Sunday, September 2, 2012

Regard

The first time I ever heard of Regard rings was in an Angela Thirkell novel, Miss Bunting, I think it was, when the very frail old rector gives his son's young girlfriend a ring that had belonged to his grandmother and explains to her that the six stones in it spell out the word regard. Ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby and diamond. At the time I thought it was a charming idea. Since then I have discovered that there is also a Dearest ring - diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz. This does not have quite the same interest for me as the Regard ring because regard has other meanings apart from expressing affection. It also means to consider, to give careful attention to something. It's important for us in our everyday lives. I now have a Regard ring and when I look at it I remember my mother and think of how she lived her life and of how I'm living mine. it helps me pay attention to my behaviour and to the fleeting nature of life.
Old Regard rings are rather rare and expensive, but there are here and there some modern and slightly cheaper reproductions.
Here is an original from the 1890s:
You can see how pretty it is with the scrolled gold and the unpretentious size of the stones.
And so to the knitting. It came to me in an incredible brainwave that I could convey the same message in a pair of socks - or a hat (coming soon) or scarf or gloves. And I came up with this design:
Of course you can change the colours of the rest of the sock around to suit yourself. The important part is the colours of the gemstones and the scrolled gold around the toe. There is also a lacy pattern around the cuff for a more delicate Victorian look.




5 comments:

Marylene said...

oh, you've been busy creating new designs lately.
Lovely socks !
Maybe I should start knitting socks as the weather is changing fast.
Fall is coming soon here.

(What about topaz in the word Regard? or am I missing something?)

Kate said...

Topaz! You're right. That one crept in. I'll edit it out.
You'd be wasted on sock knitting. Your designs are so delicate and beautiful.

Marylene said...

Thank you Kate, you're too kind !
But you see, people are always in need of socks :)I know I am.
Actually, the reason I don't knit socks is because of the second sock syndrome :)
I should get over it !

blodeuedd said...

I always need socks but I don't like to wear my best ones unless I'm going out somewhere special so I have lots of heavily darned ones for the farm. I've just got back from walking around in a pair of those and the darns have given me blisters on the bottom of my feet. Ow!
Second sock syndrome doesn't happen to me because they look so much better when there are two.

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