Wool, Walking and Exploring

Last week Skipper and I hopped on a ferry and went to Herefordshire, right on the Welsh border looking out onto the Black mountains. We stayed on Duke's Farm  http://www.dukesfarm.co.uk/   in The Granary, it was perfectly lovely. This is the view from our bedroom window.  

We were free to roam the farmland of 130acres including a river and this Bronze age Celtic burial site.  We enjoyed a bit of hill and mountain walking. Plenty of sheep and lambs in the fields and beautiful streams and wild flowers. The Spring sunshine and fresh air blowing away the winter blues. It's my favourite time of year.

We went to Hay on Wye on the Thursday especially to see the sheep and town markets. Like most spinners, weavers and knitters I was eyeing up all the fleeces with the different lengths, tones of colour and testing myself on the sheep breeds. Just think of all the things I could weave and knit with these lovely girls' wool! Being in such a farming community with a strong history of  wool production is re- booting my energies and getting my creative ideas a - flowing. The shops from food markets, to books, antiques and collectables even a wonderful wool shop were well explored. 

In the cottage where we are staying hangs a peg loom wall hanging in wonderful tones of  the natural sheep fleeces. The doors and windows are dressed with Welsh woven blankets.  

On our travels we like to hunt out farm shops and local produce when we can (just as we do on the Island). So after long steep walks up the hills it was good to come back for supper and enjoy cooking the local fare and curling up in front of the wood burning stove and dip into my small project bag. Even though as the weather was great ( so we were out and about more than planned )  I did manage to do a spot of knitting and  I took my drop spindle too! 

Boats!

Our little yacht gets lifted back in the river on the 29th March so it's back and straight into getting her ready.

Looking forward to sailing days now.