When is a day with no knitting a good day?

When it's a walk in the countryside day.

Tuesday was warm and sunny with a gentle breeze, it felt almost like summer. K was off school as she'd been sick the previous day but she was feeling ok so a little fresh air seemed in order. One of the good things about having little or no sense of smell is that I don't notice traffic fumes, one of the bad things is that I can't distinguish 'a little fresh air' but nevertheless I know it is there.

The North East of England is the birth place of railways. This means that now there are lots of disused railways which have become part of the National Cycle Route/Network and many local councils maintain them as public footpaths.

There was gorse of course :)

We headed up towards Consett, industrial heritage all but disappeared under a carpet of green and a lovely quiet way to spend the afternoon meandering. Flat enough for the buggy (that baby's getting heavy!) and no particular place to go so K could explore. We wandered.

K and Daddy looked for creatures and spotted a water boatman,

on closer examination that blocked drain by the side of the track bed had become a deep pool where we saw these.

Smooth Newts, this one is an adult with his spotty sides indicating he's on the look out for a lady friend :)

On the way back to the car I noticed these green shoots poking through the brown of last years ferns.

I love the shapes these make as they are ready to unfurl. Pity I couldn't do some time lapse photography on these. So I guess it must still be spring after all.

Gratuitous photograph of a field :) and just in order to be picturesque, there were tumble down walls ...

and sheep.

This one wont be giving any more wool :( and why it was balanced in a tree I have no idea :)

That brings me to my latest obsession, er, I mean, interest. I have started learning to spin. I got my wheel a year ago but only recently started to try and spin with it. Last night I was up until 1.30am because I was plying my first proper singles into yarn. It's very 'art yarn' LOL very think and thin. But it's getting better and it's very pretty roving so very pretty coloured yarn.

I'll show you when it's dried if you promise not to laugh :)

PS does this

remind you of this

or is that just me :)