Thursday, August 06, 2020

Pretty droopy, but atleast I have taken a step or two forward today. I’ve done some knitting, and – in a sense – straightened out that mistake in the first row of the final pattern – Clue Five – of the Stillness Shawl MKAL. It’ll be perfectly visible as a mistake, but future rows (and there are TWELVE of them to go) will be knit correctly all the way across – k3tog, k3, yo, K1, yo, k3 – and that in turn will make a subsequent mistake slightly less likely.

 

Needless to say there’s a stretchy bind-off at the end which won’t be quick.

 

Despite droopiness, I have made a circuit of the gardens most days, in variable weather. Helen’s sons Fergus and Archie flew off to Greece this morning to join their father and their brother Mungo for a fortnight or so. She is going to Strathardle this weekend for a house party with some school friends.

 

I’ve read a lot of “A Suitable Boy”, perhaps enjoying it even more this time. It’s a novel about India (not just set there) – and there’s a lot about politics that the television series will have to omit. The fictional time is not long after Independence and Partition. The new nation is finding its feet. There were flags at half-mast and official mourning when George VI died (the Queen’s father), and the counting of ballots in the general election of 1952 was suspended for a few days  – that’s rather touching. He was, of course, the last Emperor of India.

 

Another thing that will have to go are some fascinating passages about shoe-making. One of the candidates for the title role is involved in that trade, which is rather infra dig for an upper caste Indian because of the necessary association with leather. Vikram Seth has taken the trouble to find out how it’s done.

 

Today is of course the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima. I think we were right to drop that bomb. The end of the war with Japan would have been infinitely prolonged and infinitely ghastly otherwise.


6 comments:

  1. I agree with you about the dropping of the bomb.
    I must reread A Suitable Boy. I loved it the first time, I suspect I might like it even more the 2nd time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Belated Birthday to you, Jean! I think it was a couple of days ago.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I too agree about the bomb. When it was done, my Father had been in the queue for transport to Okinawa. He was an RAF aircraft mechanic. His and my Mother's relief must have been overwhelming. It still took them two more years to get round to having me, so am I glad to be alive? Of course. There is also the thought that somebody had to do it the first time, so that we could say "Please, Never Again"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jane (Elsie)7:51 AM

    I finished knitting the Stillwell Shawl today. I need to weave in the last few ends and block it. I'm hoping it improves with blocking. I'm commenting as myself today. Elsie is my daughter and signed herself into my computer a couple weeks ago and I can't figure out how to sign her off. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:53 AM

    Jean, just saw Stillness on Ravelry and I congratulate you on your forbearance (I think that's the word I want) for soldiering on with such an ambitious project despite your misgivings. The picot border alone would do me in but always looks so worth it. Chloe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stillness shawl hasn't got a picot border; it's just lace that comes to points. Much easier and in my mind nicer looking than picot. My picot always just looks lumpy.

      Jean, I'm glad you got Stillness done (is that the one you meant?) and hope you like how it turned out. I really like mine and found the MKAL experience so much fun I am now doing casapinka's MKAL.

      Delete