The SUN effect

I think the sun is having a strange effect on me! I don't seem able to stop knitting, sewing, gardening and generally doing things. Long may it last.

On the gardening front the raspberries are ready to pick two months early. They normally are ready in late August / September. We are still eating raspberries from last year as we had such a bumper crop, not that I am complaining. One of my favourite desserts and only 23 cals is sugar free jelly with raspberries this time of year I could eat it everyday.
The duckweek in the pond is out of control so I am making a real effort to eradicate as much as I can every time I go out to feed the fish.

My new 'Swift' arrived and I have been keen to try it out and wind some of my bargain wool. A search of my room found the only place it would fit was to my computer table, slight problem that my wool winder will only fit to a low coffee table. I placed the coffee table on my sewing table and Bingo it worked a treat and with in a couple of minutes I had two skeins of wool wound into cakes.

Strange set-up but it worked.

Last night I managed to complete one half of a pair of socks, more about them later when I complete the pair...  Also in another mad moment I have joined the  LeTour de Sock group. Based on the Tour de France [ which I love watching] it is a mad session of sock knitting with prizes and raises funds for charity. Follow the link for more information.

Right hand sock with pretty pattern and a different toe finish just needs its partner.

The weather here is still glorious and seems a shame to waste it by not washing some of my quilts.
This quilt is on Abigail's bed when she stays here and had it's first wash in the washing machine. I used a quick cycle and placed a colour catcher in with it 'just in case'.

This is my kind of washing

Close up of the hand stitching

Busy week in the Happy Room

Monday was spent showing Melody how to quilt, she had won a "day with me in my Happy Room " at a church auction. She made good progress on a rail fence with diamonds quilt. When all her blocks are made I'm happy for her to return to sort out the borders and work on adding backing and batting.
It was lovely getting to know someone I had just had a passing acquaintance with previously.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent working on my version of the rail fence with diamonds quilt.
Plus members from church came and helped Chris trim the Leylandii hedge that runs down the side of our garden, a big job for which we are very grateful.

Thursday was spent with three friends sewing in the Happy Room. My latest project is a load of fish blocks and they all wanted to have a go! By the end of the afternoon there were a lot of fish swimming about!

Time for some exercise today, so at 8.30am we set off for one of our favourite walks along the  railway line. The sky was cloudy so not as hot as it has been all week which was a blessing.
It's amazing how many people walk and cycle along this track this early in the morning. Everyone says hello and it is a nice way to start the day.

love this bench, but why do people have to leave rubbish [crisp packet]
I must remember to bring a bag so I can pick up any stray rubbish.
Can you see the square, triangle and circle cut into the uprights?

Lovely cloudy blue sky

Lots and lots of bunnies out to play.

Sweatshirts not needed for long, it soon warmed up.
5000 step walk!

Now for some more fish....

Rail fence with diamond quilt in need of the binding stitching down
My shoal of fish are growing, not such how I am going to put them together
will make a decision when I have made the rest of the fish I have cut out.

Italian Mystery

Who has been to Italy and sent me a postcard?
I received a post card this week of the beautiful Cathedral in Milan and like a Miss Marples I have been trying to find out who sent it.

It was correctly addressed except for my name which is Diana not Diane, so anyone who really knows me would certainly know that. My family have a nick name for me so I doubt it was from them, plus surely they would have included Chris in the address.

My daughter in law was in Italy for work but I doubt she would send a postcard and in any case it is dated before she was there... such a mystery is driving me nuts!

Front of the postcard

The back has drawings all over it and was addressed correctly.

Please own up if you sent it.... so I can thank you

Saturday morning walk

Up with the lark this morning, well perhaps not the lark! but by 8.30 we were ready to go out for a walk. Fancying somewhere different but not too far from home we decided on Harlestone Firs. This used to be a regular walking area when we had a dog but have not been for quite some time.

There are many different trails to choose from, some on sandy paths and some through the woods.

The undergrowth and stinging needles are shoulder high so we stuck to the sandy paths and hardly saw a soul other than the Northants search and rescue team setting up for a practise day.

The weather was warm, just right for an early morning walk

A touch of colour from the wild honeysuckle

4500 steps and its time for a most welcome hot chocolate for me, coffee for Chris in the Garden centre opposite the Firs.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Socks and wool

Another pair of socks completed, using part of Terri Knight's pattern Love Struck Hearts.
As I wanted to be able to knit the easy parts while travelling back and forth to Cornwall I only knitted two hearts on the front and one on the back of each sock. This meant I could knit the heel and foot while in the car without the need to follow a pattern [ can't do that while travelling].

