Summer Tour

While pottering in the garden and pondering the vagaries of the Supreme Court the other day, I suddenly noticed a scaly tail sticking out from the weeds habitat. It turned out to belong to this Eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina. I noted her winning color, which is surprisingly good camouflage, very like dappled sunlight on leaves.



After the doping scandals of last year, I was feeling rather down on professional cycling in general and the Tour de France in particular. Even the novelty of the start in London and coverage on YouTube seemed insipid. Then Meg and Debby organized the Tour de France KAL (also, Katherine revived the Tour de Fleece SAL – à chacune son Tour) and I started brushing up on my scanty vocabulaire français. Merci, mes chèries!

I'm participating in the General Classification – that is, working on a project that poses no exceptional technical challenges and will not necessarily be finished during the Tour, July 7 through 29 (no sprinting for this tortoise). I have a bunch of lovely KFI Elsebeth Lavold Classic Al in colorway 010 Pinewood that wants to be a cabled cardigan. Teehee, when I'm finished I'll have my very own maillot jaune – or perhaps one should say tricot jaune.



I haven't decided on a pattern yet. This is a swatch for Norah Gaughan's Nantucket Jacket on the cover of IK Winter 2006. Swatching is training – I won't cast on for the cardi until the Grand Départ July 7. Between now and then, there's U.S. Independence Day and more swatching. Happy Fourth and à bientôt!