Make the most of the weekend.

Woe is me! Only two sleeps til work starts again.

The weather is horrid and even a walk alongour favourite local beach is rather unpleasant due to the steam and smoke and smell from a fire at the Greythorpe recycling plant.



There's a haze over everywhere.

Due to the return of winter, I cast on a sweater for me:


I'm having another go with the Unpatterned formula for a top-down sweater. The yarn colour here looks quite washed out and grey, but it's Cascade 220 in Duck Egg Blue.

I'm hoping to bash on quite a way with this this weekend, in between trips out with j to practise for his upcoming driving test. Although he is very good, I think knitting in the car might count as a dereliction of my duties as supervising driver.

Plan to put my feetup and knit this evening - Britain's got Talent!. Keep threatening to sign J up for this or the X Factor. He has a very loud penetrating disabling fine singing voice.

Maybe we'll watch a movie. When I'm at work I get up early and get tired early in the evening, but I've surprised the lads with my ability to stay awake and watch a number of films this holiday.

February Redux

April was the second month of the Roman calendar and it bloomin' well felt like February this morning.


We walked at Saltburn and almost had the beach to ourselves.



Well, there was us, the chap who drives the beach cleaner and these oyster catchers.



Then some surfers arrived to brave the freezing water. I can't imagine how cold it was, even in a wetsuit. I had all my storm flaps securely fastened down in - reminiscent of all my childhood seaside trips.


According to the Guardian, "Saltburn is one of the original centres of the north-east surf scene and the locals are friendly despite the busy waves. Good beginner waves can be found either side of the pier. The guys at Saltburn Surf Shop above the beach can provide everything from lessons and hire to advice and new boards, and after thrashing around in the cold North Sea there's the option of great coffee and smoothies at Camfield's Coffee Bar, or beer and pub meals at The Ship, both right above the beach"

How can this be?

I've just stepped on the scales.
Not something I often do. It upsets me.

It upset me more than usual today.

I'm exercising.
I've reduced my food intake.
I'm taking the *&£$!^%+ Orlistat.

Not a pound down.

Have a review of weight and BP with my GP tomorrow. That will be fun.

Spring Break

I've been enjoying just relaxing this Easter. I'm glad we decided not to try to go away somewhere as I've been so tired and it's wonderful to know that I still have another week of R and R.




Another gorgeous day today. The freezing and wet Easter that we were promised gets pushed back every day.

J and I walked around Cowpen Marsh this morning and I got to the top of the hill wihout stopping (thought I needed oxygen at the top, but it's a start).

The view from the top:


The garden has appreciated the warm weather we've had recently.

Developing a scarf theme this week.

My second Travelling Scarf has come home and it is a real beauty!


This one is by the Ravelry Traveling Scarf Group 50: Teachers who Knit Europe/UK.
There are some gorgeous yarns used here and the colours work wonderfully together. I'm very pleased with this scarf.

Who wouldn't want to live on Treacle Mine Road

or Peach Pie Street?

The builders, Wimpey, are giving people the chance to do just this in Wincanton. Wincanton, which has in the past been twinned with Ankh Morpork, has named two streets in a new development after the Discworld locations. More details here.

Scarfie come home

My first travelling scarf came home:

A big Thank You to all the knitters of the Ravelry Travelling Scarf Group 27!

The second one, from Group 50, should be due to return in the next week or so, which just leaves me one more (Group 53) travelling around Europe.

I've enjoyed the Travelling Scarf experience, but I think I will probably have them out of my system by the time number three comes home. It isn't the knitting, it's the trips to the post office that are difficult when, like me, you can only go at the weekend.



We walked around North Gare this afternoon. Despite all the forcasts of rain and feezing weather, it was lovely.

Finally...

Finally posting a photo of my International Scarf Exchange 7 scarf.

It's lovely, and based on the Monkey sock pattern.

A moment of quiet

I love the spring in the garden.



I love the acid green of the euphorbias.







The hellebores are just beautiful at the moment.

Monkeys and mice

Finished at last!



I can't remember the last time I was so disenchanted with a project as I have been with this. It was a boring pattern to knit, the wool stuck together, making the ladders hard to drop and it just seemed to go on forever.

Still, it's finished now and I quite like it. Clapotis is definitely out of my system.


Can you tell what this is?

I've had some interesting suggestions so far. Obviously it's a sock monkey leg, in Twinkletoes sock yarn with a Wollmeisse foot.




More monkeys. Another pair of 72 stitch Monkey socks. I love this pattern. It fits so well and is a little more interesting than plain socks. Malabrigo sock yarn. Feels lovely.


Drove out to Egglestone Hall Nurseries this morning.
Couldn't get a table in the tea room :(
Didn't find the plants we were looking for :(
Prices seem to have really gone up so only made one impulse purchase :(

Did see this little chap, though :)

2 inches long.