Scrap Bag

Adaptation of Crossover Vest from Essential Baby by Debbie Bliss in Cashmerino

Every so often, I try to use up leftovers and often the consequence isn’t just not half bad but - even if I say so myself - quite cute…! 

While I was picking through my oddments to use them for this so far unknown baby, on the radio an informed voice was cranking on about, oh, something.  And yet again I wondered what drives people to unleash their frequently dubious scraps of wisdom on the unwitting or those in no position to resist.  Very strange. 

In the gym where I go, week in, week out and for years I've been transfixed by the willingness of a seemingly perfectly fit and capable adult woman to be meekly instructed in the use of gym equipment by her husband/lover/brother/general-who-knows.  Although she doesn't get to do very much with this information, as he also requires her to follow him about carrying a hardback ledger and (again overseen)(by him) pencil in records of weights he lifts –  She does this very seriously and like anyone other than him was ever really going to care.....but I've lived long enough amongst wives to know that, no matter what she may give him to believe, she doesn't care either (really)  (trust me).  He is no adornment to the cause of fitness, but from his sidelong glances you can tell that he expects other regular females about the gym to take note of his achievements too...   Now, that’s just funny, and I admit that their ritual has livened up many a miserable workout for me, and if (hopefully) it makes them both happy, whose business is it anyway?  But often it seems that the madder the message, the greater the urge to pass it on -  there's a certain logic there, it's true...   But I do hope that the ultimate recipient of this garment (or whoever takes care of her) feels entirely free get rid of it.... throw it or give it away... if it turns out that she objects to bows, discovers she’s allergic or just plain hates knitted cuteness, and that she continues in a free-thinking vein throughout her whole life! 

WELL HE'S WEARING A WOOL SUIT

My son accepting his parchment for his Master's degree IN WHICH HE GOT A FIRST!

AND PS: SO DID MY DAUGHTER A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TOO (and I'm sure she probably wore some wool too)

Free Expression

Scatness Tam in Jamieson & Smith 100% Shetland Wool

Adapted slightly from a pattern by Kate Davies

For the lady in the bank

Experienced knitter friend, Karen, gave me the book, Colours of Shetland by Kate Davies, for my birthday. In it I found this pattern calling for striped K2P2 ribbing to start  - and certainly not as I made it with K2 Moss Stitch 2 positioned up almost at the crown,  with the aim of (hopefully) making it look quite regal...  Perhaps it's because they've been in the news so much of late, but for some reason I was aiming for a variant of more rigid Russian-style structure to harmonise with the wonderfully intricate pattern…  All quite a distance from Scatness in the Shetlands I know (and in the unlikely event they ever got to hear, I hope that neither the designer nor the knitting heritage holders of Scatness mind the unwarranted liberty taken with this beautiful design...)(...!)

Just before I started knitting this I had some business in the bank. When the official called me in for our discussion she admired my sweater.

“That’s definitely the right thing to say”, I said, very pleased.

“Do you knit for money?”, she asked.

"Not really", I said.  "I tried, but it didn't really work out."

“But you should”, she said.  “You could charge a lot…”

So once again I went into how, while you might think that, you’d soon find out otherwise…. and that for me in any case knitting for money for strangers would be stressful and likely to kill any joy involved….

“And”, I said, really warming up… “no  matter how rocky or imperfect my knitting, the idea of giving people something I made.. something which can’t be bought..  that still really appeals to me, because what’s money really? Nothing.  Really nothing ”

And, fair play to her, she laughed... 

Perhaps I should make her a gift of the hat…!