Friday, March 22, 2019


“What’s going on at the Corn Exchange?” she asked, when I rang up this morning for a taxi. And when we got there, the driver saw us all and asked, “Is this something to do with Mother’s Day?” [In GB, it is celebrated on mid-Lent Sunday which falls this year on the 31st.]

I had a grand time, but was scarcely strong enough. Was that my last EYF?

As before, it was brilliantly organised. We class-attendees were allowed into the market an hour before everybody else. When I arrived, as in other years, there was someone to take my ticket and issue a bracelet which sufficed for entrance for the rest of the day. A nice man also took me to the head of the queue. I must have looked as feeble as I felt.

I didn’t do justice to the market, but I covered a bit of ground. Brooklyn Tweed was there in force, but I didn’t see Jared. I got to fondle their Arbor yarn, and was tempted for Thomas Miles’ Calcutta Cup scarf – but then I thought, no, it must be a Scottish yarn. I bought Jamieson & Smith’s new Croft yarn instead.

Oliver Henry was there. I didn’t embarrass him by acknowledging that I recognised him. He’s looking distinctly old, but I can’t persuade Google to tell me when he was born. As old as I am? Probably not quite.

“Colours of Edinburgh” with Felicity Ford was brilliant. It was essentially the course of action prescribed in her Knitsonic book “Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook”, much enlivened by her delightful self. I wasn’t even the class dunce. Nobody was.

One of my fellow students was wearing the Dathan pullover. The objection to it which I felt when I saw the pattern, doesn’t apply – namely, too much fabric hanging down under the arms. But it wasn’t sitting properly on her shoulders, with the result that the back was hiked up and the front slid down. The stripes were beautiful – but I’m far enough along with the hap to know that.

I looked for yarn for Mary Lou’s baby pattern, but all the possibilities I spotted said “hand wash advised” or similar. That won’t do for a third millennium baby. I did buy a yarn bowl, and used it in Felicity’s class. I keep finding that  yarn, when I’m knitting the hap, resting however securely on the table in front of me, slips to the floor and is pounced on by my furry helpers. I think I have found the solution.

I asked both Jen A-C and Felicity for news of Kate Davies, but both professed to know nothing. Is that possible? Or are they under instructions to keep schtum? Felicity promised to pass on my good wishes.

7 comments:

  1. =Tamar8:15 PM

    About the Dathan pullover: The trouble with all that material under the arms is that when you raise your arms, it yanks the body up (as shown in the photos). The moderate boat-neck also affects the hang of the body, since most people's heads and necks are somewhat forward of the shoulder line, which pulls the back upward. That can be countered by adding short rows in the upper back; the change in the line of the stripes along the back of the shoulders leaves space for extra short rows, a subtle element of the design that lets it be customized to the individual.

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  2. I so glad you had a good time, and the class was worthwhile. As for the baby sweater, I can’t imagine you don’t have sock yarn aplenty in the stash to make it. I’ve done the garter stitch area with self striped and the stoockinette in solid to make ends meet, successfully, as it turned out.

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  3. Ooo… envy! And then I remember that I actually hate crowded events of whatever nature and prefer specialist yarn shops. I imagine that Felicity at least will know KD's situation. The less said about it the better, perhaps.

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  4. So glad you were able to go and had a good time. I think I have a bit of a long-distance crush on Oliver Henry. Mary Lou, I’m grateful for the Polliwog hints. Have never made it but there are two in my near future for our two new family babies, one a month old and one soon to arrive.

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  5. Anonymous10:55 AM

    I love your detailed report, Jean. Hope you and Jared both get to EYF next year. I think you would like him. Good for you for sticking with Scottish yarn, though, on your project. I think it will be much more satisfying that way. The Internet can put such a glaring spotlight on someone with accompanying distortion and inaccuracies, I don't blame Kate Davies for keeping private. Maybe one day there will be another TED talk or some such, but probably not for a long time. Mary Lou, I personally like German short rows a lot, but for anyone wanting to convert to W&T they might want to take a look at Mimi Kezer's video on this subject. The count might need to be changed and that might be why there are problems with the neck fit for some people. Polliwog is just too cute to get it wrong. I can't wait to see Jean's next one. Chloe

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    1. Thanks Chloe- Jean is looking at a different pattern now, I think. But the switching between short row types is important. I’ve even offered a class on it. I’ll check out the video.

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  6. Sounds like you had the perfect EYF experience: enough time spent with interesting people, some yarn shopping, etc., yet not so much that you were overly exhausted. So glad you had a nice time and sincerely hope it is not your last:)!

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