Friday, April 20, 2007

Ginny, yes! That’s the link I was hoping someone would provide to the post of Franklin’s about knitting lace. I thought he had been talking about silk rather than cotton, but the effect was precisely the same as my attempt to knit the Princess edging in pure silk.

I finished row 200 of the border last night – a good place to pause.








The weather is grey and cool. I have packed up my potatoes in a box rather than try to carry them up in their sprouting tray, filling the car. Potato sprouts are pretty tough, as we all know from the state of the vegetable rack this time of year.






Bloglines is down this morning, so I spent my usual search-of-inspiration quarter hour wandering around unfamiliar territory. Lorna, I loved Celtic Memory Yarns, and recommend it to lovers of green Ireland. I was interested in her remark about "the traces of earlier habitation, when Ireland's population was larger", with evocative photograph to accompany. (Scroll down a bit.) We have very similar ruins in Kirkmichael. One of Our Walks is to the "ruined village" which sounds a lot better than it is. I always thought everybody left and went to work in Glasgow, when the land no longer needed a lot of labour. We have seen the same thing happening in the 40 years we've been there -- farmers used to employ shepherds and tractor men. Now they do it all themselves.



Ginny, I enjoyed the Black Bunny Hop cooperative, and will try to keep mental hold of the idea of the Scroll Stitch Scarf idea for a forthcoming issue of The Yarn Yard sock club – or even for the beautiful April yarn, so far untouched.

So – off to the West Port and let us gae free. We should be back by next Thursday, the 26th, at the latest. That being the day of Sotheby’s Scottish Sale.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:14 AM

    The Princess is just stunning!
    So beautiful!

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  2. I'm with Esther.

    The scroll scarf does look lovely, doesn't it. I like Anne's Morning glory in a dk weight, too http://knitspot.com/?p=382
    In fact, she has a few fun patterns.

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  3. Anonymous2:31 PM

    About blocking the Princess - I've never done this, but a friend of mine uses a service to block her shawls. They have a charity shop front, in Stafford Street, I think, that either is or used to be labelled something like "The Gentlewoman's Aid Society". They charge her £4.50 a go. I have no idea whether their frame would be big enough, but if you can't block it on a bed, it might be worth thinking about. I can ask her where it is and what it is called exactly if that doesn't sound familiar, but you may have noticed the shop before as they often have a shawl hanging in the window.

    Another Jean in Edinburgh

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  4. Anonymous3:13 PM

    Jean,
    Here's wishing you a refreshing visit to the country. I always miss reading the blog while you're gone, but enjoy the pictures and accounts when you return.

    Donna Wingfield

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  5. Anonymous4:23 PM

    ooh--a Princess photo! swoon! Not that your sprouting potatoes aren't lovely, too. :)

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  6. I have no words to describe my awe at the Princess. Beautiful, stunning!

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  7. Anonymous8:53 PM

    The shop that blocks shawls is in Castle Street. They also sell delicious tablet!
    Jane-Beth in Edinburgh

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous9:43 AM

    Yes, Castle Street - the Royal Edinburgh Repository
    and Self Aid Society. Sorry, my sense of direction
    is terrible!

    Another Jean in Edinburgh

    ReplyDelete