Tuesday, November 02, 2010

La Fete des Morts

The 50th follower! O, frabjous day! Welcome aboard.

And today’s offering from my Google Reader consisted of Franklin & Jared. What a way to start the day! Neither needs feeds from me, especially Franklin – but be sure not to miss his dialogue between Einstein and the Queen about Christmas knitting.

And Jared reports that his new yarn, Shelter, is doing well – great news. I am interested in the emphasis he puts on American yarn. I would have expected America to be rich in her own yarn. Surely – apart from anything else – there must be parts of the US where merino sheep will thrive? The damp is too much for their chests, here in Britain.

One thing to be said for Christmas, I reflected yesterday, is that it speeds one forward through the darkest and grimmest weeks of the year. It must be terrible in the Antipodes, when in effect the Christmas panic consumes May and June. I bought the ingredients for my Christmas pudding yesterday, which is not quite the same thing as getting it made.

I finally got those stitches picked up for the top of the Amedro shawl, and am now speeding forward, knitting again. I must do three rows of roundels, that’s 24 rows of knitting, over 431 stitches. Then some moss stitch, then we’re home. I am pleased to report that after considerable fiddle with the stitch count, the row in which the roundels were established came out perfectly, to the stitch.

I am surprised that I have no memory of this difficulty from my three previous efforts. I think if I ever do a fifth, I might just pick up the chain of stitches from the edges and increase the count on the first row.

Angel, I couldn’t agree more about sock-knitting and airplanes. I have been transformed from the most nervous of flyers, dry of mouth and sweaty of palm for days beforehand, into an intrepid birdwoman. It began in ’96 – so recently? – when we went to the US for my mother’s 90th birthday. I had just discovered the Internet and Patternworks and Socka Colors and set out with socks to knit, which I hadn’t done for years.

I found last year when I went to Theo’s wedding, that socks have done their work and I can now fly in the discomfort we all share, but without panic. I had socks along, of course, but got very little done on them. I remember once towards the end of my mother's life, getting a whole pair of gents' socks done during one of my visits -- and it couldn't have lasted much longer than last summer's sojourn.

I gave them to my brother-in-law on the spot.


5 comments:

  1. Dawn in NL8:41 AM

    Hello Jean,
    I just made it 51.

    All the best,
    Dawn

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  2. I always think of domestic servants in novels being told 'no followers' when I see that. I'm not sure how to follow, but you are in my google reader.

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  3. Knitting socks have transformed me from a quivering mass of nerves to someone who can at least appear to act like an adult when flying as well. My biggest fear now is that someone might take my knitting away from me before I board the plane. I just don't think I could do it without my comfort sock.

    Congrats on getting your 50th follower! I am still aiming for 10. :-)

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  4. Like Mary Lou, I'm not sure what being a follower means, apart from it being a declaration that I read your blog regularly.

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  5. Those feet in the picture seem really long. I find having a knitting project to take along anywhere makes things go faster.

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