Post 632 A lot going on

It's been a week with quite a lot on my mind, perhaps it's the Paschal moon. Wednesday began with a dash to the Guild to have my laptop tagged. It was the annual visit of an electrician to check and tag any machines used at the Guild. We needed to get the portable screen we are now using at WES, and any laptops likely to be used with it, tagged.

There was a bit of shopping to be done to get through the 4 day break. I made a full batch of chocolate crackle nests. 

Last week I was wondering if the shawl I had finished would go with the orange dress. I'm still unsure. I haven't actually tried it on yet. I did, however, find a small orange bag at a the Hahndorf leather shop. I ordered it to be delivered rather than drive up the Hills in current petrol situation. It arrived today. This is the shawl draped over the dress.  The bag will certainly work, with or without the shawl, but I'm hopeful it just might all work. The account of the shawl is in my embroidery blog.

 I moved quickly on to the  North Star Shawl  by Helen Stewart, the pattern I had chosen for the wool for the Chapter and Skein project. I'm very pleased with it, but set it aside over Easter to progress some embroidery.

As is now a tradition, Katherine and Niamh made hot cross buns on Good Friday. Lots of hot cross buns. I went to sample them as they came out of the oven.  Somehow I forgot to photograph the many trays. They were truly delicious. I had to ration myself to keep my weight under contol. 

I would normally have kept my Easter offering for Easter Sunday, but this year, Fionn's 21st birthday fell on Easter Saturday, so the family celebration focused on that, rather than Easter Sunday. I didn't want to confuse the birthday with Easter celbration, so I took my offering on Good Friday - a basket of felt Easter animals and some nests. The full details are in my embroidery blog account.

Late on Thursday I had a phone call to say the cabinet I had ordered in December to go behind my new TV was ready. The caller agreed that if I approved of it once I saw it,  it would fit on the back seat of my car and if I brought a blanket to wrap it in, two of their staff would help me load it, warning that I would need help at my end to unload it.  They were open on Saturday, so before heading out to Fionn's birthday lunch, I picked it up. Two men carried it to my car wrapped it in the doona I had provided, insisting on securing it in the seat belts - and the need for two people to unload at my end.

I had, of course, throught I'd give it a go on my own, but after watching them and their own precautions, I changed my mind and negotiated for Fionn to call in on Saturday morning to help me. 

We got it in place relatively easily. I had designed it so no cords needed to be detached to install it, since there had been a lot of effort to get the TV tuned. In spite of that, when I turned it on, there was no signal. The aerial cord was still connected at both ends but, while I have internet and streaming, no free-to-air TV.  I have contacted B&O and organised for the installing electricians to come next week and hopefully fix it.

The birthday party was a huge success, fuelled by a tonne of food and beverages. I had a lovely time catching up with a few family friends I haven't seen for a long time. It was a a very relaxed afternoon and Fionn, I think enjoyed it. Such gatherings are reviving and uplifting.  

As mentioned above, I switched to embroidery for a bit. I  finished another Kasia Jacquot panel and bag. A joy to work on.  Again, the detail is in my embroidery blog.

Most of Sunday and Monday was spent working on embroideries of Celtic symbols for my talk on the Legacy of Embroidery in the Early Medieval Period.  I am concerned about breaching copyright in using photos in a public presentation, so have drawn and embroidered these myself

I finished four and am well on the way with the fifth. They are quite tricky to draw and embroider symetrically and mine are far from perfect. This last one, in particular, has involved a lot of unpicking.

The weather has been mostly pleasantly in the low to mid 20s. It rained heavily on Sunday afternoon and my drip was back. The blessed Shane is booked to come and do his magic tomorrow week. I'm expecting this time he will install a drip tray.

I haven't swum this week. Too much going on and the pool closed over the Easter break. I'm hoping to make it on Friday. 

I hope readers had a happy and restful Easter.

Post 631 Turn, turn, turn.

Wednesday was swimming, then a quick trip to the Guild to hand over the book won in the raffle last week. A lot of interest in it from the Library Team, but it will need to go through the formal selection process. If it isn’t accepted I want it back - to give to the woman who really wanted to win it! 

After hanging out my wet towel and bathers when I got home, I headed over to the pub for a late lunch. I was hungry and still on a high from the NLA announcement. The trees in the Square are looking good. It was 31C and clear blue sky. 

The parcel I mailed with anxiety the day before reached its destination after a  runaround. I didn't realise that nominating extra insurance cover necessitated a signature on arrival. I won't do that again in a hurry.

