We had a great time.

Kristie and Kath are first cousins, Rachel’s age, seeming like sisters. They have just finished walking the Cateran Trail, in my beloved Strathardle and thereabouts. We had been planning for months to meet in Kirkmichael – it turned out much better this way. They say they were utterly exhausted on their Kirkmichael evening – and we were in London.

Whereas yesterday, we met at K1 Yarns – in fact, we met in the street outside, and recognised each other at once. Kristie bought some splendid blue Scappa Aran. I had been wondering, as I knit Thomas’ sweater, whether perhaps the primary colours can appear in a full, rich, saturated form which is impossible for any other colour, however wonderful, because all the others are mixtures.

If true or if not, Kristie’s blue Aran corresponds absolutely to Thomas’s red madelinetosh. Utter blue.

I bought a pattern for a Dr-Suess-type red felted hat, the design of the shop-owner, but it says on it not to let you see it.

And Kristie gave me a Crazy Zauberball:

(Everybody knows that sock yarn doesn’t count as stash.) 

I have admired this yarn from afar, and will knit it as the very next pair of socks. The label specifically says that you can’t persuade the yarn to produce identical-twin socks: “Kein Socken gleicht dem Anderen.”

Then we had lunch in a pleasant, cool, quiet pub – everybody else was sitting out in the crowded, sticky sun.

Kath took a picture of me and Kristie before we parted. I was surprised, looking at it, to find that I was a whole generation older than they are. While we sat and ate and talked and laughed, I felt myself their age.

Do go look at their wonderful pictures of the Cateran Trail.

Knitting

I should finish the second Brownstone sleeve today. I spent a few moments just now, while the synapses were firing, or whatever it is they do in the early morning, calculating the number of stitches needed for the body and the number to cast on. Jared increases about 10% from ribbing to body.

Stash

Wren, thanks. I have joined the p/hop group on Ravelry and think I understand about donating yarn, although the process is not absolutely as clear as it might be.

Beverly in NJ, you’re right, of course, that knitting bulky diminishes stash faster than knitting lace. But I think my problem has reached the stage where even that wouldn’t make enough difference. One of the great things about life, Annie, is that there’s always somebody somewhere who’s worse than you are at whatever it is.