Helen Lockhart Ripples Crafts

Chief Dyer at Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed Yarn,
A Scatterling of Africa
Living in Assynt and loving life here.
I'll chat mostly about #weaving #dyeing #knitting #Assynt #Scotland #photographs #art #IndependentLife #OffGridLiving

You will also find me in my other professional guise at @RipplesCrafts where I talk about hand dyeing yarn which I've been doing since 2008.

Public Key

npub1twh3fxw0awrwzxpyvmwh9h9hfx660hdut0d8t4pyq7v2lutkvwzsr2hcm5

NIP-05 Address

HelenLockhart@mastodon-scot.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs9htc5n887hphprqjxdhtjmjm5ndd8mk79hkn46sjq0x9079mx8pgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsqvc8cf

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1twh3fxw0awrwzxpyvmwh9h9hfx660hdut0d8t4pyq7v2lutkvwzsr2hcm5

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Last Notes

2026-06-05 08:10:31 UTC

A lovely reminder from another site this morning.
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/696/490/482/719/100/original/95c5a1be71a0a2ec.png

2026-06-04 08:24:39 UTC

When you are a scatterling of Africa and you see something this shape on the ground your instinct is to take fright and run. Fortunately for me this was just a piece of a cardboard box but that instinct is still there believe me!
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/690/870/456/581/470/original/a949a6975e631da2.jpg

2026-06-01 08:39:05 UTC

I'm always astounded at how little big business values your time when they want something from you. I've had a reminder email this morning from Paypal saying that they're willing to offer me a WHOPPING £5 virtual voucher for filling in a survey that will take approximately (note "approximately") 15 minutes of my time.
Sorry Paypal. My time to satisfy your marketing research is worth a lot more than £20 an hour.

2026-05-27 19:57:58 UTC

Can anyone tell me what this plant is please?
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/648/300/625/040/503/original/caad3065d2930e10.jpg

2026-05-13 15:07:01 UTC

Westray at her best today
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/567/887/300/580/330/original/5f163a758f7a840e.jpg

2026-05-13 09:41:36 UTC

A wee sea voyage today
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/566/606/008/756/890/original/e2962eac3aa39f18.jpg

2026-05-13 09:37:36 UTC

One can but hope
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/566/590/947/785/448/original/02be465f0d3646c6.jpg

2026-05-11 13:19:13 UTC

Sending @nprofile…25u0 into the depths of tomb of the eagles on South Ronaldsay
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/556/137/976/027/301/original/43ec76f7b4bae1d6.jpg

2026-05-09 16:29:17 UTC

Some beautiful blues in Orkney today
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/545/555/011/212/704/original/88ac41aa7a1f2eaf.jpg
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/545/555/762/793/508/original/6dc32a013319fc41.jpg
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/545/556/460/256/996/original/d2136260e86588c9.jpg
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/545/557/205/980/822/original/0dc12458b0719595.jpg

2026-05-07 14:43:29 UTC

Will be spending a few days with family, and I'm going to be doing some shopping before we get together. Asked if there was anything specific anyone wanted me to pick up and one person replied
"2L gin and dark chocolate"
I'm not sure if that is a sign of things to come or not.

2026-05-02 19:50:33 UTC

It's 8.50pm too early for bed? Asking for a friend .....

2026-04-29 18:51:48 UTC

I'm on the hunt for some accommodation for an event later in the year. I found a hotel close to where we need to be with this mysterious proviso in the "more information" section on their website:
"Rooms do not have external views"
Now .... that sounds like no windows. So I emailed for clarification and the reply was:
"all our rooms have windows. Just no external views."
We're so intrigued we'll probably book it 😂

2026-04-26 08:42:41 UTC

Obviously I've done an online search and it is coming up with a lot of starter providers, but I'm looking for a personal recommendation if you have one.
2/2

2026-04-26 08:42:18 UTC

Any home made yoghurt makers out there?
I eat a lot of yoghurt and years ago used to make my own just using a flask and live yoghurt. Recently I invested in a dedicated yoghurt maker, but I'm struggling to get a yoghurt any thicker than thick milk. I'm using live yoghurt as my starter (Yeo) but to make a decent yoghurt I can have with my granola I need to strain it and it wastes so much.
I'm on the hunt for a good, reliable yoghurt starter - any ideas? I'm avoiding Amazon if possible.
1/2

2026-04-25 17:55:28 UTC

This article had my jaw on the floor:
" A lot of the second homeowners, particularly in our group are retirees and it’s a lifestyle choice they’ve made using their pensions to supplement,” he said.
“They’re choosing to holiday in Scotland if you like, and they’re choosing to invest in Scotland, and more importantly they’re choosing to do that in the Highlands.
“We’re just ordinary people, we’re certainly not on the wealthy scale by any stretch of the imagination.”
https://www.thenational.scot/news/26052241.highland-second-home-owners-oppose-300-per-cent-council-tax-rise/

