ProseKnitic – of Words und Wolle

It was one of those days. Last night it snowed meaning I had to scrape off both cars. The wagon because I wanted to continue to listen to Robert Crais’s “Stalking the Angel” on the way back from the train station. The van because I had promised Beverly a stop at Maidenhead to pick up a file cabinet on the way to RAF Croughton.

Did I mention that not only was there snow, but it was freezing with ice crusted on the windshield and gleaming black on the road?

I get a text from Ms Copper – their train broke down 5 meters short of the platform at Ascot; it took 45 minutes for them to be pushed in. Late for school they were obviously.

Merrily driving up the A322, we hear the traffic warning. The M40 is closed in both directions between exits 4-6. We get on the M40 at 4 going north….not today. Accidents in the early morning.

Over the rivers and streams with alternate routes in horrible traffic – it takes us 3 hours to traverse a distance normally needing only a bit over 70 minutes.

On the way back, we hear more of the story. Two truck accident in the one direction resulting in the contents of the one truck across both sides of the dual carriage way. The product? Lard. Really, I am not joking. Of course, a truck moving fast on the far side promptly jack-knifed, finishing off the drama.

It only took two hours on an alternate route to return home. I then had to dash to the bank before it closed (cashing check and changing money was the reason for this whole trip), drop off some mail, unload groceries, get the file cabinet (felt like 40kgs worth) out of the back of the van…. you get the idea.

Just ahead of me as I was taking a short cut through the Mall was a young girl of about three. Her blond hair was swinging free just below her shoulder; blunt cut bangs framing her face. She was happily chatting with her mother who was pushing an infant in a stroller. Munching on pommes (chips for you Brits, French Fries for the Americans) she expertly wielded her joy stick. Turning her chair neatly and efficiently, she motored along the hall complete with immaculate pink patterned Wellies on her feet and a Mercedes symbol on the back of her brightly coloured chair.

We arrived in Trabzon on a misty morning.

Several organized tours were leaving the ship. Instead we elected to take the free shuttle bus up to the town center and just wander around. I am not much for organized tours on the best of days. Since this is a regular city, businesses, industry and ugly buildings overwhelming the grace of its location – organized tour seemed a bit specious.

Trabzon

Just walking around was wonderful. Signage was good, if we had wanted to see some sites they could have been found. Instead, we wandered through the alleys and byways of the Souks. Typical of this area of the world, shops were clumped together that sold similar merchandise.

Narrow street and alleys

There was yarn -

Yarn Store

There was the makings for this -

Crochet Slipper with beads

And there were gardens tucked in every corner and under bridges -

in the middle of the city

We had only half a day. A bit of yarn (never did find any that was not acrylic) and the makings for slippers jumped into my bag for a sail out of the country.

Hiking back to the ship at the end of the morning

Black Sea Discovery Cruise

13 Oct – Depart from Istanbul
14 Oct – Day at Sea
15 Oct – Trabzon, Turkey
16 Oct – Sochi, Russia
17 Oct – Sochi, Russia
18 Oct – Yalta, Ukraine
19 Oct – Sevastopol, Ukraine
20 Oct – Odessa, Ukraine
21 Oct – Constanza, Romania
22 Oct – Nesebur, Bulgaria
23 Oct – Istanbul, Turkey
24 Oct – Istanbul -> Airport

Knitting

Since this was a day at sea with no obligations and no where to go – I knit. I had forgotten just how long it takes to knit anything on size 3,00 mm needles in garter stitch. In any case, I managed to get through the first sleeve for Mermaid (Hanne Falkenberg) in various shades of purple. It is one of those knits where it doesn’t pay to think about it too hard. Rather, following directions is the way to go and it worked.

It started with fog early this morning.

I need to blame something and the fog will do just as well as anything else. Peasoup outside when the cab came to the door right before seven in the morning.

I was packed, except for loading a couple of eBooks onto a memory stick to transfer from the PC to my MAC. I had even managed to rip another Robert Crais novel and had topped the Zune close to capacity. Preparation for being able to charge, but not load for the next couple of weeks. Pulled the Zune, threw it in with my knitting and headed out.

