A chilly adventure in Iceland

Kirsty and I are just back from an all-too-short trip to Iceland.

Hallgrimskirkje in the rain

On Friday we explored Reykjavik, famous landmarks,  cafes, eclectic architecture, shops and galleries, restaurants.

Domkirkje - the cathedral

Althingi - the parliament

Ingolfstorg - geothermal steam vents in the city centre

Art nouveau till among ultramodern design in the Kraum centre

Posthausstraeti and the Domkirkje

New concert hall

theatre

mmmm.... lemon marinaded salmon

Skolavorthustigur and Hallgrimskirkje

After dinner we found the Volcano Show, and had a private viewing (just us) of film of volcanoes taken over about 50 years by Villi Knudsen. Not quite home movies, but definitely a home-made cinema, hosted by the film-maker himself.

Saturday morning saw us out and about before sunrise

Saebraut

 

Mount Esja over the bay

- but then it didn't really rise until nearly 11!

Andrea the whale watching boat in harbour

We made our way to the harbour and booked a whale watching tour for the afternoon.
Then we explored a pretty residential area

 

before winding our way to the 'pond' - Tjornin.

Sunrise over Tjorin - about 10.45 a.m.

Radhaus - the town hall

?????

looking west over Tjorin

a small area is kept ice-free for the birds, the rest was frozen over

After that we needed to warm up with a hot chocolate.

We put on our warmest clothes before going aboard the whale watching boat Andrea....

... but once out of the harbour we all needed the warm overalls they provided.

glamorous as always!

Even at 1pm the sun wasn't very high,

but the views over the bay were beautiful. We could just make out Snaefells on the horizon (not in these photos, it was just too faint)

looking towards Hvalfjordur (whale fjiord)

looking for whales

It was almost time to head back when another boat passed word that they had sighted a whale. We joined them and were rewarded with several sightings of a beautiful Minke whale. I was too busy watching it to take any photos!

 

At about 3.45 the sun  was setting over the Reykjanes peninsula, and it was fully dark by the time we returned to the harbour at 5.

On Sunday we set off even earlier, on the Golden Circle tour. Our first stop was Nesjavellir,

The architecture represents Iceland pushing up between the continental plates

a geothermal energy plant wreathed in sulphurous (very smelly) steam at the foot of the Hengill volcano.

 

eerie landscape with sulphurous steam and mist over lava fields

As well as taking an informative tour we met two very strange characters,

they are the parents of the Jolasveinarnir - the 13 Yule lads who place small gifts in the shoes of good children in the days before Christmas. (Bad children just get a potato).

From Nesjavellir we travelled through snowy landscapes and across the mid-oceanic ridge which passes through Iceland.

Looking over Hveragardi, from one mid-atlantic ridge, the other can be seen in the distance. The bright lights are greenhouses

The little town of Hveragardi (hot springs gardens) is in the rift valley, using heat from hot springs to heat greenhouses. We had learned at the energy plant that heat and electricity are very cheap in Iceland.
We passed lots of herds of Icelandic horses (not ponies, we were told, they are big enough to carry a man without him 'loosing his manhood'!).

 

 

The waterfalls at Gulfoss are stupendous

- even in winter when the flow of water from the glacier has stopped and only spring water is feeding the river.

Well worth slithering over the treacherously icy paths. Our reward was a bowl of hot and tasty traditional Icelandic mutton soup (and a big piece of cheesecake!)

Not far from Gulfoss is the hot spring area of Geysir.

The original Geysir (which gave its name to the phenomenon) is no longer active but we watched several eruptions of its little brother Strokkur.

Strokkur erupting

It was bitterly cold and the paths were slick with ice as the water vapour from the eruptions freezes on contact with the ground. 

There were a number of hot springs, streams and steam vents and in some places the ground was clear of ice and snow as it was too hot.
Also the odd Viking at Geysir!

a very odd viking

From Geysir we headed towards Thingvellir,

spotting a sheep farm on the way.
And driving over the mid-oceanic ridge

on increasingly icy roads, and down into the fissured area between the ridges, now over 5 km apart.

 

We saw volcanoes which had pushed up under the ice cap during the last ice age

Thingvellir is in one of the largest fissure systems where the two continental plates are pulling apart.

