Saturday, August 26, 2017

A good week.

Granddaughter Kirsty, James’ and Cathy’s youngest, has covered herself with such glory, in her GCSE results, that it would be embarrassing to record the actual numbers here.

And Helen’s family and I had a good week in Strathardle, and got a lot done. Perdita is now much braver about Out, and I am much braver about letting her Out. Helen has a dog, named Farouk, a gentle creature who pays no attention to Perdita. She is wary of him, but only slightly. The only problem was that he much preferred her food to his own.

But when a stranger, walking along the burn, let a dog into our garden, Perdita was horrified.

A major problem, at the beginning, was that I forgot my knitting. It had been laid out, ready to go, on Monday morning --  but then I reclaimed it and sat down and did a few more rows, and there it remained, by my chair. I remembered, 20 minutes into the journey.

Even that turned out to be a blessing. I had the half-brioche sweater with me (see sidebar). It had a collar which was distinctly not a success. I frogged it and re-knit the back neck, and it’s much better collar-less. That might never have got done, had I had Miss Rachel to hand.

And then – I discovered Carol Sunday’s beautiful Oak Park scarf in the cupboard in the sitting room. Her website says it was launched in ’13 – I might have thought I had had it longer. Anyway, there it was, vaguely remembered, one 17-stripe repeat finished, no moth, perhaps a bit clammy.

My husband was housebound for the last two years of his life, and for at least a year before that, I was reluctant to go to Strathardle unless someone else could come with us. So it’s been a while.

I knit happily on that. Although you might not think it at first glance, there are 17 different yarns involved. I think I have matched them up rightly – and anyway, it doesn’t matter. If I really can’t tell which one goes next, it’ll be all right as long as all 17 balls are used only once per repeat.

Here’s where I am:



And here are the yarns, in order on the dresser. I left them there for next time. The picture provides a pretty good encapsulation of Life in Strathardle (indoors).


14 comments:

  1. What a relief that you had some knitting after all. And I do remember when you started that scarf, so apparently I have been reading your blog for a while now. It's as gorgeous as I remember. Didn't the colors have something to do with some location or other?

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  2. My stomach dropped when you said you'd forgotten your knitting. I made a similar error when traveling to the family farm for a ten day visit last last month. It's a six hour drive. There was much googling to find a LYS for a replacement project. Luckily I did find one and all ended well.

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  3. Anonymous2:23 PM

    Well done on your granddaughter's GCSE results, I'm guessing something in the order of 12 or 13 A* grades which would make her an excellent all rounder and capable of setting off in any direction.

    My daughter is in much the same place as your Archie was this time last year. And with the same grades no less. She missed the grades her preferred university had asked for but they are letting her in anyway with ABC to do English and Linguistics. The A was in English and she will soon be off to York which like Lancaster has a college system and is a campus university.

    Very much like the stripes and the little balls all in a row!

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  4. Congratulations to Kirsty! I remember when she was born, from your notes about her shawl in the old Knitted Lace list, and the similarity of our given names. Well done!

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  5. How is your quince plant doing? My shrub has just one golf ball sized fruit on it. I think I'll leave it for the squirrels.

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  6. =Tamar4:05 PM

    How very neat, to find a project ready and waiting for you after you finished the sweater!

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  7. Is that one of Perdita's ancestors on the plate at the top? You clearly have a calico connection. Such a charming photo.

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  8. I didn't even notice the yarn lined up I was so enamored with the plates, especially the magnificent cat plate!

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  9. Anonymous2:52 PM

    So glad you are back. Missed you badly...This travel bug must be a healthy reaction to the enforced immovability of the past two years. He must be smiling on you:) The picture of Miss Rachel is scrumptious- the color delicious. The Oak Park Scarf has put me off Dr. Who's scarf for Xmas this year because of its beauty. I, for one, would like it if you could find a way to say, "Happily globe trotting" in your blog if being gone reaches a week or more. Sorry, but your silence is extremely loud, and we do miss you while you are off 'funning'.

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  10. Anonymous3:31 PM

    Ditto to everything Anonymous said just above. So delighted about the Carol Sunday reference. I discovered her High Country pattern through a Ravelry search for Southwest stripes. What a joy it must be to experience her color patterns emerging from your needles. She is the best. Chloe

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  11. What a serendipitous find. Lovely mindless knitting for a relaxing visit.

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  12. Anonymous9:35 PM

    Great colours in that scarf!
    And if the half-brioche sweater is now ready to wear, that seems an excellent surprise.
    So leaving the knitting behind became a double positive.
    Have a lovely week
    LisaRR

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  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. I asked for a picture of Farouk in my deleted comment, but I believe I may have found a wee video of him on Helen's Instagram. He looks like quite a gentleman. Your Oak Park scarf is gorgeous. So tempting to click on that link!

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