My lovely Secret Pal sent me another parcel. There are three skeins of dusky pink Lamb’s Pride (and I hadn’t realised it had mohair in it so it feels so soft, plus chocolates (all now eaten and enjoyed), scented wooden balls to keep the moths off (and all tied up in PINK ribbons), and this summer’s Spin Off magazine. This edition made me very happy as it has sheep hand puppets, a wrist wool holder and an article on North Ronaldsay sheep – the ones who eat seaweed. A VERY BIG THANK YOU to my secret pal.

And last weekend’s spin-in was at the Kingfisher Project in east Birmingham, to celebrate its 21st birthday. The project is about the local river Cole, and somehow us spinners weaver and dyers got invited, and it would have been churlish to turn them down.

It was a delightful day. The rangers and volunteers were relaxed. We had a double gazebo to keep off first the rain then the sun. They had got three varied musical interludes – Morris dancing, South American musicians and Indian drumming. And the general public were an interested bunch who asked intelligent questions and seemed very pleased to see our crafts and the few things we had on display. Sometimes talking to the public can be a demoralising experience but that day it was uplifting. And I spun 2 big skeins of 2-ply Shetland which was lush to work. Only another 4 lots the same size before I can make a jumper with it!

At last a pair

Well I have finally finished the sister sock to the pink sock. Of course the current weather is far too glorious to wear socks any more than is necessary. But I’m pleased with them and they didn’t take as long as I thought (bearing in mind I am cycling to work most days so I don’t have valuable knitting-on-the-bus time). I bought some more white opal sock yarn at Woolfest to dye and intend to make my mum some socks for Christmas (the lucky woman should also benefit from an angora scarf I can’t start to knit until I have finished two more UFOs. I have spun about 80g of rabbit from the lovely Silkwood folk but it needs dyeing as white does not suit mum).


My Brea bag, made from the lovely purple yarn from my SP, is blocking but I need to work out what to use as a strap. I fear another trip to the local House of Fraser.

Pushbikes and the art of sales shopping

Am back from my week of cycling up the English Marches. I had a blissful time. Each day consisted of cycling, lunch, more cycling, dinner, bed (and sooo much sleep), and then the same again the next day. I did about 100 miles in just over 5 days, in a leisurely way, ie walking up any incline. Herefordshire and Shropshire are in a different century. Lots of B&W buildings and enough hills to be a bit interesting (plus all the second hand bookshops in Hay on Wye. I couldn’t carry the books I bought so had to post them to myself). I generally avoided anywhere which wasn't surrounded by fields except for mealtimes. The lanes were one-track ones with very little traffic and even going on B-roads was a bit too much company. I thought of nothing except the next turning, and had no news, no world cup or Wimbledon for the whole week. And in the evenings I read, and occasionally chatted to other youth hostellers. It was a bit hot at the beginning of the week and somehow I wasn't outside when it rained later. I did visit two National Trust houses (for the teashops as well as the elegant 18th century interiors).

Before Woolfest and after seeing the House of Fraser sale mentioned elsewhere, I just had to pop into my local one a couple of Fridays ago, just to see. I scored a pack of dusty pink Kid Classic. I did feel a bit proud of myself that first I looked up patterns to check that ten balls would be enough for a jumper. I have been caught out in my enthusiasm for Rowan before when I bought some Silken Tweed that was not enough for a jumper my size. I have visions of a cardigan with slightly flared wrists and just a touch of lacy bits at the edges.

When showing it to my colleagues I was stung by comments that I ought to finish what I was kitting. Guilty feeling from having said I would only have ten projects current at any one time… and realising it had gone up to twelve as I just had to start the purple yarn my SP sent (a Brea bag, finished the front and back so now need to do the gusset). So whilst listening to the radio that Saturday afternoon I was diligently sewing up my counterpane bag, only to find one of the squares was wrong. And it wasn’t a “just frog a little” mistake, but from the seventh row of 160. I did think about botching it but decided I couldn’t so I have undone it and started that square again. I have also been contemplating linings. Felted bags I don’t think need them but other knit fabrics would stretch without support so I need to line this. Can I find the orange, blue and white linens I have? They must be hiding from me in a fit of pique.

Heaven

Woolfest was created last year as a two-day festival of wool by the Woolclip (a cooperative based in north Cumbria who include farmers producing wool and mohair, creative textile and fibre artists and spinners, weavers, knitters and dyers with a shop at Priest's Mill in Caldbeck, Cumbria). Cockermouth may be a trek from most of the country, but all the traders in the spinning world you can think of plus many others, with the exception of Fibrecrafts, were there. I suppose the only comparison is with the shows you go to at the NEC, but at this one there were only two non-textile stalls I saw – both making baskets (one willow, one oak swill).

I somehow persuaded a friend to drive us up there and stay in Cockermouth Youth Hostel, which is an 18th mill. I promptly abandoned the friend after dinner to go spinning on the Friday night. This is the great Spin-in (think late 1960s love-in but with wool). About a hundred of us mainly with wheels but some knitting or spindling gathered in an agricultural show theatre. I joined a small group of Joy wheels and owners. One woman was pre-drafting silk, and kindly taught me. I have only tried silk a couple of times and had to fight with it which hurt my hands so I never thought I’d want to try again. But predrafting and winding the stuff onto a stick – I shall attempt this again. Got back to the hostel to find a Blue Peter session of needle felting going on.

The hostel had just over 20 of staying there – including a group of loud Yorkshire and Teeside women, plus an alpaca stallholder. The talk of mating alpacas before breakfast in the morning was a bit eye watering.

I had booked a class on long draw spinning with Freyalynn Close-Hainsworth for the morning. A select band with a variety of wheels, including a Hitchhiker. Now I think the Joy is beautifully portable but this one fits in a suitcase. It’s even shorter than the Joy. We were taught to card perfect little rolags, and take the plunge with spinning a yard at a time. Another thing to try at home.

And after that there was shopping. I had not only been saving money but had even thought about items I was after. I got a new top-whorl spindle as although I do spin occasionally with a spindle, they seem less effort (no faffing with half hitches). For those who don’t read the Journal there was an article recently on a new cross called Bowmont which is being developed which is ¾ merino and ¼ Shetland. The intention is to grow beautifully fine wool in this country, but it was not been too successful yet. I had to buy a bag of the fleece to try out. I also bought a book on learning to crochet for my mother who poor thing can no longer knit. Though there was much yarn , I resisted as I spin and dye I can’t really justify it…

There were also sheep, with several of the sheep societies present, fleece sale, and all these people to talk to about wool. Heaven.