Wet weekend

Well, we've probably been fairly lucky with the amount of good weather we've had this autumn, but now the rain is here, it's really here! We went up to Grizedale Forest today and managed a long time in the (very nice) coffee shop and a short time outside in the pouring rain.
It's always been something of a habit for us to end up having a pub lunch of a Sunday, although before P came along we usually didn't end up eating until mid-afternoon. Today though we continued the habit, but at the right time of day. The Eagle's Head had all that you want from a country pub on a wet day- open fires, locally brewed beer (for him), lovely food and surely the hardest working landlord in Cumbria- he was serving at the bar, taking and serving food orders and setting up for a band that night simultaneously. With a smile on his face!
We retreated back home and soon I was faced with what I think will be a familiar sight as time goes on- my husband and my son completely engrossed in fiddling about with a bike wheel. I'm not entirely convinced that P was exactly helping this time, but as I've mentioned before he definitely seems to have inherited the grease-monkey gene so I don't think it'll be long.

Knit, knit, knit

So here is the birthday request that took all that cabling. I prefer to think of it as an homage to the Burberry version, rather than a rip-off! I'm really pleased with how it came out. The cabling pattern was from the 'Helsinki' wrap in Rowan magazine 42 and I made it using Sublime organic merino- so soft! Apparently the birthday girl is pleased, and I'm looking forward to pics of her modelling it.
Next up was the hat promised to my brother. If you're reading this T I'll get it in the post tomorrow! The request was for dark colours and stripes. I know red is a bit of a bright, but the tones of Rowan Felted Tweed (I know, again! And wait until you read on, you'll think I'm sponsored by them or something!) are quite soft and subtle and it knits up very soft but with a sort of...integrity I suppose, certainly a good structure. Any way, hopefully it will fit and will please the wearer to be.
So then I should be cracking on with the tea-cosies I've been planning for oh, ages then? Well yeeeesss, but noooooo. The thing is, the red of the above hat was so lovely, but I had quite a lot left over. Then I got to thinking that I was pretty sure that the slipover that I really liked in Rowan 42 had some red in it and I was fairly certain it was in Felted Tweed. It was, so somehow on a dark and dreary night I found myself ordering a rainbow-ette of other colours and then a few days later scooting out to Williams Wools in Kendal for some new 3.75mm Brittany needles and before you know it, I'm tackling some serious fairisle. Well, I haven't knitted anything for myself for ages, so those little brown teapots are just going to have to stay chilly for a bit longer!

Wild and woolly

The weather continues to throw itself wildly against our little corner of the world at the moment, but having finally found the boy's waterproof suit (AWOL since the move) we went out nonetheless. A short and very windy walk by the sea at Walney Island gave us an appetite for being indoors again, so while P found new and ingenious ways to endanger himself by climbing on various pieces of furniture I did some phone work on a writing project I'm doing at the moment. Also managed a tiny bit of knitting, although most of this was last night's progress.

When the weather gets tough, the tough get cooking

Well, it was a weekending of wonder. First, on Friday a joyful and lovely wedding then braving some wild weather over the weekend, culminating in a probably foolhardy drive back from Windermere, negotiating winding country roads, in the dark and rain, through floods and standing water! This after an abandoned attempt at walking at Tarn Hows (called off due to wind that would have felled a toddler, even in his rainproof suit and wellies) and a too-late attempt to visit Blackwell (we went to the teashop instead and have promised ourselves a proper look soon). Having braved the floods on the way in, we didn't want a completely wasted journey, so we ended up at the Water Mill at Ings, where the micro-brewery beers were responsible for me being named driver!
As peace (of a sort!) descended on our house once again today, the weather had other ideas. As rain lashed against the window panes, we settled in with tea and the radio to catch up on some cooking and tried not to think of how Granny and Grandpa are by now sunning themselves in Barbados (Happy Honeymoon!). I decided to improvise with the contents of the two pumpkins and made a soup flavoured with a red chilli, grated ginger and thyme. If we decide to brave it for a walk tomorrow, I think this will be in the flask.
Also on the stove- butternut squash and red pepper curry with coconut milk and a vegetable stew. We can now just about see into the fridge again, and the freezer is comfortingly stocked up.
As you can see, after all this industry a nap was called for, which gave me the chance to start yet another knitted birthday project. Which reminds me, on Friday I'll be able to show the last one, as the birthday girl will have seen the results of all that cabling.