tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152962381758226632024-03-05T16:38:37.666+00:00The Sassy SpinnerMusings from a Spinning Wheel.The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-15196785931285198772017-10-09T18:07:00.001+01:002017-10-09T18:18:33.466+01:00Spinzilla - a learning curveI first join the Spinzilla challenge in 2015, I was a real rooky, never thought that I should do anything in advance other than to make sure my wheels were in working order. We had been away in the weeks previous arriving home the day before the start. Monday morning saw me going through stash trying to decide what to spin... How crazy was that? That year I managed a respectable yardage, and exceeded my hoped for mile, but nothing like the more experience spinners who spin an amazing total - something like 45,000 yards. I also got a pressure sore from sitting in one place for seven days...<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=315296238175822663" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>2016 I was more prepared - bought a load of John Arbon's lovely fibre at Fibre East, and arranged that we returned from our autumn break with a few days grace before the grand depart! But for preparation of fibre - nothing. Indeed I spent a whole evening making punis as I had spun tall my fibre - prepping fibre is not a good idea when the idea is to spin as much as possible.. But I had improved and my total that year was a respectable 15,500 Spinzilla yards. Here I should explain the concept of Spinzilla yards, you count one for every yard you spin, and then you get another for plying, so for a two ply yarn you multiply your skein's yardage by three, one each for the singles and one for plying - so if your skein comes in at 100 yards you get credited with 300 Spinzilla yards. <br />
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Once again the winner spun over 45,000 Spinzilla yards - how on earth could you spin that amount, skein, count etc? Well it seems that you don't actually have to do anything else except spin and ply - the winner has a team of helpers skeining off, so freeing up bobbins for further spinning. I had done all these myself, so using spinning time with non counting tasks.<br />
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2017 - I was really clued up. We were home for nearly a week before, much of which was taken up with prepping fibre. By this I mean really prepping, all the lovely fibre I had bought from John<br />
Arbon was pre-drafted ready to spin. Also every evening I sat making punis for long draw spinning. I forgot to mention that in previous years I had spun worsted, not woollen. Earlier this year I did a long draw class and have been practising ever since to get faster. So this year I switched between the two and also instead of sitting in one place I had three wheels set up, so I could alter my position, and have more bobbins that I could fill before plying. I had also practiced double plying! What is double plying! Well I have a Hansen Mspinner which I set up on the footstool to my right and my Matchless to my left - both have WooLee Winders, so no moving the yarn along, and I ply on both at the same time - great time saver.<br />
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This year's total - 20696 Spinzilla yards<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-72332499040855574852016-03-21T18:17:00.004+00:002016-03-22T09:21:23.544+00:00There are lots of lifts in Edinburgh.....I've just got back from the Edinburgh Yarn Festival with friend Ann (coffeecake on Rav) - fabulous time, but isn't Edinburgh hilly, I don't think I have ever been in so many lifts in such a short time. The most nifty one was in the Hotel, it came out of the floor when called and disappeared when not in use - a sort of now you see it, now you don't sort of thing.<br />
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No lift and magically it arrives<br />
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So much nicer than the bog standard hotel lift for wheelchairs...<br />
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But back to my trip to the EYF - we flew up on Wednesday afternoon with Easyjet, here I have to say that the service for me was extremely efficient. my chair was the last item into the hold and the first item out - very reassuring. <br />
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Wednesday night we ate in a lovely veggie restaurant called <a href="http://www.davidbann.com/" target="_blank">David Bann</a> - nice food, portions were large and tasty, but every time one of the waitresses passed my chair they knock it - this is painful and unnecessary and for me completely spoilt what should have been an enjoyable evening.<br />
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Thursday morning we did the tourist thingy and browsed the shops on the Royal Mile (going down hill) before catching the bus to our class on Two-Handed Colour Work with Carol Feller. Finally I discovered what I had being doing wrong - you scoop the stitch, when you see it demonstrated it seems so simple, that I can't understand why I didn't see it before. Anyway I managed several rounds of what will be a head band - don't do hats...<br />
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Friday was the first day of shopping - as we had taken a class we were allowed in an hour early ahead of the general public. It was really great to be able to shop without having to fight for space and of course, there was no one to step back without looking and then blaming me for having the nerve to be there.<br />
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Here we are waiting for the doors to open<br />
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And here is some of my purchases - well you can't go that far and fail to buy..<br />
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Saturday was a day for browsing and just a very little shop. Mainly we wanted to see our friend Emily to do her podcast - for nearly three hours we waited around and then at the last minute the event was cancelled - it was too noisy - well they knew that when they set up the venue. We felt so sorry for Emily, and the other two who had been asked to do this, she had put a lot of effort into preparing for this, brought samples and set up, just to be told sorry. I feel quite miffed about this, for had we known we could have spent time exploring Edinburgh in the sun rather than sitting around in a stuffy, noisy room.<br />
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That night we ate at <a href="http://www.eccovinoedinburgh.com/" target="_blank">Ecco Vino</a> in Cockburn Street, just a few yards from our hotel, well what a difference to the previous restaurant. The actual space was tiny, open kitchen and just two front of house staff who ran the place with utmost efficiency - not once did anyone kick my chair - bliss and the food was yummy, I had goat's cheese and sun-dried blush tomato risotto - divine, Julie had the Spagbol and Ann the Tuscan Beef Stew and we shared a starter of olives, pesto, hummus and gorgeous bread - a super little gem found purely by accident!<br />
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Sunday we viewed the <a href="http://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/whats-on/celts/" target="_blank">Celts</a> exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland - fabulous as was the actual museum<br />
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Then just as we leaving, rather peeved that the Lewis Chessmen were less impressive than we had imagined we saw this amazing tapestry<br />
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Woven using yarn from every breed of sheep in the United Kingdom by Victoria Crowe of the <a href="https://dovecotstudios.com/tapestry-studio/" target="_blank">Dovecot Tapestry Studio</a><br />
Then we headed for the airport and home, very tired but happy.... Late nights knitting, chatting and drinking coffee and early mornings make for tired girls.......<br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-14068472160483971112016-02-23T11:07:00.001+00:002016-02-23T11:07:48.013+00:00New Loom!I have been considering upgrading my loom for several months now. I spent far too long on the internet, searching and reading reviews on various looms. I do not have the room for a floor loom even if I was able to use the treadles, which I can't! I wanted more shafts at least 16 so this meant a dobby loom. This brought the number to consider down to two possible looms. The AVL Little Weaver and the Louet Magic Dobby. The AVL is operated by computer only and is 16 inches wide, so not perfect, but the cost was exorbitant - over £6000 including shipping and customs etc.. <br />
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So I was left with the Magic, I got all sorts of reports regarding this loom, all bad - the shed
is too small, it is impossible to advance the weaving, the treadle is
useless, the shafts are heavy and hard to lift and so on. I really only got a good review from Clare (Mintyweaver) and from a
