Cats, spinning, dyeing, knitting and cats

Time flies while you are watching the rain stream down and the thermometer plunging. I have managed to avoid actually putting on the central heating by virtue of extra shawls and socks, cuddling cats at all possible opportunities and judicious use of the hot water bottle.

I have been spinning. the natural Polwarth is completed, and I am having an intermission to sample the BowmontxShetland (which is quite gorgeous). I will photograph and write up the results soon, I hope.

I cast on this yesterday. I like the look of the pattern, and I wanted a quick knit for some rather nice fine purple stuff that has been sitting around. I have another skein in a closely related shade, which I might use for an edging. Might. Other than that, the bamboo socks make good bedtime knitting if I feel more like listening to my iPod than properly reading, and the camel and silk scarf is making some progress sitting by the computer and being picked up in odd moments. I am battling a bad bout of startitis - although should I say "bad"? Isn't it all good?

As for dyeing - nothing new, but I forgot to talk about the indigo vat from the coven meeting. It had looked as if there was a lot of colour still in it. So we saved it, and the run-off liquid gathered as stuff had been taken out, and gave it a good dose of Spectralite. Which very successfully revived it, and it went on giving colour for some time. Another interesting thing - a couple of skeins had been left in the vat for the entire week in between sessions, and they came out wishy washy in the extreme. I have this vague notion that I have read that colour can be stripped off fibre again in these circumstances - I need to check up on that.

So, cats. Last week I went to see the friend from whom we acquired the snowshoes.





This is Hollyberry. Remind you of anyone?



Oops, no, that won't do! Try this.....



They are brother and sister, but I can't remember if whole or half. I can certainly see a resemblance, even if no-one else can!

And, just so the other two don't feel left out - though Ruby resolutely refused to turn to smile for the camera. (OK, feel free to rush away and vomit now....)



I did a deal with the DSM today that if I did a massive load of ironing, he would cook supper - he thinks that is a bargain! So, having done this blog post, I can go back to the knitting.

I just wish that it would stop being so very dark and dank. Perhaps we will have an Indian Summer? Maybe? Please?