tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12103981426863872182024-03-13T22:59:21.352+00:00Relocated Knitterramblings of a [relocated] Staffordshire artistHelenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.comBlogger279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-26529938136766778942012-09-02T19:47:00.000+01:002012-09-02T20:52:50.148+01:00Roadkill - 02 Sep 2012So. I'm getting asked to make more knitted roadkill toys. I reallyreallyreally don't want to make a load more, but I'd write up a pattern if folks are interested.<br />
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I thought I'd taken photos of the poor creature, but I'm damned if I can find them. When Jules is here next week I will take some.<br />
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Post a comment if you'd be interested in a pattern! It's very straightforward to make.<br />
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UPDATE: I found a couple of terrible photos!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7916076892/" title="IMAG0081 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0081" height="299" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/7916076892_4ab384902c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7916092776/" title="IMAG0082 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0082" height="232" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8303/7916092776_03d3ff387f.jpg" width="500" /></a> Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-63832898169330908762012-08-17T12:41:00.005+01:002012-08-17T12:41:59.188+01:0017th Aug 2012Last one!<br />
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-12350253822710947472012-08-12T23:58:00.002+01:002012-08-12T23:58:52.784+01:0012th Aug 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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♥♥♥<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-51658026633946651732012-08-07T20:52:00.000+01:002012-08-07T20:52:33.781+01:007th Aug 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And now I'm carrying an injury - sliced the pad of my left thumb chopping fruit :-(<br />
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I may have to switch events to something crocheted...<br />
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♥♥♥<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-15531392242955832772012-08-04T07:39:00.001+01:002012-08-04T07:39:49.065+01:004th August 2012<br />
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(scuse the typo, I'm waiting for TPTB to fix)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7698956504/" title="DSCF0018 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF0018" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7698956504_ce50eaa670.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-71488076497829300552012-07-28T22:48:00.001+01:002012-07-28T22:48:45.141+01:0028th July 2012<b>Fleece!</b><br />
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Two fleeces arrived this morning! I have Polwarth, from a ewe called Cassy, from Donna at The Whorl's End, and some Poll Dorset x Charollais. I also dug out the Bowmont I got from Lesley at Devon Fine Fibres earlier in the year.<br />
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I also have Manx Loaghtan and Zwartbles batts from the Natural Fibre Company.<br />
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<b>Polwarth</b><br />
Wow. This is a truly lovely fleece. It's very clean with excellent "lace curtain" effect. I've popped most of it in a cold soak just to loosen up the small amount of yuk that's in it. It has good lock structure, with a staple of about 2.5 - 3". The crimp isn't especially obvious. It's very fine and doesn't seem to be too weathered either. It's not as greasy as I expected, and my bastardised Margaret Stove washing technique (dunk in very hot soapy water, swoosh, squeeze, rinse and leave on a towel) cleaned it up beautifully. I washed it in small bundles of locks.<br />
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I think this deserves combing or maybe even spinning straight from the lock after a light flick. <br />
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<b>Bowmont</b><br />
The finest fleece I've ever had my paws on. It even <i>smells </i>nice. Bowmonts have a lot of Merino (75%) in their breeding and it shows. It is very greasy, though it's not sticky or goopy. I used the same wash as above and ended up with delightfully fluffy locks. I did find the tips were weakened through weathering, so I've been pulling those off after washing. The staple is fairly short, around 2". Very good lock structure with a tight crimp. It spreads out amazingly on contact with water - it's vital to wash carefully. I did a lock at a time and smooshed the tips which are quite compacted. It washed up very well, if rather slowly.<br />
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Again, combing or lock flicking is the way to go here. I might try carding the weathered tips just for the hell of it. <br />
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<b>Poll Dorset x Charollais</b><br />
This is an interesting fleece - in fact, I wonder if I have fleece from three different sheep! There are three distinct types:<br />
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A blocky, dense 2-3" lock with a very strong crimp. This is very Dorset-y.<br />
A coarser, almost longwool type of lock. 3", wavy and a bit hairy.<br />
A disorganised, shorter type with much less distinct locks. 2" ish.<br />
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Overall this was a greasy fleece, but quite clean - it seemed to have a reddish cast but I think that was mainly dust. It's in a cold soak at the moment, I washed up some representative parts to get a feel for what I have.<br />
Reading the FFSB, the Poll Dorset genetics seem to have come out a lot in this crossing. I think I will probably card the disorganised parts, and the more distinct locks I will comb or flick. Alternatively I could blend the lot together on cards or combs. <br />
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I'm still waiting on a Romney to arrive, and some North Ron batts. The source for the others I think is going to be a letdown - it's frustrating when you're trying to get people to take money off you and they don't seem bothered!!!<br />
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I'm still spinning the Shropshire - it really is a big beast of a fleece. I'm also spinning up the Oxford Down I had off eBay yonks ago. The Cotswold I'm thinking about dyeing.<br />
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<b>Ravellenics</b><br />
