Episode 45: And... Relax

Hello from a slightly overcast Cheshire Plain. In this episode I talk about the original Woolsack, twitch over big art projects and small children and say thank you. A lot.


Works in Progress/Woolsack Update:
To console myself after last week, I cast on a new Woolsack Cushion, using Sheepfold and Jamieson of Shetland yarns. It's a Blacker Yarns pattern, the Celtic Yarns Cushion, and Ravelry details are here.



In addition, I recapped on the aims of the Woolsack project amd the origins of the word. Here is a shot for the UK Parliament's Flickr stream that I found of the Woolsack:



I also interrupted myself to take a photo of this little fella:




Something I really like: Llama BBQ bites!



Thank You!:
Thank you to everyone who responsed to my meltdown last week. The squares are starting to roll in.
Thank you also to the lovely sandcola, who was my partner in the Fabric Postcard swap over on the Caithness Craft Collective podcast.






Upcoming Events:
Cheshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers are taking demonstrating and holding their exhibition at West Kirby Library on Tuesday 10th, Thursday 12th, Friday 13th and Saturday 14th April. Come along and say hello!

The Guild is also hosting a Woolsack Stuffing Event at Frodsham Community Centre, Fluin Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire on Saturday 21st April, 11am-3pm. This event is open to anyone in the area to drop in and stuff your cushion. There is carparking at the Centre and refreshments.

Wonderwool Wales is at the Royal Welsh Showground, Built Wells, Powys, Sat 28th and Sun 29th April.


Links:
Woolsack;
Sheepfold;
Jamieson's of Shetland;
CogKNITive Podcast;
Caithness Craft Collective.


Music: Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune.

We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 4 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are!

Feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.podbean.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!).

TTFN, Nic

Episode44: Woolsack Woes

On this episode you are subjected to the ravings of someone perilously close to the edge. To throw me a lifeline I'm asking all UK listeners to knit me a 4 inch square, either in their British handspun or in British commercial yarn, and send it to me to construct a Yarns From The Plain Listener cushion for Woolsack. Email me when you're done and I'll send you details of where to send it.

Thanks!

Nic

Episode 43: A Postcard from the Lake District

Hello from a gloriously sunny, if blustery, Cheshire Plain. In this episode I talk about my crafty AD/HD, bemoan a lack of pictures and send you a postcard from my recent break in the Lakes.

Works in Progress: I cast off my Damson! It's not yet blocked, but Ravelry details are here.You can't see the loopy border in this shot, but proof that it is indeed finished.



I've also been dying more yarn (Kid Silk Lace from Posh Yarn) and fibre (more BFL and also some Falkland Sliver from DT Craft & Design, and a selection of Gotland curls from May Hill Gotlands (gotland_mayhill@yahoo.com) in the Forest of Dean and carded grey Gotland from Blacker Yarns) to use up the dye solutions from last weekend.

Talking of last week's marathon dying session, I used the dyed Sheepfold Clotted Cream and some black Hebredian to crochet a set of interlocking rings for the Cheshire Guild's exhibition on the theme of circles. I also took the dyed BFL fibre and needled felted it on in a series of cirlces along a length of the undyed BFL top which I'd lightly needled felted to keep the wave of the fibre visible. Of course I've not been so clever as to take photos of them before I handed them over to the Exhibition Secretary, so you'll have to wait a while, or come and see the Exhibition!


Woolsack Update: I've been working on more little squares using JaneKAL pattern recipe to make up cushion fronts and backs made by members of the Guild and seaming some of them together. It looks like we could have over 30 cushions just from the Guild alone, let alone any from members of the public who come along on the day. I'm so excited!



I've also started warping up my loom to weave a cushion in Wool City Wool 4ply from Texere Yarns.




A Postcard from ... the Lake District: Sadly the vast majority of photographs I talk about in the clips were lost when my memory card corrupted, but I have this shot of me behind Dove Cottage...



...my Cream Tea...



...a view from the drive north from Windermere, showing Derwentwater glistening by Keswick...



and a shot of some of the alpaca...

:


Links:
Woolsack;
Keswick Launch on Derwentwater;
Dove Cottage;
I Wander'd Lonely as A Cloud, read by Graham Williams for LibriVox;
Find out more about The Terrible Knitters of Dent at the Dent Village Heritage Centre;
The Alpaca Centre;
Wonder of Wool exhibition at Rheged;
Susan Crawford;
Kate Jenkins;
Freddie Robins;
Joss Wrigg;
Amy Twigger Holroyd.


Upcoming Events:
Cheshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers are taking demonstrating and holding their exhibition at West Kirby Library on Tuesday 10th, Thursday 12th, Friday 13th and Saturday 14th April. Come along and say hello!

The Guild is also hosting a Woolsack Stuffing Event at Frodsham Community Centre, Fluin Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire on Saturday 21st April, 11am-3pm. This event is open to anyone in the area to drop in and stuff your cushion. There is carparking at the Centre and refreshments.

The WOW exhibition runs at the Rheged Centre, Cumbria until Sunday 15th April and is open daily.

Wonderwool Wales is at the Royal Welsh Showground, Built Wells, Sat 28th and Sun 29th April.


Music: Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune.

We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 4 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are!

Feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.podbean.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!).

TTFN, Nic

Episode 42: Life, The Universe and Everything

Hello from a glorious Cheshire Plain. In this bumper episode I discuss dying, squawk about space and am rendered speechless...

Thanks for the feedback on Episode 41: A Postcard from Manchester. It's been a privilege to share the memories the music invokes for you. A couple of people are close but no one has yet identified all of the clips, so I'll leave it open until March 31st. PM or email me with your answers.

Works in Progress: Slooooooow work on the Damson Shawl as part of the Caithness Craft Collective Knitalong, but the end is in sight. I hope to have it finished for next episode. Ravelry details are here.

I've also been dying yarn (Clotted Cream from Sheepfold) and fibre (BFL from DT Craft & Design) to make something for the Guild Exhibition.



I need to hand it in next Saturday, so I'd better be quick! I've also dyed 100g of BFL in a purple to ply with the Cheviot from Shunklies. No more progress has been made in the actual spinning, though.

Woolsack Update: I've finished my fifth cushion for Woolsack. The pattern is Tilting at Windmills by Woolly Thoughts. It needs a bath in Soak though, to soften up the Jamieson's of Shetland Aran yarn (now discontinued I think). It's not scratchy so much as just a bit stiff.

Here's the front...


...and the back...


Review: Knitty Issue 39, Spring + Summer 2012.

Something I Really Like: Astronomy, my telescope that I still can't use and my SkyView app. Here's the photo I took when I stopped recording. It's slightly blurry because I was too excited to get the tripod out and do it properly, I'm afraid. Venus is the brighter light on the right, with Jupiter on the left. It really did appear just as I was saying it. Uncanny!



Links:

Woolsack;
A Playful Day;
Subway Knits;
Counting Sheep;
The Heathen Housewife;
Prof Brian Cox.

Music: Rondopolska by Barry Philips, from the album Tråd, available from Magnatune.

We have a listeners' map. Please go on over to pop in a pin - we're covering 4 continents now but I'd still love to see where you all are!

Feel free to leave a comment here or at http://www.yarnsfromtheplain.podbean.com/, or email me at yarnsfromtheplain AT googlemail DOT com. We have a Ravelry group here, so come on over to chat. You can find me on Ravelry as talesfromtheplain and on Twitter as talesfromplain (although Tweeting can be sporadic!).

TTFN, Nic