Let’s start with the jumper for a change: the Flamborough gansey is finished, washed and blocked and ready to go. When they’re being knitted, ganseys bunch up rather so you don’t always get an accurate view of how they’re going to look; but equally, immediately after blocking can be equally misleading. They need a couple of days to relax, to find their natural shape. I’m very pleased with how this one’s turned out, though really, it’s such a good pattern you can hardly miss. Now there’s just that anxious period between completion and discovering if it fits the intended victim recipient…
It’s been finished none too soon, either. In short, it’s gansey weather in England just now. You see, the jet stream usually lies somewhere over the middle of Scotland at this time of year, which means that the Central Belt and England enjoy long, hot summers, while the north Highlands get the kind of weather you see in a disaster movie. Not this year: the jet stream’s gone south for its holidays, so we’re getting a lovely summer and everyone else isn’t.
It’s been so dry that last weekend’s bonfire is still smouldering, so that it looks like we have a slumbering dragon down by the river. (“So, we are come to the desolation of the dragon.” “No, that’s just the way Wick normally looks, sorry.”) Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want anyone’s holiday ruined. But the BBC national news sent a reporter down to a seaside town in England last week, who filed a report that basically it was wet and windy, but the day before had been quite nice. (Something to bear in mind the next time the Licence Fee comes up for discussion.)
It occurred to me that if England’s going to get our weather, it might like to borrow a few Scots words to describe it. So in a spirit of brotherly schadenfreude, I looked some up: “dreich” (wet and miserable), “drookit” (soaked to the skin), “greetie” (showery), “smirr” (drizzly rain), “blirtie” (sporadic gusts of wind and rain), “gouling” (stormy winds), “deasie” (to be cold and miserable) and “flindrikin” (small bouts of snow, though it sounds more like a wizard’s cat). Funnily enough, there were far fewer words for nice, sunny days like we’re having now…
Finally this week, top of the bill is another splendid gansey from Judit of the flashing needles. It’s Filey pattern taken from Rae Compton’s book (pages 66-67), alternating moss and purl diamonds together with double moss stitch panels. It’s a grand pattern and it shows up particularly well in the red-violet yarn she’s used. Many congratulations again to Judit, and again, many thanks for sharing it with us.
Were the Gansey’s ears burning today? We were talking about it at lunchtime. It looks beautiful.
E & M
Hi Elizabeth, you can’t tell if its ears are burning, it’s too red! It doesn’t quite weigh 1 kg – you could easily slip it over the border in your hand luggage past customs next week…?
It looks like the cables have come into their own already. Gorgeous.
Blirtie is a word we could use here in Maryland, too. Though not right now, we have been having short storms.
Love the colour of your latest handicraft. Great work. West Wales doesn’t have too many words and phrases for hot sunny weather either but I can’t say it has been a poor summer- May and June were lovely. Must have a word with Caesar and Augustus about their creations.
Hi Dave, Radio 3 this morning was bemoaning how wet it was across the country, and even the BBC Scotland weather was complaining about the washout. Went to John O’Groats today and it was 29-20c, blue skies, gentle summer breeze, perfect weather for an ice cream (which we had). It doesn’t happen often, but for now we’ve the best conditions in the country!
Hi Tamar, yes, ganseys with lots of cables are pretty smart, aren’t they? My favourite Scots weather term is “blowing a hoolie”, for when it’s blowing a gale, something all too relevant here in Caithness…
Thank you for sharing the creation of this beauty with us, and for the many laughs I’ve had reading the accompanying words. I nearly cried I was laughing so hard over the microwave story.