Thursday 3 September 2015

Barrow, Bubbles and Bobbles


In the Summer months I like to be outdoors as much as I can. The past couple of years I have been setting up a sort of outdoor studio space with my gazebo in the garden. I have my spinning wheel, small table loom and some knitting baskets full of projects out there. Chairs, tables and rugs make it a cosy and fun place to work. I feel content in my little garden creating my woolly wares with the sound of the birds singing. I am able to pick up my work, move from a little spinning to weaving freely, in fact I find my thoughts and ideas flow easily,- my outdoor studio becomes quite a hub of inspiration, so a notebook close by is essential too.
This year August has been pretty grim weather wise and completely unreliable. So I haven't attempted to put the gazebo up. I have just been popping outside when I can, with a pot of tea and a bag of knitting.  I have  had a couple of fleeces to process, so have been making the most of any dry spells. I have managed to get one small grey Shetland fleece washed carded and spun and one large Shetland Cross fleece is ready to card.   
A wonderful wheel barrow full of fleece (above)
Add lots of hot bubbly water (below) 

 Carded rolags of wool ready to spin
- this is the grey Shetland. I store my rolags in cardboard boxes with sprigs of  lavender from the garden.


My Spinning wheel to make my wool into yarn

I decided to add some bobbles into this yarn, spinning a lumpy bumpy textured yarn as I want to use it in my Saori weaving.

I'm pleased with the effect. I love the different tones of grey this fleece has given after spinning.
So no outdoor studio this year but plenty of barrows full of wool, pots of  bubbles and balls of bobbly yarn.
My notebook is still brimming with inspiration, thank goodness.