And so it grows

My knitting speed has slowed considerably over the last couple of weeks, but I am still working on it here and there. My most reliable opportunity to knit is whilst the kids are attending various weekly activities. This was in the car while Pumpkin was at Athletics this week.

I have also been reading a little more recently. I’ve just finished ‘Invisible Women’ by Caroline Criado Perez, which is a fascinating study of how data collection, or lack of it, shapes our world, often to the disadvantage of women in all areas of life.

I’m now reading The Martian by Andy Weir, which is rather different!

We’re not on coronavirus lockdown yet in the UK, but it looks like we may be soon. My work is likely to be affected if mass gatherings are banned, but I guess the silver lining would be more time at home to spend reading and knitting!

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Summer

Having struggled to fill it in previous years, this summer seems to have ended up packed full of activities and away time.

Shopping with friends for cardigan buttons and other goodies.

A little DIY in the kitchen and the saucepan lids have a new home.

A return to the family ranch is always good for the soul.

The tomatoes are coming along well and we have a pumpkin that has continued growing beyond golf ball size.

There’s also been lots of reading (Swallows and Amazons with Pumpkin is wonderful!), lots of sewing and still a few name labels to go! Lots of fun at the park and meeting friends, cinema, theatre, TV, Scrabble, all sorts! The summer isn’t over yet and there’s plenty more fun to be had.

Hope you’re enjoying yours!

And relax…

There’s nothing better than curling up in a comfy armchair in front of a roaring log fire, pj’s on, glass of wine to hand and the time to knit for however long you want to.

I got to do quite a lot of that this weekend. My folks offered to have the boys for a few days so we took the opportunity for a quiet child-free, post-moving-house de-stressing weekend away.

We stayed in a fabulous folly on a large country estate, which has been beautifully restored by The Landmark Trust and is now available as a holiday let.

We slept in late, had leisurely breakfasts, went for long countryside walks and ate pub lunches. The rest of the time we lazed about in the folly, chatting, reading and of course, knitting.

I have now passed the point where I had to rip back a couple of weeks ago and it’s good to see it growing again. It was so nice to have some time to dedicate to it. I need a weekend like that more often. I definitely think we’ll be heading back there at some point!

Distractions again

Normal services appear not to be resuming.

I’ve not picked up a crochet hook or knitting needles for a good couple of weeks now. The mega-cold has at least subsided at long last, though Pickle did indeed come down with chicken pox at about the predicted time, so illness accounts for the break to a certain degree. We’ve also been away, spending time with family and celebrating various family birthdays.

I had grand ideas for a birthday cake for Pickle. He’s very into diggers at the moment, so I thought something along those lines would go down a treat. Unfortunately, given he was poxy and I was still under the weather, we had no guests to help us celebrate and eat a huge cake, so I went for something much simpler and baked some simple cupcakes with the boys in the afternoon. I dug out some fun cupcake cases and toppers, and they enjoyed helping with the weighing and stirring, and sticking the toppers in at the end.

I also made a cake for our family gathering and my mum’s birthday celebration, but utterly failed to take any pictures of it, so you’ll just have to imagine it – think ‘death by chocolate’ and you might be close!

I’ve definitely hit a road-block in my knitting. I’m determined to get my cardigan finished before I start any new projects. I only have the button-hole band left to do. I know it will be pretty straightforward once I actually get going on it, but somehow, somehow I just can’t bring myself to pick it up and work on it. The pattern doesn’t give any instructions on how to make the buttonholes, or how to space them, so I think I’m stuck on that. I’ve looked up various tutorials online, but am still unsure how to go about it. Any suggestions gratefully received. I really want it done so I can start a new project!

I’ve also been a little distracted by other things – the nice weather has drawn me outside much more recently. Pickle loves to be outside, so we go out in the garden, or off to the park as often as we can. Just look at my beautiful tulips! they make me happy.

I am also going through a reading phase at the moment. I absolutely love to read, but don’t find the time to do it so much these days. Grown up responsibilities and other hobbies have a habit of getting in the way! So I tend to go through phases where I’ll read several books in quick succession, and then nothing for several months. Recently I’ve read Stardust by Neil Gaiman, and I’m working my way through the Nikki Heat series by Richard Castle, which are a tie-in to the TV series ‘Castle’ that my husband and I are watching. I’m not much good at writing reviews, suffice to say we love the series and the characters, and the books work really well alongside the TV show. I’d recommend checking it out if you don’t know it.

I’m up to book 6 in the series, which I think is the last one that’s available at the moment, so I’ll probably reach the end of my reading phase with the end of this book, and then go back to knitting so I actually have something to show you again.

What other hobbies do you have that distract you from your knitting?