Tuesday, January 08, 2008

New Hampshire Primary Day

Here we are.

Janet, my only friend in New Hampshire – a master knitter – is in the Edwards camp, too. But it doesn’t sound as if he’s in with much of a chance. Theo has responded promptly to my request for the insider’s view – do read, it’s interesting. My own opinion, for what it’s worth, is that his wife’s health rules Edwards out. Obviously, disaster can strike any of us from anywhere at any moment, and a president has to keep on presiding. One thinks of Patrick Kennedy’s little life. But to elect a man with drawn-out anxiety and pain almost inevitable (I gather) during his presidential term, seems unwise.

In any event, I’ll be hard at the gansey today. And by the time I sit here tomorrow morning, we’ll know the answer.

Another day should bring the gansey to the point where I can thread it onto waste yarn and consider the size. It seems sort of appropriate that it should happen this very week.

Yesterday’s big news on the knitting front was the arrival of the January Yarn Yard club yarn. It’s stunning. I’ll try to remember to photograph it on the doorstep during the brief hours of daylight. I’m thinking watchcap for self. Amazon tells me that that hat-book I ordered a while back is on its way. Maybe there’ll be something there. Not too fancy, though. The yarn should speak for itself.

And here’s a question. My husband needs a heavy-ish, long-sleeved sweater – DK or sport weight, no chunkier than that. He toiled around the sales looking for something yesterday. It seems churlish not to knit him one. I’d welcome suggestions for yarn. A certain modest amount of interesting colour, in a darkish manly colour, would be welcome.

I tried the Araucania website to see if they do anything like the “multi” yarn which I’m knitting in Strathardle, in a heavier weight. But the website is over-designed and I didn’t get anywhere. I’m going to see my friend Helen later in the week. She knows everything there is to be known about yarn, and may have some ideas.

Since I have no knitting pictures for today, here are some miserable children (Thessaloniki Drakes and Beijing Milses, intermingled) photographed at Christmas. Compare and contrast with the same small people in my sidebar.

12 comments:

  1. It will be quite interesting to see how the NH primaries turn out. Here in Maine, the Dems will be caucusing on Feb. 10, but I won't be able to participate, as I'm scheduled to work that day.

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  2. Jean, have you ever tried the yarn from the Mill at New Lanark?

    http://www.newlanarkshop.co.uk/

    I haven't tried it myself because as you probably know I am currently knitting my first ever Bloke Sweater and am but a juvenile in the buying of yarn in sweater type quantities - but I know friends who have used it and been very happy with the results.
    There is a 90% wool and 10% silk blend in DK and aran, and a 100% wool as well. The colours look good, nice manly, tweedy shades.

    They will send a shade card. (It costs a whole pound.) And the yarn itself is £1 a ball. Astonishing.

    n

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  3. i think the extra fine merino from jaeger sold at www.cucumberpatch.co.uk is an astonishing quality. the stitch definition is second to none and since it is multi plied it calls for cables or travelling stitches which i have a penchant for right now.
    or you could order some of the lovely beaverslide worsted at leanne's at beaverslide.com. the colours, the price and the quality is astonishing.
    maybe a cobblestone??? interweave have a theme about men's sweaters right now and have put some old knitting patterns for sale at their website.

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  4. Anonymous10:42 AM

    Dear Jean,

    Perhaps your husband would like Big Blue. Jared knitted it based on EZ, which I think you have, so you could probably recreate it. The yarn he used is Beaverslides, I think.

    http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/

    All the best,
    Dawn

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  5. Oh, those poor miserable children - and their granny didn't knit them any mittens.

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  6. Anonymous2:21 PM

    Your comment on Edwards echoes my own thought, Jean. I like what he says, and it's good that at least one of his statements during the last debate earned the "Geppeto Award" from the Washington Post's Fact-Checker. However, I think (hope?) that his family would take priority in his focus, which isn't good for our next president, who will have many very serious issues requiring attention.

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  7. Anonymous5:02 PM

    Why is it that men are so hard to dress? It is too soft or too scratchy or it binds somewhere. The sleeves are too long or too short or have the wrong style of ribbing. The neck is too high or too low or is too round or too V shaped. It has too many buttons or they are "funny" looking. God forbid that it be an unmanly color or texture or pattern or be too "fussy". I think they would all be happy wearing an old faded grey sweatshirt. We have been married 38 years and my husband still hasn't forgiven me for getting rid of his.

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  8. Jean - I would suggest Celtic Tivoli Aran for your husband's sweater. Here is the website for a Dublin stockist http://www.springwools.com/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=208&cat=Tivoli+Yarns

    I really like the Tivoli Aran but I'm not sure that the colours would be suitable for your husband. Springwools doesn't seem to offer black - and yet I bought Tivoli black from them. A word of caution - as a retail store I think Springwools is a disaster - but for mailorder they might be o.k.

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  9. Anonymous6:30 PM

    I second the recommendation for Big Blue. It's a very handsome sweater.
    Cobblestone is also good but I think the yoke does something odd to the shoulder line.

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  10. My husband read what I posted and confessed to actually thinking about his old grey sweatshirt just this morning and I know he wasn't kidding!!!

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  11. I've used the pure wool aran from New Lanark Mills for a Rogue. It has fantastic stitch definition on the cables, and is beautifully soft to wear.

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  12. I was going to mention the stitch definition Vivienne, but it was second-hand information as I haven't actually used it myself, so I didn't like to over-egg the pudding, as my grandmother would have said.

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