Thursday, July 20, 2017

I’m sorry to have worried you. The difficulty has been nothing worse than a busy week socially – a coffee and two lunches. I get home utterly tired. At whatever time of day, fall gratefully into bed. No Radio 4 these days. Just Women's Cricket.

I wrote this much on Monday:

“A very happy ending to Wimbledon – not a dry eye in the house.

I thought Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, would be handing out the prizes, but no, it was the good old Duke of Kent, as usual, looking much sprightlier than his wife. And surely, I thought, he must be a couple of years older. But I looked him up – he’s more than two years younger. I’m afraid, in our ninth decade, every year counts, as it did in our first.

Oh, Maureen, (comment yesterday), how I would love to go to Shetland with you next year! Especially as we missed meeting when you recently came to Edinburgh. But the June Shetland Adventure finishes only a few days before my cruise to the Hebrides departs, on June 30. Not long enough to turn around and become re-acquainted with my cat; and anyway, I want to space out my pleasures.”

I received this picture of Orla the other day. Clearly, I’ll have to finish the Polliwog fast.



I am in fact making progress with it, albeit slowly. I don’t watch much television these days, is the problem. I’ve done all the decreases on the first sleeve (top-down), worried again about whether it might be too long and therefore omitted the following nine rounds (about an inch and a half), and am now embarked on the final ribbing. Another sewn bind-off follows shortly – I should be pretty good at it by now.

I’ve blocked the Northmavine Hap:


with Perdita's help:


I can’t sign it off until I’ve clipped the darned-in ends.

11 comments:

  1. Orla is a cutie and so is wee Perdita. Sounds like you've been having some fun. Good to hear from you. Question: what is the pattern name of Orla's blankie?

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  2. Good to have you back. Love the "cat and a shawl" picture. I have two cats and mostly they ignore the knitting except to tell me to put it DOWN and pet the CAT. And that baby (and that shawl) -- gorgeous.

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  3. Anonymous8:46 PM

    Nice to hear from you again. Relieved to hear it was a busy social life. Orla looks lovely. Mind you, mine looked angelic when they were asleep... Congratulations on finishing the Northmavine Hap. That photo of it in Perdita's clutches made me say"Eeeek!" and feel it had a narrow escape. Lovely work. All you ned is the chance to wear it.
    Kind regards, Helen (anon)

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  4. Thanks for checking in! It sounds as if you are enjoying the social whirlwind, and that is all to the good -- even if tiring. The photos are most welcome. Best of luck with the Polliwog.

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  5. Nice to hear from you! I'm glad you are finding yourself busy with various social activities. That Orla is a sweetheart. And I have to admit the picture of your beautiful Northmavine Hap caught up in Perdita's claws made me feel nervous for the hap.

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  6. Perdita is on the side of the blog: were it not for her waiting for you, you'd just be off gallivanting and never come home! And how nice to see your knitting well appreciated. At least that is what I tell myself when another shawl becomes a dog blanket.

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  7. I hope you are keeping your claws retracted Perdita?

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  8. Sweet photo of Orla!

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  9. Anonymous2:42 AM

    Great photos! Thanks for sharing them.
    Congratulations on the hap!
    LisaRR

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  10. Anonymous11:20 AM

    So glad it was merely your mad social whirl that has kept you from us, Jean! I assume that Perdita is delirious with joy over Federer? if only he knew what hap-destructive tendencies he unleashed. Chloe

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  11. =Tamar5:00 PM

    Claws aren't so bad, chewing would be bad...swallowing blocking pins would be very bad. I assume Perdita waited until the hap was unpinned. The hap is beautiful!
    I think three days is about as long as this worrywart can handle. Is it a great deal of trouble to post regardless of length? A beautifully composed post is a joy but a stop-gap-short one is nice too.

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