Post647 Things bright and beautiful

In spite of the rain (or perhaps because of it!) it has been a week of beauty and busyness. With the benefit of rain, a number of cacti are beginning to bloom on the back balcony. It won't be long before some are covered in bloom.

A couple of doves have paid very brief visis. As the weather is mild it is  possible many are nesting. So far the count of H5 Avian flu, which has finally reached Australia, is 17 cases in wild birds. Hopefully it does not become a local issue.

Last night's dinner was Osso Bucco.  On Friday the butcher only had three pieces of shin-of-beef on display but was happy to cut more, so I asked for 8 pieces. They turned out to be huge - weighing in at 4Kg. We ended up with 6 people for dinner, and consumed a good portion of it. I'll have a couple of meat meals from the remains and some pasta sauce.

The girls came to dinner straight from an Escape Room experience which they had all enjoyed, managing to complete the game with a few minutes to spare. They are fast becoming experts.

I spent most of the week working on the tea box lids. Two of them were gifted on Monday night. The Stars of Winter had been finished last week but I didn't want to reveal it until it was in the hands of the owner. Detail is in my embroidery blog. I love the subtlety of this one. It feels calming and reflective.

The Galah proved tricky. I adapted it to fit a box lid, making it twice the size of the kit design.  I got some advice from the recipient along the way and once again, am pleased with the result. Again, detail is in an embroidery blog post.

Nevertheless, I am a little relieved that the third granddaughter chose the Jewels of Summer design, rather than the Galah. While still requiring meticulous concentration and stitching, it is not quite as challenging.

 

On Saturday, when I received notification that the 12 ply wool I had ordered for my granddaughter's blanket  would arrive on Monday, it occurred to me that she would need a knitting bag for this enterprise, so on Sunday I set about making one. I had plenty of acid-free wadding from the bundle I had bought for the tea box lids so I dug out some bright cotton and made a barrel-shapped bag. I had planned a zip closure, but miscalculated, ending up, fortunately, with an overlap, which I secured with wooden toggles and buttonholes. 

When the wool arrived on Monday, I was pleased with that outcome as it better accommodates the bulge of  1300 gms of wool!

I didn't have any plain fabric to line the bag, so used a piece of batik fabric. It blends fairly well on the inside but is not the best colour match on the edging. It is at least bright and cheerful. I knitted a test square in the new wool. We are both excited about starting this poject in a week or so's time.

On Monday Shane arrived just after 8am to check on the drips I heard  last week. There was about 4 litres of water in the drip tray, but no sign of overflow or uncaught leaks. We concluded I had heard water hitting on the surface of the drip tray once the sponges became saturated.  Shane went on to clean the vents on the ceiling of my balcony. They were very clogged, with, we suspect, about 15 years of dust, certainly 10.. The vents help to circulate air through the ceiling to cool it in Summer. The plan is now to clean them every 2 years.

Once again, I''m impressed with Shane's professionalism, knowledge and communication. He explains each step and reasoning in terms I understand, so I end up with a much greater understanding of how the maintenance system in my apartment works.

This morning, a couple of hours after sunrise,  I had the call I'd been waiting for from the organiser of the Embroidery Tour in August. I now have the date and time of my talk, which is a relief. As he wants a summary to use as an introduction, I will now tidy and finalise the presentation. 

Once again, I've been aware of the rhythm of sunrise and sunset. It's lovely to live where I can observe these on a daily basis.

New every morning is the love my waking and uprising proves.

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!

Post634. Plenty to see and do.

 

Last Thursday I woke to this sunrise, taking the first photo from my bed. By the time I got outside for a closer look, the first flight out of Adelaide to Melbourne was visible -  it's the dot in the grey sky slightly to the right of the middle in the photo below.

The red sky didn't, I think, amount to trouble for either local shepherds or sailors. On Sunday morning I  took a series of photos of the plane as it disappeared Eastwards - here right at the top of the photo. The Sunday sky was more pink than red - and was grey within 2-3 minutes.

I spent much of the week indoors. 

