[caption id="attachment_7222" align="aligncenter" width="640"]Lochinver Post Office Lochinver Post Office[/caption]

It is nearly 7 miles to our post office.  I do the round trip of 14 miles 3 or 4 times a week, sometimes even more often.  Anne, our post mistress, is an utter gem.  She patiently works her way through the piles of parcels and letters which come in to the post office, not only from me, but from all the other businesses in the area, and before they head off all over the world.  She runs the Post Office single handedly, and in the 5 1/2 years that I've been running a business here, I've never known her to take be away for more than a day or two.  Being a fishing port, there are quite often fishing vessels in from around the world, and sailors find their way to the Post Office where Anne somehow makes herself understood when trying to help those who may not necessarily speak English to exchange their money, or post things home.  When the little shop in Drumbeg, 15 miles away from Lochinver, decided to close the post office which was in the shop, Anne took it upon herself to do a run through to Drumbeg once a week and set up a "pop up" Post Office so that the folk living there didn't lose this vital lifeline.

Because customers buy yarn all the year around, I am back and forth to the post office all the year around.  The single track road is, at times, so quiet I barely see another vehicle

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but at times it can be so hectic because of visitors that it takes me twice as long as normal to do the run.  But however long it takes to reach the post office, I always know that once I've arrived there will be news to catch up on, other local folk to see and pass the time of day with, and the opportunity to have a chat with Flash, the Post Office cat.

[caption id="attachment_7223" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Flash! (ah-haaa) Flash! (ah-haaa)[/caption]

It was on one of my journeys to the Post Office that I realised that the landscape looks different every time I do it.  There is always something to see, even at this time of year when there is not much in the way of interesting vegetation.  I think anyone who has driven this road would have to admit that one of the best views is to be had from the lookout point at the top of Srón.  Spectacular at any time of the year,

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but in the winter it can be very special.

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And so I decided that the new yarn club for 2014 will be called "The Post Office Run"  All the colours will be influenced by things that I see along the way and by the changing seasons.  Memberships will last for either 3 or 6 months, and you can join in at any time.

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The yarn for this club will be a 100% Bluefaced Leicester High Twist yarn.  It has a wonderful texture to it, as well as being springy and soft.

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My club yarn postings keep Anne, the post mistress, very busy at the beginning of each month, but it also brings her welcome business.  At a time when Post Offices around the country are under threat, I hope that this new yarn club will both honour our busy Lochinver Post Office and also help keep it running by increasing the amount of post which passes across Anne's desk.  You can join HERE.  I hope to welcome you to the club soon.