Not much was done today here in Drummond Place, although the
heavens were falling elsewhere. What is to become of us?
Archie came over. I meant to send him up the hill to pay in
some cheques – but he persuaded me to come along, which was no doubt good for
me. Then we had pasta amatriciana for lunch which was OK but not sensational.
I did a little knitting, but still haven’t quite reached the
end of Row 30 of the borders of the Spring Shawl. Greek Helen popped in during
my Knitting Time at the end of the afternoon (when Pointless should be on,
except that it isn’t, because they’ve moved it). She has been Down South at an
informal reunion of middle-aged schoolgirls. It’s good to have her back. She
stayed to watch the beginning of the news, but there’s nothing to be said
except that parliament hasn’t been prorogued. They’ll sit tomorrow.
I hope I’ll do a bit more this evening. I have been reading
this blog from two years ago, the weeks after my husband died. I sounded much
more vigorous then than I feel now, and I certainly watched television and knit
in the evenings then. Perhaps this evening I could go on knitting while watching
the new Fruity. The designer is unfamiliar to me, and interesting.
I think I have previously expressed my opinion that years, in this ninth decade, matter one by one as they did in the first decade. Eighty-five is seriously older than eighty-three, just as seven is older than five.
There is terrible news – I am embarrassed to tell you. I
started to put on the Stronachlachar the other day – I think it was to go out
to have supper with Kristie and Kath – and discovered that it has been quite
badly mothed. I have found the necessary leftover oddball (sometimes I surprise
myself) but haven’t addressed the problem yet. I wish I had succeeded in taking
a darning class with Tom of Holland at an EYF. I wish we were going to have an
EYF next year.
The Stronachlachar can be saved, I think, but it won’t be
the same.
Thank you for the remarks about charting. They were making
Fair Isle charts on Shetland, of course, a hundred years ago or so – some recently
published. Lace charting must be much more recent, and perhaps even more
valuable.
I’ve started reading “Lady Audley’s Secret” but it’s not as
meaty as Trollope.
ReplyDeleteAh, Fair Isle charts - I have a memory of Mum borrowing my coloured pencils and making a simple chart for a Fair Isle band around my new best cardi. But lace knitting was not even on the radar then in the early fifties. If a shawl was lacy, it would have been "crocherwork" or machine made.
So sorry to hear about your moth attack - always a dreadful discovery. Just back from a fairly challenging (for this 70-yr-old) Orkney & Shetland hiking trip. I took a day off hiking to hang around in Lerwick - missed Ella at J&S but was lucky enough to spot Hazel Tindall and Elizabeth Johnston lunching together in the museum cafe and to have an admiring word with them. My first time in Shetland since the mid-70s, when I wasn't a knitter. J&S, thanks to my enthusiasm, had business from 3 others in our small hiking group - not necessarily a keen knitting crowd. So interesting to be there at this crucial political time with its pressing constitutional questions. Please don't fade away, Jean, your blog is such a good hub for the exchange of much interesting and useful information.
ReplyDeleteBeth in Ontario
MOTH ATTACK! Such sad news. And just when it would be perfect weather to wear it. Perhaps you can find a mender/darner. Then you can spend your time on the shawl.
ReplyDeleteYouTube is my source for all things technical, from how to get medicine into my cats and clip their claws, and how to do tricky sewings and darnings. Fingers crossed for the Stronachlachar
ReplyDeleteDepending on where the actual moth holes are on the pullover, it may be simpler to take out a section and reknit it. I look at some of those things that Tom of Holland repairs and I think "Who would wear that in public?"
ReplyDeletePlease pardon my ignorance in my comment yesterday. I imagine things do get more difficult as time goes by and one simply has to face whatever the facts may be. I try to live in blissful ignorance myself, but then reality tends to slap you in the face, if you do that too much:). So sorry to hear about the shawl! UGH moths! Hope it is fixable! Thank you for continuing to blog as you do. I am nowhere near as faithful with mine.
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