Wet & Windy

Today the weather is just horrid! The wind is blowing from the North at about force 8, but it was stronger in the night, and its been raining continually for over 24 hours now. Yesterday I struggled up to the shed and replaced the reed in the loom with the 2 ends per dent one and started to thread it up into a 12 x 12 herringbone. But it was so cold and dreary that, even with BBC i-player relaying my favourite radio programs from last week, I couldn't work up much enthusiasm. Must get out the long-johns and padded boiler-suit now that winter has arrived. Two days running we have had intrepid parties of visitors in the loom shed - cheerful and uncomplaining despite the climatic conditions. Well done them, I say.

Here's a photo of the new warp half-way finished on the warping mill. The yarn is some of the new consignment from NV Jos Vanneste SA in Belgium. It was expensive yes, but is a very high quality and qualifies me to use "Masters of Linen" labelling, which is always worthwhile. Wet spun, beautifully dyed and in my view well worth the hassle in arranging overseas payments etc. with the bank. I always thought that part of the benefit in belonging to the E.U. was that trading between member countries would be as easy as trading within the UK. Of course, that doesn't take into account the banks! Why can't we use online banking like we use Paypal? At the next European election I will pledge my support to the party which sorts this out!

After that wee rant, back to the warp. It's going to be 55 yards on the mill, 10lea and as already mentioned 12 x 12 herringbone. Back to 19 shots to the inch with a Hebridean 13c weft. I think it is going to look just amazing. I shall be trying to use up all my existing stocks of Hebridean yarn to make way for the Harris Hebridean which will hopefully shortly emerging from the Carloway Mill (www.harristweedtextiles.com) and can't be mixed as that will be used for Harris Tweed.

Now this photo above is of the linen I've just finished - remember the one a while ago that I couldn't decide what weft to use? Well, I finally settled on a sequence of 14 shots brown, 14 shots yellow, 14 shots turquoise and 14 shots yellow. And, it has worked out very well - so well that some of it is ordered already even before it goes to the mill for finishing! The turnaround warping worked out nicely and its good to see a larger pattern on my cloth for a change.

It's single width - about 30" and will be available for £20 a metre finished, so if anyone would like to pre-order, please drop me a mail scalpaylinen@hebrides.net.

The hens have started moulting and we're down to half a dozen eggs per day, but they've done very well over the summer so I guess they deserve a rest. End of term report on ducks and guinea fowl - could do better! Too much friskiness, not enough egg laying! No-name turkey is growing up fast and turning into a jolly little addition to the poultry house. We think its a female, so now we're looking for a young stag to keep it company next year.