If only....

 I have searched everywhere for Seville Oranges this year. It has been quite a sad little journey really - at one time you could have bought them anywhere at this time of year, but I suppose if there is a lack of demand they are less likely to be imported or stocked - also all our local markets seam to be on a downward spiral. 

Our nearest 'big' market is Blackburn. This has been a huge vibrant market all my life and way way into the past, however over  the past 5 years the number of stall holders has dwindled. A couple of years ago, the MALL bought the town centre and market. They have been refurbishing the shopping centre and building an all new singing and dancing market hall where rents will be higher and stall holders will have to be open 6 days a week. This has put most stall holders out of business or caused them to move to other markets. Last week the very last of the fruit and veg stalls closed on the old market. Very sad - and all we can do is stand and watch as it all vanishes.

A similar fate has been working it's way through Clitheroe Market - a smaller market for a smaller town, but after a huge over haul about 10 years ago, that too has become smaller and smaller.

It doesn't help that both these towns have a large amount of supermarkets, and that for the average working person a weekday market that closes about 4pm is just not practical, and Saturdays are spent trawling round the huge shopping centres and supermarkets - to be totally honest, we only have our selves to blame.

So it is with a certain amount of shame on my part that I finally found my oranges in one of Clitheroe's Supermarkets. And yes, I am as bad as the next person - I could have supported the markets more, the local shop keepers and helped to keep my community alive, but I do go to each of the supermarkets, have a loyalty card for each, am loyal to none, and if I can get it cheaper their, I probably will.

Anyway - I have those darned oranges now, I just hope the marmalade will taste sweet, and not leave a taste more bitter than it should be!

 AT LAST!! I signed up for a cushion swap - ooh, AGES ago! Then - I completely forgot about it! Imagine my surprise when this absolutely gorgeous parcel arrived from Neeta at  Everything Neet

 It is so lovely, and SO ME!!! all hand sewn, finished beautifully, and with some lovely 'extra' too (she has managed to encapsulate the relative size of my underwear uncanilly accurately!)

 The cushion cover received a feather pillow to give it maximum squashiness and has resided by the fire place on a tiny stool over Christmas for my smaller nieces to sit on!

 In return (after a bit of a shock reminder!!!) I sent out my cushion cover. I hope Nita liked it, she had requested something not too old fashioned, but once I finished it, I kinda thought it was a bit old fashioned...eek! but by then it was too late to make another.....

I am going to restrict myself to only 2 swaps this year I think - or - just organise one myself...so any suggestions of what to swap would be cool!

I had a request for my Marmalade Recipe - I have added another page to my blog with the recipe! No photo's yet, but take a look if preserves are you thing - and all comments are welcome, perhaps share some of your own fail safe techniques!

Tea of Life

2011 is here. I made it!!

As Mr Juicy's birthday is also 31st December, and he is now tea-total, we had a quiet night in, him scoffing his gluten, wheat, dairy free chocs, and me eating everything else! - well, someone has to do it, can't have all those short bread going off. 

Above is a gift from baby fig's new man - the most adorable collection of tea's I have not been able to open until I had photographed them, and now feel I should open as they look 'healthy' and smell fantastic, but I don't want to spoil them...oh well, perhaps I should have resolved to not hoard things because they 'look nice'
They are Pure Ceylon Tea flavoured with Earl Grey, Red Pomegranite, Jasmine Orange, Mint Julep, White Lavender, Tropical Sorbet and Green Passion Fruit, to name a few!!! 

One resolution has been to walk more - or cut down on my car use, especially now the price of unleaded is so high. I have been taking my camera with me as well, but sometimes get fed up with taking photo's of the same things over and over, however, I have been walking under what is known as the 'school house' my entire life and never ever noticed how colourful it actually is. Maybe it was just the light, angle etc, or that I had been reading my new Kaffe Fassett book about patterns and textures etc.

I just have to figure out how to turn these images into beautiful hand crafted items!!! 

Oohh, and it is almost Seville Orange season. I have been making Marmalade for donkeys years now, mainly because I love marmalade, the home made stuff is always better than mass produced orange jelly with a few shreds thrown in, it is so therapeutic to make and usually lasts us a whole year - Mmmmmm

For you x

Well, Only 2 more sleeps until the big guy arrives!!! 

I've been watching out, trying not to pout, there has been some crying and a bit of shouting as well, Santa, I have been a little bit naughty, but on the whole, very nice, but however you decide to play it father Christmas, don't bring me one of those toddling cooing dolls, or rootitootoots and rumitumtums....bleurch! I want...er...I want....well, not much really! 

