Lying low

I know, I have been very quiet over the last week. I was still getting over my cold and really just feeling like I wanted to lock myself away for a while (I go through stages like that). I was really upset over what I'd done to the car (we still don't even know how long it's going to take to repair yet) and all I wanted to do is knit away my cares. There is something in the repetition of rows and the planning that is real escapism for me. But unfortunately the knitting I really want to do is in the car in the workshop, so I had to start something new; it started out as a hat, but has become (is becoming?) a vest for Ella.

And today my book arrived. This book was written by the wonderful Jane at yarnstorm, a blog I have been reading on a regular basis for over a year now. I loved the idea of her writing a book, and have been looking forward to getting it hot off the press for a while now. What I didn't expect is the debate it has caused about feminism in the UK. Maybe not widespread debate, but there has certainly been a negative reception such as here and here. It has been interesting to follow this debate and to read the many comments about it on the yarnstorm blog. I now look forward to loosing myself in this book with it's gorgeous images and thinking more on this...certainly a little more uplifting than my other book at present Jude the Obscure.

I saw this as the movie Jude years ago with Matt and as traumatic as it was, I have always wanted to read it. I remember the first time I read Hardy I hated it. It was The Woodlanders. And I remember feeling frustrated that he wouldn't just come out and say what he meant. But a number of books and an English degree later and I just love him. I can totally see that this book would have been so controversial at the time, and I'm enjoying reading it, but it is rather depressing. (And I cannot but picture Kate Winslet as Sue Brideshead after the movie).

But I have not been totally locked indoors reading and knitting and watching movies. We had a 3 day weekend with unseasonably hot weather (Sunday was 32 deg C), and we went to a BBQ, had a lovely couple of hours walking Honey at the Cove and just enjoyed the weather while it lasted. Matt and Kit did some fishing, but I was quite happy just watching the Osprey diving into the water after the fish. And now we have perfect October weather with today a cold rainy day. Here's some photos from the weekend.