Saturday, July 29, 2017

Sorry for silence. The Polliwog is finished; so is the Northmavine Hap. 


The winning gimmick, of course, is that wrap-over neckline, allowing access for the oversized infant head.

Now what? The choice, for immediate casting on, is between KD’s “Miss Rachel’s Yoke” and Wallin’s “Lovage”. Both, slightly to my surprise, are shaped at the waist – fine for a stickler like Andrea of Fruity Knitting, but I live back there with EZ: cast on, rib, increase 10%, knit to armholes.

I’ve got to decide, and cast on this evening, because James and Cathy and some daughters of theirs (my granddaughters, Rachel and Kirsty) are motoring northwards as we speak. We’ll spend tomorrow here – their son (my grandson Alistair), who is doing a paid internship with J.P.Morgan in Glasgow for the summer, will come over tomorrow, and Greek Helen will lay on lunch for us all.

Then, on Monday, Strathardle – including, of course, Perdita. This time I’ll set her free. She’s not stupid, and she loves me, in her furry way. And she likes her catfood.

I should be back sometime next weekend.

There then follows an exciting week of Edinburgh Festival. Rachel’s daughter Lizzie (my granddaughter) will be here with a friend for a couple of nights. Archie and I have our cultural highlights planned, as you’ve heard  – and today I added tickets for something very fringe-y-sounding, £YE$ (LIES) by the Belgian group Ontroerend Goed, hyped in today’s Financial Times. It sounds more than a bit interactive, which could be embarrassing. I hope he’s up for it.

Royalty

Peggy (comment last time): one of the very nice things about Pointless is that the presenters are so nice, and funny. The quiz that used to fill that slot, before the early evening news, was led by a woman who made a speciality of being rude to the contestants. It’s grand to see niceness win!

I agree that it was sad that Princess Margaret didn’t get to marry the man she loved; and also agree that Wallis Simpson would have made a most unsuitable Queen, especially in war time. Whereas the younger brother, George VI, and his dumpy Scottish wife, were perfect.


Many wealthy British sent their children to safety in the US and Canada. The King and Queen, of course, didn’t. But in the dark months of ’40 and ’41, when invasion was feared with every full moon, the anxiety must have been a degree or so worse for any family, like the royal one, who had daughters of that particular age.

17 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:46 PM

    Have a super fantastic time with your family, both in Edinburgh and in Strathardle. I worry about Perdita; I hope she comes back safe.

    Beverly in NJ

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    1. I worry too. But I have deprived her of kittens, and feel determined to give her Outdoors.

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  2. =Tamar2:01 PM

    The Polliwog is even cuter than I'd expected it to be, with the color varying stripes. Have a good time!

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  3. Polliwog looks perfect! Glad you finished in time to send it back with family. All could think of when you talked about Perdita was "The Cat Came Back, the very next day..." I think for both of those patterns you could omit the waist shaping and keep going right up the body, as long as you end up with the correct number of stitches for the yoke. Safe travels and have fun! And naps.

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    1. I LOVE that song! Thanks for reminding me! Used to teach it (probably edited to some degree) to the children in music lessons. Now to find it on youtube. ...

      Waist shaping is all very well if one has a waist. I've lost mine somewhere over the past few years.

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  4. That Polliwog is adorable! The neck, as you say, is perfect for getting over a baby's head. It's nice to read of all your upcoming plans. Family, Strathardle, the Edinburgh Festival, and delicious knitting decisions to be made. Enjoy!

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  5. Some lovely completed projects, Jean!

    I will use your example as encouragement - I need to complete some projects instead of collecting potential projects. Maybe once you've retired from your upcoming adventures, I will have a finished work or two to show you!

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  6. I once again have a gaggle of babies about to be born into my circle. I am finishing a Tulip cardigan for one soon-to-arrive baby girl. Polliwog looks perfect for the sex-to-be-revealed babies on the list.

    Safe travels to you, Perdita, and the whole family.

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  7. What a splendid list of good times awaiting you. I am looking forward to your reports when you land!
    Polliwog looks really good - I can remember a leaflet/magazine I had over thirty years ago which had that style of neck. I knitted one or two and found that they worked very well. Sadly, I seem to have edited it out of my collection. I believe it was French.

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  8. Jean, with Perdita enjoying the Great Outdoors, maybe if you try getting her in late of an afternoon to enjoy her supper and then keep her in overnight you will feel easier about her. This is what we do with our girls and it seems to make everyone happy - adventure plus security together. Hope you have a great time.

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  9. Anonymous12:36 AM

    It all sounds wonderful and active. Safe travels to everyone. Tell Perdita if she gets lost we'd all have to come look for her and there's far too many of us, so behave. Loretta

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  10. Anonymous11:20 AM

    I like Julie's sugegestion. We had an indoor/outdoor cat also (as compensation for the spaying incident) but I think we started out cautiously. She was so dainty that it was quite disconcerting to come upon her one morning rump up, burrowing around in the rainwater drain hole. ?? We didn't ask. Safe travels for everyone! Chloe

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  11. Anonymous11:28 AM

    P.S. Love the Polliwog! Have the book! Chloe

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  12. Anonymous2:13 PM

    You and Perdita enjoy your adventures! I love the Polliwog and the colors you picked for it. Thanks for he show and tell. pgnitter

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  13. Your upcoming plans sound amazing and I know you will have a wonderful time with so many of your loved ones. Mary Lou's suggestion to simply skip the waist shaping is a good one and one that I will have to remember ( where oh where did my waist go? I know I had one, somewhere...) The polliwog turned out beautifully and I will have to buy the pattern to put into MY baby knitting rotation. Lastly, Perdita. I know the big push now is to keep cats indoors and safe-and to protect the wildlife, but they enjoy being outside so much! I recently lost my dear Shady. He was 23 and we adopted him when he was around 2. He was an indoor-outdoor cat all his life and we live in an extremely busy area (silicon valley). We would leave a door open for him after breakfast so that he could come and go as he pleased, but brought him in for the night with his dinner (put his dinner in the kitchen and closed the cat door when he came in). As he got older, he roamed less, but he still enjoyed lying on the patio or the fence and tracking bugs in the garden. I miss him

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  14. Anonymous5:43 PM

    The Polliwog looks great. I have made a note to knit one.

    As for a cat retrieval method, I find predictable mealtimes are the key: cats arrive on time, if not a little early. As an added incentive there are 'Dreamies' The cats quickly learned the sound of the bag being opened and arrived full of hope and expectation... Inconvenient when merely unsealing cheese for a sandwich! I now keep Dreamies in a small plastic tub and give it a shake whenever cats are required. Works like a charm.

    Helen (anon)

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  15. In my experience, putting in a little waist shaping makes it look as if I have a waist even though I don't!

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