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lizwood's avatar

Lovely. Here’s a poem I love

Making Jam in July --

A woman who's making jam in July

is resigned to living with her husband.

She won't escape with her lover, secretly.

Otherwise, why boil up fruit with sugar?

and observe, how willingly she does it,

as a labour of love,

even though space is at a premium

and there's nowhere to store the jars.

A woman who's making jam in July

is preparing to be around for a while.

She intends to soldier on, to hibernate

through the discomforts of winter.

Otherwise, for what reason, and notice,

not out of any feeling of duty,

should she be spending the short summer

skimming residue off jam?

A woman who's making jam in July

in all the chaos of a steamy kitchen,

isn't going to be absconding to the West

or buying a ticket to the States.

That woman will be scrambling out of snowdrifts,

buoyed up by the savour of the fruit.

Whoever's making jam in Russia

knows there isn't any way out.

-- Inna Kabysh (trans. Fay Marshall)

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Jane Brocket's avatar

Hi Liz, thanks for sharing this wonderful poem. It was also forwarded via email to me by Persephone Books. Best wishes, Jane

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jayne Hepsibah sullivan's avatar

Omgoodness those quilts are beautiful wish i could get to your open studio x

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Chrissie Butterfield's avatar

Geraniums and Blue Lobelia… an ascetic partnership…. 😍

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Jane Brocket's avatar

Hi Chrissie, I've heard a lot about you from Kate! Lovely to know you're reading xx

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Hilary's avatar

Every week Yarnstorm feels relevant, uplifting and stimulating. Thank you!

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Jane Brocket's avatar

Thank you!

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Deborah S's avatar

Yes to your plan to visit the Larsson’s home! I haven’t managed to get there yet, but maybe one day…. Though declining to fly other than ‘love miles’ makes that harder. Karin’s textile and other work often overlooked in favour of Carl’s but equally enchanting

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Jane Brocket's avatar

Hi Deborah, there's actually an exhibition this summer of Karin's work at the gallery near the house https://www.carllarsson.se/en/kvarnen-gallery/ - can't believe my luck/timing!

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Deborah S's avatar

Oh lucky you!

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Marianne's avatar

Your post today is so apt! Spotted some beauties only yesterday in a little lane we’ve named Flower Alley In Naoussa, Paros. They are unusually compact with a definite pom-pom-ness! Just need to find out how to attach a photo now.....

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Linda Slow Growing in Scotland's avatar

If you were to visit me on Speyside in mid July you would find me in the midst of the annual glut of raspberries, making jam (35 jars last year), freezing berries and inflicting baskets on neighbours. Although so far north, Moray is a prime soft fruit area. I think we're nearly at the end of our 2021 vintage of jam...

Sharing the geranium love. Our window frames are painted a soft sage green, and the house is white (shell harled, a technique which I think is no longer done). Vibrant red geraniums are just what's needed.

Although we go to Sweden often (husband's degree is in Swedish and German), I've never been to the Carl Larsson house. All our Swedish friends tho have pots of geraniums on their inside windowsills.

Those floral fabrics are gorgeous. There is one flower however which I can't abide on fabric or wallpaper - bright blue hydrangeas. For some reason they cast me into a deep depression - perhaps a weird race memory of some of the not so great aspects of the 1950s.

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lizwood's avatar

Oh yes I sent it to them too. I’d forgotten you had such close links with them. Glad you liked it.

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Jane Brocket's avatar

Yes, I write the Persephone Post!

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Fran Twinn's avatar

We share such similar tastes. My three default jams are the same as yours!! apricots are not yet ripe. My local greengrocer swears by his Turkish apricots just in hard and sour at the moment. He will let me buy them when he reckons they are ripe!! However, I confess to a preference for the French orangey ones, but those are quite ripe yet. We must be patient!! Fran

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Franny's avatar

Try adding a vanilla pod or lavender to the steeping/heating jam mixture (one sprig per eventual pot) to increase the aromatic quality of apricot jam. I found the recipes in a Diana Henry book and both types are wonderful. I am lucky to be able to make jam from our own apricots, however, when they are ripe and full-flavoured. I can’t guarantee it would work on sad apricots, but it could be worth trying, if it’s your favourite.

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Lucy Morfey's avatar

P.s pélargoniums are also my favourite strongly influenced I think, from reading The Little White Horse as a child.

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Lucy Morfey's avatar

Hi Jane, lovely article as always. I share your love of jam( not so good on the making) and my favourite is also apricot. If you’re ever in South London, there is a great Turkish grocers called Arena foods. It is just next to Tooting Bec tube. They have amazing fresh produce- I got some gorgeous apricots just yesterday. They also have fantastic pide bread, spices ( big bags, not expensive) and the most amazing olives and baklava. Have a great week. Lucy

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SB's avatar

Hello Jane, I adore Yarnstorm and so look forward to it every week! Thank you. And speaking of geraniums ... what would Switzerland 🇨🇭 be without oodles and oodles of RED geraniums? Every nook and cranny bursting with glorious RED. ;-)

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Snf's avatar

I love the pictures you add every week and the information you share - many thanks - I’ve just ordered some fabric from Philip Jacobs from wool warehouse U.K. -

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Claudia C's avatar

I have always loved planting geraniums in pots in the spring. I love to combine them with a Sweet Potato Vine (or sometimes called Margarita plant) or even Petunias. Here in the Upper Midwest they do very well and last well into the fall. And now I must go order another book. Thank you for the recommendation of Kassia Boddy’s book!

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Kelsey Worth Solomons's avatar

Love a good geranium - they really are the most cheerful flower. My fiancé is very fond of one called “Rozanne” whose flowers are a strikingly vivid blue-purple color, and I adore the way it’s been taking over our garden for the past few years. Thank you for this reminder to stop and appreciate them!

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