Post 646 Stars and squares

I should have known from the complex, colourful sunrise that greeted my opening eyes on Wednesday that it would be a challenging day. It was the day of my presentation on Anglo-Saxon Embroidery to WES - a preparatory run of the one I have agreed to give to a tour group in August. To my relief it went well. There was a lot of interest and a couple of useful suggestions.While I was giving it, two messages came into my phone, one from my Pilates tutor asking me to change my booking for the next day, the other from the coffee machine service mechanic. 

At the end of the session I managed to message Pilates and cancel for this week. 

Returning the coffee machine call proved  complicated ( if your call is about….) so I called in briefly on the way to the audiologist.

My machine had a new part and was working.  After a discussion with Henry, the serviceman, I suspect the chipped interior part he found had been the cause of the malfunction for the last 7 months, since, in fact, they last serviced it! I left Henry to make one more check and dashed to the audiologist, where my hearing aid turned out not to be broken. On the spot, the brilliant Rada wired me up, determining that the problem had been a small deposit of wax blocking my eardrum and creating an echo! The wax has now moved of its own accord. Recommended treatment is to syringe my ears twice, rather than once, a week and kept using the hearing aids! I went back and collected the coffee machine. By now I had too much gear for a single trip from car to apartment so began with the heavy bag of books from the WES presentation. That’s when I discovered the message that there was a parcel waiting for me at the post office! 

 

By the time my brother called around 4pm, I was slumped in a chair, the coffee machine operating and the Wordle done. I also knew that the Australian-made, merino wool trousers in the parcel would fit me and that, with no Pilates the next day, I might be able to take up the just released OfficeWorks trade-in offer on Apple devices to replace my much-loved but dying iPad mini!

I finished another JusticeNet beanie before falling asleep.

My hopes for an easy resolution to the iPad demise was short-lived. The trade-in message had been poorly worded. The offer is only online, and my local OfficeWorks does not have any iPad minis in stock. I did get helpful information however. I now know how to delete all data from my tablet and how to go about getting a trade-in, regardless of how I buy a replacement. I also confirmed that the manufacturer recently upped the prices of the current product range by $200 an item!. That seems an odd way of preparing for the new range release in 3 months time! I'm better informed, but still not clear what to do, so for the moment I keep using the old one. In the meantime I began the next tea box lid, opting for The Stars of Winter.

I made steady progress, so on Friday, having used up my archival supplies on last week’s tea box, I did a round trip to OfficeWorks to pick up some acid-free backboard, to Spotlight (slowly, through the roadworks on South Rd) for acid-free wadding, then the butcher, greengrocer and supermarket for supplies for Monday’s moussaka. 

Saturday morning therefore, was taken up making the moussaka. It rained on and off so, in between showers, I made time to finally plant the lobelia I had bought for the wall garden so it could benefit. I had just finished cleaning up the kitchen ( messy business, moussaka) when our Pod Rep rang to chat and tell me I could go ahead with cleaning the balcony vents.  When we hung up, half an hour later, I returned a call I’d missed from an old work colleague, long retired from the Federal Public Service, wanting to consult me on a paper he is writing. Hearing from him was a joy and occupied another 35 minutes, after which coffee was called for and I returned to those Winter Stars.

I finished the embroidery o n Saturday and blocked it on overnight, mounting it on Sunday. It's not yet delivered. When it is I will post more details. There was a lot of rain, and, unfortunately, my ceiling drip returned. The inspection is scheduled for Monday of next week with Shane, who will also clean the vents on my balcony verandah.. 

I switched briefly to knitting, to create a few samples. A granddaughter wants help to knit a blanket so I am experimenting with a few chunky yarns.. I'm going to suggest 12 ply (top 2). 16 ply (lower) would be faster, but is not machine washable. A garter stitch produces a larger sample than stocking stitch, so there is a lot to take into account. Today I order several more balls of 12 ply in various shades of green. 

This was a welcome break this evening. Earlier in the day I had begun the embroidery for the next tea box, this time the Anna Scott Galah Ripe for Picking. 

I have doubled the size so it will fit the tea box lid more substantially.  It's quite slow-going and fairly compicated. I have just started on the needle lace body of the galah. It's hard on my eyes, and is likely to take a while. You can see why I took a knitting break!

The rain is benefiting the back balcony  There are numerous spots looking lush and verdant.

My eyes are feeling the strain of today's embroidery. I think it's time for bed and an eye mask.

