El hilo cantabrico, asturiano y gallego

Good morning all. I hope this finds you well, and not too brought down by the lack of spring warmth, and all the cold bugs going around...at least the light is returning, the buds are on the trees, and someone invented knitting so we have jumpers to keep warm! Plans are progressing well here, I have received some pledges, so my passport is renewed and the first travel tickets are bought...I have begun to embroider the map of the journey. I loved sewing the smooth Moroccan coast, but I feel the inlets and nooks and crannies of the Breton and Irish coasts will be much nicer to travel along than to sew. I want to embroider the name for the Atlantic Ocean in every language spoken along the way- having trouble finding this in any Berber language, so if you know any Berber speakers (especially Shilha), then please get in touch. Have also nearly finished the woollen blanket I will be raffling off to raise funds- it contains wool from Iceland, the Orkney Islands, Donegal, France, Portugal and Australia, so it is a true travelling blanket.

I have been researching the yarn shops in the North of Spain, and have sorted it out my itinerary. Arriving in Santander on the 1st October after a very long ferry journey, I will rest there the night and proceed as follows:

Tues 2nd: Santander: La POP
Weds 3rd: Llanes: Merceria Lluz
Thurs 4th: Gijon: Lanas Cachemir
Fri 5th: Tapia de Casariego: Lanas Laura
Sat 6th: A Coruna: Acebo Crochet
Mon 8th: Vigo: Mundo Lanas

And then on the Monday afternoon, I will be crossing the border into Portugal

Here is the email I am sending to all of them:

Buenos Dias

Espero que esté bien y lo siento por los errores de lengua. Yo le escribo porque quisiera visitar su tienda durante un 'peregrinaje de hilo' que voy a hacer al borde del Atlántico, de Galway en Irlanda hasta Agadir en Marruecos. Quisiera demostrar los enlaces culturales históricos que existe entre sus costas, donde se han intercambiado habilidades, bienes e amores desde muchos siglos, a pesar de las divisiones políticas que nos han impuesto.
Cada mañana, voy a comprar hilo, y cada tarde, voy a tejer en el bus o ferry hasta la proxima parada. Voy y hacer una bufanda cada día, y también una pieza por una grande cobija. La cobija va a reunir todos los sitios que visito, y la gente que encunetro, y va contar la historia du Hilo Atlántico, con el diario que voy a mantener, et los dos fotos que voy a tomar cada día; la vista del océano, y la tienda dónde compro el hilo. Hago un viaje simple, voy a acampar, y quiero que el dinero que gasto queda en la región. Estoy en los planes de viaje, y quisiera vistarle XXXXXXXX- sería abierto esto día? Y si está de acuerdo, puedo tomar un foto de la tienda (y el personal si no le molesta)

Se puede leer más sobre el proyecto en mi blog (en ingles) atlanticthread.blogspot.co.uk
Y se puede ver mi trabajo en instagram: billyblacklondon

Muchas Gracias
Billy

Anyway, I will sign off now, wishing you lovely springtime thoughts, and much love and light, Billy xxx

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