Last Friday was the one year anniversary of Skip's death. The whole week was really difficult for me emotionally. My friends took great care of me: sending messages, bringing food and gifts, inviting me for lunch visits and extra stitchy time.
My neighbour's husband died 2 years to the day before Skip so I took her out for dinner to honour our husbands over some nice food and bevvies. Getting out of the house that evening was really good for my mental health. I will avoid wallowing in my grief over such an extended time in the future.
I'm working away on the second 3 x 1 ribbed sock with the Austermann Step yarn.
Wait! What! How did I get identical twin socks after all?
Rather than try to pull the yarn and start in the right place in the middle of a colour band from the first sock, I just knit right into the yellow band. Then I snipped the yarn and unravelled it a row before where the first sock started. Then I unravelled all of what I had done on the second sock, cast on where I had snipped and re-started the second sock.
I'll hold on to the piece I cut off for some scrappy sock yarn project.
I'm only a few rounds from starting the heel.
Then, inspired by a video I saw online two days ago, I started crocheting a linen stitch scarf, designed by Heidi Cantway. It's a free pattern on Ravelry. Here's one of her photos from the design page:
I crocheted a swatch with about 46 stitches. then measured to determine the gauge. It is knit lengthways so to get a 72" scarf I needed to chain 450 sts. I stopped at 400 so my scarf will measure about 68" when completed. The fringe is added afterwards.
I'm using a mystery skein of sock yarn alternating with a skein of my handspun (green)for contrast.
and a 3.75mm crochet hook.
It's a really easy stitch pattern and looks the same on both sides. Once the foundation chain is completed, turn and (sc1, ch 1) all the way across. In the next row, ch2, then sc1 in the hole created by the ch 1 from the previous row and ch1. Continue the sc1, ch1 pattern for the rest of the scar. Easy! I'm alternating colours every other row until it's about 4.5 wide. The fringe is added afterwards. Do download the pattern for more specific and accurate details.
This would be an excellent pattern for any random yarns of the same weight. Once I got past the tedious foundation chain and first row, I really started to enjoy this project.
I've been watching the new season of 'Clarkson's Farm'. Hilarious in spots. This season he's hoping to open a pub in a nearby village with a shop attached where local items will be sold. The hope is to divert some of the traffic from the Diddly Squat shop that the council keeps complaining about.
And finally, last night Alexa and I ventured up to Betty's farm to try to see the Northern Lights. It wasn't dark enough and probably not late enough. A drive farther out into the countryside would probably be more successful on a cloudless night. Here's how to photograph the Northern Lights with your iPhone.
You do have to be in the dark to get the slider to go to 10 seconds. Then, when you're photographing, stay still and keep the cross-hairs on top of each other. There are probably other, clearer instructions online.
Aurora is a cool, free app that shows were the Northern Lights are seen anywhere in the world in real time.
Another cool night-time, star-gazing app is Sky View Lite (free for the basic version)
and Stellarium.
The latter one was recommended by the astronomer from our cruise. For the latter two apps, you basically hold your camera up to the sky and even through clouds, the app will identify any celestial bodies and then superimpose drawings of the constellations.
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