Celebrating British Wool Week - 15 - 21October 2012 with new spinning adventures.

British Wool Week began on Monday this week and I decided to participate by ordering 2 sample packs from Hilltopcloud Spinning Fiber. This complete, I headed over to read some blogs that I love and found that my friend, Tina, over at Peacefullyknitting had just received her pack. We often do this sort of thing at the same time without knowing about it from each other.

I proposed a spin along and she agreed. It is such great fun to share a project, discuss issues and help each other find the ways to improve our spinning. We are spinning one fibre a week with the intention of knitting Sheep Heid by Kate Davies.

On Sunday last weekend, I decided to sample the 10g coloured southdown that I received with my pack from HilltopCloud. I split it into two equal bits and spun up singles for a 2ply

and plied them together.

As we had chosen Bluefaced Leicester as our first fibre and I had some previously purchased, I took 30g and divided it into 3 10g bits, spun up singles to make a 3 ply

and plied them together for the sample.

These are the two yarn samples washed and finished. I was quite pleased with them as I have not spun yarn specifically for a pattern before. Even though colour work is traditionally knitted with Shetland 2 ply, I have decided that I want to spin 3ply yarn in fingering weight for the learning experience.

Monday dawned with the start of the real spinning - BFL which is one of my favourite fibres.

Three bobbins of fibre ready to ply.

Plied together they made a fingering weight yarn and I squealed with delight as it is the finest yarn I have ever spun.

Before finishing.

After finishing I have 56 yards.

In other spinning news, here is my beginner's yarn from yesterday. At the guild meeting, Bev kindly showed me how to do longdraw. 

As I was committed to other work, I did not have my wheel with me and could only try it much later when I got home. This is what I had after 45 minutes before we went out for an evening walk. What you don't see is the pile of scraps lying on the table beside me! But it is such fun:)

There was the most spectacular sunset last as we came home from our walk.

While my two handed dishwasher, the Saint, did the dishes, I settled back at my wheel to play some more. With that and an hour this morning, I am finally coming up with something that looks a bit more like yarn but it still needs a lot of practise. I am still loving it though.

Have a wonderfully blessed week, folks:)

La Boqueria - Barcelona's Food Market

We spent an early morning in La Boqueria, Barcelona's Food Market, which is a feast for the eyes. The photos for this photoblog are taken on my Iphone. It really has an amazing little camera.

Enjoy a little wander in one of the the world's best markets.

A Woodland Walk at Farley

With the sunshine today, after breakfast and the necessary grocery shopping, we set off to the woods near Farely Mount. It used to be one of our favourite walks before my hip issues and today it co-operated wonderfully as we re-explored old haunts.

We started at the bottom of the hill and walked up the road

where the trees were dressed in dappled sunshine.

At the top of the hill another road leads down to the valley below.

A gorgeously coloured dragonfly blessed us with his presence and graced me with the opportunity to photograph him in all his glory. I love how the bracken can be seen though the wings.

The paths on the way down were really wet after the rains last night

and the views across the fields were peaceful.

All too soon we turned back up through the woods once more

where the wild roses in the underbrush where bathed in sunlight and coated in moisture

 and the tree tops were painted in sunlight, glorious green against blue skies.

A wonderful walk enjoyed.