Around and around

Or, you win some, you lose some, maybe.

The DSM set off to the gym yesterday. This is a hospital sponsored thing, and there are CCU nurses in attendance to take bp, pulse, etc. They found that his atrial fibrillation had returned (they did pack him off for an ECG to confirm.)

Now, we knew full well that this was a possibility, but had kind of shoved that to the back of our minds. It is not, repeat not, a disaster. But himself had been so chuffed to be back to "normal" that he took it a bit hard. He's pulling round now. Bummer.

Meanwhile, in a different part of the same forest, we had been investigating travel/health insurance for the trip to SOAR, and were getting more and more horrified by the minute. We found one company that were quite a reasonable price, but at the last hurdle were knocked back because they would insure him for anywhere but the US - because the medical charges there are so high. Well, duh.

And so, very regretfully, we have decided that it is a non-starter this year. It would have been so good to have seen everyone, particularly in the present circumstances, but it was just going to be too expensive. Next year, we hope, it may well be possible, the costs fall the further away from the "event" you get.

Howsomedever.....we are not going to be too hard done by! Insurance to Europe is a very different kettle of fish, and there are Plans Afoot. I will tell all when I have more info.

So, to a different part of a different forest.

These are not brilliant photos - I find getting unblurry shots of both yarn and beads decidedly tricky. But here goes.



This is four colours of shetland top, approximately 100gm worth, all spindle spun. I am very pleased with these, I have spun them rather quickly but the yarns are really pretty even all things considered. I intend (this may be famous last words) to make my first ever attempt at fairisle with them.

Then we have this.



This is the Treetops Colour Harmonies top that has been in my stash for more years than I like to imagine - it has come up very nicely, and is softer and less twisted than I sometimes manage with Navajo ply. I do think that making the loops much smaller does make a difference. There are some slightly thicker bits - Navajo ply is very unforgiving for inconsistencies in the yarn. But again, I am pleased with it, and am hoping that there is enough for a small shoulder shawl.

Of course, the big thing this week is Woolfest. We are all organised, things packed into bags and boxes for ease of carrying, all price lists and other things printed off. We intend packing the car as early as possible on Thursday morning and having lunch somewhere nice on the way up. Then to arrive at the very beginning of the setting up period so that we can go off and have a nice restful evening before the hordes descend.

It is such a good event, we get to say hi to just about everyone we know in the fibre community, plus some others (old friends from a long time ago when we lived in Cockermouth for instance. However, I can't pretend that I don't have a few additional anxieties this year - I have to make sure that the DSM doesn't rush around like a mad thing carrying four boxes when two would have been better, and that he has a bit of a sit from time to time. I do know that I am being totally irrational, but there you are, that's me!

It will be great. What is ore, for the moment a least the rain has stopped. We have had the usual amount for the whole of June in one day - and that is disregarding all the other twenty odd days of June when it also rained! There are showers forecast, but not the torrents of yesterday.

I'll try to take pictures, and do a decent report when we get back,. if I have the energy left!