Wednesday, October 16, 2013

I had lunch with one of you – one of us – yesterday, and had a grand time. We talked of shoes and ships and sealing wax, scarcely of knitting at all. The Dewey decimal system, possums, Elizabeth Grant of Rothiemerchus…

And at the end of the afternoon, my sister and I faced up to moving all those books off the chest at the end of the passage, in order to retrieve the Princess shawl. It’s fine. Gosh, did I knit that?



So when Lucy and Thomas come to see us next month, they can take it away.

I was in the V&A once with a scholarly friend from Oberlin days. Looking at some amazing ecclesiastical embroidery, I remarked that it must be rather gratifying, if one were a nun who had devoted her life to that kind of thing, when it was finally finished and she got to watch the Bishop saying Mass while wearing her life’s work.

My friend thought not. Better to stride about the world getting a PhD, according to her.

But so I will feel if/when I get to be there on the day when Lucy wears the Princess. Bear in mind that both brides and (in the old days) Bishops spend much of the ceremony with their backs to the audience.

Not much else to report. My programme, these days, is to knit two rounds of Rams and Yowes before sinking back with the Milano. Yesterday, I didn’t even finish the two rounds. I’m nearing the end of the first rank of sheep.

Holly, thanks for the link to the gansey.blogspot man with his discussion of various knitting techniques. His article about the use of a knitting sheath is also very interesting. I am really rather hopeful that it’s going to work when I try again with mine, on a different project.


And, golly! I’ve got to knit lace again, and soon. I bought some yarn for that, too, at Jamieson & Smith that happy day.

3 comments:

  1. I'm materialistic enough to believe that the work in our minds goes with us, but the work of our hands gets left behind as a legacy. I certainly treasure the pieces that have come down the generations to me, and which will be passed on down the female line, with as much of their histories as can be known.

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  2. The Princess is glorious.

    As for work of the mind vs. work of the hands, why can't one do both? In my experience, time spent knitting is very conducive to good thinking.

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  3. Leslie Bagatelle6:42 PM

    What wonderful news that the bride wants to wear lovely shawl. It is such a nice feeling when something is truly appreciated!
    Leslie in NJ

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