a bit of this and that.

 This week has been a bit of stitching, some knitting and yet more fibre prep.

I've been tweaking the fingerless mitt pattern and I think I'm happy with it now. This works with my hand spun Shetland, I do not have to pick up thumb stitches ( thank goodness) but I still have to weave my ends in. It will look different after a good soak and block.

I'm on mitten two now and will add more fair isle pattern to the next pair.

I've added stitches to both of my red cross stitch projects but will update with photos next time.

The van sort out is about done and I'm left with a crate full of items not needed or duplicated !

I undertake this exercise every year and always end up with at least a carrier bag full of stuff  that really not needed.

After a phone call from my step mum, we headed over to collect a chest of drawers that had been my Dad's. I vaguely remember saying many years ago that I liked them and I had a feeling that they were quite small but we were still a little concerned on the way over that we were going to pick up a full size set of drawer that we have no space for !!

I needn't have worried, they are small and cute. I think my embroidery bobbins may just stand up in them :-) I still have to make space for them but they will end up in the sewing room ( eventually) I also collected a couple of boxes of photos, stamp albums and family letters so I'll be busy looking at them next week.

Todays walk took me back to the canal which was a hive of activity, about a dozen paddle boarders, some kayaks and the usual narrow boats all on the move a the same time.

that's about it for now, speak again next weekend xx

A day at the seaside and a few goodies.

 On Saturday we grabbed our waterproofs, jumped in the car and headed off to the coast. Our destination was Bridlington on the east coast, we have never been there before so decided that it needed investigation.

The plan is to take a couple of trips as there is Bridlington the seaside holiday place and Bridlington old town which is actually inland and the original town before the coastal part developed.

This time we had a walk round the coastal part, the beach and the harbour. Typically it was a cool breezy day with pretty empty beaches and our kites were back in the van in Nottingham.

I like a traditional seaside places, not too many arcades, alleyways to wander round and a bit of a funfair. Sandy beaches are a big plus and maybe some cliffs but definitely need some age to the town.

We started our day at the Gansey girl overlooking the harbour.

Created by artist Stephen Carvill she sits on the Harbour wall waiting for the boats. A celebration of the local tradition of knitting Ganseys with each village and fishing family having their own variations of pattern.

There is still a fleet of fishing boats operating out of the harbour, fishing mainly for lobsters.

and the occasional pirate ship

   

Miles of sandy beach, what more do you want !

We have penciled in another visit in a few weeks and also noted that they have a classic vehicle event in June  so the dates are in the diary.

These are all the photos that I took as I was too busy looking around but I'm sure that there will be more soon. 

Inevitably, as with many towns, there were a number of charity (thrift) shops to look around but also a large number of independent shops including an excellent looking butcher and bakery both with substantial queues outside. The bakery was particularly recommended to us by locals standing in the queue.

I may have made a couple of purchases.

Also, whilst surfing Ebay the night before, I had spotted a lace bobbin painted with a bobbin lady from the Lace Hall in Nottingham. The lace Hall has long been a pub but back in the late eighties/early nineties I used demonstrate lace making there occasionally. I just had to bid for the bobbin !!

It cost me £1 plus postage !! bargain.

Anyway, today I have been sorting out the van contents and so far I have nearly a crate full of bits that aren't going back in and I'm sorting my washed fleece with a view to prepping some holiday spinning.

Farewell TDf for 2021 back to the randomness that is normal.

 TDF is well and truly over for this year, the skeins have been washed and now waiting to be weighed, re-skeined and labelled.

My spinning wheel is packed away for a few days and I've pretty much run out of prepped fleece.

I've turned my hand back to my stitching and finally finished this small sampler and it is now waiting to be made into a small pillow to go with my collection.

My blog posts will probably go back to being weekly depending on how much I have to say/do that is interesting.

It s been a hot weekend and with the heat forecast to last a few more days I doubt that I will be doing a great deal although a day out is planned at some point just so we can have fish and chips at the seaside.

have a great week, speak soon x

Day 21 &22 crash and burn

 That's me done, simply going to put the wheel away for a few days and do something else.

Last two skeins of Shetland and Jacob

Total 2.022 Kilo

Assorted weights from fingering to chunky, will measure etc once washed, may lose a bit of weight in washing.

Need to wash whilst the weather is hot

Full list of breeds for anyone interested.

TDF Spinning 2021 

28.6  Jacob 109

 29.6 Texel 102

 29.6 Welsh black mount x lleyn 74

 30.6 Shetlandxromney 66

 1.7.  Jacob 116 ( yes two skeins, same weight ! )

 1.7  Jacob 116

 3.7 Brown Shetland 112

 5.7  Jacob 128 

5.7 Hebridean 112 

7.7 unknown 131 

7.7 cheviot 125

 8.7 bfl/swaledale 107 

12.7 Ryeland 100 

12.7 Cheviot 110 

13.7 IOS cheviot 107

 14.7 Romney 76 

14.7 unknown 57

 15.7 Texel 112 

17.7 Brown Shetland 114

 17.7  Jacob 48

the Jacob skeins are from two different Jacob fleeces.

