What is cob, how to demolish a cob cottage and dyeing mohair with red onions.

There's so much going on down here this week.
If Freya's nose grew every time she looked out of the window to see what's going on, she would be an extremely long nosed dog.

It's now day two of week number five since the demolition of the cob cottage next door started.

Beyond the point of no return.. This once beautiful old cottage is disappearing before our eyes.

It used to be beautiful before it was left for over eight years waiting to be knocked down.
Like the cottage next door Soggibottom cottage is made of cob and local stone.

Cob is a word that comes from old English meaning lump or rounded mound. It's sand, straw and water. We live in a mud house. A red mud house at that.
 By this photo of the wall next door, you can still see the straw in the mud.
At times we have had to take away parts of the interior walls of Soggibottom. Especially when we first arrived and took the old worn out kitchen units (I should have said tired kitchen units).  We had to go right back to the cob wall, the straw was as golden as the day it was put there over three hundred years ago.

At least cob is supposed to be non toxic and completely recyclable. Did I forget to mention the resistance to weather.  In warmer weather the walls tend to contract and in wet weather they expand. But no so much that you ever notice it. It's warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer.

The guys have been extra careful taking the cottage down. It's been done mostly by hand. It was snowing when they were all trying hard to make sure that the walls fell to the interior of the old building and not fall outwards towards us this afternoon. It was cold, a big fat zero degree's.
This is Freya's new best friend by the way.

Now you see it.

Now you don't.

We have a completely different view from one of our windows. There are houses there.
Also a view of the original road through the village. The main road used to go over our little bridge at one time called Monks way. It went.past Soggibottom Cottage and curved around the corner. Until the railway decided to put a rail line across it splitting the village in two. Nothing much changes, except instead of a railway line there is going to be another new road.

I've been trying to create this afternoon. A pan of red onion skins.
 

Some hard to see beautiful white mohair.

I normally wet the mohair and then dump place the mohair carefully in with the onion skins. Then put it on a low heat for half an hour or so. Wash out the mohair with warm water when you think you have the depth of colour you want.

I promise the mohair does not smell of onions.

I'm happy enough with this colour, it will be slightly lighter when it dries.

The tree outside of Soggibottom cottage. I thought I would add it, just in case it isn't there this time  tomorrow.

Freya and her nose are, as usual over at catflap cavalier. 
See you all with another update soon. X X X