Saturday, February 03, 2007

Calcutta Cup Day




There’s really very little hope. England regard today’s match as an easy 'un to start their season with. We are, however, cheerful.

Kate, rugby has some resemblance to American football, and many differences. It takes an American a fair while to get used to the idea that it is perfectly permissible to pick the ball up off the ground and run with it, and that the ball must never be passed to a player forward of the man who’s got it. Rugby is much more fluid than American football. At its very best, it’s like chess at speed.

Knitting

Meanwhile there has been a (small) dramatic event in the knitting of the Calcutta Cup ’06 sweater. I have started the second sleeve, and managed, in the first couple of rows, to displace the pattern, rotating it perhaps nine stitches clockwise. There are some very simple rows which make it easy to go astray in the following row, especially when there isn’t very much to go on.

As you can see, the mistake itself is nearly undetectable, and would certainly pass the Horse Test even if the animal were just ambling along.

I discovered this the evening before we went to London, and decided to press on. I realised that it meant that things would be a bit off at the underarm. I have calculated the sleeves to finish at the same row as the body, and also, once all the increases have been increased, to have the sleeve “seam” occur at the same vertical point in the pattern as the side “seams” of the body. In this case, that calculation would be thrown off. The result would take a bit of fudging, I thought, but it could be done.

When I woke up the next morning, with the synapses somewhat restored, I realised while still in bed that the real problem would arise when I was knitting around on all the stitches after the sleeves had joined in: the pattern on the faulty sleeve would be very conspicuously askew.

So I ripped it out on Thursday night, when we got back from London – I think the week’s delay made the process less painful. I’m nearly back to where I was.

I am becoming obsessed with the idea of cashmere koigu. I can’t even allow myself to dream, however, without first working out exactly what I would do with it.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:09 PM

    Jean, I'm planning on knitting Lucy Neatby's Fiesta Feet socks and I was wondering who might help me if I get stuck. Looking at your wonderful CC sweater, I may be round for a post match masterclass!
    You can see them at
    http://www.tradewindknits.com/thfiesta.html

    See what I mean? :)

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  2. Anonymous1:18 PM

    Ah, now I'm with you. The Calcutta Cup, otherwise known as 6 nations rugby match Scotland v. England. The TV is on and I have my knitting all lined up - not as complicated as your Calcutta Cup project however. I agree with you about London.

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  3. Natalie - I can't get to your blog/email via blogger, it is denying all knowledge - I have started those Fiesta Feet recently - and they're not too bad. See how I've got on in January on my blog.

    Jean - I didn't know that the clcutta Cup was what I know as the 6 nations (formerly 5 nations) rugby. Enjoy the games!

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  4. Anonymous2:26 PM

    Wishing you well in today's match. I'll be on pins and needles tomorrow with my Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl.

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  5. For the first time in years I sat down to watch the Calcutta Cup match, with my knitting. 25mins later the channels were switched and Power Rangers were on!
    Still what I saw was a pretty good first half/half! - Can't wait to see your finished CC sweater, it is looking good.

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