 I want everyone who has read my blog, and sent me wonderful inspiring comments to have a fantastic Christmas

I wish everyone who supported me in times of crisis the very best to you and yours

I hope all my swap partners have enjoyed swapping as much as I have!

And - Thank you all for helping restore my faith in human nature.

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My gift to you all is a little Christmas song you may or may not have heard before, but please listen and enjoy!

 And finally for Christmas, a few photo's around the Village...

MERRY CHRISTMAS WHERE EVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD!

Kath

x

BRIX - The Adventure!

Wow - what an experience that was!!! The Journey to London from Lancashire started at 7.15am on Friday. The Motorway was thankfully snow and ice free, however, the entire 233 miles was either thick fog or blinding sunshine - the squirters on the screen wash froze solid and we had to continually stop just to wash the windscreen with our flask of hot water. London was a little busy but not too bad, and after the trauma of having a seagull flap up and hitting the windsceen and the Tom Tom giving me directions completely different to those I usually follow we made it!!!! 

Above is my Auntie Cathy and my Niece Maisy - my helpers.

 The Venue was really nice. The Brix is an old Methodist Chapel right in the heart of Brixton - A lovely building both outside and inside. We all got on with setting out our stalls, getting to know the other stall holders etc. I must admit the first night was disappointing with regards to the amount of people who turned up, mostly family and friends of stall holders - but it was dark and bitterly cold and frozen outside, so I don't blame people for dashing home after work and not leaving it again for the evening! 

 So by closing on Friday night I had only sold 2 items, had drunk several complimentary mulled wines and was rather tired and emotional!

Here are a couple of other stalls - the lovely ladies next to me has the most gorgeous jewelry

I think these ladies were mother and daughter - they had the sweetest knitted animals

And the stall below sold these amazing cake stands made from plates, cups, wine glasses etc

We were there bright and early on Saturday with the promise of far more customers. 

It was busier than Friday, but still not the quantity of people who had been anticipated. The organisers spent hours dashing round Brixton with fliers, trying to encourage people in. The visitors who did find there way in were so positive, complimenting the goods etc and I took just a few pounds more than the cost of the stall, selling about 10 items - gave away LOTS of business cards, and met some really lovely people!

These two were having a ball! 

So - we packed up our suit cases at 4pm, loaded up my tiny car, set Tom-tom for home, and ploughed our way across London to the M1

Thankfully the Motorways were fairy clear all the way home - Alan Carr entertained us on Radio 2 - I managed to buy a hot coffee at a service station and having not secured the lid properly, pored scalding coffee down my chin - then about 3 miles from home got flashed by a speed camera in Osbaldeston! My lovely niece suggested I plead for clemency by telling the police it was foggy so I didn't see the speed signs - I explained that they may possibly double any fine if I said that! 

SO - Cost of stall - covered. Cost of petrol, £70 down, cost of speeding fine, possibly £60, cost of the whole experience??? PRICELESS! 

Thanks Aimee and Jo for a lovely lovely time - and here's to many new friendships and connections!

I made it!!!

Well! the big 40 went by very smoothly - thank you so much for all your positive words, I know I have lots to look forward too now!!!

I was a very lucky girl, Baby Fig bought me a hamper she had created herself with every kind of sweet and drink that VIMTO make, and a dinky Vimto delivery van - anyone would think I like Vimto! 

Hubby bought me an ace mini weaving starter kit, containing a small loom, various wools and some hilarious instructions translated from German by someone who doesn't speak the language me thinks!!!

Mum and Dad bought me an Olympus PEN camera - I had been yearning for one for some time, and my Dad being my Photography guru couldn't help himself and keeps posing every time I see him. 

Of course, as with any new camera, the first photo's are usually of what is right in front of you - here is my little stitch boy keeping his mummy's foot stool warm, with the camera in 'pinhole' mode - ooh, listen to me!!

Life as ever never slows down, I am doing my first real craft fair this weekend in BRIXTON - only a few hundred miles away in a big city.....arghhhh! I am terrified to say the least, but as I was invited, I thought it time I started to take up opportunities when they present themselves - so if you are in the Brixton area, pop along to the Brix  either on Friday evening or Saturday, and tell me to CALM DOWN!!! 

now - where did I leave my sewing room???

...almost there...

One week until the big 40! 

Thank you for all your wonderful comments regarding this milestone - I am almost prepared for the next decade...

