Shall we ...

Catch up a little on what's happening here? The last week since my last post has been busy doing lots of things, good fun things.

Last Thursday I spent the day amongst some lovely friends from the Guild spinning. The weather wasn't too good so there were not many visitors to chat to but those that we did see were lovely to talk to about our crafts. We had a great time chatting and laughing.

Some of our displays

I got a lift with a friend (and chair to the guild) who kindly offered to take me, and we met up with a lovely friend of mine in the car park and ventured to King Johns House. We were the first to arrive and did a little re-organisation to fit us in the room with our wheels. Others arrived as we were settling in and I finally met a member of the Guild I only knew by name and had not met yet, but had heard of her as she is a very experienced knitter. It was really lovely to chat to her and see her latest knitting projects and her spinning too.

 

Here we are all happily spinning away

A great day, something I always enjoy so really wish to do more often. It's my plan to join some friends at another event over the half term holiday in a few weeks time and I can't wait.

 Southampton Ukelele Jam at the morning fete

 Southampton Ukelele Jam at The Hobbit

Dancing along to "I wanna be like you" a la Jungle book

At the weekend in the glorious sunshine, and I have the sunburn to prove it, we were very busy. Alex played with the Southampton Ukelele Jam at a church fete in the morning and at the Environmental Rock festival at The Hobbit pub (of recent tv news fame!) in the afternoon. Imogen and I enjoyed the events - I would say Imogens favourite bit were the bouncy castles - the one at the hobbit was just 50p and you can go on as often as you like. She was on there most of the time we were there. We took along some spare plants for the plant swap and enjoyed the musical entertainment.

Forest Wanderer at the Sustainability Centre the the Fair

Sunday brought the South Downs Green Fair - an event we have supported for a few years now, and the source of my first spinning wheel 3 years ago! (more about that wheel later in the post) We had a lovely time, took a friend and her son and bumped into others we knew whilst there. Imogen had a fun time on all the childrens corner events, especially the circus skills we see at a lot of events. She loves to try these out and confidently went across the tightrope with a hand for balance but was getting her own balance well, and she managed a little 2 ball juggling this time too.

 Juggling

Human power! Powering a smoothie maker!

This week has entailed a little de-cluttering, some planting on of courgette and pumpkin plants amongst other things. More to do and more seeds to sow and plants to plant out. We have another busy weekend ahead with a party for Imogen, another gig for Alex and the ukelele jam and Saturday is my Guild day - hurrah!


Yesterday I had a lovely day, meeting a new friend to chat and spin. A little background - we "met" on ravelry as she joined the UK spinners group new to spinning and I found out that she only lived about a mile away. We chatted about the Guild meetings and I offered to let her come round to my house to try out the wheels and meet before she comes along to the guild meetings. So yesterday we got together and it was really lovely to meet her, lots of interests in common and she knits the most amazing socks - my favourite pair of which she wore yesterday, they are even more stunning in real life!

I had the three wheels ready to have a go and she had a go at spinning on each of them to give her the opportunity to try different wheels, which mine are - one is Scotch tension single drive, one is Irish tension bobbin led drive and the other is double drive. All are single treadle, so I can't offer the chance to try that out but I'm sure someone at the guild will when she has the opportunity to pop along, hopefully June.

It was lovely as she could see and feel the difference between the wheels, and her spinning was lovely, opening up a whole new fibre obsession addiction craft to enjoy, and a wheel search is on. In the meantime I have let her borrow my Ashford Traditional which she was delighted by and it was a pleasure for me to be able to offer, after all it isn't getting used here these days. I'm thinking of offering this wheel as a wheel to loan out through the Guild in the future anyway.

New spinners work (I'm sure she won't mind me sharing)

and just look at the difference in bobbin size from the Wee Peggy to the Louet!

We had a great time, something I'm sure we will repeat - I'm planing to take up her offer of help with my lack of following a crochet pattern. Then there are guild meetings too. She also brought with her a gift for me as a thank you, which was so lovely and unexpected - a lovely roving in lots of colours, just beautiful. Thank you so much, it is lovely and I shall enjoy spinning it.

my lovely gift of fibre

Phew, that was a long one. Will be back to catch up again soon after more busy days, more spinning, more planting, more gigs (for Alex) and some sorting out of a little girls room as we are getting her a new big bed soon - much needed as she tells me her feet reach the end of her bed (a converted cotbed). She doesn't know yet, so will love it no doubt, more room for her and all her toys.

Hope everyone else is having a lovely time. My knitted top/tunic is growing, as is my list of things I want to cast on!

So