Saturday, December 01, 2007

OK, the knots on the Earth Stripe are tied, the decision not to fringe the ends is firm, and today I hope I will proceed to pinning-out-and-spritzing. Photograph tomorrow, if so. Then on to the happy task of re-casting the Koolhaus pattern for cashmere Koigu. It’s written for a heavier yarn. (Jared’s pattern in the IK holiday issue)

“Knitting New Scarves”

The same problem, not serious, will apply when I get my silk blend Manos and proceed to choose a scarf for it – most of the patterns in the book are written for heavier yarns. Grumperina has finished knitting “Drifting Pleats” (which the author says is “the most challenging pattern in the book”) – it’s gorgeous. She used this yarn. I sort of have my eye on “Easy Wave”, which could be widened, but the Drifting Pleats are tempting.

Finishing the i-cording meant that the dp’s therein employed were freed to go back to the Linked Rib, and I added a bit to it yesterday.

Odds and Ends

Stashhaus, that’s a good idea, to visit the Churchill War Rooms. We often go past on our bus, on the way to the National Gallery. I’d love to see them, but your idea that I could visit the shop without paying the distinctly stiff entrance fee is an excellent one. We go occasionally to the Imperial War Museum – a great place to take children; their gift shop is interesting, too.

Emily, I shared your disappointment at finding that cream-and-grey-and-red colourway of Manos Silk Blend out of stock. And there were a couple of others – oh! that green-y one – which I strongly fancied and which weren’t there. I consoled myself, in the end, with the yellow-y one at the bottom of the page. They couldn’t have sold out of so many shades already – the initial shipment must have been short. Have a nice time in Australia.

5 comments:

  1. I was searching for the Mass Observation book after you mentioned it, and found this NewYorker article you might have seen or not or like me probably seen and not remembered:
    http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/09/11/060911crat_atlarge

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  2. Hi Jean,
    re stockings in wartime. I'm pretty sure it wasn't "nothing" between silk and nylon. It was lisle, which I understand to have been knitted cotton, so quite thick and not very flattering, but doubtless hard-wearing. That's certainly what my mum is wearing in a photo of her visit to Liverpool, possibly 1942, to see my dad who was on shoreleave.

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  3. Hi Jean, I've done a post just for you - go on over and take a look.

    The first time I was in London, Churchill's war rooms were way down on the list of sights to see, but this summer I did go. The price is steep, but even though it's a small museum, if you listen to all of the portions of speeches in the multi-media exhibits and the self-guided audio tour, you can easily spend 3 hours there. It was interesting to learn about the war from the Britain perspective. I hadn't realized how long rationing was in effect after the end of the war.

    I'm looking forward to pictures of the Earth Stripes. I'm also tempted by the Koolhaus pattern and have the same problem - which yarn to use.

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  4. In 2002, my mother came to visit me in the USA and we went to NY city. Unfortunately most of the public museums, galleries etc had gone to a set fee rather than donation and, with the exchange rate as fearsome as it was that year, we couldn't afford the entrance fees. Instead, we did giftshop tours. If we really like what was in the gift shop we decided to splurge on the entrance fee. This worked really well and I've used it again in other cash-strapped tours : D

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  5. Thanks for the good wishes (for Australia), Jean.

    The yellowy yarn looked good, too, just wasn't my bliss-inducer.

    I've got the scarf book, on your recommendations and Grumperina's. Should be good for some fun when i first get to Oz, and for some mobile knitting out there.

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