couple of weavers in America on Ravelry. One owner, who had offered me her electronic at an inflated price, later admitted she hated it and blamed all her bad weaving on the inadequacies of this loom. Could it really be that bad? It was obviously a Marmite loom - love it or hate it <br />
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At the beginning of February I met up with Louet Magic Dobby owner, Clare, in Shrewsbury where the local guild had generously agreed that we could set up the loom during their Friendship Day. We arrived at 11am and for nearly three hours I explored the 'failings' of the loom...<br />
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Small shed, well only if you are used to a floor loom, it was almost identical to the shed on my Ashford - my Glimakra shuttles slid through with ease, so no problems with that. The loom can be operated by either pulling down a lever or depressing the treadle - one or the other - not both! We did not bother to attach the treadle and the lever work like a dream - with no problems I could lift all 24 shafts, which in the ordinary way of weaving would never happen. In those three hours I had dispelled all my fears....<br />
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I had found my loom - the only problem was that for me sat in my wheelchair the loom was too high by about 10cms or 4 inches. Possibly a diy job, but before I committed an email to Louet was called for.<br />
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Please can you lower a loom for me - yes, said Jan Louet!<br />
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Order placed... <br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-55143270829256067422016-01-15T08:29:00.000+00:002016-01-15T08:29:55.583+00:00Another bag and a new weaving projectI must be a glutton - how many colour Gamp bags does a girl need? Well I now have two and a wallet!<br />
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It seemed a shame to waste all that fabric, plus I wanted to see if I could make a necessary clutch wallet without buying the actual pattern. Very pleased with the results! Got lots of comments in John Lewis yesterday too!</div>
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Onwards to the next weaving project.. On the Warped Weavers Forum there is a WAL (weave along) involving the book 'Next Steps in Weaving' and rather than starting with Chapter One, I jumped to the Chapter on Summer and Winter - something I have wanted to try for a while, but couldn't get my head around the process.</div>
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I didn't have the right weight of cotton so I am using a 5/2 cotton for the warp and tabby weft and it used double for the pattern weft - perhaps not the best, but I have finally worked out what I should be doing. The tabby pick is woven between every pattern pick and hey presto you have a double sided fabric which is light on one side and darken the other - summer and winter!</div>
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Here is my progress so far..</div>
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The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-70151338113875477402016-01-04T13:08:00.004+00:002016-01-07T09:34:58.991+00:00No New Years ResolutionsI have really neglected this blog over the last few months, but this is a sign that I have been incredibly busy spinning, weaving, dyeing and generally making things. I will try to keep up, but make no promises....<br />
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Since the weaving workshop last May I have finally got to grips with my loom, that had languished unloved for several years. The workshop was intended to be a final fling - a point of decision, to keep or sell... However, the real change was the purchase of a DVD '<a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/warping-your-loom-download" target="_blank">Warping Your Loom</a>' with Madelyn van der Hoogt. This was a light bulb moment and since then my weaving has gone from strength to strength... What you cannot do is weave well if you can't get a warp on your loom - twisted threads and uneven tension is a real no-no and quite honestly makes the whole process not fun..<br />
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My intention with weaving always had been to make fabric that I could make things from and I have done it!<br />
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First I dyed a selection of sock yarn in six bright colours, this was inspired by the<a href="http://www.lunaticfringeyarns.com/102TubularSpectrumYarns.php" target="_blank"> Lunatic Fringe Colour Spectrum</a>, and warped up a colour gamp - which is a sort of sampler of twills.. <br />
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I made a three yard warp and got a finished length of 84" from this I made this<br />
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Success - i have achieved my goal! Although it is still awaiting handles as I ran out of black thread and Royal Mail seems to have gone on a go slow - although I ordered last Monday and received a notification of dispatch on Tuesday I am still black thread less a week later...<br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-47084770587625345422015-10-13T10:24:00.000+01:002015-10-13T10:42:27.414+01:00No apologies....I have been very lax in the last few months about recording the happenings in Chez Sassy. This is not because nothing has happened, but more to do about the huge amount of crazy things we have been up to!<br />
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Since the Tour de France (Fleece) Mr S and I have been fully engaged in our various hobbies. Knitting, spinning, bag making and quilting - just to name a few..<br />
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After the workshop in May I have rediscovered my weaving mojo. The loom has been in use almost daily and Mr S made me the most amazing winding station..<br />
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Since then he has a commission for four more and that has kept him busy! </div>
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September saw us on our usual month long break, and this year we began in London, then spent 10 days in the Peak District before a 12 day stay in the fantastically spectacular Yorkshire Dales (there are loads and loads of photos on my Instagram feed <a href="https://instagram.com/thesassyspinner/" target="_blank">thesassyspinner</a> - will put a link in if I can work out how to on the iPad) finishing off with a few days on our favourite CL in Ruskington. </div>
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During this sojourn we painted crockery at Emma Bridgewater's factory, </div>
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visited Yarndale </div>
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and The Masham Sheep Fair - where Mr S got roped into showing (and winning) with a Border Leicester ewe!</div>
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We returned home just in time to take part in Spinzilla 2015 - this was a week long spinning challenge and I was a member Team Handspinning News UK - my total was a tad under six miles - that is in Spinzilla yards - you get credit for each single spun and for plying.</div>
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So if you, as I did, make a 3 plied yarn and it comes in at 1000 yards you get credited with 4000 yards (the three singles and the ply) - easy yes?</div>
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From the top two skeins of 3 plied fawn Bond, 2 skeins of Shetland, Troubled Water from SCF, Deep Orchid again a SCF fibre, the greens from After the Rains (BFL) and a couple of smaller skeins, a sample from Into The Whirle and one of black Cormo, which I spun while doing the weekly shop!</div>
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We are still waiting for the total yardage from the team but hopefully we will have beaten last years winning total of 17,000 yards - will keep you posted...</div>
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-9181753002640248512015-07-20T16:28:00.001+01:002015-07-20T16:28:59.238+01:00July is the Tour de France (Fleece)July - tennis, cycling, tennis and more cycling - yeah I love the beginning of July - why - well I get loads of time to spin with no chance of being moaned at....<br />
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Mr S is an avid cycling fan which means we get to watch a lot of the TV coverage and believe me that is a lot. Most stages take at least four hours and more likely nearer to five. That is a fair bit of spinning time. Also this year Wimbledon started a week later so there are has been a bit of a conflict in Chez Sassy. The one thing you can do with the Tour is fast forward through some of the more boring bits - well once you've watch a load of cyclist ride along one road you've seen a lot of the race - mountain stages and sprinter's finishes are great fun, but the bits between can be a tad tedious...<br />