At Heathrow, we find that our flight has been changed. To one almost an hour earlier; our flight no longer exists. The fog is not just England, but Frankfurt is socked in as well. Breakfast in the Senator’s lounge while waiting for this 0905 flight, which becomes 1020, 1030, 1045.

Since our connecting flight was leaving Frankfurt at 1230, you can guess what happened next.

Exactly. Rerouted from Lufthansa to Turkish Airways. The good thing was the flight was not full. The ugly thing about the morning to this point was that I never did get to check prices on a wide angle camera lens.

Having read the directions ahead of time, we stop at the Visa window and fork over $20 each prior to attempting passport control. Most of the other Americans in line were not so fortunate and had to recycle first through the Visa line followed by a repeat adventure in what could have passed for a disorganized bus queue.

Dragging from fatigue (no clue why I am tired, I only got three hours of sleep last night and have done nothing today but sit here and there) we find the baggage carousel. There are a few suitcases going round and round.

I spot first one, then a second one of ours.

We checked three bags.

Turkish Airways said it was a Lufthansa problem. Lufthansa checked their system, and they think the bag was turned over to Turkish Airways.

Meanwhile, our ship leaves tomorrow. We have my husband’s suitcase and the small bag containing shoes, my handknit socks, one blouse, one sweater and my extra knitting. My suitcase, with all my clothes, is missing.

Honestly? I think someone walked off with it.

Did I mention that I spent the day without music? When I pulled out the Zune – it told me, complete with little starburst lights, that it was completed with syncing. And that is all it did for hours. I had to let it run totally and completely down in hopes that it would come back to its senses when recharged.

Guess the warning is that it is worth closing the software, removing the player, then restarting the software if there are still podcasts to be downloaded.

Knitting

On the plus side – the lounge in Frankfurt had a wonderful carrot-ginger soup, and over the day, I managed to knit 1/2 a sleeve (garter stitch the long ways on 3.00 needles complete with a lot of short rows) and read two books. This is the Mermaid – in purple, no less.

The hotel has free wi-fi. And I am exhausted.

Tomorrow I am going to need to find some clothes. If I do that – my suitcase might show up. If I don’t, I am going to be pretty sick of these jeans over the next two weeks……

I had forgotten how long it takes to load books from CD onto my Zune. Of the various MP3 players I have had, I would rate this one at the bottom. Not only are you forced to use their software exclusively, but it has to be one of the slowest rippers in existence. Personally, I like FreeRipPro for PCs and for pulling podcasts, iTunes is far and away more efficient – having the ability to do simultaneous downloads.

Why I am so tied up about this? My choices for travel laptop are either this old PC that no longer has a functioning battery, can load the zune, and has the software that I need. It weighs a ton. Or, I can take my MAC which has a functioning battery, almost all the software that I need, but can’t deal with a zune. It weighs a ton-.

I decided that this is a good time to get better with the MAC and so I elected to load enough books to fill the 30 gigs. Only problem, as it turned out is that the laptop’s hard drive was so full that I had to move files off. This would not have boded well for photos on the trip.

I am packed, starting at about 2200 at night. On the important to pack list are the Hanne Falkenberg kit, my Walk-in-the-Woods vest to complete and an almost completed pair of socks. I plan on using the sleeves for portable knitting and the sweater body for my -sit on deck and watch the water go by knitting.

Black Sea, watch out! I will be there on Monday. Voyages of Discovery in case you are interested.

Says it all.

Met MaryHenry at Waterloo along with another fiber person. By circuitous route we got to Ally-Pally. [this sentence is now superfluous - I have pix!]

I didn’t buy all that much, considering what all was on sale. Now, this exhibition included knitting, craft, sewing, quilting, you name it supplies including all the major sewing machine brands with the latest and greatest  models.

My indulgences: some Wensleydale roving, enough Shetland 2ply lace for a pair of shawls and a Hanne Falkenberg kit for cruise knitting.

Train, couple of Tubes and a couple more trains took me back to Camberley.

Audio

The Monkey’s Raincoat – Robert Crais.
And then there is Griffin’s Daughter – by Leslie Ann Moore. again pulled from Podiobooks. If you like straight fantasy of the displaced orphan going off to find her heritage with the usual fight against evil thrown in, you will enjoy the story. It has the added advantage of not including either gratuitous violence/sex, or vampires. Proving once again that it is possible to tell a good tale that is fine for most ages.