On Wednesday Shane and his apprentice arrived at 8.15am and set to work to drape my living room with drop sheets, before the top half of one worker disappeared into the ceiling. I had a doctor’s appointment at 9.30, so left them to it. I had my flu shot, and a long conversation with my GP about my blood test results from the week before. He, like the nephrologist, is happy with the results. My kidney is in good shape. My sugar level is OK and my weight stable. He says if I were 15 years younger he would suggest further weight loss, but at my age lifestyle is more important! I’m not sure that’s a great rule to live by, so I will continue to watch my weight and work slowly on a reduction.

When I returned home,  Shane was convinced, as he has long suspected, that this leak is under the solar panels. 

They have now installed a drip tray in my ceiling.  Several hours was spent re-plastering and repainting, with several trips to paint shops to find the exact colour for both wall and ceiling, so it doesn't refllect or show when the light direction changes.

They finally cleaned up and left at 4.15pm and will be back to add a connecting drain pipe from the ingress point to the tray.

I sat in the living room and knitted or wrote for the entire time. I like to hear their conversation. Shane is a great teacher, constantly engaging, explaining, showing, instructing and tasking the apprentice in a clear and supportive way.

I also now have a neat and tidy manhole ready for future inspections.  

I had been toying with the idea of cooking quail one Monday night. We used to cook it fairly frequently a couple of decades ago and I had almost forgotten. It turns out, however, that it is no longer easily available in Adelaide.  I checked with my local supermarket on Friday, but contrary to what their website says, they don't stock them. I'll investigate further, but in the meantime, eggplant is in season, and my butcher had freshly minced lamb.

Saturday proved to be quite busy. I spent much of it making Moussaka, in between making phone calls for my neighbour who had lost her phone.  Turns out she had left it at the supermarket checkout in the city.  In the afternoon, from 2.30pm- 5.50pm there was a concert in the Square, featuring two bands and a soloist. Their music was more soothing and melodic than last year's concert. I could hear, but not see the performers. This is the back of the crowd, facing the stage out of sight to the right of the photo.

In the evening, dinner was at a restaurant, to celebrate the 13th birthday of a family friend. Really relaxed. I'm not sure if my gift of cricketing books will prove a long-term interest, but it is well worth a try.

I spent most of Sunday finishing a special knitting project I had decided on for an upcoming birthday. It was intense and slightly complicated work, but produced a good result which I will reveal in due course. I am now  back on the Chapter and Skein shawl, which is a lovely, gentle project. I am only just over halfway through the first skein, so rather think one skein will be sufficient.

Books keep arriving safely. Illuminated Knits contains four patterns: a blanket, two shawls and a top, all with Celtic knot patterns.  Food for thought, rather than a rush to execute.

The Embroidery of Mexico is, without a doubt, the best I've seen on the topic. It contains detailed information about the stitches and templates of the embroidery traditions of very specific geographic areas. 

It is a treasure trove.

Today another of the Kathleen Herbert lecture reprints arrived: again, really useful background for my August talk. 

This, I think, is the last Ive ordered, so now to get down to writing.  

Today I managed to swim - 700 metres in half an hour. It’s good to be back in the pool.  Fortuitously, the temperature today, the middle of Autumn, was 30C.

Afterwards I called at Barrow and Bench hardware store. Yesterday I called there to buy a screw for a door handle that has been hanging off the wardrobe on one screw for months. When the remaining screw gave way I finally took it to find a replacement. After an enormous amount of assistance from Karen, I bought a replacement handle that came with screws. 

The problem was, the screws had to be cut to the right length. We took a punt, and Karen cut and filed them, telling me to return if the screws were too long. They were - hence today’s trip. Another worker cheerfully cut them again for me - extraordinary service for a $4.50 purchase! I also bought a couple of plants. 

The handle is now fully restored and functional. 

This afternoon I went through the pattern books accompanying the embroideries I mentioned last week.

Most are vintage knitting books that will go to a good home. A couple are crochet patterns, including this book of crocheted swimwear. 

I wonder if any Guild members will be tempted to give them a try?

