Time to catch up

I seem to have had little to blog about of late, and yet now I sit down to post a couple of photos, I've come across some other small finished things which I haven't mentioned. I think this is the best part of blogging - charting small achievements which would otherwise go unmentioned, forgotten within a few days.

Firstly, I don't think I mentioned the "Wine and Roses" mitts (Interweave Knits Winter 2006), which I decided to knit using the February Posh Yarns Sock Club yarn. I finished one of these and felt underwhelmed by the end result, somehow. Maybe they're not quite my colour, perhaps a smaller needle would have given me a more satisfying finish? Anyway, I did one and left it to one side until my Mum arrived and enthused about it enough to encourage me to complete the pair for her.

There was enough yarn left over to knit a quick "Misty Garden" (Scarf Style) to match, though the colours in the two photographs are so different, you'll just have to take my word for the fact that they do!

What to knit next? Though I am still spooked by Ene (another Scarf Style pattern), I'm umming and aaaahing and cast on a pair of socks instead. When in doubt, cast on socks! I had a great skein of FleeceArtist merino in Cosmic Dawn and started a pair of Pomatomus. Great pattern - but better in a plain or self-coloured yarn rather than this flashy multicolour job! So, after a bit of ripping, a second pair of Jaywalkers is on the needles.

Yes, I can hear Sue saying "but I thought you swore never to knit another pair of those?" The difference is, that this time I'm not trying to do them on two circs!

Other stuff around here: it's a glorious Saturday afternoon, the sun is shining and the birds are singing. We have more frogspawn in pond and anyone would think it was March.

Oh, and I have a new favourite flower in my vase.

"In fairy tales frogs are apt to change into princes and it was an Asian prince in just such a story who gave his name to this flower, which grows naturally in swampy ground. The prince was so good-looking that he was loved by everyone. He also had a beautiful voice but this was his undoing. He loved the open country and sang delightful songs in the presence of nymphs. He did not have the courage to declare his love to them and this haunted him so much that he died. After his death he was changed into the flower with delicate tissuey petals which bears his name." From The Flower and Plant Association website

An afternoon with the girls

I spent this afternoon in the company of more than 700 ladies - all but nine of them had four legs! We'd been invited to go along to a local dairy farm to see what goes on and had a wonderfully interesting time. Who knew that cows wear pedometers?! (of course, I now notice that this particular one hasn't got her bracelet on....but believe me, all the others did!)

By the time we left, the herd was larger by one as this little calf was born in a quiet corner of the shed and we saw her take her first wobbly steps. What a privilege!

Seems we're not alone

"He’s not much over 5ft tall, thin as a rake, and could probably get away with paying half-fare on the bus."

This quote, pulled from an article in today's Times reveals that Richard Morrison shares our opinion of Gustavo Dudamel, having been to both CBSO concerts too.

"Da boy is da man"

They say is so eloquently in Orange County!

No idea when I'll use it, but.....

I think this is fun!

Waking up on a Gloucestershire morning

I was not the only one waking up slowly around 7am this morning. For at least half an hour before that, some little perisher was singing his heart out. Anyone would think it was Spring - but I don't think we're quite there yet even if it was a beautiful morning, as you can see.

I nipped downstairs and grabbed my ipod voice recorder to share the fun and leaned out of the window to take a photo at the same time. It's taken me all day to get this post together and only now do I realise that good old BBC Breakfast News is there in the background.

If you have any idea what bird has got that marvellous voice, I'd love to know so I can look out for him/her. And though it sounds like we live in the middle of the jungle, rest assured, this really is only deepest, darkest Gloucestershire!