Cave candy
Wednesday 18th July 2012
This is my caving log book:
It was a Christmas present from a friend, a friend who, like me, is blessed with the Glitter Gene. I expect she imagined I’d use it as a knitting design book, as did I when I unwrapped it. I always have a knitting design book with me and this is where 90% of the designs start before being swatched and abandoned or typed up and knitted. I choose pretty books, usually with silk covers and some beads. This book is the sparkliest book yet. Not only does it have beads, it has sequins and little jewels.
When I started caving, I thought I’d probably go down 2 or maybe 3 times and never thought about keeping a log book. But when I went on the Wessex Cave Club weekend, back in April, they suggested that it was a good idea to keep a record. And so I decided that this note book would be promoted and be the Cave Candy Log Book. As we have established over the years, I am a nerd. I love stationary and collecting things, I like Lakeland, Tupperware, flannels, recycling timetables and record-keeping. And I like pretty things. So really, this little book brings together a lot of my favourite things: collecting (caves I have visited); pretty things (caves I have visited – not you, Dog Hole, and the book itself); and record-keeping.
Now that I have shared my sparkles-diary I fully expect that other club members will either show us their glittery books or invest in one, maybe. Monsoon is a good hunting ground. Or Paperchase.
I now have 15 entries in this book. I was really surprised that I have caved only 15 times. One one hand, it seems like I ought to have more than this because it feels like I am more or less always underground, scrubbing kit, driving up Cheddar Gorge or planning another trip. But it’s only 15. On the other hand, you’d think that after 15 goes I’d be a fair way up the ‘improving tragetory’. I’m not.
In fact, I think I may be regressing. Here is a recent extract from my diary:
‘Dear Diary
*sigh*
Today I caved for the first time with the Wessex Cave Club as a member. Yes I am now a WCC member. We had a lovely trip (lengthy passage here about the cave, time we spent, areas visited etc). However, as usual I managed a frankly impressive if minor cock-up at a small and simple climb into Jim’s attic, happily witnessed by several fellow members. Florence urgently hissed at me: ‘What are you doing with your feet? They are the wrong way round!’ I looked down. They were indeed, crossed. When I approached the exit to this little bit of cave and had to climb back down into the main chamber, the waiting members, almost involuntarily I think, formed a small arc round the space where I would land. They didn’t grab me or rush in. They just formed a guarded semi-circle – just in case, I suppose. As it happened, I untangled my legs and made it down on my own! Ha!’
I didn’t really write all that in the book – but I could have for it is true.
Also on this trip were 4 other new club members. We all met for the first time at the April weekend event. It was so lovely to see them again and cave together. After a long chat with one of these people, and also a long think on the way home, I have decided that I am primarily caving for the candy. That is to say, the pretties, the white or crystal formations, pearls (which I have only seen in Bakers), straws, curly things, curtains and water. I am also caving because it’s a major challenge, for me. It’s hard work and I make it rather more so than perhaps it really is. However, once I am out and I’ve done something that for me is a stretch, I feel great!
Anyway, I accept that my progress may be, um, steady. It was the same with running. I was a slow and short-distance runner for ages. It’s taken me years to grow as a confident endurance runner – and still my comfortable distance limit is only about 10 – 12 miles. But when I struggle, I just think back to when I ran at 0530 hours in summer to avoid anyone seeing me, and then it was stop-start, walk-run for weeks until I managed first 1, then 2 non-stop miles. It’s easy to forget, once running is a normal part of your life and you can run more or less anywhere if you want to, that it was at one time a struggle or even impossible. Perhaps the thing is, running (assuming you do it sensibly and train etc) isn’t dangerous but caving can be. Cycling was the same, I’ve been cycling most of my life but the transition to road bikes and being clipped onto the pedals was only a few years ago. That was fun! Honestly, I reckon Mark could have sold tickets to come and watch me attempt the unclip and put the unclipped foot down manoeuvre. I bestowed a lot of innocent spectator pleasure on the good people of Pembrokeshire the year I first took my then new road bike and clippy shoes there on hols…
I’m still knitting by the way. And designing. The non-knitting work areas of my life have been rudely interrupting recently but it’s all systems go again now. And my new designs are named after caves (or bits of cave). Just as with my sparkly cave diary, I will unite these amazing hobbies one way or another! Here is the sleeve of The Singing River Shrug:
It’s made a lot of progress since this picture was taken, in fact the second version (in blues) is currently also being knitted. The design is knitted from the cuff back up, in the round and because the cuff feature – lace, beads, Kidsilk Haze – can only be achieved at the cast-on, it’s knitted in two halves, in the round and then split for the back. The main yarn is a new Rowan yarn, Baby Silk Merino DK. But why should babies have all the luxury?
The Singing River Shrug is named after a mine I caved in (if one can cave in mines) – a mine with some natural cave at one end – in the Mendips, which has a river running through it. As you approach the water but cannot see it, you can hear it. The mine was abandoned many years ago, and it felt cave-like. It was lovely, actually. The scallops and lines in the lace at the bottom of this shrug design is how my designer’s brain ‘sees’ caves, or at least how it saw Singing River. I have exaggerated the ‘flow’ of the work by using beads and mainly by changing the yarns, using them single and held together. This helps to emphasise the wave effect and also highlight the way the simple lace stitch causes the work to open and close. This *probably* varies from the way real cavers see caves and may account for the reason my feet are sometimes crossed over…
It was a Christmas present from a friend, a friend who, like me, is blessed with the Glitter Gene. I expect she imagined I’d use it as a knitting design book, as did I when I unwrapped it. I always have a knitting design book with me and this is where 90% of the designs start before being swatched and abandoned or typed up and knitted. I choose pretty books, usually with silk covers and some beads. This book is the sparkliest book yet. Not only does it have beads, it has sequins and little jewels.
