What do you do on a blustery afternoon?

Q.  What do you do on a blustery afternoon? 
A.  Card, spin and take a few photographs.

Having browsed through The Ashford Book of Carding by Jo Reeve I decided to rummage through my stash of  coloured fleece and play with my drum carder.  I have had a drum carder for a year now but have only recently put down my hand carders.

I decided to blend two different shades of green with red and a burgundy.  I passed the layered slithers through the carder four times. Layering the colours one on top of the other gives a 'heathered' yarn as you can see below.  Had I fed the slithers of different colour in side by side the end result would have been stripey.

The following picture gives you an idea of the final batt

I produced six batts and set about spinning and playing the fleece.  I produced a 52g hank of double knit wool. 



Yesterday's attempt was orange.

This orange hank was the result of blending three different shades of orange and only two passes through the carder.

The beginning of the week saw me experimenting with shades of grey - each hank was produced from different proportions of grey, dark grey and white Shetland fleece.  Nothing to do with a book you might of heard about. 

All of these will be incorporated into scarves for sale in the Smithy on Shapinsay and the Made in Shapinsay event at the Venue in Kirkwall next month Monday 17 - Sunday 22.  I have been thinking about selling hanks of hand spun wool. 

I haven't just been spinning, oh no, hats have also been on the agenda - more later.

At last

Phew - the pictures aren't as good as they could be but you'll get the general impression, hopefully.

Well it's that time of year again when the Heritage Centre opens it's doors giving the good people of Shapinsay a chance to set out and hopefully sell their crafty endeavours.  There is also a very good display of artifacts under the banner of  'Old Ways in Bygone Days'.  The restaurant has also been refurbished and is looking very smart and inviting and offers a tasty selection of meals and home bakes.  The shortbread is excellent.   I think you must be due a visit.

This is the scene that greets you as you enter the exhibition and retail area upstairs.  There is a selection of hand knits, jewelry, pottery, photographs, prints, textiles, preserves and locally handmade soaps to tempt you.  I was sure I had cropped this photo and saved it but I think this isn't that version.



Here is a selection of my bracelets and brooches made from felted jumpers.  I enjoy making them and every one is individual.  You maybe can't see so well from the pictures but I often do a mixture of needle felting and embroidery on them as well as adding buttons and beads. 

I wonder if anyone will be interested in these hats?  The purple one has a brooch on it and the orange on has three buttons from the original cardigan. 

Another exciting development is the formation of the Made in Shapinsay group which will be in The Venue, Kirkwall for a week from June 17.  More about that later.

I am pleased to have been able to post some pictures although I seem to have been unable to access some that I had cropped.  Better that you come along and have a look for yourself.  Meanwhile I am going to get a grip on how I file my photographs.  I am also off for a browse round the Quilting Museum in York.

Back soon.

It's been a while

It's been so long that I have forgotten  how to upload photographs.  I have been sitting here for quite a while now to no avail.  You'll have to take my word for it that I have been busy making hats, felted brooches, felted bracelets and a few scarves.  They are now for sale in the Shapinsay Heritage Centre.  I have a photograph of the display at the Centre to share as I have not been alone in my crafty endeavours.  It's all very frustrating and serves me right for not paying enough attention to this forum.

I shall persever and hopefully got myself sorted out.  Speak soon.

Hats off to you

I am hoping that it is hats on actually or should that be hats all gone?   I have made six hats from felted jumpers.   The one in the picture used to be a small fair isle waistcoat.  I put large buttons on it as a design feature.  It's a versitile little number which can be worn in various ways as demonstrated below. 

There are two shapes I think I might focus on.  One has five panels to it.  The other one is the one in the following picture.  Not sure what shape you would call it.  Flower pot shaped doesn't sound very flattering.

I actually sold this hat at a craft event two weeks ago (roughly).  Each time a liner comes in to Orkney The Pier Group, as they are known, pitch up at Hatston Pier.  All good cold fun.  We don't have a regular slot, however, if one of the regulars aren't going to be there then we may be offered the space.  I didn't sell anything last Friday but had a lovely morning spinning which kept me and the tourists amused.

It is almost the end of the season and time to reflect on a crafty summer.  I am now going to devote some time to thinking about and experimenting with different ways of displaying my hats, scarves, brooches and pictures.  I have started looking around the house for props. I also want to make some small mobiles from felted jumpers.  Some of the old jumpers I have felted are too stiff for the sort of hats I would like to make. 

There just aren't enough hours in the day.



The best laid plans...

... of mice and men.  I didn't get to the East Mainland Show as I was sooth.  Mary went along though with my Simply Woven and More wares, Ali's Baskets and her own cushions, scarves and bunting plus a few other things.  I did however, do my bit at the Shapinsay Show.  It was a perfect day for showing the animals, not too hot or bright but warm enough and dry (most of the time).  Our stall looked something like this.

I took along my spinning wheel and spent a lovely day spinning and chatting to lots of folk.  Quite a few people spoke about their Grannies spinning or in some cases their Mum.  The different designs of spinning wheel that are available was a point  for discussion.  The Orkney spinning wheel has a double drive, I would love to find one for sale.  My wheel is an Ashford traveller. My wheel and Ali's Baskets are in the next snap.

I have  been making some hats from felted jumpers - pictures to follow. 

Long time .....

...no see. I need to mark my callendar to remind me to post on my Blog. I now have a few scarves, brooches and hooked pictures for sale in Odin Stone, Kirkwall. Odin Stone is a lovely shop which sells a mixture of local crafts and art work as well as crafty bits and bobs from other places. They also stock more 'mainstream' gifts. It's a lovely shop to browse in. Look it up and see on www.odinstone-orkney.co.uk I'm taking my wares to the East Mainland Show and the Shapinsay Show next month. I'm also planning to take my spinning wheel and do a bit of spinning while I 'man' the stall. Fortunately it's not just me having to fill a table. Mary will have her lovely scarves, cushions etc for sale. They are all made from recycled material. Watch this space for photographs of our adventures. I wont leave it so long next time.

How time flies...

...when your having fun.  Here we are in June.  Many things have conspired to keep me from posting about my crafty endeavours.  However, against all odds I have continued to dabble in the odd crafty moment.

I have had a go at hooking chickens

I'm quite pleased with this first attempt.  I have decided that puffins are next on the agenda. 

I am on a course this week - Tapestry Weaving at Northlight Studio, Stromness with Ros Bryant.  It's good fun and providing a lovely distraction.  Lots of colour, pattern, chat and soup.