Tuesday 22 January 2008

More weather

Well.....

The weather is not improving. Actually, I lie. There have been a couple of really really nice days, like yesterday. We motored through our site work, and then there was enough time for a wander to the beach near our cottage to have a look at the sunset. And it was a beautiful sunset, the moon was up above the hills (yes, there are hills out here) and there was a wonderful pink reflected glow above them. Out to sea there was a fantastic display of little fluffy clouds illuminated in shades of orange and yellow by the setting sun, and the waves were glinting with colours. I am not saying it was warm - I was wearing plenty of clothes but it was just about tolerable in terms of coldness. Today it is blowing a hoolie again, and there is horizontal drizzle blowing everywhere, and it is freezing and miserable.

Average daily wear over here - thermal undies, trousers, salopettes, jumper, fleece, hi-vis jacket, scarf, hat, 2 pairs of gloves (one thick, one thin - wear one of each and you can just about write and then swap them over when it all gets too much for the writing hand) and 2 pairs of socks. Not that I would say it is sexy, but you do fit in with the locals in a strange way, though for additional camoflage I should have a boiler suit. This is not an attracive look in any way, and I am longing to get dressed up for something and feel pretty and desirable again.

I am slowly getting island fever. I love the scenery, it is so amazingly bleak, but I could not live here. Today, we found a really civilised cafe - in the hebridean jewellry shop, where I have spend most of my site allowance on a really nice green beaded necklace. We had panini and cappucino. It was great. Other than that the main source of amusement is going to co-op. There are two within shouting distance - one at the south end of Benbecula, and one in Daliburgh. The one in Benbecula is better. We go every day for a little outing. Yesterday we went a bit mad and raided the magazine section and learnt lots of useful things from cosmo/look/glamour like how orange is the new colour of the season. It is nice to see that the consumer driven world still exists. Othen than that this second visit to the community centre is the social highlight of the trip so far!

Home on friday though, and I am going to have a shower, do my hair, dress up in a pretty dress and then go to the ballet. Bring it on!

Friday 18 January 2008

Cold and Wet

Well, predictably the weather in the Uists has been cold and wet. Today we are so cold and it is so wet and windy that we have found a really nice community centre with Internet access, and so at least we are warm.

Later I am going to bake a cake, and do some more knitting. I have a black secret thing with me, that is taking ages, and for stuff inbetween that am plodding through the swiss cheese scarf.

But mostly I have been too cold to do any knitting - it is about all I can manage to make hot drinks and food when we get back from site, and then I have been in bed by about 9.30 most nights. Great - living the high life. Only one more week to go though, and fingers crossed the weather improves from today!

Tuesday 8 January 2008

Significant milestones

I seem to mostly have had mindless knitting on the needles recently. But at least one of the projects is now off the needles.

Meet the entrelac bag........

Oooo - closeup!
I have been going round and round in circles making squares for quite a while. 5 balls of kureyon's worth of round and round. I have learnt to knit backwards nearly as fast as forwards, and don't really have to think about it anymore.

Tonight the bag has been introduced to it's nemesis - the washing machine - for a little felting fun. It's in a pillow case and it's doing one cycle at 30 degrees, see how that goes and then maybe send it through again.

I am almost exited about the washing machine being finished. This is not normal so I think I am going to have to have a cup of tea to recover.