Woolgathering

Today I did not manage to make it to spinning group.  Instead, I had to make do with making some postcards for a swap, which was a job well done.

Also a job well done was the winding of my recent club skein from The Yarn Yard.

All ready now to cast on for Mr L’s third pair of socks.

I wound my yarn with my new skeinwinder, which  I mentioned in passing the other day but have so far failed to enthuse about in full.

It is a Sunflower Swift, from er… Sunflower Swifts who are at one and the same time: FibreClaireUK (Claire) from the Weekend Whirls LJ community blog, Sublime Spindles, and “Mr ClaireUK”

No, I am not going to tell you all about it. You can click through and read all about it at Claire’s site.

All I shall say is that I am very pleased with it. It is well made and nice to handle.

Sad to say, that is all that has been achieved today. I feel completely wiped out - totally lacking in energy.

The very last drop of my recent windfall went on these, from Violet Green’s Sale and Bargains page:

Laceweight merino at £7.49 each 100g 725m skein - targeted at this

The Autumn Arbor stole from Anne Hanson at Knitspot. I have some sort of freakish idea that this item will be completely knitted by August next year…

… yes? ah well, maybe pigs will sprout wings and fly by then too.

and, just to get the free postage, one final bargain:

Cashmere 2ply. 55g and 366m. No plans. Truly purchased just to get my basket up to free postage level. This is the same yarn that my Petra-fied Hand warmers are being knit in (for certain values of “being”) and it’s delightful. Totally sumptuous. I may have a vague notion of a second pair of hand warmers here, but had better knit the first ones first. Or maybe a nice cosy cloche hat? Something very special anyway, as it was reduced to a “mere” £7.99! I could look sideways at that and deduct the £1.75 p&p that I “saved” - or rather, allowed me to buy this skein for just £6.24 instead of the normal price of £9.99. There now, doesn’t that feel better? Even though I didn’t actually need it… *blush*

In my defence - the blues are very pretty and the yarn is very strokeable

These, for Mr L.

In this:

Newly arrived “Solids Club” yarn from The Yarn Yard. This is a yarn named Toddy - 75% Merino/25% Nylon. very soft and smooth and rather luxurious. It will make a fine pair of Earl Grey’s.

I have been intending to resign the solids club. Purely a monetary decision, and a regretful one - since the two yarns received so far have been 100% fabulous. But I get “only” £25 a month pocket money and this club takes half of that and leaves very little for other things. It’s an extravagance I really cannot afford to maintain…

…but I have been thinking that, if I am successful on Tuesday at my interview, then maybe, just maybe I can keep squeezing the odd skein out. The only thing is, the agreement is that if I get the job - then all the salary is to go into the mortgage account and I don’t get keep a penny for myself.

Difficult one that, when faced with yarns like this:

Of course, if I get to be a working gal again, I shan’t have any time for knitting.

But there’s always retirement to look forward to and a old girl would be in need of a substantial stash when the day comes 

When Mr L announced that the Wind Chill factor this morning was -5°C I decided that today was the day that the thermal legs needed to come out of storage. All I can say is that when I took Nell out I was perfectly comfortable with no jacket on - though I did have my Jacob Urchin on The Widen Chill is not so bad as it was early on, and was registering a little under -3°C when I checked it just now.

The Coastguard have been round today in their very jazzy 4*4 - we swiftly hid a barrel of French Brandy under the bed… (I wish!) Frankly, when I saw a Very Official Looking Vehicle approaching, I thought that TV Licensing had finally come to get us. I was so looking forward to telling them that they couldn’t come in. As it got closer I realised that my ambition of leaving an Enforcer shivering on the doorstep was not going to realised this day

My muslin has arrived in today’s post and I am all ready to get my sewing machine out. One day, I mean. Some day. But I am all prepared.

No knitting last night - we took the Mac to bed and watched some telly on the BBC’s iPlayer. All three episodes of Sunshine. I’m not a Steve Coogan fan but I do like Craig Cash and Bernard Hill. How bad could it be? Well, actually, it was fairly good - once one got over the Coogan factor. He over-egged his particular Coogan omelette as he always does. Probably worth watching, if you haven’t already seen it. Have a hanky ready if you are the susceptible kind (like me.) (I’ve just noticed - there are currently only 10 hours left in which to watch any of these episodes)

So, today I have that over-stuffed feeling that comes from too much telly watching. I feel the need to be active, but it’s horrible outside.

