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!