I have a friend originally from near Glasgow who sent me this today:
The link to to news story, too. Then I saw it on Jean’s Knitting, as well. And via that same blog, a link to the photoshoot! By now, it is probably all over the knitblog universe. I may be a horse lover, but I don’t plan on making a horse covering of any sort. (Since I am riding a Fjord horse, perhaps Dale of Norway? Not.)
I also just finished reading Mrs. Miniver, and loved this part about her Scottish sister-in-law:
“She (Mrs. Miniver) brought her eyes back from the hazy middle distance to the near, clear presence of Clem’s sister, who had planted her back firmly against one of the rowans and begun to knit.
“…where did that knitting come from? I swear you didn’t have it on you a minute ago. I believe you materialize bits of knitting out of thin air, the way conjurers do with lighted cigarettes.” “No…they grow out of my fingertips, like a thread out of a spider As a matter of fact, my whole inside is made of wool. One gets like that, you know, living in the Highlands all the year round.”
I enjoyed the book, althoug it really had little in common with the movie, which I love. I’m a real sucker for WWII propaganda films. I followed up with The Real Mrs. Miniver, written about the author. She was a much more interesting character than the fictional Mrs. M.
Do you mark passages in books about knitting? (or other areas of interest) One favorite that leaped out at me and made me laugh was in an “Golden Age” detective novel by Gladys Mitchell St. Peter’s Finger, written in 1938.
“Yes, yes,” replied Mrs. Bradley (The detective/psychologist), taking up her knitting again and doing some rapid decreasing which she felt she would regret later on.
I remember it from time to time when I do some rapid decreasing or increasing I know I will come to regret.
Yarnerinas 
oh c’mon, maybe just a small horse hat?
Next you’re going to tell us you won’t knit vehicle cozies, either.
Oh yeah, I’ve started one in garter stitch for my 2000 Ford Focus!
I love the expression on their faces tho – vaguely embarrassed and curiously happy all at the same time. 🙂
my daughter asked “can you imagine putting it on the pony?”
Ha! They seem to be cardigans, buttoning all the way down the ponies’ bellies, but how does one coax a pony into puttin its leg into a sleeve?
The link to the pony owners blog post shows them putting the sweaters on (a bit) they train ponies for driving, so I guess they knew which ones would stand for it. My late beloved mare would have let me do it. Then looked humiliated.
Absolutely – your horse deserves a Dale sweater!
Barbara Pym is one of my favorite writers, and as a small bonus she sometimes comments of knitters and knitting in her books. “. . . all that Belinda’s work bag contained was a pink lacy-looking garment, a winter vest for herself. It was so annoying of [the yarn shop] not to have any more ‘Perliknit’ left. She had had to buy a slightly thicker wool of a rather brighter pink to finish it off.” – from Some Tame Gazelle.
That’s a wonderful quote – plus ca change and all that. I’ve never read Barbara Pym. Do you have a recommendation to start with?
Read “Some Tame Gazelle” first for a wonderful introduction to her writing. If you like it and want more, my other favorites of hers are “Jane and Prudence”, “No Fond Return of Love”, and “A Glass of Blessings”.
I think I’ll count my blessings for people sized sweaters from now on.
No quote comes to mind but I’m always cheered seeing knitting referenced in a book. It happens surprisingly often too.
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Dear me. Rapid decreasing is always so very perilous, I feel.
What great quote! I don’t know either of those books – perhaps something to seek out? And I am very entertained and impressed by those sweaters, but I agree with you – now that I am spending more time around horses, I can’t imagine myself committing that much time and effort to something that will end up getting rolled about in, the next time a dust bath is called for.
For background knitting, there is nothing to beat Jane Marple in the Agatha Christie mysteries.
Somewhere I have a notebook with a whole bunch of knitting quotes from novels I’ve read, I must look it out. Your second quote above should be added to it, and likewise stashdragon’s. It’s the knitter’s curse isn’t it, all those things one does in a rush, and ends up regretting, such as frogging something!
Thank you so much for the get well wishes MaryLou 🙂
It is also heartening to see that knitters are the same over the years – I’m going to try Barbara Pym, I’ve never read one of her books. I think I started a list of quotes like that as well, several computers ago. No idea where it went.
Hope you are feeling better. M
I was reading Mrs. Miniver this morning myself, what serendipity! Beautiful writing.
It is, isn’t it? I do recommend reading “The Real Mrs. Miniver” as well.
Too funny! I can’t imagine making a pony-sized sweater though.
I like the little sweater that Morticia makes in The Addams Family to let Gomez know she’s preggers…a movie, not a book, but still…