Late night visitors

Last night, late on, J did his usual tour of the deck area with a flashlight. He sweeps for vine weevils - his sworn foe - who only appear after dark and dark is quite late at the moment. He'd gone down the steps into the garden and had been out there only a few moments when he shot back into the kitchen. "There's something out there and it's breathing heavily in the border!".
I waited bravely on the deck for moral support while he risked a second reconnaissance, catching two hedgehogs in flagrante delicto in the grass bed!
This is encouraging as we were given a hedgehog house for Christmas and were reasonably sure that it had occupants. We'll be on the look out for babies in the near future - 4 1/2 weeks according to this.


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Some progress on the knitting front as I had promised myself.



Despite swatching and checking gauge, I think this will be too big, so I'll have a look at some of the other size squares and do the maths (more effectively). Shame I let it get so far on before deciding there might be a problem. Could it be that I'm destined never to make this sweater? Still, it's only half a day's worth of time and I'm chilled :)

The mitre pattern is very much like the leaf structure of the smaller tree fern and I'm really enjoying the way it comes out.



A friend from work is pregnant with her first child - due early in October. I'm planning some baby kimonos from Mason Dixon knitting and would really like to make a blanket.

My first choice so far is this, from Interweave Knits.



Not sure about yarn choice though. I want to give something that is nice, without condemning the recipient to the stresses of wool care on top of baby care. Needs some thought.
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J brought me this:



The first fruit from the new raspberries. It's much earlier than the last ones we had, which is nice. Tasted very good - maybe could have done with a little longer on the bush, but he is in fierce competition with the blackbirds!
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I was sent these questions:

What was the scariest thing (or one of them if you’ve had many adventures) you ever experienced?
Hearing j's heartrate drop on the foetal heart monitor during a rather long labour and having the obstetrician put his wellies on ready for emergency surgery.

Do you plan to retire where you are right now or move somewhere else?
We sometimes think about Lanzarote - up in the hills in Femmes, but it's a lot more built up than it was when we first went there. As we get older we put more store in accessible medical services and home comforts. We'll stay here - besides, how could we find a house buyer who would look after J's garden in the way it has become accustomed?

Three little gifts you’re always glad to get:
Chocolate
Yarn money
Silver jewelry

4 careers you might have enjoyed:
Surgeon
Yarn/Coffee store owner
Archaeologist
Museum curator

A book you loved as a child but found disappointing as an adult:
James and the Giant Peach - actually, am I the only person who doesn't like Dahl?

"Somebody ought to do (invent, make, write) that!
A spamfilter that seeks out purveyors of penis enlargement adverts and blows up their computers.

Where or on what could you easily spend £100? - up to 5
Clothes
Yarn
Books
DIY materials at the moment!

Name an adult, not a parent, who really had an impact on you before you were 18 and what made such an impression.
Carl Sagan - I was enthralled by his TV series and book Cosmos. It opened my mind to what really was, and could be, out there.

Mr Heslop - taught me in Junior school and shared the baton, with my mum, in developing my love of books, communication and writing.

If you have read this, consider yourself tagged.