Sunday, April 18, 2010

The cock crewth ;-(

I have learned the danger of too much posturing, preening, etc.: the tam that I made with Shetland, that WAS faved, has now been "unfaved." What a strange thing we are doing to our language; where word transformation was once restricted to the likes of Shakespeare and Poe, the common man can now add a affix to any word that is in the ballpark, change its usage from noun to whatever (or vice versa), and deliver such among standard speakers of the English language with impunity and intrepidation (;-)). I used to grit my teeth at "enthused" and "reverenced": I now have a entire catalogue of "uns" and "ins" with which to deal.

Niece-in-law wrote back with second card: it was a case of mistaken identity. Spencer therefore has a slate-blue Baby Surprise (made of Baby Bunny for summer comfort) on the needles. I'm also toying with a baby gansey pattern that came out of the January 1988 McCall's Needlework: it is a pattern I knitted for my younger son, but now I've become more particular to gauge (especially since it is not to be draped around my own unwilling offspring). I tried some Alexandrie and some Dolly last night (and the Baby Bunny was what the clerk sold me, reassuring me that it would be perfect): I usually am guilty of knitting too tightly, but that 7 1/2 stitches per inch on Size 4's is beyond me (fingering does NOT accept that looseness). I already have tinkered a bit with the pattern, but can only do so much because of the aran patterns in the yoke. I have a feeling that this is going to end up a total redesign (sorry for that corruption of the King's English) or . . . !