Merry Christmas!

I'm still here! I just wanted to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and hope that Santa is good to you! Hopefully in the New Year, I'll get my butt in gear and get back to blogging, as I really miss reading all of your blogs. I've met some wonderful people through blogging and knitting.
I wish you all good health, happiness and contentment for 2008.
Hope to be back soon!!

Sorry!

I just wanted to say sorry for my terrible lack of blogging and commenting in recent weeks. I don't seem to have the time or energy to keep up with everyone, and I do feel guilty about it, especially when people leave such lovely comments on my blog. Hopefully, after our short break in Scotland this weekend, I'll feel refreshed and be bouncing with energy! Well, I can always hope!
I look forward to catching up with everyone, take care.

We Have The Power!

The power of electricity that is! Electricity that we didn't have from 10.30am Thursday until 2.30 pm Friday! It all started when I noticed smoke coming from the cupboard that houses the electric meter and fusebox thingy. I was very calm and switched off the electricity at the mains, then got on the phone to Ian and squealed like a girl!

An electrician was summoned, but as it was 5.30pm by the time he arrived, he could only make things safe and promise to return the next day. So out came the candles! OOhh, lovely I thought, a quiet evening knitting I thought. Wrong! How the Victorians managed to do their delicate, intricate needlework by candlelight I don't know, I couldn't see a thing! So an early night was the answer......to SLEEP of course!!

Finally by 2.30pm the next day we were back on the grid. Little did we know that another problem was brewing. It was discovered by Kate, who desperate for a shower, dived in that evening. All I heard were the screams, as the freezing cold water hit her!! Somehow, the electrician had managed to wire us up wrongly, which damaged a circuit in the boiler, which meant a plumber joined the happy family on Saturday morning, to fix the boiler!

Thankfully we are now sorted. Very grateful that I was in when the smoke appeared and even more grateful it didn't happen overnight.

While Ian was sorting out the boiler problems on Saturday, I went off for a girly day with Carrie Anne, Becky and Bev to MIMA, a modern art museum in Middlesbrough. We had a wonderful day in the company of Felieke van der Leest, a brilliant artist who uses crochet and knitting in her jewellery.

This pic was taken during the afternoon workshop, which followed the morning lecture. It was a great way to explore freeform crochet, and we had a good giggle too!



This was the 3D heart I crocheted without a pattern, just making it up as I went, it's not great but I enjoyed the process. The cafe in MIMA was lovely and we just had to have a couple of visits!

I even managed to get a few rows of sock knitted while I was there, so all in all a brilliant day! This is the very sock, though I am much further on than the picture now.

I'm also really enjoying the Pirates hat, thank you for your helpful fairisle tips. I started off poorly, mainly because I didn't read the instructions! And because I didn't read the instructions, I tried to follow the chart in the same way as I had in previous lace patterns and then couldn't understand why the pattern wasn't working out! Duurrrrrhh! Then the penny dropped, I was knitting in the round! After a few choice expletives and reading of the pattern, I managed to get going.

It was so exciting to see the skulls appear! So, so far, so good! Eventually!

I don't know if anyone has seen the Walls sausage adverts with the dog trying to pinch the sausages, but I love it cos the dog is a Border terrier, the same as our beloved Alfie. So when I saw they were giving away an inflatable 'Grizzler' as he's called, I just had to have one. I waited over 6 weeks and it came today. I blew it up........and was horrified! I have never seen such an ugly, frightening thing in all my life! It's horrific!

It actually doesn't look too bad in the photo, but it would frighten kids in real life! Just to show what it should look like, I took tried to take a photo of Alfie and Grizzler, but Alfie was scared of it!

So it's been quite an eventful week, though most of it I'd prefer not to repeat! Hopefully I'll have a bit more time ( and electricity) to catch up with everyones blogs and plenty of illumination for knitting!!

Emptier Nest!