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Wimbledon on the other hand must be watched live, point by point. Both provide ample opportunity to get out the fibre and wheel and get productive.<br />
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This year as been particularly productive - so far (and there is still five more stages)<br />
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First on the wheel was 'Death' from Into the Whirled - a superwash merino and a really fast spin - so fast that I forgot to take in progress piccies.<br />
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Then Dragon Fruit and Rosebud from Southern Cross Fibre - Bond and Mulberry Silk - a scrumptious blend.</div>
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The sharp eyed will notice some new bobbins have appeared - these are
from Akerworks in the USA, 3D printed and in magenta - how could I not
get some. They arrived last Monday and a week of testing has proven
them to be excellent. They are lighter than the ordinary Schacht
bobbins. These are compatible with my WooLee Winder and I looooooove
them.<br />
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Next to face the wheel was Octarine, the last of my MegaSal fibre - for this I spun two bobbins end to end and plied to keep the gradient.<br />
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Then over this weekend, when again there was a conflict between cycling and tennis - this time the Davis Cup - and we won, for the first time in 30 years GB are into the semis - which will be played in September here in the UK against Australia - that is going to be fantastic....<br />
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This is Deju Vu, another Southern Cross Fibre colourway, - hot of the wheel<br />
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Next - well I must go stash diving...... but.....<br />
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This weekend is <a href="http://www.fibre-east.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fibre East </a>- currently just over 4 days to go, and as usual Mr S and I are volunteering, so bright and early Thursday morning will see us on the road to Ampthill and then over to Shillington for a bit of r and r! With hopefully a trip to the <a href="http://www.handweavers.co.uk/" target="_blank">Handweaver's Studio</a> next Tuesday..... Mr S is a sucker for a train ride, so Hitchin to Finsbury Park and a short walk or bus is a real treat for us both....<br />
The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-49302390676120709482015-06-30T15:24:00.001+01:002015-06-30T15:24:05.369+01:00I've been neglecting....Just realised that it is over a month since I last posted! My excuse - I have been busy, spinning, weaving, knitting and generally being crafty...<br />
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Firstly I have cracked warping my loom. After completing messing up trying the Ashford back to front methods (wasting some really lovely yarn in the process) I tried the front to back method using 'Warping all by yourself' by Cay Garrett and the Interweave DVD by Madalyn van der Hoogts 'Warping your Loom'. The front to back method is so much easier on the back as a lot of the work can be done away from the loom...<br />
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It also required some wood work by Mr S in the shape of a heddle stand and an ingenious little device to hold the cross sticks.<br />
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These two little gadgets make the process so much easier....<div>
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So here is my first piece of proper weaving</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">The next thing is to make some tea towels, why? Well everyone seems to make tea towels and I have a large quantity of cotton yarn just waiting to be woven. This was an absolute bargain 4 kilos for £30. But, of course, to do this needed extra heddles and a new reed, so what could be relatively cheap tea towels are turning out to be rather expensive!</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">That was the beginning of the month, for the last two weeks we have been away in our caravan staying at Chertsey, firstly so I could go to the Muse Connection Volume II and secondly for our annual visit to Wimbledon. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">The first was fantastic, but the second was a damp squib, in all the years we have been allocated tickets through the Wheelchair Tennis Foundation we have never been disappointed with our seats. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Now the allocation is organised by the LTA and we found ourselves at the very top of Centre Court. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">The whole thing had been a fiasco, the tickets had miss-addressed and despite checking with every </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">sorting office in Bristol were deemed lost. We had to go to the ticket office to collect replacements - that was easier said than done! As we had left home 10 days before, we didn't have the necessary letter, to gain entry so we had to be escorted, then there was the wait as the queue was very long, and of course sans letter meant finding the tickets proved to be less than simple...</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Then we found out where our seats were! The view was terrible, the roof feels as if it is only inches from your head. Fortunately there was a really good match on Court 18 - Liam Broady who had been given a wild card and played a brilliant game. He lost the first two sets, we thought it was curtains, but he fought back and won the last three sets impressively. We did go back to our seats for the last match, but Stan's game was lack lustre, so left early and beat the traffic... Obviously we need to rethink our strategy - definitely go for the second week or a lesser court (cheaper) in the first week and seek out the more competitive matches. Watching the top seeds walk over qualifying players is not entertainment...</span></div>
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I know I shouldn't moan, some people never get to Wimbledon let alone sit right next to the court, but honestly you get a better view on TV! </div>
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The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-64815664205269282172015-05-24T16:04:00.002+01:002015-05-24T16:04:39.698+01:00Weaving and RailwaysLast weekend saw me, Molly and Mr S in Bedfordshire - me for a weaving workshop and Mr S was exhibiting his model railway - the new larger and improved layout that is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8yyRlRvd71Z0K8LhCYRyP15kYh21Z7_stXHMJxBSchZeS9FWVdWAar2PylG8q-K-724W-zayEpZsE3DaDJxmnsKFxB_Yzkj-mWz0WVo34OquJa5E1r9eTNTuVxgaHb-7zSSv_4jgdPSe/s1600/2015-05-05+18.29.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8yyRlRvd71Z0K8LhCYRyP15kYh21Z7_stXHMJxBSchZeS9FWVdWAar2PylG8q-K-724W-zayEpZsE3DaDJxmnsKFxB_Yzkj-mWz0WVo34OquJa5E1r9eTNTuVxgaHb-7zSSv_4jgdPSe/s320/2015-05-05+18.29.54.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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The enlarged version takes up more room in the car and requires two large coffin shaped boxes to safely transport.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3IGhDMv96sztF3tMDYf8518ZBX4HJ4Fca1PUWTtBZGLMLrXjON9hPB44taobqFAAiYeKV6-RfZp8GBU4O2vTo7eEW_-VaiGKhzEEjYpMiIo39ORJC_9XDTqSnE3MtUZYNO3UstyZhrjp/s1600/Railway26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3IGhDMv96sztF3tMDYf8518ZBX4HJ4Fca1PUWTtBZGLMLrXjON9hPB44taobqFAAiYeKV6-RfZp8GBU4O2vTo7eEW_-VaiGKhzEEjYpMiIo39ORJC_9XDTqSnE3MtUZYNO3UstyZhrjp/s320/Railway26.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
The enlarging of the layout required additional trees and the revamp of the existing which were looking the worse for wear, my job and I am pretty pleased with the new ones! I discovered that with the camera on my phone that I could take photos from different angles - here is one looking down through the fields....... <br />
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Must have be worth the effort, because he got an invite exhibit next year in Oxford...<br />
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And while all this was going on I was completely out of my depth on a Creative Weaving Workshop. In the week leading up to the workshop I had attempted to warp my loom four times - complete disaster. I now have a large bag of thrums - that is what the bits from the ends of the warps are called, I just had more than you would expect...............<br />
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I did finally manage to get something on the loom, but it was a poor attempt when I looked at the other looms .........<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeweBHZtmLYHOrlpRCIY4XPdgb8MUv8NHcp2HCJs6w3gmsJOKf9ycEOKOrHMOLwedrmezPMilqhUMFDIqihacRCd0FqlGvFuEhPSSrMw5z14pyw-4jzLyip75rsbP01CZ8b8k1JEFI3SQ1/s1600/My+Weaving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeweBHZtmLYHOrlpRCIY4XPdgb8MUv8NHcp2HCJs6w3gmsJOKf9ycEOKOrHMOLwedrmezPMilqhUMFDIqihacRCd0FqlGvFuEhPSSrMw5z14pyw-4jzLyip75rsbP01CZ8b8k1JEFI3SQ1/s320/My+Weaving.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
