still away ... so just three beautiful things ...

I am staying with daughter Imogen and granddaughter Ellie still, but can blog on the Mac there.  I must say I do like the Mac.  Its lovely clean lines, and the keyboard's so comfortable.  It doesn't have a nasty plastic feel about it, and the keys feel really responsive.  Mmm, maybe next time a Mac???

So today I am going to do three beautiful things, and the first one is my daughter's Mac.

The second one is my lovely granddaughter, although I can't show you a picture today, but she is really chatty now and we have wonderful conversations about why the snowman has melted, and we haven't!

Third beautiful thing, although again no picture, but I have finished the second page of my Princess border on the first side and am therefore effectively on the home run!  Pictures later in the week.

'My Princess'

Well, here at long last: more progress on my Princess Shawl. She's obviously not looking her best, because she's not blocked. But in my eyes, she's beautiful - still I'm not being boastful, it's just that Sharon's design is so fantastic. I find knitting the border somehow much easier than the edging - how weird is that??
Sadly, the really zinging colour (Gossamer CashSilk - Viola) doesn't show up to well in my lousy photos, but believe me, it's gorgeous. The yarn is a little unforgiving, because the silk in it makes it quite slippy - so dropping stitches is a nightmare, but tinking is easy - swings and roundabouts, eh what?! ;)

Princess Shawl: detail (unblocked):


Princess Shawl so far, edging and border (unblocked):

This weekend I am looking forward to a positive grandchildren-fest!! I shall be looking after Ellie while her parents are moving house, but I shall also see baby Finn, because his family is coming over so that Dad Jos can help with the move. And to cap it all, I am taking Ellie to visit Luke and family on Sunday. I am so-o-o-o-o excited! Until then, knitting and reading.

In fact, I have finished reading The Tale of Genji. It was a big read, and has taken for ever!!! and I'm generally a quick reader. But it really takes a lot of getting to grips with, so I sent for The Tale of Genji: A Reader's Guide, by William J. Puette to help me understand it. In fact, I am so taken with it, and yet so unsure of what I have read, that I think I'm going to order the E.G. Seidensticker translation to help me get to grips with it!! How's that for dedication?

Finally, if my Princess is my first beautiful thing, my second is my grandkids, and my third is The Tale of Genji, where do I put President Obama?

Well, I'm old enough to remember Kennedy's inauguration, and the massive swell of hope that it brought with it. I was still at school then, and it inspired me and my generation (the oft-maligned sixties baby-boomers) with a new and fresh idealism that outlived his early death, as well as those of his brother Robert and of Martin Luther King. And I can honestly say, this is the first time since the dashing of all those hopes by the dismal seventies and the cynical eighties, that I feel the stirring of real promise for a better future. So I say to those in the United States of America, well done! Hopefully we in the UK will soon be given the chance to make the same choice. I and many like me, including my children, who have hitherto been disaffected from politics, maybe because of the withering of OUR sixties dreams, look forward to a new era when the President of the United States sets the tone for world leaders in looking for real solutions to the problems of inequality both within and beyond our western democracies. All hail to the chief ....

Oh dear, I have been very remiss about blogging, haven’t I? L but I have been very busy, so perhaps I can be forgiven.

At the end of November I went to Killarney to visit No. 1 son, his lovely girlfriend Lisa, and my darling 5-month old grandson, Finn. For the first time in all my visits the weather was beautiful, and I had great fun walking the babe and visiting all sorts of things. The whole family travelled back with me, and stayed for almost a week.

On Saturday, 6th December I drove Jos and Finn to a sponsorship launch for his friend Richard Hume, who together with Tom Barnes is going to row the Atlantic next year to raise funds for Ataxia UK. Richard is godfather to Finn, and a fabulous person who overcomes his own physical problems to do these great things. This is a very worthy cause, as Ataxia strikes down young, healthy people, and does not get nearly enough funds, so do look at the website, and then support them in this great project. Imagine rowing the Atlantic in this little boat?

As usual, Finn played to an audience, and delighted all who saw him, including his other godfather, Pete, who was also there:

On Sunday, 7th my first grandson Luke had his second birthday party – how the time has flown since he made his debut in this world. I have been reading The Baby in the Mirror: A Child’s World from Birth to Three by Charles Ferneyhough, and it describes so interestingly how a child develops his/her personality over the first three years, that I cannot recommend it too highly. I was also able to see the difference that six months makes, by the way his older cousin Ellie behaves in comparison. And of course, joy of joys, my youngest grandchild was able to be present, although I don’t suppose he was aware of how wonderful it was to have all three of them together!

