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A grand day out!
Mum is staying with me for the week, and today we had a day out - it was yarn day!
We did do some non-yarny things too though
We also went to a Garden and Craft centre in the village of Wentworth, which was ok. The tearoom was very good, the garden centre was very expensive, and the craft workshops seemed more concerned with closing early
First we went to Texere Yarns in Bradford, I have been wanting to go here for a while, and wow, I shall certainly be going again (I think I can get there on the bus, well - when I can get there, as it is only open when I am at work) - I don't think I am going to be devoted enough to fly up from Southampton! (As two ladies apparently did earlier this year.
Texere is a true factory shop, it is a business that just happens to let people wander around the warehouse - all 2 floors of it! Even though it is famous for being one of the few places in the area you can get Noro, I was actually more impressed with their own brands. Having said that, the Sirdar Baby Bamboo, and the Sublime Casmere/Merino/Silk were mighty tempting!
I restrained myself though, and only bought 2 balls of sock wool:
We then went over to Coldspring Mill, which is near Bradford - this place sells an odd mixture of yarn (downstairs) and camping equipment (upstairs). Not quite as interesting to wander round as Texere, but is a source of great bargains. Mum got almost 1000g of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran at just under half retail price, which is why you go. However, I got an even greater bargain. Debbie Bliss Pure Silk - seconds - but reduced from £6.50 (retail price for perfect) to 99p for 50g! I got 10 skeins, and feel an evening top coming on.
The final yarn stop of the day was Wingham Wool Work, where I replaced the knitting needles I broke a couple of weeks ago, Mum bought some posh needles to go with her yarn, and I got some more nice things to spin. They aren't so photogenic though.
Texere is a true factory shop, it is a business that just happens to let people wander around the warehouse - all 2 floors of it! Even though it is famous for being one of the few places in the area you can get Noro, I was actually more impressed with their own brands. Having said that, the Sirdar Baby Bamboo, and the Sublime Casmere/Merino/Silk were mighty tempting!
I restrained myself though, and only bought 2 balls of sock wool:
We then went over to Coldspring Mill, which is near Bradford - this place sells an odd mixture of yarn (downstairs) and camping equipment (upstairs). Not quite as interesting to wander round as Texere, but is a source of great bargains. Mum got almost 1000g of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran at just under half retail price, which is why you go. However, I got an even greater bargain. Debbie Bliss Pure Silk - seconds - but reduced from £6.50 (retail price for perfect) to 99p for 50g! I got 10 skeins, and feel an evening top coming on.
The final yarn stop of the day was Wingham Wool Work, where I replaced the knitting needles I broke a couple of weeks ago, Mum bought some posh needles to go with her yarn, and I got some more nice things to spin. They aren't so photogenic though.
We did do some non-yarny things too though
We finally made it to Bingley Five Rise - having tried and failed once before when Dad was alive. Note to Bingley council, your signage is still appalling. It took several attempts at driving round Bingley before we found it, and that was with a map. Still, we made it - and it was worth it.
We came in at the top, and looked down:
The I went to the bottom, to look up:
There was a boat going up:
It took us all morning to get there, but we weren't that far from home:
Boats moored in the basin at the top:
A rather typical West Yorkshire view, but it is the sort of view I love:
The history of the locks:
We came in at the top, and looked down:
The I went to the bottom, to look up:
There was a boat going up:
It took us all morning to get there, but we weren't that far from home:
Boats moored in the basin at the top:
A rather typical West Yorkshire view, but it is the sort of view I love:
The history of the locks:
We also went to a Garden and Craft centre in the village of Wentworth, which was ok. The tearoom was very good, the garden centre was very expensive, and the craft workshops seemed more concerned with closing early
The pottery was still open, and I managed to pick these bowls up for £1.50 each, thinking they might be ok for Regia. If they aren't, they will still be useful:
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It must be such an odd feeling to be in a boat as it goes up the locks, though.
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Last time I went in a lock the Camden lock on the Regents Canal - that was fun
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Dad was canal mad, so if he had lived there may well have been more trips. He and Mum did one on their own too before he got ill.
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:-)
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The most interesting one in my area was the Delaware and Hudson Canal and Gravity Railroad. The railroad part was used for the fourteen miles nearest the coal mines as a canal would have been impractical - both ends of that were about the same elevation, but a rise of about 1,000 feet exists between them. One lock still exists in the area, which has been acquired by the historical society for preservation.