Rowan's new collection..

As usual I look at the book and think "seen it all before" . I will probably buy it but use yarns I already have from sales as their yarn prices are laughably high .The quality isn't so good as a rule and "Country" looks as if it would tear it's so loose . The ones that are £7.95 a ball ..please don't make me cry. I see the half-mad tribal look is back ...hey Rowan can we have BIG pictures of the garments and forget the elfin wastrels or those crazy tribal folk?I want a good look at the garment . I'm not taken in by a look that some photographer , set designer spent good money on.Walking like a looney down a catwalk ..can we drop that too ?A nice elegant walk from a reasonably sized model ..what are the chances the fashion industry will try ?

R.F.K for today ...

From his day-book.

"They made a desert and called it peace" Tacticus.

Holly's latest drawing..

Now I know it is cooler as she hasn't picked up her pencils for a week. It's actual size is 5cms x6.5 cms.

Taking a leaf out of Jane Thornley's book..

Next time I knit an autumn capelet I shall incorporate more colours and textured stitches. Anyone who hasn't visited her great site there is a link on Gill's site and on my old one which has a link here . 

The next time I knit this favourite of mine I shall ...

be more creative with texture and maybe make it full length with panels of seaweed like yarns in between the fair-isle. 

Quote for today ...

"I share with you the same revulsion from evil. But I do not share your hope, and I continue to struggle against this universe in which children suffer and die". Albert Camus ...from R.F.K's day-book.

Couldn't wait so I cast on a scarf..I added a bit of a "Plume"

colourway unknown ...I've got drop stitch and bobbles in there .When it is finished I will take some photos and get that nice Mr Kodak to develop them . 

Exquisite yarn...

I just got a skein of "Celtic Memories" yarn .The picture does not do it justice . It is a much brighter turquoise with shimmering touches of gold ,peeps of purple.I now know what I'll be knitting next .All the sea-colours I have will be added to a sea-themes shawl with my little sea-horses peeking out .You must have a look at Jo's shop @ http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW CELTIC MEMORY- RANGE as only half has lit up you can just go the wool and yarn "Buy it now"

Gap in the W.I.Ps pile..

I finished the Tivoli boucle shawl for Holly yesterday and found one ball of Jaegar's "Fur" to trim it with.I am lost as to what to fill it with .I will have to do those "Giotto" tops I think . Before I have to put my needles down I want to make a black cloak for Holly with a spray of peacock feathers on .There is a "Liberty" type one in "Wings of a Dove" that takes my breath away.I have a small chinese shawl a bit like it somewhere in the house .

R.F.K for the day..

But sometimes in the middle of the night their wound would open afresh.And suddenly awakened , they would finger it's painful edges, they would recover their suffering anew and with it the stricken face of their love. Albert Camus.

R.F Knitting has blacked out again ..

It's gonna need life support at this rate .As it has all my links I shall continue to give it a.r for a while .

Daily workout...

 

Last episode of "The West-Wing" airs tonight....

"The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks;
the long day wanes ;the slowmoon climbs ;the deep
moans round with many voices.Come my friends.
"Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push-off, and sitting well in order smite
the sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
to sail beyound the western stars, until I die.
It may be that gulfs will wash us down; it may be we shall touch the happy isles,
and see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much be taken , much abides; and tho'
We are now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and Heaven; that which we are ,we are,
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will.
To seek, to strive, to find, and not to yield.

Alfred Tennyson from "Ulysses"

Puzzled of Reading ...

Joseph P. kennedy by R.F.K ....
He has called on the best that was in us. There was no such thing as half trying. Whether it was running a race or catching a football, competing in school- we were to try. And we were to try harder than anyone else. We might not be the best, and none of us were, but we were to make the effort to be the best. "After you have done the best you can, " he used to say "the hell with it".

"Best" if I read that one more time I'd scream ,what and why is that ?Tremendous pressure on his children is all I hear. I don't want to be the best knitter , the best mother even because that is relative . I don't like the whole ethos I think it goes hand in hand with potential cheating , unhappiness and a deep sense of failure. I hope I say "enjoy it and if you don't try something else" . This ghastly idea that any human is the best in anyway must have caused pain in so many areas .

It's cooler today and ..

we don't intend going out so that means I might just get some knitting done ! I hope so ,the two shawls I am making are fairly plain so get a bit boring except the Kaffe . I knitted Holly several simple sleeveless "Giotto" vests last Summer so I might make one or two of those . I really enjoyed the first one because I was inspired by a costume in "Wings of a Dove" .I knitted it in Raphael colourway and instead of sewing up the shoulders used beads a la Fortuny .I could just curl up in ecstasy at the costumes in that film.I'll let you know when I tackle a silk dress ..ho-ho.

Sneak peak at Louisa Harding's.....

new shade cards for winter yarns and I must say they look lovely.I found them on the Designer Yarns site .I liked the new tape which is slightly crinkly and there's a wool/silk mix , a boucle that is very loose ..that's all I think.I will probably never get around to choosing what I want until the next season .I still have only tried Kimono angora which was lovely.I'm not going to wear nylon as a garment ...a woman who has more hot flushes than a geyser in Rotorua !

I can't be the only one who has a fascination...

with an historical figure .If you do tell me who and why .Do you have things you'd ask them ? I only wish there was more footage of day to day events during The Kennedy administration.

I go to Heaven and..

presuming R.F.K is there ( Castro!!!) . I get a day out of eternity to talk to him .This is a man I want to understand . So have I got a list of questions ? I can't even begin to imagine being relaxed in his company . I guess ordering two large chocolate Ice-creams might start us off .I'd really want to hear in his own words if he was ever happy as a child and when . It is such an important time and makes the man. He never betrays his father or mother in writing yet they seem horrendous to me . I don't think it's possible to breach the huge class divide .I could never imagine being so rich or so unhappy at a private school .I had a pretty traumatised childhood but sometimes it sounds better than his. I don't think I am very good at understanding men on the whole so that is a factor. The obsession with sport I'd need to ask why . Which of his posts made him happiest and why.I think he was a brilliant A.G and even on Civil Rights he comes up trumps with me , a little cautious but I guess for the ultimate good. I even understand his sometimes un-professional behaviour on The Senate Rackets committee .A snearing , murdering thug being lippy with me would bring out anger and fury . I don't think I'd understand him much more but I really want to know he understands that I think he should go down in history as one of the most altruistic of politicians and there are so few.

Last of the sales...

Nothing left worth crowing about in the yarn sales except this lovely pearly crochet yarn.I bought two of each colour .Holly can use it to knit miniatures and I want to knit a lace edging . 

So why "Pill"

Anyone who thinks the pill bit is a reference to a couple of the kids slight addictions to questionable substances ...you are so wrong . In fact I've seen plenty of footage of the guy and never have a seen a man so wealthy with such pilled sweaters. He is sitting on the lawn at Hickory Hill with four of the kids in one clip and they are pulling up grass .......how did they not start picking at Dad's jumper.They didn't have those little electric sweater shavers I guess. Anyhow I am kidding because his scruffiness in comparison the J.F.K's super smart-ness is only one of his most endearing features.

Sock Yarn won on E:bay ..

the idea is to get me knitting socks..might never happen but who knows ?

Quote for today ...

From R.F.K's daybook.

The time for extracting a lesson from history is ever at hand for those who are wise.Demosthenes.

This is R.F.Knitting ...

part 2 ..let's see if it blacks out.