On Thursday morning I had my annual appointment with my nephrologist. I left home early to detour via my audiologist, as the connector tube on one of my hearing aids had broken. I wasn't sure it could be fixed. This set of hearing aids is now about 10 years old and beyond mechanical repair. The tube, however, was easily replaced and I left with them fully functional. 

The good news continued.  The nephrologist (whose waiting room always provides a view of birdlife) is happy with my test results -  creatinine good,  no sign of protein, no change in sugar (which is slightly higher than ideal). We had another discussion about Ozempic. He has suggested doubling my metformin dose to help with weight loss. In the light of possible side-effects, I am trying a 50% increase until I discuss with my GP. We also discussed the research he's involved in with Avivo, to enable universal donor blood conversions for transplants and transfusions. It's exciting research with big implications for medical treatment in war zones. They need, however to raise substantially more funds.

I had a weekend to myself, so on Saturday, after shopping for Monday's roast, I had a very late lunch at Mr Nick's at Frewville - Barramundi with a salad of rocket, fennel and walnuts. Excellent.

The flower arrangement on the bench was extraordinary. The staff member on duty explained it had another tall vase inside, adding a waste of good lemons!                                                                      

I also bought oysters for my main meal on Sunday with a large serve of salad and some multigrain bread - the last my weekly quota.

Books continue to arrive. A friend who volunteers in a charity shop in the Hills sent me this one. Anne Hetzel was president of the                             Embroiderers' Guild of SA in 1994 during which time the Guild undertook two commissions, one to make a Cope for Anglican Archbishop Ian George and one for a commemorative hanging to mark the 50th Anniversay of WWII, both of which are illustrated in the book,  which covers the 15 year period from 1983 when Anne and her researcher husband, Basil, travelled the world campaigning for the elimination of iodine deficiency. It's a story I didn't know, and which crosses a number of my interests.

On Friday I picked up the dress (muumuu!) I was having made by the local dressmaker. Pick-up is usually late afternoon, but when I left the fabric she had asked me to come in the morning to try it on. When I arrived she said that wasn’t needed and we chatted about various things as her card reader rejected my cards. In the end I made a direct debit. I checked at the nearby bank, and the cards are fine, problem with card reader.

When I got home and tried the dress, it was too long. I was in danger of tripping. Rather than take it back, I got out my scissors, cut 7” off both dress and lining, and ran both around on the machine. It wasn’t quite as straightforward as I hoped, as the hem was slightly shaped. The photo was taken before I ironed the hem. It's fine. On the other hand, my insistence on pockets to hold my phone hasn’t paid off. The phone is far too heavy. Even, as I had planned, balanced by keys or purse, the distortion will make it difficult to move. Looks like it’s a must-wear-a-shoulder-bag dress.

I had planned to wear it to Fionn’s 21st over Easter, but I don’t think it will be warm enough. It’s light and floaty and will find plenty of use in Summer. Even though it has been 30C today, the weather is turning. I changed my quilt over to the heavier one on Saturday and also put on a singlet - my signal that autumn has arrived. Daylight saving ends next weekend.

The History of Knitting also arrived. Published in 1987 it seems to still be the most comprehensive account. It was written by the Bishop of Leicester, who began knitting aged 7 and continued throughout his life. I'm hoping this one might prompt a discussion at WES Group next year.

Today I got up early and madea  full batch of chocolate crackle nests  so I could take a couple to Panayoula, with whom I was having morning coffee, before my 1pm haircut. We had, as usual, so much to share, so much to talk about. 

I have just finished the shawl (why this post is so late!).  

I might have managed one more row with the yarn but, with about 570 stitches on the needle, I didn't risk it. I did an elastic cast-off, which uses more yarn, so the right decision, I think!

It looks and feels  lovely. Maybe it would go with that orange dress....

Today there were leaves falling from the trees along Carrington street, although in the Square a young jacaranda has a last blast of defiance with new blooms on the upmost tips.

I've been thinking a lot about my August talk on English Embroidery in the Early Middle Ages - and ordering a few booklets published in the 1990s by Anglo-Saxon Books. 

The one that has arrived has filled out some context for me. We didn't learn much about textiles, or the world of women, in my undergraduate course! I have four more on the way from England, but who knows how long they will take to arrive in the current international  transport disruptions.

Tomorrow I need to take my laptop to the Guild for electrical tagging. with a bit of luck I will also fit in a swim. I wish all of us a peaceful, relaxed and healthy Easter break.

Post 630 Feels like an Auspicous number!