Yup, taking part again! I'm trying to finish a couple of WIPs first - my Hap Shawl needs an edging for starters.<br />
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I'll take some fleece pix soon!<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-31515658282938724902012-07-22T09:43:00.000+01:002012-07-22T09:43:00.859+01:0022 July 2012 - TdF and Fibre East Round-UpBlogging slipped a bit there in favour of spinning ☺<br />
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Here's a photo round-up of the 2012 Tour de Fleece.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7564182622/" title="Spinning by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="Spinning" height="281" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7564182622_f0f7317552.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7585202374/" title="16-07-2012 (2) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="16-07-2012 (2)" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7585202374_9fdb2ac7a8_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7585207442/" title="16-07-2012 (3) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="16-07-2012 (3)" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7135/7585207442_94dfcfd587.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7585211690/" title="16-07-2012 (1) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="16-07-2012 (1)" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8148/7585211690_8d28d468c7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7599023730/" title="IMAG0476 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0476" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/7599023730_31a26cc61d.jpg" width="306" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7605485924/" title="2012-07-19 (1) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-19 (1)" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7605485924_18cdc7dd7f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7611284218/" title="2012-07-20 (2) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-20 (2)" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8021/7611284218_dc10bcc878.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7611294182/" title="2012-07-20 (9) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-20 (9)" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8152/7611294182_8d2672042c_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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And the results of Fibre East! It was very wet but I had a grand, if rather expensive, time! Click through to Flickr for notes on the picture!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7569948106/" title="TdF Day 15 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="TdF Day 15" height="281" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7569948106_6588250f2e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I'm now on a mission to get my paws on smallish quantities of as many different breed fleeces as I can. So far I've secured some carded North Ronaldsay and some Poll Dorset x Charollais (not strictly a breed I know but it sounded interesting!) I'm bidding on some Romney on eBay, and I've potentially found a source of Portland, Kerry Hill, Norfolk Horn and Soay. Excitement! ☺<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-39168848897172688562012-07-11T21:06:00.000+01:002012-07-11T21:06:34.192+01:00July 11th, TdF Day 12<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7551662942/" title="2012-07-11 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-11" height="360" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/7551662942_049f0a9a69_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />back on the case after a "rest day" - some rest, I hoovered and cleaned the bathroom!<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-44634172249010665012012-07-09T21:45:00.000+01:002012-07-09T21:45:04.447+01:00July 9th, TdF Day 10Back to work today, so not much achieved. I did a little spindling last night and made some singles for hexapuffs:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7537866590/" title="DSCF0001 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF0001" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7537866590_e1800b9ce8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7537871530/" title="DSCF0004 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF0004" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7537871530_54d2cec3bd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I'd carded some merino batts a few months ago. I decided they were a bit dull, so I re-carded them with some tussah, milk protein, flax, treasure fibre and sari silk. Much more interesting!<br />
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I woke up with spinner's cramp this morning, so decided to lay off the wheel for today. Instead I fetched the Haldane downstairs and switched it over to single drive / scotch tension. I really don't like double drive I've discovered.<br />
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I have a terrible pic:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7537875854/" title="DSCF0007 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF0007" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7537875854_924fddbbe6_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I ended up using an Ashford scotch tension knob, as it was ready to go; however I ended up taking about a foot off the cord and retying it all, so I could have actually used the proper Haldane knob. I might swap it at some point! Tomorrow I shall try and spin something up to test it out properly.<br />
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So instead of spinning tonight, I dug out the Shropshire fleece from the stash, and I'm doing a bit of combing:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7537880466/" title="DSCF0008 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF0008" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7537880466_909a349a5c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7537884536/" title="DSCF0010 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCF0010" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7537884536_6bed2f1f34.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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by the way, that was way too much fleece on one comb ☺ I ended up with one foot braced on the table to stop me tipping it over. Whoops...<br />
