Cathy just sent me this interesting item about knitting for elephants. It can’t be often that the Times of India turns up here two days in succession (Mary Lou’s comment, yesterday).

All well. My husband seemed somewhat better today, and the cat continues in top form. I don’t know what Helen has decided about the consultation scheduled for Thursday.

I’ve reached row 72 of the border pattern of Mrs Hunter’s shawl. The end (of the border) is in sight. I still haven’t quite finished the first skein, but I’m down to the final couple of yards and it is a considerable comfort to know that when the end comes, as it must tomorrow, the winding has already been done.

Journalism

I think the only word for “Laine” is going to have to be “hygge”, although I realise that I am probably mixing up my Scandinavian nations. Nice photography, some nice patterns, some mildly interesting articles, but not really enough to justify the price. An interview with Stephen West, and a glorious shawl pattern from him, might be enough to reverse that verdict for some.

I am taken, however, with the idea of a loose pullover with a boat neck and short sleeves, to be worn over a shirt. Laine has a plain one on the cover, and one with very interesting cables within. No. 4 in the new VK is more or less what I mean, if you shortened the sleeves. Or 3, if you lowered the neck and shortened the whole thing a good deal.

I searched Ravelry for these ideas, and goodness! they have worked hard on their searching. They suggested Jared’s Wool People 7 which, indeed,  has several possibilities. I’m thinking, of course, of myself at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival buying yarn for a project probably never to be completed. Buying it, perhaps, from Jared himself!

VK is full of interest. Meg’s article on necklines needs to be copied and saved, perhaps in “Knitting Workshop”, before it vanishes into the piles of magazines. There is a very interesting article about the difficulties of creating American yarn – hundreds of mills, it says, closed in the latter half of the last century, due no doubt to “globalisation”. Just the sort of thing our new president fulminates against.  Full marks to Jared for his success in producing his yarns.

And an interesting interview with Nancy Marchant. Maybe when this shawl is off the needles, I will devote myself to brioche stitch. I have signed up for her Craftsy class, although I haven’t got very far with it; and I’ve got one of her books.

Non-knit

Rachel phoned today. Hellie has had her 20-week scan. Everything is fine. Everybody but me now knows the sex of the baby who will be wrapped in Mrs Hunter’s shawl.