You may have guessed that I collected the poodle fur today. This mutt must have been part moose, there is shed loads of it, nearly 2lbs of gingery fur and although poodle is supposed to be one of the few dogs that are hypo-allergenic, this stuff is making me sneeze fit to bust.
It is pretty though. The official term is apricot which is admittedly nicer sounding than ginger and I have test blended it with both white and brown wool (bottom pic). It looks okay with both and with nearly a kilo of fur to spin that is a good thing because I need a kilo of wool to blend it with and as I am trying to have a small amount of profit out of this little project (no I am not doing this out of the goodness of my heart) I need that wool to be relatively cheap - which means the moorit shetland (reddish brown) that I bought at the Brecon wool market.
I am putting this through the guild's drum carder, I hate to think how long it would take me to blend it by hand. As it is I will be lucky if I get this yarn completed in anything under a fortnight. It is great to have a challenge though - something completely new to work on. Pictures of yarn samples soon I hope.
Hope you are having a prettily ginger, fluffy kind of day too.
Glad to be back. Although holidays are fun and Devon was lovely, there is nothing like being home. We returned however to find that Zac had been copiously sick all over the sofa and our cat sitter had not noticed, though how she could fail to notice the smell passes me...but there you are. So what with getting the hot water going, stripping the sofa - which is a job cos it is a pretty big beast and keeping the girls from examining week old cat puke...why do kids find the gross so fascinating? Plus all the usual faff of unpacking and sorting, it was pretty busy last night I can tell you.
On more pleasant news - I have a spinning commission! I don't get those very often, well, ever really. A lady from Ystradgynlais wants me to spin poodle fur. I have never spun dog hair, though I know it can be done. I think it will have to be blended with some wool both to stretch the fibre out so that she will have enough yarn to actually make something and to make it easier to spin. And I have told her that whenever she washes the item it will smell of wet dog - something that had not occurred to her. This fur holds a lot of sentimental value for her though as the poodle has in fact been dead for five years - am I the only one who finds making a scarf from one's dead dog rather macabre? Still takes all sorts I suppose.
Also on a happy note, V has come round to the idea of keeping chickens. I do not think this is because he is trying to make it up to me for killing the MG* I think it was that visit to the animal sanctuary. We saw some beautiful Rhode Island Red hens there and they were so friendly. So it is looking like a rather more definite maybe than it was previously.
I finish with a completely gratuitous shot of Hedwig from the said animal sanctuary. I like chickens but owls, particularly snowys, are possibly my favourite bird.
*Yes, the MG is no more, V wrote it off on a particularly dark and rainy night using a crash barrier and a 360 degree spin. No other vehicle was involved and no one was hurt but I could easily have been widowed (on my anniversary no less) so although the car was totalled I really don't give a damn. I think he believes me but he still feels bad about it. I didn't blog about it cos I did not want to rub it in (he really does feel very bad about it) but he also wondered why I haven't mentioned it, so here it is.
We have wiifii - what ever the heck that is. Anyway, I am back, temporarily at least. Here is the show so far and in no particular order
Old steam train trip. I could hear the Narnia theme music the entire trip. It has been years since I have been on a steam train. It really was enchanting - I am now desperate to read The Philosopher's Stone just to read about the Hogwarts Express all over again...
The obligatory cream tea. This one was particularly delicious, the scones were still warm, the jam was home made and the clotted cream was meltingly rich...
The steam train stopped off at an animal rescue centre. There were so many of my favourite animals there. Owls, call duck and goats. There were hedgehogs too but I was so enchanted with these that I forgot to take a photograph. They were gorgeous, believe me...
Look at this nosey one. Isn't she gorgeous? I do so love goats.
Rose got some fishing in. She didn't catch anything but really enjoyed the afternoon. V did not find it riveting though, so next time I have volunteered to supervise and get some serious knitting time in...
And of course we have visited a castle. Only one, but this is a beauty. Berry Pomeroy, home to the Seymour family - Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII. Her brothers led truly knife edge lives in the court of the following Tudors. I believe their father was executed by Bloody Mary. I loved studying the Tudor period, so colourful* and dramatic, absolutely fascinating.
So it has been a great trip so far. If my airtime lasts I will pop round to see what you lot have been doing while I have been away.
ttfn!
*scarlet usually - she wasn't called Bloody Mary for nothing...
We are away to Devon for a week. Space will be extremely limited (I had to negotiate strenuously for the right to take knitting) so the lappie might not make it there*. So fishing, craft galleries and Paignton Zoo awaits, as do more than a few cream teas.
See you when I get back Take care my dears x
*We are also taking my dear MIL so one of us might not make it back...
...pretty simple but swarovski crystals with their bewitching glitter make eye-catching easy.
On to a pendant, but I am not happy with it, the wire 0.4 mm is too flimsy for a project like this.
