Silky Silky

It was a weird day yesterday. We were driving down the track when I spotted one of the new lambs lying in the gateway. It wasn't well at all. We think it may have eaten something poisonous as it's mother and sister are fine but it wasn't good and it died. It's a horrible feeling - helpless. You do what you can but sometimes, despite your best efforts, nature takes its course. Anyway - within an hour of it dieing the ewe who we were waiting for produced her first lamb. A tiny black one. So it was bad news and good news. Ho hum such is life on a smallholding I guess.

So, back to all things fibrey. The silk sample skein has been burning a hole in me every time I walk past it. I tried hiding it in the stash bowl but it was no good - lol. At 10pm last night I caved in and knitted an amulet pouch that I first saw on acrylik's blog. I think I'll give it to my eldest son who is always stashing stuff in little bags - hippy that he is.
















I've never knitted silk before and it was fun. I have to say I preferred it before I blocked it - are you supposed to block silk?

I did some more of the sample blends from the silk workshop at the online guild yesterday. It was fun and I really enjoyed just playing. Here is some Blue Face Leicester and tussah silk which came already blended:














I seem to have managed to make that look like a dog turd.

And some tussah silk noils carded with some shetland I found kicking about in a bag in my workroom:















I really like that one. I kept it as a single as I though it would look just too messy plyed. It's just the right level of random for me right now. I'll definitely be doing that again and will stock up on tussah noils when Wingham come to Praa Sands in June.

Today we're doing some shopping to make sure we have all the necessaries for our trip to The Smallholder Show/Wonderwool in Wales. I wonder if 'himself' is prepared for just how much I'm planning on spending? He hasn't questioned he fact that I've hired an estate car - rofl!