Thursday, October 12, 2017

I’ve done the 11 plain rounds of Miss Rachel’s Yoke, and have embarked on the decrease round. It’s a bit tricky – k32, k2tog, repeat. That means a lot of concentrated counting. But the next round is in colour – worth striving for.

This and that

Joan, I think you were right to hold out for the Japanese stitch book. “Slow Knitting” is very pleasant bedtime reading, and contains some good patterns by top designers, but the Japanese book promises something special.

Hazel Tindall says “pattren” for “pattern”, like Carol Feller.

I think I told you that I booked a day of “Cooking with the Duchess” for me and Archie in Palermo. Tomasi di Lampedusa, who wrote “The Leopard”, had no children but adopted a son who is still alive. His wife does cooking days, where you get taken to market to select ingredients and then go back to the palazzo and cook them. If you are lucky you get to meet her husband, said to be the model for Tancred in the novel.

I booked this on September 1, and wrote to her to say that Archie and I could be slightly flexible as to the day. I found this message a few days ago, stuck in my iPad outbox. That happens sometimes, goodness knows why. I sent it off. I had an instant and horrified reply from the Duchess herself. She had never heard of me. She had no booking for the day in question.

I feared, of course, that I had poured a not inconsiderable amount of money into a rogue website. It’s called GetYourGuide and the Duchess had never heard of it.

All seems to be well. I am promised a prompt refund, and GetYourGuide no longer offers “Cooking with the Duchess”. And we will have our day, if she can get another four people. She doesn’t do it for fewer than six.


There’s plenty to do in Palermo, including other cooking-days with humbler hosts, if we’re determined. I’m not unduly concerned. It all seems rather Sicilian.

9 comments:

  1. Whew! At least you didn't just show up on the day in question hoping to cook. I do hope she manages to get more people for you. I have a stack of Japanese stitch dictionaries, but went for this one as well. Looking forward to cracking it open.

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  2. It would have been worse -- we would have been standing on a street corner rather early in the day (not congenial for Archie) waiting to be taken to the market.

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  3. Anonymous11:00 PM

    I too hope you get your cooking class. I was hoping to take it with you, vicariously.

    Beverly in NJ.

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  4. Anonymous1:03 AM

    I noticed the pronunciation of 'pattern' too and have heard Carol use this also in her Craftsy class. As I understand it the word pattern is a corruption of the word 'patron' so it seems it must be us English speakers who have got it wrong! Patrun in Irish, Patran in Scottish Gaelic, Patroon in Dutch and Patron in Spanish. Interesting though that both Scottsh and Irish speakers have preserved the integrity of this word.

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  5. One more thing - how are the Italian lessons going? Have you had time to have any more?

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  6. Anonymous1:01 PM

    Sicily does sound like an adventure!
    Glad the Duchess wrote you back quickly and that a refund is underway. Do press the tour company if any delay!
    Best wishes for a good weekend
    LisaRR

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  7. Husband and I once went to Hazel Tindall's local knit group and spent a lovely time with them. Hazel and all the other ladies ooh'd and aah'd over our knitting as if we were the professionals and they were amateurs. I think every single member had more knitting experience than hubby and I had together. We took several lace shawls to show and they loved them all. It was such a special holiday and the knitters made our holiday extra special.

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    1. I had a similar experience with Hazel, she adored a shawl I was wearing. It is a lovely one, lace in a lovely yarn. It gets attention in other venues as well. I attributed Hazel's attraction to the fact she knits mostly Fair Isle, and not lace. Maybe it is her way of making conversation with all of us who ogle her knitting prowess!

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    2. I had a similar experience with Hazel, she adored a shawl I was wearing. It is a lovely one, lace in a lovely yarn. It gets attention in other venues as well. I attributed Hazel's attraction to the fact she knits mostly Fair Isle, and not lace. Maybe it is her way of making conversation with all of us who ogle her knitting prowess!

      Delete