tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.comments2024-02-23T03:26:11.779+00:00Growing Things and Making ThingsRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comBlogger1372125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-79205520470493056952018-01-24T03:00:07.573+00:002018-01-24T03:00:07.573+00:00OMG! You topped and tailed then cooked and straine...OMG! You topped and tailed then cooked and strained it? You don't have to do that, really you don't. With blackcurrants, even if you make whole Berry jam without straining you don't have to do that, only remove stems. The only real need for topping and tailing is if you can them in light syrup. Thanks for the pulp recipes though, found this when looking for things to do with the pulp from the cordial I'm makingBecnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-8577115380152581812017-03-02T19:29:31.936+00:002017-03-02T19:29:31.936+00:00I,m SO glad you did this experiment and wrote abou...I,m SO glad you did this experiment and wrote about it on here !<br />I gave up using all the plastic bottles of hair product gunk a couple of years ago .I was sensitive to everything and much happier and more comfortable for not using it .My reasoning is tribes living in the rainforest dont use it..why should I ? :)Daisy Debshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08105828820178399476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-35289008280532495442016-11-06T13:24:05.904+00:002016-11-06T13:24:05.904+00:00I'm really curious to know how the oak leaf wi...I'm really curious to know how the oak leaf wine turned out! Any updates?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-8014930873151254362016-09-27T15:27:18.654+01:002016-09-27T15:27:18.654+01:00I get hit by the depression as well. Some years ar...I get hit by the depression as well. Some years are better than others. It seems I am getting wiser in my old age as I have been on citalopram for two weeks now and I am starting to have glimpses of normality again. Usually I don't go to the doctors until I am drowning and ready to end it all. Candles and classical music also work for me. I don't know why but they do. Oh and crafts, lots and lots of crafting. andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07750902773563315806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-81117823924240081762016-09-27T09:24:42.855+01:002016-09-27T09:24:42.855+01:00Definitely preserving food helps - it's instin...Definitely preserving food helps - it's instinctive. Hope you feel happier soon - sorry if this sounds trite but I suffer in the same way and find having lit candles all about the house from the moment I get in from work, helps massively.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02814844278942160057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-38812405862031030482016-09-27T04:40:50.801+01:002016-09-27T04:40:50.801+01:00I had to put extra covers on the bed and plug in J...I had to put extra covers on the bed and plug in Jasper's heating pad since it's starting to get down near freezing at night. Sigh. Thank God fall is football season here in the states, sometimes I think it's the only thing that keeps me from slipping into a deep depression this time of year! Maybe you could become the one and only Broncos fan in Wales? We're 3 and 0! Woo Hoo!!! :-)<br /><br />Hang in there. EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-23509411894006594952016-09-25T21:45:59.002+01:002016-09-25T21:45:59.002+01:00Ooo Rowan Berry Wine! Let us know how it turns out...Ooo Rowan Berry Wine! Let us know how it turns out ;)<br />I'm really interested in seeing how your rosebay willowherb spinning goes, there's loads around here, especially on the allotments, and it'd be nice to find another use other than tickle sticks!Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11703288339689114251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-40141824171468042162016-09-16T20:28:28.656+01:002016-09-16T20:28:28.656+01:00you are really making headway, looking forward to ...you are really making headway, looking forward to seeing how it spins.Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213759909336433460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-19964166428100060992016-09-16T19:27:38.316+01:002016-09-16T19:27:38.316+01:00OOOO!!! I'm so glad you found some cards that ...OOOO!!! I'm so glad you found some cards that didn't break the bank! Can't wait to hear how this works out. :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-21261225573175280042016-09-10T17:20:04.372+01:002016-09-10T17:20:04.372+01:00Thanks for the tips and encouragement about washin...Thanks for the tips and encouragement about washing fleece. I'll probably get back to it at some point. It's good to know that it's not as bad as I imagine.