Woolfest Part 2

Good morning. I am now suitably refreshed after a good nights sleep. I was going to split the Woolfest stuff up into a couple of days but as I didn't get chance to take as many pics as I did at Wonderwool you're getting them all in one go . We had a wonderful time again and we did better than last year. I was quietly pleased with this as with this credit crunch thing and the spiralling cost of fuel I thought numbers and sales might be down but they weren't. It was very busy on both days and people had come to spend .It was great feeling the "Buzz " of people admiring yarns and all things knitting and spinning. My ears were ringing by the end of the day.

It was a great Ravelry weekend as well . Lots of Ravellers wearing their badges . It was great putting faces to Avatars. This little girl was enjoying some extreme knitting. The "needles " are plastic drainpipes with wooden points on.
This is Ambermoggie , one of my Ravelry friends.

Mr and Mrs Yarnyard. Natalie dyes gorgeous wool and fibre .

A huge spinning wheel . This was the type Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on and went to sleep.

This lady had come all the way from Norway to demonstrate Larvik knitting. It's beautiful fair isle type knitting.

The Next pics are of my purchases.

Mohair for a shawl . These colours remind me of the poem " When I am old I will wear Purple with a red Hat " Well I'm getting old and I adore purple.

A Kaffe Fassett book , which has inspired me to get some fair isle knitting done. A book on Domino knitting . Which entails knitting squares that look like chevrons . Very effective.

Organic Merino from John Arbon at Coldhabour Mill. I am really disappointed in this pic. The colours are actually a gorgeous lilac and deep purple but they've come out blue . This yarn is for a little Kaffe Fassettery . I'm going to do his Poppy Design for a cardigan.

A little indulgence .Merino / Silk roving from Whingam wools . I'm hoping to take my small spinning wheel up to Cumbria so I thought I'd try something different .

We are famous . The small wooden plaque pictured in this magazine is one of Papa Bear's . One of the girls from Yarn Forward Magazine saw it whilst we were at Wonderwool and asked could she put it in the magazine and here it is. I'd fogotten all about it .

Last but not least I want one of these. It's a sock making machine and it can make a sock in 20 minutes. Which would be great for making socks for the stall . If I had one I wouldn't stop making socks by hand though because I find it very theraputic.

Well that's Woolfest over for another year. I've got lots of new ideas for next . Plus another Wonderwool and hopefully Fibrefest in Devon next August.

But before then there are all the shows up in Cumbria and four weeks today we will be setting up camp in Mungrisdale.

Woolfest 2008 Part 1

Just a little taster, as I am a wee bit tired, due to my friend Carol's husband taking a six o'clock stroll with his empty water barrel past the caravan and waking me from a very deep slumber.

We had a very good journey up to Askew Rigg Farm and got there about 10 am. Giving us plenty of time to have a rest and some lunch before going up to Cockermouth to set up. It had been raining heavily all the way up but as we pulled onto the site it stopped long enough for us to sort things out. Jeff and Carol were joining us as Carol was sharing my stall to try Woolfest out before having a full stall. They arrived an hour later and the heavens opened . I think someone was watching out for us.

Empty sheep pen waiting to be turned into a wool stall. Carol setting up her bit.

Her Bit .

My Bit .

I had the bigger share . I couldn't take a full photo as it was to wide. But you get the general idea.

After we had set up we had a wander to look at the others setting up and seeing what was for sale . I had a big shopping list and the money was burning a hole in my pocket. I have yet to photo my purchases as they are still in the car More tomorrow.

Short Post.

Just a short post today as I have to get the car loaded for Woolfest. I was going to do it yesteday but the sun was shining and I decided to garden instead.Look what showed it's pretty face to the sun as well . This is the first water lily to bloom in our pond this year .It 's got a lovely perfume as well .

