Here Be Dragons

For Rose on her Ninth Birthday

2009-06-24T10:13:00.003+01:00

A Wish For Our Children

On this doorstep I stand year after year and watch you leaving,

and think: May you not skin your knees,

may you not catch your fingers in car doors.

May your hearts not break.

May tide and weather wait for your coming

and may you grow strong to break all the webs of my weaving.

Evangeline Paterson
20^th Century

Caldicot

2009-06-17T18:10:00.002+01:00

From the outside, forlorn and derelict

On the inside

Warm and filled with the scent of roses

I spent the day spinning and chatting to children.
Perfect.

Cilgerran Castle

2009-06-15T19:51:00.002+01:00

Not far from the coast of Cardigan Bay there lies Cilgerran Castle, built by the Welsh out of thin slate slabs, it has been ruined since the 1300's but what a little gem of a place. It is the site of a most Romantic Abduction...one minor Welsh prince fell desperately in love with the beautiful wife of a Norman lord and risking all for love the couple ran away together. I haven't found out what became of them but in all likelihood they were hunted down by the outraged husband and the worst probably befell them...

The castle is haunted apparently by a rather intimidating gentleman in black who watches from one of the towers. He did not stick around when the Freemen went for a ghost hunt late last night...mind you, if I was a spectre I would make myself scarce when faced with that lot with a few beers inside them!

Tomorrow, I am off to Caldicot Castle, one of my favourites to help with an education day for the local schools. Spinning, weaving and dyeing in the fourteenth century has to be made as gruesome as possible in order to appeal to young children. It is a challenge, but thanks to the terrible chemicals used in medieval dyeing and a particularly harrowing martyrdom with woolcombs it can be done.

I hope you have a fun day too.

Of Can Openers

2009-06-01T18:12:00.004+01:00

Making dinner this evening, V gets momentarily distracted and returns to find he has mislaid the can opener...

V: Where is it? *Flaps about a bit*...What have I done with it? *Flaps a bit more*... Have you seen it?
Me: Nope
V: Where the heck have I put it? *Rummages through the cutlery drawer* Ah-ha!
Me: What
V: I put it back in the drawer
Me: Heck, no wonder you didn't know where it was

long pause

V: It's only funny when I say things like that

Strawberry Rum

2009-05-29T10:17:00.001+01:00

You need
Strawberries
and rum, obviously - I used white rum because then it will go pink with the berries
castor sugar - I used about 4oz
and a large jar to steep it all in.

Prick the strawberries all over with a cocktail stick, shake the sugar up in the jar with the rum
Add the berries and that's it.

Shake the jar every day for a month then strain the berries out. I plan on adding these to an apple jam - I'll let you know how that goes - and leave the liquor to mature for another three months.

Drink when you have nothing planned for the next day!

Eastnor Castle

2009-05-27T10:01:00.001+01:00

Bank Holiday weekend found us at Eastnor - for some reason I always want to call it Southden - a pretty little jewel of a castle in the Borders. It is not medieval at all, in fact it was built in the early 1800's but it is crammed full of treasures - armour, tapestries, four poster bed and weird curiosities like stuffed cheetahs.

It also became temporary home to a smallish party of re-enactors who enjoyed themselves very much on a teeny little patch of flat ground in all the rolling parkland.

We had cooked breakfasts, pottage, a battle and gunfire - very loud this, courtesy of the Kings Ordinance group. Not my favourite thing loud bangs...

I also had my first archery lesson (and got a bulls eye on my first shot!) The bow belonged to Jane, a girl from the Levy Archers, so it wasn't too heavy but it still made my arms ache! However, this is something that needs further investigation I think, particularly as V was placed second in the archery competition and he has only had three goes ever - so proud of my fab husband. I am only sorry that I did not get to see him compete as Lily came down with a weird virus thing so I mostly stayed close to camp to keep an eye on her. She perked up towards the end though, enough to trot around in the park and play under the trees.

Ludlow Castle next weekend and I am looking forward to it already!

Of Dens

2009-04-30T05:10:00.005+01:00

Really, when it comes to fun, there is little that can improve on a den. Rain has halted outside play but luckily a clothes airer and blankets provide the same amount of fun as they did when I was little.
Only I never made my dens in the bath. Baths make for very cold and very hard dens but one folded king sized duvet later and everyone is comfy and agitating to sleep there that night.

Now I tried to sleep in a bath once. It seemed like the thing to do at the time (and yes, it was at the end of a convivial evening) and despite being rather immune to discomfort, courtesy of Mr Smirnoff, I remember it as being deeply unsuccessful. So my knee jerk reaction was to say no...

...and then I thought - why not? Why on earth can't they sleep in the tub if they want to? It's not as if I am forcing them to sleep rough in the bathroom. So I agreed, on the premise that if they found out that they didn't like it, that they would get into their own beds without waking me at 3am to give me the low down on everything. 'Kay? 'Kay.

And they did. And it was fun. And I asked them very nicely if they would mind not telling the teachers at school that they slept in the bath because I am already in the Headmistress's black books for feeding them nutella sandwiches. Poor woman, she probably was never allowed to sleep in the bath when she was a child.

St George and all that...

2009-04-23T17:36:00.002+01:00

In honour of the saint and in memory of The Bard's birthday here is one of my favourite quotes on England mainly because I believe, once upon a time, the following was true...

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,

This other Eden, demi-paradise,

This fortress built by Nature for herself

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world,

This precious stone set in the silver sea,

Which serves it in the office of a wall

Or as a moat defensive to a house,

Against the envy of less happier lands,--

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
William Shakespeare, "King Richard II", Act 2 scene 1

Bangers

2009-04-21T18:16:00.002+01:00

I am at work and the phone goes. It is V

V: So I'm cooking the sausages
Me: Yes
V: But I forgot to stick them with a fork
Me: Yeeeers *thinks - great, an oven to clean when I get home*
V: What happens now?
Me: Well, have they exploded yet?
V: (agast) What?
Me: Well, why do you think they are called bangers?
V: No... no they haven't exploded (I can hear him thinking - she feeds me and my children explosive food?!)
Me: Well, stick 'em, cook them and serve them up
V: Oh...that's it?
Me: Yup, that's cooking m'dear.

When it comes to cooking, it has taken him twenty years to reach for anything more complicated than the tin opener and microwave. Give him another twenty and he might manage a roast.

I can't complain, he makes a fantastic cup of tea.

Early

2009-04-16T05:51:00.001+01:00

Another fall goes to Lady Insomnia. At four am. I woke up for no reason at all. But it makes a good time to go round and check what folks have been doing on their blogs. It made me think.

There was a time when I could not go a day without blogging. I would spend sometimes as much as an hour writing my own post, then spend maybe another two hours jumping all over the world to see what was happening in other lives far removed from my small house on the mountain. I think I was more lonely than I knew... but you see, while I was reading about other folk, I was letting my life pass me by.

Spring is a busy time for everyone - planting, planning, moving on into the season. Then there is all Summer to watch it unfold to harvest in Autumn.

It is now six o clock and I can hear blackbirds greeting the new day. Time to light the fire and get the kettle on.

ttfn m'dears

Brilliant Idea #1

2009-04-05T05:24:00.002+01:00

Guess what this is...

You'll never guess. It is a cup holder for a spinning wheel. And nothing so mundane as a cup of coffee - oh no

Obviously my kind of crafter...

Turn, turn, turn...

2009-03-05T02:00:00.002Z

To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven...

I really, really need to remember this.

Have a gentle day today.

Eisteddfod

2009-02-27T23:06:00.004Z

In honour of St David, the patron saint of Wales and his day which falls the first of March and is the chance for everyone to eat cawl and Welshcakes and of course the kids get to dress up in national dress.
A dodgy business this as this so called national dress was the brainchild of an overly romantic Victorian - Lady Charlotte Guest - sister to one of the most powerful industrial magnates of that era who, though she had some very good ideas about the preservation (and some might say, the invention) of Welsh culture, was never-the-less not fond enough of the Welsh to ensure that the workers of Merthyr Tydfil had clean water to drink let alone decent wages.
Sorry, the old Chartist blood in me just rising to the surface there. Moving on...

One of the very best things about daughters is how adorable they look in national dress

And of course I was full of pride when all my girls won prizes for their art work

Rose came third in her class, Eden first and Lily second in theirs.

Eisteddfodau are all about competition, singing, poetry, art and recitation. It can be quite hard going sometimes hearing the same poem over and over again, but fortunately ours is a small school and we only have to hear each entry three times. Not bad considering that in some eisteddfodau the audience can be inflictd with ten renditions of the same poem or song...
So just to give you a tiny taste you can see this short clip of Cofio Dewi - Remember David - an all round good bloke apparently.

Rose is in there somewhere...Happy St David's Day when it comes!

