Post 501 Plenty to do this week.

A big advantage of a macro-lens camera on my phone is that I can take opportunistic photos - like this ladybird on the Kalanchoe next to where I was sitting, reading in the sun on Friday. Within minutes it had flown away (home) - no time to get my DSL and attach the macro lens.

I am channeling my mother, who was an observer of  nature and her brother, who was a photographer.

Wednesday was our monthly World Embroidery Study Group meeting. We had a lively discussion about cruelty-free and sustainable silk, focused on three examples - the golden orb spider silk from Madagascar, the wild silks of India and the cocoon silk of Madagascar. The last, whilst the one most reliably cruelty-free, is the least adaptable, with embellishment rather than garment as an end point. Cocoons are collected after the moth has exited, then beaten into fibrous sheets which can be dyed and stitched. This is Margaret's photograph and work using one of the cocoon sheets to paint and embroider butterflies. 

After the meeting a few of us had lunch at a cafe around the corner from the Guild. We sat on their courtyard veranda, eventually becoming aware of a silent watcher above the magazine rack tucked into a corner. I'm hoping the teddybear was put there by the cafe for bored children, and not left behind by an adoring child. It certainly won't be cuddled by anyone any time soon!

The surgeon rang on Thursday with the pathology results for the 2 moles I had removed, one benign, one pre-cancerous, but they had got it all. I skipped Pilates in deference to the stitches, which come out next Thursday. They have reached the itchy stage, so I'll be glad to have them out.

I called at the Guild to return a key. On the way I picked up a copy of Richard Osman's newly released The Last Devil to Die as well as more basic provisions.

The Frida and Diego Exhibition at the Art Gallery was finishing last weekend.  I am so glad I made a concerted effort to get there on Friday. It was fabulous. Most of it comes from the endowment of the Jacques and Natasha Gelman. As well as their paintings, there are many interesting photographs of Frida and Diego, together and separate.   I bought the excellent catalogue for more leisurely perusal. The exhibition included a display of Mexican dresses which set me off on another World Embroidery tangent. By the end of the day I had sourced and ordered 2 books on Mexican embroidery. 

Surely someone will be interested in following up?

On Saturday, after a quick supermarket visit, I helped out at JEMS. There were 7 girls there, stitching a variety of things. The conversation is lively, not so different to adult stitching groups. I just made up the required supervision numbers, but it’s a rewarding gig.  I took last week's pouch along, as I had promised, to show how their advice had panned out. They were pleased with the result (genuinely,  I judge, although they would hardly have said otherwise!).

I spent much of Sunday making moussaka- and cleaning up afterwards. It was warm work, helped by listening to the very long ABBA Gold compilation album.  Only later, after I had cooked and eaten chicken livers for my lunch at 2.30 pm, fixed the printer that has been on strike for days, showered and sat down to catch up on news, did I discover that not all the heat had come from the kitchen. The outside temperature had reached 31C.  Looks like Spring is here. I removed the cotton blanket under the quilt on my bed.  Maybe it’s time to wash my woollens.

It was evident on Monday evening that the ragu for the moussaka could have done with a bit more reduction. but we had plenty of bread to mop up the liquid. Fionn's football team has made the final, so lots of speculation about their chances. Not sure if I can make the match on Saturday, but I will try. 

While the moussaka was heating, I tried to photograph the sun going down, sitting as a big golden globe on top of a building. I couldn't capture the globe, but produced an interesting photo anyway. It looks as if there was a dragon breathing fire from one of the apartments.

Today I had a podiatrist appointment and lunch with a UniSA Alumni officer. We discussed a range of Uni issues, from the proposed merger, to fund-raising and social justice. I really enjoyed it.

Afterwards I picked up a parcel from the PO - two sets of cards I bought from Can Do Books.  I was curious, after my experience with the cards that Pascal Jaouen's Glazig school produces. I'm pretty impressed with the two sets that came today. They are produced in England and more expensive here in Australia than they are in either the UK or USA. A good idea though, and very clear.

This morning I finished  The Last Devil to Die. I think it is extraordinary - compassionate, insightful, engaging, entertaining, moving. It reminds me a lot of the Ealing comedies I saw as a child with my parents at the Botany Empire Cinema (or Theatre, as it was signed) - a kind of intelligent high farce.

I have completed four of the eight patterns required for the alpaca shawl - 112 rows done, 112 to go.  Unfortunately, this is nowhere near half way because each row increases by 2 stitches. 

Might be worth trying to finish it before the hot weather sets in.

Post 500 Not bringing home the bacon

The Adelaide Show was on last week. I didn't go, but did catch glimpses of the fireworks at 9pm each evening - a bright spot each night. 

