Friday, April 07, 2017

I have little to report – perhaps just as well, as the computer seems to be feeling a bit fragile.

I knit happily today on the first sleeve of the Tannehill. It’s going much faster now that I have only one ball of yarn to deal with, and a manageable-sized piece of knitting. HOWEVER when I weighed the two balls together this evening, they totaled 108 grams – meaning that I haven’t quite dispatched a skein of yarn this week. I think I’ll have to go on tomorrow and polish it off, and then take however long it takes to do some more swatch-scarf.

The new VK turned up yesterday – DK, I suppose I should call it. They have discovered gradients, down at Vogue. The Davidoff Studio’s cashmere cowl tempts, as does Tanis Gray’s wrap. But the last thing I need is temptation to buy more gradients. I need help with the ones I’ve got. I also like Joan Forgione’s (single colour) scarf.

What a lot of shawls and cowls and scarves there are about these days!

My current thinking about my own gradient packs is an EPS yoke sweater of some sort, with gradient stripes in the yoke. Either simple, just like that, or Kate Davies’ one in the Islay book where the stripes take the form of little pops of colour. Not quite bobbles – I’m against bobbles.

Non-knit

We have reached the point where it is appropriate to give some thought to the question of when Lent ends. The essence of the question is, is it all right to give up one’s Lenten penance on Holy Saturday, the day between Good Friday and Easter?

I google’d the question today – the answer is, that Lent, per se, ends on Thursday. A Catholic website says crisply that you can leave off a penance you have imposed on yourself, any time you like. Rachel, whose piety inspires us all to annual abstinence, says that the last few days are always the hardest.

8 comments:

  1. I grew up with the tradition that Lent was over once you had been to Easter Mass, whether it was the Vigil or in the morning.

    I am missing my mug of hot chocolate fiercely, especially in these last days!

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  2. Anonymous6:10 AM

    Don't miss Amy Detjen's top down "Gradient Yoke Sweater"...it's not technically EPS Herself, but Amy Detjen IS practically knitting royalty by association! I've not tried it yet, but will thoroughly enjoy whatever daily installments you give us, as always.

    Elizabeth in Oregon

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  3. Fiona8:41 AM

    My father, who is near enough your contemporary, grew up in Dublin with the tradition that Lent ended at midday on Holy Saturday. He and his siblings would stand in front of the grandfather clock in the hall with slices of cake in their hands, waiting for the clock to strike. I don't know if he knew the reason for this timing then, but he certainly didn't by the time he told me.
    Surely if you number off the non-Sundays starting from Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday is number 40?

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  4. We were taught that Good Friday is a day of Fast and Abstinence, so Saturday makes sense. I don't remember beyond that. And the Good Friday that I went somewhere with my protestant best friend and forgot and ate a hot dog and feared for my immortal soul...

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  5. Anonymous3:04 PM

    My childhood logic concluded Lent ended somewhere in the middle of Holy Saturday since the nuns were not fussy about that. What I remember most were the Friday Stations of the Cross rituals during Lent. I still miss that. I, too, was always fearful for my immortal soul. Chloe

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    Replies
    1. my memory is of the Good Friday service... so long! as a classical musician i always hated the catholic church's music... it was so insipid (and still is) nothing like the glories of the Anglican and Episcopal choral traditions.

      Although we had one woman who had a wonderful voice (dont know if she had had a career) who would sing infrequently but when she did it was always something wonderful.

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  6. i seem to remember we had to wait til Easter Sunday (after the resurrection was the thinking) and thus the chocolate in the easter basket was most welcome for those of us who gave it up.

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  7. Lent being 40 days meant that Sundays aren't included, seemed a bit of a cop out to me...

    I am sad enough to have rewound some gradient yarn from stash into light and dark balls in order to try knitting helical stripes on circular needles. All yarn shops appear to be closed by 7pm when the urgent need for yarn became too much to bear.

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