Monday 18 November 2013

Craftiness

I'm pleased that I finally made the time to do a few crafting things that I've wanted to do for a few weeks now. I went to a place in Birmingham recently, called Aston Hall. It was a typical tour through a country house, except this one was at night, and was by candlelight. It boasted the actors saying and doing things appropriate to 1640, and there was a physician, some lace makers, a few ladies' maids, some soldiers, a few kitchen staff, an artisan, and even a band (Diabolus, who are mighty fine).

The artisan was making wreaths the way they'd have been made at that time - which is by using various evergreen bits and pieces from the countryside, and binding them together, and hanging the finished product horizontally. I figured if an actor could do it, so could I. So I did.

And it turned out OK, I think. It's not so tough to do, but it takes time, and concentration. And you have to go outside in the rain and cold, and get the stuff. Which can also be nice, if you don't have whingeing children along with you. Although the eldest was the one who sighted the best crop of rose hips, so for that, I can forgive a bit of whingeing.

Then we made butter. Real butter. The kind you get when you put whipping cream into a jar, and then shake it until your arms hurt. For a while you think 'This is never going to work.' And then suddenly, it happens. It splits into buttermilk, and butter. You have to put it into a bowl, and rinse it with freezing cold water, and press out all the buttermilk. And then you have to salt it.

But let me tell you. The difference between store-bought butter, and butter you've made yourself, is vast. I cooked a risotto last night and used the butter we made, instead of olive oil. It was fabulous. I'm probably just reading into it, because I WANT to taste the difference. But the woman in the kitchen at Aston Hall told me to try an experiment, and bake two cakes, or two batches of cookies. Use store butter in one, and home made butter in the second. And then do a tasting. She said she pretty much guaranteed that the taste buds would choose the home made butter, hands down.

So that's next.

I think it's just the craving I have to make things, rather than buy them. while I like to go shopping and see what's out there, and I like having new things, I also really like knowing how things work, and why they work, and I like to see if I can do it myself. Most of the time, I can. I don't think I'll ever be able to do anything like coppice, or lay a hedge, or do any blacksmithing (although I'd sure try it if I had the chance to do it!), but I like trying out the traditional, analogue tasks to see what works, and how the whole process is put together.

It's probably also a little bit about having some extra knowledge in order to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. Not that I'll be able to hide a cow or a goat or a sheep in my boarded-up house when the Undead are walking the Earth. They'll either eat its brains, or it'll give me away. But hopefully I'll be able to milk it a few times before either of those things happen, and make some butter myself. For the toast I'll make over an open fire, while I try to survive on tinned tomatoes.

At least I'll have my wreaths to look at while I do.