Open Studios

OK, so we have got round to 6th December, and it is the weekend of Open Studios at Northlight. This is primarily intended as a selling event for all the real artists who are attempting to wholly or partly make their living here, but it is also a showcase for what goes on and to advertise the fact that you can rent a studio or take a course chosen from the education programme.

So what we get is a lovely two days of sitting and spinning and chatting to interesting people, which can't be bad. We do occasionally even get the odd student.

I know we live in the fourth funkiest little town on the planet (at least according to BA we do) and several former mills have been transformed in to artistic/craft ventures of one sort or another. But I do really think that there is still generally a strong tide of interest in crafts running, even if it is only an interest in or awareness of existence of such things. So the conversations are good - someone just now actually knew about mordanting in natural dyeing, even though she had never done any herself, and I had an informed discussion with a knitter on the appeal and nature of Noro.

Whoah! And a short interruption while I sell three batts!!)

And just had a conversation with someone who has been studying Alchemy in the States. H'mm.

And I don't think this is just the rosy glow of the mulled wine I am drinking influencing me unduly! The fragmentary nature of this post is due to blogging whilst openstudioing.

Nothing else all that exciting to report, really. Well, apart from a lovely weekend in Cambridge celebrating a friend's 70th birthday. (Yes, we are all getting to be that old - the next one is next week......) It was a super do, in a typically Cambridge pub (which is a bit like HB but a bit more up-market. And the entertainment came from a busker, playing Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Too cool.

The Landscape shawl was frogged as I had made a massive error in the construction, but it is now back on track. I am totally surprised at how boring a knit it is. I had thought that with increases, different stitch patterns and a picot edging that there would be sufficient interest, but somehow, not quite. It will be lovely when it is finished, though, and it does make good TV knitting.

Everlasting alpaca and silk at the studio - I have been plying this morning, and got a broken end that lost itself, much to my annoyance - had a crowd of people in as well, I did NOT look competent. Back to that grindstone soon. At home, some decent cashmere. I had to make a run to World of Wool for class supplies last week, so decided to get some more. About half spun now.

I am going to draw this to a close, too many people around to concentrate. Back before Christmas, I hope.





The Cancer Journal

Good and bad. The latter, Pennie's hair has gone. it started falling out after the first chemo and was shedding so fast, she shaved the remainder off. She was very self-conscious about it, but I was able to reassure by saying that it would look perfectly normal for HB. That is a good - the house sales have finally, finally gone through, at least on the property she is buying not completed until tomorrow, but that is not a problem. She is coming to stay with us next week until the bit of work she wants doing is finished. The other good is that after the second chemo, she didn't feel quite as wiped out, and was eating better. Dare we hope that this could indicate that the tumour has indeed started to shrink a bit? Fingers crossed. We journey on.