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.

Birthday Goodness

Another year has passed, and always one to enjoy celebrating a birthday, last weekend was a real treat. I started the festivities slightly early this year, as my dear sister treated me to an incredibly posh afternoon tea at Sketch where we tucked into delicious cakes in heavenly surroundings! After tea we took our time wandering along Regent Street, popping into some of my favourite shops along the way.

The actual birthday morning started well, with breakfast in bed followed by presents! My main gift was the laptop I'm typing on a laptop, which is replacing my poor old babymac, as it has pretty much reached the end of its useful life. I was lucky enough to receive a subscription to Spotify to go with my new laptop, so I’ve been enjoying some new music; Manmade by Teenage Fanclub, Bang Goes the Knighthood by The Divine Comedy and Infinite Arms by Band of Horses. It’s amazing that you can listen to whatever you like whenever you like, and I will definitely be broadening my musical horizons. The rest of the day was spent picnicking, admiring the roses at Mottisfont and a lovely dinner at our local Italian, Alpinos. Marvellous.

Sunday saw us take a trip to Frome to check out the delights of St Catherine’s Artisan Market. It wasn’t exactly D’s cup of tea, but I loved it and will definitely return for a more leisurely visit. As it was, we certainly got stuck into a fabulous brunch at the Garden Café with Shona and Iain.

While we were in Frome I popped into Marmalade Yarns to stock up on Cashmerino Aran. D and I stayed with his brother and sister-in-law last night, so I had to knit like a crazy-girl this week to start (and finish) a baby jumper for his new niece Tess! It took quite a while just to decide which pattern to knit, and I thought that I'd settled on Debbie Bliss's Raglan Jumper, until I realised that it was far too warm for the summer and that in order for it to be useful I would need to make a size that I wouldn't quite have enough wool for! Luckily Ravelry, and a mercy dash to John Lewis on Tuesday lunchtime, came to the rescue and I made her a supercute Debbie Bliss Shrug over three train journeys and a knitting club! Also on the needles, I have cast on a navy swing cardigan and I've blocked out my owls sweater. (Will add photos when I've bought and attached the button eyes...)

One last treat, was a trip to my favourite museum the V&A to see their Quilts exhibition. It was really wonderful and incredibly inspirational. It's on until the 4th of July so if you do get a chance to visit - take it!

(Almost) The Perfect Weekend

Wow! What a wonderful weekend. After a slightly shaky, not to mention queasy, start I hopped on the train to Bath to join my sister for a spot of pampering. She'd spent a pretty hardcore week walking over 100 miles along the Cotswold Way (crazy girl, eh?!) and a bit of TLC was most definitely in order! First off was a trip to my favourite vegetarian restaurant Demuth's where, along with Amanda's friends Claire and Jo, we polished off a whole table full of treats, including chickpea bites, labna, a deli dip platter and some delicious lemon and herb arancini.

After lunch Amanda and I hit the shops for a spot of retail therapy. Shop of the day was probably Bloomsbury, where I found an amazing ring - a sterling silver band with a single silver button on it. Perfect! We were also very keen on All Saints, where we tried on pretty much every dress in the store and had our very own personal shopper! I even managed to buy a pair of skinny fit jeans that actually fit.

After all that shopping it was time for the pampering to begin. Amanda was treating us both to a full spa session and a treatment each, so we headed off to the Thermae Bath Spa. We started off in the open-air rooftop pool and soaked ourselves in the warm, bubbling spa water in glorious sunshine, while admiring the beautiful city skyline. Feeling pretty relaxed, we went down to the main pool for a bit of a swim, then into the scented saunas and foot baths. After two luxurious hours we parted company for our treatments. I was booked into a Balinese Dry Flotation session, which was simply heaven. I think I've got the world's best sister - thanks Amanda!

Sunday, saw me collected from the station by David and whisked off for a picnic and a stroll at Mottisfont. It was so beautiful and the flowers in the walled garden were just stunning. I can't wait to go back in a few weeks to see all of the roses in bloom. To round off the weekend we stopped off for a deliciously cold pint of cloudy cider in the beer garden of The Mill Arms in Dunbridge. I'm a bit sad that D is away now for the week, but aside from that it really was a perfect weekend!