An Early Morning Grumble

2009-02-23T06:19:00.003Z

It's been a busy week. Painting the house, tidying the garden - I think I lugged about half a tonne of slate chippings on Wednesday and I finished my second quilt. Sorry, no picture, the camera has gone AWOL again.
And now I have a cold and the weeks second bout of insomnia. I bloody hate not being able to sleep becuase the kids don't care that I am exhausted, they just want their morning porridge and a warm sitting room to dress in - why haven't you lit the fire mum?

Meh...

In other news I have found possibly the best and easiest ice cream recipe in the entire world. Really. It is so simple that it is barely a recipe. And here it is...

Half a pint of lightly beaten double cream into which you stir one tin of condensed milk. Mix well and freeze.

That's it. Yes, it will make your arteries go clang but what the heck is life without a furry aorta eh?

Right, that's enough waffle for today. I have a fire to light.
Have a sweet and energy filled day won't you?

Spring Light

2009-02-16T15:12:00.004Z

It is a beautiful day here. The kind of light that shows up all the cobwebs but also falls on the eye so prettily and lifts hopeful earth scents from the mountainside.

I painted my front door today - just the undercoat- but it's a start and then I planted a few more primroses for the feral sheep to munch when grass gets just too dull.

The girls played in the absolute very last of the massive snowman then, when he finally gave up the ghost and turned to water, they replayed scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Sitting there on my doorstep, sipping tea and inhaling fresh paint smells, listening to my girls dragging round an old trike calling-
Bring out yer dead!
I'm not dead!
You soon will be...
I'm feeling much better!
No yer not! etc...

Life is good.

Sir Lily

2009-02-07T20:11:00.003Z

It's still a while to go before the start of the season... but guess who has been watching
A Knight's Tale just to keep the hand in.

Snow Man

2009-02-06T11:54:00.003Z

Welsh men take snowmen construction very seriously.
Not for them a dainty fey snow creature...oh no.

Snowmen must be BIG. Bigger than the kids...

bigger than the wife or indeed the wife's car...

and then, once the snowman is built to satisfactory standards,
a man must then win all snowball fights
and break three tea trays hurtling down snowy slopes.

it was fun though :o)

Snow!

2009-02-02T11:08:00.004Z

Up early and yawning, Eden opened the curtains this morning, peered out into the darkness and said-
What is that?!

She cannot remember snow, it has been that long but five minutes after Rose woke up they were all squeaking with excitement and wondering if school would shut.

Poor lambs, there isn't even an inch out there, not enough to make a snowball even. But it is very pretty and a dusting is just the right amount for me thank you very much. I am not a fan of the cold but I took these when I got back from the school run.

Yesterday was the start of a new season in the celtic calendar which the Christians kick off with the feast of St Bridget, celebrating the promise of Spring while still in the darkness of winter - the new shoots hidden beneath the snow...

It is also a celebration of a warm hearth and hospitality to travellers out in the cold. I am tucked up inside once more and cosy with my cuppa and chocolate biscuits. but I've got the kettle on, just in case...
Keep warm, where ever you are.

A First

2009-02-01T09:05:00.003Z

So here it is, at the age of 36, nearly 37, I have made my first ever quilt. Dah daaaaaaah!

I started it last Autumn but then making all the costumes for our medieval days sort of soaked up all the sewing mojo. I picked it up again when I visited Ffald Y Brenin and let the quiet rythmn of handsewing just float me away.

It is a baby quilt but the baby it was intended for is rather too big for it now. It really is only a crib/comfort blanket size.
Happily, a couple in church had their little daughter only a few days ago and this will do very well for a gift for her.

Roses for little Keziah Rose.

Time

2009-01-29T06:14:00.004Z

I have on my bookshelf a small book of prayers given to me by my mother. I am not one for written prayers normally but these are sweet, short and headed toward the celtic in flavour. One of my favourites is that of a Breton fisherman which is very much to the point I feel.

Oh Lord, protect me.
The sea is so large and my boat is so small.

This is how I feel about time right now - at the end of a sleepless night, with the usual day in front of me. I have much to do with this day. Children to look to, a man to feed, a house to tend... a cat to trip over and a garden to ignore.
Mine is a blessed life and I know it, quiet and domestic with no hurricanes to tip the small boat over... I give thanks for this safe harbour. And I pray a peaceful day for you too.

Prompted by One Single Impression - If Only I had Time.
and the above is not my photo, it came from a stock shot of the sea and I happened to like it.

Peace

2009-01-26T02:34:00.003Z

Ffald-y-Brenin, a retreat in the Preseli mountains.

There is no sound but the wind on the mountain.
Here you can watch the sky for hours.
Here you may be still.
There are no demands, no fears and no expectations.

Nothing but peace
...and I had a beautiful time.

Valentine Hearts

2009-01-21T10:10:00.001Z

These kept pleasantly amusedthe last few evenings. Very simple to do, just threading beads and wrapping wire.

I am thinking about putting them in my etsy shop

What do you think?

Watercolour Sky

2009-01-17T17:31:00.004Z

When the rain lets up and the wind blows the clouds away so the sun can pour through, this is what we get by way of skies in Wales this time of year. This was taken by Sharon, an artist friend of mine and the colours just got me thinking...

And this is what I came up with...

Chalky turquoise merino wool flitted through with some handpainted silk in ultamarine, bright pink and pond green

I don't want to spin it though as I think it will lose its painted quality. So felting it is. Probably into flowers for the edges of the shawl I crocheted while in hospital with Eden. The shawl is a heavy, dark grey - very like the clouds in the picture so it will come together nicely I think.

Hope you have a light filled day too.

Grey Outside but Bright Within

2009-01-13T23:09:00.006Z

A sure fire way to combat a mizzly January morning is to curl up in front of the fire and browse the web for inspiration. My wanderings took me to The Cotton Patch and the astonishingly pretty Springwood House. Quilting emporiums and chock full of gorgeousness. Springwood house in particular had me squeaking in excitement as they have squares of computer foil there in a banquet of shimmering glitzyness.

As I have said before, I love the homespun look - checks of spicy browns, cute stripes of sand and berry etc etc and I always think how right they would look in my tiny little miners cottage but somehow the magpie DNA almost always wins and I end up getting the bright and spangly because honestly, it is just what I like best of all. I am a design Jekyll and Hyde...only with glitter.

So I got these - two charm packs and a fat quarter. As Oscar once said: I can resist everything but temptation. I also bought a quilt book by Kaffe Fasset. If I never attempt even a coaster from this book it will still be worth the price for the photographs alone. What a world that man must inhabit. I wish I could see through his eyes for just ten minutes.

So how about you? What cheers you onwards through a cold January?

The Clangers

2009-01-12T09:47:00.006Z

All that waxing lyrical of yesterday has put the sun right off and we are back to the usual MO for Wales in wintertime - chilly, wet and windy. So I am not going out as planned but have waved two sproglets to school and have curled up on the sofa with Eden and we are eating hot buttered toast (thanks V!) and watching The Clangers

If you have ten spare minutes you could do worse with them than watch the above. It is Seventies Kids TV at it very best: enchanting and innocent.

Hope you have a enchanting day too

A Gentle Day

2009-01-11T22:42:00.002Z

It is taking the sky is taking a long time to wake up these last few days. It remains the same misty silver pink of a watercolour dawn until well into the afternoon. As we were driving to Chepstow this morning I saw charcoal treelines against a horizon that changed from pearl to rose, topaz to olivine - all lit up by an opalescent sun. For over a hundred miles it made me want to paint...

Other than admiring a jewelled sky, there is little better in life to sit in a castle, well wrapped up against the cold with a thick woolen cape and the knowledge that a beef and barley stew is on the fire, waiting only for the sword practise to finish before we can tuck in, having spent the previous hour teaching a youngster how to use a drop spindle. A girl's determination to make a workable yarn defied chilled fingers and awkwardly slippery merino fibre. She made a very creditable first thread which many a spinner I know would be content to call an "art yarn" or "textured" (for that you can read "lumpy") but for an eleven year old, there is nothing wrong with that.

Hope your skies are soft and beautiful too

Pretty

2009-01-09T23:07:00.004Z

The wonderfully talented Jessica at Wayfaring Wanderer gave me this which is so sweet of her. And isn't it pretty? So thank you very much Jessica and I will continue to visit your blog and be speechless in admiration at the beauty that you capture with each of your posts.

So firstly I would like to pass this on to the girl who put me in the way of Jessica's blog in the first place and that is the lovely Pippa atMy Arty Life. Pippa is creative in the same way that birds fly - it just comes naturally to her. Paper craft, crochet, beadwork and now photography. If you haven't visited her blog yet, treat yourself right now.

Gina who is busy Quilting in the Valleys whose eye for colour and design just leaves me speechless with admiration. I found Gina (who lives about forty miles away from me tops) via Kate Quilts in Australia. Weird or what? Kate also gets nominated for this award. You quilters are such a talented and busy bunch of crafters. You put me to shame.

Patois who though not to my knowledge a crafter of paper or wool, is never the less a crafter of words - some of them screamingly funny, some poignant, some written with enough vitriol to blister the screen (okay, that was just the once and she had just been burgled, I should cut the girl some slack) Her poetry is a treat too.

