A few random photos from the summer and from the past few days. The wildflowers in the grass and the little wood pile in the garden, welcoming the wild creatures, and the best Ribston Pippin apples I've ever grown. Next-level radishes and a spider that has lobster markings on its back - I think a false widow. And very slow tomatoes. It's September and I haven't picked a single one yet. They're noire de crimee and supposed to be happy in cooler weather, but they're still taking forever to ripen.
The urchins have been off of school since their exams ended partway through June. I know. We went out to eat at a local pub by the river to celebrate their results. I tried to book seats outside, but it was just as well I couldn't because it turned out to be cold and very windy. The dog came too and fidgeted the entire way through the meal. He is not one of those calm dogs you see who just lies down nicely and has a snooze. Instead, he spends his time watching the table and waiting for any lack of attention on our part.
The last time we went there, a toddler had dropped most of her macaroni cheese on the floor and he snaffled it up without me even noticing. It saved the waitress a job, but not great for Bertie as he is strictly low fat. This time, we sat by some sort of numbered spinning wheel, which provided some dubious entertainment. "If it lands on an even number, you have to eat your napkin," etc. There were no takers for that one, although when someone suggested they would pay cold hard cash to see someone else eat their napkin (a bright red paper one), you could see people eyeing it up and calculating their price. This is why I don't go out to eat very often. Well, that and the bill, which was painful, particularly as some people were still hungry afterwards.
As is customary for me when autumn is just around the corner, I have decided to knit something. I dug out some lovely yarn that I must have bought about a year ago and what looks at a glance like a beautifully simple pattern for an elegant cardigan. No seams, not even any need to pick up stitches along the edge and cobble on some sort of band. I even knit a little square to see how many stitches I was getting per inch, so as to avoid that disappointment at the end when it completely doesn't fit. The number of stitches I had was not the same number as the person who wrote the pattern, so I thought I'd make a slightly smaller size rather than do any complex calculations.
I started reading the pattern, and honestly, the cast on was about the only thing I could manage. How does something that looks so uncomplicated have instructions like, knit one, KE, move F, backward loop CO H pm, backward loop CO H KG move F backward loop CO H and add the number you first thought of. I am trying not to have a temper tantrum or cry. I wanted SO MUCH to knit an actual garment, and literally EVERYONE ELSE rated it as easy.
I have stuffed the yarn into the back of a dark cupboard and I am going to knit a scarf instead. In a year's time, I will have forgotten the horror of the pattern and I'll get it out again and spend another happy hour imagining myself in a hand-knit cardy. Nothing like a seasonal routine to keep you grounded. CJ xx