This is only photo of my pathetic efforts<br />
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And here are some of the beautiful fabrics being woven by the more experienced weavers..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-2RLIHsTZ3DnpCx4G0RgsCuZejXwyNJmbuJ_G9I5jxtzdBAhFjzS0hn3gtoEMO5EhEg25Doy-lVq6W02RPe11ewXW7sDsINkmNuyAf-1VvOKerCnrUDC2DwG572P6cY6PCkV_ESo-s6K/s1600/Weaving+Workshop3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-2RLIHsTZ3DnpCx4G0RgsCuZejXwyNJmbuJ_G9I5jxtzdBAhFjzS0hn3gtoEMO5EhEg25Doy-lVq6W02RPe11ewXW7sDsINkmNuyAf-1VvOKerCnrUDC2DwG572P6cY6PCkV_ESo-s6K/s320/Weaving+Workshop3.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Think you can see from this, just how much!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA50ZQTCA5Lhiq6pQVFP_ZFT5eMH_XwAgsLKjuEdyQdZ4rE3O-RSnX_Q36P7TNxRPGb8Jl5w7gtrA3OYZ9-ObTePucH2fK9Mnwt1_ymVYRbmL8eGV0-Ri7taOMs0odJbXW0TCxgQgU-I4O/s1600/Weaving+Workshop6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA50ZQTCA5Lhiq6pQVFP_ZFT5eMH_XwAgsLKjuEdyQdZ4rE3O-RSnX_Q36P7TNxRPGb8Jl5w7gtrA3OYZ9-ObTePucH2fK9Mnwt1_ymVYRbmL8eGV0-Ri7taOMs0odJbXW0TCxgQgU-I4O/s320/Weaving+Workshop6.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
This stunning weave is in a variety of yarns, including cotton, silk and sock yarn - I just love the way the rust really pops out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGf_9KxBc-Qa891slFgDXFmj3uKkMOl8mjvlEkyOlcL9oY20zcj3UL8H9u_VsvRgAkKR9-EEo2Qvh1FB8U5YZ0cr8LwFKa5BNV_u3KlGbePzgWlTGeNBR9W3Z8-LwIEf3aFFzZsjVoocN4/s1600/Weaving+Workshop1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGf_9KxBc-Qa891slFgDXFmj3uKkMOl8mjvlEkyOlcL9oY20zcj3UL8H9u_VsvRgAkKR9-EEo2Qvh1FB8U5YZ0cr8LwFKa5BNV_u3KlGbePzgWlTGeNBR9W3Z8-LwIEf3aFFzZsjVoocN4/s320/Weaving+Workshop1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
The inspiration for this piece was the foliage along side the canal near to where the weaver lives - she had dyed the yarn to reflect the colours in her photos.<br />
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An just to show that you don't need to have a complicated warp - this was done with just five colours.........<br />
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But one good thing came out of being the newbie - I got an individual lesson on warping - and the best bit was that everything didn't go right, a thread broke and in the end the tutor cut the warp, saying that it wasn't something she would recommend.......... Nice to know that even the experts get it wrong sometimes.<br />
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The outcome of this weekend is that I am today warping my loom, on my own and so far everything is fine - I have a two coloured warp ready to thread, pics will follow if it works..................<br />
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The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-42351067432783079982015-05-10T12:08:00.000+01:002015-05-10T12:08:54.088+01:00Machines take over....It seems that lately I have done more using machines than my hands! Particularly as sewing seems to have taken precedence over knitting and spinning in the last few weeks....<br />
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Blame Wonderwool.... Yes I did go to Wonderwool and unlike previous years bought very little. I had a Purlescence voucher, so I got some Jamieson and Smith yarns to go with the bargain cone I bought at Unravel. These will be part of my first proper machine knit project - for this I will knit the stocking stitch body on the machine and the interesting fair-isle bit by hand. I have swatched and was already to go when I chanced upon a bargain - a Knitmaster 360 with lace carriage, couldn't resist so I currently have three machines, two under the sofa (they really don't take up much room when packed up) and the latest purchase...<br />
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My only other Wonderwool purchases, were two pots of dyes and some prins for my shuttles.... How restrained was that? But just as we were leaving, my attention was drawn to some simple bags (£25) and the questioned was posed as to whether I could make one!<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">This was number one and was quickly followed by</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlOobUoLMtDPa-JgOO4LuHLXQOajkkD_LkMx2uaHbMIyJ4b62ORF-augUFSuZgCDhcVn5M3L6obqc_vyvJAirkdzs-hAYJeSrky03kxVVpzGR4t2NxOmMCPOOsPJ_fMleoB-RD67Jj9v7/s1600/20150501_171038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlOobUoLMtDPa-JgOO4LuHLXQOajkkD_LkMx2uaHbMIyJ4b62ORF-augUFSuZgCDhcVn5M3L6obqc_vyvJAirkdzs-hAYJeSrky03kxVVpzGR4t2NxOmMCPOOsPJ_fMleoB-RD67Jj9v7/s320/20150501_171038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I still have a couple to finish off! But they are really simple and very practical for knitting on the go! Plus I had an order for my smaller project bag and a clutch, so the sewing machine has been in constant use over the last two weeks! </div>
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Then I have made Mr S three pairs of shorts, these are the final pair for now, rather pleased as from one metre of denim material I will have made one pair of shorts and three bags, not bad for £9.99!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9xIFeSR3aITFmpu2g-LtUMbxwkYmscmG1mNvMYBNwf4iEZhaI4yy958G39XX-vrow8doJAfcOZkg9QqXYlQL7FdOQpZgbh7RN5piWhOl6JOp-WEoKRDJjJFpnxCJ22pqR4KQh0vxlKTD/s1600/2015-05-08+14.36.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9xIFeSR3aITFmpu2g-LtUMbxwkYmscmG1mNvMYBNwf4iEZhaI4yy958G39XX-vrow8doJAfcOZkg9QqXYlQL7FdOQpZgbh7RN5piWhOl6JOp-WEoKRDJjJFpnxCJ22pqR4KQh0vxlKTD/s320/2015-05-08+14.36.17.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The first Bag</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This was made entirely from odd bits of fabric I had left over from other projects - and talking of being thrifty here are three cushions I made from a Charity Shop sweater</div>
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It was a size 20, so plenty of knitted fabric - one cushion from the front and one front the back and one using both sleeves - total cost £6.00</div>
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And here they are brighting up the caravan</div>
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-2778862102577168682015-04-25T09:34:00.001+01:002015-04-25T09:36:15.832+01:00Life just keeps getting in the way!I realised yesterday that a month had sped by since I last posted, then I considered what had I had achieved, in the last 30 days. Apart from cooking meals, cleaning up, washing (not ironing) shopping and all the other things that have to be done just to keep body and soul together.<br />
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I have spun just under 2000 yards of finished yarn, considering that most of that was 2 plied, that means I spun 4000 yards of singles<br />
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BFL - Salvation Jane from Southern Cross Fibres</div>
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Bond, Josephine, Winetasting, and Desert Rose, again from Southern Cross Fibres</div>
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Then I have been spinning fibre for the #MegaSAL on Ravelry. This is a collaboration of five dyers who have all come up with Discworld inspired colour ways. Discworld is the imaginary world of the late Terry Prachett whose books I have not read, can't abide books where you have to keep going back because you don't understand the lingo! But I have enjoyed the spinning......</div>
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This is Vetinari again from Southern Cross Fibres, and this one is Ank Morpork from FatCatKnits</div>
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Told you, his books were full of silly names, even the photo comes out on its side!</div>
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And then there were the Bags, lots of bags and sorting out my studio, no longer do I have a study, I now have a room where I can be crafty, I would say creative, but I am not sure that I am that sort of person! Creative to me is having the vision to create something new, out of the norm which is new or innovative! </div>
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Gone the is the desk and big PC now I have a laptop and this super little drop down shelf which can be pulled up to give more space for creativity, in its space in the knitting machine with room underneath for all the cones of yarn!</div>
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And I made some trees! Little ones at 4mm to the foot</div>
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For Mr S</div>
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Tomorrow I go to Wonderwool ......</div>
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-88853130384428709202015-03-24T08:53:00.000+00:002015-03-24T08:53:27.952+00:00Help! I am addicted!Last summer when I was seeking a cheap knitting machine, to make sock blanks for dyeing, I was warned that it could become addictive and it has!<br />
