log entry for Friday 18-1-08

Who was there?
Flora, Verene, Anneruth, Anna came in morning. Issy came later in the afternoon.

What were the preparations for today?
some more needle felting done on Hebridean fleece #2 (AR);
washing of the whole bag of good blackface (which Hazel had returned before Christmas) and which had got wet in the flooded bothy (AR);

What did we do?
Needle felting on second fleece rug; Verene and Flora got a shot and made good progress.
All dug in and made more progress with preparing BF white wool for rug weaving, and a little weaving was done too.
Had a look at Verene's hat and AR & Fl taking care of finding ways to make it a piece of glory (AR to thread thin elastic through; Fl to test-knit-felt ear flap). Verene is also gidding out ehr pearls to set into top of bonnet :-0
Had snippets of chats as to how we could progress in the bigger picture (women group funding? wool crafts with children project?) - no clear strategy yet, as break down of time resources involved for each idea has to be seen and said yes to first.
We started a diary to be left in the bothy where we enter briefly what we have done, as well as a wall calendar for to show who is in when. This is important for the Glgl as well as for us, as Verene has now given her schedule of in and out Fridays for the spring term, and Anneruth would like to cut down the number of trips over from EH (every two weeks ideally, but then stay 2 days at Glgl).
In the afternoon: Issy got a chance and help to spin again on her batch of Hebridean. Hopefully she can make it next Friday, or another Friday in the morning to get her hours changed and joined up with us :-)

Other things occuring:
Elisabeth Wupperman, a weaver who knows AR from 25 years ago (Bingenheim and Camphill Germany), had come by yesterday and left her contact details. AR got in touch and we hope to meet up. It will be interesting and exciting!
AR had collected the displays from the Ibrox Library, and met a art&craft instructor who works there with children on behalf of the youth and leisure team (City Council). It could be a window of opportunity again to teach children some wool craft via the Youth team (teaching the teachers) - but for that we would need to be 2 people really to back each other up. AR would have to make up diagrams (project and time scales?) to show what is involved? Flora is maybe interested, also Issy. Time coordination could prove tricky.
Verene and AR went to the Pharamacist to see whether the lady with contact for fleeces from Skye is there. She was not, but AR will check next week.

Work in Progress behind the scenes:
FL knitting the Hebridean shawl
AR spinning for it
FL & VE washing the next 2 Hebridean fleeces
AR to explore how to pitch outreach etc, AB offered to help online