The gates are closed, the day is past.

Will I do better next year? Perhaps the words of Joseph Teluskin (A Code of Jewish Ethics:
Volume 1—You Shall Be Holy) should be how we view things – to be happy with the positive as well, rather than only listing those things which should have been done better.

For the next right thing we did by remembering the good that someone has done for us even when we were upset with him or her;
For the next right thing we did by feeding our animals first even when we were also hungry;
For the next right thing we did by stopping our child from teasing or humiliating another child;
For the next right thing we did by standing up for justice when we saw someone mistreated;
For the next right thing we did by refusing to buy products produced by child labor;
For the next right thing we did by remembering to express gratitude to anyone who has helped us;
For the next right thing we did by donating to charity cheerfully;
For the next right thing we did by apologizing to one of our children whose feelings we had unfairly hurt;

For all of these things, may we be inspired to do more during this coming year.

(with thanks for the adaption from my friend Steven Hirsch)

Outside

Fall is on its way

Outside

Inside

the narrow Candle Flame is blocking (this is the reserve side, which I like better)

>6' of Candle Flame

Candle Flame detail

Quick note for a longish day. I spent time dashing into my office between lecture sections and talking to people, finishing up in time to rescue the teens from the train station.

We had time for dinner before sunset.

Unlike the previous years, we seem to be floating free. The 19 year old is the only one who has a chance of being somewhere that there are services to attend. I had looked around here for the teens and myself. Other than getting quite complicated for transportation, the choices were orthodox, orthodox and even more orthodox.

Instead, it will be quiet time spent reading. If not this year, then next.

May those of you who are fasting have an easy fast. Please, add a prayer in Yitzkor for all of our service members who have lost their lives this past year.

And let there be peace.

-Holly

Tomorrow starts the DGAMS Study Period. Means that most people show up today, hang out over drinks in the evening, then have an informal dinner. It was a curry buffet. I like the chef here. Not only does he have  well prepared meals which are excellently presented, but there was an avocado salad just waiting for me as a substitute and a vegetable/mushroom stroganoff….

much more fun than driving around in the rain, picking up mail and running errands.

Contest

My sister probably furnished the most thought provoking comment… If the comments weren’t working on the second and no one could wish me happy birthday…did my birthday really happen? Can I just count it as skipped this year (as seemed to be the case with significant numbers of my family members).

On to Random Numbers – I hit the Graphpad site. Nifty little toy that.  It gave me me Mary (aka Bunnyfoofoo) ,  Christiane, Ginny and Nicole (no website…). I am about to send off messages/emails looking for mailing addresses. Nothing like US, Canada, and Germany in the mix.

Knitting

Couple of inches progress on the sweater sleeves. Want to have this finished up before the weekend…. ha…

Audio

I forgot to mention – a must listen for all of you medical types. Badge of Infamy by Lester Del Ray.  It might not make any sense to anyone who is not US familiar, but the underlying premise might just still be too accurate.  Read my Steve Wilson of Prometheus Radio Theater fame.

It is rare to see interesting colored leaves here.

bright foliage

mostly it is just dark green fading to winter brown with nothing cheerful in between. This small tree is at the end of our road, on the way to the small lake, home of the adolescent Nile geese. (you might want to click and enlarge)

fluffy, heading for crumbs

Not yet with adult plumage, never the less, they are more than willing to go for bread crumbs. Unlike the adults who immediately start hunting in the water, this crew first sticks their heads up with mouths open. Sorry kids, I am not putting anything directly in your beaks.

Contest

About a dozen so far, anyone else want to join the random number generator list for either sock yarn or spinning fiber? Just leave a comment. I’ll run the numbers in the morning (which should be beyond everyone’s Monday, just in case there was any question of what I meant by “Monday”).

Knitting

a bit of progress on the sleeves…… First is complete down to the arm scythe, the second part way. Now, do I want to sew in the sleeve cap, sew up the sides and finish the sleeves in the round? Or do them at the same time flat so that I know they are the same length…. Hummmm

sleeve caps

Podiobooks

Well, I have hung Mark of the Druid and moved on to the next title. The story might be ok but this is a case where the author should have had someone else make the recording. Not all of us can read out loud that others might enjoy listening. The technical quality is good, it is the lack of expression of the reader). People who don’t want voices or emphasis might like this just fine.

