Where is there hope ?

A lot of people,especially in the U.S.,are talking about yesterday's atrocities bringing to mind 9/11. Of course it does,but for me it brings back the many years that London and other cities in the U.K. lived under the threat of IRA terrorism.
That ''reign of terror'' really went on for a long time.9/11 made Americans feel vulnerable,not immune to the horrors that fanatics of any persuasion can visit on innocent people. It's a vile side of human nature that a man's belief in a cause can blind him to others suffering,can make people simply not care about fellow human beings.Do we all have the potential for cruelty within us ? What makes one person do evil things and another feel empathy,love and care for their fellow man ?
I feel that we all have some evolving to do.We can't seperate ourselves from the terrible things that other people do simply because we percieve them as being different.They may have different beliefs,a different culture,colour or homeland.They are all human.The same as us.We cannot seperate ourselves from those in Rwanda,from suicide bombers,from murdering fanatics,by thinking that we are better,superior and different.It's just a matter of being born in a different time and place.
How do we,as a planet-wide human race,evolve and develop past this innate ability to be violent ? What can we do ?

My heartfelt condolences go out to those who were killed,maimed or traumatised and all those that love them.

Shopping - part 1.

I think I was very restrained.Hardly bought a thing ! There was so much more to see than I expected I found it a little overwhelming.There are many things I wish I had bought,but I'm very happy with my choices.Next year there'll be a plan,a list and more money !
Despite that I shall have to cover it all in two posts.

~

So,I was walking past the Rare Breeds Survival Trust stand [ I think ! Could have been the Coloured Sheep Breeders Assoc.] when I spotted a collection of green plastic bags stuffed with freshly shorn fleece.There was a lovely chocolate brown merino,next to which was this.

A dark grey Wensleydale X Jacob X Corriedale fleece.Sound,clean and full of fresh lanolin.A nice staple length,nice crimp and very fine.

When it stops raining [it feels more like October than July] and I have a spare hour or so I shall start gently washing this beauty.I think I shall just flick card the locks.We shall see.
Here's one of the aisles.

On the left the first stall is ''Mobair'' [no web site] where I bought some really beautiful Peruvian wool/alpaca [if my memory serves me] boucle.A present for Sissel.Just her colours.It's so soft and pretty,it was a struggle to part with it.Don't you think it would make a lovely shawl or wrap ?

One of the highlights of the show was seeing different dyers of yarn and fibre.Every dyer has their own signature.There really was so much beautiful stuff.
From the same stall I bought some dyed mohair locks.

Further down the aisle I came across The Spinning Gallery [ no web site,again.I think Carolyn Rawlinson is part of the Wool Clip collective.].
I bought some beautifully dyed Blue-Faced Leicester tops.

Here's a pic of the other side of the packets.
I acted as a personal shopper to two friends,buying them really beautiful Kundert spindles from P&M Woolcraft.

I've had a Kundert spindle for a couple of years.It spins very well and is beautifully crafted.I'm a great believer in using the best tools that you can afford.It all adds to the pleasure of pursuing your passions,I find.
On that note I shall end this post.I'm tired and fast running out of steam.There's loads more to tell you about,and a lot more pictures.

DID YOU MISS ME ?

Not as much as I missed my internet access I bet ! A faulty line,apparently,at the exchange and outside my door.Nice engineer man has fixed it.Obviously.
I have 739 blogline entries to contemplate - must you all be quite so prolific ? !
A backlog of posts and hundreds of e-mails.
Next entry will be all about the shopping at Woolfest.