Since Jos and family returned home to Ireland I have been rushing around trying to get everything ready for our departure to spend Christmas with Peter’s son Simon and his family in Singapore. At the same time, precisely because of that departure, I had to prepare and present a pre-Christmas lunch on Saturday gone for two of my children and their families plus my mother!

On Friday last when my mother arrived in London I took her to the new Westfield shopping centre in White City. I have to admit that I, who am no consumerist shopaholic, quite the opposite in fact, was impressed. So much so that I even ended up buying things, mostly Christmas presents, but also a gorgeous cashmere jumper for myself! Oh well, it’s Christmas ain’t it? Surely goodwill to all men should apply to oneself too?

On Sunday I left my mother in the good care of my daughter Kathy, with husband Andy and son Luke. Of course my mother was delighted to spend time with her great grandson, and Andy, who is as I believe I said before an ace cook, produced a lovely lunch for her. The reason for this abandonment was to take husband Peter, who will be 79 tomorrow, to the new (-ish) Wembley stadium to see the Race of Champions. I should explain my l-sh (long-suffering husband) is a Formula 1 fanatic who used in a previous life BI (before Ingrid) to mix in the paddock with all the greats at Formula 1 races throughout Europe. So when I heard of the ROC, I knew that I just had to get tickets for his birthday treat. He had no idea where I was taking him until we got there, when he was just blown away. His hero Lewis Hamilton was there, as well Jensen Button, David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, and numerous rally champions.

And I should add, I had a wonderful time myself, cheering myself hoarse. Hamilton and Coulthard drove their Formula 1 cars around between the races, and we had a fabulous afternoon. And what’s more, the new Wembley Stadium is so impressive. The facilities are great and the arch looks great against the sky at night. Plus I got mega mega brownie points!! ;)))

So what about the knitting, I hear all you knits out there cry? Well, I have been getting on with my Princess; I am now on to the main border. And for in between times I am working on the Cap Shawl from Jane Sowerby’s Victorian Lace Knitting (pp. 28-9). I am using Heirloom Knitting’s Merino Lace in Emerald Green, and KnitPick’s Harmony Wood Circulars, 4mm. These last are from my fantastic Christmas present from l-sh (see above, and yes, I did prompt him! ;) in my defence, he likes to be prompted, because he says he can never think of anything – which is not true, because he has in the past bought me wonderful jewelry, some of which he designed himself!). They are the Royale Harmony Interchangeable Boxed Set (Gold Plated), and I am in love with these beauties. I now just have to get some of the bigger dpns to complete my collection of Harmony Woods.

So they are the first of my three beautiful things tonight:

The second is my finished Honeybee stole, blocked:

And last but not least, the third is the first picture ever of my three youngest grandchildren all together under one roof, with their proud parents:

in brief ...

3 beautiful things:

1) Went last night to a concert at the Barbican. Rossini's Petite Messe Solonelle. Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchester, combined choirs of the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the Leipzig Opera, 4 fabulous soloists, conducted by Riccardo Chailly. Fantastic. So uplifting. It really took me out of myself. I seem to remember a song about the healing power of music, Schubert maybe?

"Thou heavenly art in many hours of sadness
When life’s hard toils my spirit hath oppressed
Hast thou my heart revived with love and gladness
And borne my soul above to realms of rest."

2) My granddaughter Ellie spent the day with us, with her mother. Such fun we had. Her word, one of her favourite expressions of the moment being 'We'll have fun!!!" We fed ducks, or rather the herring gulls, who mobbed the ducks as we fed them, actually tearing bread from their very beaks! Then we went on swing and slide, before walking home with a careful collection of autumn leaves which we then used to make a lovely tree picture, although I must own up I did most of the work - but then Ellie is not quite two and a half! ;)

3) The Princess Shawl. I have now knitted 10 points of the edging for this wonderful design by Sharon Miller, of Heirloom Knitting fame. I can't express enough admiration for Sharon and her wonderful work in rediscovering Shetland Lace. This one's a tough cookie, punishes me sharply for a moment's inattention, but it's well worth the effort, and I look forward to many long hours together before I can at last languish in its embrace:

detail (unblocked):

what Alastair Campbell and I have in common ...

