ProseKnitic – of Words und Wolle

You know what they say, right? Making a gauge swatch is for sissies and not needed by the experienced or the adventuresome.

Now we all have gotten whacked up side the head at various points in our knitting when the garment/sock/whatever looked like it would fit a hamster when the entended receipient was close to 2 meters tall. Even worse, there has been the occasional sock which looked like it was designed for someone whose feet match those of the clowns getting out of that mini vecicle under the big top.

Yes, that Fiat or MiniCooper that looked like a toy car to jaded American eyeballs but I digress.

I know better than to tackle something like this Swing Jacket without a gauge swatch. I knit one, it was spot on. I even rechecked the measurements several times while knitting the body and was really pleased with myself.

Yesterday I started the sleeve – I even showed you this picture.

status at the end of day

It looks great, if I do say so myself.

This evening when I picked it up and checked it against the picture I noticed it was just a bit narrower than it should be. My gauge was ok and matched those diamonds done with the same needles…

oh, H. Needles. This section was supposed to be knit on 4.0 mm needles, not 3.75mm. Yes, it is perfect for the nice, yellow enameled Inox circular you can see there very clearly.

The thought of all those bits and pieces of yarn which is what you get from frogging miters is enough to make me shudder and go not so quietly insane. The pattern calls for side sections knit on either side of the center panel.

Hummm, do I keep on going for the last few Miters, then add a bit to the side sections if the length is ok or do I frog now and start the sleeves over?

This one calls for a good night’s rest prior to decision making….

sunset

Swing-Swagger

The body looks like

the body

which means that I just had to start

the first sleeve

status at the end of day

it still seems a bit addicting, just one more row, ridge, diamond….

Just in case you are wondering, there is occasional knitting going on -

back almost complete

as I finally got back at my mitered jacket. I am thinking that I could get it done before the cruise if I made a bit of effort.
With beautiful weather today, I was even able to spend the late afternoon knitting time out side. Once the sun heads down though, the temperature still doprs

just after sunset

I forgot to mention that there were Fireworks on Friday evening (so, no this post is not about the white horse climbing up the steps and striding through Old College).

But, this is a military training post and I am used to hearing booming noises at all hours. Ignoring the sounds, I went on with what ever I was doing when it suddenly dawned that it was Fireworks! and I had a new camera.

(after figuring out that taking photos through the trees was not smart, I beat feet for the edge of the pond)

Now, what would an outing to Gosport be without a trip to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum? It is a great place to visit, both for adults and kids (well some of us big kids thought the interactive areas pretty neat. If I had not had a responsible adult to escort, I probably would have spent more time playing pirate…)

The submarine portion was an escorted tour. Our escort retired from his job as a torpedo instructor ten years ago. Since then, he has been a volunteer here at the museum. This set of photos are all from inside the HMS Alliance – there are more photos but I will save them for a rainy day.

Yep, we are one of those families affected by the volcano. DH is still in California never mind that he was due back yesterday. Add in the small fact that he has meetings in Boston next week and I am wondering why he is saying that he will head back to Germany up to and including Wednesday.

If it was me, and those meetings were important, I would stay put. The winds blow east. There is no promise that another eruption is not going to happen and we could repeat this drill. With email, fax and scanners (ignoring the small matter of annoying phone calls from anywhere in the world) I am wondering why more is not done by VTC and conference call.

In any case, I am voting to leave him in place so that he can be inflicted on Ms Soprano this weekend. Nothing like a visit from your loving dad to insure that you really get to juggle.

Me? I am planning future cruises and lying on a blanket in the back garden with more paperbacks.

(first – the fruit follow up – Dragon Fruit is quite tasty somewhat close to the kiwi family in flavor. It is crisp, not quite sweet and the seeds are too small to bother one. Having said that, it was fun as a “one of try” but not something on which I would spend 2.5L for two on any regular basis what so ever. When I am in an exploratory mood, I splurge on one surprise fruit to try from the grocery).

On a day which was not accompanied by any useful work (read a lot of paperbacks) I decided to check on any local effects of the volcanic ash on the local sunset.

sun sinking in the west

sunset #2

sunset #3

mostly oranges and golds

and the contrast of black and white

has a completely different meaning in British vs American English. In US parlance – one passes out from too much drink.  Here in the UK, apparently one passes out from an organization. That is, graduates and moves on to what comes next.

Today was the 162nd Passing Out Parade at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. I present to you a number of photos, they are sequential (or at least you can follow by numbers) from first formation to the Seniors “Passing Out.” And no, the Queen was not present.