On Wednesday I had the appointment with the dietitian my GP had recommended back in March. She was not taking new patients until September, so this was the first appointment I could get. She lived up to my GP's praise in most ways. She listened, gathered data, was supportive and non-judgemental. What I was after was help with how to maintain a reasonable weight in the long term.

It was going great guns until I mentioned that my nephrologist recommended injectables. To my surprise she became excited and enthusiastic. Not what I expected. She showed me the epipen for injectables. It has a sliding dosage measurement. You begin on the lowest dose and only increase if your body isn't responding with weight loss. You need to inject every day, recommended initially for a year.  Evidence suggests you can wean yourself off, but weight will gradually go back on.  She is very keen. I am not,  even before factoring in the cost. I've decided to give myself until I see my GP in November to maintain weight loss sans injectable and discuss with her. Nothing I have read, before or after my appointment, suggests this is what I am looking for. 

I treated myself to lunch at A Prayer for the Wild at Heart, grilled whiting (within my food allowance) and a flat white coffee that made me smile.

Thursday was my mole excisions. Two in the middle of my back. The procedure went smoothly. I rested for a day, kept them completely dry for 66 hours and mostly dry thereafter. The stitches come out in a fortnight and someone will be in touch if the analysis raises any problems. So far so good. The stitches pull when I stretch in any direction, so I've cancelled Pilates this week. 

I entertained myself on Friday by advancing the Christine Bishop Pulled Thread Mat and reading, in between watching the birds. There was a bit of a competition between a noisy miner and the resident dove for domination of the budding tree. Quiet persistence seemed to win out for the dove.

This evening I had a phone call from a friend in Darwin, who  had an encounter with a similar dove at almost the same time and decided this was a message to get in touch. I'm glad he did.

On Saturday, an email from Create in Stitch sent me scurrying to the shop in pursuit of a set of large stretcher bars to make a repository for my earrings - an idea I had been pondering.  In my usual madwoman obsession, I had it finished by late afternoon - and was exhausted. The full story is in my stitching blog (although, in the end, there was no stitching required). It is 28" square and hangs on my bedroom wall.

On Friday I bought some chicken livers, mushrooms and parsley to cook with bacon for my dinner - a favourite of mine. There were enough for 2 meals, and I planned to repeat the meal on Sunday but ran out of bacon. 

On Sunday morning, I bought more bacon, but when I came to cook the meal, realised I had lost the package of bacon somewhere along the line, probably in asserting my independence by packing my own bag at the checkout. 

I have been making this for years, never without bacon, which I regarded as an essential ingredient. After searching the car and my shopping bags, my make-do instinct came good, and I made the meal using broccoli and beansprouts instead of bacon.   Worked a treat! I'll do it again.

The second alpaca shawl-in-the-round is coming along. It is a 28 row pattern sequence, worked 8 times, increasing by 2 stitches per row. I have begun the third sequence. It is difficult to calculate yarn requirements because of the increase, but it seemed likely to be touch and go. Only the black is still available, so I have ordered some more as backup.

It's an interesting and fairly easy pattern, an 18 stitch repeat with only one colour per row. The trick is in which of the 18 stitches begins each row.  One-colour-per-row should make for an easier steek finish than the last shawl.

It was a lovely 24C today. Feeling tired, I stayed at home, tidied up a bit, checked over tomorrow’s WES presentation, did a lot of crosswords and sudoku and got some Christmas bags started using the fabric from Missy Rose. 

Five are stitched into bags and 10 folded and ironed, ready to stitch. That’s enough progress for today. 

I will sign off my 500th post to return to my knitting.

Post 499 Buttons and Birds

Spring arrived with a fanfare of birds this week. On the third level of an apartment with trees in front and behind, their noise is constant; chattering, calling, warning, arguing, as they seek out the emerging buds barely visible to human eyes. 

On Saturday evening it was a flock of lorikeets - the noisiest of them all.

It was in contrast to the almost monochrome moonscape as I tried to capture the super blue moon on Wednesday and Thursday nights. This was as close as I came to the golden glow, but I was pleased, nonetheless. Moonshots are difficult and at least I got a few decent shots, even without the gold.

I got some help on Saturday from JEMS for the jewellery pouch I had decided to make from last week's Certificate Course endeavour. I worked on the sample all week, unable to resist the temptation to play with the stitches and design. I couldn't decide between two pieces of fabric for the lining and back. The girls at JEMS worked it out - the velvet for the back because it matched the outer edge I was still working, and the shiny pink, which everyone loved, as lining. Later that night, Veronica added, sensibly, that the red necklaces I was planning to put in it would be hard to see if I used the velvet as lining. Good advice all round.  The pouch is now finished - detail in my embroidery blog. I've promised to take it back next month to show the JEMS.

A side activity at JEMS was button sorting. The JEMS button collection was being sorted into bags by colour and size. A button sort is irresistible, and I got a bit hooked. It's the result of a call for buttons for the children's dresses made by the Guild's shop team.

