Warning: this post contains alpaca fleece of an exceptionally fluffsome, gorgeous, nature. In extreme cases, it may trigger the urge to abandon your responsibilities and run off to cuddle the nearest alpaca. Please proceed with caution.
I know I’ve been quiet lately. This past week, my silence has been due to a family holiday in a cottage way down south west, in Cornwall. Actually it wasn’t a cottage, it was one wing of a beautiful old manor house, with a garden – nay, grounds – that looked like this:-
The twinnage and I and sometimes the Stoic Spouse spent a lot of time in that garden, spotting early morning deer…
…and late evening badgers (more about those in a moment).
See those cows down there in the first photo of the garden? Amongst them was a bull. A big, chunky, mean-looking bull. And if you happen to speak to the twinnage in the near future, they’ll be very excited to tell you how much that bull hated me. I’m not sure what I did to earn such intense loathing – it didn’t really react to anyone else. I wasn’t trying to invade its field or insult its football team or express controversial opinions on livestock management. Yet by half-way through the week, I only had to venture near the fence for that bull to stare me out, pawing the ground aggressively and growling. I had no idea that bulls could growl! There were two sturdy fences between us but as the days passed, I became less and less confident that these would be sufficient. Much as I relish things going wrong so that I can write silliness-laden blog posts about them, I’m glad that the bull didn’t charge. So I don’t have any funny stories about saving myself from a trampling/goring by using my knitting-in-progress just like a matador uses his* cape. Sorry… but not that sorry.
Homicidal bulls aside, it was a good week. The rhododendrons were in flower all over Cornwall, which was a guilty pleasure because when I was much younger, I used to go on conservation working holidays that often involved killing over-invasive rhodies:-
(Actually, now I think about it, conservation working holidays almost always involved killing stuff.)
But this holiday I knitted, we walked the moors, we sampled the pubs, and we searched for crabs at the seaside. Whilst out walking, it was important always to have knitting ready and available for emergencies:-
And when we visited an owl sanctuary (the twinnage both love birds of prey) the Stoic Spouse rashly pointed out a discreet sign offering alpaca fleece for sale. Say what? Yes I know that alpacas aren’t strictly members of the owl family, but nevertheless, the sanctuary was home to Guiseppe, Eddie, and Giovanni. I made cautious enquiries about buying just a little of the fibre to spin… if they’d be so kind… and the staff practically fell over each other to press huge sacks of fleece into my arms. (You could see the Stoic Spouse thinking ‘Why-oh-why did I tell her about that sign?’) In the end I handed over some cash and walked away with a fleece from Eddie and a fleece from Guiseppe and a very big smile. Thanks, guys:-
I’m going to give half of each shade to my friend Jo, because she’s just bought her first spinning wheel, and I’ll keep the rest to wash/card/spin/knit myself. You would not believe how incredibly light and soft this fibre is. Or perhaps you would. I feel a spot of Fair Isle coming on…
Oh, and whilst we were at the owl sanctuary, did I mention the baby eagle owl that was obsessed with eating daisies?
I didn’t manage a huge amount of running whilst we were away, but when I did go, it was uphill through this sort of terrain:-
But let’s get back to the important subject of badgers. The twinnage had been having a good time, spotting all sorts of animals and birds, and sketching them in their notebooks.
One evening, I wandered out alone across the garden, looking in vain for the woodpecker that I kept hearing but could never see. Ignoring the worst of the bull’s aggressive overtures I stood at the fence, listening. Then out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed something – a badger, I was almost certain – scurrying past, before it disappeared under some bushes. Wow – I had never seen a badger before. I went to fetch the twinnage, because although they should have been going to bed, I knew that the chance of a badger-sighting would make their seven-year-old hearts sing. They threw coats and wellies over their pyjamas and together we sat on the grass, watching quietly beside where I’d noticed the badger. Nothing happened. They were impressively patient, both boys. We saw bats and rabbits, and the twinnage found a baby newt:-
…but there was no badger. We waited some more. I could tell that the twinnage were about to get restless. Then one of them turned round… and gasped. “Mama!” he whispered, because right behind us, was THIS:-
HOW beautiful is this animal? We had a good look, and I just managed to catch this photo before the badger ran away. And I don’t think that either my sons or I will forget this moment for a long, long, time.
