Going home

But not by the totally direct route!

One of the many advantages of being a sad character and having to travel with Electronic Stuff is that - assuming a wireless connection, of course - you can Keep In Touch. Thus it was that I was happily browsing Ravelry late last week, when on the Association forum I spotted....Ian Tait was going to be at Somerset Guild on Saturday.

I have corresponded with Ian a few times over the recent years, and I am addicted to his spindles. Add that Somerset Guild meet in a village that is only a very, very little detour from our homeward route, and well. How could we not? So we did.

And very glad I am that we did, too. Turned out that there were more people than we had thought that we knew at the meeting, so that was fun all by itself. It was great actually getting to meet Ian, and his talk was excellent. Plus he had brought lots of spindles to sell........

Not many of the photos that I took turned out well, partly because there was such a crush of people wanting to look and talk! (And who could blame them?)



This shows spindle whorls in process. The amount of work and attention to detail that goes in to making these is phenomenal - no wonder they are so good. And equal attention is paid to the structure and turning of the shafts. I am so pleased that we noticed this and went.

Even the DSM bought a spindle - a beautiful largeish purpleheart. I am concentrating on smaller spindles at the moment, and succumbed - and why are we not surprised? - to the two latest woods, a gorgeously marked yew, and a several thousand year old bog oak. Wow.

Unfortunately, photographing them proved somewhat challenging........



Blurry spindles with added Ruby. I will do better when I photograph my next newly arrived spindle!

We got home very late on Saturday, and it had already started raining. It still hasn't stopped, really, most depressing. But today has been redeemed by the arrival of no less than five parcels. Of most note, one being the other new spindle - a very cute smallish one from New Zealand that I was somehow pointed to on Etsy. The other being - a Kindle. I have been tempted for some time, being of a gadgety persuasion. But with all the latest rules and regs on luggage, and with the prospect of doing more travelling to workshops and so on, it seemed the right moment.

So far, I have got it charged, and now have to get it signed in to our wireless network. Then to start loading with (mainly) free books. Though I might go and have a look at whatever Interweave have on offer.

So way too much time has been spent on the internet today when I should have been reading my book for Book Group tomorrow, and preparing for Friday's class. I have done a minimal amount of spinning, on both wheel and spindles (not at the same time, clot!)

Ah, well, there is still time.