the top and, using a metal spoon, fold in lightly until the mixture is smooth. Divide he mixture between the prepared tins. Cook for 20 mins until golden and firm to the touch. Remove cake from oven and sob silently when you realize your pathetic mini oven has burned the cake. Remove from tin and flip the cake over. Feign ignorance about t...