Guild Spinning Day

Third Saturday in the month means guild workshop day. Fun. Learned a new technique, wrapped core yarn. Will take pics of how to...or rather how not to as yet but I'm getting through the camel down and that is a Good Thing. Busy spinning day today I think. As I am working two bobbins my wheel cannot be altered until this project is finished.

Winghams sampling day next Saturday. I will be mentioning this again you may be certain!

Oh and get this...I am doing theGuild website and I am taking a workshop on getting into the guild blog!!!! V, Star, contain yourselves okay?. I know I am an illiterate, but I know how to blog and apparently in the country of the blind and all that...

Sara's Shrug

A shrug does not look much when it is done. Just a long rectangle. But I am pleased with it. It is certainly pretty and will keep the Dizzy One warm in college. I will post up a pic of her modelling it when I can.

7 am

This was the sight greeting me as I took the cold ash out this morning. There was no traffic, just a robin saying good morning and the moon sailing over the mountain. More beautiful than I can say.

Calling Cyril!

Get a blog mun...your myspace is just too annoying and I have forgotten my password so it won't let me do anything. How is an affectionate aunty supposed to interfere in your life if she cannot get into your cyberspace. And Sara has left a comment below for you so just goes to show that you are too elusive dear boy...

Quick! Call the Yarn Police!

Argh! Eyelash yarn!

Now I believe that a sight like this sends most knitters reeling for the aspirin. But I love the stuff. It is quick to work, soft and pretty. An unbeatable combination in my opinion. These are scarves destined for Rose and a friend of hers. They took me a morning to do which is an issue at this point in my crafting life. I have less time lately and eyelash supplies a quick fix of cute.

Fibre Swap Goodies

Now that I have at last located my card reader I can put up the fibre swap goodies that I was sent from Norway some weeks ago. Thankyou very much, just what I needed. A nostepinne which I have been wanting for sometime, stich markers which I always need, row counters and a truely funky toggle to close a scarf or jumper. I am going to make something wonderful to go with my new red velvet coat and I think I will use that to go with it. Plus some strange sweeties to munch while I spin. Yay!

Now I have the fun of putting a goodie bag together in return. Oh I love planning pressies!

Jetskiing at Glynneath Lakes

Fundraising in the Rain

Well, I am not joking, it is hammering down outside and what do the Brits do when it's raining? They carry on regardless or else they would never get anything done. And so it means that in this admittedly foul weather I am taking our entire family out to Glynneath Lake to do a few laps on a jetski to raise funds for McMillan Cancer. Yes, I know, book me a place in the nut house later and while I'm there V and the kids can clock into the sanitorium.

I am taking the camera, just to record our lunacy for posterity. Look, it is character building stuff, the kids will thank me for it later.
Wellies on everyone? Then all together...We're jetskiing in the rain, just jetskiing in the rain, what a glorious feeling...


Update: 8 pm
It was indeed a glorious feeling. I didn't think I would have a go but as soon as I saw how fast Ian the Nutter sped across the lake with Dan, I knew I would be an idiot if I let an opportunity like this pass me by. It was a blast. Rose really enjoyed herself and even V, who gets nervous if anyone other than himself is in control of a vehicle in which he is travelling, even he had a great time.
So thanks Ian, Steve, Gaynor and crew. We had a great time, despite the rain!

Mist

It has been raining hard all night and the valley is strung with clouds. This is an old picture but I thought it suitable to decorate a poem I wrote a little while ago and did not get round to posting

Mist Rising
Clouds touch the earth
Singing songs of beauty
Brushing all with mystery,
Roving where they will.

The river moves on,
But the valley stretches
and purrs beneath their touch.
Clouds whisper a sirens song

Of high far reaches of space,
crystalline air, graceful
movement, silver light,
the joy of flight.

Clouds roll their breath
over the mountains shoulder.
Brush round her back,
soft fingers linger.

And then the sky
pulls them home,
willing unwilling,
they must go

And earth is left alone.

To sleep, perchance to dream

Six hours sleep. Wow, from eleven to five. That is quite something. Mind you I was flippin' exhausted! So, perhaps a better day for me today. Things always seem insurmountable when one is sleep deprived. Now all I have to do is get some coffee and breakfast and I am off.

