The Best Muff In Town

Bring back the muff. Not only is it the only thing keeping my hands warm at the moment, but the endless innuendos are keeping me laughing. The photo shows Jack with his face in my muff. See what I mean? Endless fun...

Wire Hearts

There's no getting around it. It's nearly December. Which means it's nearly Christmas. Which means I should have started panicking weeks ago about making stuff. So... here's an easy solution to a number of Festive craft needs: Wire Hearts.

Get some wire (fuse wire, jewelry wire, whatever). Thread buttons on to it. Twist the ends together. Shape into a heart. Ta da.

Make small ones to put on presents, make an enormous one as a door wreath and anything else inbetween. Hang them on a lovely bit of ribbon and there we have it in all its glory, fantastic craftiness from bits and bats lying about the house.

Chicken Jumpers Rule

Ribbon Circus held its second Chicken Jumper Knit In on Sunday. "What on Earth are you taking about?" I hear you cry...


Well, lots of lovely people come to the shop, drink tea, eat cake and knit a jumper that will be given to a recently liberated hen from a battery farm. We're knitting for a good cause, but we're going to have fun doing it.

Some hens leave the battery farms a little worse for wear and lose their feathers. They make a full recovery, but in winter need a little help keeping warm and this is where a teensy jumper can make all the difference to a bald chicken.

Chicken jumpers are great for knitters of all abilities. Beginner knitters can learn to increase, decrease, make buttonholes and shape a neckhole. Advanced knitters can use up their leftover yarn or just pick up a jumper inbetween more complicated projects. And then there's those of you who knitted many moons ago and want to get back into it, but have lost confidence. Chickens jumpers, they're perfect for everyone.

I give out free patterns and yarn at Ribbon Circus for anyone wanting to knit a chicken jumper. Pop in and see me.

Citrus Pomanders

The autumn chill has descended upon us and my instinct at this time of year is to prepare for the festive season. Some people will panic and think "That's months away" whilst others will be saying "I've had everything organised since June." I think the World can be split into how you prepare for Christmas... months in advance or totally last minute. I don't believe it's a split of the sexes either, it's not that easy. Anyway, I digress, pomanders need to be made at about this time so they can dry out in time for filling the home with their spicy aroma for Christmas celebrations.
Pomanders have been used around the house for centuries. Whilst I'm making them I feel as though I'm touching the past, knowing that millions of women before me have done the same to keep wardrobe beasties away from textiles and clothing.

These are so easy to make - all you're doing is sticking cloves into an citrus fruit, but there are a few pointers that will the process much easier. The best thing about making pomanders is the gorgeous mingling of orange, clove, cinnanmon and nutmeg smells that can instigate a aromatic trance.


What do I need?
Citrus fruit(s)
Rubber bands
Whole cloves
Tablespoon of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves for each fruit
A paper bag for each fruit

What do I do?
Put two elastic bands around the fruit in a cross - you can use any citrus fruit, although orange is my favourite. This is where you'll put the ribbon once the fruit has dried out, so if you're going to use a wide ribbon, leave a wide gap. If you're not going to hang the pomander up, but fill a bowl with them then leave this bit out. Now, all you need to do is fill the the outside of the fruit by pushing cloves into the skin. The cloves need to be close together, but not touching. Put a tablespoon of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves into a paper bag (don't, under any misguidance use a plastic bag). Some people add a few drops of sandlewood to the spice mixture to help preserve the fruit, but to be honest I don't bother and let the cloves work their own magic. Pop the cloved fruit into the bag with the spice mixture, give it a good shake so the fruit is completely covered in spicey loveliness and then leave in a dry place. Shake the fruit in the spices every day for a week (if you can remember, I often forget and there's no big disaster) and leave it to fully dry out for about 6 weeks. If the fruit goes mouldy, throw it away, we're not undertaking a study of penicillin here. You'll know it's ready when it feels light and looks like dried out fruit (amazing, I know). When your fruit has magically turned into a pomander, shake off the remainder of the spices, tie a ribbon around it and hang it up wherever you please. Christmas jolliness will ensue.

