Christmas Moments

 (Chocolate peanut butter balls)

(John's decorated Christmas cake) 

(Wouldn't be Christmas without Auntie Delia)

Images of Everyday Life

(preparing raised watercrust veg pie for new year)

I have been struggling to get back to my blog lately, not really knowing where or how to start a blog post. So to ease me back into it I will post little glimpses of what is happening around these parts at present, and if I feel inspired to write even better :)

Is it too soon to use the C word?

I do realise there are still several weeks till the the big day, I'm also well aware that we are not even up to Halloween yet, but I can't get away from the fact that some preparations just can not wait.

One of the traditions in our house is the Christmas cakes being made in October, giving them plenty of time to mature before the end of December.
I used to hate Christmas cake, don't really like fruit cake generally actually, but since making my own the way I like it I love it, or rather I love my recipe :)

I now make two cakes one to be topped with marzipan and icing, the other to gave a glazed nut topping, mmmmm.
Good job I make two as last year I managed to drop one which proceed to roll along the ground grrr.

Also no need to make mincemeat this year as there is plenty left from last year, and I'm not bothering with Christmas pud.

Ahhhh the holiday season :)

(today's blogging soundtrack- rocky horror picture show) really festive, Ha.

Mad Tea Party - 2013 !!!!

Hello fellow party goers !!!
and if you have come over from Vanessa's A fanciful twist welcome to my blog!!

I hope you all received your invites in good time to join in with all the fun :)

Along with the note that came with my invite, was instructions on how to get to the party.

Firstly through the shady grove.....

Then follow the winding path between the trees.

And look !! We have arrived !!!

The table is laid, the tea is brewing and there is plenty of goodies to spare.

Do have a seat and tuck in, there is a lot of un-birthdays to celebrate today!!

Grab yourself a teacup and saucer.....

and what type of tea would you like?

English breakfast, fennel, or perhaps chocolate peppermint!!

Poppy would like to play too!! 

She can be Dinah and drink catnip tea!!

Milk? Sugar?

A perfect cup of tea.

It looks as though the white rabbit and the door mouse are having a game of chess!!

I wonder who will win?

Would you care for a biscuit? Or perhaps a slice of cherry tart?

Don't mind if I do, thank you :)

Best eat up before the knave steals them all.

Yumm.... cherry bakewell tart.

Don't forget to save a cherry for last!!

Hmmm I wonder what future hides in the bottom of my cup?

The sands of time are running out?

Oh dear it is getting very late, I'm afraid it is time for us to go !!

I hope you all enjoyed visiting my mad tea party, 

thank you so much to Vanessa over at A fanciful Twist
for hosting the 6th!! annual mad tea party,

and I hope to see you all at the other parties taking place around the bloggy world.

Also you can find my previous mad tea parties Here and Here xxx

Some Everyday Moments

Whilst uploading photo's for the Mad Tea party tomorrow I cam across some random shots that didn't warrant a post of their own.
The above was taken a week before the solstice at around 11.40 pm, still daylight. Actually it was much lighter than the pic suggests but the camera couldn't capture it too well.

Having a bit of a treat in the garden centre cafe after a morning of shopping, mmmmm. Umm there may have been other treats bought taken home for later..... (We'll just forget the up half the night in agony with biliary colic, yep indeedy).

And finally, a shot of our Poppy cat lounging amongst the daisies yesterday, just because.

Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax or ( Hooks and Yarn and Chai )

Whilst the rest of the UK appears to be having a bit of a heatwave, here in Orkney the weather has turned very autumnal today. It has been so cold I have even put the fire on. This is not necessarily a bad thing, I love having a fire on but it does use the fuel up.

I've decided to take advantage of the chilly foggy weather by drinking hot cups of chai and playing around with yarns, hooks and stitches, working on my next crochet design with the intention of eventually having some to list on Etsy. All exciting stuff for me (you can tell I don't get out much).

Also coming up this weekend is the annual Mad Tea Party (see button in side bar), so expect plenty of tea, cakes and shenanigans on Saturday.

Far Too Much Alcohol Getting Used around Here

Wow it's been really busy around here recently and far too much alcohol is getting used in the making liqueurs and tinctures for the home apothecary.

we make a lot of home brewed drinks even the cottage, dandelion wine is a favourite, and I especially like  home made fruit liqueurs

this is a bottle of blackcurrant I made last year, so far this year I've made rhubarb schnapps and blackberry vodka to add to the collection.

Remedy harvesting season is also in full flow lots of nettles to be harvested for John's nettle tea, also all the dandelions for ointment and tincture. But my favourite has to be the ribwort plantain harvest. Such a useful plant which no one would look twice at just considering it a weed, but I love it, it's just brilliant for aches and pains.

The Great Dandelion Harvest of 2013

With a final break in the weather on Sundays it was time for the great dandelion harvest of 2013. 

I had already set away two demijons of dandelion wine last week as I do annually, but decided i couldnt let such a huge crop go to waste. Although I still have dandelion stain under my nails I was able to pick enough blossoms to create infused oil, dandilion tincture and some liqueur, before john went mad with the mower.

I haven't yet decided whether to turn the oil in to ointment or leave as a liquid when it is ready, but I will add it to my marigold tincture and comfrey ointment in the home remedies kit.

Making herbal remedies is one of the things I love doing, I am not sure why I haven't done many since moving here, time mostly I think, but I am now back on form.

This Year's Spring Lambs

It is always a joy when the farm next door lets the first of the lambs into the paddock behind us. They spend there first days here before being moved to the more open fields.

The fence is only a few feet from one of the lounge windows allowing you to get really close to them.

