Post 108; rain and cold water

It rained overnight, and continued this morning, but Turtle - and Myrtle - turned up hopefully. I opened the door to put out seed. Turtle backed up a bit, but Myrtle flew off, returning once I had gone inside.  They fed for ten minutes or so completely disregarding the water and drops of rain.

They returned a couple of hours later for another round. After a few minutes Myrtle took off again.  I noticed then that Turtle was absolutely still. Looking up, I noticed the Noisy Miner sitting on the rail, watching Turtle.

Fortunately I was camera-ready and managed to catch it.









The Noisy Miner looked positively evil!

I decided not to wait to see the outcome of the intimidation, opened the door and waved my hand. They both flew off, the dove ahead of the Miner.

10 minutes later Turtle was back to finish his brunch. I'm not sure what the story is with the Miner. It is not interested in the seed, but definitely has a negative impact on doves.

The other drama this morning was discovering, when I went to shower, that there was no hot water. I checked with my neighbour and they had none either so I rang our Pod Rep, who checked hers and then reported it to the Strata Presiding Officer. By 4pm, when I had heard no update, I decided to boil a jug to wash my hair. I can manage without a shower for a day - but my hair needed washing and dirty hair I can't stand. As I was filling the jug I ran the hot water and lo! it was back. As I washed my hair the message came through to say the hot water was back on. I'm really grateful for that.

It continued pretty miserable outside. There was no break (that I noticed) in the grey.

I managed to read quite a bit of my book

( a Mark East mystery by Hilda Lawrence, written in the 1940s recently reprinted by Agora books from whom I have a review copy)








before settling in with my knitting as the sun went down and Midsomer Murders came on the ABC at 5.30, followed by the News and Shakespeare and Hathaway. After that I endured one episode of Cold Case on Netflix before switching to the last of my Lord Peter Wimsey series DVDs - Five Red Herrings. I only allowed myself one episode and switched to Would I Lie to You






My knitting progress didn't quite match my target of two bands but I did get well into the second band. I also varied the pattern slightly on the quince band. Absolute repetition is, I'm sure, not good for my brain.

There is more rain forecast for tomorrow, so I hope to finish this pattern repeat.


There are so many projects calling to me - but I have tied myself to the mast of this scarf for the duration.

Post 107 Pilates!

It was a big day today - my first Pilates class since 21 February. I had a couple of visits from Myrtle and Turtle before I left for my class. The Noisy Miner put in an appearance and once again, the doves left. The miner did not show any interest in the seed - but explored the red flowers on the balcony.

The doves were back and acting in concert once the miner had gone.











It was good to be back at Pilates. The studio is set up with half the usual equipment and everything is regularly wiped down. I had fairly low-key exercises but I'm very tired.

I did my balance exercises looking out the window at the fig tree in the garden. The leaves are largely fallen from the tree - but there are figs on the branches. I've had a couple of abundant fig trees - but never one that had figs on it after the leaves had fallen. Others in the group had stories of plants behaving in ways that are out of season.

I needed some milk so went to North Adelaide Village.  On the way home I stopped off at the General Havelock Hotel to see if they had a vacant outside table for lunch. It was by now just after 2pm. They found me a table. They only had 3 tables  in this outside section available for use and one was free.


I very much enjoyed my garfish - and the glass of wine.

There were a few more diners inside and about 6 more outside around the corner. 

They had very clear distancing processes marked.


Back at home I was able to do quite a bit of knitting - finishing both a green and a blue band. Three bands make up one pattern so I now have 5 complete patterns. The instructions are for 8 complete patterns, or 51 inches. I now have 31 inches.

It is going to be very warm as it's knitted in the round and so double thickness. It's looking pretty good now it has a bit of length. Still a few days work in it though.

Our Premier announced our borders will open up to national traffic at the end of the month and venues will be able to take higher numbers - but only within the limits of 4 square metres per person. It isn't going to make much difference to what I do.

I had quite a busy day for this Covid-affected time. I might need to sleep in tomorrow morning! 

Post106

I haven't seen the personal trainer working in the Square for a while, but  maybe I haven't been on my Western balcony at the times he has been working. He was there this morning with a client, being interrupted by an escaped dog. I took the photo at the point where the dog walker recaptured the dog. To do this, the walker dropped the lead of his second dog, who, fortunately, waited obediently while the recalcitrant dog was restored to his lead.



I suspect the nuisance dog had been released rather than escaped - but I have no proof.

