Sometimes it’s nice to be challenged, and sometimes it’s not. Work is pretty stressful – it has been ever since I joined this company (1.5 years ago), so what I need from my hobbies is a little peace and positive progress. Some quiet time to reflect, let my hands get on with things and my mind to stop fizzing. I can feel people’s disappointment when they ask what I’m making and it’s the same thing *again*, but that’s what I need at the moment. And I think there’s a lot of be said for practising your technique. I’ve definitely got better at some of the basic stuff.

This is a jumper for the small rabbit and a jumper for the regular sized rabbit. The smaller jumper has a purl central double decrease (CDD) which the larger jumper does not. My first attempt at the purl CDD was pretty terrible. But I kept going, thinking ‘Yeah! It’s fine. FINE! Totally fine.’ It was not fine. So first thing next morning I unravelled everything to the point where the front, back and sleeves were separate panels and put them back on the needles.

Except obviously I put two panels back on the needle the wrong way round, and then I took them back off the needles and put them on the right way round but in the wrong order. The picture above is when I’d transferred some panels to DPNs so I could re-transfer them back the right way round.

When I’d finally got myself together and everything in the right order it was 8.30am and time to start work. Which was annoying. (I’m very lucky to have a job. Don’t think I don’t know that). I managed to grab 30 minutes lunch break though, so I got back to it, and I used the technique from this video. It worked! So from chaos, a little order. And one more rabbit is clothed. I’ll take that as a win.

Here’s the rabbit in the jumper. Previously he was in the dress, but he didn’t seem to love it, so the blue bunny got the dress and he got some slightly too-tight trousers and a now-nicely-knitted jumper. This is the second rabbit I’ve put in a dress that just seemed to hate it. Sometimes I look at them and they’re just not happy. He looks happier now. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

I decided to batch-knit some animals for various reasons. Stashbusting, gifts that need to be given and again, the need to do something that will probably turn out fine. Look at that though. Same pattern, and yet… someone wasn’t counting their stitches. I think they’ll be ok. When they’re done that 4 sets of clothes that need to be made. That includes the grey and brown ones from the bowl photo too.

I still don’t seem to have endless time on my hands. That novel I was never planning on writing will never get written at this rate! What I had planned on doing was teaching myself to knit in a more elegant fashion. I’m all fingers and thumbs and the flicking technique looks great, but… so far, so little time. I’ll get there.

I did manage to get out for a walk yesterday though. We’ve lived here for over 2 years and this is the first time I’ve managed to walk this route. From door to field is about 8 minutes. I can’t believe it’s taken over 2 years to do an 8 minute walk! Now I know how easy and nice it is, I’ll do it again.

So that’s all from me. Hope you’re safe and well wherever you are.