Easter is now past, the weather is at last improving, and I’ve finished my Easter chocolate. A friend gave me a chocolate egg which I supplemented with a selection bag of chocolate eggs: mini, small, and creme. I avoid buying myself a large chocolate egg because they are poor value for what you get. But Gordon always wanted one at Easter and insisted that I have one too, so I make a nod to tradition and at least buy something chocolate.
1-5-2
Partly because of the chocolate consumption, I have made a greater effort to step outside the door and go for a walk. It used to be a regular habit but has nearly lapsed completely over the past six months. During lockdown, I was walking up to six miles a day, but now after a walk of a mile and a half I need to put my feet up for half an hour to recover.
Pointillist shoreline
While I could be knitting during my recoveries, instead I’ve been shopping online. Not for anything exciting though – external hard drives; an accessory shelf to clamp to a music stand to hold water pots for reeds and other small items; an area rug for the bedroom to cover the bald spots on the sun-damaged carpet; a Bluetooth page turning pedal. For I am entering the modern age and recently purchased a tablet for music use. It’s relatively inexpensive, with the advantages of being large enough to display a full sheet of paper in portrait format. It also has a non-glare screen. Music can also be annotated with a stylus. With a Bluetooth page turning device, page flipping is done by the tap of a toe.
Swirl of foam
I’ve found an additional use for it, too: knitting. Pattern pages can be displayed full size, and enlarged if necessary. With the case acting as a stand, it fits on my lap and there is still have room for the knitting. With the stylus, I can mark rows of a chart or move a marker up row by row. I’ve been using it in this matter while I knit the hood. Instead of needing to pick up a device, a glance at the tablet on my lap is enough to keep me right.
Wind turbine blades
The hood is coming along well. I’m doing a combination of two patterns from Nim Teasdale’s ‘Hoods for the Woods’ collection, ‘Marian’ and ‘Nottingham’. Nottingham caught my eye first, with its oak leaf edging. Then I saw the fleur-de-lis colourwork of Marian and decided to combine the two.
In a way, it’s been freeing not knitting a gansey, like I’ve been let out of school for the summer holidays. With this pattern, I needn’t follow it assiduously and gauge is less critical. On the other hand, with a gansey, you know what you’re in for from the start. Deviations can have unwanted consequences, as I have found to my cost.
Zooming right along! It’s already gorgeous and if necessary you could even wear it. Do you intend to line it?
No, I don’t intend to line it. Hopefully it will be warm enough, and if not I have another hood/cowl thing I could wear underneath.
Hi Margaret,
I wish we were closer. Our son has created the very music stand accessory that you are looking for. He uses his for trumpet mutes. The “shelf” is lined with cork so it is virtually silent. Somehow I think you could work out similar with an old picture frame (with insert backing) and line it with felt or ?
He found a suitable clamp at a hardware store.
Email me if you’d like more details.
The gansey is a winner. Handsome pattern.
Hi Julie
I thought long and hard about devising something myself, but in the end realised I’d never get around to it. The one I’ve bought is relatively inexpensive, under £10, so not a big outlay.