Travels with my knitting.................

Busy weekend, out both Saturday and Sunday; needless to say my knitting went with me! I started anew pair of socks, so I'd ahve something small and protable to carry around. Saturday was the Oak Fair; wonderful as usual, lovely to go to a small enough event where you could meet lots of folks you know too. Some lovely exhibitors; Dave Budd from http://www.davebudd.com/ was there with his Iron Age blacksmithing. OH and I both very taken with his work, and interested in doing at least one of the courses he offers. It was good to meet him as he has recently joined the Creative Living forum too. Lots to see, many interesting people to talk to, came back fired up with enthusisam for trying out lots of new skills too. I visited the Mary Rose Preservation Society tent again; I bought a lucet last year, and have been unable, despite several tries, to work out how to use it. So I had a long chat with the woman there, who showed me, so I was able to get going when I got home - and it's quite addictive! Will post on that later with a picture. Her husband had made some Tudor style shoes, which I had a long look at, and told me about a re-enactors show/fair that takes place every November. I think a visit to that would be right up my street. Will ahve to be next eyar, now, though. I loved the heavy horses demonstrating logging skills, and a bit of competition too; highly skilled, both horse and human. There was a lovely pair of strawberry road Clydesdales there. Shame you don't see the true breed often these days, they are now on the rare breed list. I liked the Ardennes too, she was lovley, but they all were! Big, though...............
Below is a really interesting contraption; it was being used to steam ash for making the roofs of the yurts- basically a big galvanised trough with a lid attached; the steam was generated by the old, black painted gas bottles underneath. Wonderful!

There was a lady making a skep as well, which was very, very interesting, and sadly I suspoect a much endangered art. I had a good watch, and have various instructions here, so will get around to having a go one day, although I do have an antique skep should I need to rush out and collect a swarm! I'd like to make one with my own straw, which is not impossible to consider, now I've proved to myself I can grow the wheat. She was very proud of her cow horn that held the straw in place whilst sewing it around.



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Sunday saw us down the south of the county at a produce swapmeet for a forum I'm on. Had a lovely day, good company, lots of ideas and itneresting inspirations. Dave who hosted it has set up some great water saving and harveting projects, really interesting. Lots of folks went away happy with my lemon curd and knitteds, and I came home with a large amount of crab apples, wild apples and various plants - parcel, spinach, strawberries. Delicious food, homemade by the attendees, and teh weather wasn't oo bad, although we did have to do soem shower dodging between teh cider barrel and the garden:) We also came home with a couple of hens for re-homing, so they're up the top getting to know the others again - they've been here a couple of times on holiday, but we get to keep them this time round!