Fibre frolics for Friday.

Don't you just love the word frolic? It brings so many images to mind. Young foals frisking on their too long legs, lambs gamboling, puppies on their first walks charging around and tail chasing, me in the kitchen up to my elbows in fibre and dye..........no............you can't see that last one? Strange, it comes naturally to my mind in association with frolic.
Anyhoo, enough already of the inane banter. Yesterday I got to dying fibre, as opposed to yarn, for the 1st time. Hmmmm bit of a different ball game. I found I was more careful with roving than with yarn. The red is Falkland and although it doesn't show well in the photograph is has a few darker bands running through it. This fibre dyed like a dream and of the two types appeared more robust took the the dye well too. The green is BFL (blue faced leicester) and needed a much longer bath prior to dying and crinkled more during the process, however, I am pleased with the result and its springiness has revived during drying. The gold/beige is the same fleece but I used a different dye process (one I'm experimenting with) it needs some refining. I will spin it and see what I think, but it may be heading for a re-dye after it is spun.

I had a ball taking over the kitchen, delaying lunch and causing mayhem. It took me a lot longer than yarn dying but for a first attempt I am fairly happy. The red Falkland is destined to hit the wheel first, probably later today. I will have little break from my Corriedale and as the Falkland is only 50g it shouldn't take too long. I'll post progress and completion pictures.

Knitting.

Do you ever, ever get towards the end of something you're knitting and think 'Oo-err I'm not sure about this?' That's what happening with me and Isabella. This is unusual for me, probably one project in about 15. I'm just not feeling the vibe with the lace and the neck shape. I will continue and see how I feel about it after its sewn and blocked but it's going to have to look right spanking to avoid the pond-of-froggy-despair. It is a major bummer because it been a right boring knit for me as I detest long stretches of stocking stitch and the Rowan 4ply cotton has murdered my hands (I have eczema on my hands so they are often quite sore) - so to suffer all this and then get to the finishing post feeling a bit whoops is, as said, a bummer!

Other stuff.

Finished 'Roots' - blown away - should have read this years ago. Plan now to reread HP -'Half Blood Prince' before next one is published. Thought I'd be more excited about the last one coming out but am not really. I didn't like HBP all that much. I've already tried one reread and got bored and put it down. I hope the last one rekindles the joy that the 1st 4 books did. Book 5 was good but it didn't have that 'un-put-a-downable' quality and HBP was a slog. Perhaps my reading tastes have changed.


Been listening to a lot of music in the evenings because what is on TV is even more abysmal than normal - will someone please cull Bill Oddie? I haven't bothered with SpringWatch as I can't stand that bumptious little twerp - shame because I love nature programmes and the wildlife clips etc are great, it's just him, he makes my blood boil with his quips. Also haven't bothered with Big Brother this year - gave up on it last year and life seems so much better without it. So music has been our entertainment of choice after J goes to bed. We found some right weird stuff but it's great to revisit it. The other night we listened to Jam and Spoon - Tripomatic Fairytales - whoo where was my head when I bought that? I dread to recall.

I think that is more than enough waffle for today. Except for a thank you for all the nice comments I had this week. I had begun to think that no-one read my blog that much so all these new peeps commenting has cheered me up no end - thank you all - you rock and those of you with blogs I have added you to my blog-reading list and will visit and comment in reciprocation soon.