CASTING ON

Those of you who have been following my blogs over the years know that one of my secondary hobbies is knitting. I began knitting at a very young age, taught initially by my mother, but given additional inspiration to knit in the Continental style by my aunt. Many years ago she spent a couple of wet weeks holidaying in Italy, and for something to keep her occupied she bought some wool, needles and a pattern and began to knit a jumper for her daughter. She asked for help in translating the pattern from various Italian knitters who also instructed her in this alternative way of knitting, and the jumper – when she eventually finished it – was gorgeous. In those days a lot of people – but mainly women – knitted, and while the pastime seemed to wane for a few decades it’s back with a vengeance and now everyone knits.

I found myself listening to the Olympic diver Tom Daley on the radio the other day, describing how he took up knitting originally to calm his nerves, and now he can’t stop. As a hobby it is certainly quite soothing and therapeutic, but last year I found myself beginning to falter, eventually stopping and packing away the bright pink scarf I was attempting to create.

Knitting had become too painful, because I have arthritis in my fingers. I put everything away, out of sight, and eventually forgot about it when gardening and other tasks took over as the seasons changed. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I found the knitting bag when I was clearing out my wardrobe. There was the gorgeous bright pink wool – which is actually a mixture of cashmere and other fibres, very soft indeed – and it looked very inviting. So… I picked it up and began again. It wasn’t easy. The pattern is typical of me – tricky and not very forgiving. 

      A few rows had to be unpicked and re-knitted, and my hands and fingers seemed incredibly clumsy. 

And it was painful! But… the scarf grew, and as time went on I began to overcome the pain because the scarf was turning out beautifully and the process of making it has indeed been very relaxing. Last night I managed to finish it and I’ve already chosen some new wool and another pattern for my next project. 

Just as well, then, that I have something else to occupy my time, because October has not been the friendliest month in the garden. When I began writing this yesterday afternoon, rain was beating against the window. Everything looked windswept and damp, but today the garden has been brightened by some patches of sun, and the dahlias, fading Michaelmas daisies and late roses continue to provide quite a bit of colour, which is cheering. My white hydrangea clung on to its ‘whiteness’ until this week, when every flower turned to dappled golden brown. There’s a lot to do out there, but it will have to wait until the rain stops for a few days. I hope for some bright dry days in November!

The photos show the hydrangea, some very late cosmos, one of the last dahlias, and an unexpected second flowering of a hebe - a lovely surprise!

The News, which I try hard to avoid, has been pretty awful here lately. When isn’t it, you may ask, and will it never end? In need of diversion, I picked up a ‘comfort read’ in between the thrillers which dominate my reading, and I’ve become addicted to a new author. Now I hasten to add that she’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you fancy something easy to read and humorous, with a bit of a comfortable story to it, the inevitable romance and fair-to-middling writing, I recommend ‘One More Christmas at the Castle’ by Trisha Ashley. I finished it this morning, and will definitely read more from this author when I need a little light reading. My next read is Susan Hill’s latest book in her excellent ‘Simon Serrailler’ series of crime novels, ‘A Change of Circumstance’. The superb quality of writing from Susan Hill cannot be compared to that of Trisha Ashley, the genre is totally different in any case, but for enjoyment – in my opinion – both authors stand out. And at the end of the day surely enjoyment is the main reason for reading, otherwise there is no point?

I leave you with one of the last roses on my large climber. I need to prune it before Winter, to avoid wind damage to the long stems, but I can't bear to do so while it's still flowering! Look after yourselves, and hang on to your hats – the season is changing, and I have a feeling this winter is going to be a bumpy ride for many of us. I'll be back in November, when I hope to bring you some of the jewel colours of autumn leaves to brighten your days.