Last night was good fun: clothes, wine, Sharon's amazing laugh. We were laughing just listening to her. I didn't buy anything as the clothes were not my thing, rather more classic than I would wear. And V has just said that I can order the beautiful long velvet coat that they have in Nomads, so no competition really. I prefer the eccentric/flamboyant look, can you tell?

Check out Nomads here, it's a treat!

I took my crochet and did almost half of Sara's shrug, the only problem is that I think I'll need another ball of wool. I'll take a pic of the work so far and post it up later. This blog has been pictureless for rather too long I think but have found the card reader now so back to normal soon.

Have a soft, shruggable, velvety day, what ever you are doing!

Well My Friends

It has been a hellish day frankly. The kidlings are making stew of me and insomnia sucks big time. I am on my knees.

So what am I going to do tonight? Thats right...get out the glad rags and go out with the girls.

I am off out to Kellys with Sara and Ann, a recipe for fun if ever there was one, and I will attempt to have a ball unless the presence of sympathetic females doesn't turn me into a heap of teary jelly.
I will let you know how it went!

Have a great day and try and get some sleep for me will you?

Apologies

For lack of blogging, but I have not been crafting either so there is not that much to blog about. Other than, listen to this...I have a comission! Wooo-hoo! Out shopping with Sara and she fell in love with a shrug in M&S. They were asking £20 for a rectangle of chenille-honestly. So of course I said, heck I could make one for you, don't waste your money.And she took me up on it!
So that is it really. Now have the pleasure of spinning something for a purpose and it is not my fault that I now have to put an order in to Winghams now is it?

A Trail of the Unexpected

I saw a butterfly in Tescos today. Waiting to pay for my groceries, it flapped past, obviously looking for someone and then it wandered off to the cafe for a espresso and rasberry muffin. As it passed I watched the faces of the people who saw it light up...Look, a butterfly! It left a trail of joy behind it.

It lifted my heart too and so I am telling you out there about it.
Psst! Have a happy day, pass it on.

Cordell Again

Saturday saw us at the Bedwellty Park in Tredgar for this year's Cordell Festival. ienjoyed it but that was more to do with the company and the fact that it was a fine day, the Cordell players had not been invited to attend which is rather disheartening, but we were good enough to aska long to mingle with the crowd in character. That kind of thing pretty much leaves me cold - approaching strangers reminds me of the cold calling days - yuk. But I had the useful character quirk that Elianor Mortymer has of being a spinner, off to the guild and swipe a wheel. I did swipe it too, there was no time to ask and put my name down in the equipment book. It will be returned Monday, not really swiped. So I hid behind the spinning wheel and hung out with Hywel and Iolo, Morfydd declined to dress up, but Elizabeth went half way and consented to card for me and put a bonnet on for the show of it. We talked to quite a few people who came to us rather than having to go to them. Yay!

Hopefully I will have a pic to post up soon as my camera had depleteed its batteries and Catherine/Morfydd is Affirmation Photography,( check it out to see some beautiful wedding pics btw.) and she took some pics that will go up on the Guild site too.

From there it was an impromtu move to Swansea Park and the celebration of the Proms. Great fun, thousands of people, great weather, fireworks and Lakme Flower Duet among others (absolute favourite duet ever - what a treat)

Thanks Pilgrim

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Osark

Sounds like something an otter would say doesn't it? But in fact it is in South east Alabama and has the privilege of holding the most impressive house that I have ever been inside. It was built for hospitality in the grand Southern tradition and the folk that live there, Sharron and Butch, are just about the finest examples of generous, thoughtful hosts that anyone could find anywhere.

I will post up the pictures of our trip as soon as i find the camera and I am afraid that words do not do justice to the place. Woods, a lake, a large cedar cabin style house with a massive veranda, humming birds whizzing round like feathered green bullets, gentle warmth, soft hum of voices in that delightful drawl and me getting high on bbq, crochet and the green smell of cedar.

