Crisp Clean Day

Today's Sunday walk with the dogs didn't go quite as smoothly as planned (Midge + deer = instant deafness, much excited yelping and a disappearance for five minutes 'chase' in the trees. It's okay, she'll never outpace them).

She got lots of exercise. 

Meanwhile Ash partook of a little light strolling, punctuated by innumerable stop'n'sniff interludes.

After such exertion there was only one place to be.

Showing off...

... my finished jacket. 

 

After my concerns that I had not made it big enough, I've been persuaded that it's rather more flattering than the one-size-fits-all version that I would have succumbed to by habit! Still, if I make another version (and I am tempted) I'll make it a little bigger and longer. I like the combination of New Lanark wool/silk aran weight with my handspun and I think a coat-of-many-handspun-stripes would please me.

And now, on this mild February morning, I'm off to the village hall to put the fire on and enjoy the company of fellow stitchers at the first Woolgathering of the year. Simple pleasures.

Snow?

Saturday afternoon and so far only a smattering of snow. Fingers crossed it stays that way as I am more than happy for this 'winter lite' that we are experiencing.

Did manage a reminder of severe weather conditions this week, though, when we checked out the small exhibition about Scott's expedition to the South Pole at the National Library of Scotland. Diary extracts, letters, books, postcards and maps give a very real reminder of the endeavour they undertook. 

As a bonus for me, there was also an exhibition of the entries in the annual bookbinding competition held by the National Library which attracts lots of submissions from across Europe and beyond.

Our little Edinburgh trip also took in the recently refurbished National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street. Gone are the tanks swimming with fish that my little brother and I use to love when we were kids, and there's now lots and lots of empty space in the great hall. But the totem pole I also remember well has been repositioned in the Living Lands gallery where I took these two speedy pics with my phone. 

The baskets are made by the Dene People of Western SubArctic America out of birch bark. The lower pic is a close-up of bottom section of a man's robe woven from elm tree bark by the Ainu in Hokkaido in the late 19th C. 

Obviously we didn't go all the way to Edinburgh and not eat anything. We drove straight up to Marchmont and a had a delicious light lunch at Toast, before walking across the Meadows to the exhibitions. It would have been nice to linger longer and explore but I am quietly planning to get back up before long and go round the museum and some galleries at leisure.