An artist's blog is always a treasure and the blogs that belong to Nan in Maine and her animal friends are daily reading. If you like cats, the sea, and pictures of snow in slanting winter sunlight then this is the place for you

And last but by no means least is POD - who is the modest owner of just about the most eclectic blog I have ever come across. I know he won't mind when I call him unique and I know he will understand when I say that a triple decker fried egg, chili sauce and chutney sandwich is unique too. I love both - the POD and the sarnie - crazy but fab at the same time.

Not Resolutions but...

2009-01-03T20:59:00.005Z

Carpe Jugulum as Mr Pratchett would say. After a rather poxy December I am filled with the ambition to get shifting once again. While I recognise that energy reserves are a bit low at the moment it is still a pleasant activity to sit, cup of tea in hand, and mull over the year ahead. I make no attempts at lofty goals but it is good to have a target and these are mine right now.
I may well fall short but here's to the attempt at least.

Outside
Sort out the wretched heap that I call a garden. This involves some tasks that are small in number but massive in effect...

Hire out a man with a van to clear the debris of last summer (including a large piece of corrugated metal that was blown in with the storms we had in August)

Hire another bloke who can handle a chainsaw to get rid of a few overgrown conifers.

Re-roof the little shed

Plant two thornless blackberries, two blackcurrant bushes and some potato plants to break the ground up a bit.

If I can do all that by Autumn I will be mightily pleased with myself

Indoors

De-clutter for half an hour at least once a week

Establish rather better household care routines than I have in effect right now. Fly Lady will point me in the right direction.

Re do Rose's room. We had a brain storming session the other night and have come up with some wonderfully funky ideas. Fairy lights feature strongly as well as fun fur covered bookshelves, sequinned curtains and walls the colours of liquorice allsorts. She's my girl for certain.

I aim to get this established/ accomplished by springtime.

Creatively

Get back into water colour painting. I used to love to paint miniatures as a teenager. I wouldn't mind giving it another go

Re learn the recorder. V bought me a new and beautiful pear wood medieval recorder for Christmas. I fell in love with it at the traders fair in Autumn but couldn't countenance the expense. He ordered one for me shortly afterwards. How fab is that?

With regards to spinning and felting I intend to work mostly from my stash this year but I am not restricting myself as to yarn. However, I will stop the impulse purchases of beautiful yarn just for the joy of beautiful yarn. From now on all yarn must be bought for a pre-determined project.

This is the whole year laid out

Personally

Make time to do Pilates - I want my waist back! (by May at latest)

Follow the Soul Coaching book with Kim. (28 days from whenever the book gets delivered)

Dabble in archery a bit more. It is fun. (As and when throughout the year - next training day 11th of Jan)

Investigate reiki courses in this area. It sounds very interesting. (Also as and when the time is right)

So that is where I am at right now. How about you? Have you got anything you would like to accomplish before the year rolls round again?

Shush!

2009-01-01T21:02:00.003Z

Half way through a game of junior monopoly this evening, Eden decides that she is tired and returns to the comfort of her nest on the sofa. This has been her lair of choice since coming out of hospital and we have all pandered to her every whim. Hence she is well on the way to getting truly spoilt. Some moments later, at a particularly heated exchange between V and Rose over the mini golf, Eden declared that we were being too noisy and that she wanted to go to sleep. The rest of the game was conducted in whispers

I've landed in the paddling pool again, whose is that?

Mine. Six pounds please

Six quid for a paddle!

But I own the video arcade too so I get double

%£(%&(! No wonder I've got no money!

Somehow I managed to end up getting an entire row of properties down one side and fleeced Rose and V unmercifully. So it was hissed expletives all the way* which made it funnier somehow...and you know what it is like when you can't laugh out loud. I had to leave the room.

So a pretty good New Years Day all told. It still feels rather odd, like someone has scooped Christmas away with a spoon. I haven't even decorated. But we are having our Christmas day on Saturday, so we are decorating the Christmas tree tomorrow - a fake one unfortunately - but we missed out on the real thing. Next Christmas I am getting a tree in the first week just to be sure.

Happy New Year everyone. Keep safe and warm and happy the whole year through.

*from the adults I hasten to add - Rose reproved us both you may be sure.

A Late Christmas

2008-12-30T16:35:00.003Z

It was a peculiar Christmas this year...

We did not have holly

no baubles either

and most certainly it did not snow

but we have Eden back home again - a few pounds lighter, very pale and rather weak and home is home once more.

Hope your Christmas was both bright and beautiful. I'll see you sometime in the new year.

From Bad to Worse

2008-12-19T16:01:00.003Z

I have gone deaf. Deaf I tell you! And it is bloody unamusing. My children are fed up of yelling at me and I feel exactly like the terminally daft and grumpy bat that is all deaf old women. The house is still in something of a mess and I have not finished the shopping let alone started wrapping. But lets be British shall we?

and I can...well I might be able to if what had started off today as a check up at the Doctor's for Eden, who has been off colour since the weekend had not all of a sudden turned into V dashing to the hospital with her with the suggestion of appendicitis leering at us all. I am trying very hard not to worry.
But the impulse is there...

Ab Fab!

2008-12-18T14:39:00.002Z

Thank you my dear Technodoll, I think you are fabulous too.

Along with this I have to list five addictions and pass the baby along. So

1. Spinning obviously
2. Merino wool, cashmere, silk equally obviously
3. Really cute underwear sets
4. Shoes (must be frivolous in the extreme)
5. And because it is Christmas I will own up to my addiction to Tinsel. I know it is tacky, I know that the whitewashed and gingerbread look should be my spiritual home cos I am a country girl and all that. I know, I know, I know and I just love the stuff. Bury me in its glitzy, flashy prettiness cos you just can't beat tinsel at Christmas.

I am supposed to pass this on but honestly I think you are all fabulous. So if you are reading this then please take this award from me. I am not and never will be a big blogger. I have maybe fifteen regular readers but I reckon I know most of you quite well and I love your comments and your visits. So You are Fabulous Too in my opinion.

All I Want For Christmas...

2008-12-14T09:49:00.003Z

Rose is writing her letter to Father Christmas. On it are items of such ambition I feel dizzy just looking at it. Never the less, the lady knows what she wants.

Surveying the devastation around us after what is now nearly a fortnight of illness in one member of the family or other and knowing what a herculean effort it is going to take to get the house in order, let alone pretty for the season, I declare that I would like a slave for Christmas.

V: That wouldn't be much use.
Me: What?
V: We haven't had any snow.
Me: Slave...not sleigh.

Ho ho ho.

The Feast of St Nicholas

2008-12-12T00:45:00.004Z

The 6th of December is the Feast of St Nick. Not the jolly fat bloke in the red suit (that was hijacked by the Victorians.) But still suitably festive. We decorated the largest tower with holly and ivy and a minstrel strummed carols on a dulcimer while we were at work. Yes, it was cold but not desperately so. Minus 4.5 C at night but we were quite cosy in the tent. Thanks to the large gas heater that we swiped from my dad.

V in the outer bailey

We were dressed very warmly too - linen, silk and wool cannot be beaten for their thermal properties and V even had a fur collar (fake cos it's hard to get real wolf round here any more )

That very elegantly shaped window that you can see behind V's left shoulder belongs to the large kitchen so you can imagine that the chap who built this castle was not short of a penny or two. However, we cooked in the small kitchen tower which with two fires blazing and the bread oven going was the warmest spot to be - apart from our tent of course :o)

Myself and Mistress Pat in the small kitchen tower.

I spent most of my time helping to prepare the feast- pottage (vegetable stew) roast beef and spit roast lamb, roasted vegetables including potatoes which although they weren't around in Britain the 1300s it was felt that beef wouldn't be beef unless there was a roastie cuddled up next to it. The beef and the vegetables were cooked in the bread oven built into the tower wall but the lamb was spit roasted over an open fire. They tasted magnificent - I think I am ruined for beef now. There was a sweet furmenty for pudding - I had never tried this before and it was an acquired taste, flavoured with rose water and sugar it was unusual but fun to eat food made to a really ancient recipe. There were also dates stuffed with marchpane (marzipan) and crispalls which are some kind of small, intensely sweet cake. I don't really know what they tasted like because the archers scarfed the lot down as a kind of aperitif. We also had mulled wine and mulled cider to keep the chill out which worked very nicely.

Above is a picture of the outer bailey where we camped. Our tent is the one to the right, next to the fancy blue and yellow stripey one. It was rather hard getting out into the chill of the early morning. The girls elected to stay in bed until lunchtime and it later turned out that what I thought was tiredness brought on by a late night and fresh air was in fact the starting of tonsillitis which they in turn passed on to me - blah - so we have been busy with that most of this week. Back to earth with a thump as usual!

