tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19306808651949369172024-02-19T16:52:17.543+00:00WoolyheadWoolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-47993722214285920932017-09-11T12:14:00.000+01:002017-09-11T12:15:11.853+01:00Highlanders Weekend<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Highlanders 2</div>
</div>
<h1>
My weekend experience </h1>
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I’m a rare blogger, it’s something I don’t often feel the
need to do, but I occasionally like to have a look back at something, so as I’m
a bad sleeper when away from my own bed I thought that I’d get something down
while these things are fresh in my mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
First let’s put a picture in here. Yes I hate myself in this
photo! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOy92vGps_FeIDnuuzS31xdWw-7dfNwE67PpzQTgQ5ykSAFzz1YbTF3-rMHnJqbDG-_m3ihwSiM9JjUUMoibXth96LaEDC10LhA7ApOolXSLFhcbVQ2h9M4KO4_M0uZ2DE8k51kM2CO6b/s1600/Caitriona+Balfe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOy92vGps_FeIDnuuzS31xdWw-7dfNwE67PpzQTgQ5ykSAFzz1YbTF3-rMHnJqbDG-_m3ihwSiM9JjUUMoibXth96LaEDC10LhA7ApOolXSLFhcbVQ2h9M4KO4_M0uZ2DE8k51kM2CO6b/s320/Caitriona+Balfe.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
<br />
I don’t like photos of myself and avoid them whenever I can. I
certainly don’t post pictures of myself all over the place so if you do happen
to have come here it is probably from a place where I hope you will respect my
wishes for a certain amount of privacy and I will ask you to respect that and
not put this out on general view. But if you had the chance to have a photograph with this lovely lady wouldn't you be grinning like a Chesire cat that just got a big plate of milk? She just about got time to say 'Hello how are you' before they took the photo which is another reason why I didn't get the chance to smile properly......just a little bit starstruck at that moment in time. I do think she started off with an 'Aww', as if she had just seen her old auntie come to pose with her for a photo! I also felt a bit sorry for her as I'm sure she wanted to actually talk to people rather than have them ushered in then almost pulled out the other side, but with the number of people wanting their moment with her I can of course quite understand why.</div>
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</div>
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If you’ve never had the opportunity to see her or speak to
her, this lady is just as beautiful and gracious both in looks and attitude as
she appears in the media. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, if you've come here then you're after tidbits of gossip and to hear what this one or that one said or did. Some things I will put out there, as I think they are things the actors wouldn't mind, others I won't as they were said off the cuff and I will just generalise rather than stating who the particular actor was that said it.</div>
<br />
I tweeted that Caitriona called Graham a Princess, so I can't take that back, too many people have seen it even if I deleted it. They were talking about riding the horses in Series 1 and some of the incidents which, TBH sounded quite scary, so I will leave it to your imagination exactly why she said this, but as you can imagine it brought the house down. There was also Steven Cree arm wrestling this really big American guy, who was called.......wait for it........Jamie. It was set up on Friday at the meet and greet, but I think Jamie thought it was a joke and he looked a bit surprised that he was actually asked up onto the stage to perform. Let's just say the outcome was pretty similar to last year - Steven Cree needs still more hours in the gym before he picks an arm wrestle with these big muscle men. Also if you follow Steven on Twitter, he is just the same on a stage, a real blast of a guy who was born to entertain. I'm sure he could perfectly easily do a stand up comedy show, I don't know if he has but he's a lot of fun if you don't mind the odd f**k word thrown in with an occasional s**t as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
What really struck me during the talks/QandA sessions is that these actors, some of whom we've seen on screen and stage over many years, some of whom are just setting out on their careers, are all just the same as us. They have insecurities and get nervous, they have crises of confidence, they worry how they are going to pay the gas bill. One actor was so nervous they were pacing up and down before going on stage, saying they couldn't do this by themselves, one was fiddling with their hair all the time they were on stage, one said they feel like a blob when they are standing next to Sam Heughan because of the way he looks so good and is so easy to light with his good bone structure (I originally typed god bone structure there - Freudian slip????.....;-))and this person is certainly not a blob.<br />
<br />
I was moved by some remarks especially made by the men about how they wished for a better world, one even said he would like to go back in time to a matriarchal society as he was quite sure that if more women were powerful leaders we would have a far more peaceful world. I have to say that made me tear up, so even this cynical old body can still be moved by such words. Also when asked what would make them turn down a role they said under no circumstances if rape of any sort or hurting children was involved. In fact they said how much they hate the amount of graphic violence that is portrayed on our screens today. They said that sometimes the implied violence of earlier times was just as powerful and suggested we watch a famous scene in a film, in which people think they have seen a very violent act, but in fact it is never actually shown but people are sure it is, but it's because of the powerful acting.<br />
<br />
There were a some actors that I made sure I was there to watch the QandA and was quite happy to go without lunch to see them and am so grateful that I did. There were also a couple that I thought I wasn't that bothered to catch, but once they started talking I thoroughly enjoyed them and have found a new respect for them.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I'm deeply disappointed that I didn't manage to see a couple of the actors at all, but I couldn't be in 2 places at once and was queing for photos or autographs so had to miss both of them.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was at times surprised, at others humbled, but
mostly I just sucked it all in and will spend time going over it and playing
bits back to myself. If there’s one thing that I brought away with me from the
weekend it’s how no matter who people are or where they come from, when you get
a crowd together who are passionate about something, then that is a joyful
thing and it’s one of the things that makes me very happy. I don’t care if
others don’t understand that, but it’s mine and I love it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I will mention a couple of things that frustrated me. Firstly having a gold ticket was IMHO not worthwhile for very much. I'm looking at the up side, it got me Caitriona's auto included & I met & had a lot of fun with the ladies I sat with at the Meet & Greet on Friday night, but each of the actors we were there to see only got 5 minutes to sit at each table, then because there were so many tables we had to sit & wait ages for the next person to appear & it was very late by the time we left; some tables were still waiting to see one guest so goodness only knows how late it was when they left. I did get a Gary hug, but he hugged me so tight he nearly broke my specs, and bless him he offered me his reading specs to replace them! Luckily mine are made to be abused so no damage done. He did give me another hug when<i> </i>I went for his auto, this time without squashing my face :-) The Gold ticket didn't give any priviledges in the queues, we ended up queuing with regular ticket holders anyway & they were quite surprised, but I put that down to bad organisation when the hotel suddenly told the organisers that the ballroom had been double booked by another organisation on Saturday & Starfury had to put up with using other rooms all over the hotel so we ended up wandering back & forth to find out where we should be. I also wonder if the hotel's bad Wifi prevented Starfury from being able to Tweet regularly what was happening. There have been various posts around about people videoing and taking audio during the Q&A's which they don't allow & to me it's bad enough to flout the rules but to post them publicly is really pushing it & needs to be controlled much better. The audio in the hall was really bad so how people did manage it is beyond me, but then I haven't listened or watched any of them so don't know how good or bad they were and apparently Starfury are aware so perhaps these people will be black listed and not allowed back.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Will I go back next year? Well now my husband has realised that he and the dog can survive a whole weekend without me, yes I might, but it very much depends on the date as we have a big anniversary next year and that must come first - I really don't think the family would be happy if I wasn't there for my own party even if I bought them tickets and took them with me!!!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
SPOILER ALERT</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of course someone had to ask the question about series 5 and beyond and apparently there are those that are up for doing more, but it of course depends on the powers that be.......sorry if you were expecting a really juicy bit of gossip!!!!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0Queen's Promenade, Blackpool FY2 9AA, UK53.8583778 -3.0486389999999853.7084198 -3.37136249999998 54.0083358 -2.72591549999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-59007963381726918542016-03-04T17:23:00.000+00:002017-08-28T18:09:46.318+01:00Sadness<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think I have recovered enough from the terrible sadness of one of our dogs suddenly dying to make this post. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our beloved Springer Spaniel, Oscar died early morning on Wednesday 2nd March.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He was very sick on Sunday evening, so I took him to the vet first thing Monday. She gave him a good examination & we decided to try him with an anti-sickness injection. However by Tuesday I was very worried about him not recovering so got him to the vet again. She gave him another examination and a pain killing injection and thought that he possibly had either something that he'd eaten which had got stuck somewhere in his digestive tract or it was pancreatitis, so I booked him in for X-rays & blood test for the Wednesday morning. But unfortunately he didn't make it and died in his bed. The Vet said that he most likely died from peritonitis due to something being stuck in digestion, for him to have gone that quickly. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He was a lovely boy, very friendly & a typical working type of Springer. We rescued him when he was around 9 months old, he'd been quite literately dumped at the side of a canal so we took him on. He was a scruffy little thing but extremely lovable & enjoyed running around the footpaths & a good splash in water, but he was never much of a swimmer the way you'd expect a spaniel to swim. The picture of him was taken last October at Lynton in Devon, he looks nice & clean there because he'd just had his hair cut before we went on holiday and he had been splashing around in the stream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our other dog Indie seems to be OK, although when the chap from the crematorium came back this morning with his ashes she hid upstairs, so whether she remembered him taking Oscar away & thought he was going to take her I don't know, but otherwise she seems to be OK. In fact we had a lovely longer than usual walk this afternoon, a few months ago she was having a lot of problems with her back legs, but other than being a bit stiff if she lies down for a length of time she seems to be much better now, so hopefully she will carry on for a while yet. Again she's a rescue so we don't really know how old she is, but we think she's probably about 12. In fact we always thought that she would be the one to go first & I think if she had then Oscar might have pined for her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm starting to feel a little more philosophical about it now, we've had enough dogs in our lives for me to know that each one is unique and brings something special to our lives, which non-pet owners can never understand. I try to explain to them that it's like having a child that never grows up, they rely on you every day to look after them, feed them, walk them, keep them clean and give them a safe place to sleep at night, but unlike a child they never become any more independent that having a run off lead. But having not had children I can't imagine how parents would cope with a child dying, it's hard enough to lose a pet. I suppose if you lose a child it will be a hole in your heart for ever more, at least we could get another pet to replace him, but that's not going to happen for a long time or maybe never. The trouble with having pets is that they are such a tie. We have to plan time around their outings & feeding etc. & although they can be left you can't go off on holiday & leave them unless you either have someone to look after them or they are OK with being in kennels & you can find a good one, which we haven't been able to find for many years. The last time we put them in kennels for a couple of nights they both had bad tummies & were very stressed, so we decided that we just won't do it any more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So goodbye Oscar sweet boy, you never know if there is a heaven or an after-life we may meet again one day </span>Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-68309376205850550562016-03-04T13:14:00.001+00:002017-09-11T12:16:23.859+01:00Outlander the TV productionSo now onto the TV production of Outlander. We decided to get the free trial of Amazon Prime to try out over Christmas, and guess what I found on there? Yes the TV show of Outlander, series one so I didn't bother to cancel the free trial and I can now watch it to my hearts content. I was truly hooked from the start to say the least, the acting is excellent, in fact there are many well known British actors in the series including Annette Badland who's acting I love, so it was a real treat to watch. There are harrowing scenes of violence as well as a lot of nudity and sex, but I feel it is all handled very well by the actors involved. Nothing is overtly gratuitous and there is some fine acting in what must have been very difficult to shoot scenes. The fact that the leading actors are very easy on the eye is also a huge bonus! These are the female and male leads, Irish model turned actress Caitriona Balfe and Scottish actor Sam Heughan in their costumes for the wedding scene<br />
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I am truly hooked on the costumes, they are beautifully designed and made, although I don't know much about the fashions of that period, the designer, Terry Dresbach and her team appear to have made tremendous efforts to get the costumes to look right, so no obvious zips or velcro, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned if you're trying to get authentication on costumes.</div>
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A confession from me, I often watch 'period' dramas to see how the costumes are made and lose a lot of interest if they are made in too modern a way with zips etc. While I appreciate that a production might have a lot of costumes to be made for extras I really think that effort should be made at least with the principal actors to make the costumes as far as possible, authentic looking. </div>
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I suppose this is one of the reasons why I have been so pleased to watch this programme, to see the men wearing genuine Great Kilts in muted colours, not the gaudy Victorian kilts that are thought of by most people as being Clan tartan, and the women wearing the lovely muted colours that look like the Scottish scenery where the filming was done. I would love to see an exhibition of the costumes, and who knows, maybe they will one day go on display somewhere in the UK, then I can indulge myself in trying to find out what the fabrics are. I would especially love to have a closer look at that wedding dress, to me it looked like linen on the overskirt, certainly looked like plain weave in the close ups that I've tried to get, and the embroidery is utterly stunning, although I did see a little video & it is unfortunately machined not hand stitched.</div>
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They have apparently just wrapped filming on series 2, much of the storyline is based on late 18th century Paris, so the look of the costumes will be very different, just look at these beauties. </div>
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Again I don't know about how true to the correct type of fashion and textiles of the day they are, but I do love the way they look. I've been up to now more interested in primitive and Medieval to Elizabethan era textiles, dismissing much of the later eras as 'fashion', but I'm sure there is as much of interest in them as there is in early fabrics. I am not one to follow fashion in any way shape or form, but I will now add the 18th Century to my list of ever growing research along with the others that I have a passion for. Of course that was the era of what I suppose I would call the dandy fashions, even the men wore very beautiful clothes if they were mixing in the highest of Parisian society. I wonder if Scottish Highlanders will feel completely comfortable in all that satin!<br />
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Probably very strange of me but I prefer the Scottish look!</div>
Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-70646911582504037962016-02-10T11:58:00.001+00:002016-02-10T11:58:06.059+00:00New passionsI'm not the sort of person who normally gets caught up in the world of fandom, but I have a confession to make; I've become a bit obsessed by the Outlander TV series and books. I started to read the books by Diana Gabaldon when I noticed the first book in the series at my local library because it was originally titled 'Crosstitch' in the UK and being mildly obsessed with all things textile, I decided to read it. It looked just my sort of book, with a historical theme so I just ignored the fact that it said that it was being made into a TV series by the US channel Starz. I thought that as it was being made for the US by an American production team that it would never be aired in the UK. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and have now read the first 5 books in the 8 so far of the series and I am very seriously hooked on them. These books are all very long, or the ones I've read so far have been, but all of them have been real page turners.<br />
Now I know that not everyone is into reading books where violence is rife, with more than a smattering of sex thrown in for good measure, but there's just something in the books that seems to hit some sort of feeling, haven't quite managed to put my finger on it yet, but I certainly enjoy them. Sometimes I wonder how the main characters manage to survive so many unfortunate events and still live, and there are times that I want to just smack Claire the main female character, but then I remind myself that this is fiction - escapism in a story and I just sit back and enjoy it. However I know there are many detractors who just think the book is utter nonsense and just cannot see past the fact that these books are written with more than a nod to the mores and standards of the day. Yes we of right mind in the modern world look at rape whether heterosexual or homosexual, torture, beating etc. as totally wrong, but it is supposed to be the 18th Century where these things did occur. I suggest that many of the detractors have never bothered to actually do any kind of research into the way people lived then, if they did perhaps they would be somewhat less censorious about what the author writes. I think you have to get past the beginning of this book, take a lot of it with a very large pinch of salt and remember that it is a story, the product of the author's mind. Obviously if you don't like it put it away, but when people right long reviews then tell you how bad it is, I wonder how sincere they are. But then again I have read books that have many rave reviews but I've put down because I thought them absolute drivel, so it really is a matter of choice.<br />
So if you enjoy a real mixture of genres but a really enjoyable tale then try it<br />
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So then on to my next new passion, weaving. I have had a rigid heddle loom for a number of years and while that was good to weave on, I missed making the more intricate weaves that can be done with a multi-shaft loom, so last year I acquired a 4 shaft Ashford table loom. I've enjoyed the weaving very much, but haven't had much time to do much & him indoors isn't up for retiring yet so it looks like my weaving will have to be done in fits and starts along with all my other textile passions. I just wish I had more hours in the day to pursue everything I want to.<br />
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These are just a couple of tea towels that I've woven so far. I don't really need that many as we have a dishwasher, but I'm sure they'll come out some time to be used. In fact i have 4 tea towels on the loom at the moment, orders from my niece & of course I can't make for one niece without the other one, hence why I'm weaving 4 of them. <span style="text-align: center;">I'm looking forward to getting them off the loom so that I can weave some lovely silk that I've got, probably into a scarf or shawl, although my loom is only 60cms so unless I do a double width it will be fairly narrow for a shawl, but I might just put some wool that I have here on first to see how I like weaving with wool on there as so far I've only woven with cotton</span><br />