What a glum week the weather has made, is the sun ever going to shine again? I have been busy busy busy making things to sell on Folksy - and can't get a decent photo of any of them without the sun! every time it does pop out I am either not at home, or after running to the sewing room it has buggered off again! Also, I think my hibernation instincts may be kicking in, I could sleep for England! (if only there was a job in the civil service with that very title...)

I am fed up with knitting this week - having made 2 stupid mistakes on 2 different socks I threw them into a plastic bag and hid them in the wool cupboard until I have the light and patience to undo them back the mistakes, so instead I became a little obsessed with Heart Making - All that Kirsty Allsop's fault! - and am even considering getting out my 20 odd year old cross stitch equipment, dusting it down, and selling it on e-bay! no, I am kidding, there are certain things a girl can never sell (can I still call myself a 'girl' after 40?)

Here are a few of my favorite hearts made this week...

Now - I need to wean myself off hearts...but what will I replace them with?????

The big count down...

I usually try and avoid anything to do with Christmas until the very last minute, otherwise I am totally Christmassed out before we even get to December - I don't let anyone in the house mention it until after my birthday in November - however...This November it is my 40th birthday, so to take my mind of that I have been busy in the sewing room making Christmas Decorations for my Folksy shop. It has kind of worked - the count down to the big 40 has been forgotten and despite making decorations for Christmas, I still don't feel 'christmassy' RESULT! 

A little selection of my fancy bird and chili inspired decorations! (see, not TOO Christmassy!)

oh - and in a shamelees bit of advertising - I am offering free P&P on all the Christmas decorations in my folksy shop to UK customers!!!!
Just click on my FOlksy link, or any of the photo's in this post!

Right - time too look for egg nogg recipe's!

size doesn't always matter!

Just a quickie today - two more projects I have been working on this week...

First of all this teeny tiny Bunny Nugget - free pattern from Ravelry!! this is so cute and simple to make, so look out for more colours and a bunny nugget invasion!

 

And secondly my GIANT needle rug I am knitting - there is only one place in the house I can sit to use these bad boys - and I am using 6 balls of wool at a time, though I could probably fit another 6 balls to make it thicker - if I could afford to!

Have a great weekend!

It's amazing what you find in Birmingham!

A couple of weeks ago I had made a resolution to myself to blog more, read more, etc etc, this week I am making a resolution to not make any more resolutions!

I am sure when I was a kid that time went a lot slower - holidays lasted for ever, weekends stretched out to infinity on a Friday and Monday was an eternity away, Christmas really was some dream in the far far distance - These days it feels like not only the weeks are shorter, but the months and years too - weeks are flashing before my eyes, and it sometimes feels like we have skipped a month or two all together - and Christmas, well, Slade got there wish!

Last week My Brother and I travelled to Birmingham to help set up the sound for the first 'professional' concert my Auntie Nilam had staged. After My Uncle Died she took up Classical Indian Singing, and for the past few years has been living with her Guru-ji in South India training intensively. She now wants to do more professional performances, as most Classical Indian Music is only played and performed at private house gatherings these days.

We were in for a surprise when we found the Temple complex - I had no idea anything like this existed in the UK - this photo is of a TINY part of it!

 These two ladies were in the entrance to the community centre - I have no idea who she is, but I love the colours!

And this is my Auntie tuning up for the performance.

If you ever get the chance to go to a classic Indian concert - GO TO IT! The Audience were just so enraptured they call out and throw their hands up with passion at a particular note or phrase - and you feel yourself becoming more and more involved - wonderful!

The rest of my week has been taken up with knitting and nattering, sewing and Autumn cleaning!

I have actually completed TWO projects this week for my daughters friend who is expecting her first baby in March next year...

This gorgeous baby grow from a pattern a Friend copied for me took just over a week to complete with a few lessons in sewing up techniques from my Friend Debbie

The wool is a Regia 6 Fadig sock wool bought in Wales about 3 years ago that has been itching to be knitted ever since

And this tiny newborn Eyelet Cardi from a free Ravelry pattern by Linda at Clickertyclick

It is a seamless cardi done on a circular then 4 DPNS 

I always think most baby wools are a bit insipid - so went for something darker that will hopefully suit a boy or girl!

This is knitted in King COles Merino Blend DK with Anti-Tickle (???)

It took me about 6 hours to knit up, it grows incredibly quickly and like magic the cardi appears very quickly - a really quick and very satisfying project!