Maybe it was down the back of the sofa*?

There's been a bit of discussion recently of the evanescent nature of the knitting mojo. Now I've never really had problems with my knitting mojo. I mean sometimes I feel less than inspired but it's usually only sheer physical exhaustion that stops me from picking up the needles of an evening. My design mojo, on the other hand, has been a bit flaky of late. I haven't blogged about it, mostly because it seems rather presumptuous to proclaim that I had one in the first place especially when I'm surrounded by the fabulous work of so many other (presumption again) designers. Anyway, it's back (such as it is) and I think I've realised what was wrong. You, see around about the same time (around August) I also mislaid my running mojo. Various things were at the root of this, a succession of colds, a foot injury and a general lack of fitness that meant that running just wasn't much fun anymore. There was a period when I wasn't even going to the Tuesday night sessions at the running club and I wondered whether I would ever start up again. Enough wallowing, suffice it to say that I'm running again and I'm enjoying it too. I'm just getting back to the stage where it's fun rather than painful and on Tuesday night I had a breakthrough. Coming back from a shortish club run I started to think about a knitting a sweater for Laurie to take my mind off the last hill, 5 minutes later I realised that I had sprinted the last section, was nearly home and had a full blown idea for a design all laid out in my mind. It turns out that I do all my best thinking whilst running (and that I do a lot of my best running whilst thinking about knitting).

Enough of this introspective babble, what about the knitting I hear you say**.

You know that famous scene in The Birds where Tipi Hedren sits down with her back to a climbing frame and when she turns round it's covered in crows?



I'm starting to feel a bit like that with the owls. This is a 12-18 month old version of the same pattern knit in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino aran. All I've done is upped the weight of the yarn and the needle size to achieve a bigger gauge. This sizing lark is easy!

* the boyfriend thinks I should make it clear that this is a metaphorical sofa. The last time I checked down the back of the real sofa all I found was the boyfriend's khaki cap and a copy of Mostellaria by Plautus. I know, we're not like other people.

** note, must see someone about these voices.