Woolly Invasion!

This last week has been British Wool Week a celebration of all things woolly with woolly events going on up and down the UK.

In Glastonbury we had Glastonbury Wool Festival which was put on at Glastonbury Town Hall for the whole day with lots of stalls selling woolly yumminess. The High Street was closed in the morning so that a little flock of sheep could be run down but as you can see in the clip the sheep had other ideas!

The Guild were in attendance with Chairman Jan and I dishing out raffle tickets at the door, stalls with hand spun yarn and fleeces and a sheep to shawl challenge going on up on the stage!

The little dog was very cute and he was very patient. He supervised proceedings on the stage all day…he must have been worn out!
I treated myself to a lovely spindle and some fluff made of soya beans of all things; it’s just like silk but I suppose it’s vegetarian!
I’ve also been sewing but on the sewing machine I got for my 21st Birthday not Miss Jones (yet). This is the sewing machine I got for my 21st.
It has a good range of basic stitches and after taking it to the pub on Knit Night for a bit of a clean I’ve been stitching up a few little bags.

How’ve I been…mmmm sew, sew!

Look what I found….


Cute isn’t she?

She is a Jones Cylinder Shuttle Family sewing machine serial number 73376 probably made around 1895/96; now that’s old. She was made in the Jones factory just outside Manchester in England. Apparently lots of these were made and they are the equivalent of a Singer sewing machine. Although usually found in the UK some have made it over to the US via antique dealers or, in earlier times, when people emigrated to the USA from the UK, taking their sewing machines with them.

I found her in a charity shop in Midsomer Norton in Somerset yesterday and have been busy finding out about her and cleaning her up. She’s called Miss Jones! she sews beautifully. She has a shuttle instead of a bobbin which I haven’t had any experience of before.

Here’s the shuttle.


Miss Jones also came with these little items.


I’ve been advise by helpful folks on Ravelry that most of the ones on the bottom right are hemers; they make nice neat hems of different widths. I think the top thing might be a quilter?? and the thing in the middle of the second row is a braider?? If anyone knows please feel free to share!

I have been busy spinning and knitting as well but more of that later

Tour de Fleece–Day 11

Following a day of rest yesterday we are now on to day 11 of the Tour and this is what I’ve been up to this evening.


and now for a close up……


About 80g of my home dyed BFL, spun longdraw and Navajo plyed.
It's about sock weight and I’m very pleased with it; it looks like real yarn!

Tour de Fleece–Day 7, 8 and 9

For the last few day I’ve been busy spinning the pink candy floss fluff and today I finished it – yay!

And to ply it…..yes that’s right, I’m going to Navajo ply it of course.
So, week one of the Tour is done and dusted and this is the result chez Pearlesyarn. We have:

• 50g of natural white home prepped Jacob spun longdraw and Navajo plyed; and
• 80g of home dyed BFL spun longdraw and Navajo plyed.

By the way Pearlesyarn is a whole two years old today! That means that I've been part of the blogosphere for two whole years rambling on about my thing!. So a big thank you to all my lovely visitors and followers and to all those of you who take the time to leave your kind and encouraging comments.

Tour de Fleece–Day 6

Day 6 of the Tour and I’m taking a little break from the Jacob by spinning the little rolags I made yesterday from the pinky BFL braid. They are spinning up nicely and the colour is very pretty; I usually don’t do pink but I actually do like this. I only managed a little bit tonight as it was Knit Club and  I spent most of the evening in the pub knitting and eating ice-cream with knitty, spinney friends.

Not sure what I’ll knit it into though; its about 80g so may be enough for some mittens maybe?

Tour de Fleece–Day 5

Day 5 and this evening I thought I would have a bit of a change from the Jacob so I dug out this.

It’s the BFL that I dyed at Lesley’s mums when we did the crafty workshop afternoon with tea and cake. As I am a bit addicted at the moment to my hand cards and spinning longdraw I carded it into these lovely squishy rolags. They are all set to be spun up tomorrow.

Tour de Fleece–Day 4

Day 4 – yay!

Ok, so I have today completed my first skein of the Tour – hurrah!

It’s only little though – about 59 grams of white Jacob. I navajo plied it this evening and I reckon it’s probably about aran weight. I’m pretty pleased with it.