Thursday, January 16, 2020


Not a bad day, although I feel low. My Personal Trainer came, and we had a good time in Drummond Place gardens – we’ve had an easy winter so far (there’s something to be said for Global Warming).  The snowdrops are in full cry and there are even buds showing on the daffodils.

I wrote to the lawyer about my Will, a task which has been weighing on me of late. But of course as soon as it’s done, I become aware of the myriad other tasks awaiting. Tomorrow, maybe, after Italian.

As for knitting, I have now done seven bumps on the second side – half way across. (I’m talking about edging Gudrun’s “Hansel” shawl.) The ball of yarn is certainly less plump than it used to be. My guess is that it won’t reach the next corner. But I’ve got to press ahead and find out for sure.

I’m having some difficulty with my ssk’s, a manoeuvre I usually particularly enjoy. I think the problem arises when the second of the stitches to be slipped was a yo in the previous row. Slipping the first stitch pulls it tight and then the needle won’t go through.

Sharon Miller says in Heirloom Knitting that directional decreases don’t matter in garter stitch. I was astonished. Perhaps I’d better look up the passage. Maybe it only applies to fine yarn. I have been faithfully doing them here but k2tog would be easier in many instances. I’ve got to stick with ssk for the vital decrease that joins one more stitch of the shawl to the edging – but that one is always easy anyway.

Non-knit

Cats’ grasp of keyboard shortcuts is clearly a matter that deserves scholarly research. Perdita is particularly good at muting the sound effects.

For reading, I’ve settled down with Penelope Lively’s “Family Album”. I like books about families. Lively is particularly skilful, in this one, at distinguishing and characterising six separate children. Before that (and after “The Three Clerks”) I read another Ruth Rendell, “A Demon in my View”. It’s rather depressing. Perhaps that’s why I feel low. I should have stuck with Wexford.

11 comments:

  1. I'm about to embark upon a Gervase Phinn - how 'light' can you get? The Book Club book, by the man who wrote 'the Kite Runner' but this is called something else is beautifully written, and when I start I can't stop, but I don't like the story it is telling. Too sad.
    I've knitted some slippers! I know, a minor project, but the first time I've done short rows. Even more surprisingly, they fit and are comfortable. I haven't washed them yet...

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    1. From the internet; 'non-felted slippers'. Created by Japanese knitter. I'll get back to you. There are some errors, but nothing that Deep Thinking couldn't solve.

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    2. Got it! Ravelry, Yuko Nakamara. She gets a stitch count wrong, and also later doesn'tstate 'turn work' when that happens the first time, the clue is that the next instruction line is 'WS purl' when you haven't knitted enough stitches to finish a knit row. The sole seemed ridiculously long until I understood you join the cast on edges together!

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    3. Took me just one evening to knit one slipper (may take a week to get round to seaming it!)

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    4. Thanks,Kirsten! Especially for the warning about errors. (I'm not all that good at Deep Thinking sometimes.)

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    5. The short rows start on row 7 of the instep.

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  2. I have never been able to get on with Ruth Rendell's non-Wexford books. They just don't agree with me. Now that I think of it, enough time has passed so that I can start reading the older Wexfords again.

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  3. Penelope Lively is one of my favorites. The Photograph would be a good one to follow Family Album.

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  4. I wrote a long post which disappeared but now have to dash off to work. Will post later

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  5. I am revisiting D Sayers (which i do annually) - I have a 30 min + drive commute each way to work and am listening to the audio version with Ian Carmichael on the way to and fro (so soothing at the end of the day to hear proper and well written English after hours of tech speak )

    I am doing the 'love tetralogy' starting with Strong Poison - at this point i can practically say passages along with IC. But its a wonderful escape (and G*D knows we could use it now).

    I do this with Jane Austen and DLS ...like old friends - even knowing whats coming.

    i love mysteries but my life in the last two years has been complete upheaval with two moves (one in mar 18 and one nov 19) so i cant deal with angst and violence right now in my little leisure time - and complete escapism is the best. I can however watch LOST IN SPACE (Season 2 came out around Christmas and i am doling out the eps as it will be another 18-20 mons for the next season).

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