Diving off the high board

Saturday was Guild, and a good day it was too. I didn't do the workshop - quite wished that I had, as it looked interesting, but I already have a) enough projects on the go; and b) enough projects stalled and never likely to be resumed. So I decided to sit and chat, and spindle spin.

I took my biggest Michael Williams spindle, at 60 gm, much heavier than I normally use, but I have to say a dream. (Now, there's a surprise!) I wanted to spin a relatively thick yarn for me - hence the big spindle - and apart from getting going on Friday evening, I did a spindle full on Saturday. Most satisfactory.

We left earlyish, too. Errands to run. A new mobile phone for me as my not desperately old one had unaccountably died. So I have a spiffy new purple! one, a camera phone, but with a data cable this time. And it's a radio and a MP3 player. Cor - all this technology, however shall I cope?

Also had to purchase a new dehumidifier, so that we no longer have to live in a swamp; and a new fridge - things are growing in the old one and I do not mean in a good way. Plus several more lorry-loads of food for the mogs, the downside of having doubled the population overnight.

Speaking of whom, the new adults have been venturing outside. Ruby is a monster - once off the harness, straight into the lane, rushing about, getting into the Troll's garden. Ack. They have driven me to drink.

And.

OK, I have one photograph. A really bad and pointless one, but the best I can do for the moment.

I completely forgot to take some of the ....ta da.....completed alpaca shawl, Meadow Flowers (??) from Knitters Stash. Yes, every last stitch of body and edging, the straying stitches caught in, and the ends buried.

But that isn't the end of the matter. I didn't want an off-white shawl, so it had to be dyed. Originally, I was going to use an acid dye, but slowly came to the conclusion that natural would be much more satisfying. Pondering the matter further lead me to choose cochineal, if which I knew I had both extract and bugs. And, in a hurry as usual, I opted for extract....except that when I came to investigate, I didn't have sufficient to do both the shawl and the two skeins of spindle spun yarn. So I threw in an equal quantity of lac extract.

Its still sitting out there in the dark. If you leave a dye pot to completely cool, it will often exhaust completely as well. This should give me a good rich colour, which I am hoping will be of an even coverage - I was really careful with turning it all very gently at frequent intervals. So, please......



Fingers crossed.