Yesterday, I sat out on our swinging bench, knitting, after school, listening to my middle one read her book. No need for jumpers, as the sun warmed us. Eldest sat on the grass a little way from us, making a daisy chain necklace, which she gave to her sister. Youngest practised pedalling his bike around the garden, with no need of help. We watched a tractor crossing the field opposite. It….was….idyllic.
Today it is raining and blowing. Hmmp!
As hinted yesterday, I have set my knitted blanket to one side. I have been storing some of the homespun wool on a bookcase, as I finish plying it. Everytime I dust, I pick up the lovely, sweet smelling balls of wool and enjoy the feel of them. It was inevitable that I would find myself starting to knit with this lovely wool. It is the second cut from a Jacobs sheep. Not a local one, although there is a small flock in the field behind us. The wool is soft and I love, love the subtle colour changes of this natural wool. Did I say how gorgeous it smells?
I’ve adapted the Shrug pattern. Giving it short sleeves and adding length to the body. I need to spin up some more wool, so that I can achieve the length that I would like.
As it is Wednesday and Yarn-Along, I must not forget this week’s books. I have finished another Diana Wynne Jones (Power of Three), which was my quick weekend read. I also picked up The Hive (The Hive: The Story of the Honeybee and Us). This is a more intense book about bees, than last week’s Bad Beekeeper book. It is fascinating. Lots of history and perspective. A book to read when you’re reading around the subject of beekeeping, rather than taking up the noble pastime. We love the bees on the front cover. I wavered about buying this book last year, so I was thrilled to find it waiting for me in a charity shop last week. (little dance of joy) It was even hiding in the wrong section, where only I could find it. How could I leave this little book behind! It was meant to be.
I’m going to include the childrens’ books too. AJ is reading The Groovy Greeks and Rotten Romans. She tells me that she could answer a question in class, because she had read it in the book. We are both enjoying Johnny Ball’s Think of a Number. I remember watching Johnny Ball’s after school TV programmes when I was little. I’m pretty sure that he was partly responsible for me finding maths fun and enjoying it. I hope AJ gets the same from this book.
BL has just started reading Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles. She loved the Ottoline books and was disappointed that there were only three. I’m hoping that this series will have the same appeal.
TF’s favourite book at the moment is Elephant Dance: A Journey to India. With the Olympics in the UK this summer, his teacher has been doing geography with them. This week they touched on India. TF loved reading the story and was thrilled to find a drawn map of India in the book, although we had some disagreement about whether the shape of India does look like the ear of an elephant.
So there are the books for this week. For more knitting/crochet and book recommendations, I can recommend an evening spent over at Ginny’s Yarn Along. It is the one day of the week when I get no knitting or reading done as I indulge in a bit of blog hopping. See you there!
I found out about Jacobs sheep through the Yarn Harlot. I too enjoy just feeling and smelling some of my yarn. That is quite a pile of books.
The smell and the feel of yarn, when I’m knitting, it can make such a difference to a project. Not all the books are my reading. I’d never have the time, but I do love the children telling me about their books.
I absolutely LOVE that yarn!!! The color and the texture that you have manged to capture so well in the photograph all look glorious! We are north of you at the foot of the Pennines and have had what seems like WEEKS of dreary rain – so wish I was down your way yesterday 😉
I love working with natural wool from scratch. The children keep saying that we need a flock of sheep, so that I can really do it from scratch. I still have the white part of the fleece to spin. I may be tempted to add a bit of plant dye, as I do yearn for brighter colours. Especially when it is grey outside. The brown is beautiful.
Jacobs was the first fleece I had and I loved it, loved the range of colours too – made a few sample skeins of the different colours and blends. Have enough other breeds at the moment, but would love some again one day. I too love the smell of homespun yarn, and have a squish of it often!
Oh I love your blog for inspiration on books for children, as a couple of your children are older than my wee girl it’s lovely – thanks for posting about the Johnny Ball book, just reserved it at the library – dd will love it with her love of math at the moment. I loved his programmes as a child – I wonder if you can see clips on You Tube – hmmm will have to check.
