Beating the blues

Hmmm, feeling lethargic today, hope it's not some lurking lurgy, I've only just got rid of the last one.  Got back to York from our short break in Wales a couple of days ago and now it feels like I dreamt it. Even if we can only manage a long weekend I always take yarn, needles, books, guitar, laptop - my comfort blanket gets bigger all the time, whatever happened to travelling light?

However, this time despite good intentions I got no design work done, leaving me fretting about the dreaded designers' block - something that must cross many designers' minds in darker moments. However, I've banished the thought and I'm now convincing myself maybe there were just too many distractions.

Rainbow on kitchen floor

After being holed up for the winter I'm always so excited to be in the garden again, I can never get enough of the magic light you get at this time of year.

So in the few days we were there it was all Boy's Own stuff, spending as much time as possible outside - cutting paths through the bamboo, chopping down more of last years perennials, sitting around big bonfires with hearty cups of veggie bouillon in hand and watching the tadpoles grow. The garden is just waking up and once we'd refilled the feeders there were loads of birds - finches, tits, jays, siskins, robins, fieldfares, buzzards and even the odd red kite, in the sky that is, not on the feeders! Can't wait for the swallows and the cuckoos to arrive, then you know summer's definitely on the horizon.

The mystery fur

When we arrived we found a strange piece of fur on the gate. Philip thinks it's a stoat, but I'm not too sure as the scale seems too large - it's about 10cm/4in across. The colours - white, tawny brown, tipped with black - are good for stoats, but unless it's a giant version I'm guessing it's more like a fox, although a friend suggested a badger. It was trying to get through a space that was only about 15cm/6in high, so that must rule out quite a few options. Some US friends have suggested possums or skunk, but I don't think we have either in the UK. Any ideas?

The cats had a fabulous time, plundering nature's larder.  The mice, voles, shrews and rabbits must quake in their beds when they hear the thundering paws of Django and Arlo above them.

You looking at me kid?

I'm the king of the castle

I'm off to take my new Addi needles out into the garden for coffee now - see if that will kickstart the creative juices!

My new Addi circulars just begging to be cast-on

Hope you're managing to keep up with the blog tour, there are some stellar bloggers participating and there's loads of great stuff to read.

Wed 7 Mar Jen Arnall-Culliford Knitwear Jen Arnall-Culliford

Thurs 8 Mar Needled Kate Davies

Fri 9 Mar Rock and Purl Ruth Garcia-Alcantud

Sat 10 Mar Woolly Wormhead Woolly Wormhead

➤Mon 12 Mar Yarnscape Alison Barker

Tues 13 Mar Confessions of a Yarn Addict Anniken Allis

Wed 14 Mar Joli House Amanda France

Thurs 15 Mar This is Knit Lisa & Siobhan

Fri 16 Mar The Knitting Institute  Knitting Magazine

Sat 17 Mar  Life’n Knitting Carla Meijsen

Sun 18 Mar ConnieLene Connie

Mon 19 Mar  Just Call Me Ruby Susan Crawford

Tues 20 Mar Tiny Owl Knits Stephanie Dosen

Wed 21 Mar Ulla-Bella Anita Tørmoen

Thurs 22 Mar Heike Knits Heike Gittins