Post 485 Job list

My chair is back in place in my sitting area. The Guild Exhibition closed on Sunday, and I picked the chair up today. My old luggage wheels did good service once again. I have my apron back as well, put aside for someone needing to protect clothes.

It's been a week of catching up on jobs. I finished the baby cardigan that the Guild shop wanted to go with a greeny-blue blanket, part of one of their Welcome Baskets for newborns.  I got a bit carried away with an idea for a bag to go with it. I got out my Inktense pencils. These are used with water, suitable for fabric, and dry permanent.

sea colour blanket

  

crochet blanket 

This has now been added.

At the same time, I delivered the crocheted blanket I talked about last week, also in a  bag. 

It is waiting for the matching cardigan I am working on, made from a cone of Coats/Paton yarn, 70%wool, 30% acrylic, that belonged to my mother and has knitted up surprisingly well. 

I'm hoping to deliver this by the weekend.     

Last week I realised I had put a big toe through the upper of my Mary Janes - the shoes I wear constantly when sandal weather wanes. I tend to alternate between two pairs of shoes in summer, and another two in Winter and I haven't bought shoes for several years. I finally did a bit of a shoe audit and decided it was time to replace 3 pair. Lana Lang had sandals on special at the end of the season, so off I went after Pilates.              

I ended up with three new pair. The new Mary Janes have leather uppers and my toe will not penetrate. The ankle boots are grey and very soft. 

The saleswoman also suggested getting the damaged Mary Jane repaired on Hutt St - quite close to me. I took them there this morning and yes, they can be repaired. So, in spite of good intentions, I have ended up with one more pair than I started with.

My big excitement of the week was the arrival of my hap stretcher from Paparwark on Shetland. I  have wanted one for a while, and made enquiries about having one made locally. When Paparwark modified their design so it packed in 1 metre, rather than 2 metre lengths, I took the plunge. It took just over three weeks to arrive. I picked  it up from the PO last Friday but didn't unpack it until yesterday. This is the package - and the product.

It is a beautiful item and such a neat design. I'm very impressed. I had expected to have to store it in my carpark locker, but it is so neat that I have found a corner for it in my apartment. I haven't erected it but can see how it is done. I don't have a shawl to stretch  erected. This morning, after picking up the chair, I headed to Spotlight and bought some padded, quilted cotton to make a carry case for it. I'm part-way through making it. It will, I hope, make it easy to carry and transport, so that shawl-making friends can borrow it, erect it in their own home and stretch their shawls.  I will report next week on completion.

Last Saturday JEMS met in the midst of the Exhibition, a lively, interested group. Older members and visitors get pleasure from them being there.

I spent several days establishing my status in relation to the Working With Children Certificate now a legal requirement for volunteers. I had assumed, incorrectly, that my 2019 Police Clearance covered me. There have been a series of administrative changes of which I was unaware. I have now, with Katherine's help, applied for the correct clearance. The Guild has updated procedures. I found the process of sorting this out quite stressful.

Finally, while sorting yarn for the blanket, I came across some gauge samples and worked them into a peculiar bag. The story is in my embroidery blog. 

Post 484 It's Mad March in Adelaide

This morning I went for a walk in the Pakapakanthi Wetlands. I haven't been for a couple of months. There is a lot of council work going on and, interestingly, not much water in the creek. There's a lot of fallen timber, cut up and left for wildlife to make homes.

Also, a lot of new life emerging in seemingly dead wood.

The week began with Exhibition duty at the Guild in lieu of our WES meeting. It went well. I was Day Coordinator. We had 20-30 visitors and a lot of interest in the exhibits. After worrying that we were short of volunteers, an appeal meant we ended up being able to send some home. Those on duty were great. I enjoyed the day.

It was a long weekend in Adelaide - Adelaide Cup Weekend. It is also Mad March - Festival, Fringe and Womadelaide all underway. After Exhibition duty, I did a lot of stitching and reading. 

On Friday I went for a walk on the Grange Jetty before Sit'nStitch. The tide was way out and there was a class of boys practicing ball skills on the beach. 

On Sunday I walked  to A Prayer for the Wild at Heart for a late lunch. It was quite windy, but still pleasant sitting outside, looking over the Square.

This time I tried the Gnudi -  which was really fantastic. Very glad I went.

I spent some time reading or knitting on the back balcony. My latest dove friend visited and seemed comfortable moving around while I was there. The Almanda Blue is slowly spreading really well and my visitor appreciated the water tray responsible for its health.

Most of my effort has gone into the baby blanket - detail in my embroidery blog. While stitching in the daytime I have been listening to Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art, by Rebecca Wrag Sykes. It's an almost perfect audiobook, interesting and full of new information that the pace of listening gives me time to digest somewhat. Much of it applies to ancient - and contemporary -Homo Sapiens,  as well as Neanderthal life. 

In between, when not stitching, I am trying to cover the recommendations for our Book Club next Sunday. I've just started Kerry Greenwood's Murder in Williamstown, which I picked up at Kmart this morning for $A8. Haven't read a Phryne Fisher for a while - so far so good, and a copy to loan to friends and family. 

I'm still avoiding crowds, events and poorly ventilated venues. I wear a mask if in doubt.

There's plenty to keep me happy!

Post 483 One season following another....

Monday 8pm

This week's weather has swung from heat wave - with low of 22C overnight, to storms, rain and a 20C maximum today.  I guess autumn has arrived.

Sunday 6pm

That certainly doesn't mean the end of the hot weather, but I live in hope.  Forecast 29C next weekend.

