(Many) shades of (nondescript) colour.........

In rummaging through the brain for a title for a blog post, I did for a brief moment think about calling it something a little more precise than that above. Fortunately, I did see sense, otherwise I think that there might have been some Comments with a capital K.

So, ok, I shall just whinge on a bit bout the weather. Grey, grey, grey &etc. With added rain. Actually, I think that the Met Office lot have reclassified the nomenclature so that what was "rain" is now called "showers"; if they say "rain" they really mean "cloudburst"; and that is now more likely to be catastrophic, torrential and leading to flooding.

I am not entirely joking.

So, where was I? Well, the weekend before last was the annual AH gathering. And actually, it did not rain all the time. Indeed, we managed to sit outside for tea/coffee breaks on I think three occasions. Certainly helped to make everyone feel more light-hearted than they had been doing.

I thoroughly enjoyed teaching my class - nearly everyone who had said that they were going to do it did, and really worked hard. We had a lovely time. Such a pity then to get home to no telephone and hence no broadband - a tree had come down, we subsequently discovered, some way away from the house, but in falling on to a line had put sufficient stress on it to yank our line off the wall. There were a few trials and tribulations before it was fixed, not the least being totally unable to talk to an actual human being. Interestingly, when the repair man came, he said more or less the same thing. We were not on his job list, and apparently in the good old days he would have phoned the office and had us added in, but now he coudn't talk to a human being either. However he was a lovely gent and fixed it anyway. Phew.

This Sunday, the sun shone again after a week's further rain. I sat outside and read the Sunday paper, and later knitted. But now it is back to the same old, same old.

So, motivation has been hard to come by. I am, however, keeping going! The Ashton shawlette - very nice to knit. I have risked putting in an extra "body" repeat, and am not quite convinced that I have sufficient yarn. But I was sensible enough to put in a lifeline before doing it, so I can rip back easily enough. I found the first pattern row of the border a nightmare to get right, so I ended up putting in a stitch marker for each repeat. I felt a bit of a wuss, but it is making things so much easier that I shall do the same again with another pattern.

In something of a fit of boredom, I cast on a simple lace shawl with some oh so pretty mohair yarn that I bought last year somewhere on or near Cape Cod. Urk. So fine that I can barely see it, and all too easy to knit a stitch and a yarn over together as the threads stick like glue. Ah, well, good for the soul.

I finally finished plying the Wensleydale and silk. Totally yummy.




I'm sure that it is terribly disrespectful to HMQ to put a coin upside down like that, so sorry Ma'am.

I had to ply this before that, though. V nice, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is!



I am having to really sit on my hands - or, I suppose, more accurately, keep on knitting other things - to stop myself from casting on the W/S, I so badly want to see what it knits up like. The other yarn is rather nice, but I have yet to think what I might do with it. So no rush there.

Now, if you remember these:



They have become these:



Haven't they grown? We can go and collect them in a couple of weeks - scarily exciting. They have names, too, although until we meet them again, we don't know which is which. Sam(wise) and Ferdi(brand). Yes, back to hobbit names.

That'll put the kibosh on much knitting and spinning - particularly spindle spinning - for a while!

Oh dear oh dear

Seems as though if you take a hiatus from blogging, it is quite hard to get back to it regularly. Hence the silence again. Nothing wrong.

If you don't count the incessant rain and nearly getting flooded out of our holiday let while in Cockermouth for Woolfest!



We were packed and ready to evacuate, but fortunately the rain eased and the water subsided, albeit rather slowly.

Woolfest was as usual lovely. We saw more friends old and new than ever, and considering the state of the economy and that the show had enlarged considerably, we didn't do too badly saleswise. So, we shall sign up for next year.

Despite the weather, which after our first couple of days turned.......miserable, we had a lovely time. We even saw the Olympic torch by accident, just happened to be in Appleby shortly before it was due, so thought we might as well wait and see it.