0.8mm wire is much better.
Blue isn't my colour usually but I really like this. I think I might keep this for myself.
so I made a pair of earrings to go with.
Today is my 600th post by the way, never thought I'd make it this far. It is also my fourteenth wedding anniversary. He is off to see Iron Man tonight with the lads. But he did cook me lunch and whether he knows it or not, he is taking me out to dinner later on in the week.
I am frozen and have been all morning. Almost the solstice and I've got the coal fire going. It's not on, really it is not. So there I was back under the duvet, grumbling at the wretched freakish nature of British weather, vowing not to get out of bed until the house warmed up a bit.
Then there's a knock at the door - postman - aka Santa Claus. When Postie knocks it is always worth getting up because it means there is a parcel, which means books, yarn, wool, beads or something pretty what ever it is. So off I leapt like Pavlov's dog and waiting for me were these little beauties...
My part of the web trawl of goodies for the posh frock do and they are as comfy as slippers which is always good news. So, who needs sunshine? I have satin shoes to keep me warm...
We don't do diets in our house and so far we have coped pretty well with eating very much as we pleased. However, we have a posh do coming up in month or two and V has ordered a rather dashing outfit. I think he will look rather toothsome in it but now he is debating the wisdom of ordering a 34" waist. I told him at the time that he was probably being optimistic but who am I after all :o)
The do and the fact that he is off to the depths of Africa this summer has starting him thinking that he might want to shape up a bit so he's started swimming again and has drawn up a truly boring diet made up of equal parts tuna, bananas and brown rice. Gah! Never the less I stumped up a breakfast recipe and here it is:
Oats, dried cranberries, hazelnuts, dried apricots, wheat germ, sun flower seeds and puffed rice.
Healthy no? Just looking at it makes me feel full. He is out training right now.
But I had better not tell him what I had for tea...
So, I ordered this skirt because it was just too cute. It arrived and I promptly wore it for a jaunt round town. Got as far as 50 yards when a gust of wind demonstrated to me exactly how unwise it would be for me to go one step further lest I be arrested.
Not to worry. After changing my skirt,* I dashed off to Bait and Tackle, the angler suppliers in the town centre and completely bewildered the assistant by demanding to see lead line weights. Apparently they are no longer done in lead as it is bad for the swans don't you know. The swans gain is my loss and I cannot think of anything else that I can sew into the hem of my tartan mini that is sufficiently heavy enough to protect what little modesty I have on a breezy day.
Suggestions on a postcard please...
*Yes, I keep a change of clothes in my car. It sounds mad but it is in fact sensible when one has young kids.
Rain has stopped play in the garden so I am back blogging once more. The lawn was threatening to return to jungle yet again. Honestly, turn your back for a week and the garden goes to pot. Next door is even more lackadaisical in their approach to gardening than I am but they have the knotweed and now so do I. Knotweed is an agent of Hell. Some twerp thought it would be a good idea to introduce yet another alien species to our shore, it promptly escaped and has taken over the countryside. I have a pretty broad spectrum when it comes to plants. I don't mind dandelions and actively like buttercups, daisies are essential in a garden where there are small girls but I have my limits and knotweed must die.
While out there I found some particularly beautiful moths. Pure white with slim, elegant wings. They looked rather as if they were off to the opera later this evening. Possibly to sing the part of the Phantom...
In other news V and I went to Cowbridge this morning to search for a hat. A particular hat for a particular head. My husband has the most unusual shaped head in the 'verse so buying hats for him is a nightmare. After something of a struggle we met with success and now his ears will not crisp up when he goes to Africa this Summer. He is off with Uncle Daisy to Uganda for two weeks on a missions trip. He is looking forward to it, digging out the linen shirts and trousers that we bought for the States last year. He is getting in touch with his inner Colonial I think - all he needs is a panama and a large gin and he is good to go. I don't think it will last, he's practising his toff accent as I write and has slipped into Tom Baker* - yup, he has just offered me a jelly baby. It's all down hill from here...
Gosh, what with this glorious weather we have been enjoying there has been little time for blogging. I love summer, it is really warm out there now and there is not a cloud in the sky - it really lifts a person up. I was swanning round town this morning and everyone looked so cheerful or maybe they were just smiling back at me - who knows but I have had a lovely morning. Back to the house then to find that my latest batch of wire and beads have been delivered.
I have been a bit inspired on the old beading front after a while away. So I made these two by way of a warm up and then I am going to be branching out a bit. I'll post up the results if they are any good - if it is an utter disaster I will not - well, I might but only for a laugh.
These are brooches, the dragonfly was given to my mother in law for her birthday last week and my Mum nabbled the snail - she has a bit of a thing for snails, though not when they venture into the lettuce patch...
