Lots of Knitting and a Little Bit of Culture

I am delighted to say that the button-eyes for my owls sweater turned up this week, so I've spent a rather lovely afternoon actually finishing things off! Now, usually, I'm not a great one for finishing things, but this weekend I have managed not one, but two FOs! Normally, I find that I enjoy the process of knitting much more enjoyable that the pleasures of admiring the finished object, but for some reason I've really wanted to get the owls done. I wonder if this is to do with what a beautiful pattern it is. Or maybe it has something to do with the nights getting longer...? On my walk to work, I've noticed that a couple of the horse chestnut trees in Vauxhall Gardens already have some pretty big conkers that look nearly ready to drop, and leaves that are already on the turn. Don't get me wrong, I do love the summer - with it's sunshine and long lovely evenings, but there is something about getting wrapped up in your woolens and taking a brisk stroll through misty mornings, kicking through fallen leaves as you go. (And it'll be an excuse to wear owls - it's far too hot to wear anything wooly just now!)

The second finished object is a baby jumper for D's niece, Tess. For once I've thought it through and knitted it for when she is nine months to a year old, so it's all ready to send to them in October or November. I hope that they like it! Having finished off two projects also means that I can cast on two more, and with autumn on the way I've decided to go for the gorgeous Snapdragon Tam from Ysolda Teague's Whimsical Little Knits 2 in some super soft pale blue Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk that was languishing in my stash. I've also got my heart set on bella's mittens from subliminal rabbit's blog. I think they're stunning and they look so toasty to wear, too. I've treated myself to three skeins of ggh Giglio in marl grey from Loop Yarn's online shop, which will hopefully turn into a smashing pair of mittens.

Aside from knitting, I've been cramming in the culture. I've read a couple of amazing books, including the really rather special If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor. It's a poem of a book - nothing much happens, but when I was reading the book, it felt as if time had slowed down. Amazing. I've been home alone for the last fortnight while D was away in Singapore, so I've also had a bit of a movie-fest! I started off with A Single Man which was simply beautiful, followed that with Julie and Julia (great fun) and Precious which was deeply moving and topped it off with Up which was good, but not as good as it had been sold to me. Of the four I think I would watch the first and third again, as I loved them so much. I've also been making the most of my Spotify subscription and have been listening to Sigur Ros' ( ) Bombay Bicycle Club's I Had the Blues, But I Shook Them Loose and Teenage Fan Club's Shadows. It's so nice to be able to listen to whatever I like whenever like. Isn't the internet amazing?!

Messing About on the River

Once my birthday celebrations were all over it became time to focus on a couple of physical challenges that I had set for myself for the summer. First off was a Superhero Dash around Greenwich Park in aid of theNational Literacy Trust. At work we've pledged to raise £30,000 for the NLT as part of our 30th anniversary year, and to help us along the way, 25 of us, and two superdogs Merlin and Puggy, dressed up like Where's Wally? and ran (or in my case jogged) 5k in public! Between us we raised nearly £6,000, which was a wonderful achievement.

What wasn't quite so wonderful was the state of my legs the following day, especially as I'd signed up for a Race for Life 10k with my sister that was due to take place in a fortnight! Two weeks of pretty intensive training were clearly needed, so I was out every other day to try and get in shape. On the day, we arrived at the Luton Hoo Estate in 35 degree heat! It was shockingly hot and just the thought of running anywhere was really daunting. What we didn't realise was that the course was dry, dusty, uneven and not at all flat... But, in spite of all of that, running out of water at 6k, and losing our support team due to a last minute course change, we did it! It may have taken rather longer than we were expecting, but we were pretty proud of our 1 hour 14 minutes and 7 seconds!

So, after a few weeks of pretty intensive exercise, this weekend has been a delight of lazing and eating and generally taking it easy. Yesterday, D and I were invited to an amazing barbecue with some dear friends who we used to work with. Claudia and Simon are two of the most wonderful, genial hosts and we ate so well that I thought I might have to be air-lifted out of their garden!

