Where has time gone?

Hello, I can't believe it's mid November already.  I’ve been so busy recently that I haven’t even looked at my photos on my camera. I sat down and sorted through my photos the other day and there were so many lovely memories, of the summer, of our holiday to Italy, and of Yarndale.

We went on holiday to Italy and visited Venice and Verona as well as Monza to watch the Formula One race.

 

Mum and I went to Yarndale and bought a mountain of yarn each.

We also met the people I met up with last year for another Yarndale picnic.

Rob managed to run his first half marathon – the Oxford Half Marathon and I was there to cheer him on.

Also, I got some hamsters. Two adorable girl hamsters called Juno and Hera.

The Zoo Story and my knitting week

On Friday I went to see a play called The Zoo Story.  It was a performance by an amateur theatre group - the Without Walls Theatre Company.

Before seeing the play I wasn't sure what to expect - from the summary on Wikipedia it sounded a bit weird but it was a great performance and I really enjoyed it.

This week I managed to finish the hat KAL for the Bankhead hat pattern - it's so quick to make and could prove quite addictive.

Ravelry project page here

I've also made lots of progress on my second sock - due to a conversation with a friend about Studio Ghibli films (mostly Spirited Away) that led us both to start a weekend film binge.  Yesterday I watched The Wind Rises, Howl's Moving Castle, and The Cat Returns so today I will watch Kiki's Delivery Service, The Castle of Cagliostro, Spirited Away, and My Neighbour Totoro (which is my favourite).  Anyway, this gave me plenty of time to knit my socks

I've just got to knit the foot now - about 30 rows before I decrease for the toe.  Ravelry project page here.

And just because my weekend would be boring without playing with the hamsters (who are sleeping as usual at the moment) here is a photo of them eating raspberry pieces.

Happy New Year!

A slightly belated Happy New Year to you!

It's the time of year when I promise to get more organised and sort myself out.  Since I've been back in my flat after Christmas I have spent most of my time tidying and organising so hopefully once I'm sorted I can keep it tidy.  2013 was a good year for me so I'm hoping 2014 can be just as good.

I had a lovely Christmas with my family and I think the hamsters enjoyed all the attention and treats.   Eve got them a see-saw as a Christmas present which they like playing with.

I also managed to (finally) finish the jumper I have been knitting for Rob in time for Christmas... and then forgot to photograph it before I came back to Sheffield.

Another exciting thing I forgot to mention before Christmas was that I went to see Andre Rieu in concert at Leeds Arena.  My friend won the tickets in a draw at work and invited me as his guest.  The concert was brilliant and we both loved the waltzes.  We had a great view from our seats too.

The arena itself is amazing to look at and with the lighting it really stands out.

I'm glad to be back in Sheffield and, in a way, back at work.  I missed seeing my friends over Christmas so it's good to get into my old routine and spend time with them all.

Getting a pet

Just wanted to say - I got hamsters!  I'd been thinking about a getting a pet for a little while but I was limited in my options because of being in a flat.  However I decided last week that I wanted hamsters - more precisely dwarf hamsters.  I contacted the local hamster breeder, made arrangements with her, and bought all the necessary equipment.

Today, Rob and I went to the breeder's house to choose my hamsters.  I chose two males.  They are Winter White Russian hamsters and I chose a pair that had one white and one dark coloured hamsters.

They are called Zeus and Odin.  Zeus (the white hamster) is a bit more active than Odin and likes running on the wheel.

I'm looking forward to them getting used to me and learning more about them.