:( One of my chicks has left the nest, and flown all the way to Ayr in Scotland.
Well when I say flown, Ian didn't drive that fast, probably because we were so laden with 'essential stuff'' he couldn't have even tried! It was a miracle it all fitted in! All those years of going camping and trying to fit everything including the kitchen sink into a small car, obviously paid off! Anyway, Tom's settled in and is looking forward to his course in countryside management, but the house seems so empty, especially as Kate is never in! Speaking of Kate, she finally got an interview for an admin post after hundreds of applications, and she got the job! Its only for a few months, but its a start.

Amongst all the mayhem ,I somehow got the string bag finished last week. I really enjoyed knitting it, it's so simple you don't have to think, which suits my brain at the moment!

It stretches loads, the picture shows it with a BIG box of cornflakes in and there was still lots of space. Have a look at Queen Of The Froggers version in the bright orangy yarn, it looks fab!

I've decided to start pressie knitting for Christmas too. I'm in the process of knitting an item using some Posh Yarn Lucia for one project, but can't reveal what or for whom! And today, my order from Dragon Yarns came with the Dalegarn Halk, so now I'm ready to start a hat for my brother.

I'm going to attempt They Call Em Pirates! I've never tried fairisle before, but I'm looking forward to trying it. Any tips gratefully received!!

My Pomatomus sock was coming along fine too UNTIL I tried it on!

I'd rounded the heel and thought the foot was looking a bit tight, so carefully tried to put it on and found they were TOO SMALL!!! AARRRRGGGG!! My big fat size sevens just wouldn't squeeze in no matter how I wiggled the DPN's and in disgust I pulled them off the needles and sent it to the big frog pond in the sky!! I've decided I like sock knitting best when I don't have to think about it, so I'm going to do some ordinary and boring plain ones! It probably won't last, especially as I love Kaths log cabin socks!

I finished spinning the Gotland I bought at Woolfest but I'm really disappointed with my spinning. I seem to naturally spin a very fine yarn and find it hard to spin thicker stuff, I start off OK but as my concentration wavers, I seem to have a thin yarn default!! I feel the Gotland is spun way too thin and doesn't show the variation in colours like I had hoped. I also think I over twisted it when I plied it, so all in all I'm not a happy bunny!!

So I'm going to have to practise spinning thicker yarn. I wonder if it's because I find carding hard work and sub-consciously I'm trying to eek out the rolag?! I've just got drum carder envy I think!!
The garden is coming to the end of it's growing season now. At the weekend, we picked the last of the tomatoes and lettuce. The frost will get the green beans soon and there aren't too many courgettes left growing. But saying that, the Brussel sprouts are fattening up nicely and the leeks are getting bigger, so maybe it's not all over yet!

I remembered!

The pattern for the string bag is the Elisa Nest tote bag which is a free pattern from here.
Think I need brain training!!

Back To Reality!

With a bump! A huge laundry shaped bump at that!

I love holidays. All that relaxation, sunshine, eating good food cooked by someone else, the odd glass of wine................fantastic!

But then you come home, empty the suitcases, and the laundering marathon begins.

I wouldn't have thought that so many loads of washing could fit into two suitcases! My carbon footprint went up a few sizes as I ploughed through it all.

And then just as I thought the end was in sight, dear daughter decided to clean her room and hey presto, the washing basket was overflowing again. Nice to be home!

We had a fab holiday in Zakynthos. It was lovely to go away as a family again after a few years just me and Ian. I would like to think they came because they wanted to spend some time with their parents, but I strongly suspect that the offer of a free holiday was the motivation!

We stayed in a quiet resort called Alikanas on the East of the island. Our hotel was beautiful, right on the beach but not too far to the restaurants and tavernas.

Apart from stuffing our faces, we had some lovely walks on the beach and even ventured into the sea for some snorkelling. Some of the fish were amazing, and I was surprised how big some of them were so close to the shore.

I took loads of photos, which I won't bore you with, but at one end of the bay was a small harbour and when we walked there, I saw this old deckchair under a rusting parasol that was covered in netting and I couldn't resist taking a picture.

I could just imagine an old fisherman sitting here, after the days catch had been brought ashore.

On holiday,I really enjoyed watching Tom and Kate in the pool, relaxed and laughing and just enjoying themselves generally.

Kate took a shine to an inflatable turtle, and was determined to sit on it. The resulting 20 mins was hilarious, she wouldn't give in and finally succeeded!

