Sunday, August 02, 2009

I am afraid I crumbled yesterday, left the poor cardigan untouched, and cast on the lace edging previously mentioned. It’s tough, although nothing that a Princess-knitter couldn’t master eventually. And it’s fully three inches wide, unblocked. I wonder if I should start again with a narrower one. – the “Triangle with Vandyke” on p. 121? Or the “Queen’s Lace Edging” on 129, the facing page to the one I’ve started?



Today is Cider Sunday, and perhaps better devoted to cardigan-making-up.

Jabot-making, while I’m on the subject

It occurred to me, too late to ask Mr. Kinloch Anderson, that maybe a kilt-maker would sell me the basic bib and collar for a jabot. The collar is about an inch wide, itself covered tightly with lace, fastening at the back with Velcro and thus adjustable. I’ll put the question to the Blairgowrie kiltmakers the next time I’m there. They were very friendly and helpful when I made my initial enquiries. And although they didn’t have a jabot to show me, they clearly were experienced in making them.

Here is the aborted Christine Duchrow jabot. It at least demonstrates that I can knit Christine Duchrow.





More of the future

So that’s the next project. It would be good to be far enough along to be confident of success in the next couple of weeks, so that James could think of getting a Montrose jacket before he goes back to Beijing.

After that will be the Thistle Lace Stole that Cynthia and Sue gave me the makings of, a week ago today. Sigh. [The sighing is for thinking of last Sunday. The prospect of knitting the Thistle Lace Stole is wholly delightful.] Here's the yarn:



And after that, the Adult Surprise with the Lorna’s Laces yarns from Angelika’s Yarn Store. Supplier and her stock most highly recommended. The package was waiting for me at my sister’s house, and probably includes enough yarn for two Surprises. Thus are stashes acquired.


The yarns are all sock weight – I’ll be garter-stitching forever. The skein in front is “Franklin’s Panopticon”. She only had one, and I was impatient to get the order in. In the second rank we have Charcoal, on the left, meant to give stability to the whole. Then the Curmudgeon’s creation, “Amy’s Vintage Office”. I love it. I grew up on typewriter ribbons. Then Annie’s “Roadside Gerry”. And a pile in the back of colours that seemed harmonious and of which I liked the names, “Andersonville”, “Mother Lode”, “Tuscany” etc.

7 comments:

  1. I just finished a garter st baby sweater in sock weight, and it seemed endless, so best of luck there! Question - I went to peek at the Montrose Jacket to see what one is, and saw "Scotch Shop" I thought the preferred usage was Scots, unless one is speaking of eggs or beverage. Can you enlighten us?

    ReplyDelete
  2. GrannyPurple1:59 PM

    You haven't mentioned acquiring a Kindle--wait until you read Nicholson Baker in the new New Yorker! I'm looking forward to the evolution of the jabot!

    ReplyDelete
  3. garter stitch can be endless, but it can be soothing too. I am currently making a mitered garter stitch blanket for a friend who is going through cancer treatment... and luckily it is just interesting enough to keep me rolling, but it is also super easy. I cannot wait to see how your jacket comes out - the color combination is so interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gerri5:50 PM

    Fun thing about Andersonville, a north side Chicago neighborhood: long a Swedish neighborhood, now more of a cultural mix. I had one of those mind-warp feeling a while back when I was looking at Swedish items in a shop; it felt like the same old Andersonville. Then the male, Middle-Eastern owner approached. Some things changed, some haven't.

    I get a kick out of the Lorna Laces names because so many are Chicago place-names.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jean,
    What needles are you using, if I may ask, and do you like them?
    Thanks. I dearly miss the Chicago area, especially in the summer when it is regularly 95+ degrees and 75%+ humidity in South Carolina.
    Enjay

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dawn in NL9:13 AM

    Jean, The Christine Duchrow swatch is seriously beautiful.

    Regarding the jabot, I would tend towards a firmer yarn such as cotton than one with a (potentially) itchy yarn. I also think it will drape better. What was the KA jabot made of?

    Regarding Mary Lou's question re "Scotch", most Scots prefer Scots for people and Scottish as the adjective, except in specific cases such as the aforementioned egg and beverage.

    All the best,
    Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  7. =Tamar9:18 PM

    The Duchrow lace is gorgeous, too bad it wasn't working out.

    ReplyDelete