Thursday, January 28, 2021

 

2511 steps so far today. Back in action. One circuit of the garden with Helen. 

 

And I’m two scallops advanced along the edging of the third side of Gudrun’s hap.

 

A Fruity Knitting patrons’ invitation turned up for an interview with Julie Weisenberger, about her top-down sweater-knitting system called Cocoknits. Andrea was justifiably proud for having managed the technical setup all by herself. I was puzzled because I don’t remember the episode of Fruity Knitting itself in which Julie appears. I’ve looked it up – it was the penultimate normal episode. Maybe I’ll try watching it. Amazon.co.uk lists her book only in German.

 

Here’s Bernie Sanders. I think, after all, he’s crocheted – but we’ll forgive him that. He's very clever, and he's wearing the mittens!




 

Reading

 

I moved sideways today, and started reading Tim Spector’s “Spoon-Fed”. It’s very much the same thing as the book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall which I bought recently, except more scientific because Spector is an academic doctor, specialising in the microbiome; and there are no recipes. The basic ideas are that a lot of what we think we know about nutrition is wrong, and that people are individuals who respond differently to the same food.

 

Hugh makes it sound as if I have to give up sugar-free bitter lemon because of all the horrible things in it. Spector, I think, will let me drink it as long as I don’t expect to lose weight thereby. My son James gave up beer (and with it, all alcohol) when he found that he couldn’t comfortably stay within the (severe) government limits. (He is a Type 1 diabetic, as I keep saying, and has the good sense to take good care of himself.) He runs, and he looks very fit, and he drinks a lot of Diet Coke.

 

I think there’s no doubt that my dry January has done me good. I’m going to try various low-cider systems in February. The Calcutta Cup rugby match will be played (in London; no spectators) on the first Saturday of February. I might as well stay dry until then, to start things off.  But such ambitions are impossible if I’m not allowed bitter lemon.

10 comments:

  1. Jean- How do you keep track of your steps? I've been looking on line at pedometers and there is a baffling array. Janet in Seattle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’ve got an app on my iPhone, Janet. I’ve had it for years and didn’t know. I scarcely use the phone for telephoning or messaging, but now I carry it with me every waking moment, for step-counting.

      Delete
    2. Yes, in my iPhone it's part of the Health app, which I'd never investigated until a friend alerted me to this capability.

      Delete
    3. Thanks to you, Jean, me, too! You are an inspiration on many levels!

      Delete
  2. The book is available in English I know, but you can find lots of information on her website: https://cocoknits.com/pages/the-cocoknits-method
    Julie is quite clever, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Apologies if this shows up twice — the Bernie doll was just auctioned for more than $20,000 (US), all of it to be donated to Meals on Wheels.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Something else on "M. P." - listening to the production yesterday I was struck by the fact that Austen does not use any lines from "Lovers' Vows" whereas you would have thought it would have made an interesting scene. Until I read the Nabokov lecture I did not know what the plot was. It seemed even odder when the segment was dramatised, so Mary comments on how warm some of the lines are but we never get to hear them. I wonder why this was?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous11:00 AM

    Several years ago Julie taught her method at a nearby yarn store. Various reasons kept me from doing so but I've always regretted it. Her cover sweater has a wonderful neckline. Her website has several free video tutorials. She is very clever as you say, Mary Lou. Chloe

    ReplyDelete
  6. =Tamar1:29 PM

    Some time ago I saw a blog about a production of MP that had a one-night special in which the actors, in MP costume, acted out Lovers' Vows. It seems that the roles had precisely opposite characters - Austen had her heroes (mis)cast as villains and vice versa.
    Tom Jr's wanting to play all the extra roles reminded me of Midsummer Night's Dream and the play within a play in which one of the rustics wants to play all the roles. I wonder how far the comparison could be taken.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. According to a plot summary available on-line, Henry Crawford, the flirt , plays Frederick the innocent illegitimate sone of Agatha who had been seduced and abandoned by Baron Wildenheim. Rushworth, the dull and stupid fiance, plays Count Cassell who had a reputation with women. So, yes it looks like Austen cast her men into opposite parts.
      How far Tom really equates to Bottom the Weaver, is debatable....

      Delete