Back on my Western balcony, Turtle once again arrived in anticipation of seed, which I duly provided. The Noisy Miner landed on the rail and Turtle flew away. The Miner makes no effort to eat the seed, but clearly intimidates the dove. Apparently Noisy Miners attack other birds, but usually in packs of 5.

Turtle was back15 minutes later, followed by Myrtle. They cleaned up the seed, very comfortable in each other's company. It is interesting to see how they change shape. Often when they arrive, I wonder if they are the same birds. They look thiner and taller. Their necks are elongated and heads small. Once they land on the floor their bodies compact and their feathers fluff up so they look short and plump. 

Jennifer phoned. Yesterday was her last day of self-isolation. This morning she took the dog for a walk around the block, using a walker (for herself, not Charo!). She was triumphant but very tired. She thinks she needs to start with shorter distances. She is planning on knitting squares for a blanket - which she can do without too much concentration. She'd like to embroider, but it is too concentrated at the moment. 

We're hoping to get together late next week.   I know that many readers are interested, and it's important to recognise that release from hospital is not the end of the story for those recovering from Covid19, so I will keep providing updates on a regular basis.

I went out today to tick off a few items on my job list. I drove - stopping first at my audiologist to pick up a box of batteries for my hearing aid, then to my local Post Office, which has recently reopened. I couldn't, however, park, so I went on to Unley Village, where I dropped off my soft plastic recycling, visited the Post Office to send a couple of books to my brother and got a couple of creams I needed from the pharmacy. It would have been a wasted opportunity not to buy scones from Bakers Delight, so I did.

Back at home I ate the scones with some of Margaret's marmalade, and got stuck into my Fair Isle scarf.

It was a mostly sunny day here today, but only briefly warm, after another cold morning.

The Guild newsletter arrived in my email today. I had the news I'd been looking and asking for - the postponement of the two-day class I was enrolled in this coming weekend. I had expected this, but it was a relief to find out. It is postponed to late July. The Certificate Course class on the last Saturday of June is to go ahead with restrictions.  I am not enrolled in the Certificate course, but Guild members are invited to go and I usually do. I think, however, that I will not go to this one. Since it's the first post-covid class and I think organisers need a chance to manage it for enrolled students.

I managed another band and a bit more on the scarf - nineteen rows altogether. I'd dearly like to get stuck into some embroidery, but I'm trying to concentrate on finishing this project.

There have been a number of responses from members of the World Embroidery Study group to the article on spool knitting. Most of them have very happy memories of using cotton reels to make cords that were turned into mats or pot holders.

Tomorrow I have my first Pilates class since February. That will be a challenge!

Post 105; friends,flowers and French knitting

Today is Wednesday, the day I send out an email to the World Embroidery Study Group of the Embroiderers' Guild of South Australia. with a relevant presentation or article. One of today's articles was this one on knitting spools, or what I, growing up in Sydney, would have called French knitting. Here in South Australia it was called Tomboy. https://pieceworkmagazine.com/knitting-spools/

I hunted in my stash cupboard and found this set of circular knitting looms- a similar principle- that I bought a couple of decades ago - and don't remember ever using.  The article has an interesting example of a necklace made with a metallic thread.

I checked on the Aeonium flower again today and it has opened further. While I was there I realised there is another succulent getting ready to flower - also yellow. I think it is a sedum, and I don't think I've seen it bloom before.

It's going to be interesting to watch the flowers emerge.


I was waiting for a courier delivery which fortunately came early. I was out of fruit for my breakfast so took myself off to the Frewville Foodland supermarket. It's a treat to go there - it is so good, if a little more expensive than the big chains. It was named the best in the world in 2016. They have apparently taken on 4 additional chefs in the last few weeks.


Their restaurant is now open - and I was tempted, as there were vacant seats, but I had icecream in my shopping bag and a phone call to get home to.

Vivienne and I had a good catch up and my neighbour and I touched base.


I managed to finish the next band on the scarf. This puts me half way on this scarf. I need to make a big effort over the next few days.

Support for the Gouldian Finch and blue-faced parrot finch continues. A number of people want to see oene of them started, but I am trying to get the scarf finished before I start on the birds because I know what will happen to the scarf if I I don't.

It was a cool beginning to the day today - forecast was a maximum of 15C, minimum 3C, it actually got down to 1.7C in the city and -2 in the Hills this morning. This is cold for Adelaide (I know, for some this seems nothing like cold) where the average June temperature is 16 max and 8 minimum. By midday the sun was out. Tomorrow is forecast as 15max- 2min, so much the same. Good scarf knitting weather.