Damp. Squib. Sorry. Ruined by the horrible sponsors' trucks, and also the total lack of razmatazz. To be fair, the torch bearers seemed to have had a wonderful time, and kudos to them for taking part. But what came across for me was that it was all about the money. I was highly amused as we were walking away, and a woman said to me in a puzzled kind of way "Is it over?" "Yup." "Is that it, then?" "Yup". Priceless expression that I really wish I had caught on camera! So, it wasn't just me, then......

Other pretty pictures:





But I didn't take many as we didn't go all that far and when we did it was grey, raining or both. The few that I took at Woolfest I did on my iPad. although Woolfest is not easy to photograph as it gets so crowded.

At least though, with the weather as it was, I did quite a bit of knitting and spinning. finished a sock that has been on the go for literally years (the other has yet to be cast on); made good progress on the Ashton Shawlette; and spun a new merino/silk blend (jury is out as yet).

Next weekend is the AH annual Retreat, and I am leading a class on improving your spinning. I had best go and do some more prep, although it is nearly all done. Should be fun.

And I will endeavour to be a better blogger.....

Ob-la-di

Well, it has been a while. I very much doubt that anyone out there, not to mention me, wants a full-blown recap of the last few weeks. Let us just say, it was not fun, things are improving and I feel like coming back.

So, let us give it a go.

There have been good things - a theatre visit, to see Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing". Wonderful play, less than totally sure about the production....but worth seing, though. Afterwards, knowing that I will need to read the thing if not see it again, I went on to Amazon and found that yes, indeed, there is a collected works of series, yeay! Unfortunately, over several volumes, all at quite a high price for what is I suppose a relatively minority interest. So, those go on the wish list for pressies!

Another cultural outing was to see Andrew Motion at the Square Chapel in Halifax. Another extremely good evening - seems a nice, unassuming sort of chap (I need an emoticon for gentle irony....) Seriously. Read from "Silver" and some poems, talked about his life. So, another visit to Amazon, a collected verse volume and the autobigraphy/memoir bought. We decided to get "Treasure Island" to read first, as neither of us had done so since childhood - free on the Kindle, can't be bad. We will get "Silver" later.

Knitting, well not so much. Couldn't concentrate on even the idiot scarf. But I have been spinning.





This is the 60/40 Wensleydale and silk. I wanted it fine, so it has taken ages to spin. Originally, I was going to chain ply it, but I decided that this was probably not such a good idea as the singles is perhaps a little - well not wire-like, but not over-soft and flexible. So having spun half by dividing the roving into four, I did the second half straight from the roving, so I have one bobbin with shorter, one with longer repeats.

I'm plying it now - it too is going to take ages - and it is coming out, I think, quite nicely. Going to be a stole when it grows up. I need to decide on a lace stitch pattern, and to ponder on whether I want a twisted fringe or a lace edging. I like dilemmas like that.

And then, spindles have been bought.



(Just by way of a change.....)

These are made by someone in France, and they are really rather nice. I have ordered a set of the smaller size for workshops, having wanted to find a suitable lighter-weight spindle for ages rather than to always use our own personal ones. So that is very satisfactory, too.

One more week and then Woolfest! We have had a shipment of Greensleeves spindles, and there is some Bonkers fibre that is just going to arrive in time, phew. I am really looking forward to it, both the relaxing in Cockermouth, and Woolfest itself, always one of the highlights of the year. Even if it does continue raining as in the last week or so......

So, yeah. Glimmers, eh?

No seaside trip for us

We are still in HB. Not going to Cornwall after all. The DSM knew that he had a cold, but it seemed just an insignificant one that wouldn't trouble him. Then I got it. And his started getting much worse by the hour. So we very reluctantly made the sensible decision not to risk passing it on to DMIL, nor knackering ourselves more than we need. We shall go to the funeral - should be improving by then.

It also has the benefit that we shall only be away for a couple of days in the unlikely event that Ruby should come back.