It is not just the Internet that has made the world a small place, nor the onset of news programs covering wars in far off places.

I rather think that it is because we have begun to realize in the last few decades is that actions are more often than not, global in their impact.

It certainly was true of the explosion of Krakatoa in the 1800s. If you have not read (or listened to) Simon Wincester’s book of that name, I strongly recommend it. He sets the stage, both in exploration and colonial terms, for the background against which the volcano’s eruption must be viewed.

It seems simple to say that there was an eruption in Iceland early this Wednesday morning which spewed ash several thousand of meters into the sky. With our current understanding of meteorology, it is obvious that the ash would not remain in one location.

Prevailing winds blew toward the British Isles with impact on flights starting Thursday morning and spreading to all of the UK as well as a significant part of the continent by the end of today.

The pictures posted on CNN are awesome with glowing pits and embers against the backdrop of the glacier through which it thrust.  When I looked out the window while driving home from RAF Alconbery and Croughton, the sun was shining, skies blue, and white clouds drifting. The ash is high and not visible to the naked eye making it seem impossible that one could not be soaring free today.

Deceptive illusion, that.    I am sure that the arrogance of more than a few will result in tragedy.   The tyranny of nature once more triumphs over the small plans of man.

Dragon Fruit

Food diversions

I stopped at Sainsbury’s yesterday on the way home. (The new one along A331 between the M3 interchange circle and the Meadows in case anyone really cares).

The Mole wanted pizza, I had thought about Thai soup and then there was the small matter of flour for the bread machine since the weather has warmed up enough to finally bake bread again. (Think about it, exactly how long do you think it takes bread to rise when the kitchen is about 7ºC? Trust me, it is not possible to alter the cycle on the bread machine for that extended a rising. Poor little yeasties just give up, hunker down and wait for a better opportunity to ferment).

Anyway, I had no intentions of going into the fruit section, much less picking up one of these. Of course, I had to cruise the Internet discovering that the dragon fruit has its own web location and various old blog entries. Most of the other sites lacked either grammar or decent pictures.

If you need help on cutting, someone even made a Youtube video on wielding a knife against the poor defenseless fruit.

And we are off to RAF Alconbury as soon as the guy from Modern Housing finishes the repair to the wall in ceiling from Dec.

knit indoors because today was not quite as warm as yesterday.

starting on the upper back

Of course, it might have been possible to do a bit more had I not spent most of the morning reading books, the middle portion of the day on a run to Upavon, followed by a bit of computer solitaire.

But still – I am now on square 52/~70, providing I am ignoring the sleeves….

the sun is out

the flowers are blooming

sunshine yellow

and it seemed more than reasonable to sit in the back garden drinking ice tea and knitting

left front complete.

for me is not cancer nor is it heart disease. I can face deploying again with (not at the main bases) the real possibility of weapons being pointed in my direction or directed toward my transportation.

My real fear of failing health is not what can happen body, but what can potentially happen to one’s mind.  Aging is a nebulous process that is just in the future when you are 20 or 30. It has a bit more reality as parents start to age (in most families – grandparents do not count in this respect – they are old when we are children and just get smaller and grayer as part of the natural order of life).

Sometime, perhaps at 40, or 50 or 60, comes this realization that life, as it currently exists, is not going to last forever. The initiating thought might come with grey hair or a few more wrinkles in the morning mirror. Occasionally a spark of thought comes from an innocuous and previously ignored question from a health care provider about advanced directives or living will. Normally you think in terms of accident or traditional illness.

All of that can be ignored as long as you are healthy. But what if, at an age much too young, you start losing your memory, your orientation, yourself? What then?

What is likely my biggest fear  is dealt with compassionately and realistically by Lisa Genova in Still Alice. I picked it off the paperback shelf yesterday at the PX simply because the cover looked interesting and the back cover even more so.

Told from the view point of Alice, a 50 year old Harvard professor,it recounts the story of a brilliant woman who, in the course of just two short years, goes from being internationally acclaimed in her field to not recognizing her family. From initial concerns to marked deterioration, her early onset Alzheimer’s progress affects her job,  her physical well being, and her family. The science and diagnosis provided in sound and in enough detail to lend credibility as well as the novel’s voice changes to reflect the shrinking of Alice’s world.

Thought provoking and occasionally brutally clear, this novel portrays a future that is not one that I want to personally experience.

Highly recommended as a short, thought provoking read.

