True Samurai Knitting History

OK so your saying to yourself, Samurai what have you been doing? Any knitting?

Why yes indeed. Oh and did you notice it’s only 50 days until Christmas? I’ve been working on two Christmas gifts. Sorry no more commentary than that. I’m about three quarters of the way through one gift and a third of the way through the other. I should finish them both on time.

After the excitement of Rhinebeck and promise of a new sweater, I quickly cast on the Princess Lace Panel Cardi thinking I’d make it three quarter length sleeves. The charcoal-black color is beautiful although the lace pattern barely shows. I think I will do the contrasting button band to add some excitement to the front since the lace blends in. Don’t get me wrong. I love the lace, but anyone who isn’t a knitter sitting within 12 inches of the front of the cardigan isn’t going to be able to tell there is a pattern there. Thankfully it’s simple lace and I really enjoy this yarn. I’ve already finished the back and am about half way through the front left side. Can you see the same thing I can see? A third Crème Brulee sweater in my future?

I’ve also been catching up on True Blood. It’s an excellent show. How is it that the same cable environment that brought me Rome, one of my favorite shows, also brought us The Tudors which I couldn’t stomach and now True Blood which I find thrilling. All completely different time periods and story lines. All have a healthy dose of fornication and intrigue. Honestly, they’re just explicit soap operas when you think about it. The major difference is that I could immediately identify with the supporting characters in Rome and True Blood. Poor Tara and Octavia. Endearing Sam and Titus. Annoying but interesting Jason and Atia. Irresistible Bill and Lucius (but not right away for Bill). I was so repulsed by King Henry in the Tudors that I couldn’t watch it. I think a large part of the revulsion was brought on by the constant sneer of Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Which is odd because I really enjoyed him in Match Point (excellent movie by the way). Mr. Meyers and I disagree on how King Henry would’ve behaved, not that I think he was an angel, I just don’t think he was as evil as Meyers portrays him. And while we’re turned toward history lets head away from historical fiction and to more scholarly history. Stuff you missed in History Class and Hard Core History have been filling my ears with knowledge. One podcast is more fact driven and the other takes an in depth look at the past and how it relates to the present. Both are entertaining in their own ways and I can listen to both while I work which is a major bonus.

Tonight I’ll be working on my Burlington socks in Wendy D. Johnson’s Summer 2008 Sock Pattern. These are made with Schaefer Nicole in Gertrude Ederle color which is a navy-plum-evergreen color. I’m hoping to finish these quick and add them to my sock drawer as I find that the majority of the socks I’ve knit for myself are wildly colorful which isn’t something I necessarily want peaking out from under my pants in a department meeting.