Monday activity

I am stealing a day for myself today.

The Antidote is making remarkable progress – far too much progress in fact, as I should be doing Other Knitting. It’s just so easy to pick up and knit on, you know? I sat and knitted in bed last night while we watched The Commitments (OK, I just listened to the music mainly) and it just grew and grew… I shall probably take it to Craft Group tonight, though I would do better to take socks.

I did some spinning before breakfast (!) – the mohair/merino looks a little dull on the bobbin and I am eager to get to the plying stage to see if any magic happens. The roving is quite compacted and I am having to do a lot of prep on the fibre. Once pre-drafted it looks very like human tresses in texture – it has sheen and it waves and flows. Very pretty. I am up to about two thirds of a bobbin full now. It is going slowly as the fibre is quite silky and I am still having trouble with my thumb joints. I take frequent breaks…. and knit on The Antidote.

I would like to get my blocking done today – if I ever manage to remove all the grease and turmeric from the kitchen, that is. Mr L cooked curry yesterday and although I have had the dishwasher on twice thus far today, there is still a mountain of cleaning up to be done. Then I have to cook lunch. And clear up again. So I may well not get any blocking done at all. I know for certain that I shall not get as far as the dye pot today.

The curry was worth it, BTW. Having been shopping, we had all the right fresh ingredients and had scored some butter ghee on Friday as well. So, very yummy curry. Even yummier were the onion bhajis that I made. The best ones I have ever made. In fact, I think the best onion bhajis I have ever eaten. My, they were good. I should have photographed them for PS3… they looked as good as they tasted. There’s curry in the freezer for two more meals, but no bhajis left at all!

We are still enjoying the fresh food kick today and I am making stuffed mushrooms (couscous and feta, probably) with a rocket salad and a spicy tomato sauce, and new potatoes. This makes me deeply happy. Real Food. And, yes, plenty of fibre included 😉

 

In Other News – I am delighted that a decision has been taken to scrap our so-called “classic” camper van. Once it is gone, I plan a little garden sitting space where the vehicle now stands. What has this to do with fibre? Obviously – a place to sit, surrounded by fragrant greenery, will be perfect for summer spinning. It will catch the morning sun, be mercifully screened from the sun at its height (I have a UV allergy), and is walled on three sides and protected from all but the East wind. I see myself lingering there for hours, with a drink at my side, the dogs at my feet, knitting or spinning to hand. I want pots of ferns and hostas, ivy up the wall, and plantings of rosemary and lavender all about me. The cats may lie in a bed of Nepeta.

Please send cuttings/seeds. 🙂

There will be a similar sitting area on the far side of the house, for the evening sun in the summer. There I shall have evening primrose, night scented jasmine… etc. I have no idea what will or won’t grow in this difficult habitat, but it will be fun finding out.

It is very pleasant to sit with a glass of wine in the late evening, when it stays light until midnight (and later!). I see myself doing a lot of knitting in my evening sitting place. But the Morning Place comes first. It is the more practical working area as it is already concreted. Plus, it doesn’t need weeding. The West side of the house needs massive amounts of work in order to make a sitting place, as the stones that are currently loose laid there are full of perennial weeds and the rest of the area is rough grass. We (note that “we” – I do not intend to do this alone!) need to lift the stones, weed the ground, lay weed suppression material, re-lay the stones and add more, then fill between the stones and plant my evening primroses etc. I shall use a lot of sedum, thrift, and thyme here – because I know that they will grow in the salt air.