Friday, June 07, 2019


On I go. Here is a progress report on the Spring Shawl:


(I can hear everybody thinking, that’s about what it looked like last time.) But in fact, I am trotting briskly forward. I won’t count it as “progress” until there is some slight sign of diminution in the amount of yarn remaining on the first ball. So far that hasn’t happened.
 Archie came today. I meant to send him up Broughton Street to the bank to pay in some cheques, and next door to Tesco for some cider. He pressed me to come with him, and so I did, so I’ve had a good workout today. And am appropriately weary – but there’s Italian homework to do. Every week I resolve not to leave it for Friday evening. Every week I fail.
 I am enjoying the fact that the Spring Shawl begins with this central triangle – something that seems to go fast at first; something to spread out on one’s knee. The Princess began with a difficult edging lace. It took me fully 50 repeats to memorise it. Current progress has me feeling that perhaps, after all, I will live to finish it.
 I am knitting this for future family brides, in a vague sort of way. It occurred to me that it might be a good idea to look out the Christening shawl I knit for James and Cathy’s younger daughter Kirsty. She was born in 2000. That shawl was the first of my Calcutta Cup knits – 2000 was a Famous Victory. But never mind that. It’s an Amedro pattern, I’ve forgotten which one, and nobody knows where it is except me. It’s perfectly usable for a wedding.
I could take it down to England and give it to her in July, when I go down for her cousin Joe’s wedding. Only drawback is – when I get it out and have a look, will I feel that it requires re-blocking? Probably so.
 And how on earth am I to block the Spring Shawl, if I do in fact finish it? Cross that bridge when we come to it.

Books

I've finished Trollope's "The Way We Live Now" which is rather depressing. I've gone back to "No Name" and wonder whether I will have the strength to persevere -- or why not go straight on to "North and South"? I'll let you know the result of this moral dilemma.

7 comments:

  1. =Tamar6:55 PM

    The Spring Shawl is lovely already, even without blocking!
    And how good of Archie, to encourage you to be out and about.

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  2. Ooo…"North and South"! Not least because there is the wonderful 2004 tv version available to watch. I've finished "Miss Mackenzie" which fizzled out towards the end. There seems to be a series of Trollope novels about young ladies choosing between a number of suitors. Can people really have chosen their life-partners on so little prior knowledge of each other? It's a mystery to me why she should settle for her cousin who does seem awfully dull. Why not give hospital nursing a go? I thought.

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  3. Anonymous9:05 AM

    Loving the shawl. Archie can help blick - didn't he one before?

    And, life is far too short to struggle to finish books you don't enjoy. Skip to the ending & call it read.

    Beverly in NJ

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  4. Anonymous9:07 AM

    Oh man, that's block and once, of course. Will I ever get better at iPad typing?

    Beverly

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  5. Here in Texas, my local yarn shop offered blocking services for those that didn't have the space. Perhaps Kathy's Knits does, or knows someone who could help with the blocking? That is coming along beautifully. And good for Archie for getting you to come along on the errands.

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  6. I’m sure blocking services must be available and Kathy would know of someone. I just finished a fascinating book The Horseman, by TIm Pears. It is beautifully written, and there is a level of detail about farming and horses in the early 20th century that rivals the whaling details in Moby Dick. But shorter.

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  7. Just started Elizabeth Gilbert's City of Girls and so far it is really good:)!

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