Need a potter

or an artist. Here is a selection Kirklees based craft persons and artistes. they have been gathered together by the Host organisation. Host also organises studio open days in the Autumn – just in time to buy those hand crafted Christnas presents.

More artists can be found working in Bates Mill

Woodturning

if you fancy making your own salad bowls why not try wood turning?
Theres a Huddersfield group

Home made and Edible Lip balm

Well looks like winter is finally here – again – and the need for a good lip balm has never been greater. But whatever you use you will ingest small amounts of the product and while there are lots of good natural lip balms on the market, lots contain stuff that is not so tasty. In additional to synthetic preservatives and flavours, white petrolatum the basis of many balms, is derived from petrol. Yuk

Alternatively, making your own lip balm is really easy and can be made from natural ingredients that are actually edible. This recipe is from The Soap Tub, a Huddersfield firm that supply base ingredients for making balms, bath bombs and soaps

1 tablespoon beeswax pellets

1 tablespoon roughly chopped shea butter
1 tablespoon grated cocoa butter
1 tablespoon sweet almond oil

1 tablespoon castor oil

Melt the whole lot together and pour into little pots to set – the end result is a really nice, very effective lip balm. Pots and ingredients can be bought from The Soap Tub or as they are now called castle hill cosmetics – visit them on line at www.castlehillcosmetics.co.uk or phone them on 01484-453453
As I work out doors a lot digging mud, applying lip balm from a pot with grimy finger is not ideal. I use wind up style (lip stick type ), tubes instead of pots. You can reuse old lip balm tubes – you will need to wash them out obviously and rewind them. Sometimes you have to push the base plate down a little before they will wind down. Or you can buy new, empty tubes from www.aromantic.co
Filling the tubes is fiddly and a small funnel helps.

Art Space Bates Mill

 Artists Studios Open Weekend

There will be a wide range of artwork as well as fashion and accessories to view
and for sale. Great for Christmas shopping.

  
To see whats avaialable go to art space uncut

Preview Night: Friday November 28th 6 – 9pm   
Saturday, November 29th 11- 6pm  
Sunday, November 30th 10 – 4pm

Toasty toes the knitted way

Knitting your own hot water bottle cover for the cold winter to come is a great way of

a) saving on the heating bills
b) not burning your toes while doing so

and they make great presents

For knitting hot water bottle covers you will need knitting needles and wool – click here for stockists

Heres a free pattern

If you want to knit in a friendly environment you might want to join one of these knitting groups

Knitting

is great ….

But it takes so long I hear you cry…. well what you need is a knitting buddy to help you through the hard times when that scarf seems to going on for ever.

Huddersfield has two knitting groups that meet to share knitting stories.

There’s Yarn that meets at Cafe Evolution – the one by the park – more details forthcoming

Try the one that meets in the Oak Rooms Byram Arcade (you need to come in the back door) 6.00 pm till 8  every other Wednesday – check the calender for details.

For knitting you will need knitting needles and wool and perhaps a pattern - click here for stockists

The above are american bears knitted from recycled wood died with Kool Aid – I think thats some kind of drink…click on the image for more inspiration…

Where to buy wool

There is a wool store in Queensgate Market Huddersfield

Wilkinsons used to stock a very basic range of needles and wool as did Beatties

Further Away But Well Worth A Trip…..

The wool cellar in Coldspring Mills is full of discount wool – from the extremely strange to the lovely Debbie Bliss and pure silk Noro. Well worth a vist though rather far away.You could combine it with a trip to Denholme Velvets

fabric

 Sadly for a FORMER mill town there are not many places to buy fabric in Huddersfield so those of you needing a wide range of exuberant choices have to travel to Bradford to the delightful bombay stores

Contact Address
Bombay Stores,
Bombay Buildings
Shearbridge Road. Bradford
BD7 1NX
Ph: 01274 72 99 93
Fax: 01274 51 49 35
Email: info@bombaystores.biz

Opening Times:
Monday to Saturday- 10:00AM Till 7:00PM
Sunday – 12:00PM Till 6:00PM

Knitting

Visitors are always welcome at our mill shop in Bradford – Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm. We have 8,000 square feet of warehouse crammed with bins full of yarn. You will find many more yarns than we are able to sample in our catalogue and you are sure to pick up a bargain!

How to contact us

By email:
info@texereyarns.co.uk

By post:

Texere Yarns
College Mill
Barkerend Road
Bradford
BD1 4AU
England

By phone:

01274 722191

From outside the UK dial the international access code then 44 1274 722191

Our office is staffed between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. We also have an out-of-hours answerphone service where you can leave a message.

By fax:

01274 393500

From outside the UK dial the international access code then 44 1274 393500

How to find us
For a map of Bradford supplied by multimap.com click here (directions are given below).

Directions
From the motorways:

Leave the M1 at junction 42 signed Bradford M62

Leave the M62 at junction 26 signed Bradford M606

Drive to the end of the M606 and at the roundabout turn right onto the A6177 signed Valley Parade Stadium and Salt’s Mill (brown tourist destination signs)

You will pass a large ASDA superstore on your left

At the roundabout turn left onto the A650 signed City Centre, Valley Parade and Salt’s Mill

Follow the A650 through two more roundabouts signed Valley Parade and Salt’s Mill

Approximately 200 yards after the final roundabout the road forks – KEEP RIGHT and follow the A650 signed Skipton

Approximately 400 yards further on, through multiple traffic lights, turn left at traffic lights signed Cathedral and Little Germany. You will see Texere Yarns on the left with our distinctive blue and white signs.

Take the second left into Peckover Street and first left. Our free customer car park is at the top of the hill, and the main entrance is in the main road.

Park and enjoy your visit!

From the city centre:

Texere Yarns is 200 yards up Church Bank past the Cathedral on the opposite side of the road. We are ten minutes walk from both Bradford’s rail stations (Bradford Forster Square for trains to London, Leeds and Skipton; Bradford Interchange for trains to Manchester and Leeds) and the Bus Station. Follow pedestrian signs for the cathedral from where you will be able to see us.

We look forward to seeing you (please note our opening times and phone if you have any questions or get lost on your way!)

Mill Opening Hours
The mill is open to the public Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. We are closed on bank holidays. We open on Saturday and Sunday four times a year. Details of our open weekends are given below and announced on the homepage.

Coach Parties
We welcome coach parties. There is no need to book if you wish to visit during the week, but a phone call a few days in advance to Robin, Chris or Joanne will help us to ensure you get the most out of your visit. We may be able to open the mill on a weekend for coach parties – again, please telephone to discuss your requirements.

Open Weekends
In addition to our regular weekday opening hours (Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm, closed bank holidays) we will be open on Saturday and Sunday, 10am until 4pm on the following weekends. We look forward to seeing you at the Mill in Bradford.

22 – 23 November 2008

Easter Opening
We will close at 5pm on Thursday 20 March and re-open at 9am on Wednesday 26 March.