Wednesday July 22nd 2020

All is thankfully well here. I have just been a bit busy with online courses.

I am pleased to report that I finished 2 teachers' CPD courses in the past 2 weeks, as well as doing the Final exam in my Geology course with Stockholm University. I have an application in for next September, continuing with Geography/Geology, as well as which I have applied for a course in Introductory Biology. Gotta keep these brain cells turning over!
I have sold 2 spinning wheels since last we spoke: a beautiful shiny metallic Alpha Herring spinning wheel (see photo below) which has made its way to the UK and a Donegal wheel (pictured below)  which is now in Dublin. I also ended up buying a wheel, along the way, an Ashford Kiwi that will go to a beginner spinner before long, I just need to replace some small bits that are missing on it. 


I have some Textile and Spinning written work to complete and I am going to get it done!  Determined as all get out here....
I am also attacking corners of the house where stuff has build up over the past year eg, today it was time to move out some soccer boots and hiking boots that my DS has outgrown. Some school and college books also had to go, so off I went to the charity shop with them all.
More corners and attics await during the rest of the summer. There are knitting machines and spinning wheels to go, too.
There is also some planting to be done, so I am working on clearing a space for the flowers I have to go in to. Hopefully I can also begin to prepare a space for vegetable growing next year.

The Alpha Herring spinning wheel

Donegal wheel made by the Shiels family, Carndonagh. 

In other words, there is still plenty on my to-do list, which awaits me every day on a hulking huge Sticky Note when I start up this laptop.

 I am reading Icelandic thrillers by Ragnar Jónasson. Usch, the Hulda series are blood-curdlingly scary. The Ari Thor books are not so scary yet, the author seems to have honed his craft as he wrote the books. There is a sense of menace and oncoming disaster in the later books, which frankly has me refusing to read the books late at night!
One result of all this Icelandic stuff is that I have started dabbling in learning Icelandic! Online language courses are great things.

I hope people are well.
This Covid situation looks like it will go on for a while yet. I do not yet know what school will be like in September. Take care everyone out there.

Day 4 of Tour de Fleece, 30th June 2020 (Day 110 since school closures)

Tuesday, 30-6-2020.
Day 4 of the Tour de Fleece 2020.
I have been spinning some purple-blue-pink-silk fibre for the Tour. It is lovely; my only problem is that I tend to spin so fine. It takes me ages to get to the end of a braid. Also it is a strain on the hands.
So maybe it is time for me to change my practice and aim for a thicker yarn by default.
In the meantime, here is a photo of a bobbin one third full with very fine purple yarn.

Today I said Goodbye to a special spinning wheel: my Alpha Herring spinning wheel is now making its way to a new home.  I decided recently that I need to reduce the amount of wheels in the  house, and I found somebody who had wanted one of these wheels for a while. So contact was made and the wheel was sold. I am sure the new owner will love it to bits. In the meantime I have 15 others to enjoy. Here is the photo of the Alpha: metal frame, metal drive wheel, metal bobbins, metal flyer, metal lazy kate and wooden treadle. Such a beauty.