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One of the iconic trees up in the highlands is the Rowan. It can be seen growing everywhere, and at this time of year they start to stand out even more as their berries ripen and turn to a deep orange or red. I think the Rowan is amongst my favourite trees. Others include Oak, Jacaranda and Acacia. But the Rowan is high up on the list, possibly because it is so hardy, and yet it looks so delicate at times. While walking the other day I came across this example:
I think what I admire most about Rowans are their tenaciousness. They remind me of terriers, and as you probably know if you read this blog on a regular basis, we’re terrier folk! No matter how tough things get they hang in there. This particular Rowan has precious little earth to put roots down into, as you can see here:
It is wedged between two rocks, and is currently looking very spindly, but I’m hoping it survives and grows stronger every year. I’ll go back to check on it from time to time. I suspect that this one started growing after a bird dropped a berry down between the two rocks. Which reminds me …. does anyone have a good recipe for Rowan Jellly? Edinburgh was fun – if a little manic! It was lovely to be able to stay with my friends in the Borders (thanks for chauffeuring me Felicity, and thanks for the cooked breakfasts Andrew!), as well as having the opportunity to see other friends – I’m just sorry I didn’t get to see everyone! K1 was so hospitable – thanks Katherine! The classes were good, and I’m hoping that all those who attended the classes have gone away with the enthusiasm and confidence to have a go at lace knitting without fear! Edinburgh was buzzing with the Festival in full swing. And talking of swinging I’m not sure I would have been brave enough, even if I had had the time, to try viewing the festival from here:
This platform was suspended from a giant crane, and apparently it was free to go up. The view must be spectacular, but I think I would be nervous if there was the slightest breeze. It was very high!
Coming down to the south last week I got stuck in a traffic jam on the Forth road bridge, and it wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences. Sitting in the car was pretty nerve-wracking as the bridge creaks and groans and shudders beneath the car. And trying to distract yourself by looking around only adds to the nerves when you realise just how high up you are. So I wasn’t thrilled to see this sign as I approached the bridge yesterday on my way back up …..:
Knowing that there are “emergency repairs to the carriageway” does not inspire confidence! It is a bit like being told that there are emergency repairs to an aircraft before you take off on a long flight – it isn’t what I want to hear. But it did give me the opportunity to take a photograph which shows the curvature in the bridge pretty well. When driving over the bridge you don’t really notice that you’re going uphill, although I’m sure you do if you walk across the bridge. And while it was good to take in the sight, and sounds of the city for a few days, it was lovely to get back to the relative tranquillity of home again and to take in the sounds, textures, colours and smells that provide so much of the inspiration for my dyeing.  Home!  Peaty Pools  Rocky Textures  Peaty Burns K1 was so busy yesterday, and I had some lovely students on the lace knitting workshops which were full. And I’m just getting myself ready to do it all over again today. Classes are full again, so I’ll have a busy day. Katherine had made a lovely display of the Maia Wrap and Alina Shawl which Polly had knitted in Ripples Crafts yarn in the window:
If you’re passing – do pop in and say hello. I’ll be away off to Edinburgh on Thursday. Stevan has been commissioned to stay behind and feed the hens and walk the dogs, so I’ve got the drive south on my own on Thursday which probably means I’ll arrive hoarse again, as when I’m on my own in the car I tend to sing ….. loudly! I’m staying in the Borders with friends, but I’ll have a couple of hours free on Friday, so if anyone fancies a coffee on Friday do you want to meet up? Marmions? If you do, get in touch. Saturday and Sunday will be busy days at K1 in Edinburgh where not only will I have a wide selection of yarns, but I’ll also be giving short workshops in lace knitting. I think most of the places are full now, but if you do want to attend it is worth checking with K1 to see what is available. Despite the frantic atmosphere hanging over Tigh na Creag at the moment, we did manage to get some R&R in the lovely sunshine over the weekend. We headed off to Stoer beach, where Peggy was more than happy to go paddling with Stevan:
Lexie, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure:
She seemed to prefer the safely of the beach to the waves. She said she had forgotten her Bentley Belt – an item of swimwear that I think is peculiarly South African! It consists of a kind of rubber vest with a built in inflatable tube – very chic! In November 2010 there will be a special event in Assynt celebrating the life and work of Norman MacCaig. MacCaig was a teacher and a poet who loved this part of the world, and wrote numerous poems about Assynt. Now I know many people who read this blog have connections to Assynt, and so I’m putting an appeal on here in the hope that it reaches some who may have known MacCaig or have memories of him. If you have any old photographs, reel to reel tape recordings, film or video footage of MacCaig during one of his visits to Assynt, or if you have any personal memories of the man, could you get in touch with me? Now …. to completely change the subject …. I fell in love with the new silk/merino yarn as soon as it arrived in my shed, and I couldn’t wait to knit something up with it. One of the first colours I dyed was Electric Blue – a stunning blue. This is such an interesting colour to dye. When I add the dye to the water in the pot it looks really weak. Really …. it is just a pale, pale blue. But as I gently heat it up it gets darker, and darker, and darker until the yarn takes on a fantastic intensity. I needed a pattern that would knit up quickly, as it feels like ages since I actually finished something, so I thought I’d do an Ishbel.
When I first encountered the smaller “shawlettes” I wondered just how practical they would be. But now I’m building up quite a collection, and they’re ideal to tuck under coats in winter, or simply wrap over your shoulders on a chilly summer evening. If you’ve never knitted lace before then there are two patterns I’d really recommend. One is Ishbel, and the other is Brandywine, a pattern by Rosemary Hill. Both patterns are a great introduction to lace knitting. It turned out so well I just had to do the Ishbel beret to match:
Now, I’ll let you into a little secret – I overestimated the size of my brain! Or rather my head. I remember when I was at school how my mother always had to buy me school hats in a size that always seemed to be much larger than everyone else’s. So I made this one in the size I thought would be suitable for my head, but it’s a wee bit too big for me. So, what I thought was if you all measure your heads, and if you come up with a size of around 56cm then let me know. Measure from the nape of your neck and around your forehead. I’ll put all the names into a hat and I’ll get Stevan to pull out a name and the Ishbel beret is all yours. So get measuring. |
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