Depression, that's what. And thank goodness he's come out about it, maybe he'll make it acceptable, if not downright fashionable. Then we can say goodbye to the 'sock' school of psychiatry (you just need to pull your socks up) and the 'curtain' school (just pull yourself together!) and the idea that depression is just another word for not feeling so good, so I won't bother going to work/cooking the supper/writing the essay/fill your own in here.

In spite of my best efforts then: the yoga, pilates, bone breathing, self-hypnosis, aromatherapy, CBT, counting my blessings, listing my virtues and achievements rather than my shortcomings, etc., etc., etc., even knitting (yep, it gets so bad that even knitting can't help), I have not been able to overcome my feelings of doom lately. Thanks to Alastair, however, i.e., after reading some of the recent spate of his interviews, and his refreshingly common sensical take on the subject, I have betaken myself to the doc to get some chemical help, not for the first time, I must admit.

Trouble is, when you're feeling truly depressed, you only need to look around you to feel that depression is the rational response to the awfulness of the world outside: fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Congo, to name but three. Pollution, energy crisis, world poverty, child labour, excessive consumption, credit crunch, knife crime - what's not to get depressed about?

And that's why I am trying out the 3 beautiful - or good -things idea. The idea being that if I can find three beautiful or good things each day, they will tot up to counteract the dreadful things served up each day by the news media, and remind me that for every horror there is a delight, and that by concentrating on, and where possible adding to, the delights, we may at least keep a balance, and thereby our sanity.

So here goes:

1) The election of Barack Obama! Although I am too old and not stupid enough to imagine he can put the world to rights overnight, or even ever, I do feel it's a step in the right direction. If the good people of the United States can get it right, there's hope in the world.

2) a wonderful bonfire night on Wednesday. Just a local get-together at Chipstead Rugby Club, with my daughter Kathy, her husband Andy and grandson Luke, but it was great fun, the bonfire was fantastic - 'big hot', Luke informed me - and the fireworks spectacular, although Luke was a bit taken aback - 'big bang, big bang', before he fell silent with a worried look on his face. But that soon gave way to his usual cheerful face when supper appeared!

3) I have finished Scarf from Jane Sowerby's Victorian Lace Today. Great news, as it is to be a Christmas present. I used Habu 2/10 Kusaki-Zome yarn from the fantastic 'I Knit' shop in Waterloo. This Aladdin's cave for knitters stocks the most amazing stuff, and also does knitting get-togethers. Haven't managed to get to one yet, but I will, I will. This is my first time knitting pure silk, and although it was fun, I 'druther' Shetland. But it's good for me to try something new.



This was also my first time using my new 4 mm Harmony Straight Needles. As soon as these came out, I bought a whole set in its own beautiful black damask roll. I am ecstatic about these needles; they rock, they roll, they do everything bar knit on their own when I am asleep (I am working on that). They are made of the same laminate as the circulars and the twin pins, and I would knit anything and everything with them, if I could, but sadly the straights are not (yet) made in the smaller sizes. BTW, I'm first in the queue, so get in line behind me!!

The presentee is a student, so I embellished the scarf with gold beads and shimmery pearl drops on the points - no hint of 'made by grandma' there then! ;) I just hope she'll think it's cool and it's fashionable and it rocks!!

Another good/beautiful thing is that I have reached point eight on the edging for my Princess, but that would be four, so you'll just have to wait!! ;))))

another week's gone by ...

Whew! where does the time go? I guess it's true, it flies when you're having fun. And Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday were fun; exhausting, but fun. You may remember, I went off to look after granddaughter Ellie, suffering from chickenpox, so that mamma might return to work. Well, Ellie is delightful, even when ill. Now I know the last bit is bias on my part, but any undelightfulness was purely down to her feeling unwell or itchy - and I can relate to that, can't you? ;) So I did my best to counteract the unwellness, and we did stories, songs, play and little walks to feed the ducks. I trust and hope that chickenpox are not transferable to ducks, after all, they're not chickens, are they? And what about swans? On Wednesday there was a fine pair of swans, who left the ducks in no doubt who came first in the pecking order for stale bread. In fact they were so bold, I was a little worried about their pecking Ellie, who of course was fearless. But no harm done. And when the bread ran out, so did the swans, or rather, they sailed majestically and rather snootily on.

By Tuesday Ellie was well on the mend, and by Wednesday her spots had all scabbed, so I adjudged her no longer infectious and took her out out on the town. She was full of life and fun, "I'm no poser, but ..." viz.:

So today Ellie counts as my first beautiful thing!

