Tuesday, August 04, 2020

Yesterday was more or less summer. Today, perhaps the autumnal equinox – cold, grey, wet, windy.

 

The local news is that Fergus, the youngest of Helen and David’s sons, got the grades he needs to go to Bristol University to read economics. He only got a B in mathematics in his “mock” exam at school. Bristol wanted an A. He was worried about that. But he has been awarded an A – there were no actual exams, of course, just teachers’ assessments and then the Scottish Examinations Board. So all is well.


Except, of course, for the question of what university life will be like. Bristol, apparently, intends to welcome everybody back, in bubbles.

 

Helen came, and we did some local shopping. It was my first experience of mask-wearing. No fun.

 

Daniela came by taxi and put me in order. But that means paying the taxi almost as much as I pay her. There’s no future in that.

 

Knitting went well. I finished off Clue Four last night, and embarked on Clue Five today. It’s a situation such as often occurs in knitting, where a pattern has to be established – in lace, in Fair Isle, in cables – and once that’s done correctly, all you have to do is follow-the-leader.

 

This pattern was awfully easy (and that’s dangerous): knit three, perform one action, knit three, perform the other one. Subsequent pattern rows are identical. I was eager and interested to get it done, purl laboriously back, and find out whether I’d done it right.

 

Sure enough, not. There’s a single point where I’ve done the wrong thing. I’m certainly not going to double back. It’s easier and much safer to repeat the mistake. YO’s and k3tog’s are involved so there may be some footwork necessary to avoid too many stitches.

 

But the end is in sight.


6 comments:

  1. Is it the kind of error you can fix when you come back to it on the next knit row? It’s only a purl row between, as I understand it. I often fix quickly caught errors that way, rather than taking out hundreds of stitches.

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  2. I am having a grandmotherly moment. I just received an email from a former next-door-neighbor with questions about decreasing in pattern in a baby sweater design of mine. It is for the child of her son, who used to come over to our house starting at about age 3 and entertain us. When I had a broken ankle he practiced magic tricks so he could keep me amused, and then lent me the complete set of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Goodness, I'm getting older!

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  3. Anonymous11:18 AM

    So glad about Fergus, Jean. These pesky college/ university issues manage to disrupt our lives until they are satisfactorily resolved. Age does creep up on us doesn't it Mary Lou. I think I may go back to using Clairol. I see no point in constantly being reminded of my creaky mid-seventies just because of the color of my hair. Somehow my mind can explain away aching joints better than early morning unkempt gray.

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  4. Anonymous11:41 AM

    Unkempt gray which didn't bother me in my sixties, for some reason. Guess I will deal with my eighties when I come to them:). Right now just looking forward to your finished shawl, Jean. I think it will be worth the effort. Chloe

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  5. Anonymous1:58 AM

    Congratulations to Fergus & parents!

    I hope he's able to have a productive and interesting uni experience.

    Beverly in NJ

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  6. Perhaps have Daniela less often while she needs the taxi? Or will Archie be around to ferry her?

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