Thursday, February 13, 2014

This would be as good a moment as any, to tell you that I was once invited to Shirley Temple's birthday party. '35? '36? My mother thought I was too young to go. I wish she'd kept the invitation, though. My father was a Hollywood reporter at the time. They used to get a lot of Christmas cards from movie stars. My mother bundled those up and sent them to her younger brother, then in college.

I've finished the fourth repeat of the centre of the Unst Bridal Shawl, but haven't re-addressed myself to the problem of uploading photographs to this new computer. On Old Slowcoach, plugging the camera in automatically calls up the camera software. Maybe I'll have to do it that way. Another thing I haven't got around to yet is getting a Man In to transfer programs across to the new laptop. It's not one of the things my husband nags me to do, and thus tends to slide down the list.

Franklin has a new blog up on the Lion Brand site – always an event. It addresses the question of how long it takes to knit something, and is thus rather relevant to the Unst shawl. Poor Franklin hankers after such knitting, but as a designer who has to keep producing things, can't allow himself such a luxury. (He doesn't actually say that, but it is strongly implied.)

I don't think I worry too much, when contemplating a project, about the question of how long it's going to take. But of course, such considerations do arise. Can I finish this shawl before Hellie might reasonably want to get married (which won't be before her brother Thomas-the-Elder's wedding day in November of this year)? When should I start work on a knitted Marmite jar, if I want to have it ready for Christmas? That sort of thing.

Franklin's latest for Knitty, incidentally, is an interesting essay on choosing colours – he says it's going to be the subject of a new class.

The other big news on the knitting front is that the Winter 2013/14 VK has turned up. I think I have expressed surprise before that they bring it out just as the snowdrops bloom, a bit late for launching a major winter project. Nor is there much that attracts me – VK's are better when they have ripened for a couple of years. But I awfully like no. 25, one of those blankies made up of motifs. It's an area into which I have never strayed, but the appeal is there.

Non-knit

My sister says she always cuts peppers in half and cleans them, before roasting. American cookery books must be stronger on sensible advice.

I can't import pictures, at the moment, but I can download them. Here is a scene from Mount Pelion, last weekend. Spring has come to the Mediterranean. Those are Archie's younger brothers, Mungo and Fergus.


I will see Archie tomorrow, insh'Allah. I'm going to drive him from school to the airport, for the sake of half-an-hour's conversation.

7 comments:

  1. Regarding peppers - nobody told me, but I cut mine across at the shoulders, and the stalk and core come out. Then I slit them down the obvious seams into pieces that will lay flat under the grill, so I can blacken and peel them. No use if you want them whole, but fine for me since they freeze well and I can add them to my helping.

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    Replies
    1. Ellen2:45 PM

      I do this as well, but I once watched Martha Stewert on television plop the whole pepper down on the gas burner, sans pan, and just turn it with tongs. Nice if you only need one pepper.

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    2. I slice off both top and bottom. Then make one slice in the side. The body of the pepper then unrolls to a nice large flat rectangle

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  2. You may not even need software to download your pictures. Try plugging the camera into the computer, then go to the window that shows all drives available. My camera shows up as a "removable storage", open it up, and copy the files (i.e. pictures) to the spot on the hard drive you want to put them.

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  3. Gerri3:03 PM

    I just downloaded by Spring Vogue last night. With that hard copy subscription, you get the digital edition free. I always get the digital a bit ahead of the paper. Maybe the US VK is different on both counts? You've probably explained it before.

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  4. as mentioned above, plug your camera into your laptop and look in COMPUTER for an additional drive - the other thing is that a window may pop up and you can chose to "always copy photos" or some such language and then everytime you plug it in it will auto transfer the photos.

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  5. Anonymous8:53 PM

    Would your computer have a slot for the memory card?
    I just insert the memory card into my laptop and download the photos without any cable.
    Good luck with technology!
    LisaRR

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