It's been a while...........................

It really has been a while since I last updated but I have to say things have been pretty manic over the last month. I can't believe the last thing I posted was the Brownie recipie.
Easter weekend went very well and seems like ages away and it was spent with various friends over various meals - a very relaxing weekend indeed. A good job really so at least I was rested when the phone call came on the Tuesday. The phone call that every teacher dreads - the inspector rang to say he would be coming on Thursday. So we had just over 24 hours notice to get all the paperwork gathered up and in the right place, email off documents and do a general tidy around the school. I was first up to meet at him at 8am. This was all going on alongside the regular parent consultations and sending out of mid year reports. My days off that week were numbered. Having said all that I still managed to get to the Kniterati book group and do a stint at the Relax and Knit stand at Olympia at the Stitch and Craft show. I am not sure how I actually managed to get to Friday. No time to recoup at the weekend as it too was already packed to bursting.
Saturday was the usual ballet run followed by DH going off to Cambridge for a reunion dinner and Em and I dashing to Putney for knitty meet up with the Crimson Cafe Crew. That would have been fine except for the problems with the trains and signals between Mortlake and Putney being down. Anyway we made it and were able to chill for a little while at least. Our return journey was nowhere near as fraut. The Sunday presented its own problems. An early start to get to Eastbourne for a joint retirement and 75th Birthday celebration. No problem I hear you all say. Normally no but when one of the required party is in Cambridge and his train stops outside Bishop Storford for one and a half hours due to a fire in the signal box you do start to worry just a little.
Finally we were all in the same place to set off on our journey and in the end this was fairly uneventful and I made it back for knitting group on time.
The next few days were spent just getting ready to go away on holiday and get packed in between attending a production of the Pest House (a collaborative dance show from locals schools), planning for the next term, school events etc and keeping my sanity.
By the Friday at 9:15pm we finally took off and headed for Antalya, Turkey. If I ever needed a holiday this was it so I was pleased when I was greeted with the following scences for a weeks knitting by the pool. I make no apologise for the large pictures.
Papillon Hotels - Hotel Belvil, Belek

I have to confess to not actually going into the water all week as it was still a little too cold for my liking at this time of year.

This is one of the fabulous views from the hotel window.

This was the main restaurant and facities building.
These were taken on the Sunday when it was snow back at home.

I have managed to get a fair bit on knitting done including on the plane there and back. I was able to start and finish my Sea Vines vest kit which I had for my birthday and knit one half of a pair of socks. I was really pleased that having finished the Fog sweater, which was the first that I had knit in the round that I would adapt the Sea Vines vest and do the same. It has worked really well and no sewing up. Hurray. I wanted to wear it on the last evening but it will need blocking first so that you can see the pattern propaly as it ruffles up at the moment.







This was sitting up on the balcony of our room. The colour of the top and me were almost indistinguishable at points over the week and the legs are still suffering.


I started these on the plane and took Brittany wooden needles and the yarn but didn't cast on until I was actually in the air and it was too late to do anything about it. That way I thought the worst that could happen would be that I would have to hand over my Brittany's but not have to frog anything. The yarn in Cherry Tree Hill and is just divine to knit with. The pattern is my own of sorts so I will write it up when I have a bit of time although it is nothing adventurous really just basic socks with a cable running down it. I am really pleased with the way they have knitted up but a very tight squeeze to get a pair out in the size I am knitting for as I only had 51grms left after the first sock.

I took my lovely Harmony Knitpicks in my main luggage for the weeks knitting and these proved invaluable, especially when it came to putting stitches onto holders. You just leave them there and then screw on ends and attach the options to a new wire. Fantastic. Also the Know knits pouches have also been just right for holiday knitting near to water. I got the small one from Socktopus and the medium size one was a gift from ORK at Christmas, I also own a large one which stayed at home that I bought in Iknit just after my birthday.