The Tale of the Awful Blogger and the Terrible Grimpen Mire

(You do know that this is me indulging in my usual hyperbole, don't you.......?)

I had intended to blog from Cumbria, before, during and after Woolfest - but I didn't (nothing like stating the obvious.) I had intended doing a blog post as soon as we got back, but was tired on Saturday, and plunged, plunged, I tell you, into a whirl of social activity on Sunday...

Tonight, the DSM is out playing a chess match - I had to remind him that it is just a game before he left - should I be worried? So, a glass or two of a crisp white later, here I is. For what it is worth.

Cumbria was great. Reasonable weather the first week, gorgeous the second. For Woolfest itself, it did rain a very little, but nothing too dreadful, and it was blessedly cool. I had to put a layer on my person on Saturday afternoon, rather than frantically trying to remove as much as is consistant with decency. We had a more successful show than we had anticiapted, and saw and talked to LOADS of people, friends old and new, which is what it is all about. I have no pictures to hand - photographing Woolfest is well-nigh impossible. There may be one somewhere taken by someone else of us and our stall - if it is fit to reproduce, I will.

I bought, kind of, very little. A lovely crescent shaped button that will become an item of jewellery one day. And some gorgeous Wensleydale and silk from FeltStudio UK
I lovel Daniela's work, and have to have an annual treat.

Oh. Ahem. And a wheel. At least, it is in progress, reserved. A Sidekick. I had a lengthy try on one, and so did the DSM, and I decided to go for it. I have loved my Matchless for twenty plus years, so I am hopeful that this will become well loved, too. And very portable. I know, that is what the Lendrum is supposed to be, and I wouldn't part with it for anything yet, way too useful a wheel, but this is lighter and more compact and.......I'm a wheel and spindle slut.

I finished a pair of socks, and a couple of other bits and pieces of knitting and spinning, but nothing of any great moment. Mostly samples, still. Always had something in my hands, even if it was for a long, long time some spindle spun silk that needed sorting out after putting on a nostepinne. Never again. I even did it with a quill, and still failed miserably to avoid a ghastly tangle. I shall go the two spindle route from now on. (Did I mention that apparently the Goldings are going to be at SOAR? And Hatchtown Farm. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear........

We visited the places we wanted to and met up with the people that we wanted to. Super. Sampled quite a bit of very nice beer and even nicer ice cream. (And only had two minor digestive blips in the two weeks, which suggests that the magic pills are working.)

And then of course, there was the Grimpen Mire. Actually, what there was was a small section of sand on Allonby beach that I strode out across womanfully until I ground to a halt up to my ankles in "quicksand". I could, throughout, feel rock under my feet, but I was surprisingly terrified - I had my mock Crocs on, and I couldn't move in them - only walk free without them, and that not easily. I had a minor panic, shrieked for the DSM (who thought that I had seen something interesting in a rock pool and paid no attention to my increasingly anguished wails for an age!) Eventually, he did realise that something was amiss, and came to help free me, drag my footwear free and help me clean up some. OK, so Grimpen Mire it wasn't, but I did have a vision of me in a far corner of my mind going down glug glug glug . (Fool.)

I will sort out some photos, with a bit of luck, and blog again soon. but we are hectic still. We have to go to see the Manager at the mater's care home to explain that we are taking over her affairs; I have medical and dental appointments; and the weekend after next it is Knit Nation, and I am nearly but not quite ready - need to gather up the fibre for the day course. I am looking forward to it and nervous about it all at the same time. As usual. (Oh, and before that, we have a half day course in our own back yard, at Gibson MIll.) That should be fun.

TTFN.