Although this was largely written before today, and I rarely provide much information about my family -or indeed any other people - for privacy reasons, today's announcement by the Minister for the Arts and then by the National Library, is too public, important, and indeed personal, to me not to put up front. It pushes everything else into the background. Here's today's announcement. The four of our family who met for dinner last night raised a glass in anticipation.  I'm so grateful to have lived to see this day. It feels so right - and such an achievement. 

Back in the world of last  Wednesday morning, I found my way to St Andrew’s Church at Walkerville, about 10km away, to hear Susan Kay-Williams talk about Igniting the Rainbow: The Dramatic Developments in Colour in Textiles in the 19th Century for Arts National. I hadn’t been to either the church, or an Arts National event before. Parking was a bit tricky and there was a fair bit of confusion checking in. There was an issue about the cost of guest entry, helpers insisting it was $15 more than the price listed on their website. I paid up, but expressed concern that Guild members I’d invited might not accept this. It was also difficult to avoid buying 2 raffle tickets, so I complied. The lecture was excellent- grounded in research and well presented. 

At the end, the raffle was drawn - and I won!  The prize turned out to be a copy of the new edition of The Secret Lives of Colour, which covers a lot of the ground of the lecture. Morning tea followed. I caught up with the 3 other  Guild members who attended (who, I think were only charged the advertised entry!). 

Several people came to examine the book I won. One photographed it and one told me she really wanted it! When I  said I would offer it to the Guild library, she said she’d join and be the first to borrow it! It retails in Australia at $67.50 (cheaper than Guild membership!). It’s arguable that it cost me $20 ( the cost of raffle tickets and the $15 overcharge). After winning the raffle, I could hardly query the overcharge! The book is a bargain if the Guild accepts it. A most interesting morning.

I had worn the Nancy Bird dress I bought last Christmas. It has tiny buttons all down the front which pop open annoyingly. It is also a bit low in the front. It does, however, look good and, apart from the buttons, is very comfortable. A number of people asked me about it. As soon as I got home I threaded the sewing machine with black thread and stitched the front closed, Very easy, stitching in the ditch of the facing. It slips on easily without undoing the buttons, so it's much better. I also found a Robyn Gordon brooch which covers the cleavage.Much more wearable!

In between Pilates, and shopping, on Thursday and Friday I mainly stitched my small Easter gifts. They are coming along very well. I’ve been improvising a bit. With Easter on my mind, I had on my list the ingredients for the chocolate crackle nests I always make for Easter, in honour of my mother. When I took the Rice Bubble packet off the supermarket shelf, it boldly declared itself to be gluten free (new marketing? haven't they always been glutin-free?). When I checked the chocolate crackle recipe on the back, it was new! Melt sugar-free chocolate, add rice bubbles, spoon into patty pans, refrigerate! No copha, no icing sugar. I had some 95% cocoa chocolate languishing in the fridge, so I crossed copha off the list. Worth a try.

Saturday was election day. I’d already voted, and I had the ingredients for Monday’s dinner, so I stitched for a while, read a bit more about the British Army in Salonica in WWI (my grandfather was there) and then made the chocolate crackles, adjusting the recipe to fit the quantity of chocolate I had. It was certainly quick. A decent consistency. The taste was awful: unremittingly bitter.  I almost never throw food away, but these went in the bin (saved the eggs!).

Late in the afternoon I drove to Haigh’s chocolates, discussed it with an assistant, and bought some of their couverture to give it another try. On the way I went past my local polling booth to see how things were going. There were still a few helpers, loads of posters and the queue was out the door, but not down the street. I think the barbecue might have packed up.

Anthony's barbecue, however, was in full swing that evening, as Fionn and a busload of his friends returned from a winery tour and consumed piles of salad and Anthony's version of democracy sausages in the backyard. The elders (including Brigid) retired to the lounge to watch the election count on TV. It progressed more slowly than usual, presumably due to either a shortage of Electoral Commission supervising staff, or computer connections working too slowly. Although the trend was clear from the start, it was only around 9.30 when around 35% of votes were being reported as counted, that I called it a night and went home.  

On Sunday I cooked the lemon chicken, a slightly messy process which I enjoyed immensely. While it was simmering I made another batch of chocolate crackle nests using the Haigh’s couverture and adding a little coconut, again a half batch. With the chicken cooling and the nests in the fridge, I ventured out to the Ukrainian Easter Festival, advertised through the Guild..

