Spiderman????

You Are Spider-Man

Quick and agile, you have killer instincts (literally).And that kind of makes up for the whole creepy spider thing.

What Superhero Are You?

Just because someone on the knitting forum asked - so here is my answer!!!! Actually I don't mind that - I don't have a spider phobia - but sister does so I could surely freak her out! - and OH would call my mood swings "killer" !!!!! LOL

No snot at the sea!!!

Answer to hayfever problems is go to the seaside. Wonderful, lovely, thoughtful OH had no work yesterday, so he took me to Hayling Island. We decided to leave Spot behind after her awful behaviour last time, and also so I could just sit and breathe!!!!! without worrying about her!

It was a really lovely day - it was sunny down there, but a lovely warm breeze was coming in off the sea. We sat on the beach for 4 hours in total - moving around a bit here and there - OH with a fishing rod out every now and then (no cathes though)! but generally just watching fish and birds and oh the ecstasy of being able to breathe freely!!!

Unfortunately within 20 mins of being home, the sneezing and snottiness had returned, but it was a break, and it was great!

I am trying HayMax as suggested by dear sister. It's a balm you put at the edge of your nostrils - apparently to catch the pollen instead of it going up your nose - worth a try, and it smells of lovely lavender! If nothing else the balm will help the red nose syndrome!!!

Today I have been spinning again - a little. I had loads to do today - not least some housework!! and putting a new hard drive in my new PC. None of it has happened! I have sat and watched the GP qualifiers for tomorrows Hungarian GP, and spun a bit - and that's about it! Oh well there's always another day for housework!!!

All bunged up

Yep the hayfever season is surely upon us. I always get it late - but now it's here it's here good and proper.

Trouble is I can't take any type of anti-histamine unless I am prepared to take a 2 hour sleep at some stage in the day - "May cause drowsiness" needs to be re-written for me to something more along the lines of "will induce a 2 hour coma" . Even the non-drowsy ones affect me! I've tried becanase nose spray for the first time this year - but it doesn't seem to work very well, so the nett result is that I'm snotty, grumpy and fed up!!

So if anyone has any other tips - I'm open to anything - dancing naked round the garden offering myself to the wood nymphs - really anything!!!!!

I'm desperately trying to finish one chevron sock so that my DPN's are free to start on the lovely sock yarn that Helen sent me. It should be finished tonight! I also managed to buy a copy of Vogue Socks 2, off the forum for a steal, so may get extra ideas from there before starting the new ones!

I haven't decided what to do with the silk yet - or rather I haven't finished deciding. My calculations reckon on around 200 yds in the skein so i am thinking a scarf. I can't decide whether to do a lace ladder type affair (like this sort of thing), or a thin clapotis looking scarf. - Most people seem to average around 500g for the clapotis - which is a huge shawl, so to use a fifth on a scarf in the same vein I think would be feasible, and the knitting between the dropped stitches would show the colours off beautifully. A lace ladder type thing would be more "floaty", and would probably make a better length/width scarf as I assume the silk would go further on a pattern that is mostly yarn overs!!!. . . . . .Any thoughts anyone!??

Question Time

Just a quick post to answer some questions in the comments yesterday!

Badger : Yes I will dye it - I have some natural dyes which I've been waiting to try, not sure how they will come out but I may try them on a bit of fleece I've got first - or just wade in there in my usual "no time to wait" manner! I have a huge burco boiler for such things which I hope will work as the element is covered and you can regulate the temperature - I should test with fleece first as I need to check the temperatures so that I don't felt it - that would be tragic!

Piglottie: It was easy to spin, but I'm only a beginner myself, and had huge tension troubles to begin with, as it turned out after a lot of faffing, the trouble was mostly that the wheel needed oiling after a long summer of not being used, then the tension was much easier to sort. It's not as soft as I'd have liked to make it - I need to learn to spin different textures, but I think when I ply it it will untwist a bit and that should soften it. I'm having to draw it quite short, only an inch or so at a time - not sure if that's the alpaca or me. I've only been spinning since last November and haven't done any since it got too hot - did quite a few bits for Christmas presents (and my dear parents actually wear their hand-spun, hand-knitted scarves, how about that for dedication!) So I haven't learnt to be consistent yet - but I will with practise and who need consistency anyway!

Sue: - Welcome to my blog! - I've looked at your handspun and I now have something to aspire to! -- It's looks so soft and loose - how do you do that without it breaking???!!!! (I think the answer will be practise!)

To everyone who admired Spot - he is a she (!) and a proper Laydeee at that!! (really if there was ever a dog which you could tell was male/female then this is she - even down to mood swings!) - which makes it all the funnier!

A lovely easy Saturday

Ooops tried to blog this straight from photo-bucket but methinks photos are a bit on the large size! - Oh well hope you like them!!! (let me know if you can't see them 'cos I think photobucket is a bit temperamental, but just wanted to give this a go.)

A Cloud of alpaca

Alpaca fibre

Spun alpaca

Spun Alpaca

My poor garden in the drought - where'd all the grass go????

Have you ever seen anything more silly???? - Spot takes it easy