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In other news, we've spent a bit of time this evening watching our resident barn owl hunting. Very cool. Steve took a photo, so we'll wait and see if it came out once he gets round to finishing the film off!<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-35045538081566181782012-07-08T17:54:00.000+01:002012-07-08T17:54:19.090+01:00July 8th, TdF Day 9<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7528157280/" title="003 (2) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="003 (2)" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7528157280_59e242ebd1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7528165734/" title="005 (3) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="005 (3)" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7528165734_1c47229abb_z.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7528174478/" title="007 (2) by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="007 (2)" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7528174478_e26e3e97f6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7528179320/" title="011 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="011" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7130/7528179320_5b339a70fc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Fractally spun Shetland from Old Maiden Aunt, in the Bracken colourway; two bobbins' worth of the merino blend.<br />
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What's next???<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-52528095585930643992012-07-07T21:22:00.000+01:002012-07-07T21:22:10.632+01:00July 7th, TdF Day 8<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7521799180/" title="IMAG0472.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0472.jpg" height="299" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7134/7521799180_24f77aa2b1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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About 150 yards of silk hankies, just needing a wash. I'm saving all the skeins I'm making and I'll have a washing session at the end of the Tour.<br />
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I'm back on the merino / camel / silk / alpaca for a bit now, I want to finish the second bobbin and then decide what I'm going to do with it. I can either 2-ply it into a heavy laceweight, or n-ply it and get a light fingering weight. Not sure, I'm very out of practice with navajo plying!<br />
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In other news the man came this morning and finished off the new cooker installation ☺ so we have a shiny new cooker. It's barely stopped raining all day, so I've been watching the British GP practice and qualifying and spinning away steadily. I'm starting to feel a bit spun out I must admit! I might do some fibre prep tonight / tomorrow, I can either comb some more Shropshire or maybe card up a crazy art batt. We'll see...<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-68354735575445020742012-07-06T21:26:00.003+01:002012-07-06T21:26:53.300+01:00July 6th, TdF Day 7<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7516434764/" title="IMAG0471.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0471.jpg" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7516434764_18543d0cf2.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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Formula 1 watching tends to distract me from spinning :-)<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-28147303909364606432012-07-05T21:28:00.000+01:002012-07-05T21:28:03.852+01:00July 5th, TdF Day 6Can't believe we're nearly a week in!<br />
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Anyway, tonight, more hankies. Hopefully these will be done tonight and I can get back on the merino blend with my new flyer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7509929906/" title="IMAG0470.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0470.jpg" height="299" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7509929906_00490949b5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-7906506186908993622012-07-04T21:10:00.000+01:002012-07-04T21:10:24.870+01:00July 4th, TdF Day 5<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7502458464/" title="IMAG0469.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0469.jpg" height="299" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8009/7502458464_a87b72c1d3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Spindle spinning silk hankies (mawata)<br />
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Bit of a change of pace before I get stuck back into the merino blend again. My new flyer arrived so I'll get that fitted to Caroline, hopefully tonight.<br />
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Electrician has fixed the dodgy fuse (hopefully, he says he has) and the cooker now has an electrical supply. (Hurray) Now we just need a gas fitter to do their bit and we will finally have a fully functional cooker again.<br />
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Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go spin hankies.<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-48535473741808170312012-07-03T21:22:00.001+01:002012-07-03T21:22:54.679+01:00July 3rd, TdF Day 4<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7496269952/" title="TdF Day 4 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="TdF Day 4" height="252" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7496269952_6e4d4eae1e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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It's a bit challenging to spin tonight. The electrician has been in to install the new cooker (we need a 30 amp feed putting in) which he hasn't done; then earlier on we could smell something familiarly stinky in the hall. Turned out the 5 amp fuse for the downstairs lights was glowing orange-hot. Meep. So we yanked it (once it had cooled off a bit) and have no lights for the evening. So I'm spinning by lamplight ☺<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-135259612226629962012-07-02T21:15:00.000+01:002012-07-02T21:15:50.099+01:00July 2nd, TdF Day 3<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7488743714/" title="IMAG0464.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0464.jpg" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8163/7488743714_cb2a75e044.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7488747382/" title="IMAG0465.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0465.jpg" height="299" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7488747382_8883bfc700.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
