Shilasdair, ME and SP12 3rd question

Today we had a trip to Shilasdair in Hallin, Waternish, in north Skye. I've wanted to go there for a long time. They were looking for an apprentice last year and, if I lived nearer (it's 61 miles away from me), I'd have jumped at the chance. I'm not sure they would have been looking for such an old apprentice though...! Eva showed us the vats of yarns she was dyeing and told us about some natural dyes. It was incredible to watch the effect of indigo, how it oxidises and changes from yellow to blue... I had no idea...! Her yarns are just gorgeous and I particularly loved the baby camel hair yarn!! It was soooo soft. As was her cashmere - wow! And such beautiful colours. The shop is so well laid out with rows of different colours in different weights: Shetland wool - Aran and double knitting; cashmere mixes in double knitting; baby camel. I was in heaven. And my brain seized! Not enough time to decide - What should I buy? How much should I buy? What would I knit with it?!! In the end I bought some yarn for a gift and a 50g skein of cashmere in a gorgeous green for myself, for a loose lace scarf for the winter - £10 but worth it just for the joy! I'll take a photo in daylight (it's nightime now) and add it later. I swithered between green and my usual purple and others wanted me to get a turquoisey green but I went with the green I wanted - a yellow green - and was so happy later that I'd got it, so I knew I'd made the right choice. Ooo green makes me happy!

I was also delighted to find an undyed silk twist that should (I hope) be perfect for the bridal shrug in Vogue Knitting Spring Summer 2008 that I've said I'll knit for Donna's wedding in August. The pattern called for Tilli Tomas' Rock Star which is extremely expensive! I got 500g for £45. Use double, Eva and I worked out it should be enough. I hope so. It'll be a gift from all of us at RTT.
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On the ME front, that was a 120 mile round trip and I did the driving. I also had a car full of people, which is a bit of a novelty for me and what could have been a major distraction and stress addition. It was only about 15 months ago that I made my first big (lone) journey - a 75 mile round trip - and it exhausted me. All these little landmarks show how my health is improving. And there was torrential rain on the way back. I'm not saying I wasn't tired though...!

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Special Pal Question #3: What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?

Interesting question, considering how my brain froze at Shilasdair today. I concluded that I'm a little averse to collecting yarn and building a stash - it feels greedy and covetous! - and I don't like the idea of having a load of yarn just piling up. I didn't want to buy just a little for some future unknown project. I think I prefer to know what I'm knitting and to buy the yarn to go with it. However, I know that if I found something I couldn't get online and didn't expect to see again, I would snap it up (if I had enough cash!). Perhaps the yarn at Shilasdair wasn't unusual enough...

So, in conclusion, my perfect amount of stash would be one that topped up with enough for the next project while I'm still knitting the last one! Oh and a side stash of bits and pieces in all sorts of colours and textures for those ad hoc times when you need just a little for a trim or something! Clear as mud?!

Coming out from under the bushel

Following a conversation at RTT last week about keeping your light under a bushel and a conversation yesterday about my children's knitwear designs from the 80s, I took in a large pile of photos that I compiled about 10 years ago (and have since added to) to remind myself that I am creative, and showed them to 3 of my colleagues. It's my intention to add all these photos to this blog, once I've scanned them, as this is simply an online 21st century version of what I intended when I compiled that group of photos. They go all the way back to 1979, when I designed my first jumper at the tender age of 23!
It wasn't a comfortable experience for me, I have to say, although my colleagues were suitably appreciative and actively enjoyed what I'd done, especially my cakes! As one of them said, "It's not showing off when people enjoy what you do!" It's a good idea, for me at least, to remember that creativity is (can be / I like it to be!)...
...FUN!

Secret Pal Week 2 question & armwarmers contd

I'm a bit late with this as either I didn't get the original email or it went into my junk folder and I missed it. Here's the question:
As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?
Hmmm... I don't think I can remember so I'm going to have to think back and try to remember what I liked!

• Spending time with my dog, Rikki.
• Getting to lie in in the mornings.
• Sunshine.
• Most of all - our holiday on the Isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde. Happy happy memories - cycling across the island to Ettrick Bay in the bright sunshine, trying to keep up with my brother!; long sandy days there with Mum relaxing and the dog permanently in the water; Rikki in his pool, a large water outlet on the seashore; candy floss in Rothesay; swimming at the pool in Rothesay; the fun fair! And that wonderful feeling of coming home at the end!! LOL

I used to get bored in the holidays and looked forward to getting back to school!

Reading other SPers memories made me remember my most favourite memory of all - waking up in the bed-in-the-cupboard and hearing children running past the window (the room was on the corner of the street and had a window on each corner wall) and remembering that I was in Port Bannatyne. I don't think I have another memory to match that...! Oh and the loo was in the close / stairwell outside, shared with the family next door!

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I seem to have got it right at last with the armwarmers. I took the first one in progress into RTT today and had someone try it on. It fit perfectly and was much admired. I am delighted! You guys will have to wait until it's finished!

Lace armwarmers - ish

After 3 evenings of working out this pattern, I thought I'd made a good start last night. But it's actually too big. As they're not for me(!), I will have to aim much smaller. Time to work out by gauge, methinks. Still, I'm enjoying getting my teeth into something. The body of the armwarmer is a simple yo k2tog rib with a panel of stacking hearts down the length of the arm. I'm aiming for the Tartan Heart Festival at Belladrum in August, where Rag Tag will have a stall thus the hearts!

Back to housework!

Life is very busy...

but I am about to embark on creating a pattern for lace armwarmers. For the summer, don't you know?!