 

 

We walked along the fissure and past the Law Rock

It is the site of the first ever parliament (Althingi) and a very important place for Icelanders.

The river was flowing quite fast although much of it was under ice.

 

Back in Reykjavik we had a last stroll up Laugavegur,

where I couldn't resist buying some Icelandic wool yarn!

Our taster trip to Iceland has left us with lots of things still to see and do there - our Northern Lights evening tour was cancelled as the conditions were not right, and we didn't have time to try one of the geothermal pools. So I'm booking my next trip to Iceland (for summertime) right now!

Looking ahead - next year's programme

Here is an outline of my programme of Open Studios and Workshops for 2014. Unless otherwise stated Open Studios and Workshops will take place at 206 High Street, Auchterarder, Perthshire.
The programme is of course subject to change and already I have a couple of additional things which may be added, so keep checking for updates. Further details on each workshop will be posted under the Workshops and Corsi in Italia tabs soon.

Qui la mia programma indicative dei corsi e giorni 'Open Studio' (laboratorio aperto) per 2014. Se non indicato altrimento, I corsi e Open Studio si terrano a Auchterarder, Scozia. Ho gia altri due eventi in mente di aggiungere, quindi controlli qui per aggiornamenti. Dettagli di piu saranno postati sotto i tabs Workshops e Corsi in Italia.

                                                           Workshops

Jan 12	Open Studio
19	Open Studio
Feb 02	Open Studio
09	Open Studio
23		a.m. Fibre Preparation;  p.m. Drop Spindle Spinning
Mar 02	Open Studio
8&9		Pavia, Italy – Beginners Spinning Workshops
16		Get the best from your spinning wheel
23	Open Studio
Apr 06		Playing with Colour (blending fibres for spinning/felt)
12 &13		Sardinia, Italy
20	Open Studio
May 04		a.m. Solar Dyeing;    p.m. Gossamer felt scarf
10 & 11		The Wool Box, Miagliano, Italy – Beginners Spinning
17 & 18		Ovindoli, Abruzzo, Italy
25	Open Studio
Jun 08	Open Studio
15		Purposeful spinning
29	Open Studio
Jul 27	Open Studio
Aug 10		a.m. Solar dyeing;   p.m. Gossamer Felt Scarf
17		Spinning Art Yarns
Sep 12	Perthshire Open Studios
13
14
21 & 22		The Wool Box, Miagliano, Italy – Advanced Spinning
28	Open Studio
Oct 4-13		Shetland Wool Week - classes to be announced
19		Spinning Silk
Nov 02		a.m. Fibre Preparation;  p.m. Drop Spindle Spinning
09		Knitting Christmas baubles
23		Getting the best from your spinning wheel
30		Spinning multi-coloured fibres (braids and batts)
Dec 07		Fair Isle knitting
21	Open Studio

 Open Studio  - drop in and see what I'm working on. You can bring your knitting or spinning and stay for a while, or just come for a chat. These dates can also be booked for individual spinning or knitting tuition.

Workshops must be booked in advance - normally a deposit of 1/3 of the workshop fee will be requested to confirm booking. e-mail deborah.gray7@btinternet.com for details or to book.

In the pop-up studio this weekend

On Saturday afternoon I will be running a Fair Isle Knitting workshop, and on Sunday afternoon I will have a drop-in Open Studio, both at 206 High Street, (GRM Podiatry) Auchterarder, Perthshire. I hope you can join me!

There are still a few places available for the Fair Isle workshop. You can choose to knit Christmas baubles or...

Kate Davies' lovely Peerie Flooers hat .... or.........

a handy pair of fingerless gloves .....or.....

the ever-popular Sheep Carousel teacosy (another Kate Davies design) .....or....

Kate's Snawheid hat (modelled by my lovely daughter) available in several colours

All the kits include a printed pattern (genuine Kate Davies patterns in the case of her designs) and all the yarn you need, 100% Shetland wool from Jamieson and Smith. You will need 3mm knitting needles, either a set of double-pointed needles or a long circular for magic loop. I can lend you dpns if you forget to bring them.

The cost of the workshop depends on which kit you choose, from £30.
It will be at 206 High Street, Auchterarder, PH3 1AF, from 2 - 5pm

If you cant get to the workshop this weekend I will be repeating it on Sunday 1st December. Or you can purchase a kit or just a pattern - e-mail deborah.gray7@btinternet.com for prices. But then you'll have to supply your own cake!

pop-up studio 10th November

My pop-up studio will be open on Sunday 10th November at 206 High Street, Auchterarder, PH3 1AF (GRM Podiatry).

