Category Archives: Fiber

Day 2 – Liberty

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As like many cruising itineraries, the first full day after leaving dock is a day spent at sea. With three ports and three sea days, at least the Cruise Director doesn’t have to jam all of the sea day activities onto one day. Tonight has been designated Formal Night (not bothering), a reception around lunch time (might go – tasty snacks), and various scheduled entertainments (now why would I be interested in karaoke or a belly flop contest).

I left my cabin early and headed up to one of the lounges. Last night I scouted out both key card lounges and picked a nice location to work. Out of traffic and right next to both 110 & 220 outlets. Did I mention the presence of the coffee machine? Essential for keeping sanity while working my way through I don’t know how many pages of notes.

This particular ship carries way too many passengers for my comfort. One of the larger ships, but not the largest, she carries over 4k worth of passengers including way too many children and a lot of adults in flip-flops and beer in hand. I am sure that noise cancelling headphones are going to be a serious help.

For those who care about such things, there are 22 Pineapples (Pinnacles) on this cruise, most of whom seem to be local to the area and have earned their status by cruising around and around and around the same routes out of Galveston, Boring,….

And back to my paper, interspersed with detours into cross-stitch and pattern design on MacStitch.

Unpicking

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(in which I typed out this whole post which then refused to save….) –

As I started back at the cross-stitch this morning – this one section just didn’t look right. Specifically, the purple just didn’t look like it fit in

see that bit of dark purple next to the pink?

I finished later last night than normal; it was dark except for the light around my chair. And purple is purple? As it turns out – no – it isn’t. As it turns out, 3838 and 3835 are both in the purple family, and it in the same bin in my stitch bow roll. But 3838 tends toward the blue end of the spectrum and is several shades more saturated than 3835 which is definitely more closely aligned with reds. And this particular area has more than a few pinks.

So, I spent 15 minutes unpicking 12 stitches in a careful manner so as to not disturb the stitches around them. The only time previously I had managed to insert the wrong color, it was five stitches and it was fairly easy just to stitch over them. Not an option in this case.

So this is the new end result.

Now with the right color

Unlike in knitting where you can tink or frog (knit spelled backwards for taking out one stitch at a time or rip-it, rip-it for tearing out a whole section) I can’t find a special word in the cross-stitch community for this careful removal of a few stitches.

So it is place a few stitches here and there in between running an errand or five…

Drunken Diagonal

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Yes, I can stitch along the diagonal – see!

Being what I accomplished in my New Years start

This is a 20 stitch wide diagonal with the first two completed. The fabric is 16 ct white Aida easy-count (translated to – it comes pre-gridded in 10s) Total pattern is 341 x 225 and is a full-coverage design.

But what I was going to say is that my discipline went a bit off the rails as I ran into just a few too many places where, rather than parking the thread, I went ahead and stitched another one or two stitches so that the particular color would be finished. And my nice, even edge turned into this –

which is 5250/76,725 completed stitches

It is cheerful, the colors are bright. but neat? rather not….

Completed

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The Case of the Empty Cookie Jar

Started 12 Nov. Finished 20 Dec. 66 stitches by 369 rows. Stitched on 16 count pre-gridded Aida. I still have to wash her and block her, but am rather pleased.

Virtual Cruise Ship Lounge

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Back a few years ago now, I met the aforementioned New Zealand woman (and long term Australian resident) in the upper deck lounge on the Mariner of the Seas. The ship itself was being repositioned from Galveston to the Far East with the first leg ending in Europe, the second in Dubai and the last, I believe in ending in Singapore. Jill was working on the most amazing cross-stitch called Fish City (link here) which is an amazing Stewart Moskowitz design. Each one of those fish has character, each unique. I was in awe.

The downside was that I decided that I might just want to start cross-stitching again. It was a craft I had done when Shana was in elementary school and had really fallen by the wayside. Admittedly, I still had supplies on hand; moved from Germany to the US to Germany to the UK (with more than one stop in the Middle East) back to Germany. But it looked like something I was interested in starting up again. And, there is a real limit to how many knitted hats shawls, scarves and sweaters one needs. Especially when a relocation to the US loomed in our future. With that relocation to a much warmer area was going to take a way the need for most of my wooly lovelies.

