on my needles

I recently came into a bit of unexpected money and I am thoroughly enjoying it.. I went to John Lewis and splashed out on a few balls of fancy fancy wool - so expect an influx of knitting posts coming up.. I've been on such a roll with it recently, churning stuff out!

These are some little ankle socks that I've been making from a very basic pattern - just a short rib around the ankle, then the turning of the heel straight away. I actually finished them last night, they're from a really gorgeous wool I found for half price in John Lewis that is crazy soft and a really beautiful purple.

Apart from knitting my life away -  I am off to Devon for a week tomorrow, and I'm very excited. We used to go there every year when I was little, and I'm really looking forward to spending a week on the beach and going for walks and stuff. Expect lots of seaside-y photos when I return and have a good week without me.

moments of panic

Last night I had one of those little moment where your heart dropped.. I went in to where my fish are kept and I saw my beautiful Angelica (above) lying behind/underneath a biggish rock I have in their tank. Cue me bursting into tears, throwing the lid off and shoving my hands (sleeves and all) into the tank. I don't really know what was wrong with her, whether she was asleep or stuck or something, but she was lying on her side sort of tucked underneath the side of the rock. The thing that bothered me most was that she wasn't really moving, even when my hand came close to her, and she normally swims right up to my hand looking for food.. But when I moved the rock she sort of came out and swam around, but for a few minutes I thought she was dead and it really got to me.

Anyway there was a sort of point to this post, not just my attachment to my fish, haha. The only pets I've ever had are fish and I know how some people think that because they're somehow less worthy of care - that they're not as precious. Some people think that a fish can't be affectionate or that because people think that they're stupid or something.. but that feels so wrong to say.

My Angelica is a very affectionate creature with a very distinct personality (like my other fish actually) She swims right up to me when I pass by and kisses my hand when it goes in. She's also very smart - recognising me and finding food and playing.. 

I don't know, I'm all over the place with this post but it's a moment to appreciate something that doesn't get appreciated enough, I don't think. 

hector the humpback whale

Hazel the Humpback Whale by Bec Brittain on Ravelry.

Say hello to my little friend...! His name is Hector, and I knit him all by myself [well, with a little bit alot of help from my mum]. He wasn't hard to make, just a bit of a faff because the pattern was a bit of a mess, it's all over the place but the outcome was worth it, as I now have a cuddly little bedmate. He's a huge success with all my friends and everyone I've shown him too, but he's just so perfect, haha. Who knew a stuffed whale would make a twenty-three year old girl so happy?! 

The pattern was one I found on Ravelry, and it takes a bit of patience, but once you get into it it's not too bad. I knitted him in a fairly cheap grey acrylic (Stylecraft DK in Graphite) because it wasn't worth using anything fancy and he took about 150g worth of it (1 1/2 balls). 

I named him Hector, because I felt like he was a boy, and not a girl...

very merry berry picking - take two

It's that time of year again.. blackberry picking! I don't really know why I enjoy it so much, but there is something weirdly enjoyable about getting attacked by brambles, ripping holes in my leggings in my quest to get the best berries, and getting bruised looking fingertips.. Last year I went with my mum, and I'm sure we'll go again later in the year, but I was feeling restless yesterday afternoon and needed something to occupy myself. It was super quiet today up the airfield and I just felt very content. I came back with a boxful of blackberries, a handful of crabapples, and a bunch of cow parsley to decorate my room with.. A good day, all in all.