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<br />Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-20012536635598804592013-07-22T15:25:00.001+01:002013-07-22T15:25:35.898+01:00Is it really that long?Well it's been a very long time since I posted anything at all, but just can't believe it's actually THAT long, doesn't time fly when you're busy?<br />
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We're gearing up now for this year's Fibre-East, we'll start the physical set-up from this Thursday. I don't think people realise just how long these things actually take to organise even a 2 day event; if it all comes together then 2014 looks likely to be an even bigger event if all the bits & pieces of the Border Agency can be sorted out. I'm pleased that I don't have to cope with all the bumf that's got to be sorted through, just do my bit with the budgeting was quite hard enough. I really do hope that we can get the working visas all sorted out though as it looks as though they will be really popular.<br />
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Not been doing much in the way of knitting in the last few weeks - it's been far too hot even in the evenings for me to knit especially as I've got a winter jumper that's otn at the moment. It only needs the second sleeve finishing plus the neck, but as it's top down I don't want all that warmth sitting in my lap when it's 20degrees in the evening. They reckon 34 deg today & having just put some washing out I can quite believe it, must be easily 40 deg in the sun.<br />
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The last piece of knitting I finished was my Revontuli/ Northern Lights shawl with which I'm very pleased, especially as it was handspun as well. I get a real sense of satisfaction from knitting with handspun especially. Now I'm spinning a merino/alpaca/yak mixture for a sweater for me - no good for HD as I'd have to be washing it every 5 minutes; I don't want to be doing that too much as it will probably have to be hand washed. Next spinning will be for the Guild challenge which is 'Beside the Sea' which I have the fluff to spin up for, so hope that I can make what I have in mind, if not I have a plan B.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-81853508337255214782011-11-30T15:26:00.001+00:002011-11-30T17:14:40.816+00:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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So not everyone agrees with this strike do they, me for one that's sure! </div>
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<br /></div>
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OK let me play devil’s advocate
here & put another angle on the public sector strikes. This is a scenario
for a not un-typical man who's a small time builder, the sort of chap who most people will only see vaguely on a site building houses. This will happen to lots of people who are not public sector workers:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>I am a builder aged 58, I
am self-employed, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not run my own
company but trade as a sole trader, so I have no income at all if a) I don’t
work b) I am sick for a time (self-employed people cannot get statutory sick
pay like employed people, they can only get employment support allowance which
takes time to get & has to be applied for in the same way that unemployment
benefit has to be applied for, so unless they are long term sick or unemployed, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>no work no income). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I’ve got the flu, unlike a teacher or refuse collector, I can’t
just lie in bed for a week & still get paid. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>I have no work now because of
the down turn in the economy. Yes there were a few good years back a while ago
& I, like the whole of the western world took advantage of getting more
& more credit to enjoy my life & taking out a bigger mortgage so that
my family could live as comfortably as everyone else. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>My accountant advised me that
unless I saved for a private pension I wouldn’t have any money after the age of
65 except for the State pension but I didn’t bother to take one out of
course I was cocky & thought that I could save up enough not to bother with
those money grabbing thieves at the pension companies who weren’t going to give
me back anything like I paid in unless I lived until I was too old to care. Now
like everyone else I will have to work until I’m 66 before I get state pension,
OK that’s fair enough, but I have no work, nor do I have any savings left as I’ve
been living on them for the last few years. I take the small jobs where I can, like
repairing someone’s front wall, which I can hardly make any money out of
because the work that I can get is so competitive that other people are
undercutting me all the time. The money I get for the job barely covers my
materials & the diesel I have to put in my van. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>So where do I go from here? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m finding it hard now to do the work that I
did even 10 years ago. I’ve had a few accidents in my life & my joints are
stiffening, it’s getting harder to get out of bed no matter what the season. My
missus has a little job at the supermarket which keeps us in food & helps
pay the bills but she’s 57 & won’t get her state pension until she’s just about
66. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>I don’t know how I’m going manage to work even if I can get a decent job, what with getting older & slower, when you have all these fit young lads who can shimmy up a ladder & not think about it. I
can’t rely on anything at the moment so even if I had been able to afford to
buy a private pension I’d have to have stopped paying into it a few years ago,
so my pension would be worth b* all by now anyway.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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This is why those of us
who aren’t employed by the state have a problem with the strike, many of us don’t
get anything except basic state pension unless we pay a very large amount for it, & while I, a woman,
sitting at my desk & working can manage another 6 years or so if I have to,
there are very many people out there who will physically be unable to carry on
& never having had the benefit of being in state employment, won’t get any
fat pension at the end of their working lives. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Another thing that really amuses
me is that many of these people who are striking would claim to be good citizens, caring about those less fortunate than themselves, many would also probably claim to be socialists as well, yet they don't give a rat's arse about the fact that it's all of the UK tax paying world who actually have to pay the rest of the contributions for these pensions. I see no problem with the public sector employees paying a higher percentage of their earnings if they want a decent amount for their retirement. I see many of my friends who have been teachers retire early, because they have had such inflated salaries compared to many in the private sector, that they have huge savings stashed away & can afford to travel off to all sorts of exotic countries, play golf & generally enjoy themselves & still expect us the public to pay them a grand pension. And if another teacher tells me how stressed their job is I think I'll wring their necks. Do they not think that people working in the private sector have to cope with stress? Once when we had to ask our solicitor for advice on an ex client who was being thoroughly nasty & offensive & threatening to sue us for nothing we'd done wrong, his comment was 'wouldn't life be wonderful without clients to deal with'! Even though I'm my own boss, boy do I get some awful times, after all I have to cope with public sector workers regularly & let me tell you I'd like to take them out & give some of them a good shaking down. Yes I know that very often their hands are tied with work practices that are sent down from above, but the people who sit on high are also public sector & IT'S ME WHO PAYS THEIR WAGES!!!! They are supposed to be PUBLIC SERVANTS, but do they ever consider that? Do they hell!</div>
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<br /></div>
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So that's why I'm afraid I have no sympathy with this strike. Get on with it, knuckle down & do the work like the rest of us have to to earn our money & just be grateful that you have a very well paid job & can live in comfort unlike those people who do not. Or retire early & live on your humungus savings & let some of the young people or those who have been made redundant & would kill for your jobs have them</div>Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-91859901484532919572011-09-13T14:38:00.000+01:002011-09-13T14:38:05.779+01:00I've been ignoring my blogI've been so busy lately that I've not had spare time to put anything on my blog. Life was hectic in the run-up to <a href="http://www.fibre-east.co.uk/">Fibre-East</a>, but it went brilliantly in the end after all the worry. Much praise to the main organiser Janet who put in hours of work on getting everything to run smoothly & keep traders informed and up to date. There were things that could have gone a bit more smoothly and some misinformation and we needed better signs, but it was the first festival, so hopefully they will be ironed out for next year. Also much praise to Camilla who worked very hard with the publicity, without her I don't think nearly so many people would have come through the gates. Most people seem to have had a great time at the show, and it looks like there are traders who couldn't make it in 2011 who want to book for 2012, so obviously there's a market in the East/Midlands for another fibre festival.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiey9QfVLxV0XA-iH_uu2gF1_seh1qFAgyoUpUXVhjYj9Sb1GnTI3R1hk_23Dp8Y5OKs3-PsLEoXttDwLa98sIKnKynjidWdd1RS_1r9NvaW_eqvbOdPtM2odOdQGF7eUFyfdAQrnpmx7F_/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiey9QfVLxV0XA-iH_uu2gF1_seh1qFAgyoUpUXVhjYj9Sb1GnTI3R1hk_23Dp8Y5OKs3-PsLEoXttDwLa98sIKnKynjidWdd1RS_1r9NvaW_eqvbOdPtM2odOdQGF7eUFyfdAQrnpmx7F_/s320/IMG_0393.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby's Ripple blanket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've still be spinning & knitting as well as recently finished a crocheted ripple blanket for baby Ruby. Despite trying to do the starting chain loosely it was a bit tight at the edge. I really should have used a bigger hook. It was made in Sirdar Juicy, a bamboo & cotton blend, ideal for a summer baby. Now of course I wish I'd used something else to make it in, summer has really gone with all these storms coming in. Anyway it should still be warm enough to use for a while yet. I've now got to knit or crochet another blanket for her cousin who's expected in a couple of months time so I'd better get myself sorted out with some yarn. Trouble is I don't want to make exactly the same blanket, but I'm a bit stumped what to make. It does work out very expensive buying so much yarn, I got this lot from a seller on Ebay so wasn't too bad & I still have some left which I'll probably use for weaving a scarf or something, but it's proving hard to get anything reasonable for the new baby, I'll probably go for wool, so will have to get round to looking for yarn soon.<br />