So – cross-stitching. I started and finished a few things over the last 3-4 years. And have a few things left to finish. Stitched a number of fractals, stitched a couple of small scenes on request for one daughter’s wall. Collected more than a few patterns and a lot of supplies which more or less sat while I spent a lot of the last couple of years with machine embroidery and grad school.

But then Jill, once again, suckered me in. She sent me a picture of a Randal Spangler pattern that she was stitching. I fell in love with with silly little dragonling who was attacking a keyboard. Yes – dragons and computers and total insanity. The patterns were produced from the original artwork by Heaven and Earth Designs. And they were having a sale. Need I say more? I bought a set of four patterns and am working on the first one.

But the virtual lounge?

Turns out that both Jill and I are on Apple products. FaceTime is a great way to connect. There are a few time zone considerations – what is 1600 on Wednesday for me is 1000 on Thursday for her. But we can stitch over FaceTime and chat with each other. I do miss the lounge, and her husband Graham who very kindly make the coffee and water runs so that we didn’t have to risk someone else moving into our chairs. But this works wonderfully. It is easy to see each other’s progress. She can see my chair and bookshelf (oh, whoop) and I get the occasional glimpse out her balcony onto a Gold Coast beach and a portion of the Pacific.

Ok, I can see the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay, and by extension the Pacific Ocean from my living room window. But you get the idea. But it makes stitching a bit more fun, keeps me on track. It is almost obvious, I know people who use FaceTime, WhatsApp, and other modes to talk to family on a daily basis regardless of where else they are in the world. But stitching together, an obvious extension of this, just took that extra jump of imagination. The same idea would work for knitters, model train builders, just about any craft where you know someone else in another location. Seeing + talking makes communication just so much easier.

Two down, one to go

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Yes! I have turned in 2/3 papers that having been hanging over my head since last spring semester.  It wasn’t that I couldn’t do them. Rather it was more a matter of getting some unbroken blocks of time in which to sit down, concentrate, think about what I was trying to accomplish, then generating words in document that met the format of what was required.

I can’t say that it was difficult. Tedious? Unquestionably. Boring? Not really, other than the fact that I obviously have no love for precise US grammar, punctuation, US spellings, or all of that other nonsense that is required when producing documents for official grading. That–and I absolutely LOATH Word (yes, the Microsoft Program). I can deal with Paper (Mac), Open Office, and grew up on Word Perfect. But Word? Nothing intuitive about that program. And trying to permanently get rid of all the tracked changes? Gocod luck with that as they seem to magically re-appear.

I rewarded myself with cross-stitch time since the nice long walk I had planned had to be put on hold due to all of George’s conference calls. By the time he was finally off the phone, it was dark. Since we don’t have enough reflective vests to go around – walking around our area which is lacking in sufficient street lighting is not a really great idea.

19 Nov 2019. 538 today. 4924/24354

Monday update

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It would have been the usual drive into UCSF had not someone decided (planned or otherwise) to have a major accident along our route to the Bay Bridge. Traffic had been at a crawl for more than two hours when, rather than enter the freeway through the car pool entrance from University Avenue I decided to buzz along the frontage road on the bay side. It was better until the entrance at Powell street which was still a crawl.

Once actually  in the HOV access road in the maze approach, everything picked up and we sailed along till the Civic Center exit (where our ride-share passengers wanted to exit to Harrison Street). I didn’t see anything around there, but George says that it is now a good location for new tech start-ups.

The UCSF visit went well! Lab is all good. His platelets continue to creep up and his red cell count is stable (since RBC’s turn over ~ every 120 days, it means that he is making his own). We are due back on Friday, then Monday and perhaps then weekly.

I really should have gotten back at those papers, but instead spent the afternoon stitching.