My second is my knitting. I have finished the back of the Rowan Top:

I am really pleased with how this is looking. Half way up the front now, so am hoping to be wearing this very soon.

And my swatch for the Princess is finished too. The swatch was done in the same yarn I shall be using, i.e., gossamer CashSilk, although the colour here is white, and I shall be using viola. It knits up easily, at least on the bamboo needles, 2 mm, I am using, although it is quite slippy, so one does have to be careful. However, it blocks well, and shows up the patterns beautifully, and retains the benefit of both components, the warmth and softness of the cashmere AND the lustre of the silk:

This means that I can now start on the real thing. Because I want a square shawl, and because I can knit superfast on straight needles but not on circulars, I am changing its construction. However, I do not like sewing shawl pieces together, so I have devised a way of building it up, without using a circular needle OR sewing. I am going to start with enough points for one side, when. leaving the stitches on a pin, I shall knit that side up. Then I shall continue with the points for the second side, still attached to the first section. When I start to knit up the second side, I shall join it to the first side as I knit. The same thing for the third and fourth side, except that on the fourth side I shall be joining both sides, one to the third, and one to the first, grafting the edging. Finally, I shall knit in the centre using the same method as on the original shawl, because I also want the diagonal centre. Whew! Well, it's not as complicated as it sounds, so if you're not sure what's going on, watch this space!?!?;)

And my third beautiful thing? These wonderful books of Barbara Walker, which I arrived from Schoolhouse Press while I was away. Enough there to be going on with, that's for sure!! ;)

Off tomorrow to Westonbirt Arboretum for two days. Apparently the leaves are wonderful this year - probably because of the odd summer we have had, so you see there are compensations. It may not be New England, but it puts on a pretty good show. We intend to wander round soaking up its beauty, which will undoubtedly form part of my next post, together with pix. Have a fabulous w/e, especially the extra hour in bed tomorrow a.m. I guess that really does signal the end of whatever summer we have had, but that means we can start looking forward to the next one!! ;)

3 more beautiful things ...

no pix, cos away from home, busy helping with grandchildren. Poor Ellie has major chickenpox, and probably wouldn't want her spots publishing. I am on a brief trip to my own home before returning to her home to look after her for three days, so her mum can go back to work! She is lovely to look after, even if she is a bit cranky with the itching at times. Although she is still less than 2 years and four months, she has become capable of serious and sustained conversations, and quite able to make herself understood and her wishes known. And she loves stories, so we read a lot.

The knitting makes progress, but it's only the same old stuff, so scarcely merits picture updates. I shall post when I get the back of the top finished and/or my Princess Swatch, which is about three quarters finished.

So in the meantime, 3 more beautiful things:
1) Ellie's conversations.
2) The geraniums which I see from my study window still blooming on people's balconies.
3) The continuing good weather, sunshine and warmth - even if it is intermittent, it is welcome.

Oh, and my sock blockers came, with lovely rabbits on them. Wonderful. Picture next time, I promise! If your interested I bought them here.

climbing slowly ...

I think I may have turned a corner! I find myself able - indeed wanting - to do more and more. The knitting is still my therapy of choice, but I have repotted plants, tidying the balcony of dead leaves and detritus, and galvanised myself sufficiently to go to the library and find some amusing books. Instead of feeling totally destroyed by the financial mayhem reported on the news, I find myself amused in a slightly cynical, world-weary sort of way. Gradually I am gaining confidence that my children have the strength to deal with the problems it may cause them. For me, a result!

The knitting too is a definite result. I am halfway up the back of the Rowan Tank Top:

Here in close-up:

And here is the Princess swatch. It's not blocked, because it's still on the needle. But I can report that I am loving the knitting of it, and can't wait to tackle the real thing!

Clearly Voltaire was right: il faut cultiver son jardin!

struggling ... but still here

Things not going too well at the moment. Making some progress on swatching for my Princess, and also on the Rowan top. From time to time swatching from Barbara Walker Treasury just to see how the stitches work. Trying not to let things get on top of me. Am I the only one who is thoroughly depressed by the chaos in the financial world? And even more by the knowledge that much of it has been brought about by greed and selfishness. I fear for my children trying to raise my grandchildren in a world that cares nothing for anything except money. Or at least that's how it seems to me right now. So I try to keep my mind fixed on small pleasures like this:

I know there are those out there who might think this is just a cone of yarn, but it's not! It's a Princess in embryo - isn't she beautiful, already?

my goodness, how time flies when you're having fun ...

