Monday, April 09, 2007

London tomorrow, so today will be a breathless course through hair-washing, banking, bill-paying, shirt-ironing and shoe-polishing, all at the last moment as usual. I sometimes wonder how I ever managed at all when I had four children to deal with however imperfectly, and a job. But the essence of the answer is easy: in those days, I didn’t have to cook lunch. It fills the day all by itself.

Thank you, as ever, for yesterday’s comments. Pooch, the bottom edge of the shawls under discussion is something of an arc, but we need a word to include the area within the shape. I think Tamar’s got it, with “a segment of a circle.” What do togas look like, shape-wise, when they’re not being worn? My only experience was at high school, and we used single-bed sheets.

That’s great news, Flavaknits, that k1 yarns is doing lace-knitting classes. It keeps getting better! Classes, and tables to sit at, are American imports which British LYS’s are at last cottoning on to.

I had a happy day yesterday with the little-boy-sweater. I should finish the first sleeve today – little boys (and girls), like trawlermen, do best with shortish sleeves. It is distressing how often one sees sleeves actually rolled up in pictures of designs for children. How long is that going to last in the sandbox?

I’m quite optimistic at the moment, too, about my new system of dividing the week between the Princess and a smallish project. I mean to carry on, not indefinitely but until early June, when I will, with gritted teeth, switch full-time to knitting a toy as my Games entry.

I had been thinking (as I’ve already said) of repeating a mermaid I knit once long ago. But Maureen suggested Sam the Ram, that recent day when we were having our happy yarn crawl. He involves some show-off knitting, she said. I’ve had a look at the pattern on-line, and am seriously considering him.

If anyone might be remotely in the area (central Perthshire) on the fourth Saturday in August, do consider joining us at the Strathardle Highland Gathering. Nearly 80 years will separate the oldest and youngest members of our party, and everybody seems to enjoy it. We plan to drive cars down to the ringside the night before, from which sustenance will be dispensed during the day. Come and have some cider.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:42 AM

    Togas in the flat are approximately semi-circles, or semi-ellipses, with the straight edge going across the longer middle.

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  2. Anonymous12:34 PM

    By Imperial times they become oval - but are folded in half before being put on, so effectively still the same shape. I looked for images of toags online - not doing that again, too many drunken students. This was the best diagram I could find:

    http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/radical_romans/male/male.htm

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  3. Anonymous12:36 PM

    Apologies - just tested the link andn it won't work. Try this:

    http://tinyurl.com/2eu7dz

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous4:54 PM

    Sam the Ram is fabulous. It is a brilliant piece of knitting achitechture, and you must do it.

    I am really enjoying your progress on Princess. My Princess will languish for a bit longer, until I see the optometrist and get new glasses.

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  5. Anonymous12:04 AM

    Depending on the depth of the curve, the shape might be described as "an orange segment." Togas varied also; the longest and narrowest semi-ellipse I recall seeing a diagram for was called something like "toga armor" because it was so thick when worn that it would slow down, if not stop, a dagger thrust.

    The party sounds like great fun.

    ReplyDelete