Interrupting the Scottish posts with a quick charity haul update and a TDF 2023 mention.

 Which do I do first? I think the TDF 2023

If you follow this link you will see that most years I take part in the Tour de Fleece when spinners around the world watch the Tour de France cycle race and spin along on race days, rest on rest days and challenge themselves on challenge days. Originally hosted on Ravelry the concept has spread onto Facebook.

For myself its always been a chance  (excuse) to spin everyday and become more consistent in my spinning , especially when I was still working and didn't get chance to spin everyday as I do now.

This year I will be once again spinning everyday ( when possible) but I also hope to take my wheel and spindles out and about more, I will document my progress as usual.

Starts 1st July and ends on the 23rd, so I'm about to wash and prep fleece like mad once I'm feeling better ( that's another story).

Here is most of the charity shop haul from Scotland. I seem to have lost one item but will add it in at a later date.

First books, although I am trying to get rid of books I bought a few fictional ones for holiday reading and one or two knitting related ones.

I'm really looking forward to the one about the rag trade, its about the lives of the people, dressmakers, milliners ,tailors, shoemakers, framework knitting, corset makers and a lacemaker. 

I was also lucky to find a DMC colour chart, even if its an old one it will help me match colours on an upcoming project.

As for cross stitch, I found a few kits and charts that may stay with me or be passed on to other stitchers.

At one of my favourite shops in Portree on Skye, a couple of mugs jumped in my basket. These date from 1993/4 and were produced by Paragon Products, Young enterprise Scotland company from Portree High School. Young Enterprise Scheme is an initiative for school children to learn the basics of running a business from opening the bank account to producing and selling the product. I've supported similar businesses locally in the past.

I suspect that these may have originally been a set of four so the hunt is on.

Our last next to last stop at Kendal produced a surprising  and somewhat sad find, priced at £1.00 this picture is hand made bobbin lace ( I think I have the pattern for it in my files) and would have taken hours to complete. It will now become part of my lace display when demonstrating and live on the book shelve when I'm not.

I will be back soon with tales of Scottish sunsets x