Offline Syndrome

I have decided to coin a new phrase - Offline Syndrome. A condition afflicting depressives who interact heavily online who suddenly withdraw from these interactions. "Not having the spoons to reply" or "I'm still lurking" being used as excuses for this withdrawal. I don't know why I never chalked it up to depression before. If I suddenly stopped talking to people in my IRL relationships it would obviously be sign of a flare-up. Anyway, just as I would endeavour to make myself talk, I shall be making an effort to engage again across the spectrum on my digital social sphere. I'm sorry if I worried you.

Glasgow School of Yarn

Backdated post - 18/19 October

GSoY was great. Two days of happy chaos followed by five of being weak is an overcooked noodle, recouping borrowed spoons.

I suppose the two big things were divided into one mental/emotional and one financial/crafty. The first was that asides from the time I spent volunteering, I also made an effort to spend as much time as spoons allowed with friends and other Ravellers. I did my best to not stutter and I borrowed heavily on future spoons as well as exhausting the 'spoon savings' I'd built up in advance. But it was definitely worth it. I had a lot of fun and really felt like I got to know everyone a bit better.

The second was the time I spent at the carder demos and later talking to Wrigglefingers Jill and Hilltop Katie. I got a much better understanding of what you can do with a drumcarder and what I was looking for in a carder. I also got the tip-off regarding Classic Carders which resulted in me moving forward plans for my own purchase. I think this will really help advance the things I want to learn/do with my spinning, and eventually save me quite a few pennies in the long run.

Thank you to everyone I spoke to for helping me have such an enjoyable early birthday. It was truly worth every minute. Here's a picture of my haul.

New toys

So over the past few months I have managed to accumulate more "toys" than I've had in the past few years, the most noticeable one being the tablet that I'm typing this blog on right now. I love it, I've been using it for everything from reading books and manga to teaching myself to play backgammon and Go. It's also been great for reading crochet patterns and has a great post it app for my to-do list, which includes reminders to take my meds and attend appointments.

My beautiful new camera was a purchase from a few months ago, and has already performed well at a wedding, as well as getting some cracking up-close shots of birds. I've added a tripod and a pop-up studio tent (with the idea being actually getting off my lazy butt with listing things on eBay and etsy). Just today I also placed an order for a great camera bag thing since there's no point in having the tripod if I don't have the means of taking I out and about. Especially I'd like to take some photos of the beauties of Scotland, particularly for my friends abroad.

Then last week, after hearing from folks at the Glasgow School of Yarn that Classic Carders - the company that makes the fantastic drumcarders that I've been lusting after - had become successful enough to require vat registry, I made the plunge and ordered mine before the prices jumped by 20%. Here's a photo I swiped from their site of what mine will look like as it doesn't arrive till Friday.

I'm not being naughty though. The carder will be my Christmas present from Pyro. Honest.

Fife Guild and Inkle Weaving

I try to go to two Guilds every month, the East Central Scotland Guild (aka Fife Guild) and the Edinburgh Guild. They both require taking a couple of buses to get to, but I feel they are eminently worth it. The Guilds often run workshops to teach members about various aspects of weaving, spinning, and dyeing. Today there was a workshop on inkle loom weaving. For a crafter with an active interest in premodern crafts I was naturally the first to sign up. Since there was no way for me to get a borrowed inkle loom home, I co-warped another members loom (she'd never used it before herself) and I learned a lot about the whole process, enough to be confident in trying it by myself some day. I quite fancy have an inkle-woven watch-strap or perhaps as a strap for my camera!

Bruce Festival 2013

24/09/2013 Backdated Post

Today was the annual Bruce Festival in Dunfermline Glen. If you haven't been to this you really should! Dunfermline has a particular air about it - especially this part of the town, the "old town" -  that only comes from a deep history. Dunfermline was the ancient capital of Scotland, before the castle at Edinburgh was even built. The old palace is now a ruin, beautiful and ancient.

The Bruce Festival celebrates some of that history with a medieval fayre. Jousting, falconry, and weapons displays blend with a living village and the more modern craft stalls and specialist food stalls. It's the kind of event you can take the whole family to, relaxing the full day, or go by yourself and cram everything into an afternoon.

Elle in the stocks - my sister was only too happy to take a photo...

The wonderful Peggy of Ravenstonz in the Crafts Marquee

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Some of my favourite Ravenstonz treasures

Moniak! I love that they dress as monks when they come to these fayres

Trebuchet models

And a real life one!!!

 

A medieval "witch" with a chest full of medicines

Tablet weaving. I have a set of tablet cards myself, but never gotten around to using them

Peregrine - fastest bird of prey. So fast the only time I could photo it was when it was on the ground!

Buzzard - this particular one had a habit of perching on the falconer!

A luceteer. Had been using an outmoded stick method.

But I taught her fast-grab. She was much happier!

This lovely lady is responsible for giving me my five minute intro to drop spindling two years ago.

An embroiderer. She had some fantastic examples of her work.

A shirt fit for a viking prince!

Close up on one of the details.

I took so many photos - these are just some of my favourites. It really was a great day out.

Moment of sheer stupidity #3547

Yesterday I was finally able to spin and ply the soay-cross fleece I’d been working for a local sheep-farmer. Sat in front of the telly spinning on my Joy quite happily. When it came time to ply I smugly set up the two spun bobbins in the built-in lazy kate, an empty third bobbin all prepped, and started plying - my first time plying on my pretty new Joy.

There was zero uptake.

I adjusted the tension. No difference. I oiled the flyer shaft. No difference. The bobbin just would not turn to pull on the yarn.

Finally, I gave up and carted my Country Spinner 2 down to the living room to do the ply, my Joy sitting to one side silently mocking me. Afterwards I went to bed feeling rather down. When I woke up this morning, I knew instantly what had gone wrong.

I’d forgotten to reverse the brake band!

Like a lot of spinners, I have a single spring on my brake band. This stops the bobbins uptake if you accidentally start spinning the wrong way. You have to reverse the direction it takes over the bobbin if you want to ply.

Oops.

Beach Forage at Tammys

11th August 2013 - Backdated Post

Went to Carnoustie at Tammys invite to go beachcombing with some of the Dundee Mooters. It was a really great day - gorgeous weather, beautiful beach (with tons of shells and even hagstones!) and after a lovely long walk we headed back to Tammys house where she'd prepared delicious lentil and bacon soup for us all. I'd contributed a lovely crusty loaf (courtesy of Tescos) and a couple of cakes mysteriously appeared too. It was a reminder of times in Glasgow with potluck lunches and pagan happiness, a fresh page with a new place and new friends. It was very good.

Tammy - Our Hostess With The Mostess

Amazing Rock-Wave on Beach

Beautiful view over the rock-pools to the North Sea

The Happy Band of Beachcombers