Bits and bobs of news

Our big news of recent days is that we had no power for almost 24 hours on Friday. Everyone else in the family had school or the university to go to, outside the blackout area. I hung out in libraries and malls, only popping in at home once to check our pipes wouldn't freeze, when I felt I'd rather spent enough money... Got myself some nice yarn, as a matter of fact! More on that later.

In the la-de-da department, I am now a published science photographer!


This photo has been used several times before, I think, but now I'm in New Scientist! I took this picture in Santa Barbara, California, a million years ago, when not only did I have a freezer that made ice spikes, but I was taking a photography class, too, and printing B&W photos. (More on ice spikes, if you like, is here.)

Knitting accomplishments include finishing two more hats, so my hat trick is overflowing!

Add to the orange one and the Calorimetry half a Fake Isle -- using only the first chart -- and a hat with a swirl, like this one. Mine was started on 68 stitches, increasing to 69 after the ribbing, and then k9, p1 around, making the purls move around the hat, since the pattern wants 70 stitches and there are only 69. How convenient that the yarn colours swirled in a similar way.

The yarn I got the other day included a couple of balls of dishcloth cotton to make the cool towel from the new Mason Dixon book. And a ball of mud-coloured Kureyon which might turn into a stranded hat with a chaotic mud-crack pattern. Or it might not, if I decide that is too hard!

And now I have to go rouse people to shovel snow! Yes, more of the dang stuff is falling out of the sky. I'm not pleased.