Checking In: September

Making: Finally crocheting the border of my scrappy granny square blanket, reveal post now on the horizon

Cooking: I've been doing quite a lot of baking, including cherry cake (C's favourite). This weekend we had friends staying and I made a fish pie from a Mary Berry Cookbook. Yum.

Drinking: Beer brewed by hubby (in the evenings I hasten to add. Not all day)

Reading: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier - really enjoying this so far.

Wanting: A job. I have applications lined up, and an interview tomorrow but my main problem is I don't really know what I want to do!

Looking: Forward to a couple of days in Lisbon with C for his birthday.

Deciding: What to pack, hand luggage restrictions apply...

Enjoying: This beautiful weather. We walked to Burghley House yesterday (pic above) and just marvelled at the beautiful park, grounds and buildings.

Waiting: For some birthday presents for C to arrive, I hope they come soon!

Liking: Having some spare time.

Wondering: What happens next.

Loving: I had a few days at home last week (Charlie our cocker spaniel is in the pic above) and had some time with the family, C came for some of it and we cooked for everyone for my parents' wedding anniversary. I love family time.

Pondering: Whether to start a new crochet project. Head (and C) say no. Heart says yes.Buying: Mostly food at the moment. Yum.

Watching: I have finally become addicted to Downton Abbey and am making my way through the early series.

Hoping: That my exam date for my thesis is set soon, I want to know when to start preparing/panicking

Marvelling: At pictures of the lunar eclipse/blood moon yesterday

Needing: A bit more exercise. I have become very lazy of late.

Smelling: Our yankee candle in the sitting room. mmmm. Meadow Blossom I think.

Wearing: Crochet cowls again :)

Noticing: Earlier nights and later mornings

Admiring: A new hair cut, rather drastic by my boring standards!

Sorting: Out. Everything. At my parents' house, home, time to declutter.

Getting: A little bit excited about Christmas. Sorry.

Bookmarking: Lots of crochet shawl patterns on ravelry.

Feeling: Ok. Optimistic. Relaxed. 

Snacking: Cake. Lots of cake. And hummus. Not together though

Helping: C with his accounts. Maths is not my forte!

Hearing: Listening to my favourite German band, The Wise Guys.

Autumnal Cowl 2015

I think I shall establish a tradition of making an autumn cowl each summer to be worn over the forthcoming autumn and winter. Last year I made this cowl here, using yarn bought on honeymoon in Austria and I wore it continuously last autumn and winter. This year I have used some yarn bought from a little wool shop in Amroth and this wonderful pattern from The Little Room of Rachell. It's been finished a while but one sunny morning in Wales last week I decided to indulge in a little photo shoot on the decking of my parents' caravan.

The yarn was from the West Yorkshire Spinners, a blend of wool and nylon in their Aire Valley Aran Fusion range, most appropriately entitled 'Autumn Mix'. I'm very much in love! Now the weather seems to be turning I think this will be a permanent fixture around my neck.

And just because, here is the view from the front of my parents' caravan. You can just make the see out between the trees. Take me back!

Have a great week :)

Five on Friday - Pembrokeshire Snaps

Back again to join up with Amy for Five on Friday. Last week we were back in wonderful Pembrokeshire, relaxing after the trauma of thesis submission (!) We had a few lovely days with C's family, we all stayed in the most beautiful cottage in Tenby and did some of the activities they all used to do on holiday - like my family they also spent their family holidays in Pembrokeshire when C and his brothers were younger. It's a small world! When they left C and I headed for my parents' static caravan and had a bit longer with the beautiful coastline. We were rather spoiled with the weather surprisingly!

This week I want to share 5 snapshots of the week, which once again include some of my favourite Pembrokeshire places :)

1.  This building is the old Lifeboat Station in Tenby - it's an iconic part of the Tenby landscape. It was decommissioned from service a couple of years ago when a new station was built slightly further around the coast. You may recognise it from Grand Designs - it is now a residential building. I can't imagine many houses have as amazing views as this one!

2. We did a little bit of walking along parts of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. This is the descent down to Barafundle beach. The beach is part of the Stackpole Estate which is managed by the National Trust. It's a beautiful estate with several beaches, lily ponds, and wonderful places to walk.

3. Walking on the beach at Amroth. There are many beautiful beaches in this part of the world, but this one is closest to my heart. Here C strides ahead awaiting his icecream (salted caramel) and I linger a little longer with the sea.

4. Sunset at Amroth. After dinner we normally go for a walk along the seafront. This is definitely my happy place!

5. Crochet time in the evening. This was taken in front of The Great British Bake Off I believe. C kept getting cross with me as a kept moving the blanket as I came to the end of the row! I'm really pleased with my scrappy Granny Square, it's nearly finished now so hopefully a Ta Dah post will be not too far away.

Head on over to see what everyone else has been up to at Amy's lovely blog here. Have a great weekend!

A weekend in Wroclaw, and the Submission of the Thesis

Well it's been slightly longer than I hoped between posts, but between a trip to Poland, a week in Wales and submitting my monstrous thesis I've not had much internet time! 

Yes, that's right - it's gone. Actually gone. Submitted and sent off to my two examiners a week and a half ago. So far I have found 3 typos but I haven't read it too thoroughly yet. Urrrrgh. 

Before that momentous, and if I'm honest entirely traumatic, event however C and I jetted off to Wroclaw in Poland for the wedding of two university friends (it's pronounced vrotzwaf). I was slightly distracted by the imminent submission of thesis, but still had an amazing time. It's a truly lovely city, I'd been lucky enough to visit before during my year abroad in 2008 but it's been developed a lot and rebuilt even since then. The city had an interesting and troubled history - originally Polish back in the middle ages it has since been part of Bohemia, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was annexed by Prussia in the Napoleonic Wars in 1742. After German unification in 1871 the city (Breslau in German) was the sixth largest city in the German empire. After 1945 it was part of territory ceded to Poland when the German border was moved to the Oder-Neisse river, and it is again Polish.

It is really stunning today with lots of lovely restored buildings (it was heavily damaged during World War Two). As we were there for such a short time and we had a wedding for one day we didn't do a lot of sightseeing, it was also about 40 degrees so we mostly sought shade (!) But here are a few pictures of the old city around the very impressive Market Square. I'd really recommend Wroclaw for a weekend break, it's easy to get to, very cheap, the weather is nice and the city is beautiful :)

Lots of churches and little winding streets, perfect for meandering :) There are also a series of dwarves dotted around the city, which have a history as a symbol of political opposition under communist rule; they were used as anti-government grafitti. Essentially the authorities couldn't arrest people for drawing dwarves without looking rather foolish. The dwarves are everywhere, you have to keep your eyes peeled! Here are some of my favourites

And finally, the last photo of this barrage of photos I promise (!) Here is my with my monster thesis. Smiling!

Looking forward to a long overdue catch-up with blogland!