<br />
Just finished spinning up some wool for socks for the shearer who was at Fibre-East. He gave me a CharrolaisX fleece & I said I'd spin & knit him some socks. I started knitting them last week but then realised they were going to be far too wide, so frogged them & started again with fewer stitches, just not used to knitting men's socks so it looks like these may take some time to get finished especially as I've just had a delivery of some <a href="http://www.texere-yarns.co.uk/texereshop/6.html">Marble Chunky </a>to knit for Xmas and a ball of 4ply to knit a scarf for my niece who lost the last one I made for her.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-41922643770592646922011-03-15T12:50:00.002+00:002011-03-15T13:22:07.741+00:00A long timeWell it's 6 months since I last posted here, then autumn, now spring is on it's way. No excuses really, just being busy with getting on with life. Work has been very quiet the last couple of months but that's quite usual for this time of year, it will all start to go mad again once we get into April & the new tax year.<br /><br />I've been doing my fair share of knitting & spinning & have even taken up the crochet hook again to make a blanket out of granny afghan squares. Even taught someone at Guild how to crochet properly & it seems she can't put her hook down now! Always good to pass skills on to other people, so much is in danger of getting lost.<br /><br />On the knitting front I've made a lovely chunky jacket out of James Brett Marble Chunky in the sort of blue/turquoise/purple colourway. I even had a compliment from a lady on the doctor's surgery today to say how lovely it is! Always good to get compliments about your handiwork. I've also made the inevitable couple of pairs of new socks, some of my old ones have just about become unwearable, although they're fine under old boots for walking. I'm knitting a <a href="http://feministy.com/blog/traveling-woman-free/">Traveliing Woman</a> shawl at the moment out of some sock yarn in burgundy/pink colours as I wanted to try the pattern out before using it for some handspun which I spun for the sole purpose of making this shawl. It is an easy feather & fan type pattern, but I don't know if I want to make more of an effort to use a more difficult lace pattern for my own handspun. I will have to think on it some more. The advantage is that it's an easy to remember pattern though.<br /><br />I'm crocheting a blanket out of bits & pieces, had some yarn that I'd bought to make a cardigan for my Great niece, but I really didn't like the colours so put them together with some other bits & pieces that I had & it's going to make a really cozy blanket.<br /><br />Spinning wise I've been doing a mix of merino & alpaca which is coming out a lovely mottled heathery effect chestnut & cream. I'm hoping to get enough out of it to make a waistcoat for me. I've also got some merino on my Bee. I'm a bit disappointed with that little wheel which keeps having bits come loose & despite spending ages cleaning it, as I think the previous owner must have used the wrong sort of oil, it is still hard to get the tension from slipping & needs far more TLC than my Lendrum which I really do still love to spin on. I can sit & spin on that almost all day without really thinking about it, I feel so lucky to have got it.<br /><br />Going back to the doctor's surgery bit, I've got cellulitis again in my leg, which is an infection in the cells, I think this time it's from insect bites. My leg started to hurt & swell up Sunday week ago & by the Monday night it was really hot, swollen & sore, so I went to see the clinic nurse & she put me on antibiotics. Went back Friday & then again today & it's still not gone, so back onto another course for another week. This isn't the first time I've had problems like this, seems I'm rather prone to it, I don't know if this sort of thing runs in families but I know both my Brother & Cousins have had problems with this type of infection as well.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-55020295173642706492010-09-20T10:54:00.005+01:002010-09-20T13:22:43.924+01:00The Website's UpJan's put the website up over the weekend, <a href="http://www.fibre-est.co.uk/"></a><a href="http://www.fibre-east.co.uk/">Fibre-East</a> so we've really gone public. A couple of workshops and traders already on board, so it's starting to feel as though it's really happening now, so hope all the hard work we've been doing will pay off.<br /><br />On the knitting front I had a small disaster, the spaniel destroyed my second sock that I was knitting. I'd left it on the arm of the sofa one evening while we were having dinner & he must have got caught up with it while the 2 dogs were playing. I went in & it was strung out right through the room & into the dining room (we eat in the kitchen when it's just 2 of us). To get it off him he'd chewed through the circular needle - my lovely Knitpicks Pro wood needle - & through the knitting. I got a new one on Saturday, but while I was ordering it a set of blocking wires fell into my basket, well I had to console myself somehow didn't I. I've also started a pair of socks from some handspun yarn. The fibre was from a bag that I got from World of Wool, what they call their lap waste. This can be any colour or any fibre, ends of runs etc., some of it's a bit manky, but for £8 for a big bag fibre it's not bad really you just have to work a bit harder to get decent stuff to spin. I blended some of the fibres & came out with a sort of turquoise base with bright pink flecks. I'm knitting them on 2.25 needles to make a dense fabric to make it harder wearing as it's not got any nylon blended in. I might make the effort to get some nylon to blend if I'm happy with this pair. I spun the wool on my Bee spinning wheel at 18:1 ratio, then plied at 20:1. I thought that because I'd used a higher than normal twist that the yarn might be a bit unbalanced, but was pleased when I took it off the niddy-noddy to find that it was fine, well balanced & the overtwist was fine after plying. It's knitting up really well, but it's pretty hard on my hands to knit because of the small needles, so I'm only knitting a little bit at a time.<br /><br />I've also picked up my Hoswick Jacket again now that it's cooler. I wimped out of it because I'd got to the armhole shaping & still have to keep the fairisle pattern correct. Normally I wouldn't decrease on the 1st & last stitch of the armhole but one stitch in. However I have on this, hopefully as it's steeked it will be OK, only time will tell. I'm thinking about changing the cuffs & neckline as well. They're sort of frilly & fluted, that's not really my taste. I think I may just do a simple neckline & plainish cuffs.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-53382920791540079572010-09-10T15:36:00.004+01:002010-09-20T10:49:58.085+01:00Autumn rolls inWell that's how it's started to feel anyway, the days are shorter, the berries are all really appearing on the hedgerows, the apples & pears on the trees in the garden are needing to be picked & I'm knitting lots of socks, getting ready to keep the tootsies warm this winter. People think I'm mad, but I really love my hand knitted socks, in fact I did a few rows this morning in the hairdressers while I was waiting for my colour to brew. The boss wanted to know if I was knitting Xmas pressies, but no their mine, all mine . This pair are plain blue & when I started to knit them I thought 'how boring' so I've put a sort of broken spiral pattern in them. I know most of the time people can't see them, but I like them & that's all that matters really.<br /><br />We're still plodding on with the preparations for Fibre-East, but one big frustration is that although we're really keen, other people take so long to get back to us, it's just not the priority for them like it is for us, don't know how they can be so calm about it all! I just keep hoping that we can really get this festival off the ground albeit in a small way to start with, there are just so many more people now who are getting into fibre crafts & it would be really great to be able to bring a new festival into the area. I suppose it may have been better starting this off a few years ago, when the economy was a bit better, but there are more & more small producers of indie dyed yarns & fibre & also equipment like spindles, so the hope is that some of these newer businesses will come on board.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-23048792114335636572010-08-31T22:33:00.004+01:002010-08-31T22:56:16.005+01:00It's all happeningWell I can at last let my breath out and start to talk about what I've been involved with for the past 6 weeks or so. It seems much longer than that somehow because so much has been happening.<br /><br />Some months ago I offered my help to a friend who was considering organising a new fibre festival. I said that if she wanted help on the finance & planning then I'd be only too happy to help out. So she asked me about 6 weeks ago if I was still interested & of course I said 'Yes', anything to do with spinning & knitting & I'm in there. So the ideas began flying back & forth, lots of finding out possible venues, the cost of hiring marquees & portable loos, how much to charge traders, doing plans of floor space. But there was one problem, finding a venue. One of the other people interested, Emma had found a possible site in Surrey, but they wouldn't communicate with Jan, so that was no good. Then she went to an open day/craft day at a farm in Thurleigh, Bedfordshire & thought the farm would be an ideal place. She talked to them & they said they were up for it! We went to visit them & they showed us round the possible fields that we could use & we went away with a venue & lots of ideas buzzing in our heads.<br /><br />Now we really had to find out very seriously about hiring stuff, and found a few local companies who look as though they will be OK. Jan's in the process of designing a website so that we can go live at the end of September, but she's already getting people wanting trading stalls & that's before we've done any real advertising. It has been circulated to the local Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, but only just gone out on the huge internet forum of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>, so hopefully people will be starting to generate interest very soon.<br /><br />Although it's only in the very early stages, we want to work really hard to have a festival here in the East/South/Midlands, so many hours of slog will have to go into getting it just right so that people can have an enjoyable weekend.<br /><br />Did I tell you the date? It's 23rd & 24th July 2011. The venue will be Scald End Farm, Thurleigh, Bedfordshire.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofr730_Zyda9svrFRv8g6U7NZRJgAFtJQbNM-CikNfIxsbwLUAedaJxh7OEUaiAMfDKouR4IOLZhFun7FOX9bVd8GjU30TEvI6mIT2W5t3iKtwR-vJCqydhIl0StDo6O2fG9a_-c-GlVW/s1600/FIBREEAST2011.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 521px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofr730_Zyda9svrFRv8g6U7NZRJgAFtJQbNM-CikNfIxsbwLUAedaJxh7OEUaiAMfDKouR4IOLZhFun7FOX9bVd8GjU30TEvI6mIT2W5t3iKtwR-vJCqydhIl0StDo6O2fG9a_-c-GlVW/s200/FIBREEAST2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511694771804896642" border="0" /></a><br />I look forward to seeing you there.