Sunday was sunny, with a stiff breeze in the morning, so I took the opportunity to throw my sheepskin slippers in the washing machine. The second load of washing was dry in an hour. The slippers took longer, but were clean and dry by the end of the afternoon.   I'll wait at least a couple of weeks before I wash my woollens - reckon I'll need them  yet.

On Sunday afternoon I took myself off to an Elders Art Auction to bid on a bark painting - the last item in the auction. It turned into a battle between an online bidder and myself. I allowed myself two bids over my notional limit, before bowing out. I'm now waiting for a photograph to come back from the framers before organising for my picture hanger to come and hang the botanical mosaic I bought a couple of weeks ago.

I've spent a bit of time on the western balcony in the late afternoons, stitching, reading or writing.  Once summer arrives with a vengeance the balcony will be much too hot.

I further refined the vegetable-bake-with-chipolatas recipe for Monday night dinner. This time I baked the vegetables on a high temperature for about 40 minutes before adding the chipolatas and lowering the temperature for another 30-40 minutes. This produced firmer vegetables without over-cooking the chipolatas. Once again, I intended to add lemon juice before serving, but forgot. Maybe next time I'll remember.

                                               

On Wednesday some fabulous fabric arrived from Tessuti. Need is certainly not the driving force here, but this presented too many bag possibilities to be ignored. I now have Christmas fabric for gift bags, quite a few linens from Ink and Spindle for totes, as well as this one. 

I need to make room in my life for a bag making binge.  

Two books on Australian women artists also arrived this week, in preparation for helping my brother with his next books. I’m also gearing up to write more family history and to document my own paintings, as well as prepare for several Guild presentations. 

I might have to slow down my knitting, although this will be a challenge. This is the beginning of the next alpaca shawl in the round. I  knitted the first few inches back and forth until there was enough to join in the round without dpns. As this one is mosaic knitting,  alternating 2 full rows in each colour, there is less reason I can see for the steek, but I am persevering.    

I also got another knitting book in today's mail - with some very attractive bag patterns.

After the book was delivered, I took myself off to the Tuesday Stitchers group at the Guild for a couple of hours to catch up with news and work on the Christine Bishop Pulled Thread mat. I was home in time to hear, then see, the flock of noisy New Holland Honeyeaters visit my balcony.

A single lorikeet also visited this morning. The buds that attract them are now visible to human eyes.

I'm having a couple of excisions of moles later this week, so may get time at home to observe while healing.  

Post 498 Flying.

A magpie was in the Guild garden on Saturday, watching the carpark activity from a safe vantage point  as I was leaving, taking off as soon as a car moved.

Birds have been active all week: Spring is on the way. The Adelaide Rosella appeared on the seemingly still bare tree at the back of the apartment but flew off before I could grab the DSLR. The early buds must be swelling. The doves have visited every day and the honey eaters make swift forays to check out my plants. 

I had my 6th  COVID vaccination on Wednesday before juggling car parking spaces with my cleaners. I had no adverse reaction, but was tired for a couple of days during which I had time to work up a list of jobs I have been putting off and the courage to tackle a couple of items on the list. 

So, on Friday, I plucked up courage and disposed of the lamp whose shade I had replaced in February . The shade did not fit properly and I had removed it in fear of it falling off. I like the lamp, but I don't use it and it deserves to be used and appreciated. At the risk of coming across as completely mad, I took it to a restoration centre, along with the shade and offered it to them free. My fall-back was to buy a shade that did fit and take the working lamp to a charity. The two assistants in the shop were wary of agreeing without the owner, who was on his way to the shop. When he arrived, he agreed immediately but asked me to accept a bottle of wine in exchange! Done.

The restoration centre is across the road from Nordic Design Furniture so I took another chance. The hap stretcher I bought from Shetland has a problem with one of the 4 connecting knobs that screw the sides together. A screw on one was too short, and would not hold the corner firm. I had researched repair centres and handymen, but found no-one who did such repairs. I took the set of connectors into Nordic Design Furniture and asked Daniel if he had any idea of a service that might fix it. He took it from me, got a tool and some glue, explained the problem (part of the screw had disappeared into the wood) and affected what may only be a temporary fix. He also explained that this side of the connector (lower in photo)  is designed to remain fixed. The connector should only be unscrewed from the side with the brass surround. This made sense, and may mean the temporary fix can be permanent if I undo it correctly. It was a generous response.

I came away from these two encounters on a high. It was uplifting to be shown such kindness in these contexts. A madwoman comes into your business with out-of-left-field, unprofitable requests. Both men responded with kindness and empathy. I felt affirmed and successful. 

I had a late lunch at A Prayer for the Wild at Heart to celebrate, trying the really lovely whiting special instead of my regular gnudi.

