Mini Holiday

I decided to enjoy my half term holiday by spending a few days with my parent's in Sheffield. It's been really nice to relax. I got chance to see a few old friends. We drove up to Wentworth and visited Wingham Wool Work and Elsecar Heritage Centre, where we got to see this train.

We got chatting to one of the railway volunteers and got a private tour of the warehouse. I got to climb into the cabin of one of the trains, a Sentinel, which had a vertical boiler. This is quite unusual apparently, but it didn't look very efficient to me. Each shovel of coal had to be lifted and dropped into the stoke hole.

I tried not to buy too much at Wingham because I wanted to save myself till WoolFest, but it's nice to have something to spin before then. I did get this very soft 100% wool sock yarn, which I am knitting using the Hedera pattern from Knitty.

I managed to finish the RPM socks, which I am wearing as I write. The pattern wasn't too challenging, although I did make a minor alteration, originally by mistake. I decreased 1 stitch at the end of the 1st round and this means you can knit continuously k6 p3, without having to worry about what to do when you reach the end of a row. A pinkphish pointed out you could have pleasingly symmetrical socks if you increased one stitch on the second sock, forcing the spirals to go round the other way.

I know this seems bonkers bearing in mind the 2 unfinished jumpers I already have on the needles but I cast on a jumper using two strands of the 4 ply crepe I inherited from Graeme's Aunt. I needed something easy to knit and I really do need more jumpers. I'm using the Flower Power pattern from Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation, without the flower. I might change the neck or do some short row bust shaping on the front. I haven't quite decided yet.

I also managed to write 120 reports while at my parents. I now only have 75 more to write in the next 2 weeks. Today it's off home to the decorating. I'll leave you with a picture of my parent's pond in the bank holiday sunshine.