                                                                     

Post 431 There's a lot of Covid around. I stay cautious and busy.

Wednesday was WES Group. Lori, who is taking a break from the Guild over the next year, has been researching Pockets, an interest initially triggered by Jan Messant's book Celtic, Viking and Anglo-Saxon Embroidery. As usual, Lori had worked examples of what she was learning. She had put together a PowerPoint presentation, but unfortunately we couldn't get the Guild laptop to talk to the projector. Two regular members, with experience of the IT setup, were  last-minute apologies for the meeting - one on her way to get a PCR test for Covid. I was opposed to any fiddling with the laptop settings. In the end Lori worked from her notes. It was a terrific session, with a lot of engagement. 

I had planned to farewell Lori but was a bit distracted during the meeting. As well as the IT failure, the member with Covid (the PCR test proved positive) had returned the day before from leading a textile tour in Central Australia. Another member of the group, who was at the meeting, had been on the tour. She found out about the potential infection when I told the group. She was horrified. She has since tested positive. Most members were wearing masks and we were appropriately distanced. No-one's fault, but it was a bit scary. To add to it, I had a sore throat that night. I cancelled my Pilates class on Thursday and took a PCR test after 24 hours, which was negative. My symptoms didn't develop. 

Coffee on Friday with two old work friends was cancelled because one is in Canberra with Covid. I had hoped to get to Sandy Lepore's 100 Year Climate Project exhibition at the City of Adelaide Library on Friday, but got a phone call from my AirCon service company to say they had a cancellation and could perform my service later in the morning. It's done and in good order. Now all I need is my repaired blind returned, the Vergola repair investigated and my carpets cleaned. 

Admittedly the lack of a blind is not keeping me awake at night and, if I wake up in time, there are some fine sunrises.

While isolating on Thursday and Friday I took all my folders of embroidery and knitting notes and patterns out of the boxes and folders into which they have been shoved, then sorted, rearranged and labelled them. It is good to reacquaint myself with what is there. 

On Sunday I emptied my trunk of family records and treasures to reacquaint myself with what's there. I have idea for a small set of generational drawers to hold these. It makes me very sad to handle some of these and I choose not to dwell on many of them.  This one, however, given to all school children in primary schools in NSW in 1953, just makes me smile and shake my head (the boys, of course, got blue ones.)  

I  think I'm on the right track with the drawers. I had been thinking very small, but now think they need to be a little larger. I'm on to it, however slowly.

I recovered equilibrium by making a batch of Anzac biscuits. I used a recipe provided in 2021 by Peter Malinauskas who was then leader of the Opposition is SA. It seemed a bit moist so I added extra oats. I also didn't pay close attention to the time. I don't think I can blame the tools for the fact they were overcooked. They taste OK - and have mostly been eaten. I need to go back to my method of three weeks ago!

That night there was a rare opportunity to photograph the moon in the East. Not sure why the photographs worked this time - usually I can't hold the camera still for long enough. 

 

Monday's dinner was another vegetable & sausage bake. It was a bit on the fly because of footy practice and parent-teacher interviews. I made way too much, but it got us through. I had quite a good time, hearing stories from the kids and just serving food. It's a very laid back and privileged position. 

Today I had a hairdressing appointment - just a cut and blow dry. I enjoyed talking to my hairdresser, who is feeling old at 30. I also picked up a parcel from my local PO and another from a gym in the NW corner of the city. Delivery had been attempted while I was shopping yesterday. There was a closer pick-up point but the courier dropped it off at the gym - probably where he stays fit! I grumbled a bit, but it was interesting to visit an unexplored part of the city.

In between I've been working on Jenny McWinney's Arabian Bag.  I've finished the embroidery. 

Since taking the photo, I have added some gold lines and a the single line of sand under the buildings. This afternoon I have begun the construction. I've struggled a little with some of the instructions, but the bag will emerge before next week's post.          

One of my parcels this morning contained a new shawl pin from Scarf Pins and Rings. I couldn't resist a wombat.

I'm hoping all my Covid positive friends are recovering fully.