cider, wool and pears

It seems ages since my last blog but such a lot has happened in that time.

Remember the cider I was making for the first time? Well it needed bottling so off I went to Alan’s home brew store.  Small businesses do have that personal service that big stores often lack.  It is a friendly store and obviously I stuck out like a sore thumb not having a clue about bottling cider.  I was asked if I need any help and I replied I needed some screw top bottles as recommended for the cider I was making. ‘Oh no, you need beer bottles my love’ she advised ‘ours are 65p each but if you go to the bottom of the road the club will let you have bottles for free’.  I was flabbergasted at the advice and it must have showed ‘if you prefer, go to your local and I’m sure they will let you help yourself.  The best bottles are Newcastle Brown ale.  Bottles don’t have refunds any more so they are not worth a thing to them, in fact they are just glad to get shot of them ‘ she went on.  ‘Thank you very much’ I said and was warmed by the fact she was saving me money.  I bought the metal caps and capping device that she advised me I needed. I was nervous about asking a pub because I don’t have a regular but as luck would have it today was recycling day.  So I ended up knocking on neighbours’ doors to ask if I could help myself to their empty bottles, much to my son’s embarrassment.  After cleaning the bottles and filling them putting the caps on was fun. The cider looked a little cloudy when I bottled it but it is becoming clearer. I am not a cider drinker but it did smell lovely and had a slight cinnamon aroma to it and I am partial to cinnamon.

What else has happened?  Well a couple of us from our knit and natter group had a trip to Yarndale in Skipton.  It was a fabulous event for all yarn, crafting lovers held in the cattle mart.  The organisers had hung up lots of bunting that had been sent in from all around the world and it looked amazing.  There were workshops and although we hadn’t booked,we did stand and watch the finger knitting one.  We also got to see Lucy from Attic24 whose blog we follow and look at her crotchet which was fabulous. There was a marvellous stall doing screen printing which I would love to have a go at but the workshops are £200 a day so I will have to save up for that. Oh the fun we had looking round the stalls and I bought some lovely Jacob’s wool, lace and some pieces of wool material for appliqué.  Another stall had the biggest knitting needle I have ever seen, it was like knitting with broom shanks.  In fact it was that heavy with the material on it you had to sit down.  It was well worth a visit and they are deciding if they are going to repeat it next year.  I hope they do as it seemed a big success and the crowds were big, a little to big and the food and drink stations. We went into Skipton and had lunch and a mooch around the market as the weather was good.  A really good day was had by all!

I'm laughing at the rhino head as it looks like it has a very small body wearing a bag. Wish I was a photographer....

Finally I was given a basket of pears from my mother’s after she had picked her tree.  It has been pretty amazing this year and the best in the 12 years since it was planted.  I decided to bottle them in syrup with vanilla, star anise and cinnamon. The smell was gorgeous so roll on Christmas (I bet they don’t last that long).  

I hope to have finished my crotcheted Christmas tree bunting and a knitted handbag for my next blog.