Tour De France finale

I just couldn't keep up in the end. I personally know at least one cyclist (not from the TDF of course, just a local lad) who has taken anabolic steroids - and from what I heard they made him get a tiny willy. Steroid use was rife at the local university in the sports science faculty when I went there some twenty years ago - I can't imagine why that situation would have improved. I wonder why doping is so common in cycling? Or do you think it's endemic of all individual sports?

Perhaps they should just stop testing. The playing field would still be level - just not a natural level.

I hate sport in general, I thought I'd give the Tour De France a look this year mainly because I love Meg, but look what happened. A shambles.

Anyhow, I have to say I disqualified most of my own competitors in the TDF knitalong for failing various knitability tests - mostly because they were unable to actually knit themselves and because they had become so boring for me to knit they were abandoned in favour of the glamour puss below.

Hearty congratulations to all of the participants who finished, may I toast you with some champagne and toasted brioche smeared with a little foie gras? That's my sort of Tour De France. Perhaps cider if I were in Normandy. But no cheval. Not deliberately anyway.

So, preezenting my very own TDF polka dot jersey winner. All the others fell over, so she just sailed past even though she isn't yet finished.






It's such a shame that photographs of lace knitting on or even off the needles are no indication whatsoever of how the item looks. Even blocked lace looks 'flat' when photographed.

This colour, this yarn, this design - it's all about texture. Seriously. The choice of the Louet Gems fingering and the incredible depth of colours in the dye job - light just gets sucked into that yarn like the finest of silk velvets - there's no lustre but the depth is mesmerising.

I haven't seen this yarn before, and I love how they can get a merino to be so smooth it feels almost like cotton.

Once again, the credits are rolling. I am so grateful for this gig.


Pattern: Jae's wonderful palawan shawl (I don't know it's official name yet)
Availability: Sometime after I finish this test knit and someone prises it out of my hands and posts it back to Jae for inclusion in the pattern leaflet. Will be available through her local yarn store, check her blog for details.
Yarn: Louet Gems merino fingering weight in beautiful handdyed colour from Jae herself. A wonderful peacock green, emerald in places. Amazing.

And I think my broadband connection speed comes back tomorrow. Husband, if you're reading this, please don't do that again. If you get an idea for a huge downloadable software package in August, why not finish the bedroom painting instead? Just a thought.