Yes, I am finding it almost meditative!

18 Nov 2019 – 641 today. 4336/24354

And they won

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George has been watching. various college and pro sports over the weekend. If I hadn’t out with him, it really can’t be avoided. Some won, some lost.

I hiked down the hill to the UCBerkeley Campus, then across the campus to Haas Pavilion to watch Cal play the Riverside Highlanders. As per usual, I was there for the band, but didn’t mind seeing the Cal Women’s Basketball team win their game. It is a rebuilding year since two key players graduated last spring and one transferred.  Plus  a new coach. There were definitely rough edges.

Cross stitch at a game doesn’t work – but knitting does. I hauled along the “Hitchhiking beyond” that I started while George was in the hospital. I didn’t like the way it was shaping up, so frogged it from 3/4 down back to about 1/3 and happily enjoyed my garter stitch while watching.

Cross stitch? –

Just stitching

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I spent a good portion of the day tramping up and down stairs as I alway seemed to be needing a thread that wasn’t in front of me.

But I made good progress during the day on my Dragonling; knocking off about 1830 to do a rush clean up of the house prior to some friends coming over for dinner.

Even better, they brought dinner! So we had squash & Tofu stew over brown rice with asparagus as a side. The last of Shana’s Zupfkuechen was served as desert.

16 Nov 2019

And better

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We left home right before 0700, stopped at Peet’s for coffee, at NB Bart for a passenger and hit the road for UCSF. We were there, parked, checked in before 0800. Which meant we were out of there (lab draw, visit and all), on the road, and home via Acme Bakery by 1000.

What should be obvious is that everything is going extremely well. Blood count is stable, platelets continue to slowly climb, and George is gradually feeling more energetic.

Otherwise, I am rapidly becoming addicted to cross-stitch once again. Or rather, Ranald Spangler’s Dragonlings. After all, who could resist “The Mystery of the Empty Cookie Jar” by Dragatha Christie? It is only 65 stitches wide – but 373 long so it might take a while (90 colors and few blocks color).

New toys

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For years, I was an unabashed DOS supporter and dealt with the early versions of Windows before I became so frustrated that I shifted to Linnux for a number of years. After starting the kids (well the three younger in anywise) off with MAC products in the first place, I shifted over while stationed in the UK. Wow – that was 2008-2010. Seems like either yesterday or a different lifetime. There have been more than the occasional challenge with some particular software needs, since not all developers produce for both operating systems. Noah wound up needing a windoze machine since his CAD-CAM engineering software just doesn’t run properly in emulation.

I purchased one of the original iPads. I still have the heavy sucker. It works, it doesn’t leave the house. In fact, some of my favorite bubble popper games run on it just fine. The software no longer updates, and neither do many of the programs. But as a basic tablet on which to read, play solitaire, or watch programs – it is just fine. I mention this because I wound up wasting the morning dealing with my iPhone. As we were late getting out of the house, arriving at Apple 20 minutes after they open meant about an hour wait for a tech. Nice young woman, managed to do a magic reset and recommended yet another software update (seems like the last update fixed a number of problems, but then added a new one that bit me.

From there, since my local JoAnns failed to have about nine colors that I need for my new cross stitch project, we detoured to Michael’s in Emeryville. Five minutes to find what I needed (four of the colors- the other five – nope) and 20 minutes standing in line to check out.

Then home to find my new toys had arrived. Embroidery Floss storage toys might not interest you. For that matter, cross stitch may not interest you at all. If it does, you already know the following (and if not, you are welcome to stop reading). Designs usually come on charts which can be PDF files or hard copy printed. Most of us, when using hard copy, print an extra so that we can write all over it while preserving the original. The design itself can be full coverage (the whole fabric is covered – duh) or be elements with portions of the fabric showing. In either case, counted cross-stitch depends on the correct placement of the correct colors. Old school is printed paper, and colored pencils or markers in order to check off every square that has been stitched.