Post645 All sorts of mending

There’s been quite a lot happening with friends and family this week. For the most part I’ve been at home stitching my thoughts, hopes and wishes into several projects. My major outing was a lunch with friends at Ammos Restaurant at North Adelaide, delicious, plentiful Greek food and great company.

It was 6C on Sunday morning at 8am. That’s cold for Adelaide. I had spent much of Friday finishing my presentation on English embroidery in the Anglo-Saxon period for WES tomorrow. Hopefully, with minor adjustments, it will also serve for the embroidery Tour Group I have to talk to in August. 

It has bothered me, because the topic needs  visuals but I'm troubled about possible breach of copyright using photographs from books or the Internet. I now have a visual presentation in which every photograph has the origin or link acknowledged in full. Even so it will never be seen other than in the physical presentation. I spent all of Sunday writing a paper (9 pages) telling the story of the presentation, with no illustrations, but links or detailed references to every source. That way, anyone wanting a copy can have the paper and follow the links. I printed it off on Sunday night and edited it on Monday morning from the printed copy, transferring changes on Monday afternoon while finalising the lamb shanks, potatoes and broccoli for dinner. I’m finally satisfied. Tomorrow WES Group can critique it and offer suggestions. Whew!

While I was in getting-things-off-my-list mode, I tackled the huge pile of mending on my sewing machine table.  It turned out there were two jumpers, two brooches and a necklace to be mended and a lot of bits of fabric looking for a home. I found the right drawer or storage bin for the fabrics and mended the jumpers  - or so I thought until I wore one and found another hole, now also mended.

The brooch was a greater challenge. Bought at a craft fair many moons ago, it was a mixture of beads and wire. The simple pin had been inadequately attached with a single loop of the wire, evidently at the end of the making process, and had come away.

I could see the problem. The structural wire was very tightly woven, giving no hold to attach the pin. I had been using waxed thread to lash the embroidery for the tea box, so threaded some up in a needle and poked and wrangled until I had secured the pin. Neither artistic nor professional but I’m hoping it will hold. I wore it for a day and it held 🤞🏼.

The finished tea box went into the mail on Thursday and has been well received. 

As relaxation I knitted Justice beanies. I can now do these from memory, once I get clear in my head which wool ply I am using. A few more will be required next year, so it’s a liesurely job. 

It is now three weeks since I had the repair to the piercing on my right ear and this morning, as instructed, I removed the stud and inserted a sleeper. The problem was that, no matter how I tried, I could not close the loop. In the end, I jumped in the car and returned to Essential Beauty and Piercing who had done the repair where, with some difficulty, the duty assistant closed it for me! It has to stay in place for another three weeks. That should be OK. After that I may need to find a different solution when not wearing regular earrings!

Additionally, one of my 8 year old hearing aids is emitting a loud noise whenever switched on. I have an appointment with my audiologist after the WES meeting tomorrow and I'm guessing it will result in replacements. 

This afternoon, after a lovely long phone conversation with a friend, I began the next tea box while watching the sun go down. A nice contrast with the way the week began.

I am so grateful for friends, family and the opportunities afforded to us.

Deo Gratias.

Post644 More Music, More Embroidery and Much Love.

 

My car was booked in for service on Wednesday. As usual I had chosen the option to have two mechanics work on it while I waited. It takes two and a half hours. The waiting area is warm, comfortable and serviced with a coffee machine. I found a seat that did not face the TV screen and got to work to finish the Corinne Lapiere mouse.  It took most of the time with enough thread and time for me to also make a twisted cord. The cord is a bit thicker than it needs to be and I might adjust it.

It has given me an idea. Although it is cute, I doubt many libraries would use a book-carrying mouse as a mascot or ornament. They spend too much time keeping mice out of the stacks.

When the car was ready  (no problems, tyres rotated, oil, brake fluid etc changed, battery chacked) I headed for Centennial Park Cemetery. It was Jim’s birthday. 

The site looks terrific.it is a very serene, contemplative place, silent except for birdsong. He loved his birthday.

As I have done on each visit since October 2024 I checked out Lorraine Trotter’s burial place and was delighted to find, for the first time, a headstone in place.  It is shiny black marble, which reflects the grass that now covers the grave. Quite lovely. So much about Lorraine’s life was secret. I seems important  to mark her life and death in a public way.  

From the cemetery I went to Create in Stitch to buy some felt for the idea the mouse has given me. I came home and worked on it - but I’m not ready to share yet.

I did however, get another idea. I had bought two tea boxes from Create in Stitch a couple of years ago along with kits for embroidery to go on the lids. I made one for my Adelaide daughter to use at work and promised Brigid one when she got her own work space.