I managed to read a few books while I was there, some were from the Richard and Judy Book club list, which I enjoy trying, just to read books by authors I wouldn't otherwise choose. Some were better than others, but it was nice to read a book in big chunks rather than just a few pages at bedtime!

I did take some knitting on holiday, but didn't do too much. I'm knitting one of those string type bags, hopefully to reduce the number of plastic carrier bags I use. The name of the pattern escapes me but it's a simple 4 line pattern. I'm using some DK cotton from the stash that I'd forgotton about.

Since getting back, I've also done a bit more spinning of the Gotland I bought at Woolfest. It's the first longer stapled fleece I've spun and I'm enjoying the challenge! I'm still tending to spin too finely and seem to have to really concentrate to make a thicker yarn. But it's nice to get back to the wheel!

I'm also looking forward to catching up on everyones blogs! Is it just me who feels that the days are just too short? So much to do, too little time! Back to reality!!

Just A Quickie!

To say Thank You YET AGAIN, to the wonderful Anne of Artis-Anne fame, for nominating me for another award !



It's a Schmoozer award, think I've spelt it right and is awarded for:


Schmoozing is the natural ability to 'converse casually in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection. Good schmoozers weave their way effortlessly in and out of the blogsphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don't limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship.



Thanks Anne for even considering me, let alone nominating! I love the blog world, even if I don't spend as much time as I would like visiting it, and have made many friends, including Anne herself!!

I would like to nominate,

Amber, for her wonderful warm help and advice she has given me in times of need. I'm thinking of you and Mr Mog at this difficult time.

Also Helen, who has just returned from a blogging break, always has time to leave a friendly comment and I just love following her exploits.

And Kendra, who designs and knits the most beautiful garments, is a fab blogger,who always gives kind and supportive comments.

But I really want to say thank you to all you bloggers. You make the world a better place to be.

I'd like to thank......

Artis-Anne for awarding me this;

Wow!

I feel like Anne, that I'm more of a crock girl than a rockin' girl! Anne, maybe we should start up a new club ?! Perhaps our button could have a crocodile logo?! ;)

The next bit is the hardest, as I have to nominate blogs that I feel 'rock'. There are so many blogs I love to read, many of which have been nominated already, but I do love the following;

Frog In Knots, whose blog is funny and witty and who can create the most amazing things with wool and pointy sticks

and

Seahorse, who in a warm and friendly way, shares aspects of her life with us and who I feel deserves the award for her nettle fertilizer recipe alone!

Due to the thumb situation, ( which this very day has been relieved of it's stitches!), I have nothing to report on the knitting front, hopefully that should soon be remedied. On the garden front, we are eating tomatoes with just about every meal as we have such a good crop this year. The apple tree is also groaning under the weight of it's crop, so Ian decided to make some cider! Just so the tree didn't suffer you understand!

Ian peeled and chopped the apples, while I was in charge of the food processor, I could just about manage pushing the button down for 10 seconds!

So the grated apples are now lanquishing in the fermenting bin, with the yeast and sugar, and in a few weeks, we'll be able to bottle it and hopefully produce some drinkable cider. I don't drink very much at all, so poor Ian will have to drink it all himself, poor thing!! It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it! And, we still have a load of apples left on the tree and you can't even tell that any have been picked! Mmm, apple pie, apple crumble......any ideas?!

In Stitches!

Literally.....but more on that later!

Following a visit to my GP, I now know that my lack of oomph has a physical cause, my ever low iron levels having reached a record low! I feel much better knowing that there is a reason for it and am now throwing iron tablets into the system as fast as possible!

I'm not a 'cooky' type of person(kookie...possibly!), but I managed to bake some Bara brith and banana bread this week! It was such a momentous and rare occasion, I took a pic of the Bara brith!

I've also managed this week to start washing the fleeces I bought at Woolfest. I thought I'd tackle the smallest first, so the BFL and the Shetland hit the bucket!

This is the Shetland, srewn over 3 chairs on the patio! It was only half a fleece but it seemed HUGE! The BFL was only small in comparison, but much dirtier. It took bucket after bucket of water before it was anywhere near being clean. I also washed the Gotland too, though this was a

much more manageable affair as I only bought a few hundred grams.