I hadn’t been there before and had a little trouble finding it. It turns out that, like the Guild, the Museum is in a house, and the event was in the very ordinary size backyard, which was set up with tressles absolutely packed with people, eating and listening to live music. I reckon between 100 and 150 people. There was one market stall to which I quickly headed.  I snaffled  some lovely jewellery as gifts, and some Ukrainian Easter eggs.

There was nothing more for me to do, so I came home, admired my purchases, and, with trepidation, tried the now set nests mark2. Success! They taste great! It was all I could do to stop myself from having a second. But stop I did! I can now confidently make a full batch. With ingredients in hand, this is best done  nearer the Easter weekend. 

I have finished my Easter felts,  all but one stowed away.  One is winging it's way to Canberra. 

I had a fasting blood test at 8.15 on Monday morning, ready for my annual renal specialist appointment on Thursday. No queue. 

Today I missed swimming because when the cleaners left I packed a quite complicated parcel to send to Canberra and the swimming window disappeared. I  hope the parcel arrives safely tomorrow. 

By mutual agreement, the lunch  in the Adelaide Hills I had pencilled in for tomorrow has been cancelled due to concerns about the diesel fuel my friend needs to get there. We are not panicking, but our meeting, while desirable, is not necessary to our wellbeing. So I will go swimming tomorrow.

Despite that cancellation, it's been an astonishingly good week. 

.Post 629 Mostly about Presentations.

Unusually, I am putting this together almost from scratch on Tuesday night. It has been a week of preoccupation with getting things done. 

WES Group met on Wednesday to hear a talk on The Development of Church Vestments. Vikki  did a lot of research, and took the trouble to find, amongst many other sources “Church Vestments their Origin and Development” by Herbert Norris, published by J.M. Dent & Sons, which is now out of copyright. It has many beautiful plates that show very clearly the changes in vestments over 2000 years. The photo here is a very early vestment. It is  Mazimiam of Ravenna, in mosaic at St Vitalis Ravenna Basilica. He died in 556. My take on it is that over the centuries vestments got very  complicated, then, in this century, seem to have returned to something close to this early version.

Much of my week has been spent  thinking and reading for a lecture I promised to give to a tour group in Adelaide in August on  The Emergence and Growth of English Embroidery in the Early Medieval Period. I finalised the title and details with the organisers on Thursday. Vikki’s WES  presentation inspired me to search for out-of-print sources I could use for illustrations. 

I found a few but not enough. I then decided I could sketch some of the designs I wanted to show. I spent a day with a variety of circle shapes, a ruler and my own freehand, making sketches of symbols like the triquetra

or the Gosford Stone Cross in Cumbria, and a pattern that appears to emerge from a. cloth remnants in archeological digs. 

I won’t win any prizes for drawing, but the drawing might help me explain. I now have  a fair idea of the story I want to tell, and a very jumbled and patchy PowerPoint. 

I’ve decided I need to write it as a prose account, with links to referenced material, then construct the presentation from that, with visuals for the audience and prompts for me. It’s a long time since I’ve worked like this, but I think it’s called for. Slow, but a better result. 

The effort was enough to send me to the Queen St Cafe after Pilates for a late lunch of scrambled eggs, haloumi and asparagus (of course, with a lime milkshake). On Friday morning I visited the dressmaker again, this time taking the orange silk, the habitue lining and the previous dress she made for me. She hopes to have the new dress ready for me in a fortnight, based on the existing one, with the addition of pockets.

'On the weekend, as well as spending hours in the Early Middle Ages (which included more of the RSN History of English Embroidery) I went shopping at Frewville for Monday night- roast pork, potatoes and stir-fried veg. They had some very. decent oysters, so I had a dozen of them for a late  lunch, along with zero alcohol Prosecco and fresh Turkish bread. Delicious , and reasonably healthy.

Yesterday it rained heavily. This didn't help my indoor plants, some of which were looking deprived. They picked up quickly with water. Then, around 10pm, the drip in my ceiling returned. I timed it for an hour, and reported it to the Strata rep, who has lodged a work order.  I suspect this means it's time for a large drip tray in my ceiling.

I’ve also advanced the shawl. I’ve been weighing the wool after each row to calculated how many more rows I can finish. I  estimate about 75. It’s very relaxed knitting. 

I am, however, being distracted by some Easter kits that arrived yesterday. Today I postponed a hairdressing appointment, went swimming around midday, covering 750 metres in half an hour then got to work on the Easter projects,  They are fun to make and I've nearly finished two.  I'll wait till Easter to show them.

Post 628 Challenges and Plenty to do.

I managed to swim on Wednesday - 700 metres in half an hourThis time I made sure I brought my towel AND bathers home with me! As I hung them on the line at home, the shadows cast by the vergola  matched my stripey towel. 

