This week I received two more texts that I’m eager to study. One was notable because of the lack of reader markings; it’s in excellent condition, and the reason I’m studying it is because it has a printing history unique of all of the copies of this book I’ve seen so far. The other book was purchased on a hunch because I knew it was inscribed and dated by the owner, and I hoped that those were hints that there would be more markings inside. And I was right! Some marks were made by ballpoint pen and others were made by pencil. Initially I thought the marks were made by different readers, but then I saw something that made me thing they were made by the same man. Eldest isn’t completely sold on my argument, though. I’ll need to come up with some better evidence.
Impossible Read Update! This week I did manage to read a few more pages in The Mists of Avalon, bringing me all the way to page 759. Yesterday I was at Barnes and Noble and saw a hardcover copy of The Bright Sword — all 688 pages of it. At $36 I think I’ll wait for the paperback. Of course, by the time I am ready to read it, it will be in paperback.
A friend who is retiring at the end of the semester dropped a copy of Malory’s Le Morte Darthur in our department’s free library and I snapped it up. I’ll read it the next time ’round. Thanks, Maija!
Knitwise, I haven’t been able to do much knitting during the week. I have been dashing off to work in the morning, then dashing back home again at lunchtime to walk the dog, eat a little something, and dash back to work. By the time I get home in the evening and have 2 or 3 more dog-walks to do, I’m too tired to do much else. I did knit a stitch here and there, but it wasn’t until the weekend that I was able to sit down and make any measurable progress on the scarf.
Speaking of measurable, the scarf is now about 40 inches long and there are 24 grams left of this lighter grey yarn. We are headed for Stripe City, Bind-Off Row, and the Weaving-In of All Ends.
Next up will most likely be a hat for myself, knitted according to my friend Mary’s recipe. Yes, I do have a hat that I knitted for myself, but I recently realized that I knitted it 20 years ago. Surely I can justify knitting myself a winter hat more frequently than once every twenty years.
I’m thinking about using some yarn that was sent to me — and probably spun by — a fellow member of a Ravelry forum several years ago. If I remember correctly, the yarn is a dark blue-purple; I wonder what color would complement it if I decided to add some thin stripes (as my friend Mary often does in her hats). Maybe some of my own handspun wool, whatever the color, would be a fitting addition. My friend is no longer with us, but since she was one of the original subscribers to this blog, her quiet little email account in Australia gets a notification every time I publish a new post. She sent me some of her yarn in a care package, so it’s only fitting that I make it into something that will take care of me.
Chocolate Sheep 