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Following the recent purchase of a better spec machine, I have acquired a ribber - essential equipment for knitting in the round, a colour changer, essential to smoothly change colours, a linker, essential to seam, a cone wonder, essential to produce a good feeding yarn for the machine, and of course a table on which to place all these essentials!<br />
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What I haven't acquired is the extra space needed to store all these essentials! Plus each of these comes with the ubiquitous manual so necessary for the beginner. Then there are the books that explain in detail what all the levers and buttons do! Don't be fooled by watching someone demonstrate a simple bit of stocking stitch! First you have to get the yarn onto the needles, this requires a lot of jiggery-pokery with cast-on combs, weights and precise selection of the correct levers and buttons, so the books are an essential extra, honest! Thank goodness Mr S is understanding and has hobbies of his own!<br />
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These machines are also time eaters, you sit down to play and woosh, it's dinner time and all you have produced is a coaster!<br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-57549528640707214392015-03-02T12:42:00.001+00:002015-03-02T12:42:36.773+00:00Bags, Bags, more Bags and a quilt.For somebody is never carries a handbag of any sort, I do seem to make an awful lot of bags.. I am fascinated by the construction and have even bought tatty bags in charity shops just to see how they were made!<br />
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But project bags, needles cases and the like are useful and fun to make..<br />
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First off I was looking for a suitable case to store my growing collection of <a href="http://www.signatureneedlearts.com/" target="_blank">signature needles</a> - for anyone who has never knit with these needles, they are a joy. I was first introduced to the straights and they made me long for a set of circulars. But the cost of buying from the US with all the added extras by the government, put them beyond any sensible person's reach. <br />
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Then last year a friend went to New York, and asked if there was anything she could buy for me - well I didn't hesitate and asked her to bring a set of 3.75mm and cables - total love. Then at Unwind last year they were selling Signatures - and I managed to get three more sets! In April another friend will be bringing some 3.25mms to complete my collection. But these very expensive needles need a very special case<br />
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First off I saw <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/transaction/246103276" target="_blank">this</a> on Etsy and made this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLluyyhN3LuWQajmDQ1_QhEBdTjW3csxcwcpb0FqA1DfxAWobkft7O04Vg0cBENijKMAeWbgB5qBC1_bpQloPrB0rGVdfTuK0qwuZ-eWUVsn7tzR7pg8_Xt5dD6TQmbRLqSnSIENe9dsA/s1600/Needle+Case2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLluyyhN3LuWQajmDQ1_QhEBdTjW3csxcwcpb0FqA1DfxAWobkft7O04Vg0cBENijKMAeWbgB5qBC1_bpQloPrB0rGVdfTuK0qwuZ-eWUVsn7tzR7pg8_Xt5dD6TQmbRLqSnSIENe9dsA/s1600/Needle+Case2.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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The only problem I had was stitching down the bottom of the concertina - it isn't for the faint hearted! And there is no mention in the instructions exactly how you are expected to sew this bit.<br />
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There are eight pockets which you have to fit into a space less than 2 inches. <br />
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Then I tried again <br />
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and again<br />
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this last time I changed the way I made the pockets which are sealed at the bottom and the last one isn't quite so big!<br />
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Inspired by the concertina effect I found <a href="http://quiltbarn.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/sew-long.html" target="_blank">this</a> bag and was intrigued!<br />
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Following the sew along I was able to make a bag and got an insight into how to stitch the needle case at the same time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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This material is <a href="http://www.dashwoodstudio.com/petite-street/" target="_blank">Petit Street</a> from Dashwood Designs, think I might just have enough left for a project bag! I do so like matching accessories....<br />
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This quilt is one of two I am making for our caravan seats<br />
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These beauties were a gift from a wonderful friend who knows my tastes perfectly - bag?<br />
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The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-12273433302186857772015-02-23T12:43:00.000+00:002015-02-23T17:52:48.200+00:00New Toys...........Earlier this month there was a Circular Knitters convention in Bristol and intrigued I went along. I know the history of these machines from my research into women homeworkers in the silk industry. Whereas most of the equipment for silk was artisan made usually of wood, these machines are made of cast iron and fairly complicated. Most were bought on a production basis, you paid for the machine in finished socks, and then and only then did the worker start to earn cash. It is obvious from the manuals that the makers didn't have much faith in the little woman's ability to understand the mechanics of the machine as text in the accompanying manual is patronising to say the least.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoS5EYKxtuMVn9_Ne2Y1E-V0HCRjkvgu7fdnF63vTvP9IzXuX3eb_a7QV49G1pGZznJDi-QfoCr9T_fIRZWDvgLM4eL7Y6Q3A8QnRjvqwwVAqq7Hsuo5513w2sMDKR_IRZA9lXpqmTg8Q/s1600/csm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoS5EYKxtuMVn9_Ne2Y1E-V0HCRjkvgu7fdnF63vTvP9IzXuX3eb_a7QV49G1pGZznJDi-QfoCr9T_fIRZWDvgLM4eL7Y6Q3A8QnRjvqwwVAqq7Hsuo5513w2sMDKR_IRZA9lXpqmTg8Q/s1600/csm.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a circular knitting machine - generic photo</td></tr>
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But the mechanics are the bits that fascinate me - how does it work, why does this bit move and this not.............. In reality they are really quite simple - it is the latch hook that does the work, without this fabulous little needle none of the knitting machines we have today would exist.<br />
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Now on to the new toys.......... No I haven't bought one of the circular type, but I did get a fleabay bargain of a Knitmaster 323 knitting machine. Yes I know I have a machine, but Mr S broke the carriage handle and as yet hasn't made the promised replacement! But it was a very basic machine and that was it, no way of making any more than the flat-bed machine it is.<br />
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Here is where my love of mechanical things come in, it needed a new sponge, needles and good clean. Plus the spools that make the punchcards function weren't going round. I was directed to this resource on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdBpHL5Ah5o" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, with the wonderful title of 'Help! my machine was working when I put it away'. With the help of this and Mr S's tools I took the carriage apart, removed lots and lots of fibre and put it back together again<br />
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There was a lot more than this, but Mr S sneezed and bits of fluff went flying everywhere!<br />
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And here it is all set and ready to knit. Yes it is on the ironing board and yes I do need a proper table - soon! I was lucky enough to get a paper manual and set of punch cards from a fellow Raveller and this is my first attempt at fair isle on a knitting machine ever. But this is a flat-bed so to do more I need a ribber attachment............, or so the lovely lady I met at Unravel said!<br />
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So I did say toys, well inspired by <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/296830/karen-allen-handmade-sweaters#296830" target="_blank">this</a> video, in which the sweater is knit and then sewn I have finally bought an overlocker! This is my birthday present from Mr S who understands me perfectly.<br />
