Incentives

Another diversionary post. Bear with me. I have a number of interconnected ideas that I want to write about. Sort of a Six Degrees of Separation thing, or possibly the result of the intertwined thinking produced by extended contemplation of cable patterns.

First, there's the "Why hasn't anyone charted a triangle?" issue. On which enough has been said, yes? Once I've got an insurmountable opportunity like that not only renting space in my head, but settling n for a prolonged stay, I realize I need something to look forward to.

Furthermore, when one is convinced that one's knitting is from hunger, one's best friends may turn out to be one's knitting books. Unless, of course, there's a dearth of cable books in your knitting library.

Which leads to the way knitters have of recognizing real desperation and coming out of the woodwork to encourage, suggest, reassure, and point you to a new resource or two.

There are the resources themselves. This time, Alice Starmore and Elsebeth Lavold (thank you, Jess). No, they didn't chart triangle cables ( a piece of knitting I'm realising doesn't exist for a reason), but they, along with Barbara Walker, give you the tools (At least, I think they do. Until I achieve triangle cabledom, the jury is still out.).

If you've been reading for a while, you know that Clare spent the last nine months, with the exception of a little over a week at Christmas, at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.

Note that Norwich is in Norfolk, which is on the coast of the North Sea, from which fishermen get fish. The same fishermen who wear Arans and ganseys.

Now, go back to Alice Starmore and Fishermen's Sweaters.

You know I'm going to have to find someone to knit this for.