Maybe we need a bout of extreme knitting? I could get out my doyly.The light is lousy, though and won’t lend itself to fine work. But I think that I may have a plan. First, though, I have to make Chocolate Brownies. I hope that I don’t sneeze on them - yesterday’s aches and stiffness remain but today I have added sneezing to the inventory. It had better disappear soon because I do not want to spoil my unbroken run of cold-free health since running away to Scotland five and a half years ago.

Leftovers for lunch - there is half a goats’ cheese tart left and we’ll have it with a few oven chips as a matter of economy/laziness, so I have time on my hands today.

Bumper post today:

• 2 swap postcards from Swap-Bot swap
• 2 separate packages of cotton fabric remnants via eBay
• Package from Get Knitted including

• Glove pattern
• 2 balls Opal Uni for Mr L’s fingerless gloves
• suede soles for my Mama Janes
• an extra ball of Opal, because it is gorgeous colours and because I am weak and greedy.

I have just noticed the new Harry Potter range from Opal. I want some Hedwig! The Ron is rather nice too. In fact, most of the range is pretty tasty.

Puzzling last night was difficult and I feel puzzle fatigue coming on. We’ll try and hold out for tonight and do better than yesterday (when we came 7th - of currently 20 teams on the leader board) Our performance wasn’t shabby but we’d like to up our game if we can. The organisers tells us that tonight will be easier than last night. Oh, yes?

I need to do some knitting today. I’m getting behind on my targets and I need to free up my 2.5mm circular for Mr L’s glubs.

’tis a very fragrant morning this day…

I am running v late and must get my skates on. Spinning is at P’s and my plan to cycle up there looks doomed, the weather has deteriorated again after a mild, still night.

The Vanilla Mansocks made it onto the circs last night and sock #1 was completed. I have about 2″ of leg on the second sock done. I shall take the sock with me today.

I decided the other day to finally protect my fibres and thus, in today’s post: 48 cedar wood balls in one parcel and a half kilo of lavender flowers in another. Along with the lavender are some dried petals (rose, calendula, safflower), just in case I ever actually make it into the utility room to make paper. I squeezed the parcel, wondering what was inside it. My nose told me very swiftly what it was. I think we can safely say that this lavender is the genuine article!

Right - I must get on with my day! I need to find some muslin from somewhere now. I shall be making lavender bags until the cows come home, I think.

1. I still haven’t done my patchwork homework. I got all my stuff out this morning and laid it out before me and found tears in my eyes… then the phone rang, and saved me from it for a while - and now it’s coffee time. Time is running out fast and I shall be the dunce of the class tonight. Maybe I’ll take my knitting and just give up.
2. When I woke up this morning the sun was shining. I planned to do photos today - of FOs and stash yarn/fibre. But now it’s raining again.
3. Fantastic curry yesterday - Mr L made Chicken Jalfrezi and I supplied some pakora (potato ones and mushroom ones)
4. We watched a lovely gentle film last night. No blood, no car chases - just lots of story and character development…. Last Orders (2001) - with a great British Cast including half the theatre knighthood… Sir Tom Bloody Courtenay, Sir Michael Caine, Dame Helen Mirren… and Bob Hoskins (who surely should have a Knighthood by now) and David Hemmings (looking not at all like the sex god he was in the Sixties) and Ray Winstone. Terrific good value for a fillum. Recommended.
5. My wool winder arrived today, so I shan’t need to borrow SpinningGill’s any longer. Very quick delivery and a good price. (Bedford Sewing Knitting Machines on eBay)
6. I got to the end of the heel flap on my second sock last night. Clearly not as far as the completed sock that I had envisaged having by the wend of the weekend. I can see that it won’t be completed until Wednesday now.

Coffee is nearly gone. I need to go back to my fabric, scissors, and pins. I also have to fashion some kind of lunch for us today. I think I’m going to make a cauliflower cheese - perhaps with broccoli. Maybe I’ll add some pasta.

I have arranged for a Sunflower Swift. I recalled that the source of these beautiful things was with fibreclaireUK, of the Weekend Whirls group that I am a member of. So I went to the source. She has none in stock, after selling out at the Ally Pally show. But I should have one in two week’s time. In the meantime, SpinningGill is very kindly lending me her swift and winder again tonight - she is a generous woman.

Mr L just showed me his memory. EIGHT Gigabytes! I am but slightly envious *cough* But it’s not my turn for an upgrade for a couple of years yet. My pooter is only three and a half years old. Practically brand new. And obsolete

His motherboard is rather nice. It has a special chip on it that can run a Linux installation - allowing a boot-up to that in just 5 secs, and giving browser capability - for those times when the pooter is off but you just want to look something up. Damn clever, these Taiwanese chappies.

