The Meaning of Life

All that work making paving and steps and flat things and hauling clay. And here it is. Happy people sitting around in the sun on a balmy day being, well...happy.

Lots of satisfying effort (and some just-plain-hard effort) and then some relaxation enjoying just being.

Perfect

Wet Muddy Paws

When your backyard looks like this after a bit of rain

 

 

and you have this many sets of paws

 

 

then all your floors look like this.

 

 

 

 

And I mean, ALL.  Beds too. Towels. Fresh washing, should you be so forgetful to leave any lying around.

As an aside...have you noticed the amount of personal space between each, at the breakfast setting? Wouldn't want to actually breath the same air now...

Weekend Alternative

 

This might have been a good option too, for a wet weekend with small sunny spots.  There's much to be learnt from cats, and animals in general.

 

If there is one spot of sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak it up. ~J.A. McIntosh

Spinning 2

Rain rain go away...Or not. A rainy weekend is such a good excuse to snuggle up inside doing not very much. Because, you know..."if it was fine I would be out digging in the garden and schlepping rocks and all, but, oh dear, I'll just have to stay inside and drink tea and enjoy myself :)". Not that gardening, and even rock moving, isn't enjoyable.

 

So, here is the rest of the spinning experiment.  This is 2 strands of singles, plied together i.e. twisted together through the wheel in the opposite direction.

 

 

I put the 2 bobbins of singles into a lazy kate.  Well, in theory, a lazy kate, but in fact a box that the spinning wheel new bits came in, with a couple of knitting needles through.  Works perfectly!

 

 

Then fed both strands back into the wheel and spun in the opposite direction, creating double knit.

The trick is to get the twist in one direction the same as the twist in the other direction, not so easy. 

 

 

 

 

Here I managed beautiful singles, but over twisted when plying, so it curled up on itself.  But as it is only experimental, to see if I remember how, no worries. I now know what to check for on the real thing.

2 bobbins of singles made 3 bobbins of plied - more air gaps I guess.  Normally I would wind these on a skein maker, called a niddy noddy (yes, really) and then wash them, but I've misplaced mine, so went straight to the ball stage.  Then I tried knitting it, to see how thick it all turned out.  Quite thick about 10 ply gauge I reckon.  All good stuff.  Don't know what I'll do with these now though.  This is Romney wool, and a bit scratchy, not bad, but not really good enough for a scarf.

 

And...ta dah....this is the real thing. This gorgeous natural chocolate brown fleece is a Corriedale, so lovely and soft.  Also it is a finer wool, smaller crimp, so I'll spin it finer too.  So now I have to make a (small, because I don't want to delay too much longer) sample and ply it, to see if I've got the twist about right.  Looks like a pony tail laying there.

Spinning

What to do on a rainy weekend?  Fish out the ancient spinning wheel from under the house and get it going!  It required a couple of new bits, as the old ones had rusted away.  And a good coat of linseed and turps.  Couldn't for the life of me remember how to thread it all up, where the drive bands attached to, but thank goodness for google.  But once I'd made it actually go round, turns out it really is like riding a bicycle, my hands knew just exactly what to do.  As long as I kept my brain out of it.

I'm pretty proud of this, as my first effort in 20 years.  I've got to make another one the same, and then ply them - twist them together with the spin in the opposite direction - if I can remember how....  I think it will make about an 8 ply yarn, we'll see.

This fleece is leftovers of an old one I had, its a natural grey colour, or will be when I have washed it.  Its possible its gone a bit yellow with age though.  It came as a carded sliver, see below, so it is clean, and all brushed, and very easy to spin. You can spin direct from the cut staples off a sheep's back which takes longer and more preparation, but this is what I had.  I've bought a new fleece, a chocolate natural colour, but thought I'd get all the knots out of my technique on my practice one first.

Contemplation

Hard to imagine just yet, but I'm thinking a contemplation garden.

 

 

This is a half round that used to be my vegetable garden.  Its lovely and sunny in winter.  Sheltered (or it was before the boundary desecration, but it will be again when the new trees grow), hidden by an orange and a persimmon, tucked away but still in the centre of the universe.

 

So...a single chair, a border of hebes as a back protection, a bird bath? or a beautiful stone statue, or just a beautiful stone.  Rules: no arguing in my space.  Peace and quiet.  That sounds like the ticket.

 

Bunny Love Lessons

We have a bunny. Who lives in a bunny mansion, inside (called Fred, and a she, so slightly gender confused).  Now, for those that know bunnies, they are not the most responsive of animals.  Bunnies make no sounds, not purring, or squeaking, or whimpering, or growling.  So it is very hard to gauge their emotions.  With a cat, or a dog, you can usually be pretty certain what they are feeling, but not so, bunnies.

 

 

Our bunny spends her time sleeping or sitting, mostly.  Not a lot looks like it happening in her mind.  Very zen.  But sometimes she comes out of her mansion and then she will do a little ballerina dance, jumping in the air and sort of patting her feet together.  Totally joyfully abandoned.

 

 

But the thing that bunny loves THE MOST, is a cuddle.  A skirtch on the head is all good, but a full out cuddle - the best!  She sort of scrunches down and snuggles in, pressing against you. 

 

So...bunny life...just chilling, a little dance sometimes, and plenty of hugs.  Not a bad recipe for a good life, at all.