I went in the lake, which if you knew me you would know how uncharacteristic that is of me, not a water person really, but it was an opportunity that will not come my way again for a very long time. Paddled round in a big inner tube while V took the girls sailing on a little boat. Lily in particular loved that lake and stayed in for about an hour. It was such a joy for me to see my kids rambling around outdoors, getting wet, getting dirty, getting clean again, stuffing bbq, getting in the lake again, paddling, playing in the sand, chasing tree frogs. What an amazing place, an amazing time altogether really.

Thanks America, we had a ball.

Jet Lag

Someone really should write a poem about jet lag. I am surprised that Wendy Cope has not done one actually. The way your mouth dries up and your eyes ache and your head is stuffed with straw and the way that your kids have zero difficulty sleeping ound the clock and are fresh as daisies the next day while you feel like you have been eaten by wolves and then thrown up.

Someone shoot me please

Hey Honey I'm Home!

Back at long last. What a trip!... but I am too wrecked to write much just now. Had a fantastic last weekend in Osark in the most amazing house but will write it all up later. It has been an amazing month, so glad that I have this blog to remind me of all that we have done. Back to spinning before too much longer...

nos da cariad

My day has been made...

Just this second I have seen a hummingbird. With my own two eyes, a hummingbird in Sadie's garden. Amazing! It was tiny, about the same size as a wren, emerald green with a cotton white throat, sipping at a rose. Who needs fire flies when there are humming birds to be had?

Tennesee ii

The following day, yesterday in fact but I am writing this at 2 am my time so bear with me if I get confused... anyway... We were due back in Huntsville and off we went until I saw the sign for the Jack Daniels distillery. Could not pass it without taking a look, even though I don't drink it regularly, it is very good in cocacola. So we drove off the track a bit (it had to be at least forty miles out of our way) and visited...only to find that the tour involved an hour of walking over ground unsuitable for push chairs. Neither of us fancied carrying the girls for that length of time so we passed, but I did not leave empty handed...Come on, do you think I would not buy an award winning whiskey when it was right under my nose? Besides the pound is so strong to the dollar right now...etc etc. V forked out uncomplaining I toddled off a happy girl, Lily on one hip, JD on the other. Can you tell I'm a Christian by the way?

The town of Lynchburg was only a few hundred yards away from the distillery and despite its rather suspiciously nasty name or am I the only one that thinks "mob" when they hear that? It is a charming place. A proper small town America/Waltons type place. It even had an old guy sitting on a rocking chair on the side walk (raised and wooden, so Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!) I think the town council must pay him to sit there just for the tourists, of which there were many. Yes it was a tourist trap, but hey, it was so cute, who cares!

First stop...the Country Kitchen with an eat all you like lunch buffet. Fried chicken, mashed potaotes, green beans, rice, and amazing sweet sauce. Went back for second helpings, hush puppies (not the shoes, a kind of battered burger) fried squash and broccoli. Eating for fun I was
...and I had pudding Apple and pear cobbler and I swear I have never in my life tasted anything so good. The top was like a kind of heavy batter, the fruit had been canned in syrup and was achingly sweet and parts had caremelised. So, so good. It will tell you how sweet it was that when I took a sip of coke after a bite, the drink was surprisingly bland. Oh dear me. I resisted second helpings even though I wanted some very much. I contented myself with a cup of Blue Bunny butter pecan ice cream. The girls had strawberry and mint choc chip. V just stared in awe at his womenfolk demolishing the food like a plague of locusts. He had restrained himself to the catfish. I had tried catfish at the Gulf and had no difficulty sticking to the fried chicken.

Off then around the stores. Found a few pressies, yay! And best of all I wandered into a co operative store of the ladies of the county and found myself a Little House on the Prarie bonnet. Just like Elizabeth Ingalls wears at the start. I have no idea where I will wear it, but I have wanted one since I was a child. Hurrah! I will wear it to spinning demonstrations...the other guild members will have a fit. Neve mind, it's a laugh innit?

Back in Huntville now but tomorrow off to Osark, where ever that is. Todd and Steph have been grounded in Oklahoma due to bad weather and are driving back tonight, a twelve hour drive apparently. I think they are nuts, but they really want to go to Osark.

From Osark it is off to Atlanta and home on the 3rd so, this might be the last post from me for a while. Unless there is a 'puter at the cousin's house. But maybe not, so if not...see you in Blighty!
Take care of yourselves
Nos da Cariad
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