(Bored yet? I warned you)

Obviously, this is problem in search of an electronic solution. Enter Pattern Keeper. which unfortunately is only available in Android at the present. The program imports – can get rid of overlap sections and can be marked off square by square. It also will highlight all the instances of a particular symbol. The stitch area can be expanded or shrunk as needed.

a screen shot

 

which leads to accurate placing of stitches

And yes, this is pregridded fabric. It so much fun!

Finishing things

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I made a commitment to myself that I would limit my start of new projects subject to the completion of projects underway. I am also rewarding myself with needlework time as I complete sections of THOSE papers. You know which papers I mean; those papers which will finish out the incompletes of last spring. The “I”s that will turn into admin “F”s if I am not careful. Never having received an F in my life, this is not an additional accomplishment that I feel warrants achieving.

Never mind – finishing things.

I made progress on the legislative draft. Not finished but should be complete by the end of tomorrow. And I finished two cross-stitches. I am not posting either for the moment since they are both presents. One due this week, the other not till March. But having finished something somehow set my mind at east and let me figure out how to approach the last section of the middle paper.

Tuesday

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What can I tell you about today?

A small amount of work on my papers, a stop at the grocery store, and run by JoAnn’s.

The reason for the last was simple – one set of patterns were on sale for $2.99 and there is going to be serious consuming accomplished over the winter holiday break. Should I mention that I also had a 40% off coupon? Considering that I am planning a couple of serious cross-stitch projects, that kind of savings on embroidery floss can not be under estimated.

Bouncing Balls

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Women’s Basketball (not dogs chasing toys)

Today marked the last of the exhibition games before the official opening of the basketball season. Specially the UCBerkeley Golden Bears. From here on it, I will generally refer to them just as Cal. Yes, there are other UC schools in the system. At last count there are ten campuses, five medical centers, three national labs, and the stray law school here and there. It makes for an extensive system, which, according to their press info covers more than 280,000 students.

Ok, that is a lot of information that you really didn’t need or care to know.

Anyway – we live up the hill on Euclid from Cal (UCBerkeley). It is a fairly easy roll down the hill to various campus events but a much more demanding hike back up. Since George is on limited house arrest (doctor’s appointments only) I look Maus with me. She is in town for about 10 days. Both spending time with her dad and considering the logistics of a move to the area.

The women’s basketball team was playing the Vanguard Lions. I will acknowledge that I had to look up the Lions (Costa Mesa). Their team over all was quite a bit shorter and incredibly scrappy. The Bears won.

More importantly, the Straw Hat band was there. I enjoy the band. For the last two years, I have made lapel pins for them. Miriam and Angel designed the pin for this year

Straw Hat Pin 2019-2020

Wandering over to where the band members were gathering, I ran into Benjamin. A trombone player and a sophomore, he is an occasional member of the Right Field Bleachers crew. He will delighted to get a pin and happily announced to the whole gathering that I had brought neat pins.  I get just enough made to cover most of the band members who play at the women’s basketball games including the alumni who cover during the winter holiday season.

Hiking all the way home got to me; Dani kindly rescued us partway up the hill.

Rememberance Poppies

And, if you can’t find a poppy, but know how to knit or crochet – go to Ravelry, there are literally dozens of free patterns. If you don’t do handcrafts, draft your nearest and dearest who does. A couple of suggestions include Carol Spillane’s crocheted poppy or Susan Resaul’s knitted poppy.

Fleet Week

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is just starting in San Francisco. In the back of my head, I sort of had filed the information away along with all the other local events that are interesting but don’t elicit any personal interest in participation.

Then I noted some rather low flying, fast, expensive aircraft buzzing the Golden Gate Bridge.

Right – Fleet Week – when Navies get together and show off – their ships, their abilities, and, in the case of the US Navy – the Blue Angels.