BFL and Gotland drying on the table!

While the various fleeces were soaking, I gave the handspun yarns (with many thanks to Norman!) a wash, so when I get round to dyeing them they'll be ready to go.

On the line also is a mini skein of the Wensleydale that we dyed at the spinning group, using the logwood chips with alum mordant. I love the colour, even though it's not that visible on the pic.

By the time I'd finished all the rinsing, my hands were like an old washer womans!! It made me think about my maternal grandmother who would often talk about Mondays being THE washing day in the house, with all the clothes washed by hand. I can still remember the old mangle in her backyard, even trying to turn that was exhausting, let alone all the other bleaching and scrubbing that she did. It made me feel quite pampered with my washing machine and tumble dryer, let alone all those fabrics that dry faster and iron easier. And more appreciative.

I wanted to get the fleeces done because on Friday, I had to have a biopsy taken from this growth thingy on my thumb. Using some very blunt (ouch!) instruments, they managed to remove a piece and after a couple of stitches, wrapped up my finger. Using a small plaster? No........a huge, cartoon type looking bandage that Tom or Jerry would be proud of!! (slight exaggeration!) It's only been on 2 days and it's filthy already! What is it going to look like after 10 days!? I can't do a darned thing either! I didn't realise just how much I used my thumb, until I couldn't!! So the black cloud is, I can't knit or spin, but the silver lining is, I can't do housework either, so its quite evenly balanced!!

I was going to post some pics of flowers in my garden, but the first one I uploaded, I made a boo-boo!

Can you spot the deliberate mistake? Ooops! I've spent too much time with Becky, her photo uploading style is beginning to rub off! ;)

The insects were out in force and I couldn't resist taking some pics of them.

Thank you for all your lovely comments, they really do mean alot and cheered me up loads.

Need Some Oomphh!

Has anybody got any oomphh? I need some desperately!! Or a kick up the backside, one or the other! I don't know whats wrong with me, I just feel bleurgh..!

I've done a bit more on the Potty Thomas sock, just working my way round the heel, but I seem to have just lost interest in it. I wouldn't care but I love the pattern, so hopefully I'll get back on to it soon.

I've almost finished the Nereus scarf, just need to cast off or crochet off or something! But I can't find the pattern with the instructions, so that's waiting patiently to be completed.

I've done a little spinning. This was some Wensleydale we dyed using natural dyes at the spinning group the week before last, using Logwood chips. I was amazed at the colour of the dye as it bore no resemblence to the colour of the chips. It turned out a rich, deep purple, which I've spun quite thin as usual. It just feels so chunky when I try to spin thicker, but I need to conquer it!

Sorry for the blurry pic!

Wednesday was definitely the highlight of the week! I did a fantastic workshop using Ten Second Studio stuff at Graphicus, a craft company in Barnard Castle.

We learnt how to mould and decorate thin sheets of metal under the guidance and tuition of the fabulous Lynn. Lynn is one of the best demonstrators and tutors I have ever seen, and it was a privilege to take part in one of her workshops. So much was crammed into the workshop,we learnt loads of techniques and completed several projects. I was really pleased with the results and I'm definitely going to try this craft again. This is one of my projects, a manly (said in a deep voice!)notebook!

I spent a lovely evening yesterday, in the company of Ian, Tom, Paddy and Alfie at the seaside! We went to Seaton Carew, our local bit of coast, for a walk on the beach and some fish and chips! A trip to the coast wouldn't be the same without fish and chips! And we weren't disappointed! It was a lovely sunny evening and Paddy and Alfie had a fab time, with Paddy charging through the waves to retrieve sticks and Alfie getting his ankles wet as he watched!

There's something quite magical about the sea,it really lifts the spirits. I love listening to waves crashing onto the shore. In fact I get that feeling near any expanse of water, I think that's why I love the Lakes and North Wales so much. It was a lovely evening, shame Kate didn't want to go but I can't have everything now, can I!