Beyond Basic Knits Prima Superwash yarn 70% Superwash Merino/30% nylon

Used KnitPro Symfonie 2.5mm DPN's

While perusing the Marketplace site on Facebook I came across someone selling a collection of wool/yarn that I could not resist, happy days when it arrived...

2 x Artesano, 2 x Manos, 2 x Truly Hooked and one skein of Scruptious and one of Araucasia

all for £20 plus £10 postage.

Slight problem with all these skeins is the winding into cakes as I only have my husbands hands and he's not too keen to hold all these while I wind! Problem solved a Swift should be arriving tomorrow.

My next project is again a pair of socks, this time a little more fancy using Walk Collection yarn and trying out my new addiCrasyTrio needles that were recommended to me by a friend.

Ready to start, while watching the tennis from Queens.

Life back home

Since arriving home on Sunday it has been a non stop roller coaster of appointments, starting with a Mammogram on Monday.
It is three years since the NHS stopped asking me to attend and I think it is so important to have a test every three years, and a quick telephone call meant I could visit for my X-ray which was over within a couple of minutes.
While still on my health I was asked to have a series of blood tests which I did and I think she took an armful!  I await the results of all these tests and examination.

My hair was next on the list of appointments and a trip into town for a haircut. I had a few minutes to spare so wandered into a charity shop, and came out with a skirt, top and cardigan all from Marks and Spencer and only £10.  A really successful trip.

Tuesday evening was Hamtune Quilters meeting and Deborah O'Hare was the speaker. She was very entertaining with her scrap bag talk and art quilts... not really 'my thing' but I enjoyed the evening.
The next day I attended a workshop with her, again organised by Hamtune Quilters, it was enjoyable but rather slow paced for me, as we had to wait while everyone caught up before moving to the next step.

Workshop in progress

My 'Moon Gazing Hare'

We bought kits of hand painted fabric and everything except the backing that we needed from the tutor. I managed to complete my Hare, even using  free motion sewing on the moon. My new Janome sewing sewing machine worked a treat.

Me and Poldark

Our final day in Cornwall so it had to be Poldark day!

The ship used in the filming of Poldark is moored at Charlestown near St Austell.

Poldark ship

Surrounded by guns

Time for Chris to go below decks!

While I’m at the helm

We are off to sea... standing where Poldark has stood for the filming.

View of the harbour.

A local garden walk and meeting friends

An early morning walk around local gardens was just what the doctor ordered before setting off to meet our friends Joan and Ian for lunch.

Beautiful roses

Loved this semi circular seat covered in red roses

The gardens are well kept.

The swan taking flight on the boating lake

Love this wall

View across the lake. This was a really nice walk five minutes from the hotel.

Friends Joan and Ian who entertained us with a lovely lunch.

Wadebridge and Padstow

Decided to visit a wool shop in Wadebridge, bit of a problem as TomTom wanted us to drive up pedestrian alleyways, but eventually we found it and it was a disappointment as they had nothing special. Next stop was Padstow, where we walked around town and enjoyed the scenery.

Overlooking the busy town

The harbour was bustling with boats and yachts 

Watched this Egret walking in the muddy water as the tide was out.

Visiting the family

We had made arrangements to meet my niece and her daughter in the pub/resturant at Halford Passage for dinner.

Mabel age 9 was having a sailing lesson and out on a yacht when we arrived, so we chatted with Jessie until a dingy brought the children back to shore.

What a great ‘after school’ activity.

Docking the dingy

Mabel, the blonde, walking up to meet us.

A change of clothes for Mabel and we sat down to a really nice fish and chips meal, with a splendid view

It was lovely seeing them again, but the walk back up a large flight of stairs and then a hill to the car had me huffing and puffing!

Newquay Zoo

We decided to stay close to ‘home’ this morning with a visit to the Newquay Zoo. The sun was shining as it has been ever since we arrived.

It has been a long time since I visited a zoo, I am far more used to visiting the Safari Park where animals have large areas to roam, it was sad to see the larger animals in such confined spaces but they all looked healthy and well cared for.

Some of my favourites were the tiny frogs and pretty birds.

Lemurs sunbathing

Every time I tried to take a photo Mr Owl turned his head, patience won the day.

Penguins at play

Mr Lion had two wives in the cage with him

This Lynx looked so healthy

Show off!

Mr Deer also had two ladies with him

Not sure what these were called, Worty Pigs I think 

The Japanese section

Our tickets are valid for a free return all week so we may go back, there was so much to see.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped to pick up a couple of things from Aldi and the view from the car park was just breath taking.

It was so nice to see a group of school children in their wetsuits learning to surf, something you could not even dream about when I was at school!

The view from Aldi car park

School children finishing their lesson on surfing