I don’t remember where I was or what I was doing last year – but I remember 5 Oct 2017. I was headed round trip through the Panama Canal on the NCL Sun in the company of good friends from Australia. We were due to pull out from San Francisco at a reasonable time of the afternoon. And then the fun started. It was a Friday afternoon. The tannoy announcement informed us that we were going to be delayed secondary to the Blue Angels rehearsing. Along with dozens of others, I went and staked out my territory on the upper deck. Up at the bow with a good camera and excellent lens. I checked the old post to discover that I hadn’t uploaded pictures at the time. And since I have changed laptops since then, I have to find the connector, pull out the backup drive, and find the photos.

Right.

Anyway. It is Friday. And what started out this whole train of thought was seeing what I thought was a low flying aircraft out of the corner of my eye. George’s window mostly faces another section of the Long Building. I can see toward downtown (East) if I look out and too the right between the two wings of the building. Huh? Walking to the lounge at the end of the hall, I had a clear view of the stretch of Bay which separates San Francisco from Marin and includes the Golden Gate. Contrails slowly dissipating. Oh – ok, Fleet Week, Blue Angels.

Back to my audio books and knitting.

Quilt for Nina

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Did I show you this? A quilt made for a young lady who showed up a bit early, just after the first of the year.

all sorts of fun summer animals

and a close up of a few

obviously there has to be at least one elephant

since her parents are dedicated A’s fans

completed

and given to her parents on Saturday at the As game. And yes, Nina was there; hanging out in a front carrier and attempting to stuff just about everything in her mouth….

Lighten Up

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glow in the dark –

and that is dog as well as flamingos. Dani says it isn’t really a harness – just LED bands that continually change color which is a really good idea when your dog is rather hard to see in the dark. Unlike the flamingos – it doesn’t take solar energy to activate her brightness.

and I added McBeth to the t-shirts completed so far –

aka – literature

Bearly there

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and before you make any comments about Golden Bears – yes I know this bear is not brown. Get over it.

Jacket back

What else?

My backer kit from the PDX Broadsides kickstarter arrived.

Relatable Content

This is a Filk/Folk group from Portland Oregon which I first heard at WesterCon a few years ago. I have a number of their other albums (electronically from BandCamp). The best track on the album is Rewind. I suggest you take a listen. Not that thrilled about the rest of the tracks – excellent quality, I am just not in my 30s. The t-shirt is from an earlier album/track Ultimate Riot.

two shirts and an owl

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or should that be owl followed by shirts? Nah, the shirts were completed long before dark when I started on the Owl

Feeding my puzzle addiction, I discovered a new purveyor of wooden puzzles. This particular manufacture has only a few available, and, as it turns out, they are made in China. Less expensive than the US made ones certainly. But the quality of the puzzles is certainly not the same standard. The owl wasn’t all that difficult to assemble, but the pieces didn’t fit as smoothly as I would have liked.

unique pieces, but no whimsy ones

The shirts – the theme today was books.

there is the elegance of reading

Books & Roses

which didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped

and then there is the reality of what is appealing to certain members of the family

the front still in the hoop

the back just prior to finishing

and before you scratch your head – the clothes pins are to keep excess fabric out of the way and avoiding it being caught either under the hoop or in the stitching area. I know this because…..Both shirts still need to be washed and a few threads trimmed. It is all progress as I am working my way down my bin of “garment blanks.”

We had a break in the middle of the day – I had a sewing machine in for service. George proved that his feet are up to par since he drove both down and back. Remember that we have a standard transmission, so if he was going to have foot pain, I am sure that it would have been triggered by the drive.

Fairy Girls

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Done!  Well almost. Mostly? Quilted anyway

The embroidery had been finished for a while. It was just tackling the quilting.which I did by the “quilt in the ditch” method, carefully outlining each square.

closeup of quilting around each square

 

Since there are six girls, each done four times each with rows of blank square between, could be considered a lot of fiddly work

the whole quilt, done but still pinned

the backing is bright – Perhaps too bright? Anyway – it is a soft and lovely polar fleece which just asks to be be cuddled.

the back, polar fleece

Now, to see if I can get the Eldest to turn the edges and sew the binding for me…..