For those Harry Dresden fans – Changes – by Jim Butcher has hit the streets, the library and arrived at my APO box courtesy of amazon.com. Take an interesting plot twist involving the return of Susan, add in the White Council plus a pending “peace proposal” from the Red Court (give us a break – trust a vampire? I mean, really…..) and it is Harry and gang against the world as he knows it

Any thing more than that would involve serious spoilers. Even though each book stands alone and Butcher is relevant but sparing with his back story, I would really recommend reading this series in order. The books just keep getting better.

Now – back to the re-read of Sci Fi Classics  (and thanks to Ruth for the nagging) the partial list of which includes – iRobot and the Foundation Trilogy by Asimov, Cities in Flight by Blish, Waystation by Simak, Dune by Herbert, Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein, Rendezvous with Rama by Clark, More than Human by Sturgeon plus todays -

The Left Hand of Darkness – by Ursula le Guin. (FantasticFiction Link here). Published in 1969 (university time, before medical school; long before marriage and children) the story is set in a far future universe where mankind and others are far flung across the galaxy and loosely organized into the Concordance. Newly discovered worlds are sent a single Envoy who establishes a toehold by peaceful means.

Genly Ai is posted to Winter, by himself with just his wits, an ansible and belief system which undergo transformation during his time. For Winter, you see, is populated by hermaphrodites and provides a challenge to deep seated assumptions and prejudices. A population that can and does change genders over the years and dependant on social situations beyond the understanding of a short term visitor.

Hailed at the time and discussed for years after, The Left Hand of Darkness is considered a key work in the genre as it explores both society and the role of the individual against the backdrop of other than traditional belief systems.

I read it when it first came out, finding it fascinating. Unlike other SciFi of the time which portrayed strange looking creatures with otherwise US/UK mores, language, and behavior, Le Guin created a society that challenges those beliefs while maintaining a complexity and internal consistency.

40 years later, this Hugo and Nebula winner still stands the test of time. Because it is person and society centric rather that hard technology dependant, it has aged well. The questions raised – how to initiate first contact, how to understand new societies and cultures, are as relevant today as then.

Superficially, the roles of women in western society may have changed drastically in the last four decades. But have we really evolved? Do we still want to know if someone is “a man or a woman”? Isn’t that the first question asked of parents about their newborn?

And are we not all a bit uncomfortable when we can not identify the gender of an individual by their first name? Needing that little bit of knowledge to carefully slot one into our own privately constructed pigeon holes of roles?

At the end, a book that makes me think as well as being a good read is certainly worth putting in my classics pile and recommending it to you.

In this case,

This is an update – but first, the background.

I wound up here in the UK in Jan 2008. A rather short notice move because of a domino effect involving a number of other people and their short notice re-assignments.

Ok, I am an Army officer. That means I salute the flag pole and move on with my life. Never mind that it means that most days the family is scattered across four countries.

My moving in assumption was that I would be here for 3-> 3 & 1/2 years to put the job back on a summer cycle. Coincidently, it would also match up with being able to hang up the kevlar and move on to new challenges.

Come last summer, my job magically appears on the “open for bid” list. Checking with the branch people, I remind them that I will not have 12 months remaining prior to retirement (criteria for re-assignment) by the time my son graduates so we had all agreed that I would not move summer 2010.

Well, gee, it seems all bets are off. Since then – like Sept – I have been in various negotiations with different of the powers that be about job choices, various possibilities, and what I want to do if I grown up.

That particular thought took only a few minutes – not ready to grow up yet.

Upshot of the whole mess is that it is now April, I leave the UK sometime the end of August and have no idea where I am going next. As of yesterday, I can officially drop my retirement papers.  Since we do not do “garden leave” it means that I would need to move everything back to Germany then go to Ft Benning en route to Afghanistan for six months.

The other option looks like it might be to extend for a couple of years, move to Monterey, drop off my stuff, go to Ft Benning en route to Afghanistan (see above) and return to work there for a couple of years.

Hummmm – no job and seeing the DH on the rare days he is in town? Job where I can toss a couple of offspring in University at in-state tuition and enjoy the California coast?

Decisions, decisions….

on the Salisbury Plain. This post is picture heavy – consider yourself warned.

It is not such a far drive, just down the M3 and out the 303. An hour,  perhaps a little more and 4000 years vanish in the blink of an eye.

From the megaliths of Stonehenge

from outside the fence

as it has been for centuries

….

to the small round barrows that you pass almost without noticing

and which the sheep just ignore

Then, there is the oddity of Woodhenge

the info

stone pillar caps noting the locations from the 2004 restoration

The steeply slanting sides of Silbury Hill rise from the plain to tower over unsuspecting travelers.

Silbury Hill

from the first excavations

to what is known today

….