Ian's got a couple of days off, tomorrow and Tuesday. He's hoping to repaint the front door, but I'm not sure if the weather will allow it! The garden's also crying out for some TLC. But after seeing what many folks are going through due to the terrible floods, I'm just grateful I've got a front door and garden. My heart goes out to them.

Potty Thomas!

Otherwise known as Pomatomus, the beautiful sock pattern that has swept through blogland! I think I'm one of the few that hasn't yet knitted it, but I'm in the process of ticking it off my list.

I had a few false starts. I've some Jitterbug yarn that's been in the stash a while and I thought would work well. I cast on but then read on Ravelry that this yarn is low on the meterage. So decided to try the STR yarn in Cracked Canyon. I was unsure about using this, as I wasn't sure if the pattern would show, but as I didn't have any other sock yarn decided to give it a go. NOPE! Pattern didn't show at all so frogged AGAIN! I was getting desperate now, I wanted to get started! I thought about using some undyed BFL sock yarn from Woolfest and dyeing it after knitting, but Becky came to my rescue and I bought some Trekking XXL from her in bluey shades and hey presto, I was finally away!!

I must admit it's an addictive pattern and difficult to put down without thinking 'just one more row'! But I'm really enjoying it.

Another addiction is Ravelry! I finally got my invite the week before last and I'm hooked! Having somewhere to document projects, yarns, needles etc and also able to look at others projects, patterns etc is brilliant. I know theres along waiting list, it took me about 6 weeks to get on, but its definitely worth it

I'm also crocheting the Nereus scarf from Natural Dye Studio. I love the pattern but I'm not keen on the yarn colour and the way it's 'distributed' in the scarf, for want of a better word! I loved the colours in the skein too and the yarn itself is beautiful, so soft and snuggly!

I've been really slow to post about my prize that I won on Kath's blog. When I met Kath at Woolfest, she gave me my prize, which came with a knitting challenge. No problem you may think till you see the prize!

Thanks Kath!! I tried to knit with them........ I really tried...honest, but chocolate......and me......yummy!!

The 'needles' kept breaking, so I just HAD to eat them.....or they melted so I had to eat them, there's a pattern emerging here!! I got chocolatey fingers, sugary knees and a full tummy!! Brill idea Kath, it was good fun. I'll get you back!

Last Monday, I had a gathering of knitting friends! Carrie Anne, Becky, Bev and Andrea all came to mine and we had a lovely knitty day, punctuated only by food and drink!! I just wanted to say 'Thank you!' to you all and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Well I think I might just go and squeeze in a row on Potty Thomas, before I get the hoover out!!

I

Out Of Bed....

at last!! My back has decided to behave itself and let me get off it! It's so frustrating, all the goodies I bought at Woolfest have been calling my name and I haven't been able to do a flippin' thing! But at last, things are on the mend, I can knit and spin so I'm a happy bunny!

Becky and I have been to our spinning class today. I love it! Today we were shown how to ply properly. Shame I plied my spinning efforts last night and I don't think I've put enough twist in but I know I learn by my mistakes so I'm not too worried.

Norman plied!

I also got a pressie! Becky and Bev bought me a beautiful nostepinne, as thanks for sharing the caravan. Silly Billies, there was no need to buy gifts. Hard cash would have been enough!! But it is beautiful, so thank you both sooo much. As you both intended, not only will I be able to wind balls of wool, but also it will help me put on my socks!! Don't ask!

My new nostepinne!

Towards the end of my forced bedrest, I was able to knit and I FINALLY got my Regia 4ply socks finished. They are a bit day-glo but I love them! I'm wanting to start the Pomatomas sock pattern next, but haven't decided which yarn to use yet.

I've also started crocheting the Nereus scarf from Natural Dye Studio in their cobweb kid mohair. It's a really simple pattern, which as a novice crochet-er, I'm pleased about and the yarn is so soft. I'm about a third of the way down it so I've still a way to go.

Thank you for all your wonderful comments too. They really kept me going through the grottiness of last week.

Pooped and Penniless!

I think it will take me a week to recover! But Woolfest was a fab few days!

My dear hubby took me and the caravan over on Wednesday evening. It was a glorious drive over, the shadows on the hills were so beautiful.

