Where to begin?
FruityKnitting Episode 39, about Shetland Wool Week,
is terrific. You can find it on YouTube. You don’t need to subscribe (although
I do). I’ll watch it all the way through again soon.
Carol Christiansen of the Lerwick Museum is not at all
as I expected, as so often in life. Amongst other treats, she showed us
fragments of what I am pretty sure is the thing I call the Museum Sweater,
which Jen A-C has reconstructed for Jamieson & Smith, and
for which they sell a kit, using her pattern. The unusual thing about that
sweater is that the lozenge patterns change along the rows. Is it unique in
that respect? Certainly very unusual.
Dr Christiansen, displaying it, talked about the
colours but didn’t mention the pattern.
Shandy, my version is still on my to-do list and my
swatch-scarf is still very visible in the sitting room.
However, the prospect of a new great-grandchild has
altered the schedule. I must knit something to welcome it. (I know the sex –
apparently it can be determined by a blood test these days, early on, before the
answer is visible in a scan. But I’m not going to tell you.) So Alexander’s
vest will have to wait, and perhaps can be pressed into service as a Calcutta
Cup vest next year. Perhaps. If Scotland wins.
And you can see even from the swatch-scarf that I am not going to knit different lozenges in
the same row, although the lozenges themselves have been copied from the Museum
Sweater.
The cat situation is much as before. Perdita continues
to frown and hiss. Paradox is shut here in the dining room at night, as
Perdita and I have hunkered down together ever since her kittenhood and I don’t
want that disturbed until relations are smoother.
I’m enjoying “Slow Knitting” and my latest idea, based
upon its philosophy, is to take a drop spindle class at the EYF, plus two
Marchants. The idea being to actually learn something.
How does Paradox respond when Perdita frowns and hisses? She certainly seems quite settled there on the sofa, and looks as though she may be trusted to be near knitting and yarn.
ReplyDeleteParadox, who has never known a hostile cat until the last few days, takes it all quite calmly. Perdita has never seen a cat at all, since the day I took her away from her (and Paradox') mother. She has seen dogs, and doesn't think much of them
ReplyDeleteI have been shown drop spindling, but never really have attended to learning it. Sounds like a grand idea.
ReplyDeleteWas tempted to purchase Slow Knitting, but opted instead for the Japanese Knitting Patterns book. Do you think it's worth it?
ReplyDeleteAh, I had not realised that you had kept the same lozenge pattern going along each band. On the first of my waistcoats, the brown one I alternated two different patterns in each band. On the recently completed blue one I challenged myself to make all the lozenge patterns different. This creates a very interesting effect, as the eye seeks out the similarities in the repeated colour shading, rather than the differences in the individual lozenges. I suppose the next step in extreme knitting would be to use intarsia to colour each lozenge individually too...
ReplyDeleteI had the same thought as Shandy about the eye seeking out the similarities among the various lozenges, and vaguely concluded it might be because I liked the reddish colors so much which tied it all together for me. Will have to consult Ravelry to see if ithis applies to other colors for me as well. Paradox continues to be delightful. So much personality in that little body. Looking forward to your experience with the drop spindle. Took a hasty class in it once. Would love to BE a proficient drop spindler without going through the learning process, maybe because I needed more "at my elbow" coaching than the class allowed. Chloe
ReplyDeleteParadox certainly looks to have settled in... i love that pose! With her equanimity i am sure she will win over Perdita. good for you for not disturbing the sleeping arrangements that is certainly helping Perdita slowly acclimate.
ReplyDeletelove the sweater swatch...
added FK to my Youtube subs... i find i watch less and less live tv ... i may try them.. i have been binge catching up on Will & Grace the original seasons as I never watched it ... there was no 'on demand' watching when it was first on... my job is very stressful and by the time i get home and deal with two cats and daily chores the most i can handle is comedy and the 20+ minutes (no commercials) means i can watch a few eps and relax... i do love the actress Megan Mullaly - she basically steals every scene she is in ... as does Sean Hayes (Jack) ... not a mean feat with McCormack and Messing. truly a great ensemble. ... eventually i will be caught up and can watch the new season airing now.