Thursday, June 28, 2018


A pleasant day, and the packing is getting on nicely. No parking permit, however. I tried the telephone number you sent, Shandy – comment, Tuesday. It got me through to a bemused young librarian BUT he knew the number I needed to phone. So thank you, and bless you, for that.

The real number, after an unnecessary amount of if-you-want-this-press-that (unnecessary, because no one except Shandy knows the number to ring in the first place) produced an intelligent human being who briskly looked up my car, using the number on the license plate, and said that the permit has been sent and if it doesn’t arrive tomorrow we can go get a temporary one.

Archie came to lunch, and was instructed in cat care. We hatched a plan wherein he will get a driving license and, assuming I am still alive, we will fly to Detroit and view that ruined city, including the places where I used to live: 2211 Virginia Park, 18214 and 17586 Parkside. It might be almost as interesting as Pompeii. We forgot that he was supposed to be there to help me with putting out the recycling. It’s a fortnightly job, and I think this time we can leave it.

The weather is still preposterously good, and the forecast is that it will continue. There was news last night that the heat – my dears, it’s over 80 – has caused problems on the railway. Something else to worry about. When I was first here, in the summer of 1953, the temperature was over 80 for a few days and England was prostrate.

As for knitting, the new grey yarn is here from Jamieson & Smith, and of course I realised when I met Maureen in Kathy’s Knits yesterday that I could have bought it there, for half the price. She sells exclusively British yarns, and has a good range from J&S. I went on with Archie’s socks. I’ve knit the heel flap and turned the heel and picked up the gusset stitches for the first one.

In the days when my husband and I went to London three or four times a year, I knit lots of socks. This time, for an alarming moment, I wondered if I had forgotten how to turn a heel. But no, I can still do it.

The new VK – the lace issue – arrived today, at first tossed aside in despair because the parking permit wasn’t included, but later thumbed through with some pleasure. There are some seriously good things in there. Had I but world enough and time…

And there’s a good article by Meg about designing shawls – except that it takes me back, yet again, to that troubling, anti-feminist, paragraph in the Knitter’s Almanac, about the pi-shawl. I understand that the radius of a circle is directly and constantly related to the circumference via Pythagoras’ theorem. I still don’t see why Elizabeth’s theorem is therefore right, although I am sure it is. (EZ: starting from the centre, cast on 9,; knit a round of YO, K1; 3 rounds plain; another increase round, 6 rounds plain. Each increase round doubles the number of stitches; then you knit twice as many rounds as before, before the next increase round.) (I’d understand if I were a man, according to EZ.)

I won’t post again until somewhere around the 11th  or 12th of July, home from the Hebrides.

31 comments:

  1. Bon Voyage dear Jean! How I would like to be coming with you.

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  2. Have a wonderful time on your cruise, Jean! I look forward to hearing all about it when you return.

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  3. enjoy the cruise, Jean, safe travel xxxxx

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  4. Happy cruise-don’t forget the insect repellent, Jean.

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  5. Have a lovely, lovely trip!

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  6. Enjoy your travels, dear Jean. We will all be thinking of you on the cruise.
    When are you thinking of visiting Detroit? I will be there for Homecoming in Ann Arbor, October 6th and a few days before and after...you will find a City on the way up.

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  7. Strange way of carrying on in that parking permit office. I'm pleased that the library number yielded some result.

    I'll think of you enjoying some of those lovely meals described on the Majestic site. Pace yourself on the shore outings and have a wonderful time.

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  8. I'll be imagining you enjoying it all immensely. Safe travels and stay in the shade!

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  9. Enjoy your cruise; take lots of photos, please. Stay well.

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  10. I second the taking lots of pix, can always delete the not so good ones when you get home.

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  11. Enjoy your cruise, may you have smooth sailing and good knitting.

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  12. Anonymous3:56 AM

    Have a really wonderful vacation!
    LisaRR

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  13. Feliz viaje. I hope you enjoy every minute of your vacation.

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  14. If you don't get to Detroit, you can just look the addresses up on Google Maps to see pictures of the houses. Have a wonderful cruise!

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  15. You'll be missed! I join others in wishing you a bon voyage and look forward to seeing pictures when you return.

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  16. Anonymous11:05 AM

    Have a wonderful time Jean. Bon Voyage. I have been watching the Knitting Workshop video lately and the part where EZ describes a pi Shawl growth sounds a lot less complicated than in other places where she describes it. The substitution for binding off, however, is beyond me. Maybe someone else on your cruise might be familiar with EZ's directions. Chloe

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  17. Hope you have the most wonderful time Jean! I'm sure you'll miss your kitties but all will be well.
    Bon Voyage!

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  18. Have a wonderful time, Jean! Lots of pictures and good times.

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  19. Have a wonderful cruise!

    re the Pi shawl: circumference (number of stitches) is pi times the diameter (2*number of rows). The number of stitches doubles each increase round, therefore the number of rows between increase rows should also double each time. Does that help?

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  20. WE all look forward to hearing about your cruise. About Detroit, I'm sure it will seem ruined to you, but I've been reading a lot about its resurgence, so I hope you will see sprouts of hope. Will be thinking about you and Archie and P&P.

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  21. Have a fabulous time! Can't wait to hear the stories and see the photos.

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  22. Enjoy yourself and relax! There is no need for productivity while floating around on a nice big boat!

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  23. Anonymous11:04 AM

    Amen to Bev Watts! Think of it as Renewal. Chloe

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  24. Anonymous12:29 PM

    Oh, how jealous I am of you & your journey! Have a fabulous time & come back to us with stories and pics, so we can live vicariously.

    Re: Detroit. I don't suppose we could have a US Jean Miles meet-up? I would totally go to Detriot to meet you. Yes, I am your fangirl!

    Beverly in NJ
    (Also willing to chauffeur you around The Garden State if you wanted to visit those stomping grounds.)

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  25. I go to Michigan all the time, would love to meet you. I'm more familiar with western Michigan though.

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  26. Anonymous2:53 PM

    yup missing you already. who will I have my coffee with?

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  27. Oh my goodness! Hope you are having the best of fun!:)

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  29. Hope you are back now safe and sound. Awaiting news.

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  30. Yes writing now.. are you at the MARATHON match today? My dearest Roger lost but Anderson v Isner was quite the record making match. Hope you were there and are on your way back to Scotland tomorrow... or are you watching nole v rafa right now?

    cant wait to hear your news of the trip and wimbledon!

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