Spent a great deal of last week on the road, first visiting and helping look after grandson Luke. After that I went on to granddaughter Ellie, where I was privileged to visit her nursery on 'Grandparents' Open Day', a splendid notion which others could copy. She was as delighted to see me as I was her, rushing into my arms. I got a full tour indoors and out, including the 'Secret Garden', and shared tea. Altogether lovely. After that we went together to her home, and had tea with mum and dad.

The w/e was then spent going to Sheffield for a family 60th birthday dinner on Saturday night. The birthday boy, my sister's boyfriend and a chef and trainer of chefs, celebrated in a local restaurant whose chefs were his former pupils - no pressure then! It was an excellent meal, and occasion, and we all had lots of fun, in spite of the pouring rain outside. That continued into Sunday, but cleared enough for me to show Peter some of the lovely countryside beloved of my youth in the Peak District National Park. Didn't get any photos, but click on the link if you're interested. It is a most beautiful part of the world. At school we had a rambling club and would walk many weekends, and I went a lot with my parents too. We also ate Bakewell Tart in Bakewell before heading for home.

Anyway, sharing the driving at the weekend meant I was finally able to finish my Mystery Shawlalong, Etain, from Goddess Knits. This was on my conscience, because it was started a long time ago, and then put to one side. Now it is finished, I think I shall give it to my eldest daughter for Christmas. This is what it looked like on the needles, a crumpled heap:

Here it is before blocking:
After blocking (I used wires from Heirloom Knitting and T-pins.) It jumped all over the place, because I don't really have the space to block anything this large and this shape! ;) As you can see; it is spread across my bed, which is c. 6'6" by 5'3":

Lastly, a couple of detail shots:

I shan't do any more Mystery projects, as there are things I like and things I don't like so much about this shawl, viz:

Things I like: the yarn is lovely and I have learnt a lot of new things about how the stitches behave.

Things I don't like: the colours are a bit brash for my taste - I went along with the suggestion, because sight unseen I didn't know what else to do. Nor would I necessarily have used the stitches in that way, and I would certainly have made the colour band widths different. But all in all, I like it, and am glad to have knitted it. And I'm pretty certain my eldest daughter will like it too.

And saving the best until last: my viola Gossamer CashSilk for my Princess is winging its way to me as I write. I shall be interspersing this with a Rowan top, as I know that I shan't be able to take the Princess everywhere with me - although I'll have a good try! The top is Cabled Tank Top from Rowan Studio, Issue 10, using 7 balls of Rowan Cotton Glace in dawn grey - from my stash! That makes me feel awfully virtuous, which is just as well, because the CashSilk is costing a queen's ransom. But then, ain't I the queen! ;)

Princess Shawl

Have been working on the Rowan bag, but it's slow going. Being a perfectionist Virgo, or as my daughter once called me, a picky worry wort, I don't really like intarsia, it always worries me that I'm not really doing it 'right'. That's why I've never gone in for much in the way of picture knitting. More than that, I don't really feel that it's 'real' knitting, in that I feel it's straining the technique, rather than using it to advantage. I have done my fair share in my time; pictures for the children and so on. And I like it on things like tumbling blocks, vertical or diagonal stripes, and such. It's the finicky stuff that's all over the place that has my anxiety levels rising. Which is my excuse for not having finished the intarsia yet!

So today I'm showing my swatch for the Princess Shawl:


I can't start the shawl proper yet, as I am still waiting for my yarn (Sharon Miller's Gossamer CashSilk in Viola) and needles. So I'm swatching to see how the yarn works. To date I have done 8 points, and I am going to do a full feather, to get the whole effect. The CashSilk is very soft and slightly shining, but rather firm and slippy. I don't think it will block as crisply as a Shetland, but I don't mind, because this is for me, and I like its cuddly feel. Mind you, the slippiness of the yarn, and a slight tendency to split means that it will be a bit of a challenge, I think. I am also waiting for 14" long bamboo straights, size 2 mm - yes straights! Because another thing I don't really like is circular needles. I just can't get up any speed. I prefer to have my right-hand needle tucked under my right arm, so that I can whiz along. As I have decided to do a square shawl, this will enable me to knit it in sections, thereby NOT having 800++ stitches on a row. Sorry if that's sacrilege to some. My knitting, my method!! ;) Anyway, traditionally that's how Shetland shawls were knit, so I claim precedent.