Sunday 30 June 2013

Yarn Dying

Deliciously easy and quick
Soaking handspun merino for around half an hour
Into a dye bath of koolaid
Gently heat
Dry and admire



Wednesday 26 June 2013

Butter in a Jar

Shake and shake and shake
And then shake some more
Double cream in a jar with a marble
Thinking its never going to work
Children off to play
Then thud
And slosh
Buttermilk and butter
Pour off the liquid, great for scone making
Rinse the butter
Have fun with the butter pats
Layer thickly on scones, add jam
Delicious 



Tuesday 25 June 2013

Cordial Making

Summer in a bowl, the wonderful scent of elderflowers, steeping in a bath of sugar water, lemons and limes.
Then bottled, 3 days later.
Ready for hot days in the garden, topped with lemonade, fizzy water or champagne.
Bliss



Saturday 22 June 2013

From my Week

Radishes and Sugar Snaps, lunch


Monster double yolker


Fathers Day, hammock time


Special buttons on a handknit for a new little lady



In the air above Lincolnshire Show 


Tutti Frutti Spinning 


Far too proud of my first knit, using my very own handspun

Monday 17 June 2013

Maths the Broad Bean Way

Longest
Shortest
Guess how many beans
Count the beans

Our kind of Maths, straight from the garden and edible to boot.



Friday 7 June 2013

In the drink

In the sunshine with good friends
Paddling
Picnic bags 
Toy cars for dirt racing
Early morning ice creams and dreadful coffee
Soggy shorts and shoes
Smiles
Summer has begun




Wednesday 5 June 2013

Monday 3 June 2013

In our garden

All the rain of May and now the bright sun of June, is finally paying dividends with our garden, it's mud bath look now replaced with fresh, green growth, rose buds and a riot of herbs.
We are not great gardeners, we're not even good gardeners, we grow veg haphazardly each year, greenhouse full of  tomatoes and cucumbers, salad leaves, runner beans and peas in pots, the rest of our produce competes with the weeds, which we faithfully dig up at the start of the growing season, only to loose heart somewhere around July/August, letting survival of the fittest win out.
I yearn for a pretty cottage garden full of hollyhocks, lupins and roses round the door, neat rows of prize winning veg and chickens, ducks, maybe even a goat.
There is in our garden some of all of that, amongst the toys, sand pit, chicken poop and dog race track and that is just fine with me.





Sunday 2 June 2013

Standing up strong

And being counted 
Letting the EDL know they are not welcome in Leeds or anywhere
My boy
Proud Mama