Spinning a yarn or two

Hello world,

This is what I have been inspired to create since attending the Bendigo Sheep and Wool show.

The wool tops are from a ewe that got lost in the foothills of Mt.Eccles national park, McArthur, Western District, Victoria Australia. She was a pure merino and was lost for several years. When finally found and shorn, her fleece staple was 10" long and weighed 45kg. After processing I got20kg back. This I have been spinning on and off for the last 8 years. I have made a lovely shawl for my last son, which was then given to his grandma, in hospital where it was nicked. She was very upset. I was too as it had taken me 6 months to knit. Oh well, I will just have to knit another. One day.



Now I originally intended to dye this and knit a clopotis with it but..... best intentions and all, when I swatched it, no way woulld this yarn permit itself to be that pattern. Not in a pink fit.

So I have decided that it will be a simple stole. moss stitch borders and a stocking stitch centre, with maybe some moss stitch "detail" in the centre. When I get the camera back I will take a photo of the sample which got made into a hat alah,, Sarah Bradbury's book. I dyed that sample with food colours mainly green and pink. It looks a bit like a bright salad. Very warm and snuggly. I think I will have a hard time giving this stole to my partner's sister. Can I call her my sister in law even though I'm not married? Anyway she is lovely and deserves a special gift. I don't think she receives many.

I also treated myself to a set of Denise Interchangables. I am now trying to cast on the Mariposa shawl using stash of Willabaa wool. It is a denim blue colour and knits up lovely. The pattern is a nasty sod though. Perserverance I do request your presence.

My other new project is..... wait for it...... House Cleaning and Maintenence.!! I discovered a web site called Flylady. Kept going back and reading, my house management is well non existant so I finally got depressed enough to try it. Shine your sink, she said. Just start with shining your sink. I looked. I knew there was one, we did have a cuppa not long before and I knew I got water from it. So I found it ,cleaned it, then shined it. and was amazed. I have managed to keep up this one point so far, which for me 2plus weeks of a clean kitchen is verging on miraculus. I am determined to keep it up! It being an american site was/is a shudder but desperate times call for desperate measures. And even I have met nice americans. They just don't make the news.

Well of to do more farm work Oh yes I have 7 yes 7 new coloured lambs.

Shining sink on the way!

Clare