Weekend in Kings Lyn

David had worked out the closest coastal area...well it seems that we have moved to the place in the UK the furthest from the sea! We also liked Kings Lyn, the last time we were in that area, so when got the urge to go away, we waited for a favourable weather forecast....and using the net, I found a bed for the night, and come Saturday morning, we had an early start.

Everything else was pot luck, and mostly it went well. The weather was the finest we had had for a few weeks and the journey went smoothly. First stop found us looking round St Mary in the little hamlet of Fotheringhay. The impact of the Church on the skyline was due in part to its proportions. Then we stopped in Wisbech, where I picked up some snowdrops etc in pots from the market, to help bring a little of spring to the garden back home.

Finally in Kings Lyn, we explored the old historic part bathed in a watery winter sun. The Custom House is open, and well worth a visit. As we walked around we were weighing up the best place to eat. The first and best place we found was Maggie's. That evening we had a delightful meal, delicious and with very good service. I definitely recommend this place and Nick Anderson the chef came out to chat at the end of the evening. Home made bread was ample and delicious, and excellent dishes of local food expertly cooked.

Sunday morning, on the way for our walk by the sea, we stopped at Castle Rising. The few hours we spent there and the meal we had the previous night, on their own were worth the drive. We did the full tour of the Castle, then walked round the village, spying two lovable Gloucester Old Spot pigs, sheep, snow drops, sheep a grazing etc. After fish and chips out in the open by the sea and a walk in the fresh air, we wound our way back home. Driving westward with the sun straight in the eyes we got home, in time t0 unpack and gently unwind.

Panic set in though, when I looked for my shawl to snuggle under as we watched our regular Sunday evening show: Kingdom, staring Stephen Fry, which by the way is set in the areas surrounding Kings Lyn. I had left my shawl at the hotel!!!!!! It had got mixed up with the bedding, as I had used it to keep warm.

I went to bed with a heavy heart having been told by the duty person at the hotel that none had been handed in but that the Chambermaid would be consulted in the morning. So many thoughts went through my head. I mourned my shawl, knitted up from a donation and handed out at the Wroughton Library Group, form whom we never knew. The Wool was lace weight and had been hand spun and dyed, I had the wind the lot by hand, then select the best fit from the coloured balls which I knitted up to a Shetland pattern. There are so many memories woven into this piece, I felt a sense of loss, but then gradually I started to think about the possibilities: would we be reunited, or would this be the opportunity to order new yarn from Shetland and knit up another one? I decided that either would be fine as I fell asleep.

Early Monday more phone calls to the hotel yielded good news. The duty staff member whom I had spoken to decided to phone up the chambermaid as she wanted to make sure that my shawl did not inadvertently get sent off with the early laundry. The shawl had been found on the Sunday morning but had been placed not usually used for lost items, so thanks to all, the shawl and I shall be reunited later this week via Royal Mail.

Monday was a very good day and the sun shone!

Blocking a Swallow Tail Shawl

Its the second time I've knitted this pattern which I took from my first copy of Interweave magazine. The yarn is a blend of cashmere and silk, and is lovely and warm, and washes well. The whole piece weighs less than 20 grams.

I wear the original one, most days, and it is like a warm breath down my back and no weight at all. I call this my tucker, and when I am wearing it, I feel wonderful, just like wearing some favourite perfume.

A tucker as in 'best bib and tucker', was an important part of a ladies dress dating back several centuries.

My knitting muse, the extreme knitter, and extremely good knitter, introduced me to lace knitting, and Sharon Miller. It was from Sharon that I bought my dressing rods. Today I had yet another further improvement in my dressing technique! I used the drying stand and whilst threading the rods through the edge of the lace, I discovered that I could use the corner construction of the drier to keep the rods square and tensioned. Along the long edge, as well as threading the rod through the edge, I also wove a wire in and out through the shawl and the mesh which forms the bed of the drier. The shawl is well aired and has dried far more quickly than on a towel which I had used up to now. On the towel I also found that it was not easy to anchor the pins themselves in order to keep the right tension on the piece to be blocked.

I started this shawl on Christmas Day and cast off the last stitch on 17 January, and now it is ready to give to a new knitting friend whom I met on an my first knitting day course led by Debbie Abrahams.

Happier New Year

I just can't believe how long it is since I last posted. Perhpas a New Year's resolution, will be to visit at leat once a week!

I shall forgive myself, s beeing poorly is not a nice thing, and I need to look forward to a new year with interesting things to do, kind people to please and be pleased by, and better health!

Sharing Bread Making Skills

If anyone had come to the door today they would have been roped into a group bread making session. Well three is more of a group that two!

MC is already accomplished in the arts of the kitchen, most certainly in the area of chocolate muffins, very yummy, delicious quiche eaten today, bramble crumbles, etc. with which she has helped bring sustenance and pleasure to us two new Kenilworth residents. So it was a pleasure to share some of the skills and tips which I have developed and acquired over the last two years, since becoming a domestic hand bread maker.

By the way my son Matthew works for Panasonic, the makers of the best electric automatic bread makers, and has already offered to get me one. I just like the sensual manipulation of the dough, and the ability to make a wide variety of bread from just one batch of dough, so I turned down the offer for now!

Today's output was made from 1kg white flour made into my olive oil bread, making a plain loaf, tomato and anchovy focaccia, and roasted pepper and onion with cheese wheels. MC passed with flying colours and is here with her results for you to see. Well done MC!

Season for making the most of good weather

Bright days at this time of the year concentrate the gardeners' minds around getting in precious plants and sorting out the garden. Mr S(tash) and I worked hard and cleared several piles of rubbish, with trips to the local dump, with soil, rubble, plant, and metals being sorted into seperate bins.

Bright days also mean that I feel the urge to go out on the bike to explore the area. There are other excuses I dream up and quite properly carry out: picking the last the year's brambles, getting fit, hardening up one's saddle, finding happy hens and owners who sell eggs, for how else can I appease Mr S who is at work. Here at the Hatton Locks on the Grand Union Canal I rested, got out my map, and began to wonder if I had gone too far. It was worth it!

For a treat on Sunday after our chores in the garden, I showed Mr S round Warwick. I had already there once been on the bus to meet up with a new friend, who gave me a splendid tour.

There are two good yarn shops in Warwick, so there will be more trips there I am sure!

Mr S and I also popped into Hill Close Gardens which are being brought back to life, after serving orginally as pleasure gardens for the shop keepers of Warwick.

The sheds in Hill Close Gardens have been refurbished to my mind to the state of Luxury Race Course Gazebos. They are truely lovely and the materials used of inspirational aesthetic quality. They are a far site from the shed of my friend and digger extraordinaire Ron. But Ron loves his shed and would far rather sit in the door overlooking his well dug plot shading his eyes from the low autumn sun, whilst puffing on his cigarette...will Ron ever tidy it up, well some day perhaps!