Some blog news and some plans for the future

Exciting news from the blog world: Jane is blogging again about her new house (in Cambridge) and stained glass and cooking and sewing and looking at things! Always something nice to see there, and I'm glad she's back!

Exciting news from me: I'm going away for two weeks. I don't think you'll miss me, since two weeks without a post is not that unusual around here. I have, of course, picked out some knitting to take. I believe I will make a hat and maybe a scarf, or maybe I'll take out the bit of the scarf I've started and do something else. (See below, plans change on the fly...)

Exciting thing #2: We put Elaine on the bus this morning and she is off on another camping adventure in the wild woods.

She has a raincoat and sunscreen, and long johns and a bug jacket, so I think she'll survive. I have a friend whose daughter is off on a dig in Europe, texting constantly about the scorpions and snakes. Is that better or worse than no communication at all for three weeks?

I realised recently that I have done nothing this year on UFOs from the past. Sweaters started decades ago that need a bit of edging; squares that should be a cushion cover or blanket by now. Perhaps in the fall I'll get on that. I also, duh, want to start something new.

I had a whim which seems to have become a plan: walking across Hadrian's Wall next spring. Now, there is much to be sorted out about that, but one question looms large -- do I get to knit a cool new sweater? I suggested three to a group on Ravelry: Ceilidh, Rogue and Hiker. All of them are made with heavyish yarn, suitable for gallivanting about on the moors and the dales and the crags and all that, I thought. But no, everyone is telling me to make something lighter. Right now it is in the 30s Celsius around here in the daytime and I can't quite get my head around the weather in May in the north of England, but I think if I can't wear a big sweater then, when can I?

Look, it's perfect:

It's Rowan's picture

I could make a multicoloured waistcoat, I suppose. That would keep me warm and chic, but not too warm. How about this? I have the pattern and I have the yarn. It's a slip-stitch pattern, not stranded, so I wouldn't likely go completely bonkers knitting it. Possible, possible.

So tomorrow I just have to pack to go away, swatch a bit of this pattern (having first found the magazine that the pattern is in), do all the dishes and clean up the living room, oh, sew a new tote bag to take....

Arrivederci! (No, I'm not going to Italy.)