No, it's not whole meal spaghetti ...nor is it several plaits of odd looking French bread
What this village lady is holding out proudly is newly spun chocolate brown "Irene & Sylvia" Soay sheep wool!
Over the past weeks I have collected a bucket load of fleece from the fences and the hedges of the field and gave it to the nice lady from the Still House to do something with.
Ideally I should have had stripped the wool from the ewes themselves, but they remain remarkably skittish and difficult to catch , and so I have had to resort to scavenging to obtain even a handful of coat.
The " still house " lady turned up yesterday with a completed length of spun wool. True it was a bit rough. Admittedly it was not as silky soft as wool hand stripped from the beasts themselves, but it was my wool from my sheep! And I was absolutely thrilled with the result!
The still house lady seemed pleased at my obvious pleasure with the fact that she had worked so hard producing a bit of " Trelawnyd Craft" and promised to knit me my own woolly hat from the wool on the spot!
This little gesture of kindness really made my day yesterday.....as did the plate of homemade ( YES HOMEMADE) scotch eggs that turned up from fellow chicken geek Greta last night.
Now if I you thought I was excited at the prospect of owning my own sheep's wool hat, I must tell you that I was practically hysterically wetting myself over four homemade scotch eggs!!!!
Thank bleeding goodness I had enough weightwatchers' points to eat one!
It was divine!
Nectar of the Gods
The best thing I have tasted since I ate a bowl of cheesy chips at the Hillsborough Corner chippy after 2 bottles of white wine eight years ago!
Heaven on a plate
A wholemeal shredded wheat hat? Can't wait to see it!
ReplyDeleteI think it won't be long cro........I shall look like a burnt match!
DeleteThat's very impressive, I can't wait to see the hat. Maybe you could, eventually, collect enough to knit a Onesie for Cro ;-) . . . it would, at least, be organic! x
ReplyDeleteOnesie for cro?
DeleteOMG
How fantastic. A hat from your own friends perfect. You seem to have such a nice mix of characters in your village all willing to help each other. I have lived in my village for seven years now and it's not so friendly. Everything is run by the WI and I'm not a member ..... No more said!
ReplyDeleteRosezeeta
I would love the WI Rosezeeta
DeleteTry it...x
How wonderful! I bet that will be the best woolly hat you have ever owned!!!
ReplyDeleteI bet that too simone x
DeleteI have a wonderful scarf that a friend knitted from wool she spun herself. It is mostly sheep wool but has two strips of white and two of a mottled brown. The white is hair I saved from brushing my little white dog and the brown from my Persian cat. Both the dog and the cat are now long gone but they live on in my scarf. Enjoy your hat.
ReplyDeletePeter
What a fab scarf that must be..
DeleteThat's interesting pat , my animal helper was talking about knitting with her daughter's dog hair today
DeleteWhat a treat. And a truly lovely gesture. A photo of the hat (and you in it) will of course be required.
ReplyDeleteOh yes...no show without punch
DeleteTreasure it. Handspun wool is a gift from the heart and soul.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely brilliant! Can't wait to see you modelling the result!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it still has some lanolin in it, if so, your hat may well be shower-proof.
ReplyDeleteKath
DeleteThat's right...she said there was a great deal of a loin in the wool
Homemade hats and homemade scotch eggs...Now...don't be using that nice new hat to wrap around chickens lol.
ReplyDeleteExcited to see your hat...I am in awe of those who can spin and dye and make something beautiful. What a grand village you live in! The scotch eggs look pretty good also.
ReplyDeleteI have seen you refer to scotch eggs on here before. I think I may have to try these someday, I don't think we have them over here in the states.
ReplyDeleteTry one Keith
DeleteThey are sublime
Looking forward to seeing you sporting that new wooly hat around the village, the ideal accompaniment for the winter weather heading soon. Your sartorial ambivalence is a winter treat around these parts ......
ReplyDeleteAmbivalence my arse
DeleteNote to self - make scotch eggs next week!
ReplyDeleteNote to you: send me one!
DeleteThat is awesome! I'm in the process of knitting a baby blanket :-)
ReplyDeleteHow amazing from your own sheep!
ReplyDeleteToo bad the girls are so skittish, the lady could have knitted you a vest! We will want to see the hat, of course, when she finishes it.