However, there has been one consolation when stuck in bed with sick children who will not let me move one inch away from them lest I get weak, queroulous calls of Mummy, Mummy! And that is that I finally managed to read all of Ken Follets World Without End which at about a thousand pages is a proper cockroach killer of a book. Thoroughly absorbing stuff if you can leave behind the taint of the horror that the Black Death must have been. Still 600 years is a long time to brood over something like that. Shake it off girl, shake it off.

Hope you and yours are well and blooming. Prayers and good vibes welcomed for three kids and a mum who aren't really.

Feast day

2008-12-06T04:49:00.005Z

home for the weekend - only ours is white

Rise and shine for the day is upon me and we are off to try out the new tent...yes in December. Srsly.

Yes, blue skies and bright eyes. Today we are heading for Chepstow and the Yuletide feast.
The costumes are all made, the gingerbread has been baked and the wine and cider have been purchased waiting to be mulled on site. I have filtered the Blackberry whiskey* which I laid down in September and the dough for the fairings is made, wrapped and ready to be popped into the handy dandy bread oven built into the castle wall.

We will be cosy enough in the tent I know - we can hardly move in the car (packed tight as a drum by the way) for wool blankets** But how I wish wish wish that I had managed to weave up those snuggly fleece sleeping mats.

Have a warm and delightful weekend won't you. I think we will :o)

*and very pretty it is too with a deceptively warming glow as it goes down and then when you get to the bottom of the glass you realise that your feet have gone numb.

**and a calor gas heater

On the Loom

2008-12-02T09:49:00.003Z

We have a wool sleeping mat. And it is taking flipping ages! I have been working on this for days and it is not getting any longer it seems.
I will not be finished in time.

It is beautifully thick and warm, just the thing for chilly mornings in a tent. I meant to make three of course but what a drag they are turning out to be.
I won't be finishing it on time

And it is not as if I am ill equipped - those spikes are actually longer than my fingers! I can comb up a lot of wool and threading the resulting fluff through a diz and turning it into a roving is almost as much fun as spinning.

But I am not quick enough at the weaving and I have to face it that I am not going to finish it in time...

One Single Impression - Welcoming

2008-12-01T06:14:00.003Z

I haven't done a haiku prompt for a very long time but this one felt so pretty...

Advent is one of my favourite seasons - the waiting, sometimes counting the days - that quiet sense of anticipation heightened by the stillness of winter - welcoming the birth of light once more
and so the year goes round...

leafless wood, sky like bone
watch and wait
soon a son

do take a look to see how others keep a welcome at One Single Impression

Spinning Starlight

2008-11-29T09:28:00.004Z

Yes folks, this spinning wheel is made out of glass. Is it not astonishingly lovely?

There you are - something beautiful for a Saturday morning.
Hope your day is serene and sparkling too.

Thanks to Spinning Fishwife for finding and posting this beauty

Hackles 'n' Looms

2008-11-28T18:21:00.005Z

There are hackles on dogs and hackles on hats but this little hackle is clamped to a table and used to comb and blend fibre.

Hackles are very difficult to find and very expensive to buy but I really need one to comb out the fleeces that I have had hanging around for the last few weeks. The above is a rare valkyrie hackle and is about $150 US. I don't think so. Not when my clever husband can take a piece of scrap wood and a few 5" nails and make me one.
And he has. I have no picture as yet but it is rather more savage than the one pictured above. In fact I think the baddie in Enter the Dragon had something quite similar strapped to his wrist/stump in order to gut Bruce Lee

Okay, maybe it's not quite that bad but it is still a big piece of wood with nails hammered through it and it looks an effective bit of kit for a bar room brawl.

Yes, it has been a very productive day today as V has also made me a new peg loom. My dad has been promising to do this for some time but unfortunately he has been quite unwell for the last few weeks and it is getting to the point where I really do need to get moving on the children's sleeping mats*

Again the above is not mine, but it looks very similar (can you tell that the camera has gone awol again?)
Needless to say tomorrow will be spent combing and weaving. I will try to get a few pics of what I am doing. I am sure the camera will turn up somewhere. In the meantime, it will be a true pleasure to use something in my crafting that my husband has made for me!

*for camping I hasten to add, they usually sleep on beds like everyone else.

Tablet Weaving

2008-11-25T02:29:00.003Z

So here is the tablet weaving - a belt for Eden. I used crewel work wool in silver lilac and milk chocolate. The pattern is one of slanting bands and it was very simple to weave.
Yes, after all that shilly-shallying about, it only took me an hour or two to actually weave the darned thing. I'm pretty happy with it because, as anyone in the Guild will tell you, I take to weaving like a hydrophobe takes to water.

Tablet weaving is as ancient as you like. The Romans did it and so did the Vikings and it is a handy skill to demonstrate on medieval days. It can be quite complicated but as a beginner I stuck to the easy stuff. That said, it made my brain ache a bit but that is because I am such an utter duffer at warping up. It involves visualising numbers you see and I am rather like a monkey with a key board in that department. I just keep following instructions while not understanding a word of it. Not very comfortable.

Above are the tablets that I used. I have twenty and I actually used four. Yes - four. But when I get onto using silks I dare say I will need more tablets to make a decent width of braid.

The belt is about an inch in width and there are some errors even in such a simple pattern but I am still pretty happy with it. I gave up on perfection a long time ago reasoning that I would rather have something to show for my time rather than ripping stuff up when it went wrong. I often go wrong but in the words of Wellington - just tie a knot and move on. I am gratified to say that the only knots in this are the ones that are meant to be there.

So it looks like this is a go and I will shortly be doing a few more belts for myself and the girls. Hope you have a pleasantly knot free day today too.

Look, Yarn!

2008-11-23T19:17:00.003Z

If yarn is your thing then you could wander off to Posh Yarn and just weep over the simply gorgeous buffet of colour and texture on offer every Sunday evening. Only don't bother going over there now because it is probably all sold out - the sale moves ludicrously quickly - the sale starts at seven and is generally over by quarter past. So it with a particularly glad heart that I show you these beauties.

jaunty (bright pink) and sleuth (violet)
lambswool, cashmere and angora sock yarn.

Just the thing to keep little toes warm inside little wellies. The kidlings chose the colours themselves. I am so chuffed- both about the yarn and the fact that I am successfully indoctrinating my daughters with a yarn thing of their own at such a tender age.

And, let's face it, I need a project to keep me busy. Hah!

My Gangsta Name is what?...

2008-11-22T00:57:00.005Z

Okay it is Saturday and no one checks blogs on a Saturday apart from me and Technodoll.

But if you are reading this then may I recommend you pop over to Patois and have a giggle at her hippie name...

Back? Okay. Now it is my turn

1. ROCK STAR NAME: Topsy MG F

2. GANGSTA NAME: Cherry Garcia Stilleto

3. NATIVE AMERICAN NAME: Orange Hedgehog

4. SUPERHERO NAME: Cerise Merlyns

5. NASCAR NAME: George Elias

6. STRIPPER NAME: Anais Chocolate

7. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: Martin Milan

8. SPY NAME: Harvest Tulip

9. CARTOON NAME: Cherry Slipper

10. HIPPIE NAME: Muffin Rowan

Here's how to play

1. first pet, current car

2. fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe

3. favorite color, favorite animal

4. 2nd favorite color, favorite drink

5. the first names of your grandfathers

6. the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy

7. 5th grade teacher's last name, name of city that starts with the same letter

8. your favorite season/holiday, flower

9. favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now

10. what you ate for breakfast, your favourite tree

Wondering

2008-11-21T06:40:00.002Z

I have been woken obscenely early and have been meandering around some new blogs as you do.

It has made me wonder whether to put a music gadget on here. Just some sweet/ soft/gentle stuff probably celtic in flavour.

What do you think about automatic music thingies? Annoying intrusion or pleasant addition?

Of Reasons

2008-11-20T23:04:00.001Z

So I sorted out all the tablet weaving kit. I plan on making a belt for Eden. The dress below is hers for when we go re-enacting. It is a lovely soft purple. I dyed it using acid dyes which have a tendency to be quite bright and though some natural dyes can be very bright indeed the purples that they (ie medieval folk) could get were not. So I took great care to keep the mix on the silvery side of lilac which is what you can get if you use elderberries. I missed the elderberry season this year and anyway I am not into natural dying, all the mordanting wool and all the fiddle (and potential errors) that natural dying involves. Acid dyes are far easier.

So I got all the kit out, even the pattern book! And then I realised that I really should get cracking with V's tunic rather than indulge myself with a demanding fiddly new rabbit trail. Eden can do very well with a length of plaited wool for now but V's tunic must be made before our next gig at Chepstow on the 6th. I need to get my dress sorted out too but I can borrow something if needs be. I want the rest of the family in their own kit first though.

