Saturday, May 11, 2019


This has been another day of serious non-achievement, except for a pleasant Italian lesson with a good Skype connection. My tutor hasn’t yet read “Il Gattopardo”. She has a treat in store.

(I have just been re-reading my blog entry for Sunday, January 14, 2018 – about meeting Tancred. That was a real accomplishment; one I treasure in memory,)

I had forgotten, Mary Lou (comment yesterday) that the Wild Swans had to spin nettles to make those shirts for their brothers, although I vaguely remember the story. Nettle yarn doesn’t seem so preposterous to me, Shandy and Chloe. Nettles make a nice soup, although that’s scarcely relevant. They’re suitably stringy – that might be a factor. But it’s wonderful to hear them referred to as “sustainable”. It’ll be dandelions next. (Which are good in a salad.)

Chloe, is your mink-and-milk yarn wonderful to the touch? And how is it for colour? I was bitterly disappointed when I procured some cashmere Koigu once and learned in the moment when I opened the package that cashmere doesn’t take dye as well as wool does. A valuable lesson.

I have done no knitting at all today, and will probably go to bed (fairly soon) with that statement unchanged. That will leave two days for getting ready for Lerwick. I had better get cracking.

4 comments:

  1. It is not that nettle seems odd as a fibre
    ,after all, linen must be somewhat similar. It is the idea of combining it with Merino. What would be gained?

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    Replies
    1. =Tamar4:40 PM

      My guess would be that nettle and Merino would be a very durable sock yarn.

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  2. Anonymous11:38 AM

    The mink one is a slightly heathery and attractive light green. I remember enjoying swatching with it. But with only one ball haven't found a pattern for it yet. The part milk one - also just one ball - is a light and pretty lavender. And very soft. I was thinking of it for a baby. In fact it is called Baby Milk and is manufactured in Italy and sold by Laines du Nord. It is listed on Ravelry. Unfortunately I lost the ballband for the mink one so it's harder to trace. Chloe

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  3. I have the audiobook of The Leopard, and will get to listening when I have some long uninterrupted knitting time.

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