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-29031084333327488812016-09-06T10:43:44.780+01:002016-09-06T10:43:44.780+01:00Just so you know, washing fleece doesn't have ...Just so you know, washing fleece doesn't have to be such an arduous task. You don't have to wash the fleece in one lot. I use some cheap bu keys I picked up in Asda. One for hot soapy water and three for hot clean water. Grab a section of fleece, dump anything that's too dirty (usually round the edges) and dunk in the hot, soapy water. Don't swish it or anything, just push it under so it's all wet. Leave for a short soak then pull out and into the rinses. I have even done fleece by the handful in my kitchen sink in the wintertime. The drying takes longer but it's not terrible. Animal brushes work great as a test to see if it's worth buying the real deal.andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07750902773563315806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-91660682832257212052016-09-05T19:50:39.861+01:002016-09-05T19:50:39.861+01:00Yay on Hinterland! And I can't believe cat hai...Yay on Hinterland! And I can't believe cat hair isn't "clingy" enough since it sticks to EVERYTHING! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-4942373193641190322016-09-05T16:40:02.762+01:002016-09-05T16:40:02.762+01:00You'd have thought there'd be a local spin...You'd have thought there'd be a local spinning group round here, wouldn't you? I haven't come across one, though. At least, not within twenty miles or so. Sunit Fermenting? That sounds interesting. I'll have to look into that, thanks.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-83758526886251887842016-09-05T16:38:25.059+01:002016-09-05T16:38:25.059+01:00When I went to a spinning class, one of the first ...When I went to a spinning class, one of the first things the teacher said was, "Don't ask me about spinning pet fur." I think the reason is that dog and cat fur is not as clingy as sheep's wool - the hairs just slide over each other and don't hang together very well at all.<br /><br />Cat brushes - there's an idea... Some research later: Apparently they're OK for carding wool, in spite of having wider spaced teeth than carders. I'm looking for closer spaced teeth, so I'm not sure these would be any good. I'd have to have a look at them and see if they looked like they'd be fine enough to grab the very fine fluff I've got.<br /><br />I meant to answer your question about Hinterland: Yes, there will be one more series. They finished filming a few weeks ago.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-84487373236928692712016-09-05T07:53:51.457+01:002016-09-05T07:53:51.457+01:00I was going to say the small ones for pets could d...I was going to say the small ones for pets could do you for a start, is there not a local spinning group that could help you with carding, I was put off washing a sheep fleece then i read about the Sunit Fermenting method for cleaning a sheep fleece, tried it last year and it was really easy.Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213759909336433460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-80009676553817367382016-09-04T23:46:47.464+01:002016-09-04T23:46:47.464+01:00Ha! I have often thought that with the amount of f...Ha! I have often thought that with the amount of fur my cats shed, I could easily spin it into yarn and make a cat fur sweater. Of course, it would be an allergic nightmare, but it could work.<br /><br />Speaking of cats, I had a friend once who was into carding wool, and the carders that she had looked for all the world like the brushes I use for my cats. I believe they're called "slicker brushes" and they're really cheap. Perhaps you could try some cheap pet brushes for starters and see if it would work well enough to determine if investing in the real thing was worth it or not? EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-79929177463972422712016-08-28T08:09:20.392+01:002016-08-28T08:09:20.392+01:00Fascinating. I asked CatMan if he saw it the same ...Fascinating. I asked CatMan if he saw it the same way I did - just to be sure it was a real phenomenon and not just my own skewed perception, and he thinks I'm pretty accurate. <br /><br />We did go look at the web page for the Colorado State Fair (which happens to be going on right now) and both of us were shocked to see that there now is a "home brew" competition! We're betting that's a fairly new addition though, and something that came from Colorado's new identity as the "kraft brewing hub" of the country (whatever that means.)<br /><br />Of course, we tend to have this idea that Europeans in general are much less religiously fanatical than Americans. As CatMan always says "They kicked out all of the crazies, so they came here instead." <br /><br />Don't know if that's really true or not, but certainly when I lived in Norway, people had a very different approach to religion than they do here. Norwegians are all Lutherans (it's a state religion) but as they are fond of saying, most enter a church only 3 times in their lives - once to be baptized, once to be married, and once for their funeral!<br /><br />Anyhow, it's very interesting that the temperance movement, and religion, and urban vs. rural don't all exactly line up there the same way they do here.<br /><br />BTW - this is totally off topic, but I just finished the last episode of Hinterland on Netflix - end of season 2. Please tell me there's gonna be more episodes eventually, because the suspense is killing me!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-38648680385449426412016-08-17T10:01:04.668+01:002016-08-17T10:01:04.668+01:00I love how these cultural differences come up unex...I love how these cultural differences come up unexpectedly like this. <br /><br />It's kind of similar here, but obviously - from your comment - different in some ways. Rural communities here also tend to be conservative and more strongly Christian than towns and cities. Thinking about what kind of Christian, and how that relates to temperance, it's all getting a bit complicated.