Post 104 : Adolescent Emergence

Turtle once again prompted me to scatter some seed and remained on the balcony while I did. He was, however wary, and flew away when I moved too quickly.  He was back shortly afterwards with Myrtle and they demolished most of the seed before flying off to other dovey activities.

Some time later I noticed another hesitant arrival.  It looked a bit scruffy. It was smallish. Was it Myrtle wet and dishevelled from an encounter with a sprinkler?  I was inside, observing from behind glass. When I tried to slowly open the door, the dove flew away, but returned a few minutes later. I could only photograph from behind glass and at a distance. Very poor photos.
I am pretty sure this is the adolescent bird from a couple of weeks ago. The feathers are still dark grey and not smooth. There is, however, a collar of spots beginning to emerge - they are just visible on the left hand photos.

This bird was skittish and nervous. It fed on some seeds but wasn't confident to stay long.

I think it is our adolescent in the process of becoming an independent adult bird.

I hope so, anyway.


It was cold today - a maximum of 14C.  I was expecting a couple of parcel deliveries so didn't go out. They didn't fit in the letterbox so I needed to be here to let the postman into the building. I worked away on the scarf and managed to complete the next band - the green one.If I can keep up this pace I will have it finished in two weeks.  At the end of the next band I will be half way!

I went to friends' place for dinner tonight. So pleasant to spend time with friends and try to make sense of the world in which we live.


As I drove home the moon had just risen. It is difficult to photograph without tripod but I managed to get this impression from my balcony.

I took the owl to dinner with me. I can do this and talk which I can't with the Fair Isle knitting. This is slow progress, but progress nevertheless. Jennfer thinks it looks maternal- she's probably right.

There is another one on the other side of the bag. I might colour that one in with water-soluble fabric pencils, which is that the bag was designed for.

Thanks to those who offered opinion on my colour choices for the remaining Nicola birds. It looks like One of each - but I want to finish the owl and the Fair Isle before I embark on them. 

Post 103

My flower head is looking fabulous. I have tracked it to ground as Aeonium  arboreum - of the jade family. I'm wondering if it would translate into an embroidery. Ink and Spindle have fabrics with birds printed on them. It would be interesting to reverse the pattern  of adding birds to their foliage prints and add a flower head to one of their bird prints. 

Then again, it also makes a nice photo.












These are the two remaining Nicola Jarvis birds that I have.

Blue faced parrot finch

Gouldian finch

I have been exploring Australian birds that I could use as a basis for embroidering these. This time, I have begun from the shape of the birds.  Currently I am considering the blue faced parrot finch and the Gouldian finch.

The shapes are compatible. I'm inclining to one of each, although the Gouldian finch has many colours and could be used for both without repetition.

Any thoughts are welcome.

I spent several hours knitting the Fair Isle scarf. It was sunny but cool. In the afternoon the sun drew me to knit on the front balcony but I only lasted about 20 minutes. It was sunny, but without much heat in the sun. 

I added 22 rows to the scarf - just over one band. Progress  doesn't make for an interesting photo - and there are 14 bands to go., all repeats of the three basic bands.

For my own sake, as well as variety in the blog post, I swapped and added a bit more to the owl, practising some buttonhole stitch on the central heart lozenge shapes.



I am, however, trying to sneak in a couple more rows of knitting before I go to bed!

Post 102

I haven't seen Myrtle for a couple of days. Turtle turned up this morning waiting for seed. He waited while I opened the door and distributed the seed and he began eating while I was still on the balcony. He didn't come closer than about a metre, but had no problem with my taking photos.






The morning disappeared into some washing, some reading and catching up on emails and social media. Amongst the last was a post from Jennifer to say that their dog, Charo, is now back home.A friend has been looking after her since early March. She seems happy to be home.

I went to Katherine's place for afternoon tea - Niamh made some very delicious thin chocolate brownies with a chocolate butter cream between them. Should have taken a photo.

The city seemed very quiet after yesterday's rally of 6000 people. There were cars parked in the street, but no people anywhere - perhaps they were shopping in the mall or catching up on work in their offices, or at the Pilgrim Church. Odd at 3 pm on the Sunday of a long weekend.

I did a little bit more on my owl travel bag - the blue heart filled with French knots.







My big effort of the day was knitting. I have managed another 20 rows, nearly completing the second repeat of the 47 row pattern (ie 3 full patterns, 141 rows). Only 5 pattern repeats to go -  235 rows.


I think I am going to be a bit bored with the repeats by the time I finish.