Crossing the line

This may not look dramatic

but that line there represents half the Hanging Garden stole knitted. I've been plugging away with this one since last July or so, off and on - and have 7 and a bit of the 14 48-row repeats complete now... It's not that complicated, and it's fun to knit once I get down to it - think it's the combination of there being two rows in each repeat which catch me out every time (25 and 49, for anyone also doing this one), the cats having had it off the needles twice (hence the lifelines, which I don't usually use) and the rather threadlike blue cashmere (which is oiled - the bit I washed bloomed beautifully but for now I'm persevering with something which feels like dental floss. Another time I'll skein it up and wash it beforehand). I have a new resolution - 12 rows a day, which take me around 40 minutes; and if I do that, I'll be finished by the end of the month; wish me luck. I started this new plan spectacularly badly by taking only one knitting needle on the bus with me today (stop smiling smugly, circular-needle devotees; I know, I know...)

On Monday I went down to London for a very interesting visit to the Friends' House Library on Euston Road for work - I learned a lot about Quakerism, a little about cataloguing, made a potentially useful work contact, and picked up a wonderful book about Textiles and Propaganda in the remaindered bookshop over the road from the BL (my birthday present from my aunt). Anyway, the book, the sock and I went to the BL and waited for Jan - here's the Socks that Rock sock in progress in the plaza.

It was all a bit bizarre - some guy photographed me knitting, and a security guard came over to see what I was doing while I was taking this picture... Probably because security was really tight; we'd arranged to meet in the foyer but I was turfed out, and Jan was having a nightmare on the buses due to an Incident at Brixton, so I sat in the sun and knitted. About 10 minutes after they'd emptied the entrance hall, a pair of black cars arrived and some very sharp-suited men wearing skullcaps got out - I assume they were an Israeli personage to see the Sacred exhibition and his security; it was all very interesting, anyway...

Another couple of pictures from the BL; Paolozzi's "Newton" hulking over the Plaza (the sun was behind him

and the gates from inside - I thought the lettering made an interesting pattern against the office building behind...