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It is rather scary and much noisier than my sewing machine, but I have my first lesson booked in March so should overcome the fear of breaking a thread and not being able to re-thread........... there are four threads and each have a particular threading, so until then I am being extra careful!<br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-19995026192760510762015-02-02T12:56:00.002+00:002015-02-02T12:56:34.345+00:00Where did January go and other things..............Well January has flown by and here we are in February and I have a new toy..<br />
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Back in the summer I acquire a very basic knitting machine with the aim of knitting sock blanks and creating gradient yarns - and it has been very successful<br />
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I did this one using three colours and carefully painting and only allowing a small amount of overlap<br />
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The only problem, and I am not sure it is a problem, the yarn is kinky from the knitting - but I have looked at some of the gradient yarns on sale and they have the same issue. As this was a learning exercise I discovered that you really do need to push the dye into the yarn to avoid the dreaded white bits!!<br />
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So all good - well not so good, as when I was knitting this up, Mr S managed to break the carriage handle on the machine - fortunately I was able to finish the knitting by pushing the carriage with my hand. Mr S says he will make a replacement directly! <br />
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I the meantime I found this bargain on a well known auction site<br />
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It is a Knitmaster 323 and it does Fairisle! After some research I discovered that this was only the second machine by Knitmaster that did automatic colour changes, the first was the 321 and my little beauty is the slightly improved version. <br />
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First off it needed a good clean and with a little help from an <a href="http://www.theanswerlady.com/Youtubelinks.html" target="_blank">online </a>video by the answer lady and ask jack. I took the carriage apart and removed all this and a bit more (but Mr S sneezed and blew some away!)<br />
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They soaked the metal parts in some lurid pink cleaning oil, but I used WD40 and a dental pick and soon the bits that should go round were............. I had posted on Ravelry asking for advice which is where I got the link to the video and a fellow Raveller came up with the cards (which were missing) and a manual in book form (so much easier than looking at 122 pages on the iPad!<br />
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So today I was able to knit the first sample in some bright acrylic yarns a friend gave me when I got the first machine (thanks Emma).<br />
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Apart from the gradients - January was a month of colour - fluorescent colours to be more accurate<br />
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Seems neons are the latest thing, so I had to try! Particularly pleased with the pink, yellow and orange, but less happy with the green - need to vary the proportions I think. These dyes are more intense than the Landscape dyes so I had to absorb the exhaust in some fleece, which were just a bright - so I made these<br />
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and this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6glf5MFTPvvWzSy6E_HEftSdGrYZuJA5XdGyVA4grm2_KztL1T7r2358lU1Y54ixQMqIXBodyeeQ_1PhV3iABLxMt0vSL1y5PgjkCBkYjK9M2aXiWKQPMdphSQCvx0DR6SvE90OybqRnn/s1600/Hat+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6glf5MFTPvvWzSy6E_HEftSdGrYZuJA5XdGyVA4grm2_KztL1T7r2358lU1Y54ixQMqIXBodyeeQ_1PhV3iABLxMt0vSL1y5PgjkCBkYjK9M2aXiWKQPMdphSQCvx0DR6SvE90OybqRnn/s1600/Hat+2.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't normally wear hats, but it has been so cold lately that I gave in and made one for those bitter days when you just can't get warm.<br />
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Lastly - not a new year resolution, but I resolved to spin at least 15 minutes every day, from 7pm until 7.15pm while listening to The Archers - its surprising how much you get done - currently have 3 bobbins full ready to ply - pics later...............<br />
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The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-51276207984107816572015-01-08T15:58:00.000+00:002015-01-08T18:22:49.516+00:00Just gotta have a rant............Its not often that I get on my soapbox, but this stupid new EU VAT law is bordering on the insane. Talk about using a sprat to catch a mackerel - it is all the fault of big companies like Amazon who have been working the system and by basing themselves in Luxembourg where the VAT rate was 15%, and in special cases it is 5%, they have been able to undercut on prices throughout the EU.<br />
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Now instead of paying the VAT on digital goods in the country of origin now the seller has to charge the VAT applicable in the country of the buyer and then pay the said VAT to that country. So if I buy a pattern on Ravelry from a seller in the United States, they have to charge me 20% VAT and pay that to the UK Government. There is no upper/lower limit to sales, so even if you sell two patterns in a year you still have to register, collect and pay the potential 32p you have been forced to collect. Does that make any sense at all? <br />
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This is bureaucracy gone crazy and most likely it won't stop the big boys who will no doubt find a way round this, but it is putting a lot of small designers out of business - unable to face the complexities of this law.<br />
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Now my second rant - to overcome this problem, Ravelry has teamed up with Love Knitting - never heard of them or bought anything from - but now if I want to buy a pattern I have to register on their site and wait until they have vetted the pattern and made it available. This means that outside the EU knitters are happily knitting a pattern that we here in the UK can't even buy until someone at Love Knitting decides to make available! <br />
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If you think this is as stupid as I do you could sign this petition <br />
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<a href="http://www.change.org/p/pierre-moscovici-a-unilateral-suspension-of-the-introduction-of-the-new-eu-vat-laws-for-micro-businesses-and-sole-traders?recruiter=202390441&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition">http://www.change.org/p/pierre-moscovici-a-unilateral-suspension-of-the-introduction-of-the-new-eu-vat-laws-for-micro-businesses-and-sole-traders?recruiter=202390441&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition</a><br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-89641319356914725692014-12-26T11:53:00.000+00:002014-12-26T18:02:39.620+00:00Not a proper tree, but, who needs pine needles?I had been looking out for the perfect way to display my ever growing and very nearly out of control collection of toy sheep! <br />
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When I came across I very nifty idea - the original was decorated with the usual bauble and tinsel, but I could see the potential for something that wasn't massy thingy at all<br />
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First a trip to B&Q for three lengths of lathe, one 2.5cm wide this is for the trunk and two 2cm wide for the branches - total cost £4.50. You will need a junior hacksaw, wood glue, clamps and pin nails.<br />
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First off decide the height of your tree - I went for three feet or 95cm, then cut various lengths from the narrower lathe - making a 45 degree cut at one end and a 90 degree cut at the other. Then lay them out to decide the best look for you.<br />
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If you place the 45 degree angled cut on the trunk and branches you get a better look. Then comes the time consuming bit, each joint needs to be glued and clamped! I did a branch at a time and once they were dry I glued and clamped the branches to the trunk. Really it only took about an hour and I did go off and do other things in between.<br />
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Then you need to decided where to put your tree, for stability it needs to be against a wall. I drill a hole near the top and hung the tree on a picture hook. <br />
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Then decorate! You can use glittery baubles if you really, really want, or go for more environmentally friendly decorations. I think it would look great with wooden objects - but I used sheep and spinning related objects (well actually there is one orifice hook at the moment - but Mr S is going to make me some mini items soon)...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Tree</td></tr>
