Julia's KnitWits Blog

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Do you ever get one of those days when you just wonder why you bother and you could just do with stopping the world and getting off for a few days? Well, I've had one of those!

We were planning to go camping on Bodmin Moor on Wednesday to one of the farms which supplies Cornish Organic with its wool - it's a wonderful spot and Dominic rents out Mongolian Yurts and has a great campsite and the most fantastic solar powered shower block imagineable - you can see it here. We always drive straight over Bodmin en route home so I thought a couple of days there en route to Exmoor (where we're meeting a bunch of friends this weekend) would be a nice break.

However, on the way to the Barn (scene of fire back in March, remember?) to see the central heating engineer who may (or may not) be fitting new, more economical boiler (which is not covered under the insurance but is just unbelievably ancient and, therefore, inefficient) - FB posed the awkward question as to whether we can or cannot afford said new boiler. My reply was that, basically, I haven't done the necessary accounts for a while so am not actually sure but said accounts might be finished at about mid-night tomorrow night and I'd give him an answer then. We have, therefore, regrettably cancelled 2 nights at South Penquite in favour of me spending 2 uninterrupted days in the office getting all paperwork finished and off to the accountant so that I can "relax" (FB's terminology) over the summer.

I have mixed feelings - sorry to be driving over (and past) Bodmin - again but relief that, maybe he's right, and two full uninterrupted days in the office might just get me up and going again.

In the meantime, the Wool Britannia competition is now closed and we have chosen a winner! Roseberry Topping was our favourite and is an unusually shaped hill in North Yorkshire. I also think the colour of the wool looks amazingly like some fruit topping you might put on ice cream or a pie. The name was, in fact, chosen by two ladies who are each receiving a kilo of Wool Britannia as their prize. They can select their own colour but something tells me they might both be selecting "their" colour, no? All other entrants will be receiving their 10% off vouchers in the near future (I inserted letters and shade charts into 101 envelopes last night {after the tennis})- just as soon as poor Thomas has worked out how to deduct 10% off the gross price and not the net (which is where we're at at the moment). FB is going to spend the two "not camping" days dyeing more batches of the colours we're low in so we're fit and ready for all the orders.

I'm also still writing up the pattern for a fab Wool Britannia waistcoat that Tracey and I designed. Writing it up in 6 sizes when you've only knitted one is challenging my poor brain cells. As soon as it's done you'll see the pics.

At home we're eagerly awaiting new chicks (needless to say we've lost count of when they're due - I'm betting on Wednesday - and, yes, writing it on a calendar would have been the obvious thing to do), there's a force 6 gail threatening so no fishing so G mowed the lawn and they've put up the badminton net so now they can beat each other up over who's won or lost at that - pure joy.