New projects

 I seem to have been working on the same projects for ever. Well, some have been finished, ( see previous posts for the Exmoor Fair Isle sweater, and Fialka shawl, ) and some have bitten the dust. More of that anon.

 

The first of the new is yet another Annis by Susanna Ic. This is in a John Arbon 2/3 ply alpaca, in the most amazing rich ginger. I find myself in need of a bright shawl, which I will use as a scarf, to brighten all the neutrals that I wear.

 Just before we left for Wales, I started a pair of socks in a beautiful green. I found a lovely contrast for the toes and heels at Wonderwool. Oddly enough, it was from fivemoons! ( Of course it was... I know her sock yarns are reliable! ). On our return home, I finally decided, (with half a  sock made) that I did not like the yarn which the body of the sock was made from. ( not a fivemoons). So, I ripped it out. A jolly outing to see Sharon at fivemoons this week, and I came home with some lovely Luna Plus 4 ply, in Herb. As you see (above ), it sparks off beautifully against the  Pumpkin mini, (also Luna Plus 4 Ply), which I bought at Wonderwool.

 I also brought home some really cheery minis, which I could not resist. All Luna Plus 4 ply Minis.
                                                             Summer Marmalade
                                                         Geranium, and  Foxglove.
Sharon and I discussed the possibility of an improved version of the Firedrake scarf/shawl, which I made last Autumn. Possibly in a much heavier weight yarn, but still something really soft and luxurious. Hmm. Thinking caps on!

At Guild...

 It was Guild, on Saturday ( Devon Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers). One of the members had very kindly brought along this wheel for me to try. It is from Babe's Fibre Garden, an American firm. I am looking for a very light-weight wheel, as mine are very heavy. (Attending the group at Coldharbour Mill has become problematic, as the wheels have to be carried some distance, from the parking area to meeting room). The Babe's F.G. wheel is so light, I can carry it with one hand. It is quirky looking, and a friend said 'Not really your style, Darling''. However, I had great fun trying it, and it does spin beautifully. As long as one remembers that it is so light, and does not get carried away, and tip it up!
The downside, is that it is only available from America, at present, which could prove expensive. It is the taxes and postage that really push the price up.

There is generally a sales table, for members to sell various things, like excess fleece, or fruit and vegetables. There are a small number of members who keep hens, and sell their over-production. I bought this dozen eggs, from a mixed flock.
From the bottom row -the two outer eggs are properly white, the inner two are light brown.
Middle -the outer two are deep brown, with darker brown speckles, the inner two are pale Robin's-egg blue.
Top -left one is another white, middle two are pale brown, and far right is pale olive green.
These eggs are too pretty to use. The colours are much stronger, in the flesh. I am sure I will force myself to use them, though.

Beauty in Utility

Hay - On - Wye .....such a beautiful name. It conjures up such bucolic visions.  I have wished to visit the town for such a long time. Last week, during our stay in Wales, we did visit. I was not disappointed. It is very attractive, full of old buildings, quirky little side streets, and interesting shops. And books.... I have never seen so many. Shops full, little stalls, a house with the door propped open, and the entrance passage full of books for sale! Unusually for me, I did not buy any. I think I was just too boggled.

One shop we did buy from, was the Hay Makers. A witty name, and full of wonderful things. I could not resist this lovely dish. It was called a Cheese dish, but I feel it is rather small for that. It does  make a perfect Butter dish, though. It was made by a lady called Pauline Paterson. It fits in remarkably well with some pottery which is made locally ( Somerset).

 

I have been buying the pieces it complements for some years, making a small collection. Jugs, plates, dishes, a wonderful vase. These are made by Virginia Markham. 
The dish is a lovely thing to have as a souvenir, beautiful and useful. It chimes well with William Morris' dictum.

Wonderful Wonderwool

Wonderwool Wales was bigger and better, this year. Another hall had been added, so three halls of fibre-y fabulousness. Meeting up with all the usual suspects was as much fun as usual.

