JANE AUSTEN

Current reading: The Life of Jane Austen written by John Halperin.

Published in 1984, this is very much a literary biography and it helps to have read at least some of her books. Halperin uses the letters that still exist and the themes of Austen's books to paint an altogether different kind of portrait than I have seen before.

It is known that a large number of Austen's letters were destroyed by her sister after her death in a seeming attempt to edit information about her character. From other sources, I have read about the too good to be true persona that many sources project about this author. This book paints an altogether more human picture showing Austen in her melancholy moods as well as at her sparkling best.

Austen did not really like children, was intolerant of noise and bustle especially as she got older. She was moody, some times cranky as well as being very bright and witty. One thing that I had not been aware of was that any married women took social precedence over any unmarried woman in the social milieu of the day. That was especially true if the woman was someone of limited financial means. For women, rank could only be had by marriage or money and Jane Austen had neither.

Ironically, Jane Austen in her life was a spinster aunt in financially embarrassing circumstances. In history, she is one of the finest novelists in the English language.

Now, Lets talk knitting

I don't have pictures today. I use a time shared camera and someone else had a camera emergency to day.

It is a little hard to just tell you about what I'm knitting. It's easier to talk about if I show you in a photo and then talk about it

But...... the project I'm working on at the moment is a watch cap in hand painted merino sport weight from Morehouse Farm. It is in "beaujolais" colorway. I'm about half way up to the part where you start the decreases. This is my second hat.

My previous knitting experience consists of two scarves in knit and purl variations and a lace scarf. I also crochet but have switched to knitting because it stresses my right wrist less. I never had anyone to teach me to knit or crochet either one. I learned from books. I am truly a beginner.

Hand painted yarn is the best thing since they invented ice cream and I love lace in both crochet
and knitting. I don't know what kettle dye means but the yarns come out wonderful.

VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTINGS

I thought my first post would be about my current knitting project.

But, no, my first post is to extend my condolences to the Virginia Tech community. This is a very human tragedy. It is not about being from Asia, or South Korean or mentally ill, or about who decided what and when they decided it.

It is about horror and grief that happen when something goes horribly wrong inside the mind of an individual that leads to a killing rampage.

From my experiences in my day job I know that bad things happen despite the fact that everyone involved did their best to keep the world a safe place. The world is just not safe. And we know so little about the workings of the mind that those who, were in a position see the early indication's of that this young man's thinking was going badly awry , were in truth unable stop him.

It is a relief to hear that there were acts of heroism, that people are coming together to support one another and that the first steps are being taken to heal the terrible emotional wounds. To those who lost loved ones, I express my wholly inadequate, but heartfelt sympathy.