Thursday, February 15, 2007



Definitely a good day yesterday. Speaking of which, don’t miss Franklin's valentine to us all. Love that boy.

For the first time since this thing started, I stayed on my feet all day – and feel even peppier this morning. In the afternoon we walked up to the Royal Academy and saw the student show. Much youthful angst.

I finished The Yarn Yard socks, and hope to dispatch them to London this afternoon.

I re-started the Calcutta Cup ’06 sleeve. There’s a long way to go, but I’m back in the saddle.

I ordered three skeins of cashmere Koigu (!) to be sent to a cyber-friend who will visit Edinburgh next month. I read through the Shapely Shawlette pattern and I think I have at least the general idea. Thank you all for comments relating to its construction, which I will certainly refer back to when the time comes.
And I got some work done on my website (see sidebar). There are still plenty of loose ends and blind alleys, but some of the lace stuff is now up.

My friend and sometime eBay agent Helen sent me this link yesterday (which she got from you, Kathy in Juneau):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65449462@N00/255512558/

It’s delicious. Don’t miss.

I referred it to my sources in Beijing, wondering which of the characters displayed actually said “knitting”, and have had this slightly dampening reply:

“The three characters directly above the word ‘knitting’. The characters say ‘knitted products’. It appears to be a list of things on sale in a shop. The English words don't cover the entire range of products advertised in Chinese. There are also shoes, hats, water and ice-cream.”

Politics

Carlarey, I’ve been racking my brains for the “other brown candidate” you mention. Richardson? Condi? But neither has declared yet, have they? Guiliani isn’t exactly a WASP either, but again, he isn’t officially in (and he wouldn’t count as brown).

Thanks for Barak’s middle initial. I think in fact I had already heard it. Clearly, his parents weren’t looking ahead to the presidency when they named their little baby. It seems to me that a certain familiarity with Islam couldn’t do a world leader much harm these days.

Comment

knititch, could you possibly send us an URL for a picture of your Crown Princess with her baby in the shawl knit by her mother? And I meant to say to you yesterday, I find written instructions – rather than pictures – the easiest way to get to grips with grafting. Now that I knit Travel Socks, I have finally, in the last decade, learned to do it, at least for st st, without having to look it up every time.

6 comments:

  1. Jean, since Prince Christian is half-Aussie, here's the photo of him in his shawl:

    http://tinyurl.com/8g2gy

    I believe the pattern is an oft-repeated one, almost a classic from Patons, called "Bubbles".

    Basically you start with 8 sts, work a yo after every st in the first row, then inc in the same 8 places every 2nd row. When you reach a certain size, you work a couple of inches of Feather & Fan/Old Shale, then work off a lace border.

    One seam is all that's required and you have a lovely circular shawl, with lots of lovely mindless knitting hidden in its depths. I've made it myself at least twice, last year in a carseat/stroller size for a friend's adopted daughter.

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  2. oh and a pleniturde of pictures of the little scotsman at www.kronprinsparretdk/b4000c

    her father, john donaldson, took her to the altar in a kilt. that was something else. most charming man, i dare say

    it is a classic pattern and not all too difficult. but very sweet. in copenhagen knitted baby garments are generally sold at very high prices. i cannot believe how much money young parents obviously have.

    glad you are feeling better.

    oh and by the way it has four seams and it square....

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  3. Anonymous3:47 PM

    Richardson is the "brown" horse in the race. His father is a U.S. citizen who married a woman from Mexico while he was on assignment there. Bill was born in the U.S. but was raised in Mexico city until he was in high school.

    I am a part-time resident of New Mexico, so he's my man. We're hoping that while Hillary and Barack get all the attention he quietly moves up in the race, sort of like that other dismissed Democratic governor a few years back.

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  4. Jean,
    Bill Richardson is of Hispanic origin. I don't believe he has officially declared, but he has an exploratory committee. These days an actual declaration is a mere formality. I like Richardson, too, mainly for his international diplomatic experience. The U.S. is in desperate need of an experienced leader.
    --Lee

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  5. Anonymous8:31 PM

    I'm very glad to hear you are feeling better. Peppy is good! The Calcutta sweater is handsomer all the time. I have to relearn kitchener stitch every time, but I do it by looking at the knitting and copying the path.

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  6. of course it is www.kronprinsparret.dk/b4000c
    i make all kinds of mistakes when i write comments.
    and of course it is not a pleniturde but a plenitude....

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