More objects of desire, and machine knitting frustrations

Well, I bought two new lenses and already the 18-400mm has proved its worth - so much lighter to take hiking. However, I am now lusting over a 100mm macro lens. My 35mm lens (discontinued) is fine but you do have to get pretty close to things to get a decent shot. I've yet to figure out what to do with the 50mm. Perhaps that's the curse of photography - never got the right lens, always something to lust after! 

It's probably down to my terrible note-keeping, but I finally decided to restart work on the half-fisherman's rib cardigan (supposedly an easy Passap Model Book pattern - ha!) only to discover the tension I'd written down was really struggling. Stitches were hopping off all over the place. First attempt at a sleeve had so many missed tucks it looked like the moths had been at it - even a homeless person wouldn't want it! A restart at a lower tension went better BUT the left hand end stitch refused to form on the tucking back bed - I don't know that there's an easy fix for that! I do wish the Passap E6000 manual went into more detail as to how these things are achieved! The manual has very little information on this! I wrote on the pattern I'd used ss6/6 but on Ravelry I've written down ss5/5 which, apart from that left needle, worked much better. In disgust I'm afraid I frogged the lot, apart from the pocket, which I cannot figure out how it was knit (I *think* it was started circular - it refused to reveal its secrets and I didn't feel like looking them up by that point). Reader, I cast on a hand knit shawl in disgust. It does make me think the Passap is more suited to straight pieces and yardage, but I will have a rummage through my Passap books and see if I can find a better method for knitting sleeves in a tucked rib. I'm sure it's going to come up again! Increasing shouldn't