Find the SecondStar and soar, and then straight on till the morning…

dawnybabes

All sounds very exciting stuff.  I’ve bought my bestie a spinning wheel for Xmas / 50th and it’s currently sat  in my garage 

KajiKita

It won’t be long before you have grown your skills and you’re the one welcoming and helping newbies, you have such an affinity and innate talent for all this textile stuff 😊

KK

SecondStar

I did another textiles event last weekend - our reenactment group get invited along each year to set up a living history display, showcasing different kinds of textile work and production as part of viking age life. It’s honestly my very favourite event of the year!

We’re a pretty big group compared to most, and whilst we do have a large amount of non-fighting members who do living history, our most active members are also the warriors. The fighting and show battles tend to draw the big crowds at events, and not many of the warriors also have an interest in living history, outside of events where they can sell and trade.

So events like this one have a really different feel to them - they feel much slower, much more like ‘real life’, and give us a chance to portray a much more authentic way of bringing history to the public. Any day where I get to be a viking is a good one, but this event is special.

Because it’s a textile event, all of the public who attend are interested in my special interest! Last year I ran a nalbinding workshop, but this year our organiser had a family emergency and couldn’t arrange workshops, so we were all doing demonstrations and short how-to’s instead.

We had almost every process of textile production on show - a wonderful set up of flax to linen production, from field to thread, including audience participation and ‘pee’ in a bucket!; my experienced spinner friend who was showing wool yarn production, from raw fleece through the stages of sorting, cleaning, combing, and finally spinning on a drop spindle; a fire pit heating up iron and copper cauldrons, explaining the various natural dyes contained inside for dyeing fabric and yarns; tablet weaving and lucet cord making, for belts and braiding; demonstrating nalbinding to make hats, mittens, and socks (me!); and an example of a hand-sewn viking age women’s outfit (also me!).

It was super cool to have all these different displays set out to show the process from raw material to finished article! The only thing we were missing would’ve been a weighted-warp floor loom to demonstrate weaving cloth - maybe next year!

It’s a perfect mix of getting to do and demonstrate and explain my own special skills, surrounded by my friends who are doing the same with *their* skills and which I’m also interested in, and being able to interact and chat with the public who are equally fascinated and interested to ask questions and learn.

The weather was stunning too - hot and sunny, possibly the last day of it this year - which always helps!



My partner and I have 1 final event at the end of the month, and it’ll be the first where we’re trading both businesses under 1 heading.

We sat down for a wool-gathering session (pun intended), and worked on his individual rebranding for the forge which is being built this weekend; our collective name; and my new business cards.

The collective name has been registered for insurance and submitted to the event organisers, and he’s ordered his business cards and some packaging stickers with his logo on.

I like to make things hard for myself though - whilst I mocked up my business cards too, I decided I should really set up my website so that I can include the link on the cards. Not too hard, I thought. Feel free to laugh at me, because that was Very Wrong!

I spent about 4 hours making a mock up in Canva, and then realised I had no idea how / if I could transfer that mock up into SquareSpace or Wix and actually make a useable website out of it. And I couldn’t manage either site builder on just my iPad, and so I dragged my dusty old Mac mini from the moving boxes where it had lain unused for 2 years, reluctantly spent £70 on a little monitor from Argos because I couldn’t find a good one secondhand, plugged everything in and got to work.

Except that my Mac mini is snail-slow, and trying to navigate the site builder is like pulling teeth.

Despite doing all the updates and deleting pretty much everything off of the thing, there is still a multi-second lag on every click. Compounded by the builder itself not being intuitive, and me having the patience of a prodded wasp when it comes to technology. The Canva mock up came together so quickly and easily because it was super fast, easy to undo my mistakes, and really simple to make it look beautiful. In comparison, the builder is clunky, unresponsive (slow Mac mini!) and so incredibly boring.

I may just order a small run of cards, and just use my social media handles on there for now, and keep working at the website. If I try and push myself to have it done in time to order the cards, I’ll burn out and be miserable! Frustrating, but I’m reminding myself that this isn’t a sprint, and I’m allowed to take my time over this - I don’t have to sit and hyper focus for 10 hours, I can work on it for an hour and then stop for the day before I want to throw it out the window!

SecondStar

So much for telling myself not to hyper focus, and to take things slowly!

Yesterday I found out that you *are* able to make multi-page websites through Canva, and so I’ve absolutely exploded. My little 1-page mock up is now a fancy home page; an about page with photos of me kitted out at events; an ‘all workshops’ page with general info; 2 x specific workshop pages, for offering nalbinding and spinning; a ‘shop’ link to my (empty) Etsy page; and a contact page which links to a Google form which sends across to my new business email address(!).

And over all of the pages, there are fully working links to navigate across the whole site, with action buttons which navigate to my workshop pages or my contact form.

I still need to add pages for custom clothing and nalbinding, but that can wait.

Oh, and it has its own domain name, too! So I can order my business cards and have a proper domain name on them, with matching fonts and branding!