Saturday was a Certificate Course workshop taken by Margaret Adams on Canvas Stitches on Linen . There was a lot of information and stitches I have not worked before. I worked on a looser weave linen than most participants, so I could see more clearly what  I was doing. I had a great time and kept working on it when I got home, even though I had other things to work on.  

This is where I am up to (it's a 15cm hoop).

The reason I can work on this, is because I finished and blocked the alpaca shawl during the week. It was a long and, at times difficult, process, but worth it. I have written about it in detail in my stitching blog in more detail than all but knitting nerds would want.    

There is no shortage of things I want to do. I mended a couple of shirts for Fionn over the weekend, ordered a couple of books to help with work I've agreed to do for my brother's next book, while some Christmas fabric I ordered months ago for bags arrived, and I have agreed to give a workshop on Glazig embroidery for the Certificate Course next year. 

My priority is finishing the Canvas stitches above, then the Christine Bishop drawn thread mat - before I embark on another shawl.

Post497 Mostly botanical.

I took this photo in the garden along the front of our apartments while I was waiting for the postman to delivery a parcel I knew wouldn't fit in the letterbox. The bloom is about 6cm across. It would make a neat piece of stump work.

My friend Lorraine and I had a long, relaxed lunch on Wednesday at The Flying Pan. It was a bit quieter than last time. Lorraine has finally shaken the flu she developed just after we met 6 weeks ago.

There was a brilliant sunset that night - a tribute, no doubt to the great work of the Matildas, the Lions, and all the women playing in the most watched television event in Australia since records have been kept.

I'm not a sports fan, but have to acknowledge the achievement. I don't know enough about the game to understand the play, but I did follow the score and commentary on my phone while watching Vera.

Thursday was an unusually busy day for me. In addition to Pilates, I did a large supermarket shop at Unley, and went to Port Adelaide to get a couple of accessories to make the shawl border easier to knit. It required quite a bit of consultation to get what I was looking for. While there, I visited the nearby True Hemp Culture to replenish my supply of eco-friendly nail polish and remover. This shop is a bit of a find. Since Ecolateral closed I have been hard-pressed to find several products. I'm delighted to have stumbled on this source. I managed to mostly dodge the rain that set in in the afternoon, although it was a bit of a search for a carpark at both Port Adelaide and Unley.

I still haven’t made it to the Frida and Diego Exhibition at the Art Gallery. I had a couple of possible spaces  in my diary this week but  chose to visit a couple of SALA exhibitions. August is always South Australian Living Arts month and pre-COVID I visited lots of exhibitions which pop up in shops, and any vacant spaces. This year, a couple of exhibitions caught my eye, so I ventured out.  One in particular, Botanical Beauty at the Noel Lothian Hall at the Botanic Gardens, was only on for three days. As Friday was  catching up with  friends,  I made time on Sunday. 

I’m so glad I did. 

The gardens are looking splendid, with buds just beginning on some plants, flowers and fruit on others. 

There was a huge variety of art and crafts on display and for sale. I fell for the work of Tricia Matthews, from Greenock, in the Barossa Valley, who works in mosaics, particularly using mirrors. All but one of her works on display were of birds. A wonderful Cockatoo had been sold. I have very little spare wall space in the apartment, but wondered if the neighbour across the landing on my floor would mind if I hung it outside my door. She has an artwork outside hers, so I thought she’d agree.  

The one I liked best, apart from the cockatoo, was Koi Fish. In the end I bought it. When I got it home, I realised there was one suitable space left in the apartment. At the end of the corridor, below a glass painting of mahjong players, it will catch the light from the balcony. 

As you approach it distorts and creates new images. It is heavy and will need to be professionally hung. 

It is giving me joy. Jim and I bought a lot of local art, mostly from exhibitions. The collection is important to me.  I‘m so the happy to be able to add this to it.  

Today I waited in for a parcel delivery before taking myself to Barrow and Bench Garden Centre to pick up a few replacement plants, then on to Centennial Park Jubilee Hall where a group of artists from Port Vincent, on the Yorke Peninsula, have a SALA exhibition, Three Generations and Friend, mostly about the sea. It is a good space for art. The driftwood sculptures of Alan Borg are extraordinary, as are some of the sand and seascapes.

While at Centennial Park I visited Jim’s grave. The tree and succulents are thriving. I added a couple more succulents and took a couple of cuttings home to add to my balcony garden.

Back at home I planted some of the replacements. 

The balconies are looking  good, especially this poinsettia from several Christmases ago. The challenge will be to keep up the watering throughout the coming summer. 

The shawl has taken up many hours this week. I am working an icord around two sides, joining an inside and an outside edge. It is very slow work, but will be finished by next week.

Tomorrow I have my 6th COVID vaccine. I’m hoping to get back into regular swimming once that takes effect. Deo volente.