FeltStudioUK batts, one skein I'd spun up previously, the rest I finished yesterday and today. I have some blue to do next, it's a nice change from the fine merino spinning ☺ Also means I get to use Genevieve the Joy as well as Caroline the Traddy!<br />
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♥♥♥Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-8258397091290926352012-07-01T14:08:00.002+01:002012-07-01T14:08:59.123+01:00July 1st, 2012 - TdF12 Day 2<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7478742006/" title="IMAG0462.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0462.jpg" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7478742006_74969c0500.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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Not much more to report, wedding reception last night and I'm feeling like ass today and I wasn't even drinking!Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-27472416501693946282012-06-05T11:55:00.001+01:002012-06-05T11:55:22.273+01:00June 5th, 2012The last day of the Diamond Jubilee, and the extra day off nearly halfway through :-( That's the fastest four days off I've had in a while. I needed it, I've been shattered for ages, and it's been a bit of an up-and-down few weeks:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7225610282/" title="IMAG0445 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0445" height="299" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5111/7225610282_7c96dca9db.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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My granny's funeral was held in the middle of May. She was nearly 97, so a jolly good innings by all accounts, but she was the last of my grandparents and it feels rather end-of-era-ish. We had a good turnout though and it was nice to catch up with my rather large extended family. She would have approved of the flowers - she was a florist by trade and a very enthusiastic gardener. Sadly, her house will most likely now be sold, and the garden she put so many years into will go with it. It's slipped a lot over recent years, but I'm trying not to think about someone putting decking and slabs all over it, and probably pulling the house down. Instead I dug over the border outside our kitchen window and planted it up. It now has hardy geraniums, hebe, dahlias, a hydrangea and the climbing rose "Crimson Glory" which grew up the gable end of Granny's house. A small, but fitting tribute.<br />
<br />
Back at home, the quilt is nearly done (I'll finish it today) and while I was up North I picked up my fabric stash, including an almost-finished quilt top, so that's now on the list.<br />
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I finished my handspun Ishbel, and it's already had a couple of wearings now the weather's gone to crap. We went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durdle_Door" target="_blank">Durdle Door</a> on Saturday and it was very handy keeping the chilly wind off my neck. I don't have any photos yet as I was using the Diana and I haven't finished the film off!<br />
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I started a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/211s-38-pineapple-vest" target="_blank">Japanese crochet pattern</a> but it's looking enormous so until I've sorted it out there's no picture - it's in the naughty corner just now. I'm still making hexapuffs - I've completely lost count, but I keep filling up my bag then tipping it into my puff box upstairs. I have sewn some of it together, and it was alarmingly small.<br />
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I finished off the blanket made with <a href="http://www.wildcolours.co.uk/html/hazelrose_loom.html" target="_blank">quilt weaver</a> squares. I still had quite a bit of yarn left, so I crocheted a deep border with bullion stitches. It looks well, so I'll snap a picture when I can find time to spread it out. I really like the Hazel Rose looms, the quilt weavers are quite a large gauge though so I'm thinking about getting a finer one. You wouldn't want to use anything lighter than an aran weight on the quilt weaver, I used mainly chunky weights and that came out perfect.<br />
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In other news the Sky dish packed up (now fixed), the oven has given up the ghost (typical Bank Holiday, we found two dead mice in the back of it) and the lawn has turned into a hayfield. We do have a family of fox cubs entertaining us, although the resident bunnies are less impressed.<br />
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~♥~<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-47431501391374469562012-05-07T17:35:00.002+01:002012-05-07T17:35:09.277+01:007th May 2012Can't talk.<br />
<br />
Quilting.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7152037979/" title="IMAG0443.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0443.jpg" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7152037979_648d28d9a7.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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☺Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-65007456503124711612012-04-14T19:05:00.000+01:002012-04-14T19:05:45.567+01:0014th April 2012I signed up for the Ravelympics again ☺ Sucker for punishment here, I just have to remember that last time I was a) living alone and b) unemployed, so I can't really use that as a guideline for how much I get done!<br />
<br />
Anyway, down here in the valley we've run out of heating oil (whoops, the sightglass was stuck), ended up with a new hot water tank and have a pair of resident ducks moved in. This means that cats are out of the question at the moment - along with the ducks we have green woodpeckers and three species of owl!<br />
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Of course now we have no heating the weather has turned back into winter and it's bloody freezing :-( The oil is so expensive we went for the "delivery sometime in the next two weeks" option...that might have been a miscalculation!<br />
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Here are the ducks, with their new best friend:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6931109482/" title="IMAG0423 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0423" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/6931109482_8abf247269.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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We had a barbecue, and it was perishing:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7077196049/" title="IMAG0418 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0418" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/7077196049_1e9f86764f.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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(we ate indoors!)<br />
