More Dispatches from the Deise

A personal journey around my life and times - eclectic and quirky with lots of opinions, events, recipes, crafty stuff and book reviews, some of which will be lifted from my Blogger blog - Dispatches from the Deise.

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Stats of my first cycle of 2016 - bad weather my only excuse and state of the roads atrocious! Time and speed awful compared to by pb - I'm so out of condition! Onwards and upwards and I'll sign up for the Sean Kelly 100km again this year. 🚴🚵🏻🚴🚵🏻🚴🚵🏻🚴 #cycle #cycling #wrecked #notfit #needtogetoutmore #lovethebuzz (at Lismore Heritage Town)

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Voted in #GE16 in filthy rainy weather! Done my civic duty for the next five years - I hope the ppl will have spoken for stability and ongoing recovery! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪 #votelabour #lismore #waterford #irishgeneralelection #irishgeneralelection2016 #irishwinter #irishweather (at Lismore Heritage Town)

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Doncha just love my new knitting project bag from the lovely Summerhouse in Lismore, with its lovely woolly jumpers and all! Perfect for my WIPs at 25x25x11cm. (From Ulster Weavers). ❤️🐏❤️🐏❤️🐏❤️ #knitting #knit #knittingprojectbag #knittingproject #ulsterweavers #summerhousecafe (at The Summerhouse Cafe)

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Does anyone else among knitters and crocheters use the Russian join for a new ball of wool? It works well for me with wool (this is 100% wool in pic) and other "grabby" yarn, not sure about slippy silks and bamboos. What's your verdict, ppl? Thanks! ❤️🇮🇪⁉️🤔❤️ #knitting #knit #knittersofinstagram #yarn #russianjoin #invisiblejoin #caledonhills #yarnmarket (at Lismore Heritage Town)

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Beautiful 3.7km walk tonight down the bridge by the castle and out the canal. Full moon canal reflection and floodlit castle looking great! ❤️🇮🇪🏰🌝 #fullmoon (at Lismore Heritage Town)

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Finished Gretel Tam by @ysolda - pre-blocking is closest to actual colour, blocking and post-blocking is in daylight and more grey. For a dear friend. ❤️❤️❤️ #Gretel #ysoldateague #travelknitting #knitproject #knit #knitter #alpaca #kingcole #babyalpaca (at Lismore, Ireland)

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Ta-dah! Finished the Gretel Tam by @ysolda Teague I started on Monday on the flight to Eindhoven. Lovely soft alpaca pressie for my friend - a labour of love! ❤️🇮🇪🇳🇱❤️ #knit #knitter #knitting #kingcole #alpaca #noordgouwe #zeeland #knitproject #travelknitting (at Hotel van der Weijde.)

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Today I got this amazing Aran 100% wool in a lovely new LYS I found on Facebook via Dutch knitters and it's right here on hubby Jan's island in Zeeland, Schouwen Duiveland, in Ouwerkerk. It's called "Textielwerk Wol en zo" and Eva does amazing dyeing of all kinds of roving and yarn including her own brand "Zilt en Zeeuws". She also does spinning wheels from Ashford and Majacraft. It's yarn heaven there! This is hand wash Aran from Caledon Hills, a USA brand. Colour is Dogwood and it's super soft and squishy. Daylight on left is closer to the true colour than nightlight pic. I've a test knit earmarked for Monika @redheartknits and will start once I'm home from The Netherlands at the weekend.💜🇳🇱❤️🇮🇪💜 #knitter #knit #knitting #ouwerkerk #schouwenduiveland #zeeland #nederland #textielwerkwolenzo #lys #noordgouwe #caledonhills #worsted (at Ouwerkerk)

[deise-dispatches]

This is super squishy soft and hard to believe such a tiny band has such stretch that it's a perfect adult beret size. Starting on the cables now. Gift for a dear friend. It's Gretel Tam by @ysolda Teague from @debbiestoller Stitch'n'Bitch Superstar Knitting - an essential knitter's bible! Yarn is baby alpaca DK by King Cole. ❤️🇮🇪🇳🇱❤️ #knitter #knit #knitting #greteltam #ysoldateague #debbiestoller #noordgouwe #zeeland #schouwenduiveland (at Hotel van der Weijde.)

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Strand scenes this afternoon on my 7.6km walk with Ben - the path along the Owenashad dappled with sunlight filtering through the trees, the waterfall in full flow, and Ben tries to navigate the fallen trees after the winter storms! Loving these long walks! ❤️😇🏃🏼🚶🏼🌤 #irishwinter #operationtransformation #dogwalk #lismore #waterford #abhainn #irishweather (at River Blackwater,lismore)

[deise-dispatches]

Back with me oul' pals the ducks and geese on the canal after a few weeks absence - time to start long walks again! 😇#dogwalk #ducks #geese #canal #lismore #waterford #irishwinter #ireland (at The Canal Lismore)

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Rocking a bit of culture in the bar after #LP16 with @labour Cllr. George Lawlor singing Nella Fantasia - fab Wexford Opera voice! #Mullingar #labour #singsong #session #aftermidnight 🌹🇮🇪🌹🇮🇪🌹 (at Mullingar Park Hotel)

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Jan and me with @labour party leader Joan Burton after her #LP16 rousing live TV address to 600 delegates - onwards and upwards to #GE16 #standup16 🌹🇮🇪🌹🇮🇪🌹#labour #repealthe8th #ireland #Mullingar (at Mullingar Park Hotel)

[deise-dispatches]

#LP16 @labour leader Joan Burton's address to 600 delegates on fiscal and economic recovery. USC/PRSI changes give ppl more take home pay. Upbeat speech. @labourwomen . 🌹🇮🇪🌹🇮🇪🌹#standup16 #GE16 #repealthe8th (at Mullingar Park Hotel)

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At the @labourwomen stand in Mullingar @labour conference - great buzz and crowd! #LP16 #standupforwomen #repealthe8th #GE16 (at Mullingar Park Hotel)

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Snow on the road to Mullingar for the Labour Party Conference! -3° at the moment. Looking forward to a good day with Labour friends and Colleagues! 🌹🌹🌹 (at M8 Motorway)

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Amsterdam's Coronation Concert collage of André Rieu's fabulous celebration of King Willem Alexander and Queen Maximá's accession to the Dutch throne on Queen Beatrix's abdication in April 2013. It's a wonderful Dutch party with all the Andrés on stage together - tribute singer Martijn Fisher playing the late lamented singer André Hazes, and the beloved comedian André van Duin. The sea of orange on the Museum Plein is amazing and everyone is having a blast. Watch it if you can! ❤️🇮🇪🇳🇱🎻🎷🎹🎺🎼🌟👸👑 #andrerieu #andrerieufans #coronationconcert #skyarts #willemalexander #koningdag #koninginnedag2013 (at Lismore Heritage Town)