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!