I’ll still need a more reliable form of e-commerce to sell my ready made items, rather than just linking to a very sad, empty, non-branded Etsy page, but for now I’m incredibly proud of myself. It looks a bit janky on mobile which will be a problem to address, but it’s beautiful on tablet and pc.



My partner picked up some metal storage cabinets from fb marketplace to hold tools and re-enactment gear in the workshop, and more stuff has been cleared out. This weekend will begin building the actual forge - we’ve a bunch of reclaimed red brick which will form the body of the forge, and I’m going to be taught how to point brickwork! Can’t be much harder than icing a cake, surely…?

SecondStar

Few updates this week - 

Got my business cards and some stickers ordered, they should arrive by Monday. I re-jigged my website so it’s much more pleasant on mobile, but there’s still work to be done. I’m pleased it’s up and running though!

I *finally* got out the pot of leftover green paint, and touched up the bits of wear and tear in the living room. The basic matte finish from B&Q is lovely, but it’s not very hard wearing, and it shows up every grubby spot and doesn’t wash. I also painted over the plasterboard where the roof leaked through the ceiling - it’s just been a white patch in a sea of green for months! It looks much better now.

The weather this week has been so stunning. If I had the time off of work, I might’ve painted the outside of the house. As it stand though, I settled for getting the majority of the lawn cut, and my partner has trimmed most of the hedge. I say majority and most, because my brown bin is full to bursting. A compost heap is on the list; as is to erect the 2 new fence posts that my partner bought, to replace the rotten ones which fell over last winter.

My partner treated me to a beautiful replica of a Viking age grave find drop spindle - a pewter whorl, with runes engraved into it to match the grave find. It’s taking some getting used to, but it’s a lovely object.

My friend who was supposed to be visiting this month isn’t able to make it, and the run up the Christmas is her busiest time. I’m disappointed, but it’s understandable. We’ve rescheduled for around my birthday at the end of December, or early January.

I have a secondary paid employment! If anyone remembers, I went to interview for a very part time position way back in March, and got reserve listed. Yesterday I had an email asking if I was interested in the role? It’s a fixed contract until next August, and still very part time - bank holidays and special events days - but I’m very much looking forward to it. It seems like it will hit a lot of my interests!

My partner and I are planning our first holiday! We had looked at somewhere warm and sunny, but everything was either a bit too pricey, or a bit too naff. So I think we’ve settled on a trip back to my home town next summer. It’s a beautiful part of the country, with lots to see and do, and it’ll be lovely to get away just the two of us for a while.

SecondStar

Despite the unseasonably hot weather, I’ve started feeling autumnal. My body recognises that the wheel of the year is turning, even if the weather doesn’t!

I’ve started feeling Soupy again, and on Wednesday I made my first batch of sweet potato and butternut squash soup of the season. I do mine with curry powder, paprika, and a little bit of chilli, all blended into a smooth soup, thick enough to stand a spoon up in, and then swirled with double cream - yum!

I went through my drawers yesterday too - packed away any very overtly summer clothes, which can’t be redeemed into cool weather through the addition of layers; and also took out some pieces which I’ve not laid my hands on for over a year, or which don’t fit nicely anymore, or which I just don’t enjoy wearing anymore.

I could probably do with getting a couple of new pairs of tights, so that I can make full use of my skirts and dresses for the winter. I have 2 pairs of wool tights from Snag, but they’re on their 3rd year and getting a bit bobbly. It seems fashionable to wear semi-opaque tights right now, but my winter boots are brown - does this go together??

My fashion sense has never really taken off, and has tended to go through cycles lasting a couple of years, and then changing. I can never quite make my mind up on how I want to present myself in the world, because I’ve never been quite sure of what I like, I suppose! In hindsight, a lot of it has been performative for other people, which is a bit sad.



I’m still missing my dog something awful.

I rearranged the living room furniture countless times, to try and give a different feeling to the space, but I still feel his presence missing from the house.

Other people have asked if / when I’ll be getting another dog, but I don’t know if I ever will tbh. Because he wasn’t a dog, he was my family. And I don’t think another ‘dog’ will be equivalent to what we had together. At the very least, my cat would despise having to share her home with any other strange new animal, and I couldn’t do that to her.

Since my bereavement, I have noticed how unpleasantly inactive I am. We didn’t go for long walks in his later years, but it was at least 30 minutes every day, without fail. In addition to being good for my body, it was good for my brain too.

I’ve not really walked anywhere in over a month, and I’m starting to notice the lack of exercise. My legs feel weaker, my knees and hips are sore from sitting at desks and on sofas, and I’m out of breath faster. The lack of strength and stamina is especially worrisome.

I looked into local Pilates classes, but the prices are more than I’d feel comfortable paying right now. I might start with some online at home videos, but I’m also going to make a conscious effort to start walking more - down to the harbour at least twice a week.



My partner is working this Saturday, so I’m taking myself into town for a charity shop browse, and to get a key cut for my friend who is taking care of my pets whilst we’re away next weekend.