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-2435029886041509232010-08-12T12:25:00.006+01:002010-08-12T15:52:09.437+01:00Another spinning wheelI haven't posted anything for ages, too busy with life & work I suppose.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Since I last posted I've bought myself another spinning wheel & acquired an alpaca fleece, neither of which I really needed, but this hobby is starting to really get me drawn in. Firstly the spinning wheel is a second-hand Spinolution Bee , bought from someone who I know through that great <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://spinolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/bee_open.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 186px;" src="http://spinolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/bee_open.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>medium called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>. I met Kat last<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span>year at a spinning workshop & was totally captivated by the little Bee, which folded up into a boxlike structure for carrying, so when she advertised it for sale I was straight in there. I had been looking to buy a new one, but they are very expensive, so didn't bother, but of course buying 2nd hand it worked out cheaper. I got 7 bobbins and a bag with it, which are all very expensive, so did really well I think. It's a totally different spinning concept to my other 2 wheels, on the Bee the treadling is a rocking action rather than a treadle as it is on most wheels. It took me a while to really get into it & I got really frustrated because I couldn't get the tension to work properly, either it wouldn't wind on the bobbin & I got too much twist or if I tightened the tension then it wouldn't get enough twist. It has a very unusual tensioning system, which works on Scotch tension principle, where you tighten the tension on the bobbin separately to the tension on the drive band, but it just kept slipping & I thought that I'd made a really bad mistake with buying it. I did join the Spinolution group on Ravelry & noticed that she'd posted about the problem a few months ago, so I contacted her & she suggested that I try what they also suggest, which is rubbing the little bit of suede on the tension block, which acts as a kind of brake system, to rough it up as it smooths out in time. I did this & it was a little better. But before I went to spin on it last night I decided to have another look at the tension block to make sure it was OK. It wasn't, it had become black & oily again, so I got some paper towel & a soft cloth & gave it a really good clean out. There's a spring at the back of where the flyer is connected to the shaft and there was some oil that had become really gunky. I think this might have been transferring back onto the part where the flyer arm goes back to meet the tension block. So after I'd cleaned it I cleaned the suede again, roughed it up & then put some beeswax onto the suede to keep it clean & give it more contact on the flyer arm. It seems to have worked as I didn't have nearly as much trouble getting the yarn to wind on. This particular wheel is made using ball bearings so needs rarely or never to be oiled, so I think either the wrong oil had been used or it was just too much oil for the wheel. I hope that it will now settle down & I'll have many happy hours using it. It's also great because it's quite small I can sit on the couch & use it & not block him indoors' view of the telly, which my other wheels do!<br /><br />The alpaca came from a lovely couple, near to where I live. His Mum was a member of our Guild, she joined because he had the alpacas & she wanted to learn to spin the fleece. Unfortunately she died last Christmas, so the fleeces from this year's clip were all just left. We went to the farm to have an afternoon spinning etc., drinking tea & eating yummy cakes. Some of the Guild took fleeces & I was determined not to, but there were a couple left & one was a pretty humbug, sort of oatmeal colour, so I took it in the end & gave a donation for the local charity that they support. It's still sitting here, a month on waiting for me to do something with it. I'll probably blend it with some wool rather than spin it by itself I think. I'll experiment & see what happens<br /></div>Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-8505441023513011752010-07-15T18:15:00.002+01:002010-07-15T18:33:12.842+01:00Holidays are greatBut it's a shame that we have to come back from them isn't it. Still I suppose we'd have nothing to look forward to & it would get just as much a grind being in the place where you holiday all the time, there'd be no change, which as the old saying goes is as good as a rest.<br /><br />We were very lucky with the weather, which is unusual for us, it's normally great weather & we go away & it turns horrible, but this time we chose the right week.<br /><br />Yesterday I had a lovely surprise. I got a hand delivered letter which had been sent via a mutual contact, from someone I was friendly with as a girl, the last time I must have spoken to her must have been over 25 years ago. Apparently she reckons that she said something to me in a phone conversation that really upset me & I broke off all communication with her, but I thought that I'd upset her which is why she never rang me again, just goes to show how words can be misconstrued. But it is lovely to catch up with her. I emailed her with my address & phone number & she was straight on the phone for a chat. She's now married for the 2nd time with 2 sons of her own, one adopted daughter from her 1st marriage & 3 step children from her 2nd marriage & 6 grandchildren, they look such a happy family & I'm so pleased for her that she's found happiness with her 2nd husband. I'm also pleased that we've got together again as I've often thought about her over the years & wondered what happened after her 1st marriage broke up.<br /><br />I can see that my weekend is going to be busy, our post lady asked me yesterday if I knew of someone who could help her process a fleece that she'd been given while on holiday in Yorkshire. Apparently it's a Cheviot fleece that's from last year's shearing with which the farmer won a prize. I of course said that I could help her, so it looks like Sunday will be spent sorting this fleece & teaching her how to wash it etc. She has a spindle which she's tried to use but can't, so I'll have a go at teaching her as well. I'm certainly not going to offer to spin it up for her, got far too much stuff of my own to spin.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-47732836650602547262010-07-01T14:38:00.005+01:002010-07-01T15:28:32.163+01:00Coffin Fleece anyone?I've just been to collect a fleece, a Norfolk, and the shepherd said that it was his coffin fleece. He explained that it's a traditional thing for a shepherd to have a fleece in his coffin if he/she dies as a mark of their occupation & he keeps one from the current year's wool clip just in case he dies. I felt a bit guilty about it, but he assured me that there was plenty of stuff around that could be put in his coffin by his family if need be, and I did say that he looked pretty healthy to me. I said to contact me if he ever needed some of the fleece back, but then he'd be dead wouldn't he doh. Anyway, I haven't had a chance to really look at it yet, but it doesn't seem too bad, not too many second cuts etc. & seems at first glance not to be too full of VM, but I will see when I open it out properly. What is a bit upsetting is that he's let all the other fleeces, some 200 of them, go to the BWMB for pennies. I told him that hand spinners would happily pay good money for decent fleeces & he said that they do have some good ones, he's even got a 2nd prize for a fleece recently at one of the shows. So next year I've promised to contact him around April/May & see if I can find people interested in buying some of the fleeces. He actually works for a Trust which needs to obviously make as much money as it can, so it would be good if he could make a bit more for them.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-48288278185815250792010-06-29T17:30:00.007+01:002010-06-30T11:14:07.347+01:00Weddings, aren't they wonderful?Yes it's said rather tongue in cheek really. We had to go last weekend to a family wedding near Manchester. Now I'm not a great one for do's like this especially as it wasn't close family. I find them rather boring really, especially because these days such a huge emphasis is put on getting everything just right for the bridal party & they forget that they've invited all these guests who may have to hang around for hours with nothing to do. Yes you may say I'm being miserable, but this particular wedding got off to a very bad start. The bride was 45 minutes late, yes 45 minutes. There were 280 guests all sitting very uncomfortably on the hottest day of the year, when many of the people there could have been watching the agonising World Cup England/Germany match. There was only water to drink if you wanted to climb over the other guests to get out to get some. Apparently one of the make-up artists didn't show & the one that did was very slow. I honestly couldn't even tell that they'd had the make-up done professionally when I looked closely. The bride's mother walked down the aisle looking as though she'd sucked a lemon, what a way to celebrate your daughter's wedding, I'm glad I wasn't on the receiving end of her tongue on Monday morning! Apparently she's not known for her diplomacy & tact.<br /><br />Then of course everything else was running late & we didn't finish dinner until 9.30. Luckily the hotel was only a couple of miles away so we didn't have a long drive back afterwards, but it wasn't the best time, you couldn't even get on the tiny dance floor to have a boogie & the band they had was so loud that you could hear it well outside the hall, but the youngsters enjoyed themselves while anyone over 40 sat outside in the marquee.<br /><br />Luckily we don't have any more weddings or big do's on the horizon. Don't get me wrong I love a good party, but this was just so uncomfortable & I had to sit for so long without anything to do that I was bored rigid. Shame I didn't have my knitting with me or at least a bit of crochet to keep me occupied, but then people would have known I was a bit odd instead of just suspecting it haha.<br /><br />Anyway my moaning will now stop as I received a few samples of fleece today in the post. One was some Polwarth, one Polwarth ram & the last was Llanwenog. Unfortunately as I was a bit late asking about the Polwarth the only one left is a bit felted, but might come up OK in the wash. She sent me a bit that's been washed & it seems to be good, but will just need careful washing & the locks will have to be pulled apart as I go. It's certainly very soft & silky & will spin up I'm sure as next to the skin soft. I'll have to see if the ram fleece is any good, but I suspect that it will be a bit stinky & probably not as soft. The Llanwenog is quite a bit coarser so I might not bother with that as I don't think it's a lot different to the Texel that I've already got plenty of. I'm also getting a Norfolk fleece later this week, so hope that will be OK, as I haven't yet seen it & don't know anything about the people selling it, so only hope that it's useable after I've made the trek to get it. HD thinks I'm barmy & that I've got enough fleece, but a spinner can never have enough. He doesn't know about the 500 grammes of Merino that I got a few weeks ago either or for that matter the mohair that came at around the same time mwwahaha. But then when I read about how much other people have I've have very little but HD doesn't realise that.