The PSU came in a little drawstring bag - I was offered it to put my plimmies in, but I think it is a prime candidate for a sock kit on boat days. It’s even branded “Corsair” and has a logo of three-masted sail design. Very apt.

The figs last night were wonderful. There are still a couple left over for this evening - for after the Influenced Vegetable Stew. The Tsatziki is in preparation, the kidney beans are cooked, the crusty bread is ready. Just a load of veg to prepare now (very thinly sliced potatoes, carrots and onions, cauliflower florets, chopped tomatoes.) Poor G&A - we are going to reek of garlic by the time that they arrive!

Influenced Vegetable Stew: recipe by Mollie Katzen from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest. (Amazon | Google Books)

I will not reproduce copyright material without permission, but not everybody feels the same and, for the first time, today I found the recipe reproduced and accessible on the ‘net . The discussion is about something else (Cincinnati Chili - but keep on scrolling down and you will find the IVS recipe - though, to be fair - the book is only seven or eight quid - buy it, play nicely, and do yourself a favour. It’s a great cookery book.)

Although I dislike shopping, and dread the whole shopping expedition thing, I do like the renewed interest in cooking that is generated by the arrival into the household of fresh fruits, vegetables and salad. Yesterday we scored some lovely ripe fresh figs at just 19p each. Tempted to buy a tray, we settled for half a dozen instead - and I am just now turning them into Figs Poached in Port and Basil. They will be served with Mascarpone Cream.

Also in preparation is an Influenced Vegetable Stew - a dish to which Mr L and I are inordinately attached and the consumption of which leads to large overdoses of romantic mushiness in this household.

Other shopping triumphs from yesterday included a wedge of Wensleydale cheese. You can say what you like about Tesco but this, for me, is the Tesco Difference. When the store was a Somerfield branch an enquiry regarding the world’s best cheese led to the response: “we don’t sell it.” Tesco had it in stock yesterday and when I remarked that it is difficult to get hold of, the assistant on the deli told me that several customers had asked about it, so now they have it in stock. You see, a company just doesn’t get as big as that without doing things right.It’s the doing things right that attracts me as a customer, and I am clearly not alone in that. So, cheese and bikkies for supper, with port (left over from the bottle I bought to cook the figs in.) Thank you, Sir Terry. Now, about bags of frozen peppers..?

Also scored in Tesco - two boxes of Carlsberg Export lager, at just five pounds for eighteen bottles they work out even cheaper than the cheap Lidl stuff that we are usually constrained to buy.

Yesterday really was a day for bargains!

I love my new shoes, BTW - they are so comfortable. I got a brown pair that are flat and utilitarian and a black pair that are somewhat smarter (interview shoes!) but not too smart, and still wholly practical for island life. I feel very extravagant in buying two pairs but could not resist the sale, and as I haven’t had new shoes in all the time that Mr L has been with me, I guess it must be at least ten years since I bought any! Hardly profligate.

• I got a squint at my Yarn Yard BFL earlier. It’s a very subtle hue. Nice, but difficult to label or describe. Perfect for the hat that I want to make.
• I unpacked the very cheap blender that I bought yesterday - and it functions. It’s cheap and it’s nasty, for sure - but it was only £8.49 and I shan’t feel guilty about blending seaweed pulp in it (as I would if I deployed the Kenwood Chef for my paper-making)
• We spent some time installing a water butt today
• Some sock was knitted yesterday, though the motion of the boat made progress slow. None done yet today but I would like to complete the pair by the end of the weekend if I can.

I still need to do my patchwork homework…

Well, it’s still freakishly dismal today but I do believe that my club yarn from The Yarn Yard may well  be a kind of lavender grey. I cannot wait to wind it and begin the Bayret! I really must get myself over to eBay and order up a ball winder of my own (the Hubby still awaits restoration and de-gumming) - especially as I have 600 gms of silk to wind as well.

Yesterday I bought a set of plastic drawers on wheels from Woolworth’s. They were £12.50, priced down from £20. I would have bought two if I thought I had any chance of being able to carry them. Yes, they are cheap and nasty - but they are also just perfect for storing yarn in. I spent some time this morning in rearranging my stash, in the hope of freeing up a lidded crate. I need an empty crate to avoid the situations where I have to tip out a crate of stored stuff in order to transport things to craft club… because it takes weeks for me to tidy things away again. So, I filled my new drawers, but still have all my crates full. How did that happen? I’d like to get more of these drawers while they are still ins tock and am v tempted to head over to Kirkwall as a foot passenger soon and pick up two more sets. I’d like three, but would not be able to carry more than two onto the boat home.

I really must get my patchwork homework done…