Wednesday, November 01, 2017

Another pleasant day with little achieved. I must somehow take myself in hand.

I am on to the next stripe in Miss Rachel’s Yoke. Each one involves two colours, and when its turn comes round again, the colours are reversed. The main colour – the only one I am worried about – is involved three times. For its final appearance, as for its first, it is supposed to take the leading role. It would have a better chance of making it to the finish line if I asked it only to be the pattern colour. We shall see.

Despite achieving so little, day by day, I am enjoying planning a shawl for the next great-grandchild. I could knit a basic-type Shetland hap using one of my packages of gradient yarns for the border colours. I could knit Mrs Hunter of Unst’s famous shawl again – Rachel says that Hellie has used it, as I hoped, for carrying Orla about, and the next one will be a summer baby as well.

What was that yarn? No doubt the answer is somewhere here in the blog.

And the long-anticipated Japanese stitch pattern book should be with us soon. Maybe there will be the germ of an idea there.

Here is the picture of Orla in the Pollywog towards the end of last Saturday afternoon, in the arms of her father Matt. I sent it to myself from my phone yesterday. It must have chosen the scenic overland route:



And here is a rather successful, but wholly irrelevant, picture of Paradox which Alexander took a week or so ago:



Rachel and Ed have a beautiful black cat named Pushkin. She has beautiful black whiskers – a design detail I had never noticed until last weekend. My cats have white whiskers.


Greek Helen is now back from Thessaloniki, and from London, and is swinging into action. She is determined to make our house in Strathardle – see sidebar – fit for renting out, so that it can pay its own way in the world. She is going there tomorrow to embark on that project. She also means to take me in hand, and render this house in Drummond Place somewhat more comfortable to live in. What Helen sets out to achieve, gets done.

10 comments:

  1. Go Helen. A more comfortable place to live and a house that helps pay for itself both sound like admirable goals. Loved the baby and cat photos

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  2. Yours is primarily a knitting blog ergo cat photos are never irrelevant! And, it seems to me if you had a pleasant day then you have achieved something of importance.

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  3. Paradox doesn't want to push things off of the counter/mantel? That seems to be a trait of the cats I have encountered. Some of those machine washable gradients would be lovely in a hap.

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  4. How nice that Helen has the vision and verve to shape up houses. I rarely have that kind of Wonder Woman energy, but when I do I am quite surprised at what can be accomplished.
    Paradox is picture perfect, isn't she? How lovely that the Pollywog is being worn! CUTE!

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  5. Maybe Greek Helen will find your keys.
    Paradox is beautiful! I love calico cats in general, but your cats are exceptional.

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  6. Anonymous8:00 AM

    Orla's shawl was knitted in the Yarn Collective's Portland Lace, Morning Rain. I remember because I was using Keeping Bees at the same time as you were making it and thought what a good choice it was for a to-use item. I'm sure it will be beautiful, whatever you choose to make! Stella

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  7. =Tamar5:44 PM

    I see that Paradox has learned to pose, a vital cat accomplishment.
    Gradient yarns for the border should keep the knitting interesting as well as being pretty.

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  8. So, Strathardle as a holiday let? Quite a big project for Helen. (Fantasises about renting it for a week....)

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  9. Totally in love with Paradox.

    A woman from my knitting group is coming over for the Yarn Festival. Would Strathardle be available then?

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