First Wednesday in December

Today I booked our pitch at Hebden Bridge Caravan Club Site for the Tour de France in July 2014.....................

Mr S and I had been sat at the PC ready and waiting for 9am to click by and bingo we got our preferred site for the days we wanted - why?  Well the riders will go past the gates of the site at the beginning of the longest continual climb in the UK and we will be there to watch and experience the razzmatazz that is the tour.  This will be our third Tour in the UK, the first in 1992 we cycled too, the second (2008) on Beacon Hill my view was obstructed by a foul-mouthed woman who insisted she wouldn't stand between me and the cyclists, but did, so I saw virtually nothing - this time no-one will get in my way!  Plus we already have our official T-Shirts - yellow for Mr S and pink for me!

But what of all things woolly in November?  Well it has been a month of experimenting - firstly I tried plying with beads, inspired by some exquisite spinning by Tabi of Sericin Silk 

I had been given a sample of Cormo which by chance was a perfect match for some walnut dyed silk, and this is the result

Silvered Don

I have to admit that this was second attempt at plying with beads, the first will reside along with some other first attempts shrouded in the mists of obscurity.

But this month has really been about making and using my newest toy - a Blending Board.

I had been intrigued to find out what all the fuss was about, but not at the £100 plus price tag! In fact I will have made three and still come in at under that figure!

First the carding cloth - the best prices are, as usual, in the USA, but customs and international postage costs make this less attractive, so in the end I bought from Winghams - who despite saying it was in stock took 2 and 1/2 weeks to deliver!  B&Q provided the board, nuts and bolts, Mr S the cutting and me, I did the sanding and cutting of the cloth and viola!

Punis, Rolags or Poonags - call them what you will - they are the most fabulous things to make

Here I have a blend of, Pumpkin, Pink, Lime Green, Yellow and hints of Black which magically turn into this -

and these..........

My crowning glory this month was the test knit for LindaCC -

 Hemeracallis - Day-Lily Shawl

Now its December which means dark days and knitting an Advent Stole - so far 3 days in and going OK