This is part of the haul from the re-enactors fair up in Leamington Spa. Pure wool that is next to skin soft. I intended this for a dress for myself (and hoped to get one for Lily out of the remainder) keeping a lovely thick linen for V's tunic. But the training day that we went to two weeks ago made me realise that linen just won't be warm enough for a December day.
This wool is a cheery, holly berry red and it suits V very well. I have enough left over to make a dress for tiny Lily but I am going to have to send off for some more wool to make a dress for myself. I am fancying a burnt orange or a moss green if possible. It will look a bit daft if we have three members of the family in the same colour I think.

And I finally saw sense and started using the sewing machine. One dress, some braeis and two underdresses would be enough handsewing for anyone. If I want this finished anytime soon it is going to have to be machine work from now on. I finish visible seams - necklines and such- by hand and very relaxing it is too now that most of the donkey work is being done by the Bernina.

An honourable mention goes to this machine by the way - it is older than me. Bought in Tanganyika* for thirty shillings over forty years ago and it is still going strong**. The whirr of this machine is one of the sounds of my childhood. Mummy was always creating something with it. She has assured me that it will come to me when she can no longer use it. I am happy to have the occasional loan for now.

Maybe I'll get a pic of V wearing his new tunic tomorrow. This post has taken ages to write and I am off to bed now.

Nos da everyone.

* Tanganyika no longer exists as an independant nation. It has been amalgamated into Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.
**Which is perhaps more than can be said of Tanganyika

In Search of Pebbles

2008-11-19T19:10:00.006Z

It was a pretty day today and let's face it, how many of them are we likely to get this time of year? So Mum, Sis and I went down the Mumbles for the afternoon.
We sat in the car as the wind was pretty thin and we drank hot chocolate and ate fairy cakes while watching the gulls bob up and down on the swell.

And then I went beach combing

On the list of my favourite things, rock pools are surely in the top ten, especially ones that the tide has just left.

I was in search of pebbles of which there were more than a few.

Mostly on the beach,

but some on ledges as if laid by a rather absent minded dragon.

The above are quite small specimens, a little smaller than a hens egg and they will do just perfectly as warp weights for my tablet weaving. There is no more reason to stall on this little project. I have had the tablets for weeks and I have all the yarn a girl would ever need. I even have a proper reason/ goal for the braid rather than just pootling about. But...but...but I am loath to get going on it. Procrastination - I duz it.

As you can see, I have found the camera, so there will probably be an increase in posts for a while...at least until I lose the camera again.
Hope you had a pretty day too.

Of Kids and Kidding About

2008-11-17T16:00:00.001Z

Getting the kidlings ready for school this morning in my rather tea deprived state Rose squawked-
"Look at my foot!"
In so far as I could, I whirled round to face what awful thing had happened to my baby to see a grotesque bulge under her big toe.
"Good grief!" I shriek. "What the heck is that?"
"It's my wart" she says, completely straight faced.
I just about passed out in horror, when - in the nick of time - she withdrew a marble from her sock.
I think the word is pwned.

In other news, here is my latest bash at a cloak. In a former life it was an ancient Welsh wool blanket, slightly scratchy but still comforting and very very warm. I have dyed it from a distressing Calpol pink to its present shade of milk chocolate. It is a classic hobbit cloak. Cut on the cross, two quarter circles sewn into a half and it drapes very happily around my shoulders.

I am particularly pleased with the clasp which I purchased from a viking re-enactment store in Copenhagen. I love the WWW.
More pictures of sewing projects soon. I am on the last leg of the costume marathon now and I will be glad to get back to my spinning wheel. I miss it.

Happy Birthday

2008-11-13T21:27:00.003Z

Not a bad birthday all told. New dolls, pretty dresses, fluffy things and a bit of birthday money. Ice cream, milk and a chocolate cake with five candles each.

Goodness me...five years. Five whole years. What can I possibly say to describe what they have been to me? Roller-coaster springs to mind. Sleep deprivation, worry and soaring, bewildering joy. I would not have missed a second of it.

Happy Birthday my darlings.

Remembering

2008-11-11T13:04:00.002Z

Poppies in Flanders
Poppies in Afganistan
We can not forget.

image from freefoto.

Training Day

2008-11-09T20:00:00.007Z

We bunked off church today to go to Chepstow Castle and a training day with the Freemen. I actually had a go at sword fighting which was quite exciting although I am prettybad at it. I keep on watching the blades which is a very bad habit to get into, but they are surprisingly mesmerising. Kerry was a very patient teacher even though I kept on blocking incorrectly - I was annoyed with myself about that. I found out that although swords are pretty awkward and heavy, they really are quite musical, in that they make a very pleasant sound. Weird eh?

I also found out that archery is more like golf than one might first imagine - all to do with shoulders and feet lining up in the right direction. Drawing the bow so that there was enough power in the string for the arrow to actually hit the target was pretty much beyond me. The bow was a 40lb draw if that means anything to anybody, it doesn't to me. I suppose it means that 40lb of pressure is needed to pull the string to its optimum stretch. It was very satisfactory when I got a red though - I can see the appeal and I would not be surprised if I got a little further into archery, only with a lighter bow!

There was pottage for tea and chocolate mini-rolls, the latter not very authentic but I needed chocolate by that time (and I am certain that if medieval folk had had chocolate they would have been eating it in barrel loads.)

On the way home, V and I were chatting about what we enjoyed best in the day and for me it was hearing the song of swords and the twang of a bowstring in a place that once rang to it. Castles always give me the shivers - in the nicest way - history shimmering all through the place, soaked into the stones: the way a step has eroded over the millenia under generations of passing feet; lives, stories, passions and sorrows lived out and suffered over now long since gone and unremembered by any but there none the less. I looked out from one of the castle windows and saw the broad sweep of the Severn River slinking past the castle walls and felt the breath of the past on me. Shiversome is what I call it.

My hands are aching from holding that sword. No sewing for me tomorrow I think. I may well dig out some sock yarn and work up some slippers for winter. Nothing like the feel of cashmere to sooth tired hands.
Have a warm and comfortable day won't you.

I Went to the Market...

2008-11-06T08:54:00.004Z

Do you remember that game? We played it a lot as kids. Well I went marketing medieval style on Sunday last. The Living History fair in Leamington Spa was jam packed full of traders offering almost everything that a re-enactor needs.

So...

Me: I went to the market and I bought...

a thurible. (Fabulous word that isn't it? It's an incense burner and I bought three packs of delicious incense.)
V: I went to market and bought a gambeson (a padded jacket for wearing under chain mail)
Me: I went to market and bought five wooden bowls
V: I went to market and bought a pair of boots (thigh high, black leather and yes, they are almost as kinky as they sound)

Me: I went to market and bought three horn spoons, some bells, a wooden shuttle and a beater for tablet weaving

V: I went to the market and rather fancied getting a helmet but thought I'd hang on a bit as they were flipping expensive and I just bought a sword on e bay.
Me: I went to market and bought eight yards of linen and ten yards of wool. Because, let's face it, you can never have too much wool right?

Did you notice? I bought far more stuff than V but I spent way less. I feel very pleased about that.

Mulled Wine

2008-11-01T06:35:00.002Z

Am I the only one who has been taken aback at how cold it is right now? Somehow it feels rather more bitter than it usually does - there was snow on the Beacons yesterday! I can't remember the last time it snowed in October...
With that in mind I am giving you my recipe for mulled wine. I have been making this for years , tweaking and experimenting as I go and I think this is as close to perfect as I'm ever going to get anything

Bottle of inexpensive, hearty red wine.
I use the French table wine from Tescos but the Bulgarian cabernet sauvignon is good too

1 orange, sliced into half inch slices.
Don't use the top or bottom slice as there is too much pith in proportion to flesh and pith makes it taste bitter. (I will resist the urge to make any further comment here)

Brandy or port or sherry in order of preference. If you want to make falling down water then use all three.
Fill a large mug half full with chosen plonk - Tesco's own tawny port is lovely for this - and top up to full with water.
Add another mug of water or else you'll be asleep by eight.

Soft brown sugar to taste.
I use about 1 or 2 tablespoons. Don't use too much or else it will start to taste medicinal, weird I know but there it is.

5 cloves

1 large cinnamon stick.
Tap the stick very gently with a wooden spoon. It releases the scent of the spice into the wine.

1 decent sized piece of whole dried ginger root.
This can be difficult to get hold of. I got mine in a health food shop in Aberystwyth but you can try a Chinese herbalists too. Do not be tempted to use powdered ginger, it clouds the wine and it hangs around on the tongue too.
If you can't get it whole dried, use fresh (peeled) but then make it a large piece.

Put all the ingredients in a large sauce pan and heat very gently until steam starts to curl slowly from the pan. Strain and serve in heat proof glasses.

Be warned...This is strong stuff but very warming. Roasted chestnuts are the desired accompaniment with this but gingerbread is good too.

Six Random Things

2008-10-30T18:40:00.002Z

Nan from Shells and Roses (a beautiful blog filled with cats and other lovely things so do pop over and say hello) tagged me for this and though I have done it before it doesn't mean that I can't do it again. So...