I bought an awful lot of socks from John Arbon. Some fabulous mini skeins from fivemoons yarns, for heels and toes. (Socks, of course.)  Only one ball of angora yarn from Bigwigs Angoras .... they had run out of the colour I wanted! Books, stitch markers, some delicious camel and silk lace-weight from Knitwitches. And it would not have been Wonderwool, if I had not kept up my strength with visits to Love Patisserie and Preseli Coffee.

 

 There were a number of representatives of fleece suppliers there.....

                     This lovely girl was on the British Coloured Sheep Society stand.

 

                                    A very pretty Ewe , for the Shetland Sheep Society

               Two Angora rabbits being beautiful on the Bigwigs Angoras stand.


                                       And there were one or two I had not expected.......

 

As I said, great fun, as ever, but Best beloved and I, along with Barley and Quince, did NOT bolt home at the end. We had booked a cottage for the week, so stayed on, and had a few more adventures in Wales.

Blossom time

A week of sun, after all the rain, meant we were finally able to do some work in the garden.

 The lushness of all the verdant foliage has become almost too green to look at. The fruit trees are all flowering fit to burst. The Prunus family ( Plum, Damson, Cherry and Blackthorn) have given a show such as I have never seen before. 
                                                            ( Above, sweet Cherry)

                                                            ( Pear)

                                         ( Blackthorn, with three wild Cherry behind)

                                                                     ( Apple)

Of course, I had to make sure of a bed for my precious Sweet Peas. Eight packets of seeds, this year. The best germination was that of some seeds I had saved from my favourite colour, autumn 2012. ( Yes, old seed! )  The worst was one plant from an extremely expensive packet of seeds, trumpeted as new, improved, best ever seen! £4.89 for fifteen seeds  ( one normally gets between twenty and thirty seeds in a packet! Usually around £3. ) Needless to say... shan't buy those again.

Good news on the Native Orchid front. This year, all the plants in the wood have come up. Even the Spotted one. The Croquet Lawn Orchid, having failed to appear last year, is back. So, nine in all. Good.

Still knitting

 Finally.... the Exmoor Fair Isle sweater is finished. Nine and a half  50 gram balls of Oatmeal, and  a bit less than two balls of Kingfisher. I got in a bit of a lather, when it came to putting the sleeves and body together, and forming a yoke. The bit I thought would be difficult was matching the lice pattern across all the body and sleeve stitches. It wasn't. I think I was one stitch out, but that got masked, when I did the decreases on the next row. The real fiddle was lengthening the back of the neck, and shoulders. Even that was not really difficult. The big problem is... thinking about it too much! Just do it!

 

Also finished.... the Susanna Ic Spring Fling KAL. This was a lovely experience, with a beautiful result. Susanna writes the patterns so clearly, and the charts are always easy. If one does get stuck, she provides amazing support with her patterns. I hope Asti /Juno likes it... I don't really want to part with it.

 (detail)

Goodbye to all that...

We have been keeping Bees here for nearly as long as we have lived here. There was no conscious decision to get Bees - they just came. Once they were here, we maintained the highest level of husbandry that we could. From one hive, the Apiary quickly grew to a minimum of six, with many more during the Summer. One memorable, and extremely busy, Summer, we had sixteen hives. The downside was never having a moment of peace during the active season. March to September, generally. At least one day of every week-end, was spent at the hives, with a couple of hours , here and there, to clean, mend, prepare or make equipment. Then there was the time, and hard work, in cleaning, preparing and bottling the honey. The honey harvest alone usually took two long week-ends.
It has taken two years to come around to making the decision to stop Beekeeping. So, last night, after sixteen years,( almost to the day) we sent the last colony off to it's new home. The area that has been used as an Apiary, seems suddenly huge. There has been a little talk of extending the Orchard, with some dwarfed and espaliered Pears, Plums, and Apricots.  We will see.

I used to keep Hens, you know.......