Friday, July 20, 2007

We had a great time; just the way to spend a grey day.

HK Handknits is in a list of one, when it comes to naming good Edinburgh yarn shops. It’s small and intelligently stocked. Jeanette, who was in charge yesterday and is, I think, a co-owner, is pleasant and knowledgeable and was happy to leave us alone to browse. And the shop was busy, I’m delighted to say.

Earlier in the day I had lit upon a website which at once reassured me that I’m not the world’s worst and frightened me with its reminder that even so pleasant an activity as yarn-buying can become pathological. Despite the warning, I bought this:















I’ve never knit with Opal. The promise is that that one ball will make a little stripey sweater all by itself.

And I’ve resisted Paton’s Tapestry again and again. Yesterday I didn’t bother. It’ll have to be another little-boy sweater, and it’ll have to be knit soon, while boys are still little.

The big news from Jeanette is that Noro is bringing out a DK version of Silk Garden – due in September. No longer will a Silk Garden sweater be so bulky that you never get a chance to wear it – and, of course, it will be cheaper to knit.

Back at the ranch

I finished the melon scarf. I hope to offer before-and-after blocking measurements and pictures tomorrow. I carefully garter-stitch grafted the two ends of the edging together and then discovered a hideous misalignment. I can’t imagine how it happened. I took it apart and straightened it out, but in the final version there is a distinct line across the edging, marking the join.

Politics

I spent a while at Cafepress yesterday. I looked at Barack Obama designs (there are 6060 of them, on 126,000 products – Dolores has some catching up to do). There are many good ones, but nothing thrilled me. It’s too soon, anyway. I hope an Obama tee shirt will be appropriate for Games Day ’08.

Then I looked at the Hillary Clintons. She has 9160 designs on 206,000 products – but a significant portion of hers are hostile. I’d be a bit worried, if I were a Boy in a Back Room. “Anyone but Hillary”, “A Woman for President – But Not That One”, “pre-impeach Hillary”, “Life is a bitch Don’t vote for one” and many others. I’m afraid I fell for this one.

The designer sounds like the lunatic right; he may even have meant it in full seriousness. I’m sorry to put sixpence in his pocket, but I couldn’t resist. It’s on its way to Edinburgh.

4 comments:

  1. i think i am notorious at my local postoffice because every week it seems i pick up a new package of yarn sent from england or the us. sometimes the colours that are never properly reproduced on the internet are a pleasant surprise and sometimes just a surprise. and the only good thing about this summer is probably that i don't think there will be a moth galore. or at least i hope so.

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  2. What a wonderful stash that link leads to. I'll know where to point the next person who says, 'Is that all wool?'

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  3. Anonymous3:54 PM

    Tapestry was the yarn that the Harlot's publishers supplied to the lucky knitters who attended her NYC book launch--it was really neat to see all the different squares that were produced during the course of the evening from all the pretty colourways. I hope you enjoy it too!

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  4. That Hilary t-shirt: LOL!

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