Cake

Hall teas last sunday in aid of the North Mavine Cattle Compensation Society. So all us crofty wives baked fancies. and some made quiches and bannocks and all that good stuff.

Tea was served tea in the Sullom hall and the masses came and partook. as usual the ladies of Ollaberry and Sullom did there dambdest (?) to out-do each other, and what a spread was served!
Sunday Hall Teas have been a tradition in Shetland since long before I came here and I've been involved to some extent for maybe 20 years. It's a busy day setting up the hall, keeping the trays of cakes filled, serving tea and, of course, the constant washing up. There are always too many women (and the odd man) in the hall kitchen but never a cross word.

Then comes the big clean up following tea for the workers It's always a lightsome day and the funds raised will help keep the society going for another year.

Well I've finally managed, with a great deal of help, to the follow the crums back to my first blog - that's the http://feltsket.blogspot.com/ one, so all my fans out there, you know were to find me for all the great news from Sunny Shetland
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A day of dramas; getting the breakfast coffee noticed the seven ducklings, had escaped from the shed and were disporting themselves in the rain up the bank outside the kitchen window. Imagine Drew and I, in our bathrobes, wading though wet Japanese roses attempting to catch the stupid things! After our bad experience a couple of summers ago, when they spontaneously dropped dead of fright if you looked at them the wrong way, I wasn't too sure they would survive, but this evening they seem to be just fine.
Not such a good outcome for the second drama; this morning Drew let out the last two late-calving cows who had been keeping the old bull company before he went to Barnafield for a little holiday. Within hours 104 was lying stone dead in mid cavort, I guess the excitement of going out after 6 month on concrete proved too much.

These are our new tenents, on a ledge in the slurry reception tank. We thought that our pumping slurry the other day would put her off for good but the black bird has managed to bring out all three.

Drew really needs to get the slurry spread from the big tank but we'll put that off now till the reseading is done, so with luck the chicks(?) will have managed their first flight - as long as they have the wit to go straight up!

My shiney new Ashford loom came this week, and Lizzie and I built it today! I haven't woven since I finished college, almost a year ago now, so I think it's about time I got back onto that horse. My new loom is lighter and less complicated than the ones I used before, and although I haven't got a warp on yet, as my warping frame is still in the tender bosom of the Royal Mail, the instructions hint at it being easier on mine too. Thank goodness for that, as I sometimes I think that my brains are going to dribble out of my ears. I'm going to start off gently, and weave some teatowels in waffle out of a hemp and nettle mix. They get softer the more you wash them, apparently, and lasts for donkey's years. I'll keep you posted...

Second time lucky

Well, the first one was set up and then the panic set in and I never looked at it again, but I have been filled with enthusiasm once more. Lizzie has come home after finishing her finals at Glasgow, and has stuffed me in a bag and given me a good shaking. And helped me cut up two pigs. AND gotten me on the road to blogdom, all in the space of four days!