knitters...sitting comfortably?

the last project on my needles, way back in February and still, sad to say, a UFO

first of all, a huge thank you to all of you who were so positive in reply to my last post. It meant a lot to have so many nice messages telling me not to stop. Indeed so much so that I am quite convinced to continue, and not to feel guilt about the erracticness and random nature of my posting. So here I am, almost another three weeks later...hello...

I got an email during the week from the lovely Tanya Shoop. Tanya is the sister of a very good friend of mine who I met when studying for my MA in Art Theory at Chelsea School of Art here in London. The people I met on that course were far and away the best thing about it (suffice it to say the level of theoretisation ( is this a word?) I needed to apply during the course rendered me incapable of making art since...someday this will change I am sure...but not today or tomorrow I suspect) Anyway, I digress. Tanya is a great knitter (and one day we will knit together at our local Stitch'n'Bitch in the local pub, once I resolve my reservations about mixing booze and knitting, or at least learn the wisdom of the soft drink). Anyway. Not only is Ms Shoop a wonderful knitter but also a very gifted Alexander Technique therapist/teacher. Luckily for me her email contained this article, all about knitting in a way that should ensure you can keep on doing so past your forties. You knitters should all take note. Thanks Tanya. The knitting community salute you!

By the way, Tanya's website is well worth a visit, lots of hints and tips on there even if you happen not to be a knitter...

hot on the needles...new cardi for Ms Bester (who is still struggling into the one I knit her 4 years ago, age 8 months, and plaintively asking each time when I am going to knit her another...luckily for me she is the patient kind)

I wasn't quite practising what Tanya preaches down in the park this afternoon I'm afraid, but I excuse myself on the grounds that it's the first time I've picked up my needles since February so I was a tad overexcited...Once this overexcitement wears off it'll be straight backed chairs rather than picnic rugs for me, I swear...(as long as I can get a variation on the straight backed chair I can drag along to the park that is)

me, looking grim, I wasn't grim, honestly, I think it is just old age (and bad knitting posture, obviously)

As you can see the weather here in London is stunning. Our new garden is complete, it only took 13 months hard toil (well, erraticly spaced toil I should make plain, with lots of gaps for tea) and so we really are enjoying the mini-heatwave we've been treated to over the past week. Here are some snaps for my dad, who has been badly treated in terms of regular snaps of the work (he is interested in things like this, he used to be a carpenter, and a fine one at that)

look dad, a patio! some beds! steps! a lawn!

some tired landscape gardeners taking a well deserved rest and glass of bubbly

gratuitous shot of the table outside, later that night (I'm riveting dinner company with my camera around my neck I tell you)

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are...