<br />
And here is my Sewing Disaster:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6931114208/" title="IMAG0419 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0419" height="500" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5349/6931114208_63aa541349.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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Looks okay, right?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7077192947/" title="IMAG0420 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0420" height="500" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5348/7077192947_8c281c8fef.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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That's a pair of jeans that fit me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6931110918/" title="IMAG0422 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0422" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7131/6931110918_d8c4b3cb89.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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They're a bit on the big side. That's a Medium. I've now learned that a lot of patterns don't just run a bit large, they are truly immense. Lesson learned ☺ I've parked the trouser project until I know what I'm going to do about it (maybe re-cut them smaller, or just put in new side seams) In the meantime I'm working on my quilt top (no pictures as I had to pick it up off the kitchen floor so Steve could cook) and knitting hexapuffs again ☺<br />
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~♥~Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-8540912068377626762012-04-02T22:15:00.002+01:002012-04-02T22:15:45.112+01:002nd April, 2012April already! And it's snowing again up North...<br />
<br />
Anyway, an unscheduled day off (felt like lightly microwaved death this morning) meant I had three extra much-needed hours of sleep, and got some knitting done. I finished off the Troika shawl (more in another post, no photos yet as the batteries are dead AGAIN in the camera) and so I cast on a new project:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/7039022187/" title="IMAG0424.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0424.jpg" height="299" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/7039022187_de3ab2c638.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Ishbel. Finally falling down the rabbit hole ☺ To be honest, I can't quite get what all the fuss is, it's just a simple shawl with a lace border, but it's appealing, fairly simple and well-written, which is more than I can say for some patterns I've looked at ☺I wanted something interesting to knit without being too big or complicated, as I'm using my handspun yak which brings its own challenges to the party...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/5638903952/" title="IMAG0147 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0147" height="299" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5105/5638903952_92d18ff9dd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I spun it very lightly on my Golding, and left it as a single. It varies from almost a DK in places to cobweb ☺ but it's soooo soft you can barely feel it. It has drifted apart on me a couple of times on the thicker parts, it's a bit like knitting with a very soft lopi. A quick spit-splice sorts it out, and the twist that's added as I knit seems to be helping keep things under control. I've added a few rows of eyelets to break up the mindless stocking stitch top section, which means my stitch count has wandered off a bit. I'll correct that tomorrow when I can see what I'm doing. The light in the living room sucks, so I've ordered a lamp from Homebase which I'll pick up tomorrow. <br />
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One of the (several) reasons I was feeling deathly this morning was that the mice were having a gorram party in the loft last night. The little horrors have been in the pantry AGAIN, and I spent a bunch of time over the weekend repackaging things and chucking out stuff that they'd sunk their little teeth into. I'm trying to convince Steve that a couple of barn cats are the way to go...☺ He's spent this evening up in the loft repairing the damage and putting in a few preventative measures. Hopefully tonight will be a bit more peaceful! I'm wondering if I can convince the little owls living in the shed to come in and thin out the numbers a bit ☺<br />
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~♥~Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-49512500967786990232012-03-26T22:36:00.001+01:002012-03-26T22:36:23.961+01:00March 26, 2012Whoops...didn't realise it had been a month since the last post. I could have sworn I'd written something up...I think I dream-posted.<br />
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Anyway, this is a fly-by as it's nearly half ten at night and the clock change is kicking my arse something chronic.<br />
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In pictures:<br />
<br />
New toy:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6982653301/" title="IMAG0407 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0407" height="299" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6982653301_68d60721e1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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New fibre (Rav destash, SCF club tops)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6964582343/" title="IMAG0404.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0404.jpg" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6964582343_58caf134fa.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6818460776/" title="IMAG0403.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0403.jpg" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7177/6818460776_54ddc37bc2.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
<br />
I finished the Man Hat:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6843084164/" title="IMAG0411 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0411" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6843084164_7df467bd3c.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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I sewed a kick-ass knitting case:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6851459058/" title="IMAG0415 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0415" height="299" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6221/6851459058_06a3817dc1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6997593051/" title="IMAG0413 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0413" height="299" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/6997593051_b9fa2b1079.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I worked on some UFOs:<br />
