I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Well might you wonder
whether Nessie had risen from the depths.
C. and I had a good time in Kirkmichael. The weather was
grey and damp and heavy and rather depressing – brilliant sunshine here in
Edinburgh since. The house and garden are in good order. The only gardening I
did was to weed and mulch our little rose – I’ve mentioned it before – for the
third time this year. It’s looking fairly well, and is blooming, I think,
rather earlier than usual:
This is the one I have never been able to find in the books.
The plant must be 60 years old – probably more. It grows on its own
roots.
I read Mukherjee on the Gene while we were there, and
finished off with James Watson’s own book on the Double Helix. I think I’ve
read it before. It is wonderful for the feeling it gives of youth in the 50’s.
I was astonished to learn (or re-learn) that the Famous Article was typed on a
Saturday afternoon by Watson’s sister, and was only 900 words long. He and Crick knew it
would win them the Nobel Prize.
Someone not all that long ago transcribed the Double Helix
for knitting. A scarf pattern was published in IK. And someone knitted it for
her boyfriend’s father – Watson himself. Alas, his reaction hasn’t been
recorded that I could find.
As for knitting here, not much. Hospitals are good for
socks, and I have turned the corner of the first one of the Vampires. Granddaughter
Lizzie is here, pursuing the Festival with youthful vigour. She thinks that the
Yarn Barn socks are fine, despite not looking like each other. I’ll finish them
for her today, I hope, and they can at least keep her warm on the bus home
tonight.
They seriously look as if they are different sizes, although I thought I counted carefully.
Please do not apologise for keeping us waiting. It just gives us many more opportunities to check in to see if you have posted, and be rewarded by another look at little Miss Bright-eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe trip to Kirkmichael sounds to have been well worthwhile, and the socks are a good FO, and so what if they are oddies - that is rather the point of these yarns, after all!
Your good news post makes me want to read about the double helix - I never did when this great discovery was made. Science is not my forte.
ReplyDeleteGlad all is well everywhere.
ReplyDeleteYour rose's flower reminds me of a rugosa rose, but those have wrinkled leaves. It is quite charming.
Is anyone going to Strathardle for the Games this year?
Beverly in NJ
I have to agree that I enjoy looking at that baby - what a wise looking little person - even when there is nothing new from you. But it's even better when there is something new! Glad you had a good trip. Maybe that one sock looks bigger because of the color difference? Who cares? Lizzie likes them.
ReplyDeleteDid she try one on? That might have stretched it. I would wear them. Glad you had a good trip. What challenging reading for your time away - but then, maybe it's the quiet that lets you focus.
ReplyDeleteNo apologies necessary, although it's great to hear from you. The socks are delightful and may have differed in size due to tension differences. Shouldn't matter once they are worn. Your mystery rose looks as if it is thriving. Good to see. There are two patterns for double helix scarves on the internet under 'double helix cable scarf'. I once fell in love with Oshiro's pattern and was knitting it for my marvelously nerdy son - for eight hours on two days - and threw my hands into Carpal Tunnel mayhem. Better now, as I hope your husband and you are. Have some more fun. it quite good for you:
ReplyDeletePG
Isn't it odd how socks sometimes look like they are different sizes when they are actually identical? I just finished a lovely pair recently, washed them, blocked them, laid them out to dry, photographed them, and was thrown into a total panic; they were CLEARLY two different sized. Except that they weren't. When I laid them one on top of the other, they matched perfectly. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteJune Oshiro's wonderful DNA scarf pattern appeared in the Fall 2003 IK. I knit it in a beautiful blood red for my nephew who was, at that time, studying premed (and somehow ended up in finance...). I wish I had any record of it-this was way before I joined Ravelry . It was great fun to knit.
Yesterday I was in a store and they were selling packages of mismatched but colour coordinated socks, so you are absolutely on trend.
ReplyDeleteglad you were able to get up to your lovely house and see some blooms! my roses are struggling back with various blooms. although one that is along a wood fence gets stripped of all leaves this time of year by the stupid #$#$ squirrels. i despair but there is not much i can do... it seems to bounce back each spring but i cant think its good for it.. oh well time to go and cut it way back.
ReplyDeleteanyway are you watching any of the Olympics? cant even imagine what time you could see anything. the nbc website is a disaster. it amazes me ... you look at the ones like wimbledon etc and they are marvels in schedule and scores etc and the large networks have the WORST websites EVER.
fortunately GOOGLE has a fabulously simple page although its a very long url
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=rio%20olympics&oq=rio&rlz=1CAACAO_enUS702US703&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.3505j0j7#mie=oly%2C%5B%22%2Fm%2F03tnk7%22%2C1%2C%22o%22%5D
very clear cut.
listening to WALKUERE from Bayreuth (replay of opening performance on NDR Kultur) while watching tennis with the sound off.
socks. well, i have lost my mojo and have a pair that has been languishing for ... well too long. maybe i will finish them off today.
onward!