Self-isolation Day 12: knitting in the sun

Another lovely day in Adelaide, around 23C. By late morning, after I'd caught up with news, finished a book and responded to emails. I noticed the great cloud formation in the East, grabbed my knitting and took myself out to my back balcony.

It was then I noticed some lovely little blooms - on my wall garden



and in a balcony rail box. These are quite small - maybe 5cm across. Such fabulous shapes and colours.

Parent

I also noticed a succulent I had planted from a cutting emerging as a promising new plant.
This is the parent.

pups

One of its pups, that I planted out a while back, is shedding its big leaves to reveal two new shoots, one at the front and one at the back. Under the old leaves is a very healthy looking stem base. A promising start.

In response to yesterday's post, a friend asked for a photo of the underside of the Fair Isle scarf.  I am knitting this in the round, so it is a double thickness effectively forming a tube.  There are no more than two colours per row. There are a few rows with 5, 6 or 7 consecutive stitches in the same colour, but mostly it's less. I try not to carry wool over more that 4 stitches without anchoring.




One of the tricks with Fair Isle is keeping your working yarn free of tangles. I have been keeping my working yarn outside  the tube and the balls I will use again within about 10 rows inside the tube itself, carrying the yarn up through the rows on the inside.  I only cut yarn on balls I will not use again for a greater number of rows.
The trouble is that the balls fall out the bottom of the tube.

For the moment I have solved this by joining the bottom of the tube now, rather than when I finish.  I also dug out bag to hold the two working balls and I also  dug out the magnetic board I bought to use for counted embroidery patterns. Seems to have improved my progress.
















Incidentally,  I have a number of email responses to my reminder that readers can unsubscribe, all  telling me they wish to continue.  I am encouraged and will keep going as long as there are subscribers. Thank you so much to all who have given me feedback and for your interest. It is lovely to hear from you.

The book I finished reading this morning was Corpse at the Carnival by George Bellairs, a Golden Age crime fiction writer, now being republished by Agora Books. It is set on the Isle of Man in carnival season when the island is packed with trippers on holiday, arriving by boat, staying in hotels and boarding houses, promenading, partying, dining, boating - or hiking around the island. I enjoyed the read very much, but found myself, in self-isolation from the Corona virus in 2020, thinking quite differently about our centuries old habit of congregating in popular locations for holidays and relaxation. We have taken so much for granted.

I also received the latest email catalogue from Can do Books.  I do most of my reading electronically, but not craft books - which I am trying hard not to buy! I made an exception, however, when I saw this one. It occurred to me (Margaret Adams take note!) that this might form the basis of a Guild class, and bridge the ideological gap between knitting and embroidery, so thought I'd investigate. Besides, I have a couple of jumpers with holes that might be covered with embroidery. By the time it arrives I'll be able to go to my letterbox!

It is also a good time to support a business like Can do Books, which has closed its physical shop. They have some good books on sale, including some of the Inky colouring books. 

After 2.30 I followed the sun to my front balcony. It was lovely knitting in the sun, behind my plants. There were a few people using the Square to walk dogs, or children and the young man with the weights did his exercises again late in the day.

Again, there were interesting shapes and details. These frangipani leaves might turn into an embroidery design one day. In the light you can see lovely markings.









and I'm sure I will find a use for this spider's web.

I progressed the scarf to the next, blue, band.

before heading inside to heat the last of Susan's Osso Bucco, this time with pasta.

I focused on knitting today. I have seven + repeats of the 47 line pattern to go. Tomorrow I'll do some embroidery!

Tomorrow I have another Woolworths delivery. I haven't added anything to it, since to do so I need to cancel and then reorder. I think I can do this while keeping my delivery time, but decided not to try! I'm sure I will adjust to this ordering routine with time and learn all the tricks. In the meantime, I'll be happy if I get some fresh milk tomorrow!