a big unravelling

I've been knitting a lot lately, a pleasant spin off of working less. I get all the little jobs done during the day and can chill out in the evening. In the last five weeks I have knitted the front and sleeves of a jumper for Frank.

Alack alas, the front has good tension, as do the sleeves... but the back I knitted last September was far too loose. I'm pretty sure I used to knit tightly, then I changed the way I hold the needles and suddenly my tension became loose. It's much more efficient to knit the new way, but the jumper back was way oversized as I adjusted my gauge.

So today I gritted my teeth and did it... frogged, unravelled, pulled apart the back while Frank quietly wept. The jumper he thought was days away is once again weeks away.

Me? I found it strangely therapeutic, although I dread the thought of reknitting a whole back... I won't be making this a habit! For now I'm giving myself a 'big grey jumper' break and starting a red alpaca scarf for myself, to add a bit of colour to life.

how to be a good brown owl

I'm not exactly sure how it all began. Perhaps a whispered idea between like-minded friends, but, word of mouth being what it is (a wonderful thing), now a dozen or more of us meet for craft and friendship every month.

Let's be honest, it's not a new idea. Women have been sewing and cooking and shelling peas together for centuries, but now we are just cooler. That's because we are 'Brown Owls' and we have a fun code of conduct:

Be Nice
Include others
Do your best
Try new stuff
Be helpful
Have nice manners
Be a bit crafty

Hurrah!

I was never a Brownie or a Girl Guide growing up, so a lot of the Brown-Owl-ness is lost on me. Prefects? Badges to earn? Codes of Conduct?! But I love craft and I like meeting people, so I joined the group, signed the pledge, agreed to the Code of Conduct (Frank would prefer it if I followed the code at all times, but I figure all the time is a big ask - just during meetings will do surely!), and I'm in. A true Brown Owl.

Tonight was our last meeting for the year, and I had a good old time chatting away to lots of crafty ladies. Unfortunately knitting lace scarves whilst talking animatedly is not conducive to quality work, so I'm hoping my mother in law won't examine her Christmas gift too closely.

this is what i've been doing...

Working. Mostly it's a joy. Some days it is not.

Enjoying the most beautiful autumn I can remember for at least a year. (It may have been this nice last year, but I doubt it. Every day is turning into a stunner at the moment... except the 6th March which went for the fridge effect. Not so attractive)

Writing an essay on postnatal depression. Unlikely to make 'the world's best essay' shortlist, but it got done on time.

Knitting.

Baking bread.

(I particularly love the way the seat in the background is so in focus here... I must have been too busy eating my first ever loaf of home made sourdough to bother concentrating on focus)

And basically just living life in the real world. I still think of things to blog most days, I just don't bother doing it. That's been kinda nice, but I miss you all, so I'll try and get back into it soon. For now I must away.