The edging goes on and on.

The expected monthly issue of the British magazine “Knitting” hasn’t turned up yet. When I could sense the presence of a knitting magazine in yesterday’s post, I thought, Ahah! But no – it was the Winter VK. A bit late in the day, surely, as our thoughts turn towards snowdrops and forced rhubarb. We should be wearing this stuff now, if so inclined, not starting to think about knitting it.

The only things I like are Brandon Mably’s hat, No. 36, and Meg’s, in her article on Armenian knitting. For that, she prescribes Shetland wool and Icelandic lace-weight wool and adds, “Sometimes my wool choices are based on Not Having to Get Up Out of My Knitting Chair”. The hat has a nice cat motif. I could use Shetland for both main colour and contrast. I am a bit tempted.

I find it wise not to be too hard on VK even when the designs seem extreme. Try looking at the same issue again in a year or two, and you often find that things have somehow mysteriously become mainstream and even rather attractive.

Judy sent me these wonderful photographs yesterday, and says it is all right for me to post them here.

That’s the Christening dress from Gladys Amedro’s book Shetland lace. Judy says she finished it just in time. I think it's a wonderful piece of knitting. I knit it once myself:



Judy was knitting for her grandson Cedric Thabang, who was christened on Christmas Eve in Mbabane, Swaziland. Here is his father Thabi, holding him, with his mother Alix, wearing the lace stole Judy knit for her wedding – also an Amedro pattern, the Fine Lace Stole and Scarf. Isn’t that lovely?



I’ve knit that one too, in the smaller, “scarf” version, but I don’t have a picture. Mine was in qiviut, for my mother.



I think I’ve knit more items from Amedro’s book than from anything else I own. I’ve sort of graduated from it now that we’ve got Heirloom Knitting. Amedro is much more basic. But I love it, and may indeed be about to return, if I knit my sister’s forthcoming shawl in the Cobweb Lace Wrap shape (an obtuse triangle, I think it would be called, although that sounds rude). The lace panels will be from HK, though.

Non-Knit

File conversion continues, like lace edging. I’m on target to finish the whole job over the weekend, freeing us for Strathardle on Monday.

Mr and Mrs Dee, the fishmonger and his wife, have returned from their Spanish holiday at last. We had seared tuna for lunch yesterday, and haddock fish cakes for supper.