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Ofsted are here! (School Inspection)...stressful....!!!!

Do what you love.......

I was given these earrings for Christmas. Perhaps it should be our family motto? It seems to work for us anyway. Today is our 28th wedding anniversary!

We have had a good week pottering around the family castle! I have got some knitting done. On the left 'geographical socks' 7 on the right 'Twining Leaf'. What? Surely they were blue a few days ago? Correct. I frogged them yesterday. The Dream in Color Smooshy just looked lumpy. Too good a yarn to waste so I started again with Araucania 'Ranco' in a lovely leafy shade.

The yarn was part of my lovely Spring Swap gift from Tina. Yarn....

two lovely felted baskets, chocolate & home made applesauce!

I gifted Jess a pair of mittens (pattern 'Mushy peas' & yarn 'Organic DK Merino' from Krafty Koala) & 'The little book of socks'. The yarn was fantastic to knit with & I loved the pattern (there is a hat pattern too). The swap produced some fab. knitted items as usual & we had another great evening.

....in where I cast on my 'geographical' socks

I have found a pattern for some socks that can only be described (by me at least!) as 'Geographical'. The pattern is called 'topographical' & the yarn is 'trekking xxl handpainted' in colourway 'Vulcan'! It actually seems to be an excellent (& fairly easy) pattern for self striped yarn & an alternative to personal favorite 'Queen Carolina's'. After I cast on I realised that they were also eligible for the Ravelry SKA April challenge -under appreciated patterns, written before Feb 1 2009. This is my second cast on in this category (what am I thinking?). The first ones (Twinning Lace) are at the first ankle. I love the colour. I love the yarn (Dream in Color Smooshy). I love the pattern. Do I love the socks? Not sure. I am sure they will feel fab. The smooshy is...... well smooshy, but seems a bit chunky for regular fingering yarn. What d'y think?

I would love to knit a 'smooshy' wrap or shawl though!

I have made some progress on 'Woodland Shawl', although the 'sock fest' has slowed it down a little. Cleite is here ,but I don't think the photograph does it justice- it isn't so 'busy' in real life. Maybe I will do a 'model' shot when not wearing sweatshirt & freshly out of the shower!

Today is Monday. Mr J & I have realised that this is the first Monday that we will have spent at home (rather than work or elsewhere) since August. We don't have alot planned. Hopefully my seeds will arrive from Dobies this morning so I can make the first sewing's of vegetables & salad crops in the polytunnel. If they don't I think I have some carrots & stir fry leaf salad left from last year. Mr J did a splendid job of digging it all over & building a little store outside to house all the pots & things when not in use. We need to re-install the drip feed watering system & its all good to go. Hopefully we can deter slugs & mice this year!

I am also learning about 'Twitter'. Didn't understand it when my friends mentioned it, so the only way to learn, imho, is to have a go (I am a visual/kinesthetic learner if you hadn't guessed!). I now occasionally 'tweet' as 'fromonthehill'!!!!

lunchtime update: My seed order arrived & (for my records) I have just made 1st sewing's of carrot ideal, carrot purple haze (yes! purple carrots),leaf salad french mix, leaf salad lettuce special mixed (I am so fed up with paying £1.50+ for a bag of salad!), beetroot cylindra, sweet basil, lila(red spring onion), Dwarf bean 'Stanley' & 'Purple Burpee', Courgettes, sunflowers, French & English marigolds (Apricot Tart!), rubekia & lobilia. Mr J requested a yellow/orange theme for the flower bed this year!

Sing a powerful song!

Mr J & I went to see The Saw Doctors in concert at The Royal Hall in Harrogate last night! What a great way to start the Easter Holidays! They were FANTASTIC! One long party of fun & irishness! Everyone clapped, bopped & sang along. My hands hurt from clapping & my face ached from smiling! If you have a liking for this brand of excellence, then go see them if you can!

Did I mention it was holiday time in teacher land? It is & not a day too soon! Not skiing this Easter but spending time doing up the old castle a bit & (shh, don't tell Mr J) knitting! Cleite shawl is blocking on my bed & I have plans for a sock cast on fest. this afternoon! Pictures will follow.

I do have a couple of pictures of our 'venture to Kent to pick up son & heir (home safely & quickly back in employment to earn some dosh before rejoining academia(!) in September.

This is Bodiam Castle, which is a treat in the spring sunshine:The two geographers had to, of course, go have a look at Dungeness. Its a huge shingle spit, backed by Romney Marsh. Its odd! Its described by some as fragile & eclectic! The garden & shack used to belong to the filmmaker Derek Jarman.

Its fab. to have our skier back. The house (broke the sofa within 10 minutes of been back) & food bill are noticing the difference!