In contrast, the Iron Age Fort of Danbury Hill seems to attract few visitors. Just a long stone’s thrown from The Wallops (Over, Middle & Nether) and the home of British Army Air – one wonders at the structure from what was thought to be about 300 people and their animals over a 400 years period four millennium ago.

illustration of the grounds as they were

which means little

till you enter between high earthen berms

note the distance between

the inner and outer earthworks

and see the curve of wall surrounding the inner area

inner berm stretching away

Avebury

Is the largest stone circle in Europe, so large it contains the town (noted at one time to have 27 people, 5 dogs and TNTC sheep who were just visiting as well as a 1700′s chapel between the outer and next rings).

double row enters from upper right, continuing to stone circle

Walking through the open fields between the stones of the procession way

You can walk up remaining weathered stones of

the procession way

and stand next to those of the huge circle as well.

left curve of the outer ring

even given their age and wear,

they dwarf all those walking above and between

even given the wear

the weather

and the impact of modern man

Iron age builders – few tools and a lot of determination while we speed by in fossil fuel powered vehicles and high tech digital cameras in hand to capture our fleeting visit.

falling as the Mole and I pulled out of Edinburgh. No sunshine like the previous day as seen from high on Linlithgow’s walls -

The Mole, more than ready to move on

nor clear skies outlining the bridges till they seem more like computer generated images than the real thing

(Forth Bridges, click to enlarge)

Instead we had cold, rain, spray thrown up from vehicles traveling in all directions and close to 100 km again to be driven prior to reaching a real motorway.

The stark Scottish mountains were too shrouded in mist for decent photos and the sheep were miserable clots huddling together here and there on the hillsides.

Taking the alternative route of driving through the Lake District and down the west side of the country, we coughed up hard earned money to the M6 Toll Road in order to avoid the delays, construction, and mess that currently surrounds Birmingham.

A detour to Croughton netted me most of a tank of fuel and the most recent STR SOck Club kit. I like both patterns this time, I might just knit one sock in each.

both patterns look cool

725 km in under 8 hours including the fuel stop. Not bad at all.

before I forget – I am making progress on my knitting -

three columns - ie the bottom tier complete

Bo’ness and Kinniel Steam Railway

The first stop on our route today was the above named Steam Railway (with the complete story at the link). Completely run by volunteers, it is part of the Scottish Preservation Society. We arrived a bit too early for the museum but were extremely lucky – Beverley and I got a tour of the working yard.

the partial railyard

A volunteer who has been with the organization over 30 years escorted us through the sheds.

refurbishing of boilers in progress

The steam locomotive is obviously coal fired. The crew arrives about 0600 in the morning to start up the engine with the first run scheduled at 1045

making sure there is enough coal

As it turns out, perhaps the only time I was really warm all day was when we were allowed to climb up into the engine.

fired up boiler

The journey travels along the Firth of Forth. From the start in Bo’ness through Birkell to Manuel and back

steam engine pulling the cars back to the station

Falkirk Wheel

Now, let us say you have two canals traveling through the Scottish countryside. Perhaps you would like to change from one to the other. Unfortunately, they just happen to be at different elevations. The normal solutions of multiple locks is not practical when faced with a 35 meter difference in a very short distance.

Hence, the Falkirk Wheel -

at rest

with one bay connecting with the upper canal (Union Canal to Edinburgh) while the lower is in the holding pond connecting to the Forth & Clyde Canals.

It is actually a rotating boat lift that works partly by counter weight

almost halfway through a cycle

as one loaded boat comes down and another is lifted.

The connection to the Union canal travels first on pylons, then through a tunnel

traveling away from the boat life toward the Union Canal

Linlithgow Castle

Does Mary, Queen of Scots ring a bell? Her home – Linlithgow Castle perches just above the town of the same name.  Destroyed in Jan 1746 by the Duke of Cumberland, the Castle walls, turrets, cellars remain.

front gate

There are four sides, surrounding a central courtyard

Central Fountain

I have lots more pictures – I will add an additional page to the image gallery in the next couple of days to include more than just these:

along one side

fourth tower

The Kitchen

The Great Hall

Looking down from Queen Margaret's Bower

and it is back to Camberley in the morning……

According to several of the stores on High Street and the owner of K1Yarns, 89 Victoria St (or West Bow, street names can be rather tricky), this is the only wool shop in Edinburgh. Cheerful and well lighted, the selection is varied, consisting mostly of Scottish Yarns with a few others thrown in (Opal, Schoppel, Haku, Malbrigo).

