Float'n'purl

I'd almost given up..........

March and this is my first blog of the year!

I've thought several times about giving up on this blog as I don't really have the time or the desire to post any more? Maybe blogging has "run it's course" for me? The novelty has run out? I'm not really sure, although I still enjoy reading a few blogs for inspiration.

Still, here I am, still wondering if it's really worth keeping an online knitting diary??

Just thought I would post a couple of pictures from a couple of weeks ago when DH and I went here for the weekend and I started a felted bag kit designed by my friend Beryl who is also a fellow guild member. It has just come out of the washing machine after a couple of cycles so who knows I might even show a finished picture here sometime............

BTW - I can highly recommend the Ecocabin for a relaxing and peaceful holiday away from it all in the beautiful Shropshire countryside :)

I especially love the way the colours of the yarn match the fabrics in the living area at the cabin. The fire in the background is a wood pellet stove.

The Silly Season

No time, no time - how often so I say these words these days?

Off to here tomorrow for a week of celebrating and relaxation. See you soon.

Merry Christmas and Best wishes for 2008!

I'm the one in the Santa Suit

I ran the Liverpool Santa Dash this morning just to get into the seasonal mood and I think I can now say that I'm in the Guiness Book of Records (along with 5999 other Santas!).

I manged to raise 100 quid for Diabetes UK so it was well worth the early rise on a cold and wet December Sunday morning :)

It's been soooo long..........

That I've almost forgotton how to blog. No doubt nobody else will read this anymore it's been so long since my last post, so maybe I can say exactly what I want.

Anyway, what are my excuses...........to many to mention. Lets just say a new job and some commuting has got in the way and reduced personal computer time to boot.

So of course you would expect lots of FOs in my absence - ha (well a new hat is one!). You'd be sadly disappointed then. Lets just let these few images say a thousand words from a recent trip to pick up Janet's new boat (and new home!).

(for the uninitiated, the tool behind the glass of wine is a windlass, used to open lock gates on the canal)

Domestic Bliss

My copy arrived in Saturday's post (despite the strikes?). Its sooooo beautiful. It's the kind of book you look forward going to bed with just to marvel at the stunning photography and words of wisdom.

Between Islands

At last a F.O. to show! This is my "Between Islands" cushion. The name comes from the fact that I bought the yarn (arran weight natural 100% wool) on Islay about five or six years ago then finished weaving it this summer on Skye. That's not to say it's taken five years to weave but it was a long time between finishing the weaving and sewing up. It seems that my (un)love of sewing up knitting also extends to weaving (oops).

The button is from Woolfest (in fact I have one either side). I rushed to sew it up yesterday for our Guild exhibition which opens on Friday 26th October at the Castle Arts Centre in Frodsham, Cheshire. I'm not sure it will be chosen to be exhibited as there are some real experts in our Guild with beautiful work so I've also put in a handwoven scarf I finished last year as another possible exhibit.

It will be the first time since Uni that I've been part of an exhibition so it's very exciting!

On the job front I've had two offers - both in Chester. I've decided to accept one this morning which is a huge relief and I start on Monday after a couple of days training later this week. It's a lovely city to work in but I have to beware as it's also the home of Stash!

Its been an interesting month away from work full of highs and lows but the thing I think is really important is that I've chilled out. I had no idea how stressed I was about everything and how unpleasant I must have been to be around. I know when I'm working again there will be new stresses but I hope that I can remember some of the lessons learned during this period.

Heritage

While visiting my parents last weekend I took my Mum to the   Weaver's Cottage in Kilbarchan, a National Trust for Scotland property. It's only three miles from where they live and I remember going there as a child but at the time I had little interest in weaving.

We were the only visitors at the time so we had the staff's full attention and the weaver was busy warping up (apologies for the poor photographs taken on my phone camera). They also had a brand new Louet floor loom which I had a little play on!

It's hard to believe that at the height of the cottage industry there were 800 looms in the district. It's certainly worth a visit but they close for the winter this weekend so you'd have to be quick!

They weave tartan's for reinactment costumes and any left over they make into bags and cushions so I had to have one and it's made me think that one day I'd like to weave a little bit of my own family tartan?

Friendship Day

Today was spent with old friends (left to right - Antonia, Me, Gail, Morag and Marek).

I'm visiting home and catching up with friends and family for the weekend. This afternoon was spent with Gail, Alexis, Morag and their kids with lots of lovely food and a chocolate birthday cake for Morag (have a lovely day on Monday).

We've known each other since our Girl Guide days but this spring was the first time we've been together for over five years so it's good to meet up again so soon (Antonia, Alexis, Gail, James, Morag, Marek and Emma). Thanks for a lovely afternoon ladies!

New Toy

Guess what I put together the other night while DH was watching the footie! 

The Thrills of Twills

Its been a while but at last my computer seems to be fully functional. I keep on finding that I'm missing handy little programmes that I'd downloaded ages ago but other than that everything is ok.

As for the rest of life - its been a funny month full of ups and downs so far. My job in Wales finished which I knew what happening as I'd only been contracted for 18 months so no more lovely trips into the Welsh countryside but equally I get to spend more time at home (I used to work away three days per week).

I had arranged to work for another Architect, also in Wales when I finished but after only a week things were clearly not going to work so I left yesterday. It was hard to do but this is the first time in my life since leaving Uni twelve years ago that I've been jobless! As I'm self-employed this should be a normal occurance from time to time but its a first time experience for me. Needless to say today has been strange and I'll be keeping myself busy with things I needed to sort out like my accounts, work on our house plans (oh, forgot to say I've submitted for planning approval - yipee), and there's my CV etc to review.

DH has been lovely and said that I should take a month and review what I want to do before diving into another contract. The aim is eventually to work for myself but this coud take some time to come to fruition so for now staying self-employed but working for another is fine, besides I start back teaching one day per week at Liverpool Uni on 25th September so at least I have that to look forward to. I'm just finding it hard not having a deadline to meet or rushing to work or from work. I've realised that I don't take out time to simply stop or slow down and appreciate what's going on around. Its going to be an interesting month to say the least.

Craft wise it's been busy too! The guild weave week was wonderful. I managed three full days of learning to weave on a four shaft loom and now I'm hooked. So much so that I've ordered a Louet Klik loom from Scottish Fibres (this was before my sharp fall in income - oops). I did a bit of reasearch before hand but my main poin is storage. I've borrowed the Guild Ashford loom since the workshop but its far too big and I've had to negotiate storage in a friend's workshop for it so the Klik seems perfect, escpecially as you can extend it up to sixteen shafts (unlikely but eight would be useful). I was also inspired by Sweet Georgia's post showing her Klik with a beautiful dyed warp.

This is my sample weave from the workshop. Can you believe that it took us all day to warp the loom for the first time! We worked through varies weave patterns - twills, hopsack, chevron and steen in mercerised cotton. It was hard work and sometimes you could almost hear the concentration in the room as everyone was warping up but it was really rewarding.