A basket woven from an old map.

A couple of months ago I did a soft basketry workshop with Averil Otiv.

We made baskets from old linen backed maps which are stronger than the modern paper versions. Averil had a selection of maps for us to choose from and I chose East Kent as the Joads originate from Canterbury and my brother and I are the first Joads in our line to be born outside Kent. In the early twentieth century there were many Joads in Kent, a significant number emigrated in the interwar period to America. Joad is an unusual name and people have said they thought Steinbeck had made it up for the Grapes of Wrath.
I try to write this blog a couple of times a week, (I know its beeen awhile I'll blame the decorating!) my main aim for the blog is to let people know about new products, events I will be attending and my secondary aim is just to say a bit about what we are doing and what exciting things are happening here. The blog is publicised my website home page, hopefully soon on facebook, and on blogger. Most UK readers use www.wheeldalewoolcrafts.co.uk, the blogger stats show a wide readership in the UK and around the world, but many people read my blog in the USA.  I have often wondered if there are any Joad's in the USA reading my blog if there are   send me a message and say hi.

Returning to the basket, I enjoyed weaving it but was rather heavy handed when pulling the strips tight and ended up with the only wonky basket in the group. I will have another go when I have some spare time. Below are some pictures of it and Myrtle loves it.

The official Fibre East Photos

The official photographer at Fibre East took a few photos of my stall and there are on Flickr. If I was better at this IT thing I would be able to show them on the blog! Fibre East Official Photos

Danby Show

It was up early to pack the car on Wednesday and get ready to go to Danby Show. We were the last ones to set up in the craft tent but we have setting up down to a fine art so it doesn't take long. It was a lovely day and we saw lots of people we know and I demonstrated spinning. I remembered to take some photos just after we had set up and here they are:

Getting Ready for Danby Show

It is amazing how fast a year passes and Danby show is on Wednesday. Danby show is a traditional agricultural show in the moorland village of Danby. There are many small agricultural shows in villages and towns all round North Yorkshire and each show is held on the same day each year e.g Danby Show is the second Wednesday in August. There are sheep classes, horse classes, craft, cooking and many other classes for people to enter, trade stalls, a craft tent, food stalls and usually a bar. There are also falconry and sheep shearing displays.
We have been busy making crafts for my stall, I have made some felt rugs and spent the past few days busy sewing peg bags, note books, cushions and draught excluders (I'm hoping they sell as it is startig to feel slightly autumnal here) and Mother has been packing and labelling wool and fibres.  We did however take a few hours off last week for a trip to Flamborough.

Flamborough is one of the Yorkshire coast villages with its own traditional folk patterns for fishermans guernseys. I have some 5ply wool, currently natural cream but that won't last long, and would like to knit a guernsey I just need to decide which pattern to choose! I  should maybe finish the throw I am knitting first though.

Website Updates

I have just added hand dyed nepps, new merino packs and new hand dyed Teeswater and Wensleydale fleece.
New painted tops and silks are coming soon.

Fibre East, Hovingham Market and an evening of rounding up escapees.

We had a busy Fibre East at the end of July, the new venue was really good, the weather was good and we met lots of our internet customers which is lovely (it is nice to meet in person).  Unfortunately I didn't take any photos.
This weekend it was Hovingham Market (again no photos, I forgot) I spent a couple of days last week making some new lines including peg bags, beach hut cushions, note books and keyrings. It was a busy market and I'm going to have a busy week before Danby show on Wednesday 14th August making more things.
As this week is getting ever busier I decided to have a relaxing evening in front on the TV, I was happily multi tasking, winding a ball of yarn, watching Only Connect and playing along on my laptop. Next there was a knock at the door and a neighbour had popped round to say four sheep had escaped and were in some cottage gardens. One greedy guts put his head in a bucket for food and I caught him quick,  Jemima leader of the flock jumped over the fence back into the fields leaving her two adult lambs confused and still in the gardens. These two just wouldn't go where we needed them to, this is where I get my secret weapon out Chazza.  Chazza is an old very tame sheep and he was easily persauded to eat some sheep mix  on our side on the fence next to the two escapees. His prescence had an instant calming effect on the two sheep who were still wondering where their mum has gone and with a bit of encouragement they popped back through a gap in the hedge I had just removed a hurdle from. Sheep are funny creatures some will jump anything others won't jump at all and I didn't really get that relaxing evening watching TV.

Summer

Summer has arrived and we are working hard in this glorious sunshine to get ready for Fibre East. I have been busy dyeing tops, yarns, silk, and fleece.
The garden has been growing, the field has been growing and the sheep are up to their shoulders in grass again. My Mother has had a glut of soft fruit to freeze this week and we have enjoyed more than one summer fruit pudding.
Below is a photo of yesterdays fruit and there is still plenty in the garden.

This is the first time the gooseberry bush has produced any fruit, just enough for a crumble. This year we have manged to keep Dusty Dog from eating the strawberries or licking them to test if they are ripe so there are plenty for us. 

It has also been a sad week on Friday Mother's little black hen Heidi did not come back home in the evening. We have spent hours looking for her, all round the garden, the field and neighbours fields. We also discovered six hens have gone missing in daylight hours during the last week from other flocks to a fox and unfortunately Heidi has probably also been taken.

Heidi is pictured above with Rodney, her presence around the garden will be missed as she would come and ask for food and would always assist with gardening.

There are new painted tops and dyed woollen blanket peices on the website.