When I started caving, I thought I’d probably go down 2 or maybe 3 times and never thought about keeping a log book. But when I went on the Wessex Cave Club weekend, back in April, they suggested that it was a good idea to keep a record. And so I decided that this note book would be promoted and be the Cave Candy Log Book. As we have established over the years, I am a nerd. I love stationary and collecting things, I like Lakeland, Tupperware, flannels, recycling timetables and record-keeping. And I like pretty things. So really, this little book brings together a lot of my favourite things: collecting (caves I have visited); pretty things (caves I have visited – not you, Dog Hole, and the book itself); and record-keeping.
Now that I have shared my sparkles-diary I fully expect that other club members will either show us their glittery books or invest in one, maybe. Monsoon is a good hunting ground. Or Paperchase.
I now have 15 entries in this book. I was really surprised that I have caved only 15 times. One one hand, it seems like I ought to have more than this because it feels like I am more or less always underground, scrubbing kit, driving up Cheddar Gorge or planning another trip. But it’s only 15. On the other hand, you’d think that after 15 goes I’d be a fair way up the ‘improving tragetory’. I’m not.
In fact, I think I may be regressing. Here is a recent extract from my diary:
‘Dear Diary
*sigh*
Today I caved for the first time with the Wessex Cave Club as a member. Yes I am now a WCC member. We had a lovely trip (lengthy passage here about the cave, time we spent, areas visited etc). However, as usual I managed a frankly impressive if minor cock-up at a small and simple climb into Jim’s attic, happily witnessed by several fellow members. Florence urgently hissed at me: ‘What are you doing with your feet? They are the wrong way round!’ I looked down. They were indeed, crossed. When I approached the exit to this little bit of cave and had to climb back down into the main chamber, the waiting members, almost involuntarily I think, formed a small arc round the space where I would land. They didn’t grab me or rush in. They just formed a guarded semi-circle – just in case, I suppose. As it happened, I untangled my legs and made it down on my own! Ha!’
I didn’t really write all that in the book – but I could have for it is true.
Also on this trip were 4 other new club members. We all met for the first time at the April weekend event. It was so lovely to see them again and cave together. After a long chat with one of these people, and also a long think on the way home, I have decided that I am primarily caving for the candy. That is to say, the pretties, the white or crystal formations, pearls (which I have only seen in Bakers), straws, curly things, curtains and water. I am also caving because it’s a major challenge, for me. It’s hard work and I make it rather more so than perhaps it really is. However, once I am out and I’ve done something that for me is a stretch, I feel great!
Anyway, I accept that my progress may be, um, steady. It was the same with running. I was a slow and short-distance runner for ages. It’s taken me years to grow as a confident endurance runner – and still my comfortable distance limit is only about 10 – 12 miles. But when I struggle, I just think back to when I ran at 0530 hours in summer to avoid anyone seeing me, and then it was stop-start, walk-run for weeks until I managed first 1, then 2 non-stop miles. It’s easy to forget, once running is a normal part of your life and you can run more or less anywhere if you want to, that it was at one time a struggle or even impossible. Perhaps the thing is, running (assuming you do it sensibly and train etc) isn’t dangerous but caving can be. Cycling was the same, I’ve been cycling most of my life but the transition to road bikes and being clipped onto the pedals was only a few years ago. That was fun! Honestly, I reckon Mark could have sold tickets to come and watch me attempt the unclip and put the unclipped foot down manoeuvre. I bestowed a lot of innocent spectator pleasure on the good people of Pembrokeshire the year I first took my then new road bike and clippy shoes there on hols…
I’m still knitting by the way. And designing. The non-knitting work areas of my life have been rudely interrupting recently but it’s all systems go again now. And my new designs are named after caves (or bits of cave). Just as with my sparkly cave diary, I will unite these amazing hobbies one way or another! Here is the sleeve of The Singing River Shrug:
It’s made a lot of progress since this picture was taken, in fact the second version (in blues) is currently also being knitted. The design is knitted from the cuff back up, in the round and because the cuff feature – lace, beads, Kidsilk Haze – can only be achieved at the cast-on, it’s knitted in two halves, in the round and then split for the back. The main yarn is a new Rowan yarn, Baby Silk Merino DK. But why should babies have all the luxury?
The Singing River Shrug is named after a mine I caved in (if one can cave in mines) – a mine with some natural cave at one end – in the Mendips, which has a river running through it. As you approach the water but cannot see it, you can hear it. The mine was abandoned many years ago, and it felt cave-like. It was lovely, actually. The scallops and lines in the lace at the bottom of this shrug design is how my designer’s brain ‘sees’ caves, or at least how it saw Singing River. I have exaggerated the ‘flow’ of the work by using beads and mainly by changing the yarns, using them single and held together. This helps to emphasise the wave effect and also highlight the way the simple lace stitch causes the work to open and close. This *probably* varies from the way real cavers see caves and may account for the reason my feet are sometimes crossed over…
I’m looking forward to seeing it finished. The name reminds me of River Song in Doctor Who.
That’s looking lovely!