I'm a sucker for a Cary Grant movie, and Arsenic and Old Lace is one of my favourites. But for a few days, I've been working on a bit of new lace. Nothing too exciting at the moment - although working the first few rounds on two circulars made for some interesting tangles. But I have grand ideas for the edging and border, and I'm hoping that a few more thousand stitches will get me well and proper used to sillyly thin yarn. I know some people hate variegated lace, and truth to tell, I'm undecided, but I have a winter wedding to attend, my posh frock is purple, and I really want to spend the evening doing the Tango two-step with new lace and perfidious Manolos.
The arsenic, however, is being saved for a certain cat. A new cat to you lot, is Sootie. And an awful photo (night-time, flash, etc.) of a finished object being blocked. The raglan is finished, woven-in, blocked, dried, the bind-off redone, as the new owner has a ridiculously large and misshapen head, and now worn (if just a tad tightly). But we came perilously close to major cat destruction. Whilst doing the 'sweater straddle' - a highly sophisticated blocking manouevre that involves pinning the bottom and sides of a sodden wet jumper down with feet and legs, and, at the same time, stretching out the yoke and shoulders, accompanied by a grim-mutter chant of 'you will stretch, I will win, you will stretch' - shadows were being cast. Sootie is a sucker for a shadow. Shadows are deeply threatening, and must be destroyed. Any shadows cast on any items on the floor live in said items (the fire-side rug has long since given up). Said items must be clawed, mauled, and given the death kick. Clearly, a new shadow had taken up residence in the raglan. Not to be deterred by wet wool, screaming knitters, or the offer of food, the shadows were attacked, and temporarily vanquised. But just to be safe, Sootie sat and guarded. And then, just to make absolutely sure that the shadows understood who was in charge, Sootie sat on wet wool, and licked certain bits. Seeing as the raglan survived, the cat has too - but I have had to have a long conversation with young Soot over the fine line she paws between cute and and just too much. I'm sure she understood.
Photos, proper, and details, proper, of the raglan another day.
And if you want a fix of feral Fran, our new kitten, pop over to Puplet. (Alliteration avoidance advice avidly accepted.)
|