This week I managed two lunches at the Grange Hotel, couple of hours helping to block a couple of shawls for another friend, a couple of hours at the Guild Exhibition on Saturday afternoon while some JEMS helped out with visitors, a visit to Adairs to buy a 60cm pillow, a Sit'nStitch, grocery shopping, 5 books read, some knitting, some embroidery and a little crochet.

Last night I made Osso Bucco for the family dinner. That worked well. Half a bottle of wine seems to do the trick.  I wanted to try making potato cakes to go with it. Ideally these should be made and served straight away. That's fine for a couple of people, but too much of a challenge for potentially 5-7 with limited time. I've checked out recipes for oven-baking them, but none get the same effect as cooking them in a hot pan. Yesterday I got brave and experimented. I grated 10 potatoes, added 5 eggs and cooked batches of potato cakes in a hot pan before anyone arrived. I placed the hot cakes into a basket on a tray (bought, I am pleased to say, from the Innovations catalogue, of which I am controversially a fan). This I heated in the oven for half an hour before dinner. They were a success! The potato cakes on the top and the bottom of the basket retained their crispness. The layer in the centre didn't. They were eaten anyway, but the answer may to to make fewer, so there is no middle layer.

I delivered this baby cardigan on Saturday to Christine for her Welcome Baby Packs. She has requested some coloured ones, so I have started on an aqua one to match a blanket she is using a the base of another pack. 

I enjoy making these, they are being put to use, and it's good to be working in colour. The gift packs have also prompted me to revive the crocheted baby blanket I started a couple of years ago - using the same cotton yarn.

Ecru border

 I had planned to make the blanket as big as my yarn would allow (until I realised that would probably cover a sports field!). I think I have enough squares for a baby blanket, so I am now putting a consistent border around them and joining them up. With a bit of luck this can also be put to use by the Guild.                       

I tried ecru cotton to border and join them. It seemed the best I could do with the yarn I had. OK, but a bit dull. Then I remembered some white cotton yarn with pastel variegations that I had in a drawer, so dug it out and worked another sample.

This is much better.  I hate undoing work, but I think this is the solution, rather than the ecru. I have about 250 gms of the variegated cotton, which should be more than enough. So I'm on to it! 

These projects are making a dent in my 4ply cotton, but there are a good few  cardigans to go before it's gone. I'm giving myself another week or so before I move on to the Glazig embroidery. 

Finally, I'm very pleased with the second Banksia cushion I finished on Sunday. It's harmonious, comfortable, and looks good on the couch. Details, as usual, in my embroidery blog.  Along the way I also ran up another 5 gift bags from fabric I found lying around.

I'm very satisfied to have made progress on reducing some of my stash and works in progress - but I have been less successful in reducing my weight. While I've continued to restrict my sugar intake and quantities, I have put some weight back on and need to reverse that. Looks like carbs need to be eliminated - and a bit more exercise would assist.

Tomorrow WES Group is on Exhibition duty, and I am the coordinator for the day. We are short of volunteers for the day, so maybe I'll be busy enough to burn some calories!

Post 480 Birthdays, bats, bees and baby cardigan.

Last Wednesday was the first 2023 meeting of WES Group - really engaging talk by Raelene on her visit to the 2016 European Patchwork Festival in Alsace. We had a big turnout of 16, very engaged with the presentation. We are also getting organised for the Guild Exhibition next month. Unfortunately, I was so busy coordinating I forgot to take photos.  That evening the bats were about. The evening star was also visible. It doesn't show up well in photographs but I have inserted a faint arrow pointing to it in the centre right.

Thursday was morning coffee with Panayoula before Pilates. 

Friday brought Lorraine's 90th birthday lunch time celebration at Lenzerheide. There were 13 of us enjoying high tea. One was unfortunately on a delayed flight from Brisbane and another ill in Melbourne. Lorraine was looking relaxed and elegant. I grabbed a quick photo of part of the table.

I took the opportunity to wear the coat dress and the earrings given to me for my birthday by my daughters. Swish. I even bought some foundation makeup - haven't used it for over a decade. I forgot I would need makeup remover - so spent an inordinate time scrubbing my face before bed! 

Sunday was spent cooking for a birthday dinner on Monday. I had considered roast pork but that was to be the family's Sunday dinner, so I settled for Moussaka - more preparation but a smoother run on the day. I'm trying to stitch something for each birthday, and February is a birthday month so I've been busy.  This is from the bee scarf for yesterday's celebration.

I also finished the second baby's cardigan. This one really is for a baby, not a toddler.  Hope it's what is needed. 

Today I visited my podiatrist, whose parents are renting a house in the Barossa Valley, while waiting for the water to go down in their home on the Murray River. Flood waters reached the top of the kitchen benches in their first (not ground!) floor kitchen. From there I visited Bunnings to buy a few replacement plants before joining Tuesday stitchers at the Guild. I'm working on another birthday gift! 

Back at home I have found homes for the plants I bought. I still have a couple of empty pots, so there's room for more. The bad news was a traffic fine in my letterbox- a claim I disobeyed a red arrow, which has caught me by surprise. I have been quite careful - especially at the intersection in question. It's worse if it happened and I don't remember. I don't, however, think I will argue. I was at the intersection around the nominated time.  A bit depressing - but at the moment I am philosophical, confident and resilient. 

After several days of pleasantly cooler weather, the temperature is rising again. From 29C today, we go to 35C tomorrow and 38C on Thursday. After a couple of high 20s over the weekend, the forecast is for 30+again next week. I'd rather it were cooler, but it is fairly usual for February, and could be worse. I need to keep the water up to those plants.