Day 20 the end is in sight

 I'm now at 1864gm against my personal target of 2 Kilo, I still have a pile of fleeces that is growing.  Looks like a grey Shetland is heading in my direction so maybe I should spin up the remainder of the one that I already have.

My plan for Sunday is to get up early, wash the skeins and leave them to dry whilst we empty out the van. Then I can have a good rummage through them, pop labels on and pack the wheel away for a couple of days.

Yesterdays offering, 112gm Texel. This was a freebie fleece and its turning out to be a lot nicer than expected given my previous experiences with some texel fleeces.

Last night I grabbed the chance to add a few more stitches to one of my red cross stitch pieces, it's going to take a while to complete both of them but I'm having fun doing them.

TDF Day 19

 I'm beginning to promise myself that I will put away my wheel on Sunday and do something different for a bit !

This is what the contents of the washbag look like spread out ( still not washed, next week job) all the spinning up to day 18

Add 76gm Romney and 52gm unknown

and a bobbin in progress of Texel and you have the complete picture of where I am now.

Don't get me wrong, I love doing this challenge each year but I always start to flag near the end. Anyway, I bought a book to cheer myself up.

Nearly forgot, we have a family of magpies in the garden and two of the youngsters have just spent several minutes trying to pick at the buddleia flowers that are blowing in the breeze. Of course, as soon as I pick the camera  up they fly away.

TDF Day 18

 Today it was back to tackling the black cheviot from the Isle of Skye, yep the fleece from the sheep that must have stood on the coal tip! Teeny, tiny bits of what looks like coal even though I'm sure it isn't but its a right pain even after combing as much out as possible. I'm spinning and relying on my fingers feeling the bits as I come to them. 107gm of yarn and a floor that needs sweeping.

And in the wash bag it goes, I now have 1.6 kilo of yarn ready for a serious washday.

The rest of my day was spent alternately doing house stuff and prying into pillowslips of fleece to see what is still lurking, For tomorrow I have 50gm of unknown white stuff to work with. I have a feeling that this may be Kerry hill but I didn't find a label in the raw fleece when I got round to washing some.

TDF day 17, busy, busy, busy.

 

Two more for the wash bag, I finished spinning and plying the Ryeland from the weekend  (100gm) and then spun and plyed the white cheviot (110gm)

On the home front, I've unpacked most of the stuff from the van, just need to find homes for it. The van is due its annual service ( engine etc service), MOT ( vehicle safety check, has to be undertaken each year) , habitation check ( service and inspection of the living quarters part of the van) at the beginning of next month and they like it to be pretty much empty so there will be another car load being bought back to the house during the week.

It's my chance to wash cushion covers etc and get rid of anything that hasn't been used in the last year or two.

With the sorting and the shopping and having to keep an appointment this morning and , of course, the spinning I've been a wee bit busy :-)

Day 14,15,16 not a lot of spinning

 I did , in fact, spin every day but not a lot ! here's the wheel after Fridays spinning, and after Saturday it looked pretty similar as it was hot and have you ever fallen asleep spinning? In total I spun 60gm on one bobbin and about 50gm on the other when we returned home on Sunday.

What we did do is head out about 40 miles into Derbyshire and pitch up on a campsite for a couple of night.

The main reason was so that Ian could try out his new bike on the Tissington Trail.

I took things at my own slow pace and walked along the trail to the village of Tissington. I honestly didn't think that I had been there before but soon realized that I had but probably 35+ years ago.

The village is very picturesque with a large duck pond and a Tudor Hall dating to 1609

Opposite Tissington hall is one of the two wells in the village used for well dressing. 

I had already passed one of the smaller wells on the way to the duck pond.

As I headed back to the trail I spotted some rather nice iron work, an engraved table and a familiar person pulling up on his bike, just as I was buying a drink and some flap jack ( timed that wrong as , of course, he wanted the same ) and made my way back to the campsite,

Remember that I said that I had left my cross stitch project in the van? I managed to pop a few more stitches in.

 

TDF Day 13

 107gm BFL/Swaledale.

I'm taking a break from blogging for a couple of days as other things need my attention so my next update will probably be Sunday or Monday with an update on any spinning that I'm able to do.

TDF day 12, very quick summary of todays spinning

 

Top is the unknown fleece spun yesterday coming in at 131 gm, bottom skein is cheviot weighing in at 125 gm spun and plyed today.

I've no idea what I will be spinning tomorrow, its in a bag, no label but I remember when I bought it so I'll check my list. Just checked, bfl (blue face leicester ) x swaledale ( more swaledale than bfl I think)