Fair Weather Walking?

Today I had planned to walk from Borstal (yes, it really does exist) to Detling on the North Downs Way.  The weather forecast terrible so instead am blogging rather than getting on with the washing, paperwork.  Clean the bathroom anyone?  Thought not.

Yes, I do walk in rain,  However it is a little alarming when there is high wind forecast.  Have you ever walked during a thunder storm?  One bit of you is relieved when you are in woodland as there is cover.  There is also a bit of you that is concerned that you might be under the tree that any minute now will get hit by lightening.  Having been caught out I almost always carry rather a lot of waterproofs.  In Summer during a downpour I did offer to give my coat away in exchange for Olympics 100m final tickets.  Sadly the very wet walker didn't have any!

What have I achieved walking wise so far?
The Cumbrian Way in one go.  One of the best experiences ever.
The Thames Path - done in bits and broke with tradition by finishing at the source.  Well, I started with the bits near home and if I had gone to the source and worked my way to the bits I had completed, I would have finished in Oxford and what would be the fun in that?

Walks in progress
The North Downs Way - reasonably easy to access from home.
The Ridgeway and I have got as far as Wantage and, yes, I am doing it the wrong way.  Three days walking and that one will be sorted.
By far the biggest one to complete is the South West Coast Path.  This is a major work in progress!  I started it in the 1990s when it was the Cornish Coastal Path but now that it skirts Dorset and Devon I have rather a lot to do.  I had better get a move on before it becomes even longer!

Works in progress
What about the knitting?  Well I am a massive Rowan fan and am currently knitting a lacy scarf using kidsilk stripe for Mother's birthday.  Yes, I know it's already late.  The great thing about knitting for one's mother is that she loves one's lovingly late night creations even when I can see how the pattern has been tweeked (ie lace goes wrong).  This might not be one of my best.  I am ignoring all ideas about how to correct mistakes and it's not the easiest stuff to unpick.  Although it is an easy stitch to use I do seem to going off piste quite a bit.

What elase?  I have to pick up a few stitches round necklines and then a lightweight sweater will be added to my repertoire - silky tweed, really excited but one of the delays is once I pick up the stitches do I go for a cowl neck as suggested by the orginal pattern or my variation?  Decisions, decisions....  I am a massive Rowan fan and have been loving kntting with kid classic (mmm do I see a theme here with all this kid stuff?).  Two sleeves to go (don't you love the way patterns say 'sleeves - make two' when you have already shaped two armholes?!).

Am now facing a dilemma (other than how long I work on this today and when I pick up the scarf again).  I bought some great yarn at Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago and what do I do with it?  Rather fun though.  The other thing I have to decide is how to put together the final squares for a baby blanket.

All I need now is for a fine day that I can take my knitting for a walk.

Happy creating ...

LDK

Introducing the Diary of a Long Distance Walker

The Diary of a Long Distance Knitter?

Like travelling?  Like walking?  Like Knitting?

If you see someone resting by the side of a footpath and reading a book or a map, sketching or resting, do you think anything of it?  See someone on a train reading, on their phone or listening to their ipod, do you raise an eyebrow?  See someone knitting and you might pause for thought.

I knit all over the place.  Knitting is much lighter and more portable than a book and like a sketch book you can create while enjoying the view.

Handknits are precious things - so much time, love and swearing go into them.  I look at the ones I have completed and there are some that are well travelled and just by wearing them or looking at them there are so many memories.

The first sweater I knitted in this knitting era was knitted 4 years ago.  I wore it in a cold Paris and now think of it as my Paris sweater.  I am knitting a petrol blue sweater which progressed in the USA and when I pick it up I can hear the Amtrak siren go!

This blog is a way of recording my knitting projects and my walks and travels.  Just back from a rail trip across the US and currently half-way through the North Downs Way.   A couple of sweaters and scarves are on course and I have a feeling that a certain baby blanket might feature quite heavily.  I knitted one square when an earthquake hit Boston, followed up with the 2nd Presidential debate.  I have a feeling that this blanket will feature heavily ...

In the meantime, here's one I prepared earlier ...