Yesterday we had snow, rain, thunder and sunshine .. and it looks like this pattern will continue today. Four seasons in one day. Who am I to resist posting this:
Aye Write: The Aftermath
Jonathan Coe cancelled Aye Write, he bloody well did. I had even brought along my hardback copy of The Rain Before It Falls (not my favourite, but my nicest copy of a Coe book) and a big bucket of courage so I could ask him to sign my book. Boo.
Still, I went to see Andrew Crumey (now offically a favourite author of mine) yesterday which was all sorts of interesting. He read an unpublished short story as did Gavin Esler (unsurprisingly punchy and smooth) and Rodge Glass (as always self-deprecating and humourous). Esler's story was the easiest to follow, Glass's story got the most instictive gasps from audience and Crumey .. well, I think he confused a few people there. Listening to him, I noticed that although he was an engaging reader, his prose is the sort which needs to be read in order to be fully unpacked. I continue to be intrigued.
Forecast: Very Nice
I finally have photos of my finished cardigan, the oft-mentioned Forecast. As you might expect from an early March afternoon in Scotland, outside was freezing cold and rainy, so we didn't stick around for a longish photo shoot. But this'll do.
I made so, so many modifications to this pattern that it is ridiculous: I changed the collar, the cables and the sleeves - but I like to think I've remained true to the original design's idea. I just didn't like all the textures the original design had going on. I have detailed my modifications over at my Ravelry notebook, in case you want the specifics.
I have not mentioned the wool, come to think of it. It was an eBay bargain: I snapped up 1200 yards of Latvian pure wool for around £15. Granted, I have never picked out so much vegetable matter in my life (including Noro!), it gave me very bad yarn burn on my finger (I knit Continental) and most people would not wear this cardigan right next to their skin, but I still consider it a bargain. I love working with very rustic and under-processed yarns, the wool has knitted up beautifully, it is extremely warm and will be very hard-wearing.
Also? The colour is frigging gorgeous.
I also bought buttons off eBay after struggling to find anywhere in Glasgow which a) stocked ten of one button type and b) wouldn't end being almost as expensive as the wool. I found some really lovely buttons at an online haberdashery shop, but they could not deliver more than six buttons. Oh well, eBay can be your friend in times of need and I ended up purchasing these buttons at a quarter of the price our local John Lewis wanted for the exact same buttons. Hmm.
Anyhow, as I am off to AyeWrite tonight to hear Andrew Crumey talking with Rodge Glass, I must dash and have my dinner before I'm running late.
A Woolly Head
This is how a sewage pumping station looks in my city. Pretty cool, no? I had no idea it was still in use, but apparently so. I pass it every time I am heading towards the 78 or the Kelvingrove Art Gallery. Mi ciudad es bella. But I mention the Sewage Station because the other night I had a vivid, odd and pretty cool dream about opening a yarn shop in that particular building (blatantly disregarding the fact that a) there's a funky smell in that little corner of Glasgow and b) it is a freaking big building for a modest little business proposal).I had even named the shop, Riverworks Wool, and had begun planning the inventory in my head.
As it is, my local yarn shop is a boutique with all it entails: exotic brands such as Habu (stainless steel yarn! paper yarn!), vegan yarn (nettle! hemp!), angora produced by one guy on Orkney and interesting indie dyers such as Old Maiden Aunt and Fyberspates. Buying a sweater's worth of yarn would set you back at least £85 ($120) .. if you could find enough skeins of one wool, that is. It is a place to peruse and maybe buy a few skeins for a luxurious scarf rather than a yarn shop you rush-visit because you have just seen a gorgeous sweater you have to knit.
Obviously my head had that on the agenda the other night as Riverworks Wool (sans smell) stocked workhorse yarns as well as luxury yarn (and a little tea+ cake section). It was packed full of the Garnstudio/DROPS range which is basic, decent workhorse yarn in a multitude of colours at a decent price. I had a fair selection of worsted-weight yarns (like Cascade 220 and Berroco Ultra Alpaca) as well as a substantial sock yarn selection (because I'd want to keep Paula happy?). Add to that, Malabrigo, Kauni, Hanne Falkenberg kits and Amimono ..
.. it is one of those things which continues to puzzle me. My mother's yarn shop in rural Denmark manages to stock most of the things I mentioned above plus the entire design.club.dk wool range, Italian, Norwegian and German yarns, and also the lovely Rowan yarns . If my mum's little town of 30,000 people can support such a yarn shop, why wouldn't Glasgow be able to? I don't think I shall ever get tired of this little rant.
Anyway.
Speaking of yarn shops, I found this Faroese online yarn shop yesterday. It is very, very difficult to remember that I am on a strict yarn diet. Look at this cardigan! Or this cute girl's dress! My Faroese is .. well, non-existant .. but it being a Scandinavian language, I can make out that a 1kg cone of beautiful worsted-weight lambswool would set me back £50 and it comes in, oh, 30 colours.
I'm not buying yarn, I'm not buying yarn, I'm not buying yarn.. although I have finished three projects thus far this month. Hmm..
Addendum: Isn't this Hanne Falkenberg cardigan the most divine ting you have ever seen?
IM IN UR WASTELAND
It is times like these that I wished I smoked. Tough decisions to make and it is (unsurprisingly) tough to make them. I knit to relax and (again, unsurprisingly) I have finished a hat within two days. So, let's distract myself with interesting links. It usually works..
+ Unusual Architecture does what it says on the tin. I rather like Poland's Crooked House and am in love with the Kansas City Public Library.
+ A Map of the Galaxy's Most-Travelled Space Port Stations. As someone points out in the comments: "A word of advice: do not use the restroom at the Eagle Nebula station. I know it means you'll just have to hold it for 30,000 years until you reach Carina, but trust me, you'll be glad you did."
+ A really interesting grid: Human Variation - The Height/Weight Photographic Grid. I'm particularly intrigued to see how I'd look if I followed my doctor's advice..
+ Libraries' surprising Special Collections.
+ And, finally, a soul-destroying link: The Waste Land .. LOLCat-style. I don't even find it funny, but if you are of a less serious disposition than me you might find some sort of enjoyment in "fonician in teh whirlpoolz, spinny/ spinny fortunes’ wheel. / in teh fonician, ponder ur fate!" Grrr..
+ Finally, finally: foxes on trampolines. Just because.
Weirdness Ensues When I Take My Eye of the Ball
Don't you just hate when Real Life interferes with important things such as blogging? I have a multitude of things going on at the moment, alas. To paraphrase an old, old Alison Moyet song, my head is so full it is fit to burst. So, obviously, this is the perfect time to revive my once-passionate love affair with Glasgow's finest foursome: Franz Ferdinand. I know. I cannot explain it either (although I do suspect a 'eyeliner worn at recent awards ceremony' element). I'm not sure about their new album - I wasn't even sure about their previous album - but I have had the new album on repeat all day. Weird.
Here's the first single off their new album. Discuss among yourself if they are referencing Tennyson, Joyce or Homer..