Autumn is on its way

The Cherry tree in the Cemetery at the back of my garden is beginning to change colour. The leaves go from green to bright red in a matter of days. It appears that Summer is over for another year.

It seems apt that Natalie from www.theyarnyard.co.uk should send me one of her latest rovings. The colours just match the Cherry tree leaves at the moment. I think a session of spinning on my Cherry wood spindle is appropriate this weekend. 100g should just be enough for some fingerless gloves for the chilly days to come.

Tranquility

I sometimes wonder if the rythmic movements associated with handspinning,knitting and embroidery are the way we modern people feed our soul. I find myself entering a state of tranquility when using my hands to create something while my thoughts soar away into my imagination. Perhaps I am not so 'modern' after all.

Stash or an Art Collection?

Stash: conceal; put in a safe or hidden place....hoard, store (Concise Oxford Dictionary)

I don't have a stash. I think of it as an Art Collection.

My fabric, yarns, fibres threads etc are all displayed in clear blanket tubs. True, they are in the loft so are in the dark most of the time - but that is for their protection. I store the paintings made by my DH in the same way, and also my sons sculptures. Every so often I put into the loft the ones which have been on display, and select some others to bring down and display instead.

I love to browse in my loft. It has an easily accessible ladder so I can go up at any time. I revel in the sight of so many beautiful colours, enjoy the sensual experience of feeling the silk, cotton, wool, alpaca.

I don't have to have used it to make things in order to enjoy it, just as one doesn't have to have eaten a meal to enjoy the smell and colour of the food. To be amongst this rainbow of colours, this melange of tactile objects,this collection which is a thing of beauty in its own right - often that is enough to refresh my soul.

Calling our collections a 'stash' reduces it to something waiting to be beautiful, it conveys the idea that objects have to have a purpose and function to be valid. The wonderful yarns, fibres and fabrics we have today do not need any validation of that kind. To exist gives pleasure. More is not required.

Spinning and Dyeing

I dyed some merino roving in greens, and oranges and tawny colours to compliment the multicoloured roving at the bottom of the photo. The skein you can see on the left is some of the multi roving which I spun on my drop spindle and plied. I think I can finally call myself a dyer and spinner now. Just the weaving to learn and I'm there!!! Unless you consider knitting to be a form of weaving?

Solitude........

I am nearly half-way through the school holidays as my sons school closed on the 6th July and re-opens on the 6th Sept. I am begining to wonder how I am going to survive the rest of this break. I love my son (he is 12 years old) and he is fun to be with and has a very well developed sense of humour, is polite and generally interesting. Its just that I dont think I can take many more converstions and activities centred around Star Wars and Lego.

I am a person who cherishes being alone. I could be a hermit and speak to no-one for weeks on end given the chance. Silence is golden to me. I need it, lots of it. I wasnt always like this. I come from a large family in a small house and shared a bedroom with 4 sisters. As for my noisy, smelly teasing brothers, least said the better.

But now I am older, quieter, more reflective, and solitude is my goal. If you hear on the news of a crazy red-head who has moved into a cave somewhere and refuses to come out - thats me!!!

Branching into Nostepinnes

So many people have seen and asked for the nostepinne that DH made me that we have decided to branch out and add them to our reportoire of spinning equiptment. The ones above are made from Beech and are destined for two of my spinning guild members. If you are interested in buying one, please email me: Moorec648ATaol.com replacing the AT with @.

They are £13 each including p&p for the UK or £15 each inc p&p for International customers.

Coventry Spinning Guild and Jacob Fleece

I am a member of the Coventry Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers. We had our monthly meeting yesterday and so I thought I would take a few photos of the members - with their permission, of course!

The young lady who is weaving is our youngest member. She is 12 years old and comes with her grandmother the lady on the left of her). The yarn the young lady is weaving with was carded and spun by her too on her grandmothers spinning wheel. I am sooooo impressed!!

This photo is of some Jacobs fleece we have been given. The church hall where we meet is having its 50th anniversary next year, so we are spinning and weaving this fleece into a kneeler as a 'thankyou' to the church for the use of their hall.