I've managed to finish round the seating area by the pond as well . It's great to be able to get my gardening done at this time of year. I'm usually working hard up in my attic workroom but with the lack of fairs I've got all my stuff finished early. I'm beginning to like not having to go out every weekend attending fairs here there and everywhere . Then spending the following week chasing my tail to get things ready for the next. It wasn't a planned thing, though I had stopped going with an organiser because of craft versus bought -in issues . We had Made in Lancashire last year but that folded so that left us with even less to do. But now with the high fuel costs I don't think I would have been able to afford to go out every weekend anyway. So I think semi -retirement is here to stay. I will never stop altogether because I enjoy meeting people and with the growing fibre and wool type shows things are looking interesting.

Lets hope Woolfest is a s good as last year. I've got a nice shopping list and some left over holiday saves to spend. He he !!!! Pics and repport when I return.

All ready for Woolfest .

I can't believe I'm all packed and ready for Woolfest. All the wool is wound , bags packed, boxes filled , stands sorted out . Now it's all sat in my dining room ready to be loaded on Tuesday . Below are pics of what is in these baskest and boxes
Alpaca / Silk yarn , Merino /Tencel , Alpaca /Merino.
Wool mix sock wool . Blue Faced Leicester .

Hand painted Sock Blockers

Botany and Lambswool Lace Weight

Useful Bags . You can never have enough bags for stashing yarn.

Sock Knitters Companions for all your DPN's and bits and pieces.

Little sock knitters bag . Ideal for Sip 'n' Knitters .

These are just a selection there's to much to put everything on I'd be here till next Christmas uploading pics if i did that.

I'm really pleased I've got everything done in plenty of time . I was determined not to be on the last minute like Wonderwool. I just ended up exhausted by the time I got there. Now I've got a few days restbite before next weekend and I can get a bit of Christmas knitting done.

Working towards Woolfest

It's a gorgeous evening here after the precipitation yesterday . In the immortal words of

George Formby it's " Turned out nice again "This time last week we were here . Sat in the new gardens looking over Lyme Bay eating chips.

It had been a lovely day so we had decided to stay and have our tea alfresco . Can't belive it was a week ago.
I've been busy rewinding the wool I dyed before I went away and as promised here it is . All the skeins weigh 25grms and you only need three to make an average size pair of Stashbuster Spiral Socks . I have got wool mix sock wool on the left , they will be £1-75 each and Blue Faced Leicester on the right , they will be £2-00 each . So it will cost no more than £6-00 for a pair of socks. Although the original pattern is for toe up I have done mine top down as that is what I prefare but you can decided for yourselves if you want to make them.
This time next week I will have set the stall up and be ready for customers . Lets hope the weather is good .
Just a little PS. about my weight losing. After two weeks away and having a couple of ice creams I lost another pound . I've seven to lose yet so hopfully i will have shed it by the time we decamp to Mungrisdale for the Summer.

Coldharbour Mill

More on Devon. On the Wednesday of our first week we went up to Coldharbour Woollen Mill
at Uffculme . There we met John Arbon who spins the most gorgeous Organic Merino Wool.We had a look round the Mill and saw all the old spinning machines , which are still used today . It was very interesting , particularly as I love to spin.

This is John amongst some old machinery that he has rescued from a woollen mill in Yorkshire that has closed down. He's hoping to restore it and use it in the mill .

Some of the spinning machinery used in the mill. Unfortunately most of the pics I took there are rather dark. This was one of the best.

There is a World War Two exhibition on at Coldharbour as well which is very interesting .Also on show is a huge tapestry of four of the surrounding villages which was made to celebrate the Millenium . It shows all the the fields and farms in the area . The picture above does not do it justice .
When we'd had a look round the exhibition and Mill we had a packed lunch on the picnic table on the left , by the mill stream. Part of the mill is still run using the water wheel to power the machines. I bought some Merino 4ply which had been spun using water wheel power.

All in all it was a great day out and I would recommend anyone to visit . It doesn't cost an arm and a leg to go round the mill , only £3-50 , and you can take a packed lunch or go in the lovely cafe they have on site . We sat for quite a while by the stream it was very peaceful.