Create in Stitch still has the boxes in stock and it occurred to me I should offer to make one for my Canberra daughter, so Thursday morning I was up relatively early to return and buy another box - just in case they sold out! 

Friday was fine so I hung out washing and waited for a parcel before heading to the supermarket. The post also brought the account for the traffic offence I managed to commit last month. I was relieved to get it. It is nearly 6 weeks since it happened, and I was worried it had been stolen from my letterbox. I went straight to the Post Office and paid it. I now have 3 demerit points.

This book (left). was in the parcel.  I had stumbled across it and managed to find a reasonably priced copy through World of Books. My mother, as a newly arrived migrant in 1929, went to Banksmeadow Primary School where she learned a lot about Joseph Banks, all of which she imparted to my brother and I. She would have so loved this book. It contains 181 of the drawings Bank's commissioned. The selection from Botany Bay begins with his illustration of a flannel flower. I'm toying with the idea of embroidering some of them.

I spent the rest of Friday beginning work on Anna Scott"s Jewels of Summer  for the tea box lid.  Anna's instructions are precise, her colour shifts subtle. I think Joseph Banks would approve. It's fun to stitch.  

The weekend was going to be busy with performances on both days. The Gesualdo Six were in town again. I had booked months ago for their performance on Sunday  afternoon at Ukaria - the only Ukaria concert I had booked for the year. While it’s a fabulous venue, I am finding the drive up the Hills tedious and the drive home in winter, into the sunset, stressful. Katherine, however, was going to pick me up.

The Saturday concert at the Cathedral was a later announcement, a performance with the Festival Statesmen Chorus and the Cathedral Choir and Katherine booked. Had the announcements been timed differently I wouldn’t have booked the Ukaria one.

The timing wasn't great. The cathedral is close to Adelaide Oval where the Showdown, between the two State AFL teams was being played that evening, meaning there were parking restrictions and traffic issues. A friend kindly picked me up so we only had one car. The downhill walk from car to cathedral was paid back by an out-of-breath exercise afterwards.

The  concert was superb. The newly installed cathedral lighting system was in full swing, as was what appeared to be a smoke machine! While the latter produced interesting effects, it didn’t do wonders for my accompanying friend’s respiratory weakness.

The cathedral was packed. The Statesmen and the Gesualdo Six performed brackets separately and together. The finale was a performance of both with the cathedral choir, organ and trumpet. The audience was blown away. We left on a high - higher than I remember from any concert. I have included a copy of the program at the end of this post for anyone interested. There is also some audio on the Festival Statesmen Chorus FB page.

I went to bed that night savouring the experience and almost regretting the next day’s booking. Katherine, however, had developed a severe cold from the excursion, slept badly and wisely took to her bed on Sunday, so I opted out, choosing instead to spend several hours checking EOYF payments needing to be made, then working on the tea box lid and my upcoming WES presentation. There is not yet a date available for the broadcast of the concert, but I will keep an eye out.

Commitments and illness meant there were only four of us for dinner on Monday. I had bought family pies because I anticipated being out much of the weekend. The pies worked well and we had a lot to talk about. On examining the tea box, the girls decided they would like to have one each when they are ready to leave home, so I ordered two more online and picked them up this morning from Create in Stitch. There is (fortunately) no hurry.

I'm enjoying the one I'm working on and hope to have the box finished by my posting next week.

Post 643 Mainly Music and Knitting.

Another enervating ASO concert, the second this year in their Matinee series. From my seat in the front row l’ve recovered from examining the shoes of the performers and moved to watching body movements and facial expression. It’s really interesting that most violinists  really move their bodies into the music. Elizabeth Layton in particular uses every muscle in her face as well as her body, to signal both her joy and signals to the other players.

I enjoyed the program, especially the first item. It's a pleasant way to spend a morning, with and easy ride each way on the city loop bus.

It was raining enough for me to carry an umbrella, something I rarely need to do in Adelaide.I didn't need to use it. 

Rather than compete with those heading to the Art Gallery for lunch I headed for the bus and when I got out stopped at A Prayer for the Wild at Heart for Yellow Fin Whiting. It was warm enough to sit outside. The rain returned with a vengeance around 5pm.

I had been up early that morning to finish the Berwick cardigan, so I could wear it to the concert. At the last minute I decided I  would be too hot - a wise decision. You can read all about it in my embroidery blog if interested.
The temperature has dropped and I have worn it almost every day since. It's very big, wraps around, is easy to take on and off, and stays with the help of a brooch.

