A Slippery Path

I am making pretty good progress on my Christmas present project -- I have to say, though, that it is handsome but dull.  (Unlike its recipient, who is handsome and interesting.)  So, in order to relieve the monotony, I swatched another Christmas present, which I can in fact show, since I already asked that recipient if the color was all right.  This is the Falling Leaves scarf from Scarf Style.  It is quite a complicated little thing -- the chart looks like a Rorschach blot, bits sticking out all over everywhere.  Still, it comes out like this,

which is quite nice.  The yarn is Filatura di Amigo Cashmere/Seta, a lovely squishy merino/silk/cashmere blend, that I got from Joy, who was de-stashing.

So, two new projects, on top of my Ostrich Plume blanket and Beginner's Triangle, and a Multi-Directional Scarf that was supposed to be using up the last bits of my Silk Garden #88 but stalled when I realized that it wasn't long enough and I haven't found any more of this now-discontinued color yet.  And still, my mind kept wandering ...

This is Jaeger Shetland Aran in Charcoal Tweed, and I couldn't stop thinking about it.  I told myself that I'd just feel it.  Then I told myself I'd just hold it for a little while.

Then I just swatched it, to see how it worked up. 

And last night, I couldn't sleep for some reason.  I watched the first part of "The Virgin Queen" on Masterpiece Theatre, went to bed, tossed and turned, then at about two o'clock found myself casting on for Cinxia.

Lesson: Sleep deprivation is hazardous to the WIP pile.  Still, I'm really liking those little colored nubs in amongst the gray tweed....

Comments

[kelli ann]

laughing quietly after skimming over your entry with respect to *your* respect for single parents. when my SO is away, or in town for meetings, i have much less time for knitting... right now my youngest one is asleep on the couch & throwing my day completely out of whack!! i should go, er- finish that veg. gratin. glad i came across your blog! (after swearing up & down that my reading of blogs had to be cut back). right!

[erin]

I finally bought scarf style and this leaf scarf is my second fave (after Ene's scarf, of course. I was thinking of knitting Cinxia too, when it first came out. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress and thots on it :)

[Siow Chin]

Hi Jeanne, how much more #88 do you need? My colleague, Terry and I, just got some from Nathan Woollen. I've got myself 7 skeins to make the Debbie Bliss scoop neckline cardigan. Let me know how I can help.

[David]

My comment is gone gone gone....
can I pick something up for you?

[Nancy]

Love the leaf scarf. I swatched that by working through the repeat (the yarn didn't work) so I know exactly what you mean about the chart. Their photo didn't help much either! Yours is looking perfect.

I think I've got a just a tad of the #88 left from Klaralund - let me know and it's yours.

Love your color of the Jaeger - it is nice yarn. Washed well too.

I was so very tired that I had to turn off The Virgin Queen and go to bed. So, please help with the big question ... did they have her sleep w/Dudley? What do you think really happened (or not)? Inquiring minds want to know!! I think the actor playing him did a good job (realistic I don’t know, but charismatic). Always fun to see how they're going to portray her and the era. I'm going to take a nap for this week's showing. Obviously, we must get some sort of DVR around here!

[Jeanne]

Well, Nancy!-- Regarding Elizabeth and Dudley, they tricked us twice -- the first time, we see him come to her bed, they kiss, and so on, then SHE WAKES UP! The second time, after Lady Dudley has thrown herself down the staircase, and after Elizabeth has made Dudley an earl, we see her come to him as he is sleeping, she lies down with him, they kiss passionately, and so on, and then we realize IT'S NOT ELIZABETH! but in fact one of her ladies-in-waiting, who has a similar build and coloring, and is obviously wearing one of Elizabeth's more extravagant gowns. Dudley says something to her, which I can only assume is meant to be terribly significant, but for the life of me, even rewinding the tape and playing it over, I cannot understand what he says.

I'm glad they didn't have her sleep with him, really. Of course there is no way of knowing for sure, but I would like to think that she didn't. If nothing else, pregnancy would have been such a catastrophe for her that she would have been foolish to risk it, and if there is one thing about Elizabeth, she was no fool. She was so determined to remain unmarried as queen, and so strong-willed, that it seems unlikely she would have risked her virginity, both literal and metaphorical -- and I think she rather enjoyed leading everyone one on, Dudley sexually and her counsellors politically.

[Nancy]

I didn't see it, but I think that Lady in Waiting would have been Lettice (spelling's wrong I think - something like that), a relative of the Queen, redhead I think, and second wife of Dudley. What I saw of the first show had quick meaningful moment of Lettice commenting on Dudley.

Didn't bother to try and watch tonight because I've missed so much. Will rent it upon release.

I agree with you about her virginity. I think she had seen far too many people around her lose their heads (not speaking metaphorically here) to allow herself to lose control.