GCSE results and Spinning

First the exam results: DS took 2 of his GCSE's early (he is in year 10) and he got Physics A and Biology A* Well done to him : )

And second, I have finished spinning Roadkill. It 60g-ish, DK/aran-ish 110 yards-ish.

Spinning

I have spun up the Tortoiseshell (AKA Roadkill). The 2 bobbins are from the same batt, but look very different spun up. I hope to ply it this week.
I have another infection and am back on antibiotics. I wish there was some way to break this infection cycle. This is my 7th round of antibiotics this year : (

Toffee and Cactus

My friend carded this batt for me on a drum carder. You can't see, but there is far more caramel colour on the other side. This batt is called Toffee.

My son just glanced at it while it was on the floor being photographed. His comment was that it looked like a Tortoiseshell cat which had been run over by a lorry!!! He now casually looks at me spinning it and remarks "still using the road kill?" Don't you love teenagers : )

Below is a photo of the surprise we found a few days ago. Excuse the funny angle but it was hard to photograph without holding the flower to support it. This flower appeared miraculously overnight on our cactus plant. It had whithered and died by the next morning, but was beautiful while it lasted. On the knitting front, I am about to attempt my first laceweight project. I am making a Forest Canopy shawl in Ice Blue Fiddlesticks zephr which is a wool/silk mix on 5mm needles and I am going to do at least 20 repeats to make it big enough to wrap round me and snuggle into. Wish me luck!!!

I've been Quilting

Last week I went on a quilting retreat with 38 other ladies. We stayed in a outdoor education hostel, slept in bunk beds with shared toilet/shower blocks and generally had a fun time. I have been going 2/3 times a year for about 5 years now. Its usually for 2 days, but the annual Summer retreat is for 5 days and nights : )

First we all made name badges:
I spent the rest of my time hand piecing this quilt:

It is pieced over paper the traditional way and I use tiny whip stitches to put the hexagons together.

I have been working on this quilt for about 3 years now, on and off and reckon I have done thousands of hexagons so far. I just have the edges to complete and it is finished. Then it will be quilted and I will bind the edges.

It will be approx 6'6" wide and 7'6" long when completed.