28 October 2019

A week of two halves

As expected the week started out busy.  With two children in the house there is never a dull moment.  Fortunately the local park has been a big hit with the boys, especially the zip wire so much fun was had.  I even went on it!








Rebecca returned after lunch on Monday, Tim went off to visit family.

Tuesday we headed off to visit Rachel and co in Southwold as they were down there for half term.  This year Peter and I decided not to have our normal autumn visit, instead we will be going to Wales for a week for a change.  We had an enjoyable day and as it turned out it was the best day weather wise.








Wednesday, Tim came to pick up his crew and we suddenly became very quite and after a while tidy!!!

Due to the weather we spent the rest of the week quietly - washing, ironing and I worked on more hot water bottles and finally started those October socks started for Laurie







Saturday, we sorted out the garage so that we could finally empty the old shed.  The floor of the shed is rotted and the whole thing needs to come down and be replaced.

Yesterday, Sunday, was a beautiful day and we wandered into St Ives then came home and I worked in the garden during the afternoon and Peter took down the shed.  We now have an empty space which needs to be levelled and concreted before a new shed can be installed.

I still have 10 hot water bottles to knit.  Gus lost his hat whilst away so I need to make him a few more.  He also needs another sweater...….. So as you can see plenty to do.


20 October 2019

another week is over

and here we are on Sunday evening again.  It really is crazy how fast the weeks are going.

After saying I didn't have much planned this week we seemed to have manage to fill it.  So what did we do?

Monday/Tuesday -  I managed to complete two hot water bottles and check out what was occurring in the borders - very wet

We did our normal walk Hemingford Meadow/ Houghton/St Ives/Hemingford to get a good stretch







Wednesday, another hot water bottle and I prepared the fruit for the Christmas cake



Thursday - another day another bottle or two



walked into St Ives for a birthday card and a pint (or two) collected these on the way home in the rain (soaked)


Friday - still alive after eating fungi - they were so good, but you always have that sneaking worry..... visited Gus to deliver his new sweater.  He was pretty happy with it, in fact I don't think he's taken it off




Family arrived from France late - but safe - another bottle completed


Saturday - Natural Dye workshop - very interested to see what can be achieved from kitchen waste.

The first photo was brown onion skins - I rewound the skein tight after washing and soaking in mordant, which gave me a variegated effect


 This pink was achieved with avocado stones



The bag was tied dyed in red onion skins - I was surprised to get green


Here are the dried and wound yarns not sure why the photo is side on!  Only just over 20 grams of each yarn so not much to play with - stripes in socks I'm guessing


I baked my Christmas cake when I got back.  Peter and the boys were at the park.  

Tim and Rebecca had gone away for a few nights peace and quiet in Cambridge before picking up with family and friends again tomorrow, think they have earned a bit of downtime after a packed summer season.  By the way a new series of Escape to the Chateau DIY will be starting on Monday 28 October 4pm on Channel 4 - Rebecca and Tim are on every day during the first week.  I'll be glued to the TV set

Today - Sunday - I made a very quick knit hat for Rebecca and spent two chilly hours at the park whilst the boys played on the zip wire and climbing frames



All in all a productive week.  Thinking the coming week will be fairly busy too...….

14 October 2019

More knitting news

Good morning from a grey and soggy UK.  We really are having some rotten weather, with more rain due today.  Still it just means more knitting time.

I've managed another 6 hot water bottles this week





Made two of these

I finished the sweater for Gus

The orange stripe is showing up much paler here
I'm now onto the next 6 bottles and I also plan on casting on the socks for Laurie.  Busy busy.

I also managed to fit in a bit of jam making




Not much planned for this week, meeting a friend for lunch today and I want to get my Christmas cake started. But that's about it for now.  We are looking forward to the return of the French contingent at the end of the week.  Can you believe its half term already?! Time really does fly

Take care until next time 

7 October 2019

October knitting and outings

With the slightly shorter days, longer evenings and wet days my knitting is coming to the fore. Filling the time I would normally be outside.  With that said I did get out the other afternoon for a bit of a tidy round in the garden and we got some climbers put in of Saturday.  They got a good watering in yesterday and its looking like they won't need any input from me today either based on the current forecast.

Yesterday I can honestly say I knitted all day.  Well apart from checking in on Instagram from time to time.  It was a miserable grey wet day.

So here is what's been and is currently on my needles

Firstly, I finished the Shelley Bay cardigan for Jess




In between times I have been knitting more hot water bottle covers - this is the first 6 of 32 which I'm making for the Chateau shop.  I'm working my way through stashed yarn that's not seen the light of day for years; its a good feeling, especially as this project allows me to use up those odd balls that are usually just not enough for another project.



I cast on a sweater for Gus on Saturday.  He wanted a traffic light stripped one.  Happy to oblige, this photo was how I left it on Saturday evening


and after yesterdays knitting marathon I achieved both the following photos, back completed and another bottle done




This is where I'm at on the knitting front.  Today I will cast on the front of the sweater and possibly another bottle OR October socks.

In other news - I gave the house a good going over (long overdue), cleared the washing and ironing baskets (for now), went to knitting group, visited in laws, popped to Cambridge to order new glasses for Peter.

Wednesday the weather proved to be bright and sunny so we headed east and visited Sutton Hoo - we were actually a little underwhelmed by the experience.  Not sure what we were expecting really.  The new exhibition hall was interesting - all replicas of course as the originals are in the British museum













but the Burial ground was just a heap of mounds and pebble excavations with notice boards, not that interesting if I'm honest.

We ended the day with a visit to Felixstowe as it was more or less on the way home.  Famed as a container port I wasn't expecting too much.  It actually was a pleasant surprise,  We parked along the front and went for a walk towards the port, returning to the car for a drive towards Old Felixstowe, smart restaurants and tidy beaches, it has definitely gone up market in recent years.  We will return, especially as its a straight run down the A14 from home - 1.5 hours - road works permitting.





Thursday I managed to get back to Flower Club


we also had the first fire of the year!


Saturday we met Rachel for coffee and a whizz around the Farmers Market.  The little ones were visiting Nana and Grandad with Stu and it was good to have an uninterrupted catch up with Rachel.  I think we will try and do this more often.  As much as you love your grandchildren its good to have a proper adult conversation with your children.

So there you have it, all caught up.  No great plans for week 2 of October apart from taking the car for a service and collecting glasses, and by the looks of the above photo clean my brass!!