Birthday Week!

Where to start?! I've had so many lovely gifts and messages this week (and a couple of slightly odd things, which should be insignificant compared to all the niceness, but somehow as usual the less than pleasant things seem to stick in your head more than they ought - but this is not the time or place) so thank you all! Thanks too for all the comments for the cabled hoody - too much praise! I am in danger of not being able to get my alpaca hat on my head any more ;)

I got many knitterly presents, with a bit of a book theme going on! and also Jojoland Melody Dust Red Light Brown sock yarn from Bronte (I want to make this into a pair of cable socks, something along the lines of Snicket from Magknits), Hipknits cashmere laceweight from Super Monkey (just perfect for trying out a pattern from my new Victorian Lace Today book) and some Makalu Lambgora in Ocean Swirl from Badger, who also made me a pair of snuggly cabled wristwarmers. I am a lucky cow indeed :)

My birthday day out was a trip to the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth. The parsonage is done out as it would have been in their days, with many personal belongings including Charlotte's dress (tiny waist!) and (tiny!) shoes. It is well worth a visit if you are interested in the family, although I would avoid busy times as the house itself is quite small.

Main Street, Haworth

On the way home, we called it at Coldspring Mill, where I picked up some Elsbeth Lavold Classic AL 50% alpaca / Peruvian wool mix 10x50g for £20 and just over 1kg of cashmere for just under £30, which I intend making myself a vest type top out of. It is a pale green / grey colour and very pretty.

Thankfully we have been very lucky with the weather over the weekend, as we went camping at Buttermere in the Lake District. Friday night saw clear skies and a great opportunity for star gazing...

Orion over treetops

Our thermometer thingie said that the temperature had got down to -4.5°C overnight. Thankfully, we are kitted out with down bags and insulated mats (and thermal pjs) so were quite snug. Saturday morning dawned crisp (quite literally!) and clear...

The day's walk (10.5 miles with 1100m ascent) was from Buttermere, up High Snockrigg (no giggling at the back there) to Robinson, Hindscarth and Dale Head (753m), across to the Honister Slate Mine (for all your slate needs...which were surprisingly few) around below Fleetwith Pike and down to Warnscale Bottom, returning to the campsite along the lake side and back in time for tea (beer and peanuts).

Looking over Rannerdale Knotts & Crummock Water, with Grasmoor looming up on the right