All tied up

For your Eye Candy Friday viewing pleasure, here is yet another photograph from HMS Surprise in San Diego. While I wandered around that ship, I was overwhelmed by the visual texture and tried to capture it with the camera (and wear out my audience). This is the rope that controls the helm. If I was really on my game, I'd get out Dana's Seaman's Friend and look for a more precise term. That book is at my bedside right now, because I'm trying to learn the bell system of telling time at sea.

Nothing really earth-shattering is going on around here, but a few small things are worth mentioning. This week I finally used my birthday gift certificate for the yarn store and came home with two big, heavy, expensive books.

Jane Sowerby's Victorian Lace Today has been reviewed by knitblogger extraordinare Grumperina, and the general consensus of the knit crowd is that this is a must-have volume. Basically, the author took historic patterns from the Victorian era and translated them into modern knitting terms. Sowerby includes plenty of historic context for each project and explains exactly what she did to arrive at the finished product. The best parts, though, are the clear instructions, the extra information in the back, and the section on designing one's own shawl. This really is a great book. And yes, I've already got my eye on a project.

For the moment I'll assume a virtuous stance, stick to knitting already in progress, and say that the second Crayon Sock has had its heel turned, the foot stitches picked up, and the ankle decreases are well under way. When this sock is finished, I'll go hunting for the Emperor's Sweater, which has fallen into the Knitting Black Hole. If I'm not back by the Ides of March, send in the Marines.

The second book I took home is A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen. However, I haven't looked at this book closely enough to say anything intelligent about it beyond observing that it has some really lovely projects. Meg Swansen is one of the deans of knitting so I know it's not a mistake. The Emperor was pleased that I found two such useful things for my birthday.

Happy Friday, dear readers.