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-17043928742589720102010-06-14T15:28:00.003+01:002010-06-17T14:37:37.073+01:00A good weekendMy other passion than all things woolly related is probably a rather unusual one, it's Morris Dancing. I've been involved with my Morris side since it started in 1981, so very nearly 30 years now. I unfortunately no longer dance due to dodgy joints, but I can still play music, so I can be involved.<br /><br />I had a great fun weekend in the Forest of Dean dancing with FOD Morris Men & other sides. This is the 2nd year we've been invited along & although we didn't have the scenic tour this year which we did last year, when we had Tintern Abbey & Symonds Yat to dance, it was still enjoyable, with good company. Being organised by a men's side we found the food rather stodgy, unfortunately we women don't in general enjoy eating pie all weekend, but that's all we seemed to do! I left HD at home to look after the dogs & shared the B&B with a very long standing friend, I mustn't call her 'old' of course, but we've been friends well over 30 years. We had a wonderful B&B called The Rock, at Hillersland just half a mile down the road from Symonds Yat & the views were absolutely spectacular. It was very comfortable & the owners & their dogs were very welcoming, certainly somewhere I would love to stay again. I was absolutely exhausted though when I got home on Sunday, from not only the weekend but also from the long drive home, over 3 hours straight driving on A roads is pretty tiring, especially as my car's still not behaving itself . Anyway I hope we can go along next year & perhaps have a bit more of a holiday rather than just the weekend.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-36756958898465666632010-06-07T17:49:00.004+01:002010-06-07T18:28:36.059+01:00Cars don't you love 'emMy cars been a right pain, I know it's nearly 8 years old, and up until now it's been a really good workhorse, not let us down at all, but a couple of weeks ago it just conked out on HD. Stopped dead, nadda nothing nil. He of course didn't have either his phone (he has 2) or his AA card on him. Luckily he was outside the shops & the people at the dry cleaners who he uses regularly, let him phone me. Well the AA came out very quickly & towed him to a garage round the corner which lots of people we know use. Turned out we knew the owner from HD's youth club leader days. Anyway it seemed the clutch & flywheel had gone & they'd broken some sensor on the crankshaft, so that had to be replaced as well as the clutch. The car had to be taken to a specialist clutch place in town, but I have to say they were excellent, however we noticed that oil was leaking, so they had the car back to have a look at it. Apparently someone had jacked it up without a board & done damage to a stopper or something (you can tell I know all about cars) so they replaced it free of charge & let us have a courtesy car while they were doing the repair & checking it out. When we got it back HD noticed that there was another leak, but when I checked I said that it was only water from the air-con, but by then he'd rung the clutch place & they were on their way to collect it. Again they left us the courtesy car & took it away to check. Turns out I was right, it was just condensation from the air-con ( see I told you I know all about cars ;-) but they were great in the way that they dealt with it. It's so rare that you get anyone admitting that something was their fault & putting it right without charge or checking something out that isn't even their fault at all. It's restored my faith in the motor industry & of course we wouldn't hesitate to recommend them, which has to be the best way of getting business.<br /><br />I'm still plodding on with spinning the Texel fleece. HD was out most of Saturday, so after cleaning the kitchen which was a right tip, getting the car from the clutch place & doing a few other chores I spent a bit of time with my drum carder prepping a load, then did a bit of spinning & plying. Then I saw my neighbour who keeps a few sheep & popped round to have a look at the fleeces he'd shorn. I ended up with 2 of them, one's a Leicester Border cross, which seems quite fine & soft & a good length staple, the other one's I think a Suffolk cross, bit shorter staple & not quite as fine or soft, but will probably spin up OK. I've not pulled them out of the bags we put them into yet, but I think looking at the bits I pulled off there's going to be quite a lot of 2nd cuts as he sheared them himself, but will have to see what they're like when I've washed them. Trouble is it takes so long to get them washed & dried. I don't want to put them in the bath as DH would go barmy, so do bits in a washing up bowl that I keep for the wool only. Also the weather's up & down, so the rest of the Texel that I washed is still not quite dry & I don't want to do any more until the weather is settled, it looks like it's going to be showery for this week. Sunday was more plying & spinning & HD is now completely sure that I love sheep more than any other creature. Not true of course, they're just very useful animals.<br /><br />I've also started on a cardigan, it's a Drops pattern with some teal coloured yarn that I bought from <a href="http://www.moonstoneyarns.co.uk/index.php?route=common/home">Moonstone Yarns</a>. The yarns' merino & acrylic, lovely & soft & lightweight, but the bottom will curl up. It starts with 6 rows of garter stitch & then changes to stocking stitch. I frogged it back & started the stocking stitch on the purl row rather than the knit row, and I thought that would solve the problem, but it's still curling, probably because the wool's very lightweight, but hopefully it will lay down after blocking. If not then I might try a crab stitch border or maybe even sew a few beads on to give it a bit of weight.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-76110988045985623952010-06-02T11:33:00.012+01:002010-06-02T18:05:24.600+01:00SunshineAt last the sun has come out again, it's been such a miserable Bank Holiday weekend, typical of the British spring & yesterday felt like a good day for November & certainly not the 1st of June! We were going to go boating at the weekend, but the car broke down last week & we've had to spend a fortune getting the clutch, flywheel & some sensor that broke replaced. Still it's a good job that we kept our AA cover going as they were really quick to respond & we got a free hire car for 3 days. However I'm not too happy as last night coming home it made a bit of a clonking noise & lost a bit of power, then today we noticed some sort of fluid on the drive, so it's going back tomorrow, they said 'something might be a bit loose' a screw perhaps, says she tongue in cheek!<br /><br />Anyway I'm getting on with planning the Ravelry meeting in September with both Chris & Dianne agreeing to do proper workshops. I will write a bit more about both of them in future, suffice it to say that both are very experienced in their fields and present very enjoyable and informative workshops. Hopefully lots of people will take up the opportunity to gain the knowledge that they can impart.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHitIw9YkMOko8-dceKv7NyNsSSB2EyXoOyaq47Q4q9lm8ArsbcLWZpDSUeZsw8IribpUHhZHpT6CQB_u1ptMiI6DIin9DNBBHUkyRCfEKFLYfTT5Wl9RrBYwuGgm0Tpz2r4ALhqFt1lx/s1600/IMG_0301.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHitIw9YkMOko8-dceKv7NyNsSSB2EyXoOyaq47Q4q9lm8ArsbcLWZpDSUeZsw8IribpUHhZHpT6CQB_u1ptMiI6DIin9DNBBHUkyRCfEKFLYfTT5Wl9RrBYwuGgm0Tpz2r4ALhqFt1lx/s200/IMG_0301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478213669657361922" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">So now to my spinning.I've started on the Texel with a vengeance, I've done a sampler and one bobbin spun & another one on the way, but if I'm to get as far as making an Aran sweater for HD then I'd better get a move on. Why an Aran sweater? Well I showed him a sample of the yarn that I'd spun & knitted & his reaction was 'that would make a lovely Aran jumper' when I said that I'd probably dye it. It's true, I'd spun t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QfyveuEffz357wDVXMF4riwevUQNnjrNyhyZBy2c9yTS5mBulpWnoap__woJkj_JKiBqyC7H-cY2-1dBqJpNSETFB3iOPUia3DnWh7UvnNpTRxyvsPMmqWK741zlYDpTSb0oADyRyhtz/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QfyveuEffz357wDVXMF4riwevUQNnjrNyhyZBy2c9yTS5mBulpWnoap__woJkj_JKiBqyC7H-cY2-1dBqJpNSETFB3iOPUia3DnWh7UvnNpTRxyvsPMmqWK741zlYDpTSb0oADyRyhtz/s200/IMG_0302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478215351602955458" border="0" /></a>o about 8-9 WPI so it's Aran weight yarn & it's not really soft enough for next to the skin, it's a bit scratchy, not too much, but would make a good hard wearing jumper, so I frogged back & did this cable sample & it certainly does look good. I'm pleased that I didn't hot wash the fleece with detergent & just soaked overnight in warm water & scouring solution as I prefer the way that it's spun with some of the lanolin left in, it's meant that I could get a thicker spin into the yarn. Since I've learnt to spin lace weight I've found it very hard to go back to spinning heavier yarn, but have managed with this possibly because of the fact that the lanolin in the wool gives a lot more 'drag' to it as I spin. I then washed the sample in very hot water with dishwashing liquid in & the lanolin has come out. Now lots of people say that you can't get the lanolin out once fleece is spun, but when I started spinning some 30 years ago most people spun in the grease i.e. straight from the fleece, then washed later. I know that this is impossible with some high grease fleeces like merino, but with lower grease fleece it works perfectly well. I'd say experiment with what you've got as this is the only way to go, there's no rule book, no law on how to do it, just go with what you feel comfortable doing & see if it works. Lots of people wouldn't dream of putting fleece into boiling water thinking that it would just felt & shrink, but so long as it's not very fine & you don't agitate it or shock it by then putting into cold water it should be quite OK. After all have you ever tried to actually make felt? It takes lots of hot soapy water & lots of effort, that's what I've found anyway.<br /></div>Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-22273833275433126342010-05-22T16:17:00.004+01:002010-05-22T16:42:37.327+01:00Bloomin cold!No it's not cold here, in fact it's really hot, well by British standards it is anyway, around 26 degrees C, so really lovely, but I've been unwell all week with a cold & cough. Bad enough to get one in the winter, but I've gone right through until this week without one.