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Knitting In Public: True Stories

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The couple approached me as I sat knitting. The woman told me that she had recently begun knitting again and that it was so nice to see a young woman knitting in public (I'm now the age when I appreciate being called a young woman). She then moved away to look at some flowers; her husband sat down on the bench next to me. "So, do you have a special man in your life?" he wondered. I do have a very special man in my life, yes.

"Do you ever KNIT FOR HIM?" His voice grew a bit louder. I admitted that I do occasionally make something for my man.

"Do you KNIT HIM JUMPERS?" Yes, I knit my special one jumpers.

"I bet he LOVES your HANDKNITTED JUMPERS!" The man shot his wife a significant glance. "What a LUCKY MAN!"

Pause. Then his voice grew even louder.

"What about socks? Do you knit socks? Do you ever KNIT SOCKS FOR YOUR MAN?! Ach, NOTHING SAYS LOVE LIKE HANDKNITTED SOCKS!"

And that was when the woman decided she needed to go look at flowers far away from me and my knitting needles.

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Millbrook

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Last year I began knitting Pine, a cardigan I had long coveted from afar and was excited to knit. The excitement turned a bit sour as I am a process knitter at heart and I did not enjoy the process one bit. So, Pine has been languishing in my knitting bag since early autumn just needing one sleeve, a yoke and a button-band. Deep down I knew I was not going to finish it. This week I decided to cast on a cardigan as an inter-rim project until summer knitting kicks in. I had eyed an unlikely cardigan pattern some time ago. Granted, the original version leaves a lot to be desired - an unappealing contrast trim, no shaping and strange styling - but look closer and the appeal becomes evident. The cardigan has a simple, vintage feel to it with a discreet lace pattern and interesting garter-stitch edgings. It is feminine without hitting you over the head with frou-frou.

I first cast on using a beautiful mustard yellow wool/silk mix, but it felt wrong. The yarn seemed to call for cables and texture - not lace. Then just before midnight I realised I had the perfect yarn waiting for me in the old knitting bag. Pine is no more and has been replaced by Millbrook, my classy vintage-y cardigan. I love how it is knitting up so far: the fabric is lightweight and yet substantial; the colour is sublime (i.e. a lovely heathered olive green).

Millbrook? Since seeing Rufus Wainwright in concert last week, I have been revisiting his first three albums. He played "Millbrook" off his first album at the concert and it has stayed my head ever since. It is also a better name for a cardigan than "Between My Legs", "Vibrate" or "I Don't Know What It Is".

Off-topic: I'll be appearing as a Eurovision pundit(!) on Ewan Spence's podcast later this spring. I am not sure if this marks the last blow to any credibility I may have possessed at some point or if it is my first step towards media super-stardom. I will let you be the judge of that.

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The Skies, Now Undisturbed

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The wise elders would explain that inside the aircraft, passengers, who had only paid the price of a few books for the privilege, would impatiently and ungratefully shut their window blinds to the views, would sit in silence next to strangers while watching films about love and friendship - and would complain that the food in miniature plastic beakers before them was not quite as tasty as the sort they could prepare in their own kitchens. The elders would add that the skies, now undisturbed except by the meandering progress of bees and sparrows, had once thundered to the sound of airborne leviathans, that entire swathes of Britain's cities had been disturbed by their progress

Alain de Botton - A World Without Planes (from the BBC)

Alain de Botton wrote his piece in reaction to the last few days' "travel chaos" (i.e. man is not greater than nature). I am reminded of Ben Marcus' The Age of Wire & String, a strange little book which I struggled to understand. I think it is the ritualised language both de Botton and Marcus use.

Completely unrelated: Death Metal Lyric OR William Blake Quote? Go on ..

Meanwhile I am still torn on whether to use a particular yarn for a particular cardigan pattern. When I look at the yarn I think "texture! cables! I have 1700 yrds!" but the cardigan is rather plain and takes 1050 yrds. Woe.

Knitterly Woes (& Some Joy)

I finished the Snapdragon Tam this week and am generally pleased with the result. I was terrified I would run out of yarn (I had 2g leftover after leaving out one row and sending prayers to the knitting gnomes) and one of the as-written-in-pattern cables irritates me, but overall I like the end result. It is very pretty and very knitterly. But most of my knitting energy is focused on finishing a shawl (ravlink) I am making for a friend. I have been torn on whether or not I should write about the pattern here, because, well, the pattern is very poorly put-together.

As written the actual pattern makes no sense:  the pattern tells you to repeat rows 1-37? No. You need to repeat rows 23-37, except you finish on row 34 before starting edge chart (and do not do a double-YO on row 33 but use a single-YO), but do not start on row 1 of this chart but on row 5 despite what the pattern tells you. See what I mean? The shawl would actually be a very easy knit if instructions had been correct and the charts properly set-up. Instead I have trawled online fora trying to find errata - unsurprisingly several people have posted errata - with added frustration as the designer can be seen throwing attitude into the mix ("Re-writing, re-charting, and/or any other adaptations (..) will not be allowed" is one of the mild instances). Also, an updated version of the pattern including the errata would be a nice touch.

I am about to start the edging (using one of those contraband re-written charts) but I shan't be knitting this pattern again nor will I be seeking out any of the designer's other pattern - particularly not the pay-pattens she has begun releasing. If you were planning on knitting this shawl, maybe you would be better off knitting Tree of Light which is, ahem, quite similar. I'd call this a cautionary tale of how online behaviour might affect a small business because I am very sure I am not the first nor will be the last knitter to be put off.

I'm currently trying match a stashed yarn to a possible cardigan pattern. I had plans to make Peace or Carrie from the new Kim Hargreaves book, but the book is yet to arrive in Glasgow (and I have good reasons for not buying it online). So, a contingency cardigan is being planned .. let us see if I can decide on one, let alone knit one, before I start the KH cardigan.

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Linkage

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A few links to tide things over:

  • A few weeks ago a perceptive blogger wrote about volcanic activity in Iceland. Seeing as Northern Europe's airports are more-or-less shutdown due to a massive cloud of volcanic ash coming from Iceland, you might find it an interesting background read. Also: Katla, another Icelandic volcano, could well be about to get ready to rumble.
  • Speaking of Eyjafjallajökull, have you seen this fantastic photo taken by a local farmer?
  • And this is how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull (links to sound). Not what I expected.
  • Pictish writing?! The idea sounds ludicrous. Language Log explains.
  • Best places to eat in Glasgow for the budget-conscious? The Guardian has a few ideas.. and handily includes a photo of the 78 (one of my favourite hang-outs) plus the opening paragraph explains why I love my new home.
  • If you love fashion history or even costume history, chances are you will have heard of Prinny - King George the IV - a man so fond of bling that he built entire bling buildings where he could wear fabulous clothes with his bling and eat outlandish food. Glass of Fashion has been to see an exhibition of some of Prinny's outfits.
  • Literary T-shirts. The double-think t-shirt is pretty cool. Others leave me wanting.
  • Douglas Coupland has teamed up with Penguin Books for their 75th anniversary. Speaking to the Past is seriously gorgeous stuff with typical Coupland 'little ironies'. One for the bookmarks.
  • Finally, Auntie Beeb asks why we need oil painters in a war zone.

Rufus Wainwright last night was very good, but I had certain reservations. More on that later - I also have a finished object to share and some thoughts about a certain free-for-all pattern.