Sunday, September 03, 2006

Lavender & Lace

Thank you to everyone for the comments about my graduation! Monkey is particularly taken with Susoolu's comment that he should have his own knitted graduation gown etc (he claims this is because he was the one who did the work, although I would dispute that). He also agrees that he would look very spiffy indeed in it. So, if anyone has any idea how I should start knitting him a gown, hood & mortarboard, or has seen a suitable pattern, please let me know (else he'll never stop going on about it).

I did manage to avoid going to the graduation for my first degree, from Royal Holloway, by going off to work in Switzerland that summer. My brother also cunningly avoided his by being on honeymoon! I've now told my bro that he's got to go to his graduation for his second first degree once it's finished as I've been put through the purgatory and I don't see why he shouldn't. Dreamcatcher - no, the ceremony was in the Logan Hall, which is in the basement of the Institute of Education. There isn't a hall big enough at UCL itself.

Did anyone see last week's Equator? There was a little boy monkey doing something that was a little bit rude for pre-watershed TV (and no I'm not putting the real word, don't want loads of dodgy hits from Google). Fortunately Monkey didn't see it, otherwise I'd have had some explaining to do about why he doesn't have a certain appendage...

Lavender & Lace has been finished for about a week, but there is a slight camera problem here at the moment. Living on my own makes it slightly difficult to take photos of me wearing said knitted items. My camera doesn't have one of those auto things on it. And I still don't have any mirrors up to stand in front of to take pics (everyone at work is used to me arriving with hair all over the place now).

So I took my camera along to Knit Lincs and Cay took some pics for me. It was a bit dark in the Hub, so they haven't come out brilliantly! And I really do have wonky shoulders!

Details: Lavender & Lace from Simply Knitting May 2006
Yarn: Patons 100% cotton 4ply in purple, 2 x 100g balls and Rowan Kidsilk Haze in black, 1 x 25g ball.
Needles: 5mm

Also, a book review!
"Good wives? - Mary, Fanny, Jennie and me" by Margaret Forster. I picked this up the first time I trotted off to use Balderton library and it was an interesting read. She examines the lives as wives of Mary Livingtone (wife of David), Fanny Stevenson (wife of Robert Louis) and Jennie Lee (wife of Aneurin Bevan), and compares it with her own in the late twentieth century. I found the tone a little frustrating at times (she gets quite sniffy about the way Mary Livingstone won't stand up to David at all, yet that would have been the norm during that period of history). I came away with a feeling of overwhelming relief that I was born now, rather than 150 odd years ago! What was interesting was the detail provided of the women's lives. All three were very different, Mary was born in Africa and felt most comfortable there (she accompanied David on many of his expeditions), whilst Fanny would have been quite notorious for her time, as she was divorced. They obviously led lives very very different to those of most women of their age and class as they travelled an enormous amount. Jennie was also a pioneer, one of the very early female MPs, who didn't want to marry at all, but ended up married to Bevan as the Health Service was brought into being.

16 comments:

Badger said...

Lavender and Lace looks great! And you've got the perfect figure for it too :)

Seahorse said...

L&L is gorgeous!

I've read that book and really enjoyed it. I agree MF can be a bit critical of other women though and, as you say, it's unfair to retrospectively judge people like that.

I'm sure I have a pattern for a teddy bear's mortar board and gown but I think it's sewn, not knitted. I'll dig it out and have a look.

Rain said...

It looks lovely on you. It's good to see a 'real' version of it. The colour is stunning too.

T said...

Looking lovely, I might need to put that on my list :)

T said...

I've sort of got the whole monkey thing confused in my mind and now imagine you knitting him an appendage, rather than a mortar board :D

Anonymous said...

"Bear Factory" had grad.gowns and Mortar boards for largish bears.

KnitYoga said...

Looks great and fits perfectly! I like the idea of the black kid silk haze as trim!

Alice said...

I walked through a load of UCL morter boards at the IoE last week - wonder if you were one of them!

UCL should have their graduations at the Bloomsbury. Why they don't is beyond me.

I graduated from my first (at UCL, so really at the IoE) so decided I was excused my second (which was from the IoE, and also at the IoE). Think my mother'll kill me if I dont for my PhD, which is from Imperial so is at the Royal Albert Hall!

dreamcatcher said...

Lavender and Lace looks lovely, I like the colours you chose :-)

I did my degree at Royal Holloway too, small world! Except back then they called it Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, when they absorbed the old Bedford college.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love your Lavender and Lace - you look terrific in it too.
Now you've made me go and add that to my list of wannaknits . . .

Mary Anne said...

oooh Monkey in a gown & board. I hope you do find a pattern.
Thanks for the book review. The only book I've read by Forster is Georgy Girl, which I loved.
Lavender and Lace is gorgeous on you, kiddo.

Kat said...

Lavender and lace looks fab! Talking of wonky shoulders, join the club! I am a bit on the wonk too! So dont worry. I put it down to all that knitting we do.

katarinaw said...

Looks lovely!

acrylik said...

Your Lavender and Lace looks just beautiful.

blog-blethers said...

Lavender and Lace is stunning - you must be really chuffed with it! Congratulations too on your well earned graduation. Am of a like mind to yourself - I work full time but am also surviving (the operative word there!) a Masters too. Dissertation approacheth and have already decided I'll be avoiding any ceremony afterwards (should I pass!). Am so sorry to hear about Sooty - its devastating when we lose a cherished character after they have played a role in our family for such a long time. Am thinking of you x

Anonymous said...

L&L is stunning. Simply. Stunning. I love how it suits you, the one in the mag wasn't particularly inspiring, but you've turned it round. Excellent work xx