I still find it hard to not believe in Father Christmas. There is something in me that really wants the North Pole and the reindeer and all the rest to sneakily be true.
The same with Hogwarts really. It would be happy to think that there is a magical school in the Highlands with Quidditch and the giant squid and everything else. Not Voldemort though, he is not invited...
And while we are on the theme of fantasy...you know at the end of Labyrinth, when the Goblin King asks Sarah to just love him and everything? I never understood why she turned him down - I mean I understand now but when I was a teenager there would have been no decision at all - pass me that white sparkly frock thank you very much!
Autumn makes me feel sad - but I love Halloween and Bonfire Night and the wonderful comfort food we can eat this season
I am tremendously untidy which is unfortunate as I like my environment to be kept neat.
I am a qualified teacher but would like very much to re-train as a nurse. It is a big decision though and not one to be rushed. I am still thinking about it - watch this space

And that is it. I won't tag anyone for this because there is no one left to tag I think. But if you feel like doing it let me know and I'll pop over and take a look at your randomness which I am certain will be far more random than mine!

Today

2008-10-24T16:20:00.004+01:00

We went to Ewenny Pottery and watched the potter at work. There is something magical about watching something being created and we stood entraced for ages. I eventually tore myself away to buy the cutest little brown mug for winter mulled wine.

We had lunch in Ogmore at The Pelican, one of our favourite pubs. Like a good blogger I took pictures of the food to taunt you with. V had poached salmon in a white wine and cream sauce and it was beyond delicious. My honey roasted ham with home made apple chutney was just as good and very filling. I have left overs for my tea.

And then we went on to Southerndown and one of my favourite things in the world...

A walled garden...

It was sleepy and warm, sheltered against the cold wind that was blowing off the sea.

And there were still flowers spangled about

Autumn sunshine poured lazily through the tangled apple trees but the sun was so low it felt almost wintery. Not long to go before the frosts arrive I think.

We enjoyed the golden afternoon.

Hope your weekend is just as lovely.

Just a Bit More Wool

2008-10-24T08:55:00.002+01:00

Lily in front of the BFL fleece,
(yes it did indeed come from a sheep, not a polar bear - that is one big fleece let me tell you.)

Yes, it is official, I have finally lost it. How in the sea of fibre that I am swimming in already, do I reach the conclusion that I need a whole fleece? And not just one fleece, oh no - I have three of the suckers waiting to be washed and dried. They take flipping ages to dry too. My entire house is now delicately scented with wet wool. I think it is quite a pleasant smell, but others may not agree.

These are destined to become peg woven floor mats. The fibre that I have in my attic is all carded and combed and ready to spin and it is mostly merino and other pretty fine stuff - far too good for mats and mats are what we need for the floor of our tent to keep the drafts out.
We looked for sheepskins but they are too expensive to lay down in such quantity (it is a very big tent!) So there I go again, saying the magic words "I can make that".

To that end, V and I had a quick jaunt up to Brecon Wool Market and picked up a Blue Faced Leicester (beautiful, crimpy and soft) and two Black Welsh (bouncy but hard wearing) and I spent a fine evening a few days ago skirting the fleece outside - that is picking all the pooey bits off round the tail end and pulling off the belly wool which as the sheep has already laid on it all year has already turned to felt. Then it has to be washed which is a bit of a bind really.
Eden came into my room yesterday looking bemused "Mummy, there is a sheep in the bath"

Now that's not a sentence you hear everyday is it?

The Future of Jousting

2008-10-21T09:25:00.002+01:00

Only the British would do this...

Okay, maybe the Aussies would do it as well.

Busy

2008-10-20T19:18:00.004+01:00

Okay, the camera has gone AWOL again and I have got fed up of waiting for it to turn up in order that I could show you the evidence of the latest welter of crafting activity. So you are just going to have to take my word for it...

Do you remember The Haul? Well shortly after that, another haul arrived - my fabric order for the medieval stuff - linen, more wool (woven this time) a few yards of silk/cotton blend and an experimental few yards of jute. This last is not for clothing I hasten to add but it will do very well for the floor of our tent.

So my latest bout of crafting has resulted so far in these:

4 bonnets - two felt, one calico but lined with felt, one crocheted. The last one is for the etsy shop, the other three are for the girls, it is probably going to be cold in Chepstow Castle for Yuletide celebrations

1 cape - double lined with fleece and brushed cotton for Eden

1 underdress - basic rectangles with side seams left open to the knee for Rose.
A whole bobbin full of lace weight merino in purple
A hank of lace weight silk dyed purple to ply with the merino
Sheets of merino felt that have since been made into the bonnets
A small band of weaving on a borrowed box loom just to get a feel for a loom again. I used mercerised cotton for the warp and the tail end of the shetland lace weight that I have had hanging around for the last year or two. I bought four hundred grams of shetland fleece and four hundred grams goes a heck of a long way when it is hand spun to filament thickness.

I also had a go at making some braeis for V. These are basically medieval boxer shorts. It was an utter disaster but it was well worth the giggle. Shall we just say that I have only ever sewn skirts or dresses for myself and the girls. Men's undies are a whole different ball game as it were...and well...they didn't fit and I'll leave it there!

I still have a huge amount to do sewing wise - hand sewing takes me an awful long time but using a machine doesn't really save me any time at all. The machine goes so quickly I have hardly any control over so I make mistakes quite frequently so I plod along taking three evenings to do what someone else would take half an hour to do with the machine. Ah well, I shall get there in the end and the although the journey is slow, it remains pleasant and rewarding.

Hopefully I will track down the camera very soon and I shall have a few pics up before long. I might also show you the latest handicrafting - a completely new direction for me - as soon as I have anything that is worth showing off.

Have a great week won't you

Saturday

2008-10-18T07:02:00.004+01:00

It is 7 am.
It is dark and raining out.
I am snuggled under two blankets, a cat and a warm laptop.
It is very peaceful.

Rumblings from upstairs indicate that this is all about to end.
Soon, porridge will be demanded.
and warm milk
V will trundle downstairs
Coffee?
I'll light the fire, it's pretty chilly down here,

Slowly the day starts.
I'm off to put the kettle on.

Have a good Saturday won't you.

When the Cat's away...

2008-10-14T23:16:00.004+01:00

the mice eat what the heck they want. Discuss:

Me: - rummaging in the cupboard, hungry after work - Where are the biscuits?
V: Eaten
Me: The whole packet?
V: Yup
Me: -with gathering dread - What did you give them for tea tonight?
V: Well, they were being really picky and everything
Me: Yeeees?And?
V: So they had crisps
Me: ...and biscuits
V: and those little red circular things
Me: ^&*(!...?
V: Those red circles you put on pizza
Me: They ate the chorizo?
V: Yeah
Me: What!
V: Hey, it's what Dad's do.

Thank goodness I only work part time.

Little News Flash

2008-10-10T23:19:00.003+01:00

Some of my work has been included in a treasury selection on etsy.
Click on the colourful writing to see I'm not kidding!

Shall we say I'm a bit chuffed?

*my face is hurting 'cos I am grinning so hard*

Bramble Jelly

2008-10-10T16:25:00.002+01:00

I am still stupidly busy spinning and sewing right now but here are some pictures of the bramble jelly that I made a little while ago. I meant to post about that earlier but never got round to it. So what with the crafting projects being rather higgledy piggledy at the moment (there's not much that is photo-worthy in heaps of part stitched cloaks) I am backdating rather at the moment.

Ingredients:

Pick as many blackberries as you possibly can! (absolute minimum, 1 kilo).

Weigh them, put in a large heavy pan, and for every kilo add a chopped apple (including skin, pips and core), the juice of a lemon, and 250 ml of water.
Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the fruit is very soft and pulpy. Mash to extract maximum juice. Strain through a jelly bag (do not force through, but allow to drip — takes ages!)

Measure the resulting juice, and add 750g organic granulated sugar for every 1 litre. Return to a low heat, stir to dissolve sugar, then bring to a fierce boil.

Boil hard until setting temperature is reached (112 C) – or until a little of the mixture, dropped onto a chilled plate, sets with a slight wrinkle.

Pour into still hot sterilised jars. Allow to cool slightly and start to set before topping with a disc of waxed paper (if you like) and screwing on the top.

This is stunningly delicious on hot buttered toast and it is dead easy to make. I got the recipe from The River Cottage site. Do take a look if you are at all enthusiastic about food and/or food production.

Have a great weekend. Pick blackberries if you can!

The Haul

2008-10-07T16:12:00.008+01:00

Wingham Wool comes to South Wales every October and it is one of the most fun days of my year. I get to have a free sampling day, picking any fibre I like and getting to try it out on the wheel. Plus I get my years stash enhancement all in a few hours. Below is the entire haul just about fitting into my largest armchair.