We arrived at Graysonside and as we set the caravan up we got the feeling we were being watched!

On Thursday, I spent a quiet day, knitting, spinning and reading! Bliss!! But as the day went on, the weather started to change, becoming wetter and windier by the minute. It got so bad that a nearby tent actually blew over and was rescued by some hardy souls!

It was quite scary, as the caravan was rocking violently. I was so pleased to see Carrie Anne, Becky and Bev!! As Andrea wasn't able to make it, we decided not to put up the tent and just squeeze into the caravan. This is a pic of the four of us.

On Friday and Saturday, we started with a hearty farmhouse breakfast, well worth staying at Graysonside for alone! On very full stomachs, and with a lot of excitement, we went to Woolfest!!

As last year, it was an amazing combination of animals, fibres, equipment and wonderful people. I met many people who I only knew through Blogland and it was brill to put faces to the names. The first bloggers I met were the wonderful Artis-Anne and her fab daughter Kath. It really made my weekend meeting these two warm and friendly ladies. It felt as though we 'clicked' straight away, as though we'd known each other for years!!

On Friday and Saturday morning, I spent the day shopping, while on Saturday afternoon I attended the Artic Lace workshop with Carrie Anne. This was really interesting, learning about the Eskimos of Alaska and their use of musk oxen hair ( is it spelt quivert?) in knitting.

I mainly bought fibre, including Shetland, Blue Faced Leicester, Ryeland and Gotland fleece.

This pic shows the dark Gotland as well as the golden and smokey Angora from those gorgeous bunnies! There's also some Suri alpaca in there too!

I also got a couple of extra bobbins, for all that spinning I'm going to do and a niddy noddy.

I really would like to try some more dyeing, so I bought some Procion dyes from DT crafts and some natural dyes from Pure Tinctoria. The undyed yarn is in sock and lace weight.

And finally I bought some reading material, some Spin Off mags, a book on natural dyeing and a kit from Natural Dye Studio, to crochet a mohair scarf! Gulp! It seems to be simple crochet, so fingers crossed!

So all in all, a fantastic few days. And to top it all off, I won Kaths Krafty Kreations blog prize! Thanks Kath!! It came with a challenge, which I'll post about next time. So here we are worn out and skint, but very, very happy!! Thanks to the rest of my caravan comrades for a fab time! Shall I book up for next year??

Woolfest!

Well I'm off to Cumbria tomorrow in preparation for Woolfest, woo hoo!
On Thursday I'll be joined by 4 fellow blogging fibre addicts for two fab fibre-filled days and I'm sure we'll have a fantastic time. Our spinning wheels are coming with us, and so is more of Norman, who is spinning up nicely!! I'll post some pics after WF.
If anyone reading this goes to Woolfest and passes a rowdy bunch of women, please say hello!

The Holiday's Over!

Well and truly! The washings done, the ironing pile is wobblingly high and I just want to spin!


The holiday was fab with just one hiccup in the middle, namely Fair Isle!


It had all started so well. Ian and I travelled to Benderloch, just outside Oban and stayed on a very small croft/site, which was so peaceful, and only a short walk to a lovely beach.




We walked and ate and generally relaxed in the glorious weather. We visited a poultry place which was less than a mile away from our site. I'd love to have a few chickens and it was wonderful to see all the different breeds and talk to the owners who were so helpful and full of info.



We then travelled to Braemar in the Cairngorms, to a Caravan club site called The Invercauld, another peaceful site. The village was only a few minutes away. Handy for Ian while I was in Fair Isle.............we thought!

The flight to Shetland was brill and Carrie Anne was an absolute star! The flight was followed by a two and a half hour ferry ride, where we saw a minke whale and many different types of seabirds.

Our first glimpse of Fair Isle.

Then everything seemed to go downhill from there! The 'retreat' was nothing like we'd hoped it would be, for many reasons, which I won't go into here, suffice to say we were so disappointed we decided to leave after two days.