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At the front the latest member of the flock a beautiful felted Jacob ewe - a gift from a very dear friend.</div>
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-14724663739605629082014-12-21T11:39:00.000+00:002014-12-21T11:39:22.952+00:00(Un)Apologetic Self Advertisement...........They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - especially when it comes to ideas............<br />
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In this month's <a href="http://hand-spinning-news.com/" target="_blank">Hand-spinning News</a> under Tips and Tutorials there is a link to an article in <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEw14/KSFEATjardye.php" target="_blank">Knittyspin </a>in which yours truly is given a mention! Fame at last?<br />
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You may remember, or you may well not, as it was two years ago I was experimenting with ways to produce gradient roving - well Laurie Osborne took some of my ideas and has produced some really gorgeous gradient roving which she has spun up and made the most stunning cowl - her Kayak Cowl which is available free in the same <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEw14/KSPATTkayak.php" target="_blank">issue.</a><br />
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Advertisement over on to more mundane things.........<br />
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If like me, you spin far more yarn than you can ever knit, then weaving is the perfect answer to your storage problems. Hand spun yarn makes for fabulous scarves, but better than table mats and the like you can weave material - material that can be cut and sewn! This eureka moment, has I hope, brought a new enthusiasm for the craft. <br />
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Before I get out my big loom and all that entails I have been experimenting with my 16" rigid heddle loom. And although this was fine, I found that it was very time consuming to warp. So, just because we are staying home this December, thus saving a considerable sum, I bought one of the 'sample it looms' just for playing with colours.<br />
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And for this I tried some 'new to me' dyes - and result!<br />
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Highlighter pink<br />
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Highlighter Yellow<br />
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These were quite hard to exhaust(I did use the same amounts as I normally use with Landscape and Gaywool Dyes, less next time!) so I have some roving that's just a bit lighter in hue and this is what I have done so far using pick up sticks for the fibre.<br />
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Its not the photo that yellow really pops out! Next the pink, and then who knows.............<br />
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Finally for those who don't want all the hype of the massy thingy etc<br />
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The Winter Solstice is on <span class="big">Sunday, 21 December 2014, 23:03 GMT - the sun starts is journey back to summer............</span><br />
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<span class="big">Happy New Year!</span><br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-77827510841720933102014-12-15T11:15:00.000+00:002014-12-15T11:15:15.068+00:00Wasn't my fault honest, mister....Yesterday I decided to clean some of my jewellery, not using the old barmaid trick of soaking in gin, but just a soak, wash with a soft tooth brush and rinse in warm soapy water! Now I've done this loads of times and I am always careful to make sure that the plug is in the sink............<br />
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Last night I did the final rinse and there was an earring missing - Mr S was convinced that it was in the u-bend and insisted on removing said pipe to retrieve the missing item. By this time I was just a little bit upset, as I knew that I had been so very careful and the missing earring was one that we had bought at the same time as we replaced our wedding rings....... So not just any old earring, something with a bit of romantic meaning<br />
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The u-bend was removed and carefully washed out, but no earring, he look both up and down the pipes and finally declared it lost.......... I was berated for using the sink - I should have used a larger bowl, but I knew that it couldn't possibly jumped out of the container and down the drain - I protested in vain - I was just plain careless.............<br />
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The u-bend was replaced and tested and I was left to clear up the mess - and there in the soft tooth brush I espied the missing earring..............<br />
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But as least I have a beautifully clean u-bend..............The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-65510443330547609432014-12-05T12:28:00.002+00:002014-12-05T12:28:34.399+00:00Excuses, Excuses, Excuses............Why can't people admit a fault and not try to put the blame back on the the consumer?<br />
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Recently I was the fortunate recipient of 900grams of <a href="http://www.thepluckyknitter.com/" target="_blank">Plucky</a> sweater DK yarn! I was so excited as I had been wanting to try some of this dyers yarn so ages, but with the cost of importing on top of the yarn it was crazy money. I spent ages searching for the right pattern and finally decided on this <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kc-kynance-cove" target="_blank">KC [Kynance Cove] </a>by Isabel Kraemer. Not wanting to look like a barber's pole I was going to knit in one colour!<br />
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First off the first skein I wound off had three knots, one only two metres from the start of the skein! This really makes me very cross (for very cross read 'b' angry) The second skein had only two, so some improvement.<br />
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So after removing the useless two metres I cast on and as with all of Isabel's patterns it was a really easy knit. But, the yarn kept twisting back on itself<br />
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and there was a definite kink in the yarn. Was this normal? I asked my friends on Ravelry - try the Plucky forum they said - so I did!<br />
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I wasn't the only knitter experiencing this it seemed. Several knitters had posted saying how difficult it was to knit when the yarn kept twisting back on itself! I read on...<br />
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Now here's where the fun starts - it seems that 'the yarn is perfect' it is the way we knitters wind the yarn for knitting - who do they think they are kidding?<br />
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What a load of utter baloney, I couldn't believe that people were actually believing this nonsense. Surely common sense tells you that it is impossible to put that much twist in a yarn with a ball winder. If it was you could put spinning mills out of business....<br />
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But just to prove a point I did some experiments! According to the experts if your swift goes clockwise and your wind your ball winder clockwise you are putting twist into a balanced yarn. You were supposed to have the swift goes anti-clockwise and the ball winder clockwise? Well I tried - if fact I wound a skein three times in a clockwise direction and it was still the same balanced yarn that I had started with. <br />
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Bearing in mind that this yarn had been purchased from the same update, they weren't well matched for colour either. If little me with in my kitchen can dye 10 well matched skeins, why can't 'professional dyers' do the same?<br />
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Not sure whether it is clear from this photo, but the second skein was darker and less mottled than the first - yes I should have alternated, but why? I don't have to with my dyed yarn..<br />
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And finally - why can't these 'professionals' produce a decent/untangled skein? I have just spent over an hour winding yarn off a badly tied skein - absolute nightmare and there are three more to go - so that's the afternoon gone, when I could have been doing something productive... <br />
<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-68358588851329850962014-11-21T14:16:00.000+00:002014-11-21T14:16:40.261+00:00Colour my WorldLast week I had my colours done! It was something that I had wanted to do for ages, many years in fact, ever since I was told by a colour consultant in Marks and Spencer that I was a Spring person. But as this was a 2 minute consultation done in artificial light I was never completely convinced.<br />
