Relaxation and even more knitting

I've just come back from a gorgeous weekend at Ragdale Hall, a spa near Melton Mowbray.  It's become a tradition in my family, we've been going there once a year for about 7 years and every year I love it even more.  The atmosphere completely relaxes you as soon as you walk in the door, everyone serenely wanders around in white bath robes and slippers, people doze in comfy chairs, even the resident cat is chilled out.  The treatments are the best I've ever had, I've never had a bad experience there, all the girls are cheerful and polite, each treatment is perfectly done and I float out of each one even more relaxed than before.  In case you hadn't noticed, I can't recommend this place enough.

Back to the real world and back to knitting, which has become my life recently.  I've done 22 squares of my 30 square blanket, so close I can almost smell the finished article.  I've learned to cable, which was easier than I thought and I love the effect of it, it makes the squares nice and chunky.  My plan is to finish the last 8 squares in the next 2 weeks, then start blocking them (wetting, pinning and letting them dry so they become all the same size) and then sewing them together which will be very exciting as that's when they properly become a blanket.  Then it's just the border to finish and sew on.  I'm hoping to finish everything in 7 weeks which takes me up to mid-May.  Just in time for my niece who should arrive on 17th May (give or take a bit).

I've been a bit lax with my cycling recently, I've had a week off but am raring to get back to it.  I'm starting my running training in a few weeks, ready for Race for Life in July.  Pete, as ever, is doing so much more exercise than me.  His JOGLE training is going well, he had a week off work and cycled over 100km each day which is unbelievable and fantastic.  Tomorrow is the Reading Half Marathon which I'll be watching from Madjeski Stadium (might take my knitting).  Good luck to everyone who's running it including Pete, Gail, Fiona, Harry and Gill.

Fancy a massage?

After spending a luxurious 3 days at Ragdale Hall Spa, I've decided to learn body massage. Every year after coming back from the spa I'm bitterly disappointed with the massage I got, usually because they're too soft. I have a desk job so hold a lot of tension in my back and shoulders and should get massages more regularly than once a year, but every salon I try it's the same - wishy, washy, plinky, plonky, pants.

So, I've found a local evening course which will give me a glimpse into what it'll actually be like, then I'll decide whether or not to do a proper course. TVU do an evening course at Reading for 1 year which gives you a Swedish Massage qualification. It's £880 and means I'll be commited to turn up, do 2 hours of practise massage and 3 hours of study each week.

I really fancy the idea of having a proper hobby and possibly turning it into a part-time money spinner too. After the basic course I can go on to specialise in Sports massage if I fancy - sky's the limit.