Jousting, knitwear and a shark!

Last year, the girls and I upgraded our Blenheim Palace tickets to an annual pass. With a view to their impending expiration date, E and I decided to pay a last visit this week.

Foolishly, we set off without a thought for the weather, and so naturally half way up the A34 it started pouring down. Ever hopeful, we continued on our way and after a 5 minute sit in the car park with the rain drumming on the roof, the clouds parted enough for us to make a speedy entrance.

E wanted to look around the palace itself, so we tagged onto the back of a tour and plodded slowly round. I didn't take any photos of the inside, but the guide was very interesting and my favourite bit was one of the tapestries showing a dog with rather peculiar legs - apparently, the weavers started at the bottom and assumed that they had just come to a small horse. It was only when they had done the legs that they realised their error. As the tapestry was huge, they couldn't undo it, so there is a dog with hooves!

Out again into the grounds, we dodged the rain, and at one point hail, and went for a walk by the lake. By lucky chance, there was also a jousting exhibition taking place that day. It was enormous fun, even if I did end up with someone else's child practically sitting on my lap. I think that the mother was so relieved that he was actually behaving and sitting quietly that she left him there! Anyway, here are a few photos of the grounds and jousting:

The Temple of Diana, where Winston Churchill and his future wife, Clementine, sheltered during a shower. He took the opportunity to propose:

Other happies this week:

I have finished a number of my knitting projects. First is my Pavement Sweater by Veera Valimaki. I haven't blocked it yet, as you can probably tell from the creases. The yarn is Malabrigo Sock in the Lettuce colourway.

Next are my 'Amsterdam Mitts' which were my travel knitting on our recent trip. The pattern is 'Hermione's Everyday Mitts' by Erica Lueder and the yarn is Hedgehog Merino DK in 'Sage':

Finally, these are my 'Sailing Socks' started on our holiday on-board 'Panopius'. They are just a plain vanilla sock with a fish lips kiss heel. The yarn was a Regia Design Line by Kaffe Fassett, bought at the Oxford Yarn Store:

With nothing left on my needles, I spent a merry half hour this morning balling up the yarn for my next project - Stephen West's 'Exploration Station' Shawl. The book and the bottom yarn were my sneaky purchases from 'Stephen and Penelope', the Yarn shop in Amsterdam:

L's boyfriend, J, has just moved into a house in Headington, Oxford. L is heading off to Vietnam and Cambodia this week for 5 weeks of solo travelling (I'm trying to be brave about it!)  before she starts her pupillage in London. Both will be sharing with uni friends, but I foresee a lot of toing and froing between London and Oxford next year. On our first visit, we passed the famous 'Headington Shark'. I'm not sure how I'd feel having this next door, how about you?

Finally, a gratuitous shot of Hamish, who is enjoying having both L and E home at the moment. There are lots of ear rubs, which makes for one very happy bunny.

Anyway, that's all for this week. I hope that you are all enjoying the summer holiday; sunny weather or not!

Toodle Pip for now. xx