Anyhoo, that is about it for now. Hope you are enjoying beautiful weather too. Have a great day
I have been a bit quiet lately, basically because I have not had much to say really. But to let you know that I have not died, here is a snippet of conversation from school sports day to keep you going...
[In the canteen, waiting for the obligatory fund-raising raffle to be drawn]
Headmaster: And the winning ticket is - pause - 444 Me (muttering) : A fraction of the beast V: (Sputters as tea goes up his nose) : Two thirds actually
Another pause while Head waits for the nutters at the back to stop giggling.
And while we are wandering round the edges of pointless meandering, here's one you might not have met before...
Hello,*waving at you* I am the teeniest bit squiffy, not howling, but slightly foxed as one might say - if one lived in the 19th century that is - I have however always liked that expression.
Tonight after work, I was dispatched on an emergency run to Tescos as we had run out of both milk and bread. While there, having not eaten in about six hours, I was a bit peckish so I bought myself a ready meal, vege chili, which I thought sounded quite nice and meant no effort at all. While skittering off to the checkout I remembered that we were a bit low on cider and decided to pick a couple of nice single variety brews for a treat. So far so fine. Then I thought - Oooh , I wouldnt mind a drop of red for this evening, we could watch Casablanca and chill out for a bit. While umming and ahhing over merlots I literally bumped into a chap, I backed my trolley right into him. Somehow we got into conversation and what a sweetie he was. It turns out that he was both a wine buff and a bit of a gourmet (he was certainly built like one - a very sturdy bloke he was.) Anyway, I confessed myself a complete philistine when it came to wine and asked him to recommend one. We spent the pleasantest half hour discussing wine and the food that went with it, swapping recipes and such. Finally he admitted that he didn't like recommending wine because people's tastes differed so widely. I asked him which one he had picked and promptly chose the same. A chianti. Then I thanked him quite prettily for the pleasant conversation that we had had and bade him farewell.
As he had told me the chianti was good with meat dishes, particularly the spring lamb that he was going to grill with garlic and rosemary, and suddenly my vegetarian ready meal seemed deeply lack lustre. So off I went to the meat section and lashed out on a fillet steak. Yikes - I remember in my student days, I would eat for a week on what I paid for that darn steak but it was good. Really good. And far less expensive than what I would have paid for it in a restaurant.
So it has been an excellent day. A shopping trip for pretties this morning, a peaceful stint in work and then beautifully well behaved chianti, medium rare fillet steak, and Lindt 70% dark chocolate that made that perfect snap sound when I broke it. Happy, happy day.
(I hope that chianti does not bite my backside tomorrow morning, I am way too old for hangovers.) Which kind of reminds me of this. My favourite comic, who is not quite as smashed as he sounds, talking about hangovers. Almost makes one bearable. Two minutes long and if you listen to this then you will probably go out and buy the DVD, cos that is what I did.
Warning: it is not edited for language,okay? But heck, he is Irish and consequently can get away with almost anything...
As an after thought, I also recommend his sketch on the French. I find it hysterical, but it is very very rude also. So you can find it here if you want to chance it.
So, it is the end of the Whitsun holidays and my house looks like a bomb has hit it and both my hoover and my washing machine decided that today would indeed be a good day to die. Nuts.
Also, while other mothers had seen their busy broods back into the tender mercies of the British educational system, Clyne is still heaving with kidlings as it is inset day - or insect day as Rose calls it. And of course the Law of Sod declares that after a week of abysmal weather the first day back in school must be a glorious day.
Dead household essentials plus insect day plus sun mean only one thing - get your shoes on girls, we are off to the park.
A little further Up the Valley there is the tiny village of Ystradgynlais. It really is miniscule but it is also the proud possessor of a beautiful range of waterfalls. It was my ambition to reach the first of them today. Not easy with small ones as I am sure a lot of you know.
This is one of my favourite spots on the whole walk. A truly massive boulder juts out into the river and it is a great spot for photos.
The path that lies beside the river is an old tram road. Not trams as in San Francisco trams, the industrial trams that bore either anthracite coal or ironstone. I don't know which. Above is one of the several mine shafts that are scattered along the walk. Rose was interested and listened attentively to my brief history of child labour in British mining. Lily was more concerned that any resident dragons were not woken up and got quite narked at V for whooping into the darkness.
Posing Rose
Further evidence of the industrial history of the area. Marks showing where the tramlines were held down. V thinks I am a bit nerdy for putting this in. But places like this just bring history boiling to life in me. My father was a miner, as was his father and all the way back. History is teeming all around us. It does not seem remote to me.
We did not reach the waterfalls. It was quite optimistic to think we would really. Instead we turned back at Eden's first demand to be carried and drove off to Rhigos. The van man was guaranteed to be there on half term holidays and we had hot dogs seasoned with fried onions, mustard and hunger and an ice creams with hundreds and thousands and fluorescent pink sauce. Yum.
raw fibre
blended with wool