<br /><br />First, the temperance movement was not so strongly related to evangelical Christianity here, which is think is a relative newcomer to these shores, but to the Methodist movement. Rural Christianity in England tends to be the establishment church, i.e. the Church of England. <br /><br />In Wales it's a bit different, with 'Church' and 'Chapel', and people belonging firmly to one or the other. As I understand it, 'Church' is Church of Wales, and is similar to Church of England, whereas Chapel is nonconformist, and could be Methodist or Baptist or something else. Note that none of these are Catholic, which is a much(!) bigger factor in Ireland, and I think Scotland too, though I know almost nothing about religion in Scotland.<br /><br />Anyway, the temperance movement in the UK was, I think, largely focused in cities, and based on concern for factory workers. A cynic might say that concern was over whether they were sober enough to operate machinery without killing themselves and stopping the factory while bits of them were cleaned out of the machines. However, I'm sure there were many good people in the temperance movement who were genuinely concerned for the welfare of the poor workers.<br /><br />In any case, I don't think the temperance movement had a very big impact in rural areas, in spite of their strong Christianity. I'm very hazy on this, though, and if someone who knows more would like to educate us, I'd love to hear it.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-25294370033226405722016-08-15T21:27:46.510+01:002016-08-15T21:27:46.510+01:00OK... this is very interesting! We have state and ...OK... this is very interesting! We have state and county fairs here, which sound very similar to this sort of agricultural event - with one major exception. NEVER would there be categories for things like beer and wine... it's just inconceivable! <br /><br />The temperance movement here was pretty much a rural phenomenon, and the association is still very strong. Rural farming and ranching communities here tend to be very conservative (think right wing) and VERY Christian, and there are still "dry counties" in many rural areas - where alcohol is illegal.<br /><br />Anyhow, the gears in my head are grinding a bit, and I'm trying to imagine a world where rural agricultural life and right wing evangelical Christianity are not so closely linked. Very, very interesting and eye opening!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-84625731052282955422016-08-08T22:27:39.761+01:002016-08-08T22:27:39.761+01:00Thanks :-)
Yes, I've been very happy with my p...Thanks :-)<br />Yes, I've been very happy with my purple shoes - they continue to be the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. The only downside is that other shoes feel tight and constrictive by comparison.<br /><br />The original soles were a little thin, which made them a bit cold in winter. When I got them resoled I got thicker, spongy stuff which was nice but being soft, wore smooth rather quickly and has been treacherously slippery since then. I need to get them resoled again, and I plan to get two layers this time, the spongy stuff and then the car tyre rubber on the bottom for better wear.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-11924302759262698552016-08-06T08:07:28.402+01:002016-08-06T08:07:28.402+01:00Completely off the topic Rachel, but I've been...Completely off the topic Rachel, but I've been wondering whether you've been happy with your purple shoes. Love your blog BTW.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-51992517068469438452016-08-01T21:35:54.016+01:002016-08-01T21:35:54.016+01:00Badum-tish!
Bad luck about the badger - I hope th...Badum-tish!<br /><br />Bad luck about the badger - I hope the rest of your spuds are left to grow bigger.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-8105384442380736352016-08-01T21:35:03.921+01:002016-08-01T21:35:03.921+01:00I agree. I like the old festivals that are connect...I agree. I like the old festivals that are connected with the sun and things actually growing. They feel more real than the ones that mark religious stories.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16619866897155085499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-13443837714900805252016-08-01T17:36:57.796+01:002016-08-01T17:36:57.796+01:00I just had some tiny spuds because a badger had up...I just had some tiny spuds because a badger had uprooted the plant, if I'd deepfried them they would have been microchips : )Fritz Skintologistshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08017287379263523715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388623297510187244.post-73233100606472039912016-08-01T17:22:08.021+01:002016-08-01T17:22:08.021+01:00It feels very natural to celebrate harvest...I rem...It feels very natural to celebrate harvest...I remember the harvest festival at school, bringing in cans and the big wheatsheaf, it was the best time of year! Sadly no grain at ours either, but we are surrounded by fields full of it, so vicariously harvesting it instead.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02814844278942160057noreply@blogger.com