Saying Farewell to a Faithful Friend

Fare Ye Well our faithful friend

The death of a pet is a surprising polarizing event for many people.  Some are able to rationalize the notion that this animal that shares your life is no longer there & greets their departure with indifference.  Others are numb with the loss of a family member, experiencing a level of grief equivalent to losing a human member of the household.  We most certainly fall into the latter group.

Just Exactly where max love to be - in the centre of it all.

Our beloved English Mastiff Max was diagnosed with bone cancer two weeks ago today after a routine visit to the vet.  It aggressively took hold & last night he gently slipped away.  Max only turned 8 this month & the news hit us with cyclonic force.  It became very quickly evident that this was going to be a short battle, so a mastiff bucket list started immediately as a family we tried to get our heads around the 'what next'.

Max was the apple of daddy's eye.

Maximus came into our lives on April 7th 2005.  He was the child that I was told (by a Professor of Fertility no less) I was never going to have.  He filled a hole in our family that needed filling & even after going on to have our two boys', Max was always 'Number 1' son.

Always  Mum's first born.

Max touched so many lives, not just ours.  His quiet gentle nature made him a favourite where ever he went.  So we say farewell to out faithful friend, companion, son.  where you are Max I hope the bowls are always full, the sun always shining & Ruby, Benson & George are there showing you the ropes.

Evolution Revelation

Hugo proudly sporting his new vest

After having a rough week last week with illness & 'other things', I managed to get a few hours where I felt well enough to complete the Evolution vest.  This of course meant 'manning up' and working the dreaded steek.  Well all I have to say is, I can't believe I sweated over this - after watching this video on You Tube I had the steek done & dusted in 15 minutes!  I am so pleased with the result that it has now changed my thinking on how I work much of my knitting forever.

Getting the edges hooked up.

Getting all cut up!

Perfect executed & so easy!

Spin Evolution

The Resurrection of my wheel.

One of the best things about attending a fibrecraft retreat is the inspiration that permeates the event & gets clogged in your psyche.  When you work in the fibrecraft industry it's easy to become conditioned to so many amazing things, so seeking solace in the simple things can be surprising therapeutic.

At Unwind there were a collection of hand spinners who travelled with their wheels.  There we also a number of fibre retailers that did seductive enticements with colour & texture. Seeing them was the kick in the pants I needed to dust off (and I mean dust off - it took me 2 hours of de-dusting) my beautiful Ashford Traditional that Dr. Phil bought for my birthday many years ago.

Happy Hanks

I haven't spun a yarn in years.  I learned when I was pregnant with Hugo, but the temptations of a spinning wheel & a very active toddler that was Louis did not make a harmonious mix - so just as I was getting proficient, the wheel was packed away for it's own safe keeping.  Fast forward 5 years & the wheel is back gracing the living room & the usual craft detritus of needles, hooks, yarn & notions has mushroomed to now include various fibre, spindles, bobbins & a niddy noddy.

The Evolutionary skeins

This rediscovery has been so welcome.  The gentle repetitive rotation has had a yen like effect at a time I have desperately needed calm.  As stress was building in one corner of my life, the wheel magically massaged it away with every press of the pedal.  I now completely get the deep lust that ardent hand spinners have for their craft.

The Evolution vest is well underway

Now that I have spun up a storm over the last 3 weeks I have started a simple vest to supplement Hugo's Winter wardrobe.  An 'Evolution' vest, cast on at the bottom with the first yarn spun & knitted up with each consecutive skein, showcasing my own spinning evolution.  As my spinning, plying & colour combinations grow in confidence, it's story is translated into a vest that I can admire on Hugo.  I can't wait to get it finished & start experimenting further, the ideas for making my own yarn & for what we can achieve at work have my head spinning (pun intended) with ideas. I just love how looking at something from a slightly different angle can provide you with an entirely new perspective!