Colder.

The weather today was fairly nondescript, grey and wintry with no rain.

Once the routine jobs were done I settled down for an afternoon of knitting. I completed the first mitten and even used the more complicated 'elastic cast-off' specified in the pattern. It was as I neared the finish that I began to wonder if it wasn't too big. The pattern didn't have a tension square to knit as a size check so I went ahead using the size of knitting needle/pin given. However I always seem to knit 'larger' and usually end up with smaller needles after checking a test square. I have a feeling this might be to do with my method of knitting. I think I first learnt from my mother who used the continental method where the wool is held with the left hand and then adapted what I saw in a book. I hold the wool in my right hand and having had a look at Wiki do a reverse of combination Eastern and Western knitting. This might explain why my knitting doesn't come out square and following a knitting graph results in a squashed design. Maybe once I've done the mittens I'll see if I can adapt my weird style to one that gives a better result. 

While I waited for Peter to return after getting the car serviced, so that he could try on the mitten, I did some gardening. I'd been reluctant to cut back the rose bush while it was still producing flowers but the recent strong winds were breaking the long stems. I saved a few blooms to make a shabby chic bouquet and then gave the bush a good trim. Then I picked up the fallen rose leaves, not only do they look messy but they encourage diseases like black spot. Most of the nasturtiums had been destroyed by the frost so they went too but I left the few that were still looking good and producing flowers.

When Peter put the mitten on it was definitely too big so I've started another using a size smaller needles and will write a note on the pattern to remind me which needles to use in future.