Tuesday, September 15, 2015

All continues well. The weather (although pretty awful yesterday) doesn't even seem particularly “unsettled” today. My sister and her husband are in Boston, about to begin the long leg of their journey to Loch Fyne. My chauffeur is still unsure whether we'll be travelling from Edinburgh on Friday evening or Saturday morning. I tidied up the vegetable rack and cleaned the refrigerator this morning, to spare the blushes of the friend who will be feeding Perdita. But I didn't mention the wedding to my husband yesterday – it would have been tantamount to saying, You're here for another week at least. 

Knitting continues well on his sleeveless vest. I finished the first skein, at 6”. “Knits Men Want” says to aim for 16 ½” or 17” to the underarm. I mean to be a tad generous with length so that I can block for width if need be. The nearly-solid effect of Whiskey Barrel is really good – at least, it was for the first skein. I got the next one wound, resisting the temptation to appropriate the one already wound for the Sous Sous, and unattached because I am between pieces on that one. 

Nothing from Loop – they'll probably try to deliver the yarn for the Dunfallandy blankie while I'm at the hospital at midday and then take it away for another couple of days' delay. Meanwhile, I knit on.

Perhaps I'll take the 6” of vest with me for the hospital visit today – a good moment, with no yarn attached.

One advantage of having two WIPs of the same yarn like this, ought to be less waste. I think I have noticed before that if one orders tosh DK going by the yardage specified in the pattern/yardage promised per skein – if you do that, you wind up with too much. (Why?) I have three or four skeins left over from Archie's sweater, and I certainly had too much for the Sous Sous, although not enough extra to knit a whole sleeveless vest. 

But if I go on working on both WIPs, and paying attention to where I am when skeins are finished, and using that information to estimate how much more I need, I ought to be able to get the final order somewhere close to reality.

Pictures of Perdita have been requested. A friend took these the other day, when she was walking by on her way to the post box: 



Our outside paintwork needs seeing to.

I don't have any thoughts today about the Meaning of Life, although I continue grateful for your helpful comments. I have been sidetracked by “Brimstone Wedding” by Barbara Vine (=Ruth Rendell). Goodness, she was good – this is far from her best, but one doesn't stop reading, even for a moment.

6 comments:

  1. She sure is the sweetest little kitty!

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  2. Beautiful little girl there!

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  3. I think I have read all of Barbara Vine - but that one doesn't sound familiar. You are right, I can never stop reading one of her books. I tend to overestimate yarn required, especially if subbing, figuring I'll find a use for the leftovers. The concept of two projects in the same yarn could be the solution. If, in fact, leftovers are a problem.

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  4. That's the perfect 'cat in a window' picture. Perdita is so photogenic!

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  5. I'm wondering why your husband is still in hospital.

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    1. Because there needs to be quite a bit of support in place to help Jean (and him), and that's not quite there yet. Or at least that's what I've gathered. He may still not be well enough to go home, either. I know for psych patients there's the possibility of partial hospitalization (for when you're not quite insane enough for the men in white coats but need a bit more than just pills or a once-a-week therapy session), but I've never heard of it for any sort of physical illness.

      I also seem to remember they're waiting for some sort of spot somewhere, maybe?

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