Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Southern Gal, my MP3 player is a 2GB Logik. (It’s worth following that link – Southern Gal’s most recent post is about the sad news that knitting is to be cut from the curriculum in Shetland’s schools.) I have packed it away in its plastic box and put it in The Box to take to Strathardle. I can do no more by myself. But when I tackle the problem again with Archie, I will remember what you say, Theresa, about holding the menu button down for an unconscionably long time. I think I’ve done that, but it’s worth trying even longer.

So yesterday I was forced to do my power walk (four circuits of Drummond Place Gardens which I think add up to about a mile) alone with my thoughts. First I settled yesterday’s meals – mussels for lunch, chicken for supper – and then went on to the question of whether I should knit a Games entry after all.

I decided that I would, and I would do it properly, with a schematic and a swatch.

Kristieinbc, this is your fault, for Sunday’s comment.

After breakfast I printed out the kimono pattern – which lacks a schematic – and chose a yarn from my Yarn Yard collection. (Natalie’s server seems to be down this morning, hence no link.) I had the uncomfortable feeling that I could spend a year knitting exclusively Yarn Yard without running out – Adult Surprise Jackets, anyone?

Winding took a while. The schematic was easy. The back of the kimono is a square – 9 ¼” for the smallest size in the original. All I had to do was knit a 6” square and calculate the other pieces from that. While I was out shopping for the mussels and the chicken later in the morning, I reflected that I might as well take a guess at the gauge. If I got it right, that was the back done. If not, I had my swatch. Solvitur ambulando was the order of the day.

And I did get the gauge right – my piece is about 6 ¼” across. The fabric is lovely.


But it curls appallingly, despite a garter stitch border. Too much so to rely on blocking.


So I’m going to take it out today and start again, with a wider garter stitch border at the beginning and with garter stitch edges of at least four stitches each side. Curiously, the pattern lacks those. The bottom of the little kimono hangs loose – there are no side seams below the armpits. So it won’t even have itself to give it substance.

Mary G., thanks for the vote of confidence on the question of old women and long hair. I was afraid I'd been offensive. The Rowan model has hers in a bun in some of the pictures, and looks terrific.

Non-knit

I thought Mr Clinton looked alarmingly gaunt in the wedding pictures, but dieting often affects men that way. Our former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson, still looks haggard, a decade or so after he and his wife took his weight in hand.

4 comments:

  1. I have to say that when I first saw that photo of the swatch laid flat, my first thought was what sort of bizarre medical torture device you had used on it.

    I haven't seen the Clinton wedding pictures, but I was amused when NPR did a story on the influx of 15,000 or so reporters into Rhinebeck to try to get a scoop on the event. I was surprised none of the locals told them that it was really nothing compared to when the knitters roll into town every October. On the other hand, it's not as though we hound all the locals for interviews.

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  2. I love the spoons holding down that swatch- it took me a minute to figure out what was going on but then it made me chuckle.

    I agree- the former President did look a little gaunt. As my mom says "some people just look better with a bit of extra on them." However, the bride and groom looked happy. Such a fuss- I was at a wedding myself this past weekend (in Minnesota, of my decidedly unfamous best friend from grad school) and my friend (the bride) was glowing with happiness too. It was a small wedding, in a modest Presbyterian church, officiated by a young pastor and the dinner was the college where she teaches.... and even so, such a small wedding was stressful for all involved- so I cannot imagine the chaos that was the Clinton wedding...

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  3. The photo with the spoons looks like an 'invention' of a ten year old boy. The circular needles cords look like antennae. Perhaps you can figure out a way to hook up the mp3 player to it and get reception.

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  4. Anonymous6:18 AM

    I guess I need to apologize for mentioning the Games and knitting! However, I do enjoy watching you go through the process of entering something each year, so am looking forward to seeing this year's finished product.

    kristieinbc

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