Sunday, March 24, 2019


I felt very weak today, and didn’t go for my walk. I’ll have to get back in the saddle tomorrow.

C. came and got me and took me to Mass this morning. Our route lies past the Edinburgh Central Mosque, and we found its railings piled with flowers.

I got on well with the Dathan hap. I did a full 4-row repeat both yesterday and today, which leaves me only 60 stitches to add. I measured the central spine and found that I have just less than 2” to go. After a certain amount of mental confusion – 60 stitches does not mean 60 rows, or anything like; it means 24 rows (I think) – once I got that straightened out, I decided that the two measures -- inches and stitch count – will come out close to even. I’ll press on for 597 stitches.

Reading

I’m having a lovely time with "The Claverings". No one has gone hunting yet, and it’s June – but I’m less than halfway through. There’ll be plenty of time for a hunt next winter.

I can’t go on with Trollope forever. The newssheet at Mass this morning said that the parish reading group is going to tackle “Romola”. That sounds good, I thought, but when I got home and looked it up I discovered that it is historical. I am sort of prejudiced against historical fiction, as against bobbles, although my beloved “Gattopardo” would have to be classed as one, even though I sat next to Tancred at lunch in January, 2018. (See last year's blog entries for January.) 

We read “Silas Marner” at Asbury Park High School. It was the most boring book I had ever read, slightly in advance of “Ivanhoe” which was also on the curriculum. After I grew up and discovered how absolutely wonderful George Eliot is, my husband and I tried it again, for our bedtime reading. It’s still boring.

I’d be grateful for opinions on “Romola”. Alternatively, I could just read “Middlemarch” again.

10 comments:

  1. Just out of interest, you might try noticing what you had to eat the day before you have a day where you feel weak. I did this and discovered that having had more protein the day before made me less likely to feel weak. Just a thought.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Romola is probably worth one read, (can't bring myself to read it again), especially for those of us who love Florence, but if you've never read Daniel Deronda, you might try it again. On the other hand, re-reading Middlemarch is always worthwhile. You may never trust me again, though, Jean, having found Letters to Alice not your cup of tea (and I have to say Fay Weldon is not a favourite of mine in general).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Whoops, typo: meant to say, if you've never read Daniel Deronda, you might try it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have never read Romala. However, just the term historical fiction reminds me of what were really substandard novels set in the past, or thinly disguised bodice rippers that I enjoyed in my early teens. I only remember being bored by Silas Marner as well. The most wonderful hunting scenes (and equine content in general) that I recall are from Sigfried Sassoon. Which makes me think of Pat Barker Regenration Trilogy, another good read.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ivanhoe and Silas Marner - gr. 9 lit - what reminder of what we experienced! Reading Trollope in parallel - thanks for the revisiting!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous10:38 AM

    I feel exactly the same about both bobbles and historical fiction, and yet recently saw a bobble-ridden shawl (had dozens of them) so magnificent that I wanted to steal it from the knitter/wearer. Could not find the pattern on Ravelry which is a testament to the vastness of knitting. Haven't found the equivalent in historical fiction. Nor am I trying. Chloe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bobble-ridden shawl: is it possibly Together Shawl by Pia Kammeborn (15:17)
      https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/together-2 ? I saw it on Nicole Dupuis' Gentle Knitter podcast, episode 26, and just found it in her notes to that episode, in the Ravelry Gentle Knitter group. Nicole said what's nice about it is that the bobbles are not sloppy. I do wonder if this is the one you want.

      Delete
  7. Jean, yesterday you showed a photo of your swatch you knit in Felicity Ford’s class. She posted pictures of some of the swatches in her classes, and I think yours is there. She is “knitsonic” on Instagram.

    Anna in Toronto

    ReplyDelete
  8. =Tamar1:48 PM

    What kayT said. Just as a one-person data point: I learned in college that if I ate eggs for breakfast on a day when my blood would be tested, the test would show very low iron. It seems that eggs tie up your iron for some time while they are digested. Low iron can mean less oxygen availability, hence tiredness. I believe other more or less normal short-term conditions can also alter one's energy level. Your doctor or a professional dietitian may be able to interpret a complete diet history.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's really interesting about eggs. I have lung fibrosis so my blood oxygen levels take a dive as soon as I start being even slightly energetic; eggs might be good to avoid!
      I enjoy PF Chisholm's historical fiction; set in the age of QE in the Scottish borders. Also CJ Sansom, Shardlake series.

      There's a brutal energy-sapping cold going around. My husband has been going round at quarter speed for a fortnight since it started - sitting in the sun has helped.

      Delete