Look forward to seeing your shrug. Lovely to see some of your handspun yarn.
What a great idea. I’ll have to check if any of his programmes exist on You Tube. His energy and enthusiasm is quite contagious, without being forced. 😀
I just ordered myself a copy of The Hive on amazon as it was only 1p and I am stuck in bed ill…you always have such interesting books to reccommend and knitting too – perfect!! 😀
1p! That’s good! We are visiting the library so much at the moment, that I get plenty of time to browse. Turning up some interesting books, although I miss the big library in Bristol. I used to pop in at lunch time when I worked there.
Hope you are feeling better soon.
Such lovely yarn–and you did it all by yourself!!!! WOW. I just can’t seem to get the hang of spinning (I’ve only tried drop spindle.) but I think I have a lifetime’s worth of yarn in the stash, so I guess that’s OK.
I tried drop spindle as a child, but it didn’t captivate me like the spinning wheel has done. I love seeing the wool turn to yarn. Also enjoying the thrill of spinning up more if I need more for a pattern. I’m still stash busting, but it is all getting bitsy. Lots of things with stripes!
That handspun is just gorgeous. Looks very squishable.
Oh, it is totally squishable!
That yarn looks lovely! I haven’t heard of the Power of Three, but it looks like something I would enjoy. I will have to check out the library!
I’m slowly ploughing through all her books. My escape!
Oh yes, balls of wool – beautiful!
i know what you mean about this season of back and forth weather – but we must enjoy it just the same.
Thanks for sharing.
I know what you mean. When its miserable outside, I make. When the sun is out, or it just stops raining, then the garden beckons. Go with the flow!
I have2.5 Jacob’s fleece to decide what to do with yet, if the weather ever get’s right for washing them! Same as you here up north, warm and sunny yesterday, torrential rain and bitter winds today…..
I washed a whole lot of fleece last summer and I’m still processing it. Much easier to do it outside. Not really the weather to do it at the moment. Blah!
that wool looks scrummy and you’ve read lots of lovely books 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Not just me reading! I love that the girls read a book and then tell me about it. I’m finding a good choice through the library and its not filling my house up. Win-win!
Clark was given a Jacobs wool fleece yesterday by a lovely lady who is closing her craft shop. She gave us needles, patterns and wool for the charity knitting group I run. We have a little hand spinner that he’s going to use. One of my friends is a spinner and I showed her how to crochet squares together yesterday so she’s going to help Clark get started to return the favour. Luckily ours has already been washed and brushed!
How sad that a craft shop is closing, but at least your group could benefit. I hope Clark enjoys spinning up the fleece. Washing and brushing the fleece can be fun. Especially on a sunny day.
i would have to stop and feel that yarn too!
It is too tempting.
Love your yarn, and really like the sound of your bee book, will have to check it out, thanks!
The Hive is an interesting read. I’m only so far through it, but I’m glad that I found it.
I am impressed with spinners because I am not one. I envy that you were sitting out side knitting. Not able to do that this week. The weather is just to cold and damp. My fingers are crossed that next week the weather improves!
Knitting outside is always lovely. Fresh air and bird song thrown in for free. Of course, now it is pouring with rain, so I’ll just have to wait.
Wow your day yesterday sounds idyllic. What a wonderful memory! I have knit Shrug This before. It was such a great knit–I do wish I could have made it longer. That back when I followed the pattern to a “T”! I can’t wait to see yours and that wool looks lovely–the color is one I would have chosen 🙂 I always enjoy reading about what you are reading. Your choices are always so fun! Happy knitting and reading!
I wanted to write my day down, so that I remembered such a lovely time. Their childhoods seem to be flying passed. I need to remember times like this.
I love the shrug pattern, but it would not have suited me as it is written. I’m hoping this will be a more useful garment!
your tuesday sounds idyllic!
and your knitting project looks completely lovely!
Thanks Melissa. It really was a lovely hour or two.