2026-04-25 09:07:51 UTC

Ahhhh the joys.
Thought I'd get to the Post Office and back to the workshop before the madness began
I was wrong ...
Two more campervans joined the car you can see at the previous passing place.
Reader, it took a while.
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/464/544/390/784/950/original/bdbb5bd10c531fa2.jpg

2026-04-23 17:19:38 UTC

It would seem that this is to be the year of the tick :(

2026-04-16 08:12:08 UTC

A volt and bolt at the Perth chargers before heading to Bridge of Earn for a filling breakfast to see us through the rest of the trip to Edinburgh and then the hard work of setting up for #WoollyGoodGathering
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/413/372/305/414/999/original/82d82d2b56d6d52c.jpg

2026-04-15 11:13:42 UTC

So much for the Clearway ruling that came into force near Ardvreck Castle last week 🤷‍♂️
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/408/418/621/075/712/original/7576420bd6455711.jpg

2026-04-04 20:00:59 UTC

Re watching the series presented by Prof. Sam Willis on The Silk Road, and was reminded of the lovely quote from a Zoroastrian woman talking about their colourful clothing. She said Zoroastrians don't normally wear black, and that ....
"We wear lively colours to refresh our souls".
I can certainly understand and appreciate that perspective.
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/116/348/210/498/737/393/original/921bd3ffcb6b4b7f.png

2026-03-30 07:01:46 UTC

Could we all agree to stop using the term "Vegan Leather"? Thank you.

2026-03-08 13:44:31 UTC

Any Queenslanders/Australians who can recommend a search engine for accommodation south of Brisbane? Everywhere I'm looking seems very expensive and just wondering if there is a local search engine I don't know about.
At the moment a 2 bedroom apartment for my sister and I for two weeks while we visit my elderly Mum is coming in at between £1500 and £2000 which feels excessive, especially as some places are rated "disappointing" or "avoid"!

2026-03-04 12:19:23 UTC

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@nprofile…hl5m AND THE PRIZE GOES TO ........ Justine 🎉

2026-03-04 12:12:43 UTC

Two parcels went in the post on the same day last week. One to Australia and one to London. Guess which one got there first. Go on ... guess.
🤷

2026-03-04 09:01:17 UTC

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@nprofile…hqk5 If you want to go down an Aran sweater rabbit hole .....
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#craft=knitting&weight=aran&pc=sweater&pa=cables&fit=adult&sort=recently-popular&view=captioned_thumbs&page=1

2026-02-27 19:36:43 UTC

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@nprofile…hqk5 I'm about to begin the first.

2025-12-05 21:03:51 UTC

Our neighbour brought us meringues and custard tarts left over from a community tea. We are now both very over sugared!

2025-05-22 07:40:24 UTC

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@nprofile…t4qe @nprofile…k7gd If only you KNEW how many times he's actively "broken" his laptop so that he can reinstall everything to try to get it to run more efficiently........

2025-04-26 12:50:11 UTC

A hard nod on this quote today from Tim Walz:
”If you say you love freedom but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love is not freedom, it is privilege.“

2025-04-21 19:36:22 UTC

I hadn't dyed this colourway for ages, and then a customer asked if I'd dye her a batch and it made me remember how much I love it. So .... I dyed more .... and more .... and now it is all up on the website if you fancy "The Starling Wing" on various 4 ply bases or on Culkein DK.
https://www.ripplescrafts.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=starling+wing
https://media.mastodon.scot/media_attachments/files/114/377/625/347/737/952/original/41d81a0555c77329.jpg

2025-03-17 18:48:29 UTC

I met a lovely lady from Frankfurt this weekend and she said she was on Mastodon. If that's you can you let me know so I definitely follow you? Tnx
#knitting

2023-09-03 06:53:54 UTC

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@npub1uzr…k9aj I'm betwixt and between. I really didn't like the one from last year, even once it was finished, so I'm swithering. I may wait to see what it looks like first. Also, I'll be travelling for most of November, so definitely won't be able to keep up with clues.

2023-08-22 19:09:19 UTC

A question for the #knitting hive mind.
A garment knitted in garter stitch that needs sewing up on the sides - would you block before stitching up the sides or after? I don't think I've ever knitted a completely garter stitch sweater before and I'm doubting my plan to sew up first and then block. Would it not be easier to block THEN stitch so your seaming stitches aren't too tight?

2023-08-17 09:32:55 UTC

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@npub12ca…q8m2 Yes, our willow has SHOT up

2023-08-17 08:59:27 UTC

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@npub12ca…q8m2 They seem to have ripened early this year. But they are looking rather lovely.