The brickwork has been built for the forge, and was NOT like icing a cake! My partner has been building the cowl for the chimney, and we’re hoping to fire it for the first time tomorrow!

SecondStar

Definitely not a no-spend day today!

After going through my clothing, I fancied a nip around the charity shops looking to plug some gaps in my winter wardrobe. I don’t tend to keep a lot of clothing - I cycle through the same 4 pairs of jeans, half a dozen tops, 4 dresses, and a couple of mid layers -  but it’s nice to take time to look for a secondhand item which fits perfectly, rather than something new from the shops which ‘will do’.

Essential shopping -
a new charging cable for my phone, as mine had started to fray and expose the wires.
a new cream blush, as I’ve finally ran out of the last one I bought about a year ago.
a set of 3 new plastic cooking spoons - I melted my favourite spoon by accident a few weeks ago, I didn’t need 3, but they weren’t sold singularly, and they were the perfect shape. They’re also a lovely buttery yellow which makes me happy!
2 pairs of 60 denier black tights, so I can keep wearing skirts and dresses into the cooler weather.
a new key cut for my friend to look after the pets.

Non-essentials -
a tension rod for the living room window, to throw up a temporary covering. It may yet end up being replaced, hence non-essential, but it only set me back £6.
3 new, pretty, green tea towels - I have half a dozen tea towels, but they’re all in various degrees of Old. They still wash fine, but they’re stained and grubby-looking and come from previous houses. It’s an indulgence to buy new ones, but the old ones will go to cleaning rags and dusters.
a black long sleeved top from M&S, as all my tops are short sleeved.
a hand knitted rust-coloured dungaree dress. It’s far cuter than it sounds, you’ll have to take my word for it! Perfect with the black top underneath to wear to the office.
a Lilliput Lane figurine £ there was a whole collection for sale, but I picked my favourite. It’s a reminder that life needs whimsy, and was only £2!



£9 on the top and dress, £6 on make up, £11 on the key cutting, £4 on the charging cable and tea towels, £7 on the tights and cooking spoons, £6 on the tension rod, and £2 on the figurine.

£45 total, which is more than I’ve spent on myself in a long time. Though I do still need to get a £10 refund on a dress I got earlier in the month, but I don’t see myself wearing.



It was all within my miscellaneous spend budget, but doing it all in one go started to feel a bit leery! All of that shopping was just in 1 town - I had actually planned to do 2 towns today, but I felt like I’d gotten enough today. 

KajiKita

I’m starting to feel autumnal here too and the garden definitely is! You are prodding me into reviewing my clothes and swapping out some of my summer tops for winter ones. 😊

Re the dog, firstly I’m sorry you are still missing him so much. It’s almost inevitable I suspect when you loved him so much. As for getting another one - I had a cat in my teens who was like my soul mate (I was very lonely at the time and she was patient, affectionate and funny). I still remember her with deep fondness and all cats are held up against her as comparison - yes, I know, most unfair! 😉 I have had several cats since. A male cat who was groompy and never, ever sat on us - Mr KK was fond of him, so the cat and I tolerated each other. Then a little girl rescue who started petrified and gradually bloomed into the most loving cat, to both of us. I was devastated earlier this year when she died (in the midst of FiL’s terminal illness). And now we have two Little Cats who rule us with a rod of furry iron and are gradually becoming affectionate and definitely ‘our’ cats. We got them quite quickly as both of us were finding the house horribly quiet after the little girl cat died and we needed something positive to happen. I suspected it would take time to build a relationship with these new cats, and it has and actually we are head of where I hoped we would be with them by now. My point, in the midst of this ramble, is that you end up having different relationships with all of these animals because they are all unique in their own way, just like we are. In time, you may want to have the companionship of another dog, but it’s not something you need to rush, especially if your cat would not approve! 😉

KK

Humdinger1

@SecondStar catching up on your diary.   So sorry to read about your dog.  When the time comes, our pets lead us over the rainbow bridge.   Then there are no more partings or sorrow.  Looking after yourself is a way of honouring much loved doggo; he would be sad if you didn't. Love Humdinger xx 

SecondStar

Few updates:

Today I’ll be getting the £10 refund on that dress, and hopefully a £74 refund on the computer monitor I bought - my Mac mini is just not fast enough to be useful, and I don’t have the time or inclination to look into remedying that right now. If I change my mind in the future, I can always buy another monitor again.

I took my documents in to be checked at my new job, and I’ve had my background and reference checks done, just waiting to hear about my start date!

We heard about our pay award in my main job! A higher percentage increase than we’d expected - not as high as some other organisations, but I’m not going to sniff. Some rough calculations were done, and it looks like we’ll be getting roughly £95 more each month, and the back pay will be about £440. It might not sound like much to some people, but it’ll make a big difference to my saving goals!

I’m looking forward to getting away this weekend. It’ll be the first event which isn’t quite within easy driving distance of home, and where I won’t be popping back to the house once a day, so it does feel like being ‘away’. It’s to be chilly but mostly dry, so I’m packing lots of layers and all of the wool blankets.!