Through the fog

That's metaphorical and literal. Woke up to thick fog this morning, which has persisted all day - but just through the valley. Go up a bit, and you are in to brilliant sunshine. Most odd and spooky.

But also brain-fog, due to several nights of poor sleep. Sigh. Mind you, I'm getting a lot of spinning done.......As long as I wrap myself up well in socks and shawls, because it is bloody cold at 1am or whatever, I can be reasonably happy with wheel and iPod.

I've been spinning the thickish Corriedale, and have come to the conclusion that I don't after all want a thick yarn. So I am now spinning some silk to ply with it, something I actually haven't done for ages. The whole lot will then go in to a dyepot (I'm going to try the freebie dyes, I think, but I don't as yet know what colour I fancy.) Photos as and when.

Apart from the brain-fog, I have been busyish, hence no posts. AH on Friday, a low-key but rather nice day. I did struggle a bit with a newcomer, who could spin (it is actually easier to work with a complete beginner, no misconceptions or bad habits to work around) But this one had a Haldane wheel that she had been accustomed to using maybe twenty five years ago. No problem per se there, except that she hadn't spun on it for that length of time, and neither had she cleaned or fettled it.

Yikes.

I should have said, ok, these wheel needs tlc, let's take it apart (easy enough to do) clean it off and then oil everything in sight. Give it a new driveband. Maybe tighten or loosen a few screws. But I didn't. I oiled it lavishly, tweaked tensions &etc, but that really wasn't enough. Trouble is, people come to the class to spin. I sent her home at the end of the day with instructions as to what to do, and can only hope she follows through. If she returns, and hasn't, I'll bite the bullet then.

Additionally, she was desperate to spin some particularly nasty dog hair, which was making a horrible yarn. Why do people love to make things difficult for themselves, eh?

Saturday was Guild, and I didn't have the most thrilling day. I, and a number of other people, had interpreted the day's activity as a talk followed by a workshop, limited in the number of participants. That's fine, a tutor can't be expected to deal with more than a certain number, but neither is it right for there not to be accommodation for the rest of the group. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a whole day workshop, and not being signed up (and let's be honest, not really interested in the subject - my problem, I know) I and a few others were then swilling around at the end of the room. It's an ongoing problem with the Guild - we don't have another room as such that non-participants can adjourn to. There is a large lobby, but it's a bit brass monkeys out there. Ah, well. We had a bit of a crack, and then left early to run a few errands which needed doing, so it all worked out for the best.

Today I've been visiting, and a cup of coffee and a chat turned in to a very nice lunch and a lengthy session helping out with some computer stuff, so the Sainsbury's trip didn't happen until much later than I had anticipated. Enlived, though by being fascinated by the shopping of the chap ahead of me in the queue, which was one of the healthiest I have ever seen! I reckon ours is pretty good, but his was exemplary. And then looking again at said chap, I realised that it was one of the local soap stars, so maybe that explained it!

There is other fibre stuff going on. But I'm out of time.