Oui, hot is one word I can use to describe the weather around these parts. Other appropriate words might be miserable, smoky, unhealthy, and Please, God, let it cool off again soon!

So basically the best thing I can do with my time is stay inside watching the Tour on Versus and knitting — hmm, sounds like I’ve got very little to complain about, actually.

I’m making decent progress on my KAL project, the Simple Knitted Bodice. Because of heat issues in certain portions of my house, I’ve been trying to limit my computer time; so finally today I’m able to post some progress photos:

From the side

From the front (please excuse the wrinkled tee shirt!)

Checking the fit is a little bit tricky, since I’m knitting on smaller needles than the pattern calls for. I know that when the sweater is complete and I wash it, the silk is going to stretch somewhat, so I’m trying to counteract the anticipated growth by knitting it a little smaller. If this plan doesn’t work I could be in trouble, but so far I think I’m all right. I’m also helped by the fact that I have my unfinished SKB (knit in RH Super Saver) for comparison.

As for the KAL’s intermediate sprint competition, I’ve been trying very hard to come up with an intriguing way to connect my project to the Tour. It’s true that the yarn I’m using, Berger du Nord Belle, is manufactured by a Paris-based company, but that’s such an obvious connection. I wanted to dig a bit deeper, and last night as I was watching Stage 3 into Nantes it occurred to me.

I recently convinced my mom to loan me some of the ancient LP records that my family used to play on our HiFi back in the mid 1960s. My childhood memories are brimming with records like The Sound of Music — and even more obscurely, Dick Contino and His Accordion. He was one of my favorites, and one of the albums I borrowed was “An Accordion In Paris.” I was able to transfer the music from the LP onto my computer and my MP3 player, so lately I’ve been washing dishes and knitting while listening to his renditions of Domino and Under The Bridges of Paris.

My very favorite track on the record is The Song From Moulin Rouge — I could listen to it over and over again, and every time I do it takes me back in time. You might say that, along with knitting, this music is my way of relaxing and ridding myself of stress.

So I couldn’t help but notice yesterday that one of the four guys in the breakaway — and the man who ultimately won the stage — was Cofidis rider Samuel Dumoulin. I was working on my sweater while watching, but I perked up my ears when Phil Liggett mentioned that the Frenchman’s name, Dumoulin, is translated as “of the windmill.” I instantly thought of The Song From Moulin Rouge . . . and what do you know, Dumoulin’s Cofidis jersey is bright red. Hmmm, could it be The Song From Dumoulin Rouge??