The striped Noro scarf was finished just in time for the first wave of chilly weather, and now I’m working on the next part of the winter ensemble–the mittens. I don’t know what’s possessed me to knit the mittens to match the scarf–it’s turning out to be more trouble than it’s worth. Plus I’m not usually a matchy matchy kind of person. (The carpet matches the drapes. That’s about it.)
Oh my God–Pajama Party is on Turner Classics! And there’s Annette singing the title song! (It’s a terrible number and she’s not much of a singer, but the choreography and the art direction are terrific. I want those patio lanterns! Oh, and there’s poor cute gay Tommy Kirk, aptly cast as the Martian. I had such a crush on him when I was a child. Is it a coincidence that he gets rid of the bullies in the red longjohns by waving a magic wand?)
Anyway, I figured the Noro, being largely silk, would make for some pleasantly warm and itch-free mittens–and so far so good. You’re supposed to be able to knit a mitten a day, which means these will be ready by June.
The world, of course, is a mess, and the recent debacle in Mumbai has affected–directly, in some cases–nearly everyone we know. I remember when I was younger–oh, round about the time of that Tommy Kirk crush–that there was still a very real fear of someone somewhere deploying an atomic weapon, accidentally or on purpose. We all took for granted that, as Winnipeg was a transportation hub for air, rail and automobile, and had a military base nearby, we would be one of the secondary targets if not a primary target, and this lent an air of fatalism to everything we did.
With Vietnam and the Cold War and the Manson murders and Future Shock and the energy crisis and first wave of concern around pollution and ecology, I honestly didn’t think I’d live to see 30. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a child now in the era of 9/11 and all that has followed in its wake.
I hope things are less disastrous where you are, and that you’re fortifying yourself for the holiday season onslaught. (I don’t even have the Halloween decorations down, and some people who will remain nameless have had their trees up for a week.) I can hear that the wind is picking up and there’s talk of some kind of storm. I think I’d better finish this mitten as soon as I can.
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Well, for a colleague I’m quite close to (I taught her how to knit!), the Mumbai mess hit pretty close. Her mother and stepfather were having a nice vacation in India, they’re both dead now. Zimmermann said, knit through all crisis…
Gorgeous Noro scarf, by the way.
That’s horrible–I’m so sorry for their loss. Some of my friends have friends or relatives there who were shot or injured, but everyone’s still alive. It’s just a dreadful situation. Some crises are a little difficult to knit through.
And I’m glad you like the scarf–I’ve gotten lots of compliments so far!
Sofiann, sorry to hear about your friends family.
David, thank you for the Nana Mouskouri. song. I have always loved her singing and so few play her music anymore.
It’s actually a song by Kate and Anna McGarrigle (forever now to be known as the mother and aunt of the Wainwright kids). I saw them perform it in concert once with just a guitar and piano and it was incredible. (The version on their album Love Over and Over, however, is overproduced and 80s-ish–Nana’s is much better.)
I used to love Nana Mouskouri. Well, I still do, but I never hear her on the radio anymore. I love your scarf. I am now 3/4 finished my second mitten (my first pair on 4 needles.) Why it was not completed days ago is beyond me. You would think I would be highly motivated to have a pair, considering the weather. Winter is okay if there’s some pretty snow and sunshine. This sunless, damp cold we’re getting is not fun. I can’t wait to see your mittens!