Isn't this an interesting painting by Georgia O'Keeffe? It's called "Jack-In-The-Pulpit, No. IV." It reminds me of something...with many names, none of them "Jack".
Anyway, by now I've had a chance to examine my Treasuries of Knitting Patterns by Barbara Walker, and they are all filled with page markers referencing my favorite patterns. "Frost flowers," "slipped plait cable," "vine lace" in the first Treasury; "seaweed," "dragon skin," "ribbed leaf," "Chinese lace," "dayflower lace" in the second; "the spider," "mirror cable," "looping waves cables" in the third; "flame wave" & "flame ribbing" in the fourth. If there were just a few I'd scan them and post pictures (and maybe I still will). BW also includes lots of slip-stitch color knitting patterns, which is one type of knitting I haven't gotten into--yet.
I did scan one pattern, from the first Treasury, and here it is. BW calls it "birdcage cable."
Well, ladies, when I look at this I don't see a birdcage. I see--how to put this delicately--let me consult my Stedman's Medical Dictionary--pudenda. Can I say that here? (I have also just learned from Stedman's that the Latin root of that word means "to feel ashamed." Fascinating.) I thought maybe it was just me, so I showed the picture to my husband. He raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm not going to say anything." I showed the picture to my teenaged stepdaughter. She started laughing hysterically. (Did you know that the Greek root of "hysterically" means "uterus"?)
I think there must be a better name for this pattern. Normally, I heartily dislike the "c" word, but "c--- cable"--it's very catchy. "C--- Cable Cardi." I like it.
That's really funny. Have you ever seen a Butterfly Pea (clitora mariana)? It's a native wildflower here in Alabama.
I'm blogrolling your site so I'll know when the pattern for Chinese Lace is available - it's beautiful!
Posted by: elizabeth | July 10, 2006 at 11:03 AM