There are:

three different kinds of wool, merino (dyed in rainbow colours), blue faced liecester and shetland.
two kinds of flax, bleached and unbleached.
egyptian cotton.
a cashmere and silk blend which is eyewateringly beautiful - it feels like it would melt when in contact with water, just soooooo gorgeous.
there are two different weights of silk yarn for a warp - apparently it is just not done to use handspun as a warp thread, though of course they must have once (pre industrial revolution) but there you are.
there is a super bulky merino yarn which, though I can spin that kind of yarn quite well, I just could not resist the colours - cherry truffle, purple heart, bed of roses and herb garden. I bought an undyed hank of this as well so I could have a play at dying my own.
there is also a five ply geurnsey which I will also use as a warp thread.
and finally I bought two drop spindles - one to use and one to teach with on medieval days.
oh, and a crochet hook because you can never have too many crochet hooks, right?

I had so much fun. I learnt how to work a drop spindle properly, how to spin with just a stick, I learnt the correct way to ply, how to slow the flyer down to make even finer yarn ( and I could do pretty fine already) and I learnt how to spin flax which I had always thought was a terrible bind - water, dressing the distaff etc but it isn't - it is just a simple as spinning wool, so I was just fine!

This is the finest of the silk yarns with my thumbnail in there for scale. Yes, it is cobweb fine but it is also amazingly strong. I intend it for two projects. One for when I have spun up the cashmere and silk blend, either to ply with it or to use as a warp for when I weave it and the second as a warp for when I start weaving the braids for the girls belts to go with their medieval costumes.

If you don't spin or weave then almost all of this post must have been either bewildering and/or boring so sorry for that but this fibrey stuff really thrills me so there we are :o)

I have already started on the girls capes and belt bags for the medieval days so I will post some pictures of these later in the week. I may well be too busy to post for the next day or two so I wish you a wonderfully soft and colourful week ahead!

Honey Bread

2008-10-05T01:05:00.004+01:00

As promised, the picture.
There's a pity there is no scratch 'n' sniff option with computers. This smells lovely!

No picture yet because it is still proving in my airing cupboard but this is a lovely loaf. It is very sweet for bread but not sweet enough to be called a yeasted cake. I am taking it to evening service today as it is harvest festival.

1lb of strong white flour, though I have made this with plain too, I don't think it matters that much
1 sachet of dried yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons olive oil or you can rub 1.5 oz of butter into the flour before the wet ingredients are added
10 fl oz milk warmed
2 medium eggs beaten
3 tablespns organic honey (organic honey tastes better by miles)

Plonk the dry ingredients in a very large bowl, glass for preference as it holds the warmth. Add the oil, honey, eggs and milk and mix together, first with a fork and then with your hands. Knead it for about five or ten minutes. The texture should change from sticky to pliable silkiness. Add more flour if it feels too sticky.

Then cover it with a tea towel and leave it in a warm place for about an hour and a half until it has doubled in size. (See the need for a large bowl!) You can leave this to prove over night too, only leave it in the kitchen rather than somewhere warm like your airing cupboard otherwise it will spill over the bowl and make a mess all over your clean linen!

Split the dough into three roughly equal pieces, roll into a long sausage, about the same width as...well ...as a sausage and then holding one end, plait the three sausages together in memory of the trinity.

Place on a lightly oiled baking tray and brush the loaf with some milk. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 C for 30 minutes until it is toasty golden.

Really this is good enough to eat on its own but the addition of home made plum jam is just heavenly. I'll put a picture up when it is out of the oven.

Have a honey scented day won't you...

Sewing with Zac

2008-10-02T16:14:00.008+01:00

Here I am trying to get something done. And Zac is doing his level best to get me to tickle his tummy. Place your bets ladies and gentlemen - who do you think won? The human or the feline?

Getting Medieval...

2008-09-30T03:53:00.006+01:00

with the Freemen of Gwent. You might remember that we met them last week and liked the sound of it all. They were kind enough to invite us to their last event of the season and kitted us out so we could join in.

Sir V the Interior Designer
I don't know why they called him that, they just did

Does my head look big in this hat?

You can see it in his face can't you? He's just not sure about that hat. Still it kept him safe. I think he was hit by an axe at one point. Apparently it was a laugh.
Men!
We stayed over Saturday night and though it got a bit nippy under canvas at 3am, the children slept better than they ever do in the house.

This was at breakfast. Cooked over an open fire, they were the best sausages I have ever tasted along with fried bacon, egg, mushrooms, bread and butter and hot tea. Fab... and yes those stocks are fully functional but we didn't need to use them.

I cannot pin point why I enjoyed the weekend so much because it is hard to narrow it down to one thing. It was just huge fun. The company was great and we sat around the camp fire Saturday night. There was cider and mulled wine, good beef stew, stories, games and gales of laughter.
Perhaps it was good just getting to know folks, like minded loonies with a pechant for dressing up and make believe. V gets to turn into a Welsh rebel, I get to spin and felt and cook a bit more and the kids get to run wild in a safe place. I can't wait for the next one!

The Big Pit, Blaenafon

2008-09-26T11:28:00.005+01:00

Blaenafon wears a grey sky well I think.

The Big Pit, or Pwll Mawr is on the eastern edge of the South Wales coal field. Once a working mine, it was closed down in the early 80's due to geological problems and is now a mining museum. It produced steam coal rather than anthracite which was brought out of the Neath Valley (where I live, further over to the west).
The tour guides are all ex miners, some of whom worked here when it was still in production. So they really know their stuff. I laughed when our guide asked us what kind of coal was the best and I replied anthracite and he said steam coal was best... the Welsh are funny people sometimes.

Old trams.

These would carry a tonne of coal each. That is enough to keep a decent sized house warm all year.

The forge

The Big Pit was self sufficient for spares and parts. They made everything they needed on site.
This was one of the better places to work. But it still must have been terribly hot and noisy.

Maggie and Arthur

They used to take canaries down the mine as the first ever carbon monoxide detectors.
When the bird keeled over it was time to get the hell out.
Someone with a fine sense of irony named these two Maggie and Arthur*.
Apparently they get on very well...

The pit head wheel

These were a common sight all over South Wales and much of Northern England too. The last deep pit in Wales - Tower colliery- closed six months ago. The coal field is not exhausted yet, there are still plenty of open cast mines about, two in my valley alone, but few Welsh work there now. And frankly, after the underground tour, I can understand why. It must have been hellish. My father went down the pit at 14 years of age, leaving for national service three years later. He has always said that he preferred the Palestinian War to going back underground.

The widow maker

So called not because of the awful teeth, but because of the dust that it threw up.
My grandfather died of "the Dust" - a colloquial term for any miner's lung disease

The stock yard

Keepers Pond

This is out of Blaenafon, on the mountains that surround the town. This is a man made pond to supply water, not for the town, but for industry. Here we were standing on the very edge of the South Wales coal field and over to the right, about half a mile away is the remnants of Garndyrus Forge, where the pig iron from Blaenafon Ironworks was brought and made into machines, girders and sleepers for the whole world.

It was very cold up there and I did not fancy exploring. We headed down the mountain road toward Abergavenny, a rich, soft and gentle market town, starkly different from where we had just come from and V commented on how in just three life times that things could be so changed. I thought about my grandfather who died a few months before I was born but of whom I have been told so many stories that I feel as though I knew him well. I reckon George Gwilym would have looked at his grand daughter with her pretty car and free time and he would have been utterly delighted.

It has been said that coal stays in the blood for four generations, in which case it will not be out of ours until my great great grandchild is born. There is nothing romantic about mining, nothing at all, but I have stories from my family: of heroism in pit falls, of bare knuckle fights by the pit wheel, of cheats, lunatics, hilarity and sorrow that I will pass on to my own daughters so that they will not forget where they sprang from. There is nothing romantic about those stories either, most of them being about fierce and sometimes desperate times, but there is something about them that stirs me, that calls to me and I want my children to have that call too, a touch from the past to remember the pride of the Neath valley, a place that I hold very very dear.

* Maggie and Arthur - if you are interested, click on the link for a competent discussion of the Miners Strike of 1984-85

V for Veet

2008-09-23T12:24:00.005+01:00

My man is a laid back kinda guy. I know this because I did not hear any roar of outrage, I did not hear any cussing or spitting.
He just looked at me with pain in his lovely blue eyes.

Why did you keep it by the toothpaste?

It was only a matter of time I guess.

The Tale of Blodeuwedd - part II

2008-09-22T23:14:00.009+01:00

Lord Goronwy worked for a whole year on the spear that would be able to kill Llew. Long and wickedly sharp it was and heavy, made of iron and packed full of incantations to make the man whom death would not touch mortal to its blade.

Llew and Blodeuwedd were at the sheep folds this fine spring morning. They were good fat sheep and Llew was pleased with his good fortune. Playfully, he wanted to show off to his beautiful wife and took to showing her how he well he could balance. This gave Goronwy his chance.
Llew was between boundaries, not on earth, not in air but balanced. One foot on the back of an animal, the other on a fence and there (being neither one thing or the other) he was vulnerable.

