The New Boy must think I am insane. Yesterday I announced to the office that I had been to the pound shop at lunchtime without considering that he might ask me what I had bought. Panicked, I ran through the list of items in my head, trying to decide what my newsworthy "bargain" might be - broken biscuits, jam jar labels, tampons, or two dog combs? I don't have one dog, let alone two, so I opted for giving him a glare instead. So much for my Cosmopolitan girl about town image!
The real bargain of the trip was the two dog combs. And before you also decide that I am barmy, allow me to explain. Dog combs are very similar to but smaller than hand carders and cost a thirtieth of the price. Hand carders are used to card wool to prepare it for spinning or for making felt. (And it could be worse, since I could be making one like this one, out of teasels!)
I am new to fibrecraft. I have made some felt from shop-bought roving, and I would dearly love to learn to spin. I have a huge bag of shaggy wool "fibre" (not at all the same thing as roving) that must be carded before it can be used - hence my excitement at finding the dog combs for a quid each. So, last night I spent a very relaxing evening in front of the TV combing my way through part of this bag of shaggy wool and I now have a little pile of bright green fuzz, ready to be made into felt.
Now, sitting here pretending to work, I wonder if the New Boy would risk asking me how I spent my evening? I had better prepare a normal sounding answer - one that doesn't make me sound barking mad.
