This will be the year of the spinning wheel. Here’s how it’s come about…. Just before Christmas there was a spinning wheel at the local auction. It appeared to be in good condition, if a little dusty. The fact that 2 bobbins were tied onto the frame with string (plus the one with a little…
DetailsA winter project – this year it’s a crochet blanket. This is a must to beat the winter blues and to stave off in advance any inclination towards S.A.D (seasonal affective disorder). Think about it now, before Christmas. Find your project, something ambitious and labour intensive for preference. Buy your materials now (or put them on your Christmas…
DetailsSamplers – real proper, really old ones – are a marvel to behold. Montacute House in Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset is the home of the Goodhart Collection – one man’s gathering of 17th and 18th century needlework gems. Needing a breath of fresh air on Boxing Day it was a treat to discover that Montacute House was…
DetailsBagels are delicious and not as hard to make as you might think. Bread making has been going on around here for a few years now, not a single loaf comes from the shops. Plain everyday loaves are baked regularly and but every now and then it’s good to ring the changes and a challenge…
DetailsUsing a drop spindle to turn fibre into yarn is the most ancient form of spinning. What began as pulling, twisting and winding stuff around a stick evolved, adding a weight (in the form of a whorl) and a hook or notch greatly increased efficiency in yarn production up until the invention of the spinning…
DetailsEccles cakes aren’t really cakes, they are small currant filled pastries naked after Eccles, the town in Greater Manchester. Like all regional dishes their origins are unknown but were sold commercially in the town as Eccles cakes from the end of the 18th century. They are sweet and comforting, perfect for fresher autumnal days and…
DetailsA Shepherd’s Hut is a wonderful thing. “The image as a whole was that of a small Noah’s Ark…the hut stood on little wheels about a foot from the ground.” Thomas Hardy, ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’. Once a place of work, a mobile refuge, somewhere to bunk down and store your tools. Nowadays it’s more…
DetailsNatural dyeing is addictive. A year on from first forays into the process it’s as bad as ever. This post is by way of a summary of discoveries, thoughts and lessons learnt along the way. This is not a ‘how to’ post – but if natural dyeing appeals to you then you might glean some…
DetailsAround here we a very much fans of the provincial museum. There’s a little museum in just about every town and have been featured in previous posts like here, here and here. Chard Museum has, for some reason, missed a visit up until now. Chard is close by, just over the border into Somerset. But…
DetailsSmith & Smith of Bridport is a classic gentlemen’s (and ladies’) outfitters, every town should have one. As they say : “We have been supplying the people of Bridport with fine quality clothing since 1884.” It’s one of those shops where nothing seems to change – in the best possible way. Smith & Smith began as a…
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