Alvar Lidell


News of fresh disasters? From "Beyond the Fringe". Although interestingly, if you google it, apparently the majority believe that AL really did say it. I have tried to find it online, but can't, but it prompts me to look for a notorious BBC wireless commentary where an extremely drunken commentator describes the Fleet as "all lit up". Nearly as funny as Aggers and Jonners.....I had better stop before I lose my entire audience.

But at least it has given me a giggle. Which has then made me coff.

Bad language.........

(Oh, and paragraphs - I have clicked something. We shall see.)
ETA - yesssss!

And here is.....

Alvar Lidell with news of fresh disasters. (Hands up those who understand that, then.) I'm afraid that it really is. I had so hoped that my next blog post would be everything more or less back to normal, spinning and knitting progressing satisfactorily, the sun shining, life in general looking good. Well,it is kinda sorta. I'm working a little bit, today at least the sun has shone (although it remains unseasonably cold.) And there is a lot that is good. But - and I hate, hate, hate having to type this. My little Ruby-girl is missing, and we fear the worst. We fell in to the habit of letting cats out in the early hours of the morning - being crepuscular, they have all loved this, and we always felt that this was a safe time of day. And until now - no problems. But last Wednesday, the DSM let Barni and Ruby out at 5am, went to feed them at 7am - and only Barni appeared, no Madam R. And we haven't seen her since, nor has anyone else. I have had this happen before, losing two cats within a few days of one another, I mean, and until it happens to you, you can't imagine the crushing effect of the double whammy. Yes, only animals, but part of the fabric of our lives. Yes, she might come back, we hear all sorts of encouraging stories from people. But I can't believe it. We set off for Cornwall/Somerset tomorrow. We shall leave the cat flap open (poor old B will be in prison) and water and dried food down just in case. And if she is not back by the time that we get back, I shall pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again. Sorry about further moans. And thanks so much to those various of you who have sent me good thoughts. So appreciated. That's all, folks - back in a week with sea pictures. (If this is still appearing without paragraphs - not my fault! I have put them in, Blogger has ignored all that. Or maybe it will be sorted, and you will think what the blue blazes is she on about now....)

Concatenation

.....a series of events, ideas or things that are connected. Actually, I am not sure that this is quite the right word for what has been going on, but it is such a lovely one, making a fine title for a blog post that I shall use it anyway. My name is Carol and I write a blog. Yes, I really do. You might be forgiven for thinking that I had faded away, but it has not been all due to my accidie. (Another fine word - I'm that way about today. Meaning, of course, sloth, apathy or indifference.) It had been my intention to do lots of lovely posts with lots of lovely photographs while we were in Norfolk. Turned out that we were in a wireless black spot, and could not get any signal with either 3Connect or T Mobile. Apart from the occasional enforced visit to a pub with free wifi to download any urgent email - there wasn't any - I could do nothing. I may do a post sometime with photographs, I don't know. I'll just say for now that we had a lovely time, the Guild that we were doing two workshops for were super and made us very welcome, the cottage in Blakeney was one of the best we have ever rented (can't wait to go back) and I came home feeling better than I have done for ages. Which was just as well. The cattery told us that Neelix had had no problems whilst we had been away, and I totally believe them. Other than the usual one of the babies pinching his food, so he was thinner than ever. We were not happy about how he seemed, and took him to the vet the day after we got home, actually expecting that this would be the final journey. The vet felt that there were things that we could do still that might help, and that as in most respects he seemed comfortable, we agreed. Unfortunately, he deteriorated overnight. Again, no blame. But this time, we were quite sure what had to be done. So it was goodbye to my lovely elegant boy. Here he is two years ago; we were so lucky to have him for over fifteen years, quite a long time for a siamese. He is greatly missed, but we do have the hellacious snowshoes, and just maybe they will be joined by more later on in the year. I had been really worried that when my mother died, Neelix would also, as happened with my father and Fred. Yes, totally daft, I know, but there you are. That's me. What actually happened was obviously not that, and I do realise that the events are not connected at all, but....five days later, the DSM's aunt died. I should not have been stunned, she was not in the best of health, over ninety and well ready to go. But we had thought she had stabilised, got through the winter and would be around for a while longer. We had seen her in February, and had hoped to visit again soon. But thus is the way of the world. In the forty plus years of my knowing her, I had got very fond of her indeed, and so there is now someone else to miss. Not sure yet when the funeral will be, but as it will be in Somerset where she lived, we will go on down to Cornwall for a couple of days to see DMIL as well. So we shall be on our travels again. I'm reeling a bit from all of this. In these sort of circumstances, I tend to feel like one of those little round-bottomed figures that you give a push to and they rock away without falling over (stop tittering at the back, there.) My presence here may be a bit patchy still for a while, or perhaps not, I really don't know. I like writing a blog, and I ain't giving up fibre for a while, that's for sure, so it may soon be service as normal. Tonight, though, is the great SOAR sign-up moment, and we shall be poised, poised I tell you, for the moment the button appears on our screens. It is a good job that there are quite a few workshops that we would like to do this year, as (and yes, I have said this before, but this time it looks really likely) we shall probably not go next year. We have been offered a really exciting workshop opportunity and there may well be a date clash. Now, there's an incentive to keep me blogging! Of that. more much later. Other stuff soon. Bear with me, and send the odd virtual hug my way, eh?

