busy busy busy [ finally with photos ]

By lunchtime yesterday I had :
cleaned the kitchen, done the beds including new sheets on the spare bed because Chris and Maz' arrival was imminent [ which is probably the only reason that I bothered to clean the kitchen before heading out ] made lunch for D, dropped him off at Windarring, dropped the vehicle off for tyre replacement and wheel balance, walked up the hill and had a coffee, killed an hour until it was time to walk over to bellydancing, danced for an hour, walked back down the hill to pick up the car and still managed to get back here by 12, ahead of Di who brought her little electric spinning wheel and some newly carded Border-Leicester-cross. Given that ,by this stage, it was already over 30C [ 86F ] I felt like I'd already put in a full day.
You might wonder why I didn't just ring Di and arrange to meet up another day. It would be a perfectly sane and reasonable thing to do... which is why I didn't do it. Why spread the excitement and exhaustion over a whole week when you can cram it into a half day? No one ever accused me of being sensible.

This wheel is the dinkiest, cutest, little thing. I had imagined something the size of a normal spinning wheel and had offered to go to Di's so she didn't have to lug everything over to my place. Now I know why she wasn't particularly bothered... it fits in a small supermarket box.

So the wheel is set up and the moment of truth has arrived. I've read enough Blogs to know that just because I used to be able to use a drop spindle back when dinosaurs ruled the earth is no reason to suppose that I am going to be a wiz at using a wheel. This thing is suddenly looking a lot less dinky and a lot more capable of pulling my beautifully carded tops straight into its insatiable maw and probably me straight after it.
A pause while I am given a 30 second demo. She makes it look easy. Yeah. Right. I know better than to fall for that one.
Okay. Deep breath.
Pinch here. Pull back to draft as you feed the twisted bit in. Don't let the spin past the hand that's doing the pinching. Okay. Pull back. Draft. Forget to feed in the bit that's spun. Breathe. Breathe. Too fast. Too fast. Shit. [ I mean bother ] Turn it off, turn it off.
Right, deep breath. Try again. Ooh, I've made lumpy yarn...yay me.
Long story short... by the time Chris and Maz wander in at half one, I am actually producing something that looks remotely smooth and even enough that I might consider knitting it up once it's plied... Speak firmly to self and put wool and wheel away in spare room for a couple of days.


Rest of day devoted to visitors and watering the garden and laying plans for the morrow. Well, not entirely. There is also some crocheting on Short and Sweet. The back is finished by bedtime.

Awoke this morning to an unfamiliar sound on the roof. Rain. Wet stuff precipitating from the sky.
Rain
I'd forgotten what that sounds like.
Rained all morning. We got 15mm [ a bit over half an inch]
Chris promptly changed plans to work outside and installed a couple of downlights in the kitchen.
I indulged in some stash enhancement at The Bead Queen. I had a $25 voucher from one of my quilt show awards to spend so I got a hank of the Opal sockwool handye [ $18] and some beautiful blue-purple merino carded tops. [ $12] total cost to me $5. At this point Maz was able to resist temptation . THEN we went to the local Op Shop [ thrift store] and they were having an all-you-can-stuff-in-one-large-bag-for-$6 sale. Well, red rag to the bull... off we went. Into that one bag we managed to stuff 2 long skirts for bellydancing, two sundresses, a pair of shorts, linen capris, 8 shirts, pjs, 2 singlet tops, a turquoise/blue hand dyed cotton blouse to be cut up for the fabric, a dozen or so baby coathangers, and over 60 patterns and mags including vintage knitting ones , some lace ... and a partridge in a pear tree! The expedition finished with some further magazine acquisition for Maz at the Newsagent and a quick cappucino.
Chinese for dinner. Ciao bellas.
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