We followed that up with a trip today to D's alma mater, Henley Business School for their annual Members' Day, which always coincides with Henley Royal Regatta. We packed in a boat trip on the 112 year-old steamship Consuta, a delicious picnic, an incredibly difficult quiz and a yummy cream tea. Henley is always beautiful, but when the river is busy and buzzy, I love it even more. After this weekend, I really think I need to get my trainers back on and get out running again!

On the needles, I've very nearly finished a Debbie Bliss stripy little raglan-sleeved baby jumper from The Baby Knits Book for Tess. As soon as I get some extra cream Baby Cashmerino Aran I shall finish the last six rows and sew it all up. The owls sweater has buttons on order, but until they arrive I'm afraid that there won't be any photos. To make up for it, I will post some photos that I've taken with my new Olympus Pen E-PL1. It is an amazing camera - so light and easy to use. I took it for a walk around the Cathedral Close before WWKIPW on the 12th of June and got some really sweet shots.

Some Enchanted Evening

If you only go and see one movie this summer, then it must be Coco Avant Chanel. It is an incredible and inspiring film. Okay, so it helps that it's a biography of one of the Twentieth Century's most amazing women - Coco Chanel was brave, bold and at least fifty years ahead of her time. But the film is so much more than just a celebration of her early life, it is beautiful. The actresses and actors were wonderful, the scenery stunning and the costumes just gorgeous. The scenes with Boy where they watch the fishermen bringing in their catch in Deauville made me wish more than ever that I lived by the sea. To have a glimpse of the things that inspired the designs of such a visionary creative, is enough to make you look at the world around you differently - and to look much harder for your own inspiration. I simply can't recommend it highly enough. It is perfection in a film!


In record time I have completed my latest project, which is just as well as its intended recipient is due to arrive this Wednesday. Good luck to Piney and Jez - I can't wait to meet the new addition to your family. I have now started on a Milo Armadillo, as created by the lovely Jan Fearnley, for my friend Corinne. It's quite an easy pattern, and it's really good fun, so hopefully this'll be another quickie. Especially as I bought some lovely dusky brown angora in the sale yesterday, which is just begging to be made into a pair of Fetchings. My plan of having a one in one out policy when it comes to knitting is working out suprisingly well. It seems to make me knit more quickly and appreciate my projects just that little bit more. Hoorah!

Messing About By the River

Today, I have a lovely change of scenery. I am sitting in very comfy armchair in the Garden Common Room of Henley Business School. As I type, I can look out of the (very impressive) bay window and gaze out over lawns to the Thames. There are swans on the water and the odd rower strokes past. A beautiful wooden motor cruiser with a red ensign has just purred along, while I’ve been describing the scene. Beautiful! I’m here for the day, while D gets a good amount of work done on his dissertation and I’ve got all of the comforts I could possibly need to while away a few hours.

I’ve got a couple of books; Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer and the third part in the Luxe series by Anna Godberson Envy. I’ve got tea and shortbread biscuits whenever I fancy and I’ve brought my knitting with me for a spot of gentle crafting. Dad’s Danica is all done bar the finishing and blocking and a little baby jumper for Piney and Jez’s imminent arrival just needs one more stripey sleeve before I sew it all together. I even have a DVD to watch later on my Mac in case I get bored of the good life! And yesterday’s crossword too! Really, what more could a girl want?

I’m going to pop into Henley itself in a while to get the makings of a picnic and grab a paper. Hopefully the sun will be out in a bit and I can spread a blanket out on the lawn for a spot of lazing in the sun.

A little bit later…
Well my wish came true and the sun has come out. I am now stretched out on a blanket as happy as a cat in the sunshine! We've had a lovely picnic lunch of bread and cheese, with cherry tomatoes and a crisp green apple. A steamboat has just gone past with a brass band playing Dixieland jazz! And I’ve taken the opportunity of taking a couple of photographs of my current projects out in the fresh air. Hope you like them!