 

This weekend I’m going to be spinning more natural-coloured wool into yarn for my Rams and Yowes blanket - you can see the pattern  here

 In the photo above you can see my nearly-completed Scatness tunic (details in my notebook here) It is my current hand-spun, hand-dyed and hand-knitted project, I'm really looking forward to wearing it now the weather has turned colder. Below it is my red Fractal Northmavine hap (details in my notebook here) - yet another Kate Davies design interpreted in my own hand-spun yarn.

I’ll be there from 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., please drop in to see what I’m working on. You can just drop in for a chat and a cuppa, or bring your own spinning or knitting project and work with me for a while.

 

I have a selection of Fair Isle knitting kits, natural dyes, fibres and equipment for spinning and felt-making  for sale, including some of my unique hand blended and hand dyed fibres. I can also give you more details of forthcoming workshops on spinning, dyeing, felt-making and knitting.

I look forward to welcoming you to my pop-up studio.

 

Ancora Miagliano! Miagliano again!

Per il mio quattro visita a Miagliano, ospitata del' Wool Box (Biella The Wool Company), ero accompagnata dalla Scozia di due mie amiche.

For my fourth visit to Miagloano, hosted by the Wool Box (Biella The Wool Company), I was accompanied from Scotland by two of my friends.

Siamo alloggiato al B&B Uva Fragola, a Pettinengo, ospitate gentilmente da Corrado e Alessia.

We stayed at B&B Uva Fragola in Pettinengo, with our kind and welcoming hosts Corrado and Alessia.

il primo giorno siamo al Wool Box, preparando per il corso. Dopo un bel pranzo nel trattoria di Miagliano, Nigel Thompson di BTWC ci ha fatto un giro del lanifico 'in attesa' della vita nuova.

On the first day we were at the Wool Box getting ready for the workshops. After a good lunch in the trattoria of Miagliano, Nigel Thompson of BTWC gave us a guided tour of the woollen mill - 'waiting' for its new life. We were greatly impressed by the huge spaces wich once were alive and filled with workers - and wool, and by the vision and passion which is starting to bring the mill back to life, in a 21-st century relevant way.

venerdi era un giorno di ferie - abbiamo visitata il Santuario di Oropa,
Friday was a day off - we visited the Santuario di Oropa (after loosing our way somewhat in Biella due to roadworks!)

 

We had lunch in the Caffe'Oropa, munching focaccia and sipping delicious hot chocolate under a beautiful painted ceiling.

Sul ritorno abbaimo comprato di formaggio macagna 
On the way back we bought some delicious local macagna cheese

this is abut a quarter of the cheese we bought!

Poi abbiamo visitato Piccola Fata a Pettinengo, in tempo per fare la merenda con i ragazzi.
Then we went to visit Piccola Fata in Pettinengo, just in time to join the children for a snack.

My new slippers - traditional scapin made at Piccola Fata

sabato e domenica erano giorni del corso - mi sono alzata presto (le altre due hanno fatto collazione in pijama!)

 
Saturday and Sunday were the workshop days - unlike some people who had breakfast in their jammies I was up early!

come sempre era per me una piacere incontrare persone nuove e amiche gia' conosciute, condividendo una passion per la lana e la filature a mano.

merenda - snack time!

 as always it was a pleasure to meet new people and old friends, sharing a passion for wool and hand spinning.

Interessante anche da vedere modelli diverse (e strane) di filatoi

Also, it was interesting to see some different (and strange) models of spinning wheels.

sabato sera eriamo le ospite di cena di Corrado e Alessia - pizze dal forno di legno costruito di Corrado. Deliziose!

On Saturday evening Corrado and Alessia invited us to dinner with the family - pizzas baked in a wood oven built by Corrado. Delicious!

mentre ho insegnato il corso, le due amiche sono andata in macchina su e giu' nei monti del Biellese - un'avventura!
While I was teaching the workshops my two friends went off in the hired car, up and down in the mountains of the Biellese area - what an adventure they had!

Ultima serata a Uva Fragola - last evening at Uva Fragola