Enjoying a Week by the Sea

The last week has been a real tonic, taking it easy on the south coast, enjoying long, lazy lie-ins, lovely days out and about on the seashore, and late-night lounging with a glorious glass of wine. Finishing work on Friday night was a great start to the week and a real treat, as my friend Claire and I popped along to South Kensington to visit the Grace Kelly, Style Icon exhibition at the V&A. It was achingly beautiful and oh so glamorous. (But did leave me feel ever so slightly scruffy!)


Saturday morning, I drove down to enjoy the peace and tranquility of Lyme Regis, one of my favourite places to be in the world. D and I rented an apartment in the beautiful Coram Tower for a little bit of the quiet life. It was great to be right in the middle of town and to be able to just pop down to the beach, or the Cobb, anytime we wanted for a stroll and simply to be by the water.

I picked up the needles and have nearly finished my Owls sweater. I even treated myself to four pairs of stunning vintage knitting needles from my favourite Lyme shop, Susie Cole.

We passed many tranquil hours reading some great books, including Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (set in Lyme, and featuring one of her most famous inhabitants, Mary Anning) and Tree Surgery for Beginners by Patrick Gale. I also enjoyed a couple of movies, Gideon's Daughter and Coco Before Chanel. D and I visited the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth. They do amazing work at the sanctuary and have up to 400 donkeys at any given time. My personal favourite was a very cute fellow named Mr Walter Baker! I tried to invite him home to stay with us, but I think we might have been a bit tight for space in the Volvo!

Highlight of the week has to be dinner on Friday night - chips on the beach with a glass of something cold and fizzy! What more could you want from life...?

And here is my nearly finished Owls sweater.

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Congratulations Mr & Mrs!

Conratulations to Shona and Iain! The big day finally arrived and what a day it was! The bride was beautiful, the sun shone, the brother of the bride speech reduced everyone to tears, and D even managed to make me look like I knew what I was doing at the ceilidh! (Although the waltzing did make me a little bit dizzy!) It was such a happy day and it was wonderful to see my dear friends so deeply full of joy.

The ceremony was held at St Giles Church in Stanton St Quintin, Wiltshire, officiated by a rather charmingly eccentric vicar, with the reception held at Stanton Manor, where we celebrated with Pimms on the lawn, a hog roast and dancing into the small hours. Sorry for the distinct lack of photos, but I was either busy carrying out my bridesmaidly duties or plain having fun! The button bouquets and bracelets were loved by the flower girls and the wedding favours seemed to go down really well too. (Fingers crossed for a lottery millionaire...)

The happy couple are now off to start married life with their honeymoon in Thailand and Cambodia. Hope that they have a wonderul time.

Enjoying the Weekend Sunshine

Yesterday saw the first visit of the year to our second-closest National Trust property, Mottisfont, near Romsey in Hampshire. The sun was shining brilliantly and the flowers in the gardens were just beautiful. The magnolia trees were out in an amazing display and there were some stunning bright yellow tulips in the walled garden which in early June (just in time for my birthday) will become one of the most fragrant and charming rose gardens you could ever want to visit.

We rounded off the visit with a locally made ice creams (or in my case an elderflower sorbet) and a trip to the gift shop to buy a very gentle bag of National Trust wholemeal flour, ground at neighbouring property, Winchester City Mill. I've since turned a pound of it into a lovely little loaf for this week's sandwiches. Gentle!

This afternoon was spent delightfully in the Cathedral Close, relaxing in the sunshine on a blanket reading (with a chocolate ice cream!). Beads, Boys and Bangles by Sohpia Bennett is the sequel/second in a series, following on from Threads, a very stylish YA novel, which won last year's Times/Chicken House prize for an unpublished author.

Knitting-wise, there's not a great deal going on on the needles, as I'm still finishing up favours for the wedding next weekend. Luckily they're pretty much all done now (just a few more names to come in) and I'm looking forward to a wonderful day!

I did have a little bit of time to spend on Folksy, where I came across the most fabulous Lego stitch-markers from The Bothered Owl. I couldn't resist and ended up buying a set each of flowers and owls! Check out the whole range that Alex and Sarah have created, it's just brilliant!