The trouble with being busy.....

....is that there isn't time to blog.

Easter at home is always a lovely thing, and this one was better than most. So, what was we up to?

Friday, it rained. I was pleased. I had wanted a rainy day to force me to stay in and do a complete sort of the dye shelves. I say "I" - I confess to needing the DSM to help because said shelves were very likely to be home to several large spiders, and whilst I am much better than I was, I do still have an aversion to reaching in to dark areas to pick something up and getting more than I bargained for. In the event, they were all either scarpered or dead - at that time.....

I had decided some time back to totally review me and dyeing. Did I still want to dye? Yes, both "natural" and "synthetic". Did I still want to do workshops in natural dyeing? No. So, I had far more equipment than I was ever going to need again. I had already passed on some of it, and it was high time to go further. In future, small-scale, limited operations.

Such as - dyeing chained top in the fish kettle. This is the second exploratory attempt.



As is obvious, I went from using too much dye liquid to using too little. OK, so I am learning the process here, so I am happy, but I didn't want to waste 150gm of good Falkland top, so I gave it another run through to get rid of as much of the white as possible.



Please do not judge me on the colours used - this was purely for experiment only! Although, I am already spinning up the first one, and will use this as well. They don't look too bad when spun. And even going through two dye processes, this one didn't felt, so the method works a treat.

So, on to Saturday. To York to visit the mater, a much better visit than the previous couple. Short and sweet works very well for the both of us. The DSM and I then went on in to town for lunch and a little shopping. Yes!! Even him. I was so proud....

Then, on the way back out, we stopped to window-shop futons. And all of a sudden, were greeted by name from within. What? Turned out that someone who had attended one of our workshops on spindle spinning worked there, had recognised us and rushed over to chat and to thank us for turning her into a complete addict, I mean enthusiastic spindler. We were very touched - it is lovely to get feedback like that and to hear that we are getting it right.

Sunday, the sun shone all day and it was warm. Fabulous spring day. We worked outside for the greater part of it - the DSM up a ladder clearing ivy from the gutters and under the soffits, me planting stuff out. That chased spiders back in to the house, much to Barni's delight if not mine, but t least they were of manageable sizes.

Unlike the one that I suddenly saw on my beloved's back, as he turned around to go indoors. So huge that I couldn't help.....well, squeaking a bit. So there was I frantically looking for an implement long enough for me to be able to approach the monster to remove it (too close, and it would, of course, leap off on to me, you understand...) and him leaping about trying to shake it off. Which he did succeed in doing, only for it to take to lurking around the doorway, pesky thing. If it comes in, Barni is welcome to it....please!

And yesterday? Still pretty sunny, but more of a chill breeze, so after I had done some more planting (I now have a fair number of herbs potted up) I came in to play with beads for a while. Not really all that successfully, so nothing as yet to show for it. I have done so little of late, and it is really telling.

Now, back to reality. I have loads of paperwork of one sort or another to do, not to mention laundry.

But always some time for a little knitting, spinning....world don't go round without it.