Elaine, thank you very much for
the link (comment yesterday) about how electricity came to Unst. I wondered
about the RAF. And that’s most interesting, Shandy, that Unst was ahead of
rural Cumbria.
Again today, knitting was much impeded by an
affectionate kitten. Just when I think I’ve got the sitting room to myself, it
comes trotting in, all wreathed in furry smiles. It is a pity Paradox wasn’t
the elder sister – she is just the cat my husband wanted, for sitting on his
lap in his last months. Perdita was useless.
Here’s today’s cat picture. The scene was not quite as
peaceful as it looks, but I do think we are making progress. Milk is a rare treat.
Nor I have started reading Traditional Knitting in
North Russia. There’s lots to read in the new VK, and I have gone on turning
the pages of Lovick and thinking about the forthcoming great-grandchild. Lovick
surprises me by suggesting an acrylic yarn for a baby shawl which is going to
be used and washed. I see the point, but…
The Silk Road sock patterns are tempting. I don’t know
where I’ve put that book – I thought it was on the sock-book pile. The
recommended yarns are each more luxurious-sounding than the last, but none, I
think, has more than 10% acrylic (I expect 25%) and several are completely
natural. I can’t believe they’d stand up long to being worn on actual human
feet, but I’d be delighted to be contradicted.
Fruity Knitting had a q&a session with Nancy
Marchant, live for their big-hitting patrons and then available as a podcast
for the rest of us. It was interesting. I learned one valuable thing – this long
tail cast-on I’m supposed to do with two colours before arriving at her EYF
class, does not result in alternate stitches of different colours. It just
means that the stitches on the needle are one colour, and the row beneath, the
other. I can probably achieve that the old knit-into-the-loop-on-the-left-thumb
way.
And I’ve heard Marchant say it herself. I suspect that has
saved me a lot of time and anxiety.
I also learn that she has written a new book about the
“tuck” system which my class is going to be about. Amazon has never heard of
it, but Ysolda is selling it. Marchant said that in the US, it’s available from
the Schoolhouse.
Interesting that the Tuck Stitches book is available from Ysolde for 14 pounds and from Stephen and Penelope for 32 pounds! Don't see it from Schoolhouse. Looks tempting. Once I am farther along with the Christmas knitting, I will start on Soutache!
ReplyDeleteWell, Nancy did say in the Craftsy class I working through that she gave the pattern of the Jacki scarf to her friend for test knitting, who mis-knit it. So she must get some help here and there.
ReplyDeleteThose cats do seem to be getting on proper terms with each other - I suspect that they will end up as friends. But don't ever expect them to admit it!
ReplyDeleteI must carve out some time to watch Fruity Knitting.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Jean, for the link to Elaine's Comment. It included the co.uk ending that the original version did not. Perhaps Elaine expected that I would know enough computer convention to replace the HTML ending for it. No matter. I did get to enjoy this interesting article and also draw food for thought on how we tend to assume less intellectual awareness from people in remote locations. An old lawyer told me once to "Never Assume" but I keep forgetting :-) Love all the kitty pictures. Chloe
ReplyDeleteSome luxurious sock yarns (and fibre blends intended for socks) use silk in place of nylon. It provides the same strength, and a certain something extra at the same time.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me as though you could simply do a loose-enough backwards loop cast-on using a circular needle, go back to the beginning (because circulars allow that), and knit the first row with the second color, to get the same effect, but I could be wrong. Maybe long-tail turns the "first row" part the other way?
ReplyDelete