Anyway, thank you for reading. Let’s get back to the knitting, yes? And I seem to have rather a lot of spinning to do…
∗ I’d usually say his/her, but I’m not aware that women engage in this barbaric ‘sport’.
Hello there. I am from the Netherlands, and I know where you got the fleece. Since a lot of years we sponsor one of the owls there, called Fluffy. The people overthere are so nice and have so much passion for all their animals. I know the alpaca’s you got the fleece from. So nice to read your story.
Wow, you and your boys did have a lucky sighting. My uncles bull used to chase me if I wandered into a pasture he was in, I was about 8 years old, so no threat to him at all. Spinning your own yarn… wow, I’m impressed.
Lovely photos, especially the baby owl! I am about to embark on spinning some Gotland fleece – grown in Australia
Sounds like a wonderful vacation, full of all the good stuff — nature and wildlife and knitting and fleece. Curious as to how you like spinning alpaca. I haven’t tried it yet (although there is some in my stash). I love the strong colors you got and look forward to seeing your yarn.
What a fantastic post… I love how you write… I even had to read it out loud to my husband as I kept chuckling at bits of it. What a fabulous holiday I love Cornwall, and that Badger sighting is just amazing. Where was this lovely place that you stayed?
1) Yes, there are female matadors. A goggle search gave me that infomation in about 3 seconds
2) their is much easier to write/read and is less clunky than his/her
Loved this post! You all obviously had a great time. Thank you for sharing.
As non knitting posts go, this one was pretty awesome Ms T. I guess Mr Bull could pick up on your fear or something? Who knows with bulls! I love your alpaca fleece. I picked some up myself recently so I share your joy of that delightful fluffy stuff and am yet to dig into the huge bags of it to spin because “studies” sigh…always something! Oh I LOVE that badger shot! What a beautiful badger <3 Murdering rhododendrons? What is the world coming to!!! 😉
I have been practicing with my new(old) wheel! Looking forward to drowning in fluffy stuff!!!
What can I say – I’ve said it all before but just so you know I really mean it – I love you, I love your writing, I love your family, your knitting projects, and on and on. I can’t thank you enough for being you and for sharing it all.
Continuing thanks for sharing your world. I feel as if I have been invited on your adventures.
Such an idyllic time, a memory for life’s scrapbook.
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing the lovely pictures.
Sounds like you had an awesome holiday!!
I so enjoyed your beautiful photos of Cornwall and all the wildlife! I haven’t been to to Cornwall for 15 years (I live in Australia) but it brought back so many wonderful memories. I can’t decide whether the baby owl or the badger is more gorgeous, so I am smiling with delight over both of them!
Oh, what exquisite photos, thank you for sharing them. Your week away feels idyllic and you saw so much. Love the fleece. I looked after a poorly bull once and the only reason I could get near him was because the poor chap was lame. I used to talk to him and stroke him and when he’d had enough attention his eyes would flick at me and he’d growl…I moved away swiftly. 🙂
Great job embracing the moments with the twins! I love those memories with my now fully grown kids…. and can’t wait to make new memories with the next generation.
Sometimes I need to reminded how lovely parts of the UK really are – thanks for the reminder with your great photos. What a lovely husband who pointed out the alpacas – I wonder if he realised what he’d done! Happy spinning and creating!
You’re going to love spinning alpaca fleece. I bought my wheel from an alpaca farm so it was what I started on. You may not want to go back to wool. Enjoy!
I love reading your blogs posts, especially this one about the bull. Your story reminded me of my lovely rooster. He got his kicks out of attacking me every time I ventured outside the kitchen side door. No matter what I hit him with, well let’s just say, I never won the argument.
Thank you for sharing these little snippets of your life.
Cheers Maggie xx
This woodsy picture is so lovely! It really drew my attention.