Willow, thank you for www.nordicstore.net. That’s exactly the source I was looking for yesterday – an Icelandic supplier of Icelandic yarn. Oddly, perhaps, Magnusson, whose book I referred to yesterday, doesn’t list it. She has the spinner, Istex – an interesting website, but they don’t seem to sell yarn directly to knitters.

If you visit the Istex website, have a look at the list of Icelandic distributors, including, of course, Nordic Store. The population of Iceland is less than the population of Edinburgh -- I just looked it up. They seem to have ten times as many yarn stores.

It’s ridiculous to go all the way to the Schoolhouse for supplies (which Magnusson does list), when we’re so relatively near Iceland.

It has occurred to me that the Calcutta Cup will be contested in Edinburgh next year, meaning that Scotland’s chances are slightly better than negligible. Perhaps, if we win, I’ll knit Icelandic sweaters to celebrate.

Here is the result of a rather feeble attempt to scan Magnusson’s take on the lopapeysa. I like it. That line of colour at the wrists, as if a lining were showing, is a detail I have often admired but never employed. One could put a row of Calcutta Cups just above the waist ribbing. Could I scale it down for the Little Boys on Loch Fyne? Or would I have to knit it for Archie?

First catch your Calcutta Cup.

Relax2

The second shoulder has been joined, without mishap. It fits! With the necessary ease, and, better yet, with the neckline not quite falling off the shoulders. Which is not to say that it flatters. All that knitting across the prominent elderly stomach? I’d better get back to Herzog.

But it should be somewhat improved with the addition of sleeves and a neckband and tidying and blocking. The first sleeve is well advanced – after labouring around for weeks on nearly 400 stitches, whizzing around the sleeve on 82 is a doddle. I used to suffer agonies in my younger years, picking up stitches. I could never find as many as the pattern specified. I’m better now, but the process is still the source of some anxiety.

I’m sure you’re right, Grannypurple, that I must have dropped a stitch or two during the joining of the first shoulder. I can’t find them, for the life of me.

For the second shoulder, instead of knitting-two-together off both needles at once, I first arranged the stitches on another needle (four-needle bind-off?), alternating front and back of course. It seemed quicker and more secure.

More knitting

My sister writes that she seems to have snagged her shawl in two places during my recent birthday celebrations. Oh, dear. She is going to send it back for repairs. I hope I can find the yarn. I keep left-over sock yarn in the Sock Odd-Ball Bag, but other remnants are more casually distributed.  I don’t think I would have given it away – that’s for complete skeins.