Linen,spinning and a new boat for the Scalpay fleet

On this wet and windy day, it's good to look forward to the future.  Yesterday I had a delivery from our friends at NV Jos Vanneste SA in Belgium who spin the most gorgeous linen yarn you could ever imagine.

Here is a cone from each of the batches I ordered.  Can't wait to start using it!

Finished and rolled is the cloth destined for "The Hobbit" film.  Hope they like it!

This morning, on the way back home from the village, the traffic was held up for a wee while as this boat - the "New Dawn" was moved from the place it was refurbished.  It is a grand looking boat now and ready to join the fleet.  Always a good day when a new boat arrives at the jetty ready to start work.  Good luck to everyone who will work on her.

Over the past few weeks I've been spinning up Falkland and Shetland fibre ready for dyeing to go with some cloth.  Here it is pre-dyeing.  Sadly I forgot to take a picture of post-dyeing, but that will come later.....

We've been having a busy few weeks on the island - lots of visitors around the place, plus the launch of the share issue for Buth Scalpaigh (see links to right of page).  The issue closes at the end of June for the purpose of forming the shareholders committee, so there is still time to make your purchase!

Share Purchase in Buth Scalpaigh now full steam ahead!

Great news.  The proposed community shop on Scalpay (Buth Scalpaigh) is now inviting share purchase in the company.  For all the info and a form to print off please click here Buth Scalpaigh.  Please give serious consideration to investing in this exciting project which will bring such benefit to our community and to those who visit us.

Singing Weavers' Visit

This week we have been delighted to welcome two parties guided by the Singing Weaver Nadine and her colleague Doreen.  On Wednesday the sun shone hotly and the croft looked neat and dry (all that tidying up earlier on had obviously been worthwhile!).  In the evening we all enjoyed a meal at the Isle of Harris Inn and the next day the party were headed for the Orkney section of their visit.

On Saturday the weather was not quite to good - but cleared up later and had stopped raining by the time the coach arrived.  Saturday was also the day that the Village to Outend sheep were moved from the crofts to the summer grazings.  The first sheep had already gone past by the time our visitors arrived, but they walked up behind the second batch for the last couple of hundred yards - it's been many years since so many people turned out to help with the gather!  Pippin went out for his first gather and did very well.  He has a lot of potential and worked well alongside Bramble, though he does need a bit more work on the driving.

Somebody couldn't even be bothered to get out of bed.....

There was a lot of interest in the loomshed, the croft and the cloth, and I learned a lot too - which is half the fun of these visits.  At last I found someone who had spun Qiviut - in fact she had a Qiviut knitted hat with her.  Gorgeous!

Today I'm sorting out a linen order to send off to Jos Vanneste SA in Belgium.  They sent me samples last week which are just amazing and have sparked off all sorts of ideas and plans.  Had meant to post a photo of the samples, but my camera has become mislaid under all the confusion and chaos that has been my life during the past week!  Looking forward to less stressful times ahead......