A stately gavotte

Is what the DSM and I are doing around each other. It always happens when he is home, I have to negotiate time and space , but it seems to be working rather better this time. My weakness for daytime soaps, well-tempered by always knitting or spinning whilst gawping has meant moving him upstairs, from whence he has to be shifted when I want to use the computer, or bead. Neither can he comprehend that when I am writing, I can't carry on a conversation as well, which he seemingly can do when it is something technical at work. I am of course quite well aware that it is all a question of what you are used to, but also that it is jolly useful practice for when he is retired or semi-so and here all the time. We definitely will need two computers then.

But he does have his uses. Some of the writing is on drafting methods, and I got him to do an experimental shot or two of me spinning from the fold.





This is the gorgeous Polwarth and silk I mentioned a while back. It is the proverbial dream to spin, I wish I had bought kilos of the stuff. As it is, I should have enough to do one of the little "reticule" bags, with a three-ply inner and a two-ply lacy outer. The question is going to be, to dye or not to dye. I shall look at the yarn, and probably sample, maybe even sample dye, I should have plenty of yarn.

Some of the photographs were interesting in that where the light from the flash caught the silk, it made it appear that there were considerable slubs - not that I would mind that, actually, could make for an appealing yarn. I have been aware before of strange optical effects, the most dramatic being when the DSM spindle spun some merino and tencel three-ply, and for the last little bit at the end, navajo plyed it to use it up. When knitted, the two yarns appeared completely different shades of grey because, I presume, of the way in which the light behaved. Fascinating, to those of use with weird minds.

I also used him as a totally inappropriate model for the finished energised singles scarf.



I did say that I would crop this to remove the beard, but decided not to - don't ask me why, just feeling wicked. The scarf has worked reasonably well, but I'm not over-enamoured. I think the fabric would work better as a garment, a t-shirt or something, but it is such a pain to knit if you are bothered about little corkscrews - which I found, surprisingly, that I was - that I doubt I will ever bother.

I remembered to go look at the Bloggies website finally today. The blog I had nominated was not of course selected as a finalist. I say of course because I went to have a quick squizz at those that had been, and was....not impressed, by and large. Yarn Harlot, well, ok. Fair blog, huge readership, that probably counts for quite a bit. The others had no real idea about what "craft" should be, soundbite entries, surprisingly plastic canvas orientated. I noticed in passing that dooce had been nominated (I think maybe in more than one category) again. Now, I do drop by somewhat regularly, the woman can write and take a good photograph. But I do actually think that there is a limit to the number of times I can with relish read about the outer reaches of constipation, or the developmental stages of an (albeit cute) infant.

It all fell in to place with a conversation that I had at the weekend about blogs. My interlocutor didn't know that I indulged, and was telling me that bloggers were all young. I did gently disabuse her of this notion, but it is none the less true that the greater number are, and sometimes it shows.

Or, rather, that I am not.

Nay, ageless, that is me.