Thursday, July 13, 2017

Wimbledon imploded yesterday. Murray’s painful hip (we’ve been worried all along) gave up on him. It is to his credit as an athlete that he was able to do as well as he did, and to his credit as a man that he stuck it out, and lost in five sets. I couldn’t bear to watch much of it, and mostly switched over to see Mr Muller losing to Celic on the other court. Painful, but less so. And then Djokovic withdrew with a sore elbow, after losing a set.

Federer’s match, after all that, was a draft of cool water in the desert. He’s got to win.

I shall be cheering for Venus today. (And, Peggy, I agree: the way she carries herself is an essential part of her beauty.)

As for knitting, I got a couple of feet along the sewn bind-off of the top edge of the Northmavine Hap. The instructions for the sewn bind-off say to start out with a piece of yarn which will go the distance three times. That’s obviously impossible, in this case, and even if it were otherwise, I have read recently that drawing an over-long piece of yarn again and again through the loops, abrades and weakens it.

I have already finished the first piece of yarn and started on the second, and I don’t think the break is going to do any harm. There’ll be more. I’m not halfway yet.

Still loose ends to come, and blocking, but I’m beginning to think about the future.

Especially because I had a text message this morning (!), just like a grown-up, to say that my new passport will be delivered today between 8am and 6pm. At least, I hope it’s my new passport. Maybe it’s the old one, rejected. It's something, from the American Embassy in London.

But that should mean that the world is my oyster. I have been searching websites in the last few days, for places I might go. What a lot there are! Petersommer.com offers cruises around the coasts of Turkey, Greece, and Italy in Turkish “gulets”, small boats like the ones that will take me around the Hebrides next summer, but in warmer waters. Somebody called Flavours offers tempting-sounding cookery holidays, also in Italy.

The trip to Thessaloniki this autumn, and then the drive back through Italy and France with the Drakes – for that is the current plan – will let me know whether I am really strong enough to contemplate any of this. 

11 comments:

  1. I hope your new passport arrives and I hope you travel many places, Jean! You could come to Denver 😊 I would entertain you and take you to Fancy Tiger.

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  2. Anonymous11:45 AM

    Might I suggest a knitting tour? List all the places which interest you, knitting-wise; then link them into a itinerary. A bit like a join-the-dots puzzle.
    Helen (anon)

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  3. You could come to Austin, TX. We have some lovely yarn stores here and in the area. My DH seduced me into moving here by taking me on a tour of all the yarn stores. Smart man. And on Sunday I am going to a small town east of here to take two classes with Franklin Habit! If only you were here...

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  4. Anonymous1:09 PM

    Your posts certainly seem energetic rhese days, Jean, so I am hoping your body follows your spirit. I am excited about your Thessaloniki trip already. There was a show on American TV last night that featured an 81 year old female body builder, 2 feisty hundred year old sisters (average age, one is 103 and the younger one is 98) , and a 61 year old young lady trapeze artist who hangs from her teeth. So there is hope for all of us. Thank you Barbara-Kay for the Tours de France channel. i am enjoying it as I write. Chloe

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  5. I'm with kayT! Come to Austin - but not in July, it's massively hot right now! And I'm going to one of Franklin's workshops on Sat. I loved the class I took with him last year!

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  6. And Rhinebeck? But that would conflict with Thessaloniki I think. Maybe we should plan a "Friends of Jean" retreat somewhere, with classes. I could do the Japanese stitches one with the pointer!

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    1. I love this idea Mary Lou! I think we should have the retreat in Shetland.

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    2. Come to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival - first full weekend in May!:)

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    3. Yes! Jean's Friends Retreat in Shetland!

      Or, Jean travels around the world and we show her the sights and help her get to the next person...

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  7. Oh, I've read about those cruises in Turkish gulets; they sound heavenly. Exactly the way I'd wish to cruise (barring the acquisition of an antique yacht of one's own).

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  8. Carol M6:51 PM

    Can't wait to see the Hap! BTW have you ever looked into Road Scholars? Maybe an option for lifelong learners like you. https://www.roadscholar.org/

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