More fame

I shan't be able to fit my head through the door at this rate.

See here - Jane is busy putting everyone's KAL projects onto her blog. There's some AWESOME work on there! Go and have a look. I'll wait.

Not a great deal has been happening here other than Izzy (the trainee knitter, remember?) coming back from another leg of her trip and bringing me FOUR Hebridean fleeces. Four. What's really nice is these are truly from the Hebrides - from Oronsay to be exact. I forgot to take a photo (duh) but the fleeces vary in colour and texture in a really cool way. There's a wiry grey one, two with sunbleached, gingery tips and one mainly soft black with distinct locks. Interesting to see such variety in one breed!

So now I have to start working out what I'm doing with them :-) I've started the scouring with the roughest fleece, a chunk of that is in a fermented suint bath as we speak. I think I need to go and buy a couple of really big containers. Maybe a dustbin?

In other news, I'm still spinning that lovely ArtemisArtemis fibre, it's so nice I'm deliberately dragging it out :-) I also pulled a chunk off the Texel fleece and have got that on the Golding. I'm shooting for a heavy laceweight, but I don't know how much it will bloom and poof out. I'm spinning it literally straight off the fleece - no carding, no scouring, just "as is." It's a really nice clean fleece in the main so not a problem to work this way. I will need to scour the remainder at some point though otherwise it will go all sticky and nasty.

I'm also knitting (of course) - I finished the Travelling Woman shawl (photos to come). I'm quite pleased, I couldn't get the curved top edge to block out right so I blocked it straight and pulled the whole shawl out widthways. I still have a bunch of yarn left, I wish I'd made the shawl wider in hindsight. However it's still really nice so putting it down as a success :-)
I'm now ploughing on with the Shetland Hap, I'm onto the border (hurray) and just started the third colour overall. Only 70-odd ever-increasing rows to go, then it's edging time. I'm trying not to think about it too much. Gulp.

Also this means I only have seven WIPs listed on Ravelry! Blimey. I really want to clear the decks a bit before I scratch the startitis itch again.

So I finally got the Saori blanket laid out and have started hemming the pieces. There's some variation in length (hardly surprising) so I have a bit of a job to come to sort that out. It looks grand though, and I think it will be nice and warm but light. The different textures are really great.

I also had a play with the peg loom I brought back from Leek. It's good fun, and once you've sorted out the warps the weaving goes very quickly. It's surprising how much weft you get through though! I suppose you are producing a very weft-faced weave so I shouldn't really be all that surprised. I'm thinking some unspun fleece would make a gorgeous bedside rug, maybe combined with some handspun. I also have a bunch of sisal cord which would probably make a fab doormat. Another project for the list!

Formula 1
Well Hungary was far more exciting than I'd feared! That was a relief as it's now the summer break so no race for four weeks. I will have withdrawal symptoms! Thank God for Eurosport. I was annoyed as the electricity board managed to cut my power off for three and a half hours so I missed the final part of qually. That's my favourite bit! I was chuffed to see Pedro de la Rosa finish so high, go Sauber! and the Lotus was much improved as well. I was also delighted to see Rubens Barrichello get one over on Michael, and horrified at his manoeuvre which nearly stuffed Rubens into the pit wall. I am not impressed. He's not improved his attitude with a few years off. Anyway, next race is Spa which is one of my favourites.

and I think that's it, other than if you haven't been watching "Sherlock" on the BBC, you have missed out and need to catch up ASAP. Brilliant.

~*~

OH OH OH yes I forgot to mention I've added the "reactions" thingies to my posts. So just like Ravelry, you can press my buttons! Go on, click away :-)