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Well I am not Spring I am a Sprinter Winter, which means I lean to the brighter Spring colours but within a Winter Palette of strong colours. It was a very interesting process - first you are adorned with a big white bib, and then lots of chiffon scarves are placed around your neck. First is the question blue or yellow - thankfully I was blue, the yellow shades just drained my face and made me look sallow.<br />
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These are my colours<br />
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and guess what - these are the colours in my wardrobe............. So I have naturally gone for the right colours instinctively!<br />
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But then rules are made to be broken aren't they - recently I knitted this Ravello sweater<br />
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Which according to the 'rules' I shouldn't wear - but everyone says I look fantastic in it! Its right out of my comfort zone and I wasn't at all sure, but it works, and quite honestly I don't think I could spend all day and every day in eye popping colours.<br />
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But there are colours in there that I love and over the last few weeks I have got my weaving mojo back! At Wonderwool, in April, I bought some 8/2 Toika Tencel from <a href="http://www.myfineweavingyarn.co.uk/" target="_blank">My Fine Weaving Yarn</a> with the idea of weaving some fabric which I could sew with and the colours are perfect for me. <br />
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This a terrible photo, I have tried several times to get a better image, but the yarn has a sheen which seems to bounce the light - hopefully when its off the loom I will be able to get a better one.<br />
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This yarn comes in the most amazing, me, colours and really want to expand my weaving knowledge and expertise. So on recommendation from a friend I bought <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twill-Thrills-Best-Weavers-Series/dp/189376219X" target="_blank">Twill Thrills</a> which full of the most amazing fabric and even more you are encourage to make things from the fabric, not just weave scarves, stoles or tea towels.... So as soon a the ordered boat shuttle arrives I am going to warp my eight shaft loom. <br />
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Note to self, do try one of the simpler ones to start with............<br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-61141802562622712672014-10-30T11:17:00.001+00:002014-10-30T11:17:41.921+00:00When you could do with a TARDIS....Seems an age since we got home from our northern travels and since then Mr S has a small contretemps with a table saw...<br />
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To begin at the beginning - amongst the pile of mail awaiting our return was a flyer promoting a table saw! Apparently an essential item for the serious wood turner and missing from his extensive equipment. Not wanting to stand in the way of his productive genius I agreed. Then another flyer popped through the door, promoting another bigger and better one and it was on special offer!<br />
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So it was ordered and two days later a large pallet was wheeled down the drive - this was a serious piece of kit! The idea had been to store said table saw in my wool store and bring it out when needed - this with a something that weighed in at 80kgs.... Obviously this wasn't going to be a available option...<br />
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Light bulb moment...... A few weeks ago I remembered a DIY program where a couple extended their kitchen into a outside passage and while the space was only a metre deep the space it created was quite impressive. So we came up with a solution - between Mr S's workshop and the rear of the garage there was a similar space where up to now we had stored the bikes under cover. Why I said don't you extend your workshop/shed into that space.............<br />
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That was a 11am, by 2.30pm the side of the shed was gone and since then the 'extension' has taken shape gradually. There was a slight delay when we both succumbed to a bug, but this week things have really come along.<br />
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The speed in which the space was emptied etc meant that I didn't get a chance to take before photos, but today it isn't raining so I got out the camera...<br />
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And inside..<br />
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this is no ordinary shed, it is insulated and lined to match the rest...<br />
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And the bikes - well they have there own new place - the most nifty little bike cave that we normally use when we are away in the caravan....<br />
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This super, easy to put tent is currently home to my hand-cranked bike and chair and both of Mr S's cycles and the caravan awning... Of course it can't really live permanently on the decking but for now it will do - far more important to have a happy wood turner! <br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-88247570558298581482014-10-13T13:21:00.003+01:002014-10-13T15:21:45.920+01:00Northern Wanderings - week one......September a month of Indian summer days and our favourite month for travelling...........<br />
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Our travels began on September 9th when we travelled up to Bury and spent a couple of days at <a href="http://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4076" target="_blank">Burrs Country Park</a> on the Caravan Club site - no surprises that we were pitched right next to a railway line - preserved steam of course......<br />
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Of course we had to have a ride on said train, and I managed to get a little knitting while waiting for the train<br />
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But the main reason for the journey north was to visit the <a href="http://www.farfieldmill.org/index.php?id=185" target="_blank">Sheepfest<span id="goog_1007945328"></span><span id="goog_1007945329"></span></a> in Sedburg - it was the most amazing day, the whole community had engaged with the project, even the assistant in the local shop was dressed up as a sheep! My favourite was the Post Office sheep a parcel addressed to:<br />
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Mrs BaarBarr Ewing at the Lambington Maternity Hospital, Fleece Street, Ramsbottom-on-Hay, Sufolk, SH3 3PS<br />
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Besides the sheep the was the most amazing dress of many colours in the church - made by the local school children..<br />
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While there was a lot of sheep on our travels, there were several trains rides and while we in the area we just had to ride the train over the Ribbleshead Viaducton the line from Settle to Carisle<br />
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Lovely on a warm Autumn day - but guess it would bleak and cold in the winter..............<br />
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So ends the first week of our Northern Perambulation ........... next stop Blackshaw Moor! <br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-29035137671123452452014-09-21T11:31:00.000+01:002014-09-21T11:31:26.318+01:00Out and About - Sedbergh SheepfestMiss Bliss and I are on the road again! This time we are in Cumbria for Sedbergh's<br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315296238175822663.post-15339354384662063732014-09-07T10:00:00.001+01:002014-09-07T10:00:31.855+01:00When knitting gets in the way of spininng...............Question do you spin to knit, or knit because you spin? Just recently I just seem to have got the balance between the two quite right... OK for the past couple of years I have knitted shawls as cover ups - which is a wrong reason for knitting shawls! Last year my GP told me that I had to lose weight, or risk becoming a diabetic. Perhaps that was the wake up I needed. In my heart I knew that I wasn't happy as I was which was why I hid behind the shawls..<br />
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Well, I have been a good girl - as of Sunday I have lost 13 kilos and I rediscovered my knitting sweater/cardigan mojo - garments that I want to be seen in, not something to hide in.<br />
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So my spinning wheels are feeling a little neglected as the knitting needles are my constant companion in the evenings.............<br />
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<br />The Sassy Spinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581715412117266713noreply@blogger.com0