<br /><br />It's HD's Birthday today as well & we were supposed to have been out on our narrow boat this weekend, but with me feeling so rotten we decided not to go, hopefully next weekend which is a Bank Holiday will be good weather & we'll go then instead. It's actually a bit uncomfortable if the weather's really hot & sunny when we're boating, as you've got no shade when steering & it's difficult to keep the dogs cool, they hate being confined inside & although they're in & out of the garden here, at least they can go into the house or find shade if they want it. But I do feel a little bit guilty H is having a bit of a boring Birthday. I did offer to take him somewhere 'exciting' but he couldn't come up with any suggestions, so we're going out to the pub for a meal tonight & as it's so nice we'll hopefully be able to sit in the garden & have a Pimm's numnum.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyvULY4UjY0YUuccemf-_ddFo9h8b6Npz7-YApL2cm-apVNVQPiCMc2TU6o_SqUJXSrWud3MQVcXfQO0Cu9hGTDykeBXivwyt9Cg91JLIJiFbOMUHCNqFIQ-q4x4z05adTUhiMeMJyqcY/s1600/IMG_0251.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyvULY4UjY0YUuccemf-_ddFo9h8b6Npz7-YApL2cm-apVNVQPiCMc2TU6o_SqUJXSrWud3MQVcXfQO0Cu9hGTDykeBXivwyt9Cg91JLIJiFbOMUHCNqFIQ-q4x4z05adTUhiMeMJyqcY/s200/IMG_0251.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474115554769258770" border="0" /></a><br />I've spent the morning spinning some more the Black Hebridean fleece that I bought last year. It looks really quite brown in this picture that I took when I first got it, but in fact it's only the tips that are brown from the sun. I think it must have been a late clipping as not only are the tips bleached but there's a bit of scurf in some places. Most of this comes out when I comb it, some when I spin & hopefully the final bit will come out when I give it a final washing. I hope to get enough yarn out to be able to knit something like a waistcoat for me, will just have to see how it goes. I'm using my handmade woolcombs that I bought from <a href="http://www.pmwoolcraft.co.uk/">P&M Woolcraft</a>. Martin makes them himself & because the staple on this wool is nice & long, around 4 inches, it's combing really well, even better now it's sat out in the sun as I didn't take all the lanolin out. I prefer if I can to leave a bit in when I spin as I find that I get a better 'slide' with a bit of lanolin, so long as the wool is reasonably warm it's not a problem. If the wool is very sticky with lanolin though it's best to take more out otherwise the fleece will just stick & won't spin at all well. Something like Merino or Cormo tends to be much higher in lanolin & in fact some that I've seen is more like wax & literally has to be melted off with very hot water & lots of detergent. I intend to try some of the Texel fleece with some of the Synthrapol that I got from Jenny last Saturday, rather than detergent. She suggested that it's best used in warm water & soaked overnight so I might do that before we go out this evening.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-46776074893622251992010-05-16T16:58:00.018+01:002010-05-16T19:50:29.559+01:00A dyeing dayI had a very tiring but far more inspiring day than I ever thought possible yesterday. It was a day of learning to dye with natural materials. Our tutor was <a href="http://www.jennydean.co.uk/wordpress/">Jenny Dean</a>, who we are lucky enough to have as President of our Weavers, Spinners & Dyers Guild here in Bedfordshire. Unfortunately for our Guild, Jenny is in the process of moving house and will be going out of our area, so we won't have her to hand in future to draw on her expertise.<br /><br />I've had a very basic go at dyeing wool with some Koolaid in the microwave & although I didn't get exactly the results I wanted, it was OK. But the process of using natural plants etc. for dyeing filled me with a lot more pleasure even if it is much harder work. I would love to be able to do this sort of thing on a regular basis, but I feel that with time constraint it will be one of the things that I will keep for my retirement, just another thing to add to my increasingly long list, I'm going to be busier than I am now! I can see why people are drawn into dyeing, especially with the lovely soft colours that you get from using natural dyes. It somehow feels a bit like Alchemy, especially when you see how different modifiers change the yarn to different shades. I will try to have a go with some of this Texel fleece that I've got & see how it dyes up, but I need to get myself some equipment & quite a few hours to myself first.<br /><br />So these are the 2 skeins I dyed, they are from some rather badly spun Wensleydale that I spun last year, I don't particularly want to knit with them but they will probably be OK to add texture to weaving.<br /><br />This first one was dyed with rhubarb root and then modified with alkaline in the form of washing soda. The piec<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4y4u9ZVQZ1J93aLGpfE9xTe37g3y53WHeii5DW3Pp5kwhBCio2LGvDVOGA2AVMQTZ2s9oCXAZxbbfBTAaGspZJaRTCsz-rSaWOJ2SI-hFGKu2CaGI0L6SVE0btAu2deRzYRUbjRSIk0W/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4y4u9ZVQZ1J93aLGpfE9xTe37g3y53WHeii5DW3Pp5kwhBCio2LGvDVOGA2AVMQTZ2s9oCXAZxbbfBTAaGspZJaRTCsz-rSaWOJ2SI-hFGKu2CaGI0L6SVE0btAu2deRzYRUbjRSIk0W/s200/IMG_0296.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471931928368361666" border="0" /></a>e that we did for our sample cards was much more of a taupe, sort of pinkish colour which was what I wanted, but this has come out much more of a mustard colour. It could be something to do with the fact that the power blew out in the room we were using, although Jenny was careful not to plug all the hotplates & the boiler into the same plugs so the circuits weren't overloaded, & no-one could find the trip switch. It took a good half hour before the hall Chairman arrived to fix it, so the pans were standing for quite a long time before we had decided to transfer them into the hallway & kitchen where the points were still working.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv99UCzZ_lJjeHkZ7oAOGd0FOL4xaHIODsXBwL7kPkgIJAgwrGiw2FVAy16G9V6eJ9QWQCVNqX6CeBz1klmvG5SFgFD0aJEkKmdBrVnyuk9n8GMQacZlLJbX_EShyphenhyphenMJNAfPl49KPTKLAQ/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv99UCzZ_lJjeHkZ7oAOGd0FOL4xaHIODsXBwL7kPkgIJAgwrGiw2FVAy16G9V6eJ9QWQCVNqX6CeBz1klmvG5SFgFD0aJEkKmdBrVnyuk9n8GMQacZlLJbX_EShyphenhyphenMJNAfPl49KPTKLAQ/s200/IMG_0297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471936577736658466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This second one was dyed in madder. It's a lovely warm, rich colour & I look forward to using madder more for dyeing in the future<br /><br />So how did we go about the dyeing process? Well first our skeins were given a good soaking in water, one person's wool was still too greasy so she had to wash it in some dishwashing liquid to get the lanolin out. The dye won't take well if there's grease in the fleece as it were, & will be patchy when it's dyed. Once the wool had soaked well it was put into the boiler with an alum mixture. Without my notes I can't remember the exact amount, but I think it was 100gm of alum to 1 kilo of yarn, but don't take that as gospel. The wool was brought up to simmering & left to simmer in the boiler until we were ready for it. If you boil wool it won't harm it as it's already been hot washed to remove the lanolin & I wash my skeins again once they've been spun so they're pretty well shrunk by then. The dye pots were prepared by putting the dyestuff into them & giving them a good simmering to release the dye, then strained & they were ready, so we chose which ones we wanted to use. The madder was popular & we had 2 pots of that going, one was partly exhausted from the morning's dyeing when we'd been doing our sample pieces, so the results from that were more pink than red/orange. I chose the new pot to get the more vibrant colour & the pot of rhubarb root to which Jenny added extra dye extracts rather than boiling up more of the actual root which would have been too time consuming. Then skeins into pots & the fuses blew out, but we managed to get our skeins dyed & I was more than happy with my efforts. We also had some superb cup cakes which were brought in by Julie, a new member of the Guild. She was signed up very quickly I noticed!<br /><br />Next time I'll post about preparing fleece for spinningWoolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-86543413677675716852010-05-14T12:38:00.004+01:002010-05-14T13:26:35.926+01:00Gloom or green?It's funny how clicking on a link on the Internet often brings you into a thought process or place that you wouldn't have discovered otherwise.<br /><br />I've often been thought of as a rather left-wing hippy, a bit odd, with ideas that people just laugh at. In my youth I used to dream of being part of an eco-friendly community where we grew our own food, made our own clothes & needed little of the economies of the outside world to survive. A pipe dream that a few people followed, but many couldn't sustain ending up with infighting & disillusion. Many years ago when I said that the green movement was right, that we should all consider what we were doing to this planet we live on & think carefully about how we live our lives, some people thought I was more than a bit odd. Well now it seems that many other people also think much like me, that rampant consumerism & greed is just destroying the world around us & not putting anything like enough back to sustain the future. A ridiculous thought many of you might say, but when I look around at the way we simply discard so much in our lives, is it?<br /><br />How many people, especially women, think that a good day out is one spent shopping at the big retail outlets, then throwing away very quickly the goods they've bought? They look at me as if I've got 2 heads when I say that this has to be one of the most mind numbing & boring things that I could do with my time, & can't understand that I'd rather be close to home or at home creating something, whether that's by my own hands or being taught a skill by someone with more knowledge than I have. The ancient ways of passing on knowledge in a local arena of some sort, is something that brings far more joy to my heart than sitting drinking coffee in a soulless coffee shop that belongs to a chain of such around the world, even if they do expound their 'Faitrade' products. OK some of the clothes end up in the local charity shop & they do their bit for the recycling of goods, but the amount of it that gets thrown away is criminal.<br /><br />All the recycling that I used to do & got laughed at for doing is, I'm pleased to say, now taken as far nearer the norm than it was even 5 years ago & family & friends who just didn't bother at all, are now doing it mostly without a second thought, sorting household waste into it's correct disposal bins & boxes.<br /><br />So I was delighted to read about <a href="http://www.dark-mountain.net/">The Dark Mountain Project</a>. Many people will say it's a load of nonsense & much too far fetched & of course mankind will find ways of getting round losing natural resources, but how long will that take? Yes I enjoy living in the modern world, having heat & light that are relatively easy to come by, modern drugs which will certainly give me as an individual a healthier and probably longer life, the Internet, a car & all the other things that we modern humans living in a Westernised society regard as the norm, but I do wonder at the cost of these things. Will ancient skills be totally lost, will there be enough people interested in keeping them alive so that when we no longer have the oil, coal or any other form of power to drive the mighty engines of consumerism around the world. Will there be people who are interested enough to try the old skills that were used for centuries up until the Industrial Revolution, when we moved from relying on our own skills and the power of humans & animals, to the slow destruction of our world around us?