Sunday, October 09, 2016

I think I’ve decided on Abstract Expressionism, for my day in London if I get there. It’ll be crowded, all right – although that is less painful at the RA than elsewhere, in those big, high-ceiling'd rooms. I’ll aim to get there early.

Yesterday was another pretty good day on the knitting front.

I did six rows of the Uncia – I might even finish the current chart today. There’s a bad mistake – my first, I think. A stitch just wasn’t in the right place, on a right-side row. The alternatives were to pick out two rows (a day’s work at least, with success not guaranteed), or go on. I chose the latter.

I’ve come to a passage that requires a lot of one over one crosses, both knit, and I am experimenting, rather late in life, with cabling without a cable needle. It’s going pretty well. Advice gratefully received.

I’m doing the toe decreases on the first Mosaic sock.

And I did another edging point on the Hansel hap – only one to go. I should finish this evening. Helen is coming round to test my vaunted ability to watch catch-up television. She missed Sally Phillips’ much-discussed documentary, “A World Without Down’s Syndrome”, a couple of days ago. That shouldn’t require minute attention. I ought to be able to get the end of the edging attached to the beginning, and do a certain amount of tidying as well.

However, the biggest news on the knitting front was the arrival of “Drop-Dead Easy Knits” – a present from Mary Lou herself. It’s full of good things I want to knit.

--The “Star-Eyed Julep Throw” by the Mason-Dixon Knitters. It’s log cabin knitting, for which they are famous, and at first glance doesn’t exactly look drop-dead easy, but is very likely to become so as one acquires the knack of binding off and picking up stitches for the next strip.

-- Two sweaters by Mary Lou herself: “Keynote Pullover”, a yoke sweater, with the yoke done in a simple-sounding stitch pattern, no colours. I’ve been hankering for a yoke sweater lately. And “Kiawah V-Neck”, a lovely, loose linen number “to throw on at the beach”.

-- And, Mary Lou again, the “Joggle Scarf”. It’s a simple stripe, one solid colour and one self-striping. One set of stripes in seed stitch, the other garter. The idea is – would it work? – that you knit it at a family gathering and set yourself cues for when to switch from one stripe to the next.

Lots to look forward to.


There’s also tonight’s debate. Unmissable. Or is it bound to be a disappointment? 

9 comments:

  1. Re Uncia. I got badly stuck at the start of Chart E and took back three rows at least four times. This was because I was uncertain which strand to pick up when making one immediately before or after a YO. I can see, looking back, where that row is, because one of the YOs is somehow not twisted like the others. It's not a pattern where you can just drop a stitch down a few rows to fix it.
    I usually cable without a needle, unless the cable has more than three stitches to move. I just drop the stitches off, pinching them between my left thumb and index finger if they are to the back. Then I just pick them back up again.
    Of course, I couldn't do that when the cabled stitches had to also be twisted, so that first section took much longer.

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  2. Thanks for the kind words, Jean. If you have never done the log cabin type of blanket it is really simple, and very easy to put down and pick up. For one over one cable crosses I usually them as I would a Right Twist or Left Twist as needed. I think It looks the same and is very quick to do.

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  3. The debate has become Extra Exciting with Breaking News in the past 30 hours. Try to catch up before the event for context.

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  4. Oh yeah, the Trump meltdown has been both entertaining and horrifying. Mostly horrifying. But rape culture tends to be that way, sadly. The Republican party rules say he can't be removed as the candidate unless he resigns or dies, and I can't see Trump resigning even if it comes out he has a body count as large as Stalin's or something.

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  5. My Heart has always been with Hilary even though I don't get a vote. Those Americans sure know how to liven up an election, though. We never have this much fun on our side of the Border!!
    Nice to hear you have some "Easy" knitting on the horizon Jean!!!

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  6. The debate gets broadcast here around about lunchtime. The Senior Cat (aka as my father) says the television set will remain OFF as he "can't stand that man".

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  7. Sharon in Surrey, believe me when I tell you that we would much rather not have such a lively election, especially not since "the tape." I am truly horrified and embarrassed by the whole thing. I wish we had a short and sweet election season the way our cousins on the other side of the pond do. I had my first look at Kate's Hap book yesterday, and can understand why so many are doing the Unica, but with so many of you having trouble with it I do not think I would dare try! Jean, I am all in favor of easy knitting, especially if Mary Lou has anything to do with it.

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  8. well its all over now. disgusting man - Mrs Clinton did rather well in not reacting to the horrid comments he made especially when he said he would have her jailed when he is President. There is a growing backlash against this because as one commentator said - that is how third world dictators act to their opponents. we are not a third world country.

    as for the Tape he didnt apologize and spent the entire debate attacking HRC and not answering ONE question except the last one.. when an audience member requested them to name ONE good thing about the other person.

    The Republican leadership elite and otherwise is running from Trump. BUT they deserve this man - they spent EIGHT years obstructing Obama and NOT putting together a campaign with an electable candidate.

    G*D help us if he is elected. I will be moving to Canada or Scotland.

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  9. Debate is over and I've slept on it. Both of them didn't respond to the questions correctly. If it was a drinking game, then I would have been drunk for as many times as she said "that's a good question" "let me tell you my position" (and then go off onto what she's done for women and children). As for him, I would have been drunk with all the "I apologized" and the "what about the emails?" Trump did say that he had a list of supreme court nominees in mind and discussed that he thought Scalia was a good person. He also mentioned the 2nd amendment in that question. Hiliary simply went off on a tangent again about women and never discussed her position on the Supreme Court. My decision about the whole thing--a wash. She bounced around and he tried to be presidential which makes him come across as tired, sleepy, not caring. Not much fire from either of them. However, I'm so done with this election. I wish they could be banned from starting to run again the minute an election is over. Get rid of SuperPACS, stop the running until the year of the election. Now that would make me a happy camper.

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