Knitting is part of my relaxation routine. It's a bit like meditation. Repeating the same action over and over again it induces an almost trance-like state which helps to reduce stress. Of course, it does this only when doing what I call 'mindless' knitting. Try something even marginally more complicated and relaxations is replaced by frantic frustration.

Knitting groups have been described as 'social capital' in action. They promote the flow of information, provide mutual aid to members, and bridge social and age gaps. The Friday Knitting Group has brought me some wonderful new friends and given me experiences I would otherwise have missed. We're approaching the group's First Birthday and are having a joint birthday lunch with our oldest member at her house. We're also planning a 'weekend playaway' next winter. Brighton is topping the poll for destinations so far.

I'm also a member of the Posh Yarn Cashmere Club and have just learned that the first of 6 bi-monthly skeins ships on Friday. The colours of each pair of skeins is kept secret. This month's colourway is called Burns Night. We've been told it's very variegated. Wonder if it's self-tartanning?