Time passes

Time passes - and nothing very much happens. Nothing much bloggable, anyway. But I felt that I should just put in a brief appearance as much to reassure myself that I hadn't faded out of existance as anything else.

Oh, stuff has happened. Stuff that is pretty routine for the most part, sometimes more fun than that. Friends, yarn shops, fibre suppliers, you know the sort of thing. But very little spinning or knitting activity has taken place. (Weaving, now - that is a different story, but not mine. Let us just say that the DSM, in contrast to my apathy, is going like gangbusters at the moment, and apart from everything else that he has been doing has wheeled forth the Baby Wolf and has Been Doing Things. I will report in due course.)

I have put a few more inches on the never-ending scarf. Let us just say - it will be done by next winter! But it is an odd thing. For all that I find it a deadly dull project, I love the way the stitch looks, and am going to have to fight very hard with myself not to attempt to survive knitting a waistcoat using the same one. I have bought some grey/brown BFL, and some gorgeous silver grey (dyed) merino/silk with either that in mind, or if I can manage it, a cabled afghan. We shall have to see. All in the future....

And in the present, there has been a long, dedicated search for Just The Right Shawl Pattern. Remember, I finished spinning a spinach green merino/silk, destined for a shawl? I looked at the ball of yarn, and panicked. There would not be enough for the sort of shawl I had in mind. So hours and hours and hours were spent hunting through the Ravelry pattern library, not to mention all the books that I have, and nothing, absolutely nothing leapt off the page at me. So, I thought it would be sensible to make another Pimpelleise - a great pattern, nice and simple to knit and very useful when completed.

After several inches, I realised that the ball of yarn had barely diminished at all. I was being a total pessimist about what I could accomplish with it (I think there may be a moral there, somewhere.....). The hunt was up again. And this time, I found a neat little number on Ravelry, called, I believe, the Ashton shawlette. I'll check and post the link when I post first pics. I have cast on (twice, not bad, eh?) and I think it will be good.

Perhaps the grey fog of time passing is....passing.

Tomorrow, off to Norfolk, with two workshops to teach. In the town where I went to school, although not of course actually there! Although I might just phone them up and ask if it is possible to do a quick walk-through. A few favourite spots to visit, and ah ha! a new yarn shop in Holt. But I cannot deny that this is going to be a bit of an odd trip - the first return visit since my mother died and all. I have always counted myself as a Norfolk woman, my family on my mother's side was through and through, so I preferred to claim that heritage rather than my father's more southerly one. I think I should maybe reconsider that, for what it is worth.

Anyhow, I want to finish a bit of spinning before we go, so, off to my wheel. Next post from foreign parts again.......