Sara's Texture Crafts... HQ Log

As I re-wrinse the fleece I am waiting to dye (Gotland, Shetland, Kerry Hill and a BFL cross), I am cutting some more blends for the Devon County Show. After that I think I’ll do a bit of gardening… The potatoes are growing nicely and we have a couple of figs. The aubergine and courgette seemed to have survived the night from the snails… I’m still going to have to keep an eye on them though!

Thank you to everyone who sent me their tips on keeping the snails at bay… I’m going to try the coffee grounds and the sharp stone chips and see how that goes. The larger option… Well I think I deserve to drink that after all this hard work!

Hope you are enjoying the bank holiday.
Sara x
www.sarastexturecrafts.com

The sun is shining and for the first time in ages I’m feeling really well… So I think I’ve done a bit of everything this weekend, because I couldn’t settle to one thing.

We started the weekend by visiting Buckfast Abbey. We needed some more soap and their’s last so long that I’m a definite long term customer now. We also got some honey and some quince jelly… Yum!

As we drive past Haytor on the way home (and I couldn’t shop for yarn at Spin a Yarn, Bovey Tracey two weeks in a row ;) ), we decided to stop and enjoy the sun. It was quiet busy with climbing club students and foreign exchange students, but we managed to find a small book out of the way to sit and enjoy the sun. It was blissful! Darrin enjoyed the view and wanted to pitch a tent for the night…

Today I managed some time for spinning. In the picture you can see one of my Merino batts, z-striped into a pre-drafted roving ready for my spindle. This is a test piece, for a project on blending I’m working through.

I also washed, blocked and dried two ‘just off the needles’ shawls. The Lala’s Simple Shawl and my improvised Ivy Shawlette, both of which I need to up date on my Ravelry project page (find me as SARASTEXTURECRAFT).

And finally I started a new project with some of my stash yarn (bought from Yarn Hollow). I’m going to post more about this as I go as I’m loving both the Watergarden Shrug pattern by Jane Thornley and the yarn.

I’ve had a fab weekend so far… I hope you are enjoying the wonderful sunshine we are having?

Sara x
www.sarastexturecrafts.com

I noticed my Pink Fir Apple salad potatoes were ready to go in the ground today. I was a bit surprised that all of the tubers chitted, but that’s not a bad thing… Means more potatoes hopefully!

Getting them in the ground gave us the motivation to tidy the yard ready for replanting when the builders leave. It looks like Spring is really here!

Hope you are having a good weekend,
Sx

Just got back from spinning group and I was going to save this post for when I return from my break (19th March), but thought I just have to show you the lovely Natural Dye goodness I saw!

Helen, who is a potter by day and a Spinner by night showed us her latest obsession, natural dyeing. She showed us books (the Dyers Garden might be a future purchase), yarns (carefully labelled with plant and mordant information) and a stunning blanket she has knit up from samples of Madder and onion dyed wool yarn… Isn’t it wonderful?!

She also shared with us the carefully documented and photo framed dye samples made by a friend’s Grandmother. each tile had a dried sample of the plant and varying coloured swatches made using differing mordants and dye exhausts… Truly fascinating!

She is just starting out in her journey through natural dyeing, so it will be interesting to see how that progresses.

This is why I love group get-togethers… So much inspiration squeezed into one place just has to be infectious!

Have a fab weekend everyone… Sara xx