Filed under: the Captains Cabin | Tags: dog, felting, spinning, wool, Woolfest
So in the fairytale, the beautiful princess was locked in a dungeon (/ tower/ cellar /pick your own inconvenient place to be imprisoned) and made to spin straw into gold. It is so obvious this fairytale is built on fact – because trust me the stuff I am spinning is worth more than gold. It is, in fact, as the American Express advert says, priceless. This is because of the time it takes.
But I am so totally proud of it that I have taken to carrying bobbins of it around in my handbag to show people.
- From Shetland sheep
Turns out people aren’t interested.
Even the dog is a bit bored and would rather go sniff the sheep fleeces.
- I get it, it’s from an alpaca. Can I have a sausage now please??
Actually, that isn’t true. Lots of knitty people are interested, and I can totally get kudos when I explain that the purple stuff is all the way from the Shetlands (bought last year at Woolfest) and the rest is Alpaca.
I’ve kind of fouled up with the Alpaca however. Look at it.
- It’s Alpaca
It’s not just pretty its also soft and warm and totally beautiful. And I made a foolish promise. My brothers fiance wanted to create a felted Alpaca bag. Alpaca yarn is very expensive, so when we were at another wool event (I know – there are more than one, but I didn’t admit to it in case you judged me…) I foolishly promised to spin her the wool myself. reasoning that it would save loads of money, and be fun and could be her Christmas present.
It wasn’t finished for Christmas, so I bought her lama wool to use instead. It didn’t cut it…..
And now I have my first spun Alpaca finished. I don’t think I can give it to her. To be felted. Do you think she would take my firstborn instead?
Filed under: the Captains Cabin | Tags: blog, cardie, country, dinosaur, Great North Run, jubilee, knitting, May Open, Olympics, ood, powerboat, prize, running, sailing, sheep, spinning, summer solstice, wine, Woolfest
It turns out that it was a year ago today I posted my first entry on this site. It was a bit random and primarily in response to ‘I couldn’t do that – could I?’. Well so far it’s been a lot of fun – I think! And looking back over the year, it turns out there are lots of things that I couldn’t have imagined at the beginning of this!
Things I have learnt from this year
- Everyone hates running (apart from Tillerman – but I don’t actually believe him)
- That the inventor of the Crow’s Nest was born in Whitby
- That I DON’T NEED TO KNIT CARDIGANS
- Spinning is really hard
- How to taste wine (sort of – it all still tastes like wine really though)
- Trying to teach kids anything without the benefit of chocolate is basically a waste of time
- You actually can buy ANYTHING on E-Bay
- How to be a better OOD!
- We all like Dinosaurs (maybe I imagined this?)
- Woolfest is awesome
- Not every 50p is worth 50p
- The Internet definitely thinks I should get a sheep
Amazing things that happened this year
- I ran the Great North Run– who knew?!?
- I came third in an actual proper sailing race – and got a prize to prove it
- It was the Mr’s last year as Commodore
- I learnt to spin
- The dog qualified to drive a powerboat
- We didn’t move to the country
- I met a real life alpaca and fed it a carrot
- I got a spinning wheel AND a knitting machine called Jeremy
- The Olympics and the Jubilee! Go Britain!
- I qualified as a Dinghy Instructor
- The Solstice at Stonehenge – kind of amazing
- I learnt how to felt… OK it was by mistake – but let’s take it as a positive!
- I wasn’t last at an open event
I also found some amazing people and blogs out there in the ether of the Internet – I have added a new page so if you would like to go and visit some of them then check this out. Be warned – some of these people actually know what they are talking about!
But most of all it’s been fun to chat with you all – so thanks for dropping by…. it’s appreciated!
So what about this year?
Well I have a plan. I need to get better at sailing and knitting. I also need to delete the email suggesting that I take part in the Sunderland Half Marathon in April. This is a foolish idea and no amount of looking at the email is going to get rid of the cake and beer induced wobble prior to April.
So I am going to be doing 3LT – this is the name for my new recipe for success. Every idea needs a good marketing slogan. And maybe a logo.
Look, Learn, Listen; Turn up, Take part and TRAVEL!
That sounds really exciting doesn’t it?
Filed under: the Captains Cabin | Tags: event, knitting, spinning, wool, Woolfest
It was wolly-licious! And really busy and I don’t think we even saw everything.
Highlights included –
- Getting to gaze at other’s projects on the bus (and giving up on my really complicated lace knitting that I had randomly brought with me after about two minutes)
- Admiring the yarn bombing that welcomed us as we arrived
- Seeing a sheep sheered (it was somewhat reluctant and was very ashamed to be naked in front of the other sheep)
Yes, that is a lady sheep sheerer…
- Buying wool made out of baby camel – then feeling guilty that it may be a little cold now
- Meeting alpaca (never actually worked out the difference between lama and alpaca)
Definitely Alpaca. They had a sign.
- Learning to spin (no I take that back – being convince spinning is easy enough to buy spinning things)
Lynda learning to spin. Before realising how expensive spinning wheels are and buying drop spindles in a vain attempt to capture the experience…
- Admiring ‘Flock’ – I’m definitely making a cute little sheep for it. http://www.jointheflock.co.uk/
- Trying to actually do spinning on a drop spindle on the bus on the way home. It’s a bit lumpy due to doing it on a bus. I’m calling it ‘Roundabout yarn’
Be more impressed – its REALLY HARD
I then took my haul of knitting straight to the Sailing Clubs Summer Party. I think all of our sailing fraternity were thrilled as I regaled them with stories of yarn derring-do – and sheep-antics – well at least the barman told me the alcohol consumption increased on my arrival.
Obviously due to how much they were all enjoying it.
