A flying visit

Sitting, back in Yeovil, after a nice few days away.  It has to be said, I was feeling pretty knackered and somewhat lacking in my usual drive and energy to see everyone - so sorry for that my dear Derby friends.

But I did still manage to catch up with my parents, have a lovely steak dinner for my dad's birthday, see Emma's new house (yay!), spend some quality chilling and knitting time at Sarah's, wonder round town with Sarah, have a nice lunch out with Lorri (how I've missed her!) and go Christmas shopping with her, go to a baby bump blessing, go out for a drink with friends and catch up on some episodes of House which my mum has been recording on Sky+.  I suppose that's not too bad going for 4days.

And finally, a few photos, because I'm still tired and couldn't be bothered so much with the words.

 Because handspun toddlers are just so darned cute!

 The girls getting henna

 Henna on my shoulder (above) courtesy of Lorri, and on my right leg (below) courtesy of Sarah.  My other leg got doodled on by SamSam, Jenna and Morgan.  I love walking around knowing discretely tucked under my clothes are lovely works of art and creativity from my friends.

 The focus, of course was Sarah's bump, and most people got stuck in, including Sarah herself, from her upside down view.  She was highly decorated by the end!

 And a fun first for me, batik silk painting (using child friendly PVA glue).  I can't wait to see the finished, dried, washed silks.

 

And finally, some shots of my drinks out with Sam, Kev and Lorri.

 

Knitting into the inky sky

Yay! Two days of annual leave and I'm speeding my way back to derby for my dad's birthday and Sarah's baby blessing. After a few hiccups in the journey, I'm about 20mins away (God bless iPhones and their apps for allowing me to blog on the go). I'm finally making headway on my mum's shawl after a spinning binge break. And it's been delightful company for this journey - albeit only 6 rows done, they are epic rows now!

Meet Maggie

When I moved recently, I realised just how much yarn and fibre I had amassed and put myself on a very strict yarn and fibre diet until at least the new year.  There were three exceptions - my two fibre clubs which I adore, and should the possibility arise, some coloured ryeland fleece.  One of my clubs and very fave group over on Ravelry is that of Wildcraft.  Karen is the person behind this, and not only does she make the most gorgeous spindles and have a fantastic eye for dying, she also has a small herd of sheep, a mix of coloured Ryeland and some Shetland.  These sheep are the source for endless conversations on Ravelry, especially around lambing season.  And I've become a little attached to them, and always wanted to get some of their fleece to be my first every sheep's wool fibre prep experience.  Hence, the exception to the diet.

I posted recently about starting this process, and tonight, I finally finished hand-carding it.  It's taken a few weeks, but so totally worth it.  I'm so in love with this fleece.  It's from a shearling ewe called Maggie, and Karen had mentioned that she thought Maggie's was the best fleece she had from this year, so I count myself very lucky to have secured this half fleece.  I'm totally in love with it, the crazy sheepy smell in my flat when I've been working on it.  And most of all, I love going through the whole process of raw fleece to yarn to knitted garment.  I'm already envisioning a huge cosy and somewhat rustic shawl to snuggle under over the colder months ahead. 

I know that some of these photos are repeated, but I'm going to link this on Spinspiration, so they're here to document all the stages so far.

 *The* package - 1.1kg of delightful unknown

 Laying it out for that first feel and to do a bit of sorting - got rid of a lot of VM and second cuts, why bother washing things you're just gonna chuck later

 Washing

 Dry and ready for the next step

 The lock definition wasn't great by the end of washing, but this was one of the better little locks.

 The carding starts...

... And grows...

 ...and grows...

...and is now all done, ready to be spun, which will no doubt take several more weeks, but who cares when you're having this much fun!

Home visit highlight

As I don't have a car, home visits for me are all within walking distance, and in such quaint little villages, it's not bad, weather aside. And today, on my way saw this little chap, which I stopped to take a photo of on the way back when I knew I had the time to stop and smell the roses... Literally! The rain had stopped, it was a little brighter but everything had this wonderful fresh glow to it and the colours were so crisp with the little rain droplets everywhere. Definitely a highlight of the day!

An atmospheric walk to the bus

Yesterday it was pouring rain and discovering with a cold squelch that my shoes need replacing. Today it is thick and perhaps appropriately for this time of year, slightly spooky fog. Well, the old trusted topic of conversation of weather really is occasionally not as dull as first thought! So pictures, courtesy of my iPhone's camera.

TGCC update 6 - getting there!

1) Mum and dad - clue 2 out of 5 done for my mum's shawl:

2) Gran and grandad
3) Brother - yarn spun and ready for me to make a final decision on a pattern:

4) Aunt and cousin
5) Sarah and Martin
6) The Clark girls - Jenna, Morgan and now Rowan completed too:

7) The Clark baby
8) Conner
 9) Emma
10) Lorri
11) Sam and Kev - Sam's pressie, the spinning of which I'm particularly proud of because for the first time, I got exactly what I was aiming for!

