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September 30, 2006
Meeting the ancestors
No knitting content this time.
I won’t pretend I haven’t been struggling in a bit of a creative slump. I thought of asking you, dear readers, what you would most like to read about, and I may yet resort to that. But the idea that has been churning around my head is not about knitting but is about our ancestries, our personal histories, the stories that shape us.
Here are a handful of mine:
My view of my mother is made more exotic by the stories told of her childhood. Her years at boarding school make me imagine it as being straight from The Naughtiest Girl in School, and the tales do nothing to dispell that. In the strict, controlled environment, she was forever ‘in trouble’ for jumping over the tennis nets, or wearing her uniform inside out, or backwards. Legend has it that she foiled an intruder to the dormitories when she woke up to find a man peering through the open window – plucky Sarah pushed back on his ladder, and both toppled over. When our heroine was removed from school by her parents (clearly not thriving), the younger girls were distraught.
My great-grandfather, I am reliably informed, would slay wasps by cutting them in half with a sword in mid-flight.
My grandmother was an only child, whose mother died young. Brought up by her father, their favourite passtime was music. Granny was a concert pianist at 11, and went to university at 16.
Even as I write, I become aware of how very little I know about them all. What are the stories you remember? Answer here, or on your site and give me the nod so I can come and read.
Oh, and: It also happens that this Fashionable Life is about to reach a very large and impressive number of comments. So why not? Let’s have a lovely yarny prize for the lucky 3501st commenter (that's 93 from now).
Come on, I need to hear your voices.
Posted by Anna at 12:02 PM | Comments (58)
September 17, 2006
Sunday (guilty) pleasures
Sitting on the flowery sofa, with the French windows open to the September sun, a coffee, raspberries on my (late) morning porridge, wearing special socks, watching Country File, of all things. In my imaginary life, I live in a large farmhouse in one or other of the ‘shires. We keep a few chickens, ducks, two pigs, a pony. A friendly dog.
A few people have asked after the knot pattern used on the sock. Here, for your knitting pleasure, it is.
Worked over multiple of 4 sts.
Kfbf: Knit into front, then back, then front again of next st (2 sts inc’d)
MK: Make knot: K 1, and return this st to L needle. Pick up 2nd and 3rd sts on L needle, and pass over the K st and off the needle. Return K st to R needle. (2 sts dec’d)
Rnd 1: K all sts
Rnd 2: (K 3, Kfbf) across all sts
Rnd 3: (K 3, MK) across all sts
Rnd 4: K all sts
Rnd 5: (K 1, Kfbf, K 2) across all sts
Rnd 6: (K 1, MK, K 2) across all sts
If anything seems wrong, let me know.
Posted by Anna at 11:54 AM | Comments (15)
September 10, 2006
Auditry
I’ve been feeling quite snowed under by all the projects on needles, and even more pernicious, the ideas not yet swatched, which bubble under in a most distracting way. I thought a brief audit might give me a handle on what’s going on, and now that I see it listed out, it doesn’t seem half so bad.
Lemony Snicket scarf
For an 18th birthday – I don’t think she reads here. Worked up in a few hours yesterday from sample balls of aran weight cashmere: GGH (violet blue) and Karabella (pale pistachio). Mistake-rib striped scarf. It’s very thin, but long enough to wear a number of ways. The way the colours play off each other, the scarf is sometimes pretty pastels, at other times, the violet blue looks grey to the eye while the lime sings out as if it was day-glo yellow. V. good gift as chic and sumptuous yet also stash-reducing.
Poppysocks
For a late birthday, my Badcaul pattern and Lorna’s Laces in Poppy. I need a new 2.25 circular needle, the join on this one is getting catchier with age, and it takes all my powers to remain calm while working on these especially as they are my commuting knitting. A sticky join and commuting is not a recipe for serenity.
Half a Sarcelle scarf
Handmaiden Sea Silk in Ocean. The pattern is beautiful but requires my total concentration not to drop stitches, and the Sea Silk is very unstretchy, so frequent breaks required due to sore fingers.
Gwen
A cardigan in variegated cashmere sock yarn for Kerrie. I stalled at the shoulder-shaping, but now the deadline is in sight so this one is up next for some prolonged, focussed attention. The name, by the way, is from a very small, tubby, Welsh mountain pony also named Gwen, who taught me, my siblings, and many cousins to ride. When I was small, she was this shade of dark dappled grey, but she faded almost to white with age.
The knit that will not die. I need to rewrite and reknit the sleeve caps. Knit a collar. Consider another pocket. Sew in sleeves. Sew on buttons. Why does it still feel like such a mountain to climb?
Charlie
Desperately boring, but so necessary for reading and telly-watching. A cardigan for Mr Raitte, with deep squishy cuffs, kangaroo pockets, a zipper front and a cushy double layered rib collar. This looked like a lovely shade of washed denim in the shop (it’s a cheap imitation of Rowan All Seasons Cotton). At home, it looks a flat, dully grey, but I’ve got some ASC in Dusky coming to work a thick stripe and accents on the ribs.
Well the oven’s heated, the chicken’s ready to go in and The 39 Steps is just beginning – the perfect opportunity to get some work done.. Sorry about the rambling, out-of-focus post. What’s on your current roll-call of projects?
Posted by Anna at 05:37 PM | Comments (26)
September 06, 2006
Fledgling UK designers?
Posted by Anna at 05:33 PM | Comments (3)
A few things I like
1. My new RPM socks.
Juicy socks, started 17 Aug 05 finished 2 Sep 05
Pattern: Knitty's RPM
Although for some inexplicable reason, one is larger than the other. I’ve never known my tension to vary particularly, and I definitely used the same needle and number of pattern repeats, so this is slightly baffling. Also one skein of the yarn had slightly darker, stronger variegations. I expect both differences will even themselves out after a few wears and washes. Also, these were a ridiculously quick knit (cast on 54 sts on 2.5 needles).
2. Porridge with Kent raspberries and a little maple syrup. Raspberries are so superior to strawberries, but I’ve managed to kill the few canes in the garden with neglect.
3. Lists.
4. Yoga.
5. Riding my bike. Although I admit it is scary sometimes cycling in London after a break of 18 years. But there’s no hurry, and I can always get off and walk.
6. Cats.
7. Pockets.
Posted by Anna at 12:08 PM | Comments (18)