29 January: Busy, busy

How time flies when you're busy! After discovering the new cousin, I was prompted to tidy up a lot of the family history, and then of course got interested in another bit, and started following leads, and ending up with a lot more bits of paper and notes that needed sorting out.

Our pile of snow in the front garden has finally gone, though there's still a hillock of ice 3 or 4 feet high at the dead end of the street.

Recent spinning has been non-wool fibres - tencel, milk protein fibre, and flax. Maybe for weaving, when there's enough, and they are dyed - though I might just leave the milk protein fibre as natural cream. :)

And there's been knitting - another hat -


A simple stranded pattern in handspun Shetland yarns, very easy and satisfying to knit.

20 January: A new branch

Recently I've been collaborating with a second cousin on some family history research, trying to find out more about our grandfathers' other siblings.

She is in touch with several sisters (our great-aunts) in Canada, but the youngest brother had been a bit of a mystery. The mention of his name had brought out a rash of pursed lips, head-shakes and tuts from older relatives, so of course we were dying to know!

I spotted him in the 1911 census, with a wife, which was a bit of a surprise, as his marriage certificate dated 1926 describes him as a bachelor.

Then Cousin P found a record of a birth following on from the 1926 marriage, and we we on the trail!

In the last week we have found details of 3 children of this marriage, then a marriage of one of the 3 children, and children and a grandchild. And this evening Cousin P has rung me to say she has been speaking on the phone to a grandson of our "black sheep" great-uncle! His mother and father may be able to give us more family information, too, and possibly even photographs.

It's all quite exciting.

17 January: ....can Spring be far behind

The snow has cleared enough to get down the path to the compost heap. On my way there this morning I saw these -

Couldn't get nearer for a clearer picture, I'm afarid, but you get the idea.

13 January: Spindle spinning

Today we have mostly black ice, so I spent the morning playing spinning with a hand spindle.

I have tried before, and know why it's called a "drop spindle", but I have a new book with improved instructions. It took all morning, but I did produce 2 (very) small skeins of yarn, about as much as I can spin in ten minutes on my wheel.


Probably Corriedale wasn't the best fibre to start with, but it was all I had to hand. There are issues to be resolved, like how to keep the fibre under control while drafting, and leaving the centre-pull ball on the nostepinne while plying, but on the whole I was pleased.

It's called Curate's Egg yarn.

10 January: More snow tonight?

The slight thaw we've had all day must be official now - a snow-plough came round the estate.

Pushed all the snow off the road into everyone's carefully-cleared drives.....

7 January: When icicles hang by the wall

Prompted by Durham Daily Photo, I have tried to take a snap of our best icicle -


Not easy, as it's right outside the window, and behind it is white render and snow. It is beautifully rippled and about 3 feet long.

Edit 8 January: This morning The Icicle has grown to 4 feet long and twice as thick as yesterday. My Dear Husband has moved the car from underneath it.

3 January: Normality soon?

The regular suspension of normal life over the Christmas period, combined with weather that hampers outdoor activity, has led to a concentration on stash-reducing.

There's been another double cap made, plain brown with variegated yellow/apricot/green, and 2 triangular scarves, and a couple of "bags" - the first is knitted from Jamieson and Smith's millspun 2-ply Shetland yarn, and then felted, using a pattern called "Numbers" from knitty -


and the second is crocheted from yarn I spun a couple of years ago, from recycled plastic bottle fibre. I find the yarn is nasty to knit, but fine for crochet, and this little bag is just the right size to keep one of my bowstringers tidy -

The trouble is that this took only 15 grams out of the 200.....

(If you want to see the other knitting, pictures are on my Flickr page.)

1 January: Deep and crisp

This morning we were the only walkers without a newspaper or a dog.

Even the trees that are normally completely unremarkable make an interesting pattern -


There was a bit of blue sky towards the south -


- though it looks to be snowing to the north of the Wear valley.

When life returns to normal again next week after the holiday hiatus, I do hope the snow is not going to hamper our activities.