July 31st

Summer Fruit Stacks

It is hot here today and we are going to have lunch in the garden. I am making a beef curry and have made some summer fruit stacks.  I made some shortbread almond biscuits and have layered them with whipped cream and strawberries, black and red currants and blackberries.

Neither Christine or Diane was correct regarding Kate’s dress at the wedding yesterday  – they both suggested blue!   So we will have another question.  How many plums from my tress weigh one pound?  Answers to plums@jannettesrareyarns.co.uk by midnight Monday – nearest answer wins!

Now I must go and see to the curry and cook the rice. Jackson is out and Slip is asleep on the cool floor in the kitchen – she hates the heat.  Back tomorrow.

July 30th

I now know what yarns are delayed and will not be coming in the Rowan Fall delivery on Monday. They are: Cocoon in Hedge and Mink, Felted Tweed Aran in Cherry, Lima in Aztec Brazil and Ecuador, Fine Heritage Tweed in Arncliffe, Reeth, Dent, Settle, Burnsall and Pendle, Rowan Heritage Tweed DK in Arncliffe, Hawes, Askrigg, Muker, Hubberholme, Burnsall, Pendle, Reeth and Settle and the Fine Lace Weight yarn.  I do not know when they will come but will try to find out. I have put the Colourspun in my store today.

It is hot here today. I had my hair cut early this morning and shopped and then came home and packed parcels. Steve is coming over in a while to pick some plums as we cannot cope with them all. The Walnut tree is also loaded but they are not ready yet.

We are going out for a meal tonight and I might broach the subject of Jamaica. Just depends on what sort of mood John is in!  I will be back tomorrow with the contest update.

July 29th

One of our Golden Plum Trees

Sorry I did not write yesterday – I was so busy dealing with the glut of plums.  They are hanging like bunches of grapes from the trees and we want to harvest them as quickly as we can before the wasps invade.

Today Winter Warmers arrived from Rowan – it is not officially due until Monday but my copies are here. Also lots of Kim Hargreaves books and I now have them all in stock.

Also my box of shell-fish came and we are going to have the crab claws with a salad, crusty brown bread and garlic mayonnaise for dinner tonight. Yummy!

John just suggested I book a holiday and that we could go around my birthday at the start of September.  I really only want to go to Jamaica….wonder if he will throw a wobbly at the suggestion!

My burn is feeling much better and I am being very careful when making the plum jam.  I am going to make chutney next. I am going blackberry picking now as the farmer is going to spray the field with herbicide and plough it up to grow a crop in and so I must get the blackberries before he sprays. Slip will help.  Jackson is asleep as he was out all night and caught one rabbit and one mouse.

Back tomorrow.

July 27th

Sorry not to write again.  I have burned my arm making plum jam!  Our plum tress are loaded and so I decided to make some jam.  I was testing it for setting and had a spoonful and it slipped out of my hand and fell on the other one and it HURT!

I have soldiered on and managed to photograph a ball of each shade of Riva – it looks much nice in the ball than it does on the shade card. Take a look.

I was browsing today and came across a website in Cornwall ( the southern most county in the UK for my overseas readers ) and I saw loads of fresh seafood to order, I succumbed and order king prawns in tempura batter, brown shrimps and one kilo of crab claws.  It was not cheap and the carriage is expensive as it has to be sent express 24 hour.  I decided to treat myself!

Jackson was out all night and we found a trail of mouse corpses on the drive.  He slept all day but has gone out again now.

No advance on my holiday..I am now considering a trade off….I will give up the holiday idea for another Jackson!  Hmm, I think I will be going to Jamaica….!

Now I mut go and treat my hand – I have some special gauze for burns that is very comforting.  Back tomorrow.

July 25th continued

I have caught up now and unpacked all the new Debbie Bliss yarns under John’s disapproving eye!

Now to the contest – the answer was Kaffe Fassett’s Kid Silk and Christine and Diane were correct. I did receive several answers from other people but as you had not answered the earlier questions, you are not eligible until I start a new contest.  So this is just for Diane and Christine…….Princess Anne’s daughter is marrying next Saturday and Kate will be there…what colour will her outfit be? Answers by midnight Friday to wedding@jannettesrareyarns.co.uk.

Jackson caught 3 mice this afternoon and is fighting fit!  I think I will just have to accept he will need to be ballooned every so often.  Half of the garage floor is now painted and John will do the other half tomorrow. We will not need to put any yarn back in there as I have managed to consolidate it and get it all in one of my other sheds.

Now I am going to take some photos of the new Debbie Bliss Riva. Back tomorrow!