I was in time to meet up with friends for an afternoon cup of tea and a very early dinner at the local pub. A lovely day. 

As I went to bed I noticed the vase of daisies I bought on Monday were beginning to droop.

I changed the water but by Thursday it was clear more was needed. Only a few survived on their stems, so they ended in a small, long-necked vase. The rest looked great for several days in a couple of shallow vases designed for floating blooms. I haven't used these for ages, so I'm pleased.

Before Pilates I headed further west to Spotlight with the orange silk from last week's post in hand, hoping silk habitue I found on their website, would serve as lining. It is lovely, and will, I'm sure, work. It is expensive, but wide. I bought 2, rather than 3, metres, hoping it can be used widthwise. If not, it will be a little short, but I don't think that will really matter. I now have an appointment with the dressmaking on Friday.

From Spotlight I went on to The Yarn Trader to pick up the skeins for the  Chapter and Skein project. They were ready for me in a sealed box, which I got them to open in the shop: I didn't want to wait until after Pilates to peek.

I have so far resisted the temptation to get out the swift and wind them into balls. I'm still knitting my birthday wool!

On Friday I had my 11th Covid vaccine - 6 months and one day from the 10th. As a precaution I spent the rest of the day at home, finishing #3 in The Antique Detective series before settling into a couple more sessions of the RSN's History of Embroidery  course.  I'm enjoying it, and trying not to rush it.  I'm making notes and thinking about the talks I've agreed to give in August.

I had cooked two duck legs - a l’orange ( a Luv a Duck pack)- on Thursday evening, so had the second leg cold with salad on Friday. While my vaccination arm was a little sore, by the evening I was knitting with no ill effect while watching Professor T and Brokenwood. I’ve also found a Margarita with the alcohol removed, so low sugar, and have been enjoying one each evening in one of the glasses the girls gave us as a wedding anniversary gift - probably in 2000.

Monday was Adelaide Cup Day, so it was a long weekend in Adelaide, with suburban supermarkets closed on Monday. When I headed out for supplies on Saturday, I found an intimidating note on my windscreen wipers, accusing me of speeding with my lights off in the carpark and threatening to send phone footage to the police! I sent a photo of the note to our Strata Rep, who phoned me immediately and instigated a search of carpark cctv. Within 90 minutes the Strata Rep had identified the perpetrator (without, of course, revealing the identity to me). A bit scary, but great support from my family and the Strata rep. 

Yesterday an email went out from the Strata Presiding Officer to remind everyone to keep the speed limit in the carpark, reporting that someone has inappropriately dealt with a perceived breach by a threatening note and outlining the appropriate process. It’s well worded. I don’t believe the offender has been spoken to directly. We wait to see if the threats stop. I am considering installing a dashcam in my car.

I ventured to Frewville for a few more supplies on Sunday before working through more of the RSN Course. It is proving really useful for my Early Medieval Embroidery talks in August. I'm adapting a presentation as I go, checking references and related texts I’ve been gathering. Obsessive as usual. It seems to be coming together.

There were fresh chicken livers at Frewville, so I bought some, along with bacon and mushrooms for a late lunch. I forgot to  buy a bunch of parsley, which normally supplies the vitamin C, so made do with a little fennel. It's a while since I cooked this, and I really enjoyed it.

The daisies lasted long enough to keep me focused on bloom. I discarded them yesterday, as the bloom faded, at the same time clearing out some dead pot plants and planting the last of those I bought 2 weeks ago at the church market. My balcony gardens are looking good. It's 30C today, but I'm hoping the worst of the hot weather is over. I managed to swim laps again today. I shared a lane and managed 700 metres

I also picked up this book at Dymocks on Saturday. It is set in Cornwall around 1628  when witch hunting is rife, and marketed as a prequel to Lorna Doone, a book my father was passionate about and I read several times as a girl. I’ve never regretted that my mother won the battle for my name. Again, this is not my regular fare, but I'm curious, and owe it to my father. I haven't started it yet,  giving myself the comfort of another of Clare Chase's Antique Store Detective Series rather than take on any more challenges.

The feather and fan shawl progressed well over the long weekend,  I now have around 320 stitches on the needle.

 

I weighed the yarn left - 194 gms from an initial 300gms. The next row used 2 grams so I calculate, as the rows are getting longer,  I have around 90 rows to go. 

Should finish it by the end of Easter if the Good Lord is willing and the creeks don’t rise. The full pattern repeat is 35 rows and I’m about to start on the next one.