Post 648 A few boxes ticked.

 

While I was stitching the next tea box lid on Wednesday the doves were reserving their energy on bare winter branches nearby. I hope they moved around more than I did. My knees protested strongly by the end of the day.

Thursday was a runaround day. I dashed out to Port Adelaide to Yarn Trader before Pilates and afterwards called at the Guild to drop off my SALA exhibition contributions (3 bags) and discuss a couple of things with Christine before heading to the greengrocer. It was all go at the Guild. My knees are giving me trouble, the result, no doubt, of the hours I spent sitting and embroidering. My Pilates program was adapted to assist recovery.

Although not very clear in the version to the left, the sky in the sunrise photo I caught on Friday morning is full of bats returning from their overnight feeding to their roosts in the Botanic Gardens.

I’ve cropped and enlarged a section to try to show it. You can just see the tiny dots.

My copy of the Laine Anniversary Edition arrived this week. I'm having a fine time browsing it. There are some great patterns.  Stonewash is my favourite jumper. I'm very attracted to several of the sleeveless pullovers. Unfortunately, I don't find them personally very useful in my current situation. My arms get cold. I'd love to knit Wild Rose which has an embroidered rose branch on a lovely subtle knitted diamond backbround, Pael and Snowgum are also pretty interesting. 

I skipped the St Margaret's monthly market on Saturday, partly because I'm not ready to do serious work on the balcony plants, but mainly because I needed to shop for Monday's dinner, and wanted to finish the fourth tea box lid so I could deliver it on Saturday night.

The embroidery had been blocking overnight and was dry, so I could step my way slowly through the process of cutting a backing board, padding it and carefully stretching the fabric over it. pins everywhere as I laced and stitched. This one fits tightly - I must be improving - and only needed a little reassuring double-sided tape on the corners. The recipient is happy.

Our Book Group met on Sunday and in the afternoon I reduced the pile of mending - two around-the-house trousers and a pyjama bottom are now wearable.

Throughout the week I have been stressing about the talk I have agreed to give to the tour group in August. While I now have the talk prepared in a format that I believe does not breach copyright, I have been concerned about how to get to and from the venue (a city hotel without on-site parking) at night.  I had finally made an arrangement for a Guild member to pick me up and drop me home from the venue at 9pm, when my fabulous daughter and son-in-law came up with a date-night plan that includes getting me there and dropping me home. I'm feeling both supported and blessed.

My window cleaner, who had arranged to come yesterday morning, had a change of plan. The afternoon didn't suit me, so we try again next week. In the meantime, the Guild sent out a message to say our SALA Exhibition was short of entries, so I spent much of the day, in between cooking Honey-Lemon-Soy Chicken and fried rice, making another Library Kangaroo, which I managed to deliver to the Guild this afternoon. It turns out the Barossa Valley Branch of the Guild delivered over 40 entries, so the call was unnecessary. The Kangaroo was on my to-do list regardless. Details in my embroidery blog.

It's wet and grey today and likely for the rest of the week. Tomorrow is dermatologist, ASO lunchtime concert and knitting with Brigid. 
The photo above left is the top of my balcony wall garden, now covering the containers holding it in place. The section below that on the right is less verdant and needs some work. A job, I think, for Spring.