Working on book cover.

There is a story in the book that she asked me to read and that was great except for one tiny thing..she should be a doctor. She will type it out later so I get really get into it. 

Holly's latest book cover.

 

Moos story..

According to "Today" cows have accents..adorable.!So sheep news wise surely they must too.They don't know if it has anything to do with the owner's accent but I doubt that.My cat used to say "erro" when he came home try arguing that wasn't copying what I said ,"Hello".

Criticising yarn.

I don't really want to start doing much of this but ....I bought some of Louisa Harding's new "Liberty" and I have to say the quality is awful. I think it looks like a poor imitation of Noro's "Blossom" . As I like her yarns I have more hope for "Thalia" ribbon .Luckily I only bought a small amount to try. I don't like the colour range of Noro's new boucle , sadly. I have a lot more faith that the new Colinette yarns due in September will be good quality . I don't think so much of Rowan's R.Y.C but havn't yet seen the alpaca and hope it is as good as the "Artesano" which I love. A lot of new yarns are novelty which are fun but sometimes way over-priced. I like the look of Debbie Bliss's new tweeds and on the whole hers are very good quality. I just found some "Tagletelli" in Pharoah in my stash , last year I wasn't sure of the colours but it's perfect for autumn. That is a real classic along with Point-Five ,I love the way different yarns take the colour so Copperbeech in "Tao" is really delicate like faded roses.If I get over my shawl mania I have some felted tweed that Holly wants a fair-isle in .

Holly was just pulling her curtains when...

she said " Mum there are two very old ladies in the porch of Hilary's house" ( across the road) . I am thinking "saw Hilary go to work this morning , only cats at home ,do they need help?". Then my brain activates...ALARM, EMERGENCY...get downstairs turn off all the lights , the radio , hide behind sofa .You guessed they are Jehovah's Witnesses ..these folks do not take "No thanks" for an answer.I might be a half-hearted Quaker and I want to stay that way .I've tried I'm a communist ,member of Opus Dei, Satanist , Dutch Reformed, atheist ( NEVER try that one). The best thing is to be out even when in.

Fascinating day.

This might seem ironic but it isn't meant to be. I just don't have much to say of a normal day. After waving Hubbie "adieu" I sat listening to radio 4 for two hours in the window at the front of the house for maximum light.I was working on the "Zanzibar" capelet for Holly. Then I moved to the living room , loaded up a second wash and picked up my new autumn shawl.Holly worked on some writing and we discussed some history as I clacked away. I didn't fall asleep , as usual at 2pm, so I knitted more .Then it was time to make dinner , macaroni cheese with salad .This evening I might knit a little for a change . I am not a fanatical housewife .Holly made my favourite lunch , a bagel with hummous . I shall go to bed early or I'll fall asleep in the morning. I am still waiting for the kitten so I think things will liven up a bit when he arrives.

Missing Sal.

I hope she won't mind my saying this but I have really missed Sal of "Yellowfrog" blog.Her humour was down to earth , her sense of fun shone through . I can never imagine her putting anyone down and I wish her every success in her new endeavour.

Japanese Spam.

Is anyone else being swamped with the stuff? I tried the first two in Babel-fish ..well it made no darned sense at all. I block every sender now I think I need to look up the population of Japan just to know how busy I'll be .God knows what they want , African spammies usually want money , American spam is usually trying to enhance bits of body I don't have or sell me something.Don't spammers yet realise most of us are smart enough to dump it all ?

Holly perusing ..

her precious collection of my old Laura Ashley catalogues .Wondering why she can hardly find a dress now much less a velvet collared coat , a Welsh Wool suit etc. 

Blogs to avoid!

Having foolishly strayed onto one blog because it was listed on the V&A site, I found nothing but nastiness and bitching, elitist smart remarks and put downs. This is not a surprise because the blog in question has rules. A long list of what you should discuss and the suggestion that if you get it wrong you lack the superior intellect to be part of the circle.

The second is also popular but more so, but comes over as so incredibly elitist that today potential comment leavers are threatened not to leave any about a certain much discussed subject. They really so remind me of the characters in Inspector Morse, who lived in the ivory towers of Oxfords elite and never stopped thinking that they were above Oxford's common hoard. Morse hated them and I know how he feels

Grover Norquist slanders the Kennedy family..

Some looney , right-wing fundie nutter just slandered the Kennedy family on B.B.C radio 4's "Talking Politics" to my utter fury.

Todays purchase..

New colours in Zanzibar..a capelet for Holly . 

Ball winder..sitting on

My "Jewelled Stripes" shawl. 

Model sneaks out..

with payment wearing a cardigan lovingly made for her by "Principles" .."snarl" 

Sea Shawl

 

Giotto and Isis capelet

Garden shawl 2

 

Garden shawl 1

 

Headless model...

After Jo wondering why I don't have my photo taken in my shawls I noticed that both Gill and Hazel have those dress-makers dummies , eureka! Zee problem she is solved as Poiret might say. It will be hard to find a space for it but seems a good idea. My model is fairly co-operative but she won't always be here.

My kind of gal...

The lady on the right is called Mary Kennedy Ryan ( a cousin of President Kennedy ..possibly 2nd or 3rd). Anyhow she is the kind of lovely warm ,cuddly woman the World was full of . I'd love to be like that in a dress and lace-up brogues maybe .None of this competing with daughters you see so much of.You can't see her face but it's warm and bonny. The place is Dunganstown Co. Wexford during his visit in 1963.