Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Here we are, and it’s Lent again.

I have of late regarded it as all right to drink cider on weekdays (a) when one has a broken arm; (b) at Christmastide; (c) in London; (d) when one isn’t feeling very well; and (e) at Carnival time – so there’s plenty to give up.

We had a good time in Kirkmichael, with good weather. Spring is pushing hard at the door. I am mildly working on the putting together of a Burnside calendar. Here is the February picture. Those are snowdrops in the foreground, my husband working on his beech hedge behind.



I didn’t get much done in general, and in particular, not much knitting. The gansey is at a difficult stage, as alternate rows have to be knit on the wrong side which means flipping the whole pattern over in one’s mind. It isn’t just a matter of knit-the-knits and purl-the-purls: the pattern, and it’s a rather difficult one in its unobtrusive way, has to be advanced.



However, there is now only one more motif to do, and then the problems become different and I hope more interesting.

The Calcutta Cup ’06 sleeve went swimmingly last night; with luck, I should soon really get somewhere with that.

Comments

Thanks to everybody for straightening out the Danish royal family. I am particularly glad to learn that the smallest girl is Anne-Marie. That will add a lot to my already considerable pleasure in that picture (previous post).

In our early married days in Glasgow, we lived next door to a Frenchwoman who used to pass on her copies of Paris Match. The magazine was in those days (perhaps still is) particularly interested in the doings of royalty. I vividly remember the courtship of Constantine of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark (she was very young, I believe) and have felt ever since, when they crop up for one reason or another, that we are almost acquainted.

Donice, everybody thinks Oberlin must mean I’m musical, but alas no. I was at the college, not the conservatory; majored in Latin. Class of ’54.

Carlarey, that is simply astonishing, that you met Swapna through me. I have some dear flesh-and-blood friends whose acquaintance I first made here in cyberspace, but I think this must be the first time I actually introduced anybody to anybody.

Speaking of which, Franklin met Leigh Witchel the other day: that’s less remarkable, but still amuses. I knew Leigh (=have actually met him in the real world) back in the Knit List days.

5 comments:

  1. If your ears were burning, Jean, it's because you were spoken of frequently and fondly :-)

    Love
    Franklin

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  2. good you straightened out the royal family.... and i have been thinking, working in rowan tweeds, lately, watching heartbeat on telly and looking at the pictures of your house, that it is no surprise how the tweeds were invented. and that is lovely. i may even consider going to scotland and meet some scottish knitters at your friend's hotel.

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  3. have you ever tried knitting/purling backwards on the right side? I unvented my own way and then was shown a better (right!) way at Meg's Camp last summer - somehow though I forgot the purl and do my own but the knit is easy to do - its on one of the dvds forget which one.

    here's a great illustration - from knitty of course...
    http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/FEATreverse.html

    I will have to print it out to practice my purling - i have to say though that this is really useful for some times like the one you have.

    as to the royals - even some of us Americans are interested - i find myself with the internet sometimes wasting uhm spending time reading the rags about the latest goings on.

    love the photo - cant wait for the calendar!

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  4. My friend is keen to do some lace knitting using coloured yarn - I pointed her in the direction of your blog as I seem to remember you doing some beautiful shawls in Koigu? or a handpainted yarn ?
    She loved the site, so now you have another fan (a lovely lady from Midwest America with a Canadian husband living in Glasgow!)
    Oh, and a Scot from Gourock!

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  5. Anonymous12:55 AM

    No "alas" necessary, Jean! In fact, when I turn 60 (in a little over a year) I can take free classes at Ohio State, and I am going right back to Latin, which I loved as a student. Just for the mental exercise and interest.

    ReplyDelete