On to How to Succeed in Evil by Patrick McLean. A funny romp through evil villains and super heroes. Well written and read, there is only the issue of it being too short.

Raining. Shall we just dispense with getting any work accomplished in the garden? I swear that The Mole has all the luck. Today he had committed to helping around here. With the rain, not likely that he will be out there either mowing or pruning.

This house predates Napoleon. It is always cold. Once again this morning it was 5° warmer outside than in. Given the usual options, you should not be surprised that we opened up windows and doors in an attempt to raise the indoor temperature. Somehow, turning on the boiler when it is 16°c outside just doesn’t meet my common sense test.

Knitting

I have those undone projects. But then there is Ms Copper who left all her heavy sweaters at home in Germany. Her sister could mail a couple, but they wouldn’t arrive before I head out on our cruise or the kids head back to Germany end of next week for vacation.

Besides, it is not like I don’t have wool around the place. Kochoran (Noro), four 100gm hanks of purple/pink that were waiting for a project. Decided to go with Design 1 from Designer Mini Knits  (here – for those of you on Ravelry).

back and fronts

It didn’t take long to knit both back and fronts. Well, it didn’t take long to knit the back. I had to frog the first front back to the arm decrease because I had sort of forgotten to do the neck decreases at the same time. Does this mean I was smarter when I did the second front? Well…… sort of. I got to the arm shaping. No shaping to do because I had failed to do the increases… and then there was the issue of not wanting two right fronts. On the last time through, there were no problems. I bound the shoulders together and have started down the first sleeve (something about wanting the front color to carry into the sleeve cap).

The Monster Bag

No, she did not use a pattern. Ms Copper decided on her bag dimensions, added in the seam allowances and went on from there. She put together the lining first to get warmed up.

Next she used iron on interfacing and wonderunder to put together all the appliqué pieces like these clouds

bag flap

or the Monster

Bag in progress

before stitching everything down. I hadn’t ever used the embroidery attachment for this machine (deployments, moving, commuting, spinning and knitting had gotten in the way). We figured it out together.

The largest discussion was over what she wanted for handles and how to place them.

Then it was just fastening in the lining,

Bag Inside

a button hole, and the googly-eye button to finish it up (click to embiggen).

The Monster Bag

I, for one, am pretty impressed.

Podiobooks

Started Mark of a Druid by Rhonda R. Carpenter.  Like with many of my downloads from Podiobooks, I pull the first couple of episodes then decide from there.

Looks are deceiving, it appears to be a lovely fall day.

Clear, but cold.

So, like a fool, I put off the garden work in favor of

Knitting

knitting the hat

knitting complete

sewing it together (this is garter stitch. Knit in the round, the pain of all the purls more than takes away the small issue of seaming. The alternative of wrapping, inverting and reversing every row to knit just is not worth the hassle.)

lining up edges for sewing

And photo’s on the reluctant head.

The Unwilling Model

Ms Copper

continues working on her bag.

At the sewing machine

There was no plan. Not even an inkling of one. As much as everyone gave lip-service to the concept, no one in West Germany ever imagined a reunified country.

But the wall did come down, and West Germany had to cope.

My second daughter learned to walk over Thanksgiving Weekend 1990 while we were visiting friends in Berlin. Standing on the balcony overlooking one of the gates, we watched people coming through, climbing over and otherwise making an epic crossing to the west. First opportunity for most since the 1950s to cross without risk of guns, dogs, or criminal proceedings. Oranges were everywhere.

West Berlin was packed, travel that several weeks before had taken just minutes now took hours as buses were packed full.  Not on that visit, but later in the year, Cherie and I made a trip to one section of the wall, bringing home baskets of pieces. I have yet a few.

So little remains today, in most areas it is hard to distinguish where the Wall stood.  My pictures of Berlin are all hard copy stored in a box, the cupboard located in our Heidelberg home.