ReplyDeleteOh, back to weight watchers again are we? Think it was the scotch eggs... Nice of your neighbor to make you some though!
You are spoiled!
ReplyDeleteJane x
That I am x
DeleteThe yarn is lovely and the hat will be, too. You remind me of my daughter who lives in a tight ethnic neighborhood. They trade services all around. "It's in the neighborhood, Ma," she's always saying when a room is remodeled or the garden tided.
ReplyDeleteWe do barter things a lot
DeletePat from the village has just arrived with a bag of tomatoes and chillies
it's the little things in life that make us happy, innit? :)
ReplyDeleteToo right Anne Marie......I love a wedging and tonic
DeleteIs that similar to a wedgie?
DeleteIt's wonderful to see you treated so grandly, all in one day. Here's a thought, stimulated by your Open Day charity work. If you can glean enough wool to have a second hat made, perhaps you could auction it off here amongst your readers? Many of us would find it a grand honor to sport a little piece of John's World, as well as celebrating your own generosity.
ReplyDeleteLol..I will have sword with te still house lady!
DeleteI can feel your joy, John! What a thrill to be producing your own local wool!! Now tame those two down and you could be wearing a whole outfit by spring!!
ReplyDeleteLove to be a fly on the fence when Sylvia and Irene see you wearing it.
ReplyDeleteWill it improve the relationship I wonder... or not?
Re your 'Heaven on a Plate': Because I don't like cooked cheese in meals (though loving 'raw' cheese) my mum used to make me 'macaroni cheese without the cheese' - and it was delish. In like manner I think your 'Heaven' might be improved by 'Scotch-less Scotch eggs'. Now how's that for an idea?
ReplyDeleteAnd how do you remove the scotch in a scotch egg?
DeleteIt was a little wobbly dig at you carnivores, J.G. - but NOT to be taken too seriously
DeleteFrom the fence! How cool is that!
ReplyDeleteThat hat will be really special. Can't wait to see it. Westfield Terrace runs between Division St and West St. The new bigger Tamper is on Arundel Street. Both close around 5ish I think. xxxxxx
ReplyDeletewonderful x
ReplyDeleteOK. I've got to try a scotch egg before I die!
ReplyDeleteWhen you do Jon, you will die happy
DeleteIf you could gather enough I'm sure a fancypants craft store would buy it from you...and give you enough to buy lots of scotch eggs! how wonderful to have a home made hat..people are so kind sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThey are Libby x
DeleteThey do say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. My imagination stopping short at how Chris gets to yours. You are the type of man I'd love to present with a bouquet of Scotch eggs instead of a kilo of Belgian truffles. Will it be enough to make me your maiden in the milking parlour? Which reminds me: No pigs this year?
ReplyDeleteThe yarn looks lovely, matches you hair colour. Though beware of wool: It does scratch unless you have the hind of a cow or mix it with cashmere. Meow... scratch blackboard.
Such idyll at your neck of Wales, John. God damn it. Am considering relocating to snatch a whisker of paradise.
U
The pigs will return next year Ursula.... And I am looking for a small ram for my ewes as I speak!
DeleteA good day, indeed :)
ReplyDeleteI want to see you in that hat. I bet you're gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
That I am janie...that I am
DeleteDid somebody say 'wool'?Buy some off you!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteps The Soay fleece is usually spun along with another type of wool to make it 'knitter-friendly'.
ReplyDeleteThanks for thatvxxxx
DeleteThis is the nicest thing I've read all day. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you sherry x
Deleteso I am now checking to see if I have fixed my google account !
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying your eggs x
I am sorry to say I only had eyes for those Scotch eggs
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to try a scotch egg one of these days. I've never heard of them until your blog. I'm doing MyFitnessPal which is an app on my Iphone. Losing one pound a week (well probably not today since I made and ate a piece of fresh apple pie last night!) I weigh myself on Tuesday mornings.....bleh.....why did I eat that pie last night? I knew better....
ReplyDeleteCindy Bee
I have always wanted to try scotch eggs. I often wonder how they originated and got their name. I happen to be a Regency England historical romance aficionado (cue the dumpy middle aged housewife stereotype) and scotch eggs frequently make an appearance in the books I read.
ReplyDelete