Thursday, June 11, 2020


All well. I felt even-more-than-usually droopy this morning, but Helen came and marched me around the Garden, and I gave her the rest of yesterday’s sourdough loaf and I have felt better since.

I don’t eat much bread – I’m doing this for fun (and it is fun). But I ate a bit more of this loaf than of the first one, and it was very tasty. I certainly mean to forge ahead. I look forward to the day when the grocery shelves offer a choice of flours again. I’d like to try rye. Meanwhile, should I add some olives?

And I’ve started the first EPS sleeve. It was slightly disconcerting this morning, taking down the second Knitter’s in this year-long EPS series, to find how much mental work I had to do before I could cast on. I am the Blindest of Followers, left to myself.

Two approaches were offered – 20-25% of K; or insert your hand into the already-knit body and loop some of the rib around your wrist and see how much of it you want.

I tried both, and went, essentially, with the latter. Even 20% of K would have been a lot bigger. I’ve knit an inch or so of sleeve, and it looks about right. DP’s are a nuisance, but I’ve never liked the alternatives. I hope I've got a short circular of the right gauge -- I must have one -- to take over as soon as possible.

Comments

Kay and Marilyn,  I’m delighted to hear that you’re in with me for the Stillness Shawl MKAL We will have a little MKAL of our own. There could be no happier condition for a Blind Follower.

Mary Lou, I hope the choice is for a rolled hem. I love them. Is this to be a new design of your own?

Reading

Shandy, thank you for that link. I haven’t tried it yet. Something reminded me today of one of my all-time fave’s, Evelyn Waugh’s “Put Out More Flags”, and I have been re-reading that as well as advancing Dr. Thorne.

8 comments:

  1. Sweater hems and cuffs: what I'm doing lately is a ribbed hem followed by a mini-roll: 2-3 rows of stockinette and then a loose castoff. As per Techknitter, I do think this - plus some gentler "donning and doffing" (to use the nice medical PPE phrase) is helping the hems on my beloved Felted Tweed pullovers to last longer. And kind of a nice look. Just finished Mrs. Gaskell's North and South as my evening audiobook, read by the wonderful Juliet Stevenson. I'd had some kind of negative reaction to the first few chapters in the past, but persevered this time and liked it much better.

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  2. Oh boy, a mini MKAL! Marilyn, what yarn did you get? Sounds like something you got to bring home rather than having to wait (and wait) for overseas shipping. I am kayT on Ravelry as well as here, and I have friended both of you for the MKAL. Anyone else going to join in? I tend toward the Blind Follower as well, Jean. Maybe Marilyn will help us be more daring? Or will the pattern be perfect as written?

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  3. The "Doctor Thorne" is very watchable, although I found it hard to access episode 4 for some reason. Ian McShane is wonderful as the raddled old railway magnate, but the girl playing Mary is luminous. The plot is more Mrs Gaskell than Trollope really, but a great fairytale.

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  4. Olives in the bread sound good. There is a bakery not too far from here that does an olive and rosemary "sourdough". The "sourdough" is most definitely not real sourdough but the barest hint of rosemary along with the olives is rather pleasant. Your bread making efforts look extremely successful!

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  5. It is a new design of mine, top down, circular yoke. I do love a rolled hem, as well, but for some reason started ribbing. You can certainly do it either way, and I’ll be sure to put that in the pattern. Our first bowl of strawberries today! Makes me think of Wimbledon. And Jean, Rhinebeck has been cancelled for this year.

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  6. Anonymous11:50 AM

    I always thought olives sounded a natural with sour dough bread although when I tried it once I wasn't personally crazy about it. Maybe it was just that particular recipe. Love the idea of ribbing plus a slight roll. The person who narrated the library version of Out of Africa sounded exactly the same as I imagained Blixen to sound like. Can't think of any movie star who could have done better. Heard recently that libraries are changing over to something else in terms of audiobooks now. Sad. Chloe

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  7. Syd T4:14 PM

    We use to get a wonderful Rosemary Sourdough bread in Sonoma Calif. Delightful with home grown tomatoes on it! Was made with fresh Rosemary.

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  8. Anonymous10:48 AM

    I have a small electric coffee grinder that I use for spices, nuts, etc. it was a Krups and only 10 American dollars not that long ago. Double that price now, so maybe you know of someone who has one you can borrow, Jean? Chloe

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