Sunday, September 14, 2008

Sundays are awful. Other days begin with News Briefing on the radio, then Farming Today, then the Today programme – calm BBC voices expounding the day’s quotient of bluetongue and rain-sodden harvests and bank failures: one drifts happily in and out of sleep, worries held at bay by those of the world.

But Sundays start with unction and music and poetry and High Thought and there’s nothing to do but lie there starkly awake and do some serious worrying of one’s own.

Knitting

Shan, I can’t thank you enough for that reference to the barrister’s wig. I must have it for the bear. I have emailed the designer and as yet have heard nothing – but it’s been less than 24 hours. Maybe she’s away for the weekend. Maybe I’ll try through Ravelry.

Another happy day with the Princess. The first 13 rows of a pattern repeat, here in the centre, are – I won’t say “hard”, but a bit slow, full of k3tog’s which require care lest the centre stitch escape. I’ve finished that part of the 6th repeat and am now steaming peacefully onwards.

Some of the more mathematically inclined ladies in the Heirloom Knitting group have done some interesting calculations showing what fraction of the centre has been knit as each repeat is finished – the answer is invariably, a lot less than you might think.

I continue to wander with delight through the new VK. I think I like everything in the “English garden” section. The last time I went to K1 Yarns, the proprietress was wearing a big sweater that amounted to a small dress, like the one on the cover and in the Bergere de France ad just inside. On the right age and shape of person, it looks astonishingly good.

Politics

I spent a while yesterday looking at Sarah Palin tee shirts at Cafepress, wondering if there was anything I could give anyone for Christmas (by which time she will either be Vice President of the United States, or Sarah Who?) There are thousands already, almost all favourable. I sort of liked this one. I was slightly encouraged, on reflection, by the fact that a lot of them had variations on the idea that the Republican ticket consists of SP and some old man. Funny, perhaps – but will people really turn out and vote for some old man?

6 comments:

  1. I, too, mark the days of the week by the radio, but in my case it has to do with what's playing on public radio during my hour drive to work. Monday through Thursday are news, which is my preference. Friday starts popular songs from the infancy of radio through the 1960's, with an announcer whose voice I find extremely irritating, such that I switch stations until the news comes on at 4. Saturday is opera, which is usually okay, except that I come in at the tail end of the performance. Sunday is Car Talk, which I generally don't like to listen to so early in my day. I suppose if I had satellite radio, I could listen to BBC World Service every day.

    Every day I hope that November won't bring us another 4 years of Republican rule. It seems, though, that this country has tracked towards the dumbed-down and misinformed for some long time now, and I'm not sure if it's surmountable without the collective will for a revolution of sorts. I do hope, however, that Mr. Obama can make some progress in changing that.

    And speaking of heirloom knitting, I got to hold Franklin's christening shawl Friday night. Utterly exquisite, as one might expect.

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  2. I consider myself fairly intelligent and well informed and i am planning on voting republican for the first time. I am a life long democrat. I just cannot bring myself to vote for Obama. Sure I do not agree with everything McCain is pushing but I believe more in hime than Obama. I know that my family will be screwed tax wise if Obama wins.

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  3. It's not my place to comment on the comments of others, since this isn't my blog. I don't like to wake up to the news at all, my husband does, so we try to compromise. I worry enough, and waking to the news gets it going. Last night I started in at about 4 am with McCain being elected, dying a few months into his term, and Sarah Palin as president. This is why I need to knit more and listen to the news less, I suppose. Farm news would be good, a reminder of the centuries of good and bad news that come and go.

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  4. Anonymous6:11 PM

    I'm torn about my vote in November. Frankly, I'm not really in favor of McCain or Obama but the thought of Sarah Palin becoming our next president almost by default because of McCain's age, scares me witless. I might need to take a closer look at the other people running from the small parties although voting for one of them is basically throwing my vote away.

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  5. In response to Marie, please check out an article in the AARP bulletin that basically breaks down the tax plans of both candidates. See http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html?CMP=KNC-360I-GOOGLE-BULL&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=obama_tax_plan

    Basically, McCain's plan benefits only corporations and the very wealthy. Obama's plan benefits those making under $250,000 a year.

    Mel, I envy you - Franklin's sister wouldn't send him the shawl so he could show it off at knitting camp - she didn't trust the US postal service or any other carrier.

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  6. Jean, I'm so glad you like it! Astor has small children so she is likely just up to her ears in start-of-school. If you haven't heard back in a couple of days, let me know and I'll see if I can track her down through a mutual friend.

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