K1Yarns Knitting Boutique

and yes, it is set into the side of the hill. The street itself takes a rather nice curve on its downhill course.

Edinburgh

As for the rest of the day, rather than overwhelm you with pictures, I will provide just a few and add a couple of pages to my images section. These are the highlights – all will enlarge on clicking.

We saw the Castle. If ever going there, I strongly suggest buying your tickets on line. There is a nice little machine that issues tickets and avoids lines that could be up to several hours long. As we were leaving, several people in line were calling friends and family to do exactly that.

Edinburgh Castle

Inside the castle grounds, besides numerous exhibits – there are also three regimental museums

and the Scottish War Memorial.

Just down the hill is the Lovely Tartan Weaving Mill with both displays and lots for sale.

Store and Working Weaving Mill

Walking all the way down the Royal Mile,we stopped at the People’s Museum with an interesting exhibit on women gaining the Vote in Scotland.

Suffragate Movement in Scottland

and the Museum of Childhood.

handcrafts from various era

Holyrood Castle and the Queen’s Gallery are at the bottom of the slope.

The Queen's Scottish Residence

with the Scottish Parliament just across the street.

new Parliament and gardens

Beyond the Residence is Holyrood Park. Adjacent is the remnants of an old volcano rising several hundred meters above the plain. Those who have more energy than brains can hike up either the ridge

ridge above the park

or go all the way up to Arthur’s seat

highest peak off to the left

some of us settled for looking out over the city

the Mole taking pictures

before climbing back down the hill and heading to the Scott Monument.

287 steps? No sweat at all

and taking more photos of the city.

All in all, we had a great day and certainly burned off enough energy.

You would think after spending most of yesterday afternoon and evening on the road that I would prefer to have some relaxation today. To stay home, read or work on crafts; i.e. just relax.

It is a four day weekend. I have not seen Edinburgh. With knowing I am leaving the end of the summer, why would I not take the chance to go and see? Especially since I now have a good friend and colleague living there.

So we set out rather early in the morning for our 700 km + driving. The Mole and me in case you were wondering.

A30->M25->M1->A1 and drive for a long, long time. About 100 km short of our destination my GPS which I had been ignoring in favor of printed directions from Google Maps suggested again that I leave the A1. Since the A1 was strongly resembling a parking lot at that point we decided to take the chance.

The A287 was a rather interesting road, connecting the A1 in England with the A68 on the other side of the border into Scotland. And yes, there is a border notation declaring that you have entered Scotland right at Coldstream. It is the home of the Coldstream Guards (information here, here & pictures here). If not in person, I know that you have seen pictures of them – they are also known as Her Majesty’s Foot Soldiers as well as being the longest standing Regiment in the British Army. Ceremonial duties dressed in red with high fur hats if you need a hint.

(we did not stop and explore the town, probably should have).

From there, picture a winding 2 lane highway through the Scottish country side with snow banks on either side driven by people with no time at all and a distance to travel. It is not particular a road for driving 100+km/hr even on a good day and passing was highly risky. Since I was not the one doing the passing, I just slowed down and waved.

Our next bit of challenge hit us just short of Edinburgh. Roads newer than ones GPS DvD just appear with a little descriptive line – off map.

Seat of the pants got me onto A702 in the correct direction with the directions coming back on line just as we entered a traffic circle. The rest of the journey was under 8km which we made without difficulty.

Since the Mole slept most of the way, I was kind and listened to books on my iPod rather than use the car speakers. As a result, I am still only partway through Deutermann’s Zero Option.

Tomorrow obviously will be mostly pictures.

Roadkill

Not a topic which thrills most which is why I am placing it at the end rather than starting off today with it as a main subject.

The fencing along most of the motorways is fairly good at purpose so that there are not all that many animal/bird carcasses on the roads. Not the same with the average A road. After seeing piles of rather interesting feathers several times along the A697/698 I finally twigged to their source when seeing a pheasant standing calming at the end of a drive on the far side of the road waiting his opportunity to cross.

My plan to accomplish anything today got derailed. Not only was I not able to manage anything useful with the computer system (nothing like software that will not run on one’s computer or the AF computer such that it is impossible to do a simple thing like sign a document…..) but then there was this traffic problem.
From my house to RAF Croughton is 112 km. It takes about an hour, fifteen. No sweat, easy peasy. Lakenheath, on the other hand, is just a bit over 200km. Slightly more than 2 hours on the way up.
Four and a half on the way home. Not only was the road construction slowing everything down but some fools on the Orbital decided to have themselves a traffic accident or three. The resulting Staus would have done any Autobahn in Germany proud.