<br /><br />So I'll carry on learning old skills & hopefully will at some point be able to pass them on to others to sustain the circle. So that when the huge economies of the manufacturing world break down, there'll still be people who have the skill & knowledge to produce the yarn to make their own clothing, grown their own food & herbs and be able to live in some sort of comfort and aren't driven by a continuous need for ever higher profit.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-20884177502742624102010-05-13T12:00:00.003+01:002010-05-13T12:08:01.991+01:00Wooly washingWell I said that I spin & knit, so here's a couple of pictures.<br /><br />First of all the socks that I'm knitting in Regia bamboo mix<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeSj_DFE6bgoVy0N9uZ0XqUgIBZUNmIVXUVM-46U102h9r_Gzv1Q1108tD0dTQwo2wMt1Mo-FC8g3Z_NEPi5gF9JQEB26QGny9vvBLXgSl7Hu8Qb8QnZU7o1-POu9yfhkHInRUA5BEu2a/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeSj_DFE6bgoVy0N9uZ0XqUgIBZUNmIVXUVM-46U102h9r_Gzv1Q1108tD0dTQwo2wMt1Mo-FC8g3Z_NEPi5gF9JQEB26QGny9vvBLXgSl7Hu8Qb8QnZU7o1-POu9yfhkHInRUA5BEu2a/s320/IMG_0292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470701023796801282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuHV1vQD5YQzBejXIQBXUXnlDK6uebfDgSOOt2iHLjl1sAHvScIqSAibYi58OZZohQMxvlYrpIshkmYtk8MYPlOSZqq0EiWY1jedcfQXLo6EfWO3_pBAWwJ0B4Ig6Y53hHrMuEydYSqke/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuHV1vQD5YQzBejXIQBXUXnlDK6uebfDgSOOt2iHLjl1sAHvScIqSAibYi58OZZohQMxvlYrpIshkmYtk8MYPlOSZqq0EiWY1jedcfQXLo6EfWO3_pBAWwJ0B4Ig6Y53hHrMuEydYSqke/s200/IMG_0293.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470708505293998818" border="0" /></a><br />And this is just a very small bit of one of the Texel fleeces that I've just bought<br /><br />and a few of the locks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82e-s8_Y8y1t8gs9R2FG_UAAuVo2cfm09QyCwpM4icpeSGd6B2nYupxkDkL_vfcKvXakvPJO09vnua0W8MY3B-zM6ghgrOf_VmAyAA8TfGfRREpa8uaEcEU7QEyyhaZP0Kcs2TxzsxmpF/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82e-s8_Y8y1t8gs9R2FG_UAAuVo2cfm09QyCwpM4icpeSGd6B2nYupxkDkL_vfcKvXakvPJO09vnua0W8MY3B-zM6ghgrOf_VmAyAA8TfGfRREpa8uaEcEU7QEyyhaZP0Kcs2TxzsxmpF/s200/IMG_0295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470702624252926770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I've got so much of this I think I might just get a bit fed up with spinning it!<br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My intention was to have enough to spin a jumper's worth, so when Jan said that they were lamb fleeces I though I'd need a couple of them. What I didn't know was that they were yearlings & were ginormous as they are raised for meat of course, unlike a lot of the rare breeds that are raised for their grazing & fleece. I did intend to get a few other fleeces, but think I'd better get some of this used up first & finish the black Hebridean & also some of the Shetland fle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf19jWS34GMh55R86JBI2u2ai1GXWzW0vW3YzIufVKxwakCSHa0hcglM22mgBuKFDhmHQXmuq0UapBcZXHr1WPA0AAOExlWxWIk0J-_9bJZ-O616Xqe5WJQ6aA22eikDekHAG6RwHIEA_G/s1600/IMG_0254.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf19jWS34GMh55R86JBI2u2ai1GXWzW0vW3YzIufVKxwakCSHa0hcglM22mgBuKFDhmHQXmuq0UapBcZXHr1WPA0AAOExlWxWIk0J-_9bJZ-O616Xqe5WJQ6aA22eikDekHAG6RwHIEA_G/s200/IMG_0254.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470707444532797714" border="0" /></a>ece that I got last year for free. The Shetland is spinning up nicely for lace weight on my old Haldane spinning wheel<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm spinning the Hebridean on my Lendrum wheel, that's coming out around double knitting weight.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4GEzZfLyUsUBVpBZB87xfsY7nM9W9cGsMZmirlW4BbQxS_cZpvakCf6ZCMuTsdlAidn4hiuKgNoCtsTCvM_fMlM6wlVTbebEnp6fn7lW4kyqKvS73FptB9PrCHz9sSOj9MigsGX3vH7V/s1600/IMG_0251.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4GEzZfLyUsUBVpBZB87xfsY7nM9W9cGsMZmirlW4BbQxS_cZpvakCf6ZCMuTsdlAidn4hiuKgNoCtsTCvM_fMlM6wlVTbebEnp6fn7lW4kyqKvS73FptB9PrCHz9sSOj9MigsGX3vH7V/s200/IMG_0251.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470709264983360994" border="0" /></a> Will have to see how much I can get out of this as I'm combing to get a smoother yarn & so I'm wasting quite a lot. Even if I get enough for a waistcoat that would be great.<br /></div></div>Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-60620273591908563382010-05-12T15:55:00.001+01:002010-05-12T15:57:16.381+01:00This is getting addictiveI didn't think when I started this that I would get into the habit of blogging every day, perhaps it's the novelty which will stop very soon who knows?<br /><br />Well Dave & Sam Cam are now in Downing Street & much as I disliked Gordon Brown as PM I really felt for him when he gave his resignation speech. I do wish him well whatever he does do in the future, whether it's charity work if he resigns his seat or if he stays in Parliament, which must be a very bitter pill to swallow, sitting on the Backbenches when you've commanded so much power.<br /><br />Last night was a disaster one way or another, cold food & nothing like I ordered, soup that was like salty dishwater & the waitress said that it was hot & promptly spilt it down me! Luckily it wasn't that hot & my jacket is washable but the final straw was the most tasteless dessert I've ever had in my life. They brought me fruit salad instead which was OK. The only redeeming feature was that the company was good. Unfortunately we heard that a friend had just died that afternoon, so it really was the final upset of the evening.<br /><br />Still on to happier things. Today, it was school knitting club. Still quite a few interested kids & some of the year 2's are getting along really well. I had my niece & another young girl, but if I cast on once for the other girl I must have cast on ten times, she just couldn't get it & kept pulling the stitches off the needles. Then she told me that she could knit better with one needle, when I asked her what she meant she tried to show me a looped cast on which the family worker had shown her last week, which she still didn't know how to do. It's a quick way of casting on but isn't really that good for a beginner as it stretches too much & doesn't form a good base, but I suppose that she might get it eventually. My niece, or great niece really, managed to get a few stitches knitted, so hopefully she'll make some progress next week.<br /><br />I'm going to try getting some of the Texel fleece washed so that I can get it ready for the natural dyeing workshop with Jenny Dean on Saturday, also I'd better get 50gms of yarn ready to dyeWoolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-53234263424385825042010-05-11T11:00:00.000+01:002010-05-11T11:15:23.226+01:00Another grey dayWhere is the Spring, will someone please tell me? Is this part of the famous Global Warming? I thought the scientists said that we would get warmer summers. Having had to light the fire last night in desperation, I don't think that the weather's going to plan, or is this just a glitch & we'll all be baking in 80 degrees later on?<br /><br />Anyway enough of the ranting and lets talk about socks. Now I started knitting socks about 3 years ago when I joined a knitting forum & they were all talking about it. So I ordered some double pointed needles & sock wool & I was off. All the training that my late Mum had given me paid off, the old brain clicked into gear, well more like kerchunked and ground slowly, & off I went, then I learnt Magic Loop & there was no stopping me. I now rarely wear anything but my own hand knitted socks, but some of the ones I made when I first started knitting then are now starting to fall apart, so I need to keep going. At the moment I've got some OTN (on the needles) which are a bamboo mix so ideal for summer if we ever get any. I really must also knit some of the half dozen or so other balls of yarn that I have in stash so I'm not walking around in socks that are starting to go holey.<br /><br />Off for a wander round Covent Garden this afternoon with my Sister in Law then dinner with Hubs & Brother & friends this evening.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930680865194936917.post-46524048685903771402010-05-10T12:56:00.001+01:002010-05-10T13:23:12.257+01:00Be gentle with meWell it had to come at some point in time I decided that I would blog.<br /><br />I'm a knitter, crocheter, spinner (in the wooly sense) & quilter, although looking at the unfinished quilt, started some 3 years ago sitting neatly folded up on the arm of the small sofa, that glares at me every time I pass it by, I should say occasional quilter. I can also do most types of embroidery & sew, however it's the same modern disease that most of us now suffer from that stops me doing a lot of this stuff, that's lack of time. My DH thinks that I should still work, & so does the Government. I'm one of those women born in the 50's who the Government has seen fit to deprive of a State pension at 60 & give us equality with men, so I'll be 64 years & 3 months old before the Government deems it right for me to retire & get a bit of money back that I've paid for all my working life. Yes I know I was one of those women who wanted equality, but I wanted men to have the choice of retiring a at 60 not for us women to have to work longer. By the time I get to nearly 65 they'll probably have put up the retirement age again & I'll be pushing 70 before I get a flipping pension.<br /><br />Anyway that's just a little rant, I'm good at those as you'll find out if you follow me at all.<br /><br />Now to the crafts that I like to do. As I've said I love to knit, spin etc. and always have far too much on the go, I'm a bit of a flitter between projects, always have been. Probably when they carry me off in my box whoever is left with the daunting task of clearing out my humble abode will shake their head in wonder at the amount of UFO's (that's unfinished objects, not the things that some people believe wander around our skies) that I have. I really do intend to finish them one day, but that's somewhere in the future. Trouble is I see a new yarn or pattern & I just want to start something new now, right this minute. Most of these things are for me, so I'm the one who goes without. I'm pretty good at finishing stuff for others, in fact if it's something for DH it's all I can do to get stuff cast off & sewn up before he's wearing it, I suppose I should be flattered really that he likes my work enough to wear it, I know lots of partners don't even give a thank you for hand made stuff that has been lovingly made for them, but that's likely to get me into another rant so I'll leave that for another day.Woolyheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428463097892422293noreply@blogger.com