We had a grand time, got a lot done, and feel the better for it.

The grass hadn’t been cut in August –at first because the mower was out of order, and then because the Games supervened and there was no time for anything except shopping and cooking – or September – because we weren’t there. It doesn’t grow the way it does in May and June, but still things looked shaggy and unkempt. I got it all cut, before preparing the mower for hibernation.

And brought in the harvest. Fourteen delicious apples (Keswick Codlings, highly recommended); more courgettes than we really want – courgettes are much more fun to grow than to eat; lots and lots of broad beans; and even a modest crop of carrots.

And took pictures for the September page of my calendar and got this unexpected one yesterday morning (Oct. 1) which will do nicely for the October page if we don’t get back this month -- for I fear a trip to London looms.

Knitting

I worked briskly on Ketki’s gansey, and brought it back here to finish. There’s an odd problem. The sleeves are knit top-down. I calculated the rate of decrease with some care, and have recorded my reasoning. But I found, two-thirds of the way down the first sleeve, that I was decreasing too fast, and had to slow the rate from two-stitches-every-three rows to two-stitches-every-five.

But the second sleeve is conforming to the original calculations.

This ought to mean that I picked up more stitches for the second sleeve. I can’t see (or count) any difference. I’ll just have to finish and spread it out and judge severely. I’m prepared for, although not enthusiastic about, major frogging.

I switched from two-circulars to magic-loop while we were there and liked it a lot, although it didn’t work as well for the end-game, and I’ve gone back to two-circulars. I’ll put it on dp’s when I resume here.

Back here last night, I found that the package from Colorway had arrived, and I cast on the famous (maybe soon to be infamous) Earth Stripe Wrap – and immediately hit a problem. Four of the colours I have extracted from stash are Kidsilk all right – but not Kidsilk Haze. They’re much thicker. I hadn't noticed that. So do I buy four more? The Jagger ZephyrSpun combines nicely; that’s all right, at least.

I tossed it aside and went on knitting the Shawlette, to which I am now devoted, except for the continuing embarrassment of having to type its name.