I was, however, determined to use up the left-over wool, which included a full 50gm ball of the dark green, 43 gm of Pale Oak and around 25 gms of Blossom and Russet. I figured that might make two JusticeNet beanies so began with the full green ball. 

It worked well, using up all but about 60cm of the green yarn, which went into the pompom. This result meant I would need to improvise to use the Pale Oak for another beanie. 

                          

I managed it by knitting the band in the contrasting Blossom. As you can see, this is a subltle contrast and will only appeal to someone wanting to blend in! The pompom is made from some 4ply in the same colour that I had left over from a previous project. The scales are clearer in reality than the photo - but they don't stand out boldly.

To further the clean-up of left-over yarn, I finished the beanie from the yarn spun for the first Chapter and Skein Book Club. There is still a bit of yarn left which I am working that into a small bag. I'm now thinking that this set of items might make a raffle prize for a charity.

In the early part of last week, over three nights, there was a close alignment of Venus, Mercury and the Moon, visible to the north-west just after sunset. I looked out for it but each night there was complete cloud cover. As I parked for dinner on Saturday evening I glanced up and saw it! They had moved farther apart but were in a straight line. Venus is just disappearing towards the horizon over the roof of the house on the far left (a tiny dot level with the top of the pink marker line), Mercury is the clear dot about an inch above and to the left and the blurry moon is in the top corner. It's not a spectacular photo, but I'm very pleased to have seen it. 

On Sunday Katherine and I had an Adelaide Chamber Singers concert, a program of folk music at Ayers House. I caught the City Loop bus there and back.  We had front row seats in what proved to be an intimate experience with the conductor within touching distance. 

Much of the early program was familiar, although I hadn't heard Gravedigger. The Ingrian Evenings  nor Three French Chansons. We both enjoyed the concert. I liked the liveliness and sense of fun as the program progressed. A lot of work had clearly gone into creating a very integrated presentation.

I have kept up the antiseptic spray on my re-opened ear piercing and refrained from swimming. I'm considering going to the pool on Friday to walk up and down a lane, which I can do without getting my head wet.  

Today, in the time I would have been swimming, I visited the Mac Centre at Norwood to discuss replacing my iPad Mini which is on its last legs. A Book Club member had said they offer trade-ins. They were very helpful, but I left in a quandary.  They are carrying no stock of Minis, because there is a new version due in September. They will offer no trade-in. I can go to the main Apple Store in the city and buy a current same-capacity model, with trade-in, or I can wait for the new model (the Mac Centre staff recommendation). I could probably get higher storage if I do that. I doubt my current one will last another three months. I do have a regular size iPad as well. Thinking about it.

Later in the day I walked to the Post Office and back rather than waiting to call in when I was out driving tomorrow. A small gesture of exercise replacement. Ironically, the parcel I picked up is a cake of shampoo and one of conditioner, which I bought to use when showering at the pool!

These evening I have given myself a break from knitting and begun stitching a Corinne Lapiere mouse.  It's nice to hold something completed in an evening. There are, however some accessories to come.

There's more music to come this coming weekend - and, no doubt, knitting! 

Post642 Plenty to do

A very unusual visit on Wednesday evening:a noisy miner visited my front balcony! I can only recall one previous time I have seen a bird here. A second miner also landed briefly and they flew off together. My mind went to Lawrence's poem, A snake came to my water trough . I’m not sure why. My only instinct was to photograph it. Although Noisy Miners are regarded as pests in SA I still feel slightly privileged to have had a visit. I’m pretty sure it is the semi-enclosed nature of the western balcony and not the presence of noisy miners that keeps other birds away!

We had had a very successful WES group meeting earlier in the day. 

Barbara, who  for years took tour groups to textile villages in Gujarat, bought some of her treasures along and walked us through them. While PowerPoint projection has allowed us to explore historical embroidery that we can’t touch, the group was excited to see and touch real pieces collected by Barbara from the maker or their descendants. 

As I was putting the washing away on Friday a raucous noise drew me back to the eastern balcony. Eventually I located the Adelaide Rosella among the nearly bare branches of what I think is a Cassia. It’s the time of the year when seed pods are ready to open and the seed eaters come at dusk. 

Other than dinner and crosswords on Saturday, the weekend was spent trying to finish the Berwick cardigan. By 10pm on Sunday all but the band around the whole edge was done. After picking up 650 stitches all the way around, I had finally run out of grey wool.  Fortunately, on Thursday I had ordered another ball from Sunspun in Victoria which was meant to arrive on Monday but didn't. Seems it was sent from Queensland and spent a lot of time being shunted around in Melbourne and Adelaide Airport. Yesterday I received 28 messages to say it was in Adelaide, some of them 6 minutes apart. I'm guessing it was caught on a conveyor belt somewhere.