The spear flew straight towards his heart but at last minute the animal bucked and Llew was thrown enough for the spear to catch him between his ribs. As he fell to earth, he did not die but was instead transformed into an eagle. With a heart broken cry to his false bride, Llew flapped wounded into the shelter of the mountains. Blodeuwedd did not care but ran to the arms of her lover who carried her away to his lands where they lived happy, heedless of the sorrow and pain that they had left behind them.

Long and bitter was Gwydion's search for his student and friend. The eagle hid himself so well that it took a full year of searching the mountains to find him. But at last Gwydion heard news of a poor bedraggled, heartsick and bloodied eagle that was seen to roost in the tallest of the pines in the forest. Nothing but skin, bone and feathers was left of Llew the Archer. He would not listen to any words spoken to him but instead scanned the horizon to the south where lived Blodeuwedd. Every so often a shudder would run through the bird's wretched frame and the wound would re open and bleed afresh.

Weeping so hard that he could not form words, Gwydion sat himself under the pine tree and let the touch of his hands upon the harp speak of heart break and loss so potent that even the breeze on the mountainside could not move for sorrow. And the eagle flew down to the middle branches of the pine.

Encouraged, the bard lifted his voice to make song of love and betrayal and a wound so deep that even an immortal could die of it. The trees around creaked and groaned in sympathy. And the eagle flew down to the lowest branches of the pine.

Gwydion then whispered the name of Blodeuwedd and at the sound of her name, the eagle fell from the tree into the arms of his friend. Gwydion staggered but held tight and the eagle became a man once more, terribly wounded, but alive. Sorrowful still but now hopeful too Gwydion carried Llew back to Math ap Mathonwy who would heal his body at least and nurse him back to health.

Another year passed. Blodeuwedd and Goronwy lived far away but at last even they heard of Llew's recovery and a terrible fear came upon them. It was the Law that Llew had a right to challenge Goronyw to battle and who can best an immortal on the field of combat? The spear that Goronwy had laboured a year to forge was thrown against him and Llew of the Fair Hand threw true. Goronwy died with the name of another man's wife upon his lips.
When the news of her lover's death was brought to Blodeuwedd she fled, mad with grief and terror, into the rocks behind her home. Llew gave chase, wanting only to make peace but she could only hear his shouting not the words of forgiveness that he uttered. Panic struck she struggled up the near vertical face of rock until one crumbled under her foot and, her arms spread wide as wings, she fell toward the valley floor.
Llew screamed in helpless loss and at that note of horrible pain, Mathonyw cast one last spell for Llew and Blodeuwedd and turned her into an owl.

She fled, this pale and lovely creature who fears to come out in the brightness of day and shuns the haunts of men, but hides her sorrow and shame in dappled moonlight. Calling -Who?- at the steps that follow her still - is it her Lord or is it her lover? I do not think she knows.
We remember her tale and remember her name - Blodeuwedd, flower face, the ghost of a faithless wife.

The end.

The first part of the story can be found here Part One

Owain Glyndwr Festival

2008-09-21T21:00:00.005+01:00

Today found us just outside Abercrave in the fields behind the Ancient Briton Pub for the third annual Owain Glyndwr festival.
The guild were running a demonstration there and we were asked to dress medieval-ish. No problem for me, I wore my Christmas ceilidh dress. A square of muslin tied on with a plait of yarn served as a headdress and I was good to go. I do so love dressing up.

Unfortunately my louet, though it runs beautifully and is incredibly versatile in the yarn it can produce, is not the most beautiful of spinning wheels. I have been thinking about getting an ashford traditional to take to demonstrations (Deb is using an ashford pictured in the centre) or maybe even a mazurka if I could find one at a reasonable price.

Here are the archers. These chaps meet in Margam Park which is quite close to us. We have been thinking of joining a re-enactment society for ages but haven't found a suitable one yet. These are certainly close but I think V wants to do sword work rather than just archery. I love the long bow but I find them utterly impossible to use, they are a clear foot larger than me for a start plus you need a wrist of sprung steel to bend it even a little.

These are the chaps for us I think - The Freemen of Gwent. It is unfortunate that they meet in Chepstow, too far for a weekly meeting, but we could probably make it once a fortnight. They seemed a nice friendly bunch too.

and so good with kids!

Of Whitebait

2008-09-19T16:00:00.003+01:00

We went to the Worm's Head for lunch today

Not a peculiar name for a pub but a spit of land into the sea at the furthest point of the Gower peninsular. There is a causeway at low tide so you can go and see seals basking on the rocks.

Lunch was fresh fish. These poor little things were swimming last night, But I think whitebait tastes too good to live. I almost got V to eat one until he saw a tiny eye glaring at him through the breadcrumbs.

%&($! Thats a whole thing!
Yup *crunching with relish*
%&($! *shuddering at the monster that he married*
said monster just giggles

The view from the table

We sat there in the afternoon sun watching some poor dab try to surf in knee high waves while two loonies parascended off the facing mountain. I debated whether I would be any good at having a go. V thought it would be asking for trouble - especially after whitebait.

We finished off with Joe's ice cream down the marina. It was a pleasant afternoon.

The Tale of Blodeuwedd

2008-09-18T17:38:00.021+01:00

This in an old old story and there are many tellings of it. The best is to be found in this edition of The Mabinogion but for this time and in this place, in the company of friends this is my telling.

Math ap Mathonwy was a mage and a bold one. He held in his heart a student most dear, one Gwydion ap Don, a wise man and harpist who sang birds from the sky to rest on his hand.
These men had a student, a fair, clever boy but cursed from his birth from the mouth of his dam
- no name to honour him, no bride to warm him and no death to release him from life's sorrow and pain.

By deftness and cunning the boy won him a name - Llew of the Fair Hand for his skill with the bow but no maiden to love him and to bear him a child, no warmth in his bed 'gainst the cold of the night.
No wife could be found for Llew of the Fair Hand.

But the wizard and bard took boughs of an oak tree and sweet scented blossoms as soft as the mist. They wove them with music and words of enchantment and sang them a lady as fair as the moon.
Blodeuwedd they named her for the flowers that formed her and gave her to Llew to have and to hold.

But magic is fickle and not to be trusted. No heart had the lady to give to her lord. She loved another, one Lord Goronwy and together they plotted how they could be free.

The four seasons turned and Goronwy he laboured with metal and fire on a magical spear. Making the weapon in darkest of hope, fashioning murder in the heat of the forge.

More another time, tomorrow maybe...

The second part of the tale can be found here

Blodeuwedd

2008-09-17T22:44:00.006+01:00

I saw a ghost tonight on my way back home from work. She was sitting on the gate post by the farm. Her stark white face caught and staring into the headlights. She seemed stunned by the fierce glare but turned quickly and floated on her noiseless wings away into the softness of the moonlit mountain. I was delighted to have seen her so close. I have heard her night-time calling in the woods below my house all summer but she is too shy to come out in the day. I love that she is there though.

Her name is Blodeuwedd. And her story is an ancient one and sad - a tale of a bride made from flowers and given in marriage to a man whom she did not love, a story of faithlessness and violence, of eagles and owls, magic and revenge.

Perhaps I might tell you it here some time... when it is not late and the fire has not burnt down to ash and I do not have sleeping children to carry to their beds.

But for now, goodnight my friends.
I hope you have owls or other sweet noises to carry you into sleep tonight

NB: the picture is not mine, unfortunately I don't know who made her - sorry

Evening thoughts

2008-09-16T19:32:00.002+01:00

The light is changing. Even in full sun.
I can feel Summer's kiss goodbye.
Tonight the fire is lit and across the valley
Crynant mountain is dressed in mist and shadow.
Night gathers round my home

I know many people love autumn - for them it is their favourite season - all the colours of fire and gold rich against the ripening earth. Porridge in the morning, warming soup and bread for lunch and casseroles in the oven for tea. Crumbles, pies, custards and puddings.

But oh how I wish we had had a summer, maybe then I would not be so reluctant to turn my face to the change in season

Blackberry Whiskey

2008-09-15T19:41:00.003+01:00

For this you need:

sugar, blackberries and whiskey.
An ordinary blend will do. I like to keep my single malts neat.
And you need a suitable jar to shake the stuff up in

Add the sugar to the whiskey
and shake like hell.
Add the blackberries and shake a bit more

It looks a bit murky right now and Zac is unimpressed

Yuk!

- all the more for me at Christmas time.

Haiku - Seeds

2008-09-14T21:07:00.002+01:00

these pinpricks of life
dormant but so powerful
awesome potential

for One Single Impression.

Photo of poppy seed from Wikipedia

Today

2008-09-13T19:43:00.006+01:00

Three girls went hunting...

up the slope

across the bracken patch

through the trees

over the rill

to find blackberries.

Not many, it must be said, but enough to make a pot or two of jelly. A special taste of autumn to carry us through the winter.

Hello Again

2008-09-10T06:33:00.001+01:00

So here is my new place - a clean slate.
Unexplored options and new directions.
No ties, no restrictions, no expectations of myself.
I have reached the edge of my map as it were
and I am in new territory.
Here be dragons my friends.