Sunday, November 04, 2007

No Title

Live and Learn Dep’t:

The Curmudgeon says that the reason Ravelry won’t show my blog, is that I don’t use titles. So I’ll try a few. Today’s is the name of an hysterically funny play that I saw at the B’ham Rep long ago with my sister and Alexander (and anyone else? Can’t remember). Can’t remember the name of the author, either. No hint of such a play in the first three pages of a Google on “’No Title’ play”. What a lot of good writing must sink unseen.

Life

I hitched the new PVR up successfully. It and the other two machines seem to work as normal, although we still have a lot to learn about the new one.

Thanks to everyone who wrote yesterday to congratulate me on my new eBay purchase. It has been dispatched Special Delivery to my friend Chronic Knitting Syndrome – because we’re going to Strathardle this week and I didn’t know when that would be, when I was making arrangements on auction-day – and should therefore arrive tomorrow.

Emma in France, that’s a good question, about what will happen to my VKB’s when I have popped my clogs. (Have I got that phrase right?) They are bound to be under-valued by the inheritance tax people -- Alexander is looking forward to releasing them back into eBay one at a time. No chance – I have left all knitting-related stuff to a dear knitting lawyer friend in the US. She will make wise decisions.

The library of the Knitting and Crochet Guild? They have some VKB’s, I know, because I added quite a few to my collection once when they were selling off duplicates. But do they have the set? The public library in Lerwick? I would welcome any suggestions. I suppose the thing to do, if/when I’ve got them all – first catch your hare – is to write around and see who sounds interested.

My husband thinks I should have them bound. The problem there might be that the VKB changed shape. It started off rather tall and rectangular, as you see from yesterday’s picture. Then at some point during the war it changed to a square-er format which it maintained to the end, except that the wartime ones were smaller, Honey-I-Shrank-the-Kids fashion. Smaller pages, smaller type. Soon after the war it expanded to its final size.

And finally, knitting

I’ve reached 75cm of Earth Stripes – halfway. Except that at the end it will have to be edged and (ugh) fringed. But I never suffer too much from finishing. Like any old horse headed home towards the paddock.



MaryJo0 -- always good to hear from Kazakhstan: I learned about Meg's "Armenian Knitting" from her twice-yearly "Woolgathering" to which I subscribe. Be warned: there's not much in it. The technique is to knit with two colours throughout, even in large passages where only one colour shows. Once that idea has been announced and described, the rest of the book consists of new patterns using this system. New patterns by the authors, not Armenian ones.

The (somewhat over-exposed) pictures arrived from London yesterday. Here is Rachel with her new KF socks:

and her husband Ed in his old KF Tumbling Blocks vest:

I think Lizzie who took the picture was more interested in her father than in knitting.

7 comments:

  1. I hate to be a know-all - no, you know I do - but No Title was written by David Rudkin and first performed at Birmingham Rep in 1974. http://tinyurl.com/2eyhat He seems to have been a productive writer, and wrote plays for tv when they still showed original drama.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Knitting and Crochet Guild seems like a good place for them, actually, especially if they are a complete set by then. Have you visited them? Terrible venue, but fabulous items and an incredibly dedicated group of people running the place.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous6:59 PM

    Regarding Armenian Knitting, Meg and Joyce have shown and demonstrated a lot of it at Knitting Camp the last two years. The point of carrying the unused colors for the long distances is to see the blips of color peeking through, it gives a neat tweed-y look to the fabric. To do this, you catch the yarn differently than you would in Fair Isle, where you don't want those blips to show. Otherwise, you can knit it the same as Fair Isle as far as how you hold the yarns (one handed or two), Meg and Joyce both happen to hold them in one hand is all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:38 PM

    As a librarian with archival training, as well as one who likes to actually use back issues of knitting magazines, I suggest not binding. Since you take obvious care and pride in your text collections, what about archival-quality sleeves in either a standing pamphlet box or a flat portfolio? There are several good suppliers on the Internet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Binding is for things that you use or mean to use and are not interested in preserving as collectibles. Binding your VKB's would be like rubbing the patina off a bronze.

    Helena - another librarian - hoarder - raveller!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jean -- thanks for the review on the Armenian knitting book. I'll probably pass, but I don't feel guilty as I have frequented Schoolhouse press plenty over the years.

    Am waiting for final pics from the Earth Stripes -- I can't understand why the photos online of the cover of that Rowan show the yarn "lighter" looking that every one I've seen made up ... I'm still thinking about it as I really need warm things on my shoulders (but not warm jumpers) MaryjoO

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jean, what about the Victoria & Albert Museum, or indeed, the Smithsonian? Do they have complete sets? There's also the Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers.

    Just my thoughts; I wish I had your dilemma :)

    Have you knitted much from the older patterns?

    ReplyDelete