I alleviated my impatience by stitching down the inside steek edges using 4 ply wool from another project, and identifying some projects I'd like to make from the two books that arrived from Can Do Books.

While I'm passing on the snowman, polar bear, reindeer, pudding and far-too-cute angel in this one, the elves, pixie, star and heart are very tempting.

The girls surprised me by advocating for the polar bear, so I might have to reconsider that one.

To my astonishment, this book (right) published in Colorado, has a flannel flower medallion! That is definitely on the to-do list!

Whileat the shopping centre  yesterday getting the bread for dinner, I plucked up courage to call at the Essential Beauty and Piercing shop to ask about having my right ear pierced again as it has recently closed over. Veronica had helped me identify a medically certified practice. The young assistant was amazing. She asked if she could try to reopen the hole and managed to do it there and then, putting in a spare stud which needs to stay in for 3 weeks, then be replaced with a sleeper for another 3 weeks. I left with a pair of studs (one of which is now in my left ear) and antiseptic spray that I need to use for 3 weeks. I hadn't expected it to be so easy.

As I was falling asleep last night going over in my mind my plans for today, which included cleaning and swimming, I suddenly wondered whether I should in face be swimming in a pool with the ear repair. After checking I decided I should not be swimming. I have done so well for over three months - but I don't want an infection. 

So when the extra ball of wool arrived today I put it to good use on the border of the cardigan. Each 650 stitch round of rib has taken me an hour to knit. I have completed 4 rounds and, assessing the wool left, I am now casting off.  I was trying to finish it before posting this, but I've only cast off about 20% of the stitches, and don't want to be up all night, so I will be sensible and finish it tomorrow.

I have an Adelaide Symphony Orchestra lunchtime concert in the city, but might be able to finish it in the evening. Report next week.

Post 641 Nature and Knitting

 

It was a long weekend for the King's Birthday.  I spent it very quietly, trying to advance the gigantic Berwick cardigan to a point where I could try it on and survey the damage. It was a relief to venture out to dinner and crosswords on Saturday evening. 

As supermarkets don't open on Public Holidays, I ventured to Frewville on Sunday to stock up on a few things I was running short on. Of course, I came home laden. 

I had plenty of time to admire sunrises - Sunday to the left, Monday below.

I paid a bit of attention to the balcony plants.

The Aeonium is flowering, as well as the pale Schlumbergia

My efforts to fill the abandoned barbecue tub with nasturtium plants has had only mediocre results. Three plants are still alive, but hardly thriving. After Katherine mentioned getting Nasturtium seeds from the Digger's Club, I remembered the Diggers' shop in the Botanic Gardens, so I pushed myself out of the apartment on Monday afternoon and visited.

It is really uplifting to walk through the gardens with so many families enjoying them. 

I bought 8 different varieties of nasturtium seeds and some fertiliser, pausing on the way to photograph a pair of ducks posing in front of the fountain.

They were still there on my way back, allowing me to capture them from the other side.

I have only planted half of one packet of the seeds. It's worth a try, but Spring might be better.

Somewhat in contrast, on the way home from Pilates and the Queen St Cafe on Thursday, I managed to capture a rainbow over the western parklands, where the road into the city curves to the right. I'm not sure what promise the rainbow is making to the parklands - a sacred border around the city mile, declared in 1837 and currently being controversially developed to extend a golf course and car racing track. 

While at the cafe I had just signed a petition against the development. I'm hoping the rainbow is a promise to the trees!

 I have made a lot of progress on the Berwick cardigan. It is slower going than I'd like, but I just keep plugging away. Apart from swimming I worked on it all day today and most of the weekend. 

I have completed the front bands (they are still on stitch holders), joined the shoulder seams and cut the right-hand steek. 

It's still a bit hard to tell, but I now think I will be able to wear it. 

Although it is wide, it will drape, and the fronts will cross over. They can be held with a shawl pin if required. I think the shoulder drop means the sleeve will only need to be about 24cm long. In the photo I have completed about 10cm.

It will be touch and go with the grey wool. I have about 350 gm left. It will finish the sleeves, but I don't know that it will also be enough to pick up 718 stitches around the fronts and bottom and knit 6 rows of rib. I don't want to order more wool until I know I need it - so I'm knitting like my grandmother - every available minute!

Tomorrow is WES Group, so not much knitting!