The positive sides to the trip though were plentiful. Firstly, Carrie Anne flew! Twice! Evidence below

We saw a beautiful part of the world, albeit briefly. I would love to return and see the islands and their wildlife more closely. We also met some wonderful people along the way, who were very supportive when things were going wrong and I thoroughly enjoyed spending some time in the company of Carrie Anne!

So I returned to Braemar and spent the rest of the hols with my dear hubby, who I fear has started a new hobby, munro bagging! The dogs went beserk when I came back too! They had a whale of a time, walking, swimming, eating and sleeping with a bit of stick chasing in between!

Paddy and Alfie looking pooped!

Revived!

And so it was back to reality, Ian back to work and the holiday washing done!

I've spent the morning washing some fleece that I bought yesterday on a spinning course that Becky found only half an hours drive away! It was everything I'd hoped Fair Isle would be. Yesterdays lesson was on a members farm, and we were shown what to look for in a fleece and what to do with it to prepare it for spinning. It was brilliant,all the members were so friendly and welcoming and the tutor fantastic. I was buzzing afterwards and as I said I brought some fleece back home from a lovely Shropshire called Norman!

So Normans drying in the garden at the moment and I can't wait to spin with him!

Isn't life strange?

Are You Ready Fair Isle?

I can't believe that it's actually here! The time has come to put the last bits in the van, make sure the kids have enough food to last them til Christmas and get out of those raggy knickers!

Fair Isle here we come!

Ian and I are heading towards Oban first til next Wednesday when we move across the country to Braemar. And Thursday of course is D-Day. Or should I say GCOTP-Day? (Get Carrie On The Plane Day!) ;)
After our flight from Aberdeen to Shetland, we get the ferry (for ferry, read fishing boat!) to Fair Isle. I have been told by Angela, our tutor and hostess for the week, that we will be travelling on the ferry with cargo that she has been waiting to be delivered. Namely a cow and her twin calves! Aaawwww! I think she should name them Carrie and Kath!!

Ian and the dogs will spend their time in the Cairngorms, while Carrie and I are in Fair Isle. I'm sure he's looking forward to some quiet time on his own, without my constant chattering!

So make sure you all have a restful few weeks, cos when we get back, I'm sure you'll need lots of strength and perseverance, to get through mine and Carrie Annes mega posts and pictures!
See you soon!!

Fair Isle Prep!

The Fair Isle in the title is the place, not the knitting technique!!

Though I would like to have a go at fairisle, perhaps I could learn while we are actually there! That would be brill !

Its only a week before we start out on our adventure, though Acrylik and I don't actually fly until June the 7th I think it is!

I am so so excited already and the packing has started in earnest. You know what I mean, clothes that have been laundered are squirrelled away in a, usually vain, attempt not to have to wash them again before you go! Does anyone else buy new knickers for their holidays? My Gran always told us to wear decent underwear if we were going out, in case we were in an accident and had to go to hospital! I think the new knickers for holidays,may be a subconscious leftover of my Grans wisdom!

The packing is a bit more complex this time, as I have to pack a case for myself and Ian and also a case for myself for Fair Isle. Add to this the fact that I think we take as much stuff for the dogs as we do for ourselves, it all adds up to lots of packing, and lots of lists! Lots and lots of lists!

This is a photo of Burkle croft where Carrie Anne and I will be staying on Fair Isle.

Hopefully the weather will be as good as it is in the picture! The croft also has its own small flock of sheep, which will be sheared while we are there and we can have a go too!! Though I don't think I could inflict one of my haircuts on a poor sheep, I wouldn't complain if its coat found its way back home in my suitcase!!

In preparation for our fibre retreat, Carrie Anne spent an afternoon getting to grips with my spinning wheel! Now I know she'll disagree, but she picked it up really quickly! Treadling the wheel(or whatever its called!), seemed to come really naturally to her, she was flying!

I'm not sure what knitting to take on my hols. There'll definitely be a pair of socks in the bag and I'd like to take some lace too, but I can't decide on a pattern ! Too much choice, I think!! I do have an ever increasing lace stash, which needs to be attacked, preferably before Woolfest so I can buy some more!!

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post, I so love to read your comments. The meme brought some really interesting comments, so keep up the good work!! And I'll see you all in a few weeks!