Holiday pic. This was taken at sunset , over the caravan field at Pidgeon's Farm , on our last night . It looks like all the trees are on fire .

Father's Day yesterday DD and No. 3 son came with pressies . No. 2 son had dropped his pressie off Friday night as he was working . DH was well chuffed with his gifts a Bobby Vee Cd from DD , Mackisons and Turkish Delight from No 3 son and and outdoor plug socket extention and DVD from No 2 son. The outdoor socket extention is for DH pond then there won't be wires all over the place . DH hasn't heard from No 1 son yet but you never know there's time yet with him. !!!!!!!

Today I have been catching up in the garden while the weather still holds . I've pulled out all the wallflowers and forget me knots but not before I gave them a good shake to spread the seeds for next year. I've replaced them with a load of cottage garden perrenials and a most special Devon buy , Pinks , my favourite flower ,named after my all time favourite song ever Waterloo Sunset , how cool is that. They've got a lovely perfume . The smell of pinks takes me right back to when I was little girl and I used to visit a neighbours garden and she used to send me home with armsful of pinks that her husband had grown . lovely memories.

Something I forgot to mention yesterday . On our way home I got the best news I've had in absolutely ages . My eldest brother text to say at the ripe old age of 73 he is going to be a Grandad at last . He is absolutely thrilled . Just goes to show you should never give up hope .

On that happy note . Night night .

Back from Glorious Devon.

We are Back !!! After two weeks sunning ourselves in Devon .

We nearly didn't get away as early as planned . We had a slight accident to get fixed. Some how or other the cistern on the toilet acquired a huge crack in it and it was leaking water all over the bathroom floor . This happened on the Friday night ,just 36 hours before we where due to leave .

Where does one get a plumber at such short notice ????? Enter my cousin The Plumber . He wasn't in when I rang but he got back to me that night and was on the doorstep at 8 o'clock Saturday morning . He assessed the situation and by 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon a new cistern had been installed , problem solved . Thank God for Cousins .

We got on our merry way at 7 o'clock Saturday morning and after a nearly uneventful journey ( I scraped the side of the caravan getting off a service station ) we pulled into the yard of Pigeons Farm , Woodbury Salterton at 1-30 pm. By 3 o'clock we were all sorted , awning up and having a brew in the sunshine.Woodbury Salterton is a lovely little village , about five miles from Exmouth . There are quite a few thatched cottages there , this is the prettiest . Take a look at that blue sky.
This year , being conscious of the price of fuel ,we didn't do a lot of driving round and used our free bus passes when we could . This is Budleigh Salterton and was only five miles from Woodbury and because the weather was so good , we spent quite a lot of time here . Just sitting and knitting and having our picnic lunches

This is me having a knit at Lyme Regis on the prom. This was another gorgeous place . The views were superb . I'm not going to bore you with loads of pics today I will drop a few in over the next few days .

This is Papa Bear looking over Lyme Bay late Thursday evening . Who needs abroad when you've got views like these in this country.
We have had a great holiday . As usual we have been very lucky with the weather . Out of the whole holiday there were only two days when we had to put a sweater on . Never wore a coat or shoes just sandals .There was one thunderstorm on the Saturday but we'd stayed at the van that day and it rained Thursday night . Neither affected us .
We had a visit from out Eldest son , who lives in Somerset and our two Grandsons , who we hadn't seen for a year . My how they'd grown . It was a lovely visit but all to short . Hopefully we will see them again when they come up to Lancashire in July.
We both came back with a nice tan and well rested as we weren't diving about here ,there ,and everywhere like we usually do .Unfortunately we had to come home a day early due to a planned fuel demo on the M6 which would have held us up on our way home . But every cloud has a silver lining , it has meant I've got all sorted out ,washing and ironing done , house back to normal and caravan cleaned ready for next time . Which just happens to be Woolfest . Yeh !!
Tomorrow I'll tell you about our visit to Coldharbour Woollen Mill.