Thursday, March 14, 2019


My computer – a by-now-relatively-antique Toshiba portable – has just inflicted one of those involuntary updates on me, with the result that everything takes much longer than before. Archie says that modern computers (there is a three-letter-acronym involved) turn on immediately, like computers on television. Tempting.

Sharon has most kindly written to me quoting my own words from April, 2017, about the re-sizing of my first Pollywog so as to knit it in sock yarn. I was surprised to find that it was so recent – but, of course, it has to be, since its wearer is not very old. The solution, as I had dimly remembered, was to cast on the no. of stitches for the largest size, and knit the dimensions for the smallest. It worked that time.

The blog says that I did some of the calculating with my “Pony Knitting Calculator”. I have no memory whatsoever of such an article. And a preliminary scrabble on the shelves where I keep knitting implements has revealed no such thing. But it didn’t reveal my knitting belt, either – and that must be there.

Nothing in my sock yarn collection seems quite right. But, hey! I’m going to the EYF next week.

I had another good day with the hap. I was wrong when I said yesterday that I had 200 stitches in each of the wings. I do now, though. Nancy’s idea of counting out blocks of stitches and marking them off makes constant counting easy – because I just have to count the odd stitches at either end of the row, and then add in the others. This is a great comfort, with so many stitches involved.

Some of the balls of yarn are beginning to look a bit depleted. That’s encouraging.

I have done nothing at all, so far, with all those loose ends. I knit KD’s Northmavine hap (from “Colours of Shetland”) once, for Greek Helen. That won’t have had quite as many ends, but it must have involved a good few. I’ll have a look to discover how I finished that edge, the next time I see her wearing it.

Reading

There’s an article in today’s New Yorker about John Williams. A lot of the article was over my head, but I have read Williams’ “Stoner” and “Butcher’s Crossing”, both highly recommended. I think the article has inspired me to re-read “The Late George Apley” when I finish Trollope.

I thought Penguin was going to send me a short list of novels every month from which I could select two or three to read or re-read. That doesn’t seem to be happening, but the impetus provided by that first list has, for the moment, wafted me away from thrillers.

6 comments:

  1. I was very impressed with "Butcher's Crossing" when I read it. Such a convincing evocation of a particular time and place. Surviving a blizzard in a pair of buffalo skins crawling with lice, for example.

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  2. I was intrigued by the Penguin Challenge so I signed up for the books I meant to read challenge. I finally received an email @March 8 and embedded at least half way down was my reading challenge suggestion...The Awakening, so you may have missed it if you just looked at the first part of the email. Also, have you checked your spam folder? Sometimes I find things misplaced in there. Happy reading.

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  3. Anonymous4:00 AM

    Growing up in Louisiana and having (finally) had good access to education and teachers, I read Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening“ in high school. It is a very interesting novel, if you have not read it.

    I also once had the opportunity to visit her home, which had been turned into a museum. It has since burned down, but there exists somewhere a photo of a friend there taken on that memorable day.
    cheers,
    CKP

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  4. Anonymous9:19 AM

    Jean please do get a new computer. There is no virtue in holding onto ancient technology and as we get older we have less and less time to waste on unnecessarily frustrating details. Just make sure you get something easy to use so you won't be trading in one set of frustrations for another. Maybe Alexander can help you with that. Chloe

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  5. In the work world, three years old is the limit, then the computer gets replaced. There will be a learning curve vs. speed, so not a straightforward choice. I am way behind on my New Yorkers, I'll have to look for that piece.

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  6. I would like to suggest a Chromebook... or chromebox (a small hockeypuck size box) hooked up to a monitor and keyboard and mouse.

    if all you do is on the internet - then you would love either of these - they boot up in about 1 minute (really) and there are no viruses - the newer versions have 'apps' and if you have office 365 (the web version of Office) then you have outlook and word, excel etc. its REALLY easy to use and not a lot to go wrong. you would need a small wirless printer to print... but really why deal with Microsoft and windows etc when if you really use things online... you can use YOUTUBE and stream from the BBC iPlayer website, and all kinds of other places, netflix, acorn tv, etc etc.

    if you want to contact me... for more info and advice as to what to get, please do.

    i have used every flavor of windows over the years both at work and home (I work as an IT professional) and have given up on Microsoft - i own several kinds of chromebooks and two chromeboxes and only have my windows computer for two programs that will never port to chrome (at least thats what they say now).

    really really really really easy to use.

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