Tynedale Guild Gathering at Stocksfield

Another early start and a busy day at the Tynedale Guild gathering. Here's my stall set up.

I've got lots of new dye colour ways ready to go on the website this week. 

Wharfs Wool Fair

Today is the second Wharfe Wool Fair last year was a really enjoyable day. I've just got set up.

Everyone's stalls look really good.

More Wool!

I've collected more wool from one of the mills in West Yorkshire, some lovely Shetland in moorit and white, Blue Faced Leicester tops and fleece. Keep an eye on my website for new colours over the next few weeks.

Getting ready to make my upcycled clothes

It looked like it would be a really sunny day today, so I washed all the woolly jumpers ready for making my recreated coats and hoodies for wonder wool.

Christmas Cooking

I thought I'd better get started with Christmas preparations, as it's easy miss the fun things before Christmas when I'm madly trying to make stock for Christmas fairs. After finishing my diy for the day I thought I'd make some mincemeat. I followed a recipe from Marguerite Pattern, she's my favourite cookery writer.

The recipe is from 

4oz (100g) shredded suet 

4oz (100g) grated cooking Apple

1lb  (500g) mixed dried fruit (I used sultanas, currants, and raisins)

4oz (100g) Demerara sugars

4oz (100g) chopped dried apricots (the recipe said almonds but I don't like them)

4oz (100g) glacé cherries (should have been mixed peel, I don't like that either)

Zest and juice of a large lemon

1teaspoon mixed spice

Half a teaspoon nutmeg

Half a teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons of brandy (only just had enough)

Mix all the ingredients together and put in clean dry jam jars. I filled four Bon Maman jars.

I didn't wash the fruit but if you do, the fruit must be left to dry for 24 hours. It's important to use the full amount of fat, sugar, and brandy or it won't keep. 

I'll have to leave the mincemeat in the cupboard for a few weeks before it's ready to make mince pies.

Phillippa x

Kirkbymoorside Christmas Market

It was a late night last night finishing things for the market today. We had a really good day, the reindeer were lovely and I bought some giant pine cones to put in my flower arrangement I'll be doing at the next WI meeting. We had a blue tarpaulin over our market stall and its given the photos a blue tint!

Next weekend it's a Christmas fair at Newton on Rawcliffe village hall in Sunday 12-4.

Christmas Shopping

Staithes Arts and Crafts centre is open at the weekends for a few more weeks. Enjoy Christmas shopping for handmade gifts x