Wooly Travels

Over the last couple months we have crossed the Atlantic four times and I've traveled by ferry up to 60 North Latitude (Shetland). We were in Iowa in September and then back to North America to visit family in Nova Scotia.

JoAnne and I definitely enjoyed our time in Shetland. We met new people, learned new crafts and techniques and I enjoyed a few beach walks. Above is a picture of St Ninian's Beach and in town there is Bains Beach (if you watch Shetland you will have seen it.)

I discovered a new program on BBC Alba (a Gaelic speaking channel on the BBC). Fillte is the Gaelic word for weaving/the crossing of threads. There might be something more than the actual process of making cloth in that name. The last episode I watched focused on the history of linen production in Scotland. Who knew?

Back in Inverness I am waiting on "Christmas" or the arrival of my possessions off the container ship. The last I heard this week from the movers it is still waiting on passage to the UK. Hopefully I will be unpacking this year, but there is still the possibility that it will take till the end of the estimated period for delivery and not arrive until the middle of January. I do have a small stash of yarns, fabrics, patterns and a spinning wheel in my studio space. I have put up a quilt top on the wall. At home I have been spinning, knitting and playing with triangles, that's half-square triangles. I love these piecing elements and I brought a large selection in muslin and plaid which I cut out with my Go! cutter. Bubba has been doing more work lately. Since writing this paragraph I have heard again from the movers; still waiting. I continue to sew my way through the triangles and I am looking forward to setting up what I have in the studio space.

We still get out for walks in the hills and along the canal. Even on a short walk down to the end of the canal we see a variety of birdlife and if we are really lucky an otter. We have also seen some lovely sunsets. This summer I used a photo as the inspiration for a shawl. Tonight there was another good sunset - at 5pm. We are getting into the dark season. I am now quite a bit further north and am expecting to learn about long nights and short days. Time to dig in make a cozy home.

Hmmm. I thought I had posted this one a few weeks ago. Well, here it is. This week will be a new post looking at the last year and looking ahead to the next.