Weekend in Dorset

This weekend we went down to Dorset and spent the day in Salisbury on Saturday. The weather was very wet so we didn't take any photos. We wandered around the market, there were lots of tasty smells. Fresh bread which we bought, pies, fish, cheese (yes bought some of that too), olives, coffee and fresh flowers. We bought the final book in the series of "Lemoney Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events " for Em and Jeffrey Deavers book "Coffin Dancer" for Tony (a gripping yarn not for the faint hearted, I've already read it). I was looking for a shop that kept knitting books. I wanted to get hold of "Charmed Knits" to see what it was like and also to browse some other knitting books. But I didn't find the right bookshop. I was struggling to walk towards the afternoon as I have hurt my foot and so I gave up. I'm going to see a podiatrist on Thursday about my foot, so I hope he can do something for me.

During the week I started knitting a pair of socks. The pattern was in a magazine called "Knit Today"

I thought I would try making them using some ordinary acrylic yarn so that if I made a complete mess of the knitting I wouldn't waste the yarn.

Happily I think my socks are going to be a success. I have now finished one (it fits) and I have started the second one. So my next adventure will be to try and find some lovely sock wool. I think the possibilities are endless!

Box Hill Week

Last week was the fieldwork trips to Box Hill, Surrey. Over four days the Geography Department took 240 students to assess the impact of tourism on the landscape at Box Hill. The weather was warm and sunny and the trip was a success.
That was a relief as I booked it and processed all the payments and associated paperwork.

Guest-Emily

Hi I'm Emily, Em for short! A little bit about me...

I love to spend time with my friends. I love to take pictures with my digital camera, I am always up for a good book, movie or playing on my computer. Once when I got my first digital camera I was experimenting with it. I suddenly had a thought that I could take a photo of myself, so I turned it around and made an odd face. when I saw it on the screen I burst out laughing! When Mum saw it she was in tears of laughter! So I'm a bit mad, but who cares, well definetly not me!

this is the photo!

High School Musical 2 Has arrived in the UK, it premiered on Friday 21st September 2007 on Disney Channel. I love High school Musical 1 and 2, they are great movies. My Mum, Jane can't stop singing the songs! My fave character is Chad - Corbin Bleu because he is really funny, he is also gorgeous! but that's not quite why I like him. He shows in the movie that he is an outstanding and kind person, he really evolves throughout the movie and becomes trustworthy and understanding. I think he is a person with a big heart. That's why I'm a HUGE fan!

Corbin Bleu.

Last tea cozy

Phew! thank goodness thats done. Tony keeps teasing that they could double up as hats for teddy bears ( I have a large collection of bears who would love to borrow these cosies as hats!)

Tea cosy No.4

I think at the moment this is my favourite cosy I love the colours, sad isn't it! I think i will stop at five cosies and move on to something else.

More Teacosies

Tea Cosy No. 2 a variation on the Jean Greenhowe pattern but this one has stars and a lantern

Tea cosy No. 3 based on the pattern from Laughing Hens using some colours from my local shop

Finally the best news for us came at the beginning of the week, Emily had at last risen high enough up the waiting list to start at the school where I work. Emily was so excited and happy and she is settling in really well and making lots of friends.

Now I'm starting tea cosy No. 4. By the time I've knitted 10 I'll probably never want to see another tea cosy pattern ever again! I am enjoying knitting the cosies but I have my eye on attempting some socks, buying a couple of books - Charmed Knits and Classic Knits for Real Women amongst others, and finding more lovely patterns to knit.

There is a chill to the air in the mornings and it now begins to feel like Autumn. Our tomatoes have been lovely this year - we grew Tumbler in wall pots and they have given us a sweet tasty crop, although because of the cold weather they seemed to take ages to ripen. Next year I will try some more vegetables but as our garden is tiny there won't be many.

It is a rectangular plot 15ft long by 20 ft wide. Although it faces east we have the house next door blocking the sun during the afternoon. This is nice in the summer as the garden is often in partial shade by 1pm and full shade by 3.30pm. In the winter the sun barely touches the garden for more than a couple of hours, so our garden is suitable for shade loving plants.

I planned and planted it myself and got a builder/landscaper in to do the heavy work.

Autumn

Nymans Gardens, Handcross, Sussex. A patch of Cyclamen in flower amongst Oak trees.

Autumn has arrived and on Sunday as the weather was so nice we went to visit Nymans Garden.

The borders were full of colour and a huge variety of plants, the sun was warm and it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday.

I studied Horticulture (plants) when I left school and went on to become a Garden Centre assistant manager, then a full time gardener finally giving up due to a back injury. So now I enjoy visiting gardens with Tony & Emily and looking after my own garden.

Nymans house and garden was home to the Messel family from 1890 and was given to the National Trust in 1953. Part of the house was destroyed by fire in 1947. The ruins can still be seen today as well as some rooms which the family still used until 1953, in the remaining wing of the house.

The view above and below was taken from the pergola platform over looking the croquet lawn. The view is of the house and the other is looking out across the Sussex Weald (countryside)