Wednesday, September 02, 2009

The computer went berserk last night.

I had just finished reading a favourite blog, and was closing the window, when windows started opening everywhere, like a mad new form of computer game. I struggled to regain control, as if with a skidding car or runaway horse, and when I succeeded, rebooted. Everything was then calm – except that I couldn’t connect to the internet at all, and had never before seen the error messages which an attempt produced.

I am still shaking, in retrospect. If I ever think of myself as calm and in control, I need to remember that everything depends on access to the universe. I’m having lunch tomorrow with the Fishwife, before our Combination Knitting class with Annie Modesitt. I don’t even know her – the Fishwife’s – telephone number. It’s been so long since I had serious trouble that I don’t have A Man who could be summoned to help. And what would you think if I wasn't here this morning?

But all was well last night before I went to bed. So it must (I guess) have been the ISP’s fault. I don’t have their telephone number either, but I’ll put that right.

Knitting

I am greatly encouraged by the number of you who have knit and subsequently worn the February Lady Sweater. If I still read something like the KnitList, I’d have heard of it long ago. And forewarned is forearmed – the great thing about top-down knitting is that I’ll be able to try that neckline right away. Shandy, I looked up “Knitting on Impulse”. What wonderful pictures! What a cheerful mother (wearing the FLS)! What a good colour! Her adjustments sound too complicated for me, but you never know. I don't think I have very good shoulders -- see the sidebar. But you never know about that, either.

As for my own knitting, I finished the ASJ swatch, although I haven’t done anything with it yet, and got this far with the Griswold Stole. It’s a very clever pattern, dead easy. It’s all done with offsets. It’s perfect post-Princess therapy, as you suspected, Cynthia. I think the bulges in the side edges will block out -- my first version had them, too.




I think it’s time for a jabot day, if I can bear to tear myself away.

Non-knit

Every year after the Games we take a group picture of Our Party, although I’ve never done anything with them. Tree pictures are carefully kept in my Tree Book. Here is this year’s. Alexander, second from the right, was the photographer. Everybody was there except Helen’s husband David. I, my husband, and Helen are the three white-haired figures in the back row – premature greyness runs in the family, and Helen has recently stopped dying her hair and given in to it. On her, grey looks like platinum blond. Ketki, towards the right, is wearing her Calcutta Cup sweater. Thomas-the-Younger is the one plahing football in front.

The two very welcome non-family-members are Thomas-the-Elder’s girlfriend Anna, towards the left, next to him and in front of James; and Hellie’s boyfriend Matt, towards the right, the tallest figure in the back row. He and Joe (next to him) entered the hay-bale-rolling competition. They were afraid they would disgrace themselves by not being able to get it moving, but in fact came a very creditable second in their heat.

7 comments:

  1. I have been having internet access problems and it is amazing how I have come to depend on it. Why, i had to get out the PHONE BOOK to look up an address. How 20th century. My sister and I quit dyeing this past year (we were all grey by mid 30's) but I don't look platinum blond, just grey!

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  2. Having the computer go berserk on trying to close a window sounds uncomfortably like a spyware infestation. If you haven't got a virus scanner/malware remover, you might want to look into that -- good, free ones are available, like ClamAV and Ad-Aware. And if you have got one, might want to make sure it's still active -- some malware, once it gets in, disables all your protective software before it goes to town. Anyways, malware is the first thing that comes to mind when you say it started opening up a ton of windows unsolicited -- especially if they were, ahem, of a prurient nature.

    Anyways, just thought I'd note that. Good luck with it. :)

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  3. GrannyPurple1:42 PM

    The last few days in our household have been entirely consumed with installation/deinstallation of the new Mac operating system on various computers. It does make a difference to have A Man for these purposes right in the house! And I rarely use the phone for communication any more--it seems to take so much more time than sending off an email and checking for a reply. So I sympathize with your dilemma last night (not sure how to reboot--too dependent on The Man).
    I maintain that the FLS is a very forgiving garment, ad I hope to do it again, but with a smaller neck.

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  4. I second the spyware worry- it does sound like some wacky virus. Seriously- look into it- spyware took down my dad's 'puter so badly that he eventually just gave up and bought a new one (a mac.)

    I have also knitted the Feb. Lady sweater- in fact I still have it as a UFO- I started it last year while in Oberlin and i just need to finish the sleeves- I think you have inspired me. I ned to just go dig it out of the closet- its just that here in Texas its so hot I have been knitting little- I did get a lot of knitting done while flying back and forth to NC this weekend (I defended my PhD- I passed and am now official) weekend but now that I am in the back of triple digit heat I seem to have slowed down again.

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  5. Sarah JS3:48 PM

    Knit my FLS this spring. I, too, do not have "good shoulders" but rather sloped. I ended up putting in a line of crochet chain on the inner neck edge. With that & the other major modification of adding stitches to the width to accommodate the button band, it's now my "go to" sweater for crisp weather.

    Best of luck with yours!

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  6. You are very fortunate to have your family gatherings over a span of several days. My sister in N.H. hosted the family reunions for years but it was usually a one day event - the more significant reunions for me were the days preceding and following with only a few of the closer relatives.

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  7. =Tamar6:21 AM

    I had something like that happen ages ago, and as with yours, it was cleared up without my doing anything. As far as I know, nothing climbed onto my machine either. I don't know whether getting offline immediately helped or not, but I suspect it didn't hurt.

    Molecular knitting dot com slash
    2008/ 07/ 24 posted about some
    changes she made in trying her
    version of the FLS.

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