12) Mary - started on a scarf to match a hat I made for her (twice!):

13) Fiona
14) Mrs Spoon


Yup, I'm feeling like I may yet pull this off!

TGCC update 5 - updating the check list

1) Both parents - I've just started a mystery shawl KAL, the last clue comes out in about 5weeks time.  Should just about give me enough time... I hope to give it to Mum for Christmas.  Dad, I still have not the slightest idea.

2) Grandparents - my grandad remains elusive, but maybe something golf related, like a club cover or two.  My gran's shawl is completed, blocked and even wrapped away in tissue paper.

3) Brother - Yarn spun up and drying, and I love it!  Can't wait to get knitting on a hat with it.  Pictures to follow.
4) Aunt and cousin - I have two hats, which are without ownership, they maybe heading here.
5) Sarah and Martin - I have a start of an idea
6) The Clark girls - 90% done - just over half way on Rowan's tunic/dress. Old picture:

7) The Clark baby - done

8) Conner - the raglan sweater is done, and just needs ends sewing in.
9) Emma - There's a very Em hat here, that I think will take on her name, and maybe a little something else ;).
10) Lorri - I've got yarn for a hat.
11) Sam and Kev - I've just spun up some yarn over the weekend, which is drying to make something for Sam, hopefully have made enough.  Not sure about what to do for Kev yet.
12) Mary - I have an idea, but it's big, may have to rethink it to be realistic.
13) Fiona - yarn and pattern picked, just hope the yarn will stretch that far, I'm cutting it fine.
14) Mrs Spoon

Slowly but surely getting there... hopefully things will continue smoothly. 

A week in Derby... and a week in Yeovil

Back on the trains, nine days later... Nine days sounds like so long, but it's really not! It's flown by all too quickly. I wish I could have turned it in to longer. Which is ridiculous, I hardly have a demanding or tiring rotation at the moment. But maybe that's the problem, I know that this week has speed by because I have been so busy and surrounded by those I hold so dear, and I'm heading back towards something which I'm not fully enjoying. It's so silly, I find myself quite conflicted about my feelings towards GP land. It's not what I want to do, I don't want to be there, I'm frustrated by the buses and how expensive they are, my budget is being gobbled up by spending nearly £40 a week on buses plus the couple of misadventures when I've missed my bus and had to pay for a very expensive taxi. And I miss being at the hospital really badly. I miss being hecticly busy, and getting stuck in. I prefer the roles and responsibilities placed on me by hospital practice. And I miss the comeradery if being there, being able to unwind with my contemporaries and the banter you engage in with the nurses, physios, pharmacists and all those people. I get annoyed by my lack of knowledge and constantly (or so it seems) having to ask for help. Yet I don't actually have anything to complain about. Everyone in GP land is very sweet and accommodating, and I do enjoy parts of it, like the variety and the different types of patients - it's fun to do a little paeds. Yet it's by far the least passion I've had for any of my rotations, leaving me sitting here on this train, sad that I'm finished my week of annual leave and that tomorrow I'll be back at work.

....

And then another week later - kinda forgot to finish this post.

So Derby:

 You can just about make out the huge spider and beyond - all the apples wasted during the 3 weeks my parents were away.

 My exciting parcel, all squidged down, was:

 Half a coloured Ryeland shearling fleece, completely raw and ready to be worked on.

 The first soak (and my toes!)

 Disgusting and slightly smelly water after the first soak.

 Subsequent soaks getting clearer.

 I got a chance to finish the sweater for Conner.

And knitted a whole lace shawlette for my gran as part of TGCC.  Here's an early shot.

I spent many long but all too quick hours at Sarah's, with her family and Emma and Connor.  It was such a special time, and something I hold so dear.  To just be, in calm chaotic companionship.  We knitted, gossiped, drank endless cups of tea, went for walks with the girls, did a little cooking, a little cleaning and laundry... And apparently, reading that back, somewhere along the way turned into our mothers!  We also went swimming.  I went to the cinema twice, once with my Mum, as a girls night out when my dad was away overnight for work, and then with Jenna, to give her a chance to do something fun and uninterupted by little people.  I went for a lovely dinner with my wonderful Sam (and there may have been other people there, I forget now! ;)).  Really quite busy with simple nothingness.

And on the Saturday, a special muddy and at times very wet walk with so many of my nearest and dearest.

The Attenborough Nature Reserve - a place for the designing of mischief and meyhem.

 E.g. the grownups getting stuck up trees.

 A place where you have to dress appropriately...

... For puddle stomping...

 ...Saying hello to horses...

... Picnicking...

 ... and tickles...

 Feeding...

 ...and then chasing ducks...

 Adults who don't dress appropriately for these activities will do so at their own risk!

 We did find safer ways to feed the ducks.

 And at the end of it all... well there were smiles all round and everyone survived!

And then we headed back to Sarah's for a nice warming cup of tea, and dress up, for which Kev was very indulgent!

And I wonder why I sit on the train lamenting the end of my annual leave!  But life goes on, but with happy, warm fuzzy feeling inducing memories to keep me going until I next get to see everyone.  Thanks. :)