Knitting

Since the tiger-knit is done, I’ve begun a project that I’ve had in mind for a few months and has already had a few trial runs. I’m amazed how well the yarn has stood up to being ‘frogged’ (knitting term that means to pull undone) four times up to now.

And even this time I was doubtful at first whether I’d keep this version as that bottom corner just will not unroll. I’ve tried a few things already, including pulling the first three rows apart. This merely caused the rolling effect to rise.

But I discovered it is probably an effect of the work being on the needles–which causes a certain tension along the sides–and which disappears when, for example, I knit half a line and the work hangs differently.

And let me tell you that the above are not the true colors! Though even the true colors, being what we used to call Vogue shades, are not my favorites. The yarn was on special, probably because no one likes them. I’m planning on throwing a bit of quinaquadrone gold at the finished work which usually fixes sickly hues such as these.

Third, as I hope you’ll have noticed by now, is the lack of a regular pattern. I wanted to see if I could knit a lacy organic-looking ‘shawlette’ to support an bunch of vines that I will crochet and/or embroider on it after the knitting.

A shawlette is a medium-sized shawl, I’m assuming. I learned the term from JS. The deepest part will about 40 cms or 17 inches. The length … not sure yet … whatever it ends up being when I’ve reached the required depth.

On the right side of the work, I’m increasing at the beginning of every line, then knitting eyelets either by (1) yarn over, slip one knit one and psso … which gives me a left-leaning stitch, and (2) yarn over and knit two together OR knit two together and yarn over … which give me right-leaning stitches. the main thing to remember is to do a yarn-over either before or after a pair of stitches knitted together. NOTE to self do not follow a yarn over directly after a yarn over.

The wrong side of the work is always purled.

By making these tiny decisions on each ‘knit’ line (on the right side of the work) for each wriggling vine wending its way up the knit, I’ll be able to pick out the strongest longest foundation vines to embellish. The rest will help build a foresty texture when I have fixed the colors.

That’s the plan, anyway.

Cat Diary 23

Look at what the old woman has got into the house. I don’t like it. If I look away will it be gone?

No such luck, my magic isn’t powerful enough

She put it on my floor!

Is it alive?

It doesn’t smell alive!

Look at it looking at me! No, I don’t like it! I’m going to sit under the couch for a while perhaps it’ll get bored and be when I come out.

See? Ignoring it did the trick!

A Christmas Story

This largely cheerful story was a perfect beginning to my otherwise ‘ordinary’ day, had me sniffling with a sudden emotional release.

When I wake up thinking … “76!!! How did that happen?” is going to be one of those days when the mystery of that hits me at every turn and I wonder about weird things I do, see and hear.

Why … do I dream of a kid with a Christmas tree ornament head? Why … have I got trouble thinking up socially-necessary empty praises for half-done work?

Why? Why do manufacturers make gingerbread house kits with over half a page of ingredients, most of them numbered.

Share your hardest why’s in the comments …

Why, when I try to reblog that Christmassy story, do both Jetpack and Godzilla the browser throw me off with ‘this is how to do it’ and don’t even try something so easy as copy and paste.

Lol, love that sentence. 37 words!

https://writingfromtheheartwithbrian.com/2024/12/16/santa-makes-a-pit-stop/?jetpack_skip_subscription_popup

Worked that time I hope, enjoy!

Lodestar 64, Ahni & Kes

Here’s about half a chapter’s worth … Ahni’s and Kes’s ongoing journey, which I’m taking into a fog of indecision, it feels like. I’m forging into new territory and I have an inkling that I should’ve perhaps forwarded a few other characters onto the scene before further progress by these two.

This is one problem with publishing while writing. Times like these I wonder whether Charles Dickens ever ran into similar troubles. He also published serially, chapters in a monthly magazine.

64. Ahni on the RoadDownload

The Build 8, 7 Dec 24

There’s been work on the escape route into Banchory Court. This will be a one lane access road that cuts through the middle of the site. The asphalt and parked car in the background of the photo below are in fact in Banchory Court.

While Surbiton Court is mostly one level and floodable along most of its length, Banchory rises quite quickly to higher ground, even useful for workers on the site, given we’ve now had two flood events in the past month.

This machine was a surprise giant in the elbow of the little road where it exts the site at the base of Parkland building. Working in the distance, flattening once more the piles of ‘fill’ dug from the lower part of the site, it looks much more proportional.

And speaking of flattening piles of dirt, JW and I standing chatting, were seeing that in action. That was a couple of days ago. And here, on Saturday (20 December 2024) there’s more flattening happening …

Looks like overtime but could be the schedule is running behind … too many days lost to rain.

One Cocoon …

Is what eventuated.

And this from a caterpillar that hung from the branch like a dead thing for over eighteen hours. Transformed overnight.

Cocoon in the upper mid left area, quite well camouflaged.

Just lucky I didn’t tidy the whole thing away, which I didn’t do because the leafy wild lemon branches donated at the last minute had on them a very young instar.

Starting the whole cycle again.