Friday, August 17, 2007

'ello

Well, as summers go, it wasn't much of one; but at least we haven't had to worry about sunburn or heatstroke.

My rose managed about three flowers before the wind and rain got them.

For much of my blogging break, I was attached to the sofa listening to the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows while cross-stitching hares and acorns. When I started listening to the book, I was trying one of the lace shawls from VLT but the combination of complimicated chart / pattern, wrong needles and diverted concentration wasn't working, so I frogged that and decided to work on something else. What caught my eye was a Moira Blackburn sampler kit that I'd bought a couple of years ago and it had been sitting abandoned ever since. Needless to say, once the book finished (my opinion? it was ok, a satisfactory story with a reasonable ending, I suppose, but the epilogue was terrible) I went back to knitting and the sampler has gone back into the drawer.


And some other stuff that I've been up to lately....

I learned entrelac. I will make something using this technique as soon as I find a pattern that doesn't look lumpy or ugly.


The finished seashell socks. I was slightly disappointed with these. The Lucy Neatby yarn might be hand-dyed but the colours are so different on each sock that they might have come from different lots rather than the same skein. Also there were many lumpy sections where the yarn wasn't twisted properly. Sigh.


I baked!


We walked up Black Hill - you may (but probably don't) remember me writing that during the winter a helicopter had been used to dump grass seed over the peat bogs here to try and stabilise the moorland. Most of the grass has taken and it is now rather less black at the top of Black Hill than it used to be.


A visit to Jodrell Bank - where, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the building of the Lovell Telescope they have demolished the exhibition centre and planetarium. The arboretum is still open and there is a nice cabin where you can shelter from the rain.

Pressie from Woolfest. Sumptuous Cashmere and silk from Badger.


Mr C is feeling better


I started turning this...


...into something a bit lacy. Woo!


We went to the Lakes! In a tent! It rained! A short walk (because I've been terribly lazy lately and am very very unfit) from Aira Force

Over Gowbarrow Fell (about 4,5miles), escorted by thousands of horrible flies. This view taken from part way up the hill looking back towards Ullswater. I only stopped because the view was so pretty, not because I was knackered. Oh no.


And because it is still summer, after all, we had ice cream.

15 comments:

gilraen said...

Welcome back Helen, it looks like you had a wonderful break!

Nice Lasso knit, can I have a lick of that icecream, it looks lovely too :)

Linda said...

Hello! You have been to some interesting places. I like your entrelac. The lact thing looks good too, can't wait to see!

Auntie Noo said...

Welcome back!!! it all looks lovely, especially the walks!

Kai said...

Ohhhh you have been busy! :)

Love the nature shots! So beautiful... Lasso is looking great and ice cream.. hmmmm nice.

And welcome back hon... missed ya!

Piglottie said...

Welcome back! You always have such beautiful pictures on your blog. I especially love the one of the waterfall.

Seahorse said...

Fabulous set of pics! Scones... yum!

Kath said...

Nice to have you back! Shame about the socks - as you said they look like they were knitted from separate batches of yarn and not the same skein, they are pretty none the less!
Love the walking photos (as always!) such great scenery! Looking forward to seeing your completed lace now!

LittleBerry said...

NIce to have you back have missed your posts!!! but it looks and sounds like you've been extremely busy and no winder no time to blog....

acrylik said...

Lovely to catch up on all you've been up to, all those pics are beautiful.

Entrelac is still on my to do list, will look forward to seeing what you create with it.

florencemary said...

What lovely photos and knits!

Despite your observations about the Lucy Neatby yarn, your socks still look great! I'm actually rather fond of mismatched socks, colour-wise and I think I've got a skein in this exact same colour, so I must dig it out and knit it up...

Fiona Reynolds said...

Nice to see you are back. Glad Mr C is feeling better. It looks like you've been very busy during your blogging break.

belaybunny said...

you have been busy. I love the look of the entrelac and the lacy lasso!! Lucky you getting up to the lakes, even if it did rain! I love the pattern on the socks, but I see what you mean about the colours - nevermind they still look great ;)

artyfartykat said...

Nice to have you back!
You've been so busy, the pics all look lovely, but the scones and the ice-cream...Mmmmmmmmm nice!

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Artis-Anne said...

Lovely to ee you back Helen :)
I used that shade of Lasso last year for a top , love the colours .
Great pics as usual on your blog :)