Sunday, October 08, 2006

I have mirrors!

Last week Hire a Hubby (who actually turned out to be "Hire a Son" and "Hire Son's Friend") came round to sort out things in my house. So I now have mirrors up (and coat hooks, pictures, shelves, clear guttering, a water butt attached to the downpipe and curtain tie backs at all windows). So, finally I can show some very bad photos of Eloise. This is in on my upstairs landing, with the curtains open the light was just all wrong, at least this way you can sort of see Eloise and the camera flash hides my zits.

And the bathroom mirror (this is a recycled mirror, no less! I scavenged it when my parents were having a new bathroom put in a couple of years ago). The mirror also covers up the holes I made (see here and scroll down a bit) when I was attempting to put it up myself...

Eloise seems to have been on the go for ages. I started her on holiday back in June but then house moving, hot weather and a sprained wrist all got in the way. I also didn't have enough yarn (despite buying the no. of balls specified) but luckily Joy from Knit Lincs had some left over from her Eloise in the same colour.
Specifications:
Pattern: Eloise from Noro Knits
Size: XS (but it took 7.5 balls rather than the 7 balls specified in the pattern!)
Yarn: Noro Blossom. Colour no. 13. Bought at Yarn on the Knit Lincs trip back in May.
Needles: 4.5mm Surina wooden straights. The pattern states 5mm, but I needed to go down to get gauge (which perhaps explains why I needed extra yarn?).

Did anyone else watch the new BBC version of Robin Hood last night? I thought it was quite good, although Robin Hood appeared to be aged 10 (see, I really am turning into an old fart) and I had no idea that mascara and lipstick were so big in twelfth century England...
What was even more bizarre were the constant references to where I live. The series was actually shot in Hungary, but of course Robin Hood was in Sherwood Forest. Where I live. (well OK, the district of Newark and Sherwood, but it's the same thing).

Yesterday I found a lake only 10 minutes walk from my house. I'm not really totally unobservant as it is tucked away behind a housing estate. I'd ordered an Ordnance Survey map centred on my postcode (Newark is annoying on the edge of 4 map sheets) and had it framed. It got hung on my wall during the Hire a Hubby spree last week and close inspection revealed a very large puddle not far away. So I went off on a little explore yesterday, and found this:









Isn't it fab? And I could have lived here for years and never found it! It seems to be owned by the Parish Council and is for everyone to use. There were lots of dog walkers out and about, but I'm pleased to say that most seemed to be very well-behaved as I only sighted one pile of dog poo on my walk. I get SOOOOOO annoyed with people who don't clear up after their dogs. Grrrrr. Anyway, the lake is beautiful, and bounded on one side by one of the national cycle routes. I shall be visiting here again, hopefully often!

Latest book review: Imperium by Robert Harris follows the early years of Cicero's political career in Rome. The Guardian digest of it is quite harsh (although it still made me reserve it at the library!) and I did find the book a little ponderous to start with. It didn't help that I didn't expect the library to get it for me quite so fast and with somebody else wanting it after me I had a deadline to meet reading it! I thought Harris made a good job of getting across the intrigues and politics of Ancient Rome, the personalities involved and the life and death nature of what was going on. It was certainly an improvement on reading Cicero himself in Latin, and made me wish the novel had been around when I was doing A Level Latin... That probably makes it sound a little studious, but it isn't as Harris manages to get across what is a lot of detail in an entertaining way.

9 comments:

Spinningsue said...

That's some puddle!

Anonymous said...

(Now using Opera...) John suspects some "dodgy Java code" on your blog - certainly Firefox closes down every single time I use it to look at your blog - and doesn't misbehave for anyone else...

Seahorse said...

Eloise looks lovely! The lake is a super find. I finished 'Imperium' too. I did enjoy it but for some reason I can't quite place, I was left with a vague sense of disappointment. The Guardian review is very funny!

KnitYoga said...

Well done for finishing Eloise which looks really nice and a good fit, too! I love your lake photos. We have somewhere very similar with a lake and all called Woodlands Walk and it's owned by the Parish Council, too! It's a little haven. I love going there for a walk when I can find the time.

Piglottie said...

It must be a relief to get those little jobs done around the house! Eloise looks wonderful and the pics of your walk are great (I too get miffed with dog owners who don't clear up after themselves, gives everyone else a bad name). I'm not sure about the new Robin Hood. Like you, I think Robin is too young - not believable that he's just spent 4 years slogging it out in the Crusades. Shall keep watching to see if it improves.

Mary Anne said...

What a lovely 'puddle' near your house. Perfect area for walking and pondering your next knitting project! Thanks for the book review also.
ps: (I see a comment from Anne re something iffy on your blog. I get a warning of popups when I click on your blog, Daisy. Not sure what's going on.

acrylik said...

Love Eloise, it's beautiful.

How wonderful to find that lake - looks like a lovely place for fresh autumnal walks!

Rain said...

Eloise is lovely, it looks like a great fit.

The lake is stunning, what a great find.

Jamie said...

What a beautiful puddle! Looks like a wonderful place for walks and maybe some peaceful knitting when the weather cooperates. Congrats on finishing Eloise, she looks lovely.