Jam Making

Our Simple Living Toowoomba group kicked off the year with a great jam making workshop this morning. Our very competent, Glenys, made pineapple jam on a day which was heating up by the hour but it wasn't too bad in the morning thankfully and we were rewarded with a bottle of jam each to bring home. Some of us were fortunate to score a bottle of her mango chutney as well.

 As jam requires a cup of sugar to a cup of  fruit I won't be partaking but the CEO likes jam now and again and is keen on chutney. A tip from Glenys was that if you buy pineapples in January and February they aren't gassed. Interesting!

While we were waiting for the jam to boil Margaret sat beside me knitting 4 ply sock yarn on DPNs without looking at what she is doing....as she does :-) It never ceases to amaze me how she can do that but practice makes perfect as they say...well that's the theory!

In the end the jam was ready to bottle and we all bottled our own and then they were turned upside down to seal. 

The workshop was preceded by our swap and I picked up a handpainted pot holder made by Shiralee from A Peaceful Homemaker who will be selling her wares at the Cabarlah Markets coming up on the 26th February. Cabarlah is not far from Toowoomba.

I also brought home a dishcloth knitted by Margaret and a tea wallet sewn by the multi talented Racheal from Birdsong Market Garden who is also the author of our Simple Living Toowoomba blog. 

We did some brainstorming this morning to find out what those who attended were interested in learning from future workshops and ended up with an interesting list of topics for which we just have to find presenters to run them. If anyone reading this lives in the region and would like to come along this year then just email Margy via the Simple Living Toowoomba site and she will put you on the mailing list. 

Also for those living around the ridges there is the Have a Go Festival being held at the Cobb and Co Museum next Saturday which looks great. Check out the website for a list of demonstrations and workshops and you can also 'step up and have a go' at crochet, damper making, indigenous art, lacemaking, paper crafting, relief printing, rustic furniture, sashiko embroidery, silk painting, weaving, whip plaiting and cracking and there are also carriage rides and making handmade toys etc. for the children to try. This event is geared for families so bring the whole family.

If anyone from out of town wants to make a day of it the Farmers Market will be held next door and you could pop in there before the festival starts. It is always worth attending.

Well, as our internet is cutting out every five minutes I had better publish this while it is working and I wish everyone a great weekend and hopefully some of us will get some rain as it is getting overcast at the moment.