Rag Market Blitz

Yesterday's monsoon weather triggered the flood warning system here, which sounds just like a WWII air raid siren. It was a bit eerie at the first Rag Market in Hebden Bridge Town Hall, as I was dressed the part, complete with 1940s hairdo and vintage haberdashery apron.

It was grand to see so many people brave the storm to visit us and hopefully pick up a bargain or two. All the panic didn't stop me scoffing three cakes from stall opposite, including the scrumptious beetroot and chocolate. Yummmmmm.

Alpaca Kiss

The alpacas came to Ribbon Circus yesterday, culminating children from 1 year to 72 years old getting rather excited... and I was one of them. I've been stocking alpaca yarn from a local herd for a few months, but I was so lucky when I suggested they bring the alpacas to the shop for a day, Julie and Shuan didn't bat an eyelid, didn't even suggest this was a strange request, just asked "When shall we do it?"

And so 4 beautiful camelids arrived on Saturday morning and enchanted Hebden Bridge, making people late for work, creating a few parking tickets and causing a hub-bub as people debated which was their favourite baby alpaca (how could you choose?) If you've got a spare half an hour or so on a Saturday morning, I can highly recommend sinking your hand into the soft fleece of an alpaca. Oh! the joy.

The history of the alpaca in Yorkshire goes back to the Victorian era, as the wealth of Saltaire was founded on the animal when Titus Salt bought some cheap bales of their fleece, and then discovered what an amazing cloth it created. Now, knitters go mad for alpaca yarn... not only is it incredibly soft, but because it's hollow, the yarn is light and warm. Interestingly, even people allergic to sheep's wool can wear alpaca. Why aren't we all alpaca mad?

Knitting For Chickens

A customer popped into Ribbon Circus the other day and asked if I would help encourage people to knit jumpers for ex battery hens in the area. How could I refuse? When battery hens are first released from thier terrible prison-like conditions they are featherless and it takes a few weeks for them to grow back. The little bald chucks feel the cold, particularly in winter, and a little help is required to keep them warm.

I got on the magical internet, found a pattern and started to knit. It's a brilliant little project to do as a breather between more difficult patterns, or if you lack the confidence in your knitting it's a great practice piece. You can let your creativity run wild and get really inventive (if you want to).

To help get everyone into the spirit, I'm organising a knit in to make jumpers for chickens on Sunday 23rd May 2010 at Ribbon Circus, 8 Albert Street, Hebden Bridge. Drop in any time between noon - 5pm. And there's no excuse if you can't knit, because we will teach you. If you can't make the knit in, pop into the shop and pick up a free pattern for you and your friends to do in your own time.

And finally, if you have any spare yarn you'd like to donate, please bring it along to Ribbon Circus. Even the smallest oddments of wool can be incorporated into a chicken jumper, so we'll happily accept your fairy sized end balls of wool.

Happy knitting.

Winter Warmers

The snow's still laying on the ground, resolutely refusing to go anywhere. Whilst the dark evenings and icy air infringe on our social lives, it's time to get knitting. This 100% virgin wool has no dyestuffs or chemicals added in the manufacturing process, which makes it perfect for those with delicate skin. This yarn looks (and feels) seriously cosy and would be wonderful to wrap around anyone feeling the cold.

More interestingly though, I've been reliably informed that this wool felts wonderfully. I'm going to experiment with this and invent a little bag design to felt. If it goes well I'll get down to some serious needle twiddling and break the back of Christmas 2010 presents... well, I can dream.

Wooly Nice Time Of Year

The unrelenting snow up here in Hebden Bridge has proved to be the perfect time for Ribbon Circus to start stocking wool. What's more perfect on these icy days than staying in to knit a temptingly warm garment... either for yourself or for a loved one?

We're starting small but selective with our yarn selection and featured here is the 100% Pure Luxury Merino DK, which (amazingly) is machine washable, so perfect for baby knits as well as delicate cardigan for a grown up.

I'll feature some other wools you'll find in Ribbon Circus over the coming days. If you've always wanted to learn to knit, now's the time to start and a scarf is the ideal project, simple but ever so practical... especially at the moment. Go on, give it a go.