Long time since...

I last wrote and I see my one of my island pals - Sheila from Scalpay Linen is even writing from Japan!
Anyway we have settled into the new abode high up on the Wolds in Yorkshire. It's cold here. No wind as in the Hebrides just the cold and earlier in the year the snow. We are a bit behind the Hebs with regard to flowers - the daffs are only just out here, the snowdrops were beautiful and the bluebells are on their way now.
Down to the knitting I have been busy making lots of socks with the Regia sock wool - I love the new Kaffe Fassett designs and they don't seem to repeat throughout the sock, I look at the pattern and it almost repeats but then it doesn't anyway have knitted some really great socks so will get the pics on tomorrow. Have joined a knitting/textile group that meets over the Wold. All sorts of things going on - cold felting, proddy, knitting and crochet. There isn't the crafting ethos here that there was on Harris - I found being with Joan and Sheila (Calana Crafts and Scalpay Linen) so inspiring and wanted to get on and do all sorts of stuff. Haven't found that here yet - people tend to be a bit safe and do things from patterns rather than the freefall stuff we were doing on Harris and I am sure Joan and Sheila are still doing. I am getting on and working through my stash although I have so much scottish tweed aran weight I don't know what I am going to do with it - maybe destash!
The craft fairs are starting here - again not the sort of handcrafted stuff that was evident on the island. The cost is much higher - some places are £45 for a table and that is a lot of sales before you start to make a profit! Have been doing some lower cost items at £1 or £1.50 just to make the table fee without devaluing what I am doing too much. The agricultural shows are apparently good for crafts and I am planning on table sharing with a fellow crafter. I have made bags and some accessories in Harris Tweed but I don't think they 'get it' here. I will have to work at it a bit more, here there are mainly walkers so the socks do go well and hopefully once people become more familiar with the tweed they will love it too!
Here are some pics of the new home, the snowdrops, the snow we had in March and the dog!