Remaining today are museums, and the monuments.  I can offer you the Luftbrücken-Denkmal as part of thinking about today, Reunification Day. After WWII, from 1948 to 1949,Tempelhof was used for the “Berlin Airlift” to supply Berlin during the Soviet blockade. The Airlift Monument at Platz der Luftbrücke on the one end (Coordinates: 52°29’2″N 13°23’14″E

Tempelhof Luftbrückendenmal

and the other end at Rhein-Main Airbase

Rhein-Main Airlift Memorial

in Frankfurt here (50.03786200, 8.59548200).

Knitting

Supposedly, I am finishing up things. That might explain why I took that ball of Noro Silk Garden, cast 75 stitches onto a size 5.00 mm needles and proceeded to knit garter stitch. I had looked at one of the Noro Patterns, but it called for a lot more stitches at the same gauge. Heads might be big at times in my family, but as a routine they don’t measure large.

Start of Garter Stitch Hat

Ms Copper’s Bag

In case you were wondering about the background in the last pix -

Bag Materials.

Ms Copper decided that she would like a new shoulder bag features her latest monster.

The Monster Sketch

Since I had come come a bit early, there was time to run over to The Thread Emporium for both Purple Monster Fabric and a button for the closure.

Listening

The Silk Code - Paul Levinson, downloaded from Podiobooks.  He also has some well thought out and interesting commentaries on how communications tech is changing us all.

Isn’t it automatically a given that once you plan on doing something, the next thing down the line goes wrong?
I asked people to comment, then found out that my blog’s commenting feature had gone out to lunch from several over both Ravelry and email.
What the /(“&$(& – time to update. Which I did to Version 2.7 which turns out to be Crazyhorse mainstreamed.
Clean improved interface on my side – and lets you leave a comment on this, but not yesterdays post. Go figure!
-H

At least this year my birthday falls on neither Kol Kidre or Yom Kippur. It means that I don’t have to pretend it is ok to not being able to eat or celebrate.

First thing in this morning I received good wishes and hugs from both of the teens here. I arrived home to find roses from my DH. He and the wandering teen left for Vienna yesterday.

Roses

Too much reflection and contemplation really can be wearing. After thinking about things yesterday, I set a reasonable number of goals for today. I want to get an application form off which involves updating my CV and producing two other documents for attachments. I need to get some vouchers filed (getting money back is always lovely).

Family tradition is that the birthday person gets to choose where and what for dinner. Since the kids are off tomorrow (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) I might even contemplate going out. Most likely it will be take-away, as my wallet will be much happier.

Contest

It seems to be a tradition in the fiber community to run contests and give-aways in celebration of birthdays. Since I am not one for making people jump through hoops, I think I will just do the random generator thing on Monday evening for a 1) nice package of spinables and 2-4) three hanks of good sock yarn. Anyone who, during the time frame of 2-6 Oct) leaves a new comment on any post (from any time) will be eligible.  [Other than this one - for some reason, it is not accepting comments. Go figure - I can't solve it!] I don’t care what you say (but let me know if you are not a spinner – no point in sending you turquoise wool-silk bats for spinning). You are welcome to spread the word.

Knitting

Yes I know, you had just about given up on ever seeing any knitting content again. Today was a finish-things-up day.

First, a hat for Ms Copper. I was hoping that she wouldn’t like it so I could keep it for myself.

Completed Hat

But no such luck. BTW – I had almost 2 meters left from 137.

On the head

Then there is the hat for the Mole -

Olive Wool

I post a progress on a few more projects tomorrow. By the end of the weekend, I hope to be back to just the long term three on the needles.

-Holly

It is a quiet day for me. Thinking about this past year and how I will spend the next.

There are all those items which are still on my to-do list. Things that I promised family and
friends which are as yet unaccomplished.

In the absence of rain, I have no outward excuse for avoiding contemplation. There are
more than enough areas in my life which could do with bit of improvement.

I would ask your forgiveness if I have offended you this past year through the unusual forms
of stupidity, insensitivity or omission of a promised act. Please assume that my failures have
not been intentional and reminders are always in order.

This UK experience has brought another level of challenge to my life, one that I hope to
survive over the next couple of years. Family, friends and colleagues as visitors are
always welcome and encouraged.