As much as I like the taste of meat, seeing the animals so closely does make you think twice.

Orkney produces fantastic meats and is sold locally in the butchers and restaurants, a lamb or a calf you have fawned over could in all likelihood end up on your plate in a few months.

I have attached a couple of short videos I took of the sweeties for you to fawn over too. enjoy !!

Crocheted Fox Brooch Tutorial

Here is my tutorial for a fox brooch that I have been working recently.

 I created a teeny tiny pin tutorial a few weeks a go, but wanted something a little bigger to wear attached to a cardigan or scarf, and came up with this. Hope you all like it.

For this tutorial you will need brown, white and black yarns, I have used dk weight and a 3mm hook, but you could use any size yarn and use and appropriate size needle, e.g if using american worsted weight you could use a 4mm hook but your fox will be a little larger.

I have also used UK terms through the tutorial, so:
double crochet (dc) is US single crochet, half treble (htr) is US half double crochet, treble (tr) is US double crochet.

Slip stitch: Insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Double crochet: Insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Half treble: Yarn over, insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch, yarn over, pull through all three loops on hook.
Treble: Yarn over, insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch, yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook, yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hooks.

To Begin: Create a magic ring, sometimes known as a magic circle. 

There is a great video tutorial on how to do this Here.
Make sure to create a slip stitch when making your magic ring.

                                                             Make 6 dc into ring.
                                  Pull your circle mostly closed but not over tightening,
                                                     do not join with a sl st here.

Make 2 dc into the top of each of the 6 dc you made in the first round 

without joining at the end of the round. Finish by tightening the magic ring.

Make 1 dc in the first st, then 2 dc in the second st. Repeat this 5 times.

 (You should have 18 stitches at the end of the round)

As we are working in a continuous spiral rather than in separate circles,

 be sure not to miss the first stitch on each round as it can be a little smaller.

 If in doubt use a stitch marker, and count your stitches at the end of each round.

Make 2 dc in first st, and 1 dc in each of the next 2 sts. Repeat 5 times.

(You should have 24 stitches at the end of the round)

Make 1 dc in next st, and 2 htr in the following st.

Make 2 htr in each of the next 2 sts.

Make 1dc in next stitch, then 2 htr in each of the following 3 sts.

Make 1 dc in each of the next 7 sts.

Make 1 dc and 1 htr in the next st.

Make 1 htr in the next st.

Make 1 htr and 1 dc in the next st.

Make 1 dc in each of the next 6 sts. End of round.

(You should have 32 sts at the end of this round)

Make 1 dc in first 2 sts, and 1 htr in following st.

(Be sure not to miss the first, often tiny stitch on the round)

Make 2 htr in each of the next 2 sts.

Make 1 htr in the next st, then 1 dc in the following 3 sts.

Make 1 htr in next st, then 2 htr in each of the following 2 sts.

Make 1 htr in next st, then 1 dc in each of the following 2 sts.

In the next st, make 1 dc switching to your white yarn.

Make 1 sl st, in each of the next 4 sts.

Make 1 dc in the next st, switching to your black yarn.

(I leave the coloured yarns I am not working with attached,

 just leave some slack when re-attaching them for later snipping and sewing in.)

Make 1 dc in next st, 1 htr in following st, then 1 dc in the st following that.

In the next st, make 1 dc switching back to white.

Using your white yarn, make 1 sl st in each of the next 5 sts.

Make 1 sl st in the next st, switching back to brown, then 1 dc in the following st.

(End of round. You should have 36 stitches)

Make 1 dc in each of the first 4 sts.

Make both 1 htr and 1 tr in the next st.

Make both 1 tr and 1 htr in next st.

Make 1 dc in next st, 1 sl st in each of the next 4 stitches, then 1dc in the following st.

Make 1 htr and 1 tr in the next st.

Make 1 tr and 1 htr in the next st.

Make 1 dc in each of the next 4 sts.

In the next stitch make 1 sl st in brown, 

then in the following stitch make 1 sl st switching to the white yarn.

We are going to use the back loops only for these white stitches.

Sl st in the back loops only, in each of the next 5 stitches.

Using both loops of the next stitch, make a sl st switching to the black yarn.

Carry on using both loops of the next few stitches.

Make 1 sl st and 1 dc in the next st.

1 htr in next st.

In next stitch make 1 dc and 1 sl st switching over to white yarn.

Sl st through both loops of next st.

Sl st through back loops only of the next 5 stitches switching to brown yarn.

Sl st through both loops of each of the next 2 stitches. Fasten off.

Sew in your ends and block if needed (I haven't), rinse and repeat to make a second one.

Then it is purely personal preference. I have attached a brooch pin to one half and 2 vintage buttons from Nana's buttons tin to the other, before lightly stuffing and whip stitching together.

You could also use this pattern as an embellishment, keyring etc.

Thank you for visiting my tutorial, I hope you like it and find it useful.
 If you wish to do so you can also find me on Ravelry, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Also linking up to the following link parties:

http://www.craft-o-maniac.com              http://www.huckleberrylove.com              http://www.the-chicken-chick.com 

http://madincrafts.com                                   http://www.sewcando.com                        http://jembellish.blogspot.co.uk
http://makingtheworldcuter.com            http://saynotsweetanne.com                     http://www.ablossominglife.com
http://www.thisgalcooks.com           http://www.skiptomylou.org               http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net
http://nap-timecreations.com               http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.co.uk          http://www.thegunnysack.com
http://www.cedarhillfarmhouse.com       http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.co.uk    http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com
http://ladybug-blessings.com        http://memoriesbythemile.com        http://hodgepodgecraft.com
 http://www.chef-in-training.com