Comments

Lorna, I would be honoured to test-knit the Nudibranch. Jean-at-milesandmiles.demon.co.uk. As soon as this veil thing is on its way to Beijing, I am yours.

Rachel, Dawn, Susoolu, Jamieson v. Jamieson&Smith. I have no idea how it happened, and it’s crazy. Are they cousins who had a falling-out a generation ago? Is it, perhaps, just a very common name on Shetland? I’m surprised the knitting community doesn’t have a legend to explain it. Dawn was right, it was Jamieson’s I was after. Google let me down: that’s rare. I googled on something like Jamieson’s Shetland, limited myself to UK websites, clicked I’m Feeling Lucky, and was taken to an omnium gatherum Shetland site which listed Jamieson all right, address and phone number, but didn’t offer an URL. In fact, invited me to provide one.

I think they used to spin for Alice Starmore when she first offered yarn under her name, but if so that link was broken long ago, and anyway it’s a minefield I ought not to venture into. I’ve got their three pattern books, all very good, and I see from the link Dawn provides in her comment yesterday that there are more. Back in my Fair Isle days, I liked their colours a wee bit better than Jamieson&Smith’s, although I ordered from both. (If I knit Fair Isle now, it’s from stash.) They – Jamieson’s – had a very attractive stall at the Ally Pally Knitting and Stitching Show. I don’t think Jamieson&Smith were there.

Mar, thank you for the observations on both provisional cast-on and the “Knitting Cast On”. I managed pretty well last night, unpicking the waste yarn and grabbing the stitches along the first shoulder of the veil. But what’s this about a ravel cord? Knit the final row of the waste bit in something smooth and shiny, perhaps? I feel I’m about to learn something.

Enjay, thank you for your kind comment. Laurie, I looked at the YarnShoppe sale of Paton’s Kroy, and it is very tempting indeed. Thank you. Do I need more Unknit Socks, is now the question?

Other

Queer Joe has posted the results of the voting for Best Knitting Blog in various categories. (He ruled himself out.) Like several of his commentators, I’m not entirely convinced by the results. The Most Entertaining knitting blogs out there, beyond any doubt at all, are Franklin and You Knit What?? in their utterly different ways, and mere democracy is not going to tell me different.

And – oh yes – the veil edging has almost covered the first shoulder, and should turn downwards along the first long side edge this evening. Picture tomorrow.