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Troika Shawl (yup, that's fun fur, bite me)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6985631095/" title="IMAG0409.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0409.jpg" height="299" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6985631095_6d73004e08.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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and the Maidenhair Wrap:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6854979698/" title="IMAG0417 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0417" height="244" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6049/6854979698_0bfa3cc2f3.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
and next post I shall try and show you my Adventures in Sewing™<br />
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~♥~Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-9294753522263289802012-02-27T20:52:00.002+00:002012-02-27T20:52:59.728+00:0027th Feb 2012Well the chocolate beetroot cake was a bit of a wipeout - it worked okay, it was VERY goopy (there's a LOT of eggs in there) and to be honest, it was so rich even Steve The Chocolate Monster found it too much. Oh well. I've discovered that roasted beetroot tastes pretty good, especially if you pour gravy over it ☺<br />
<br />
Therefore I don't think we can blame the cake for the Toothache of Doom that the poor manthing is suffering. I just hope the antibiotics kick in soon...<br />
In other news, work is suffering a dose of the suckitude again and I have new glasses (which are making my ears hurt but them's the breaks.) <br />
<br />
Anyway, I have been doing a few crafty things, not as much as I might like but nothing new there.<br />
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I managed to sew a project bag:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6902968697/" title="IMAG0396 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0396" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6902968697_9b9fb740e7.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
<br />
inspired by the ossim one by Nicsknots you can see in the background. Mine isn't lined though, I wanted to see if the principle worked without doing too much sewing ☺<br />
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I finished off some spinning:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6931167779/" title="IMAG0401.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0401.jpg" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6931167779_c61b6be0e3.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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BFL Mohair (50/50) I still have a bit left but tbh, I was getting bored and the mohair made my fingers hurt a bit. I've ended up with 388 yards of something approximating a 4-ply / fingering weight, I've not tested the WPI as my gauge has wandered off somewhere (probably with my portable hard drive.) This would make a really nice scarf or cowl, maybe a moebius. <br />
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I've made some progress on Steve's hat, but it doesn't really look much different than the last picure. Imagine some more ribbing.<br />
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I went fabric-hunting at the weekend, but the fabric shop I was looking for has either disappeared, is invisible or I'm an idiot. I settled on Fabricland, but only came out with some muslin. They mainly have godawful synthetic dancewear fabrics or heavily patterned stuff. They were also packed out with customers so I didn't really get chance to root around. However eBay has hopefully come to the rescue for now, and I think I shall have to go thrifting or travel further afield for alternative supplies. I'm going to probably try stitching up a T-tunic to start with in the muslin, working on the principle that if it sucks it will probably do for a nightie ☺ or dusters...<br />
<br />
~♥~ <br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-10940111886203068792012-02-18T19:25:00.001+00:002012-02-18T19:25:55.559+00:0018th Feb 2012Well, nearly the end of our little "holiday", back to work on Monday *sadface*<br />
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I have mainly been shopping ☺ I finally found a couple of names for the kind of clothes that I'm looking for - <i>natural kei</i> (<i>kei</i> = style) and<i> mori girl</i>. Mori means "forest" in Japanese. Forest Girl sounds a lot like me ☺<br />
So Steve was marvellously patient (under the influence of plenty of lattes) and we went shopping. <br />
Winchester was charming, but very busy, and I did find a great little boutique called Anokhi who had some OSSIM clothes. I was fairly restrained (cough) and just came out with a cute Masai Clothing tunic (with huge pockets, win) and some cute cropped trousers with leg pockets. Very La Bass. There was a delicious linen cardi by Sandwich, but £100 was bit rich for my blood - it was a very simple shape in loosely woven linen with a tie front. I reckon I can make one with my handwovens...<br />
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Today was Henley-on-Thames, and another score in the form of two great tops from <a href="http://www.foamfashion.co.uk/" target="_blank">Foam</a>, and a bargain £59 sale coat from <a href="http://www.noanoahenley.com/" target="_blank">Noa Noa</a>. I'm starting to feel like I have a wardrobe! Yay!<br />
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Anyway I've been promising to show you my new toy. Here it is:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6280189323/" title="IMAG0345 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0345" height="299" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6236/6280189323_36c5279e08.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Diana F+! Here it is all spread out with the booklets:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6280744644/" title="IMAG0346.jpg by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0346.jpg" height="299" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6280744644_83b211a329.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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It takes some pretty darn cool pictures, let me tell you, and is almost impossibly cute.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6420402149/" title="Lomograph #1 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="Lomograph #1" height="495" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6420402149_08d0eae6c9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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It now has a little friend, in the form of a Recesky DIY twin-lens reflex camera, which uses 35mm film and took Steve an entire afternoon to put together...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wS7mWyrEjiI/Tz_6hIeJTgI/AAAAAAAAAZM/2WbQH9j6zYs/s1600/_18_0578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wS7mWyrEjiI/Tz_6hIeJTgI/AAAAAAAAAZM/2WbQH9j6zYs/s320/_18_0578.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's it on the right, sitting on a vintage Voigtlander that I snagged in a charity shop for £15. The Diana is in the middle, with its tiny keychain version on top ☺ and on the left is Steve's Lubitel.<br />
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Recesky pics: <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6803369683/" title="_4A_0458 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="_4A_0458" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6803369683_e535318586.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6803373677/" title="_5A_0459 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="_5A_0459" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6803373677_6062536e9b.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6803429645/" title="_22_0474 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="_22_0474" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6803429645_74c874b2e4.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
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Totally worth it. <br />
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We've also done a little photo shoot this week, of a couple of FO's:<br />
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Iced:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6892991051/" title="015 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="015" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6892991051_d65b2e30a8.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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and the February Lady Sweater:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6892962173/" title="005 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="005" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6892962173_50c9399016.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
(me in best Knitwear Model Pose™)<br />
<br />
and tonight I just finished making Nigel Slater's <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/6222618/Nigel-Slater-recipe-an-extremely-moist-chocolate-beetroot-cake-with-creme-fraiche-and-poppy-seeds.html" target="_blank">chocolate beetroot cake</a>. Haven't tried it yet...<br />
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~♥~<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1210398142686387218.post-14254612518987531082012-02-15T12:31:00.000+00:002012-02-15T12:31:31.029+00:0015th Feb 2012 - day off :-)We're taking some much-needed time off this week - today I get the house to myself ☺ I SHOULD be doing address changes (I'll do it in a bit, promise) instead, Muse is on the stereo, I've done two loads of washing, fixed the wobbly dining chairs, fed the birds, loaded up the dishwasher, half-cleaned the toilet and hung prayer flags. The flags are partly for the traditional reasons, and partly to make the place look more inhabited - the problem of living at one end of a semi-derelict 19th century mill is that people do tend to treat it like a tourist attraction and wander into the garden.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6880512699/" title="IMAG0389 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0389" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6880512699_93f00bb93b.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6880510741/" title="IMAG0390 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0390" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6880510741_85d0a8bc0b.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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Procrastination can be useful sometimes ☺<br />
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I've also been doing a bit of outdoor weaving:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6880514615/" title="IMAG0391 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0391" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6880514615_67f94d46af.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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my Earth Loom, propped against the mill wall. It's a work in progress, as I happen across things I'll add them to the weft.<br />
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I cast on for a hat for Steve - progress so far:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14510005@N02/6880535557/" title="IMAG0392 by helen_l_rainbow, on Flickr"><img alt="IMAG0392" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6880535557_c6e09d8133.jpg" width="299" /></a><br />
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Sock yarn does not make for quick hat knitting ☺<br />
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Sewing<br />
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I've been having a discussion on Ravelry about clothes. I have been struggling hugely to find stuff I like, and the consensus seems to be "sew your own." So I'm going to have a go. I've ordered some pattern books from Japan and I'm busy bookmarking helpful websites. I also got pointed towards a couple of shops which have some stuff I like ready-made, including La Redoute of all places. There's an order winging its way to me as we speak, and a trip to Winchester is in the offing ☺<br />
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Although I've not had huge success with sewing in the past, I'm determined to give it a go - after all, I have a sewing machine already, I have a big dining table, loads of pins and a pair of shears, and I have the internet (and my vintage Singer sewing book!) - how hard can it be??? (famous last words)<br />
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I'm going to start I think by taking up the lounge curtains - not garments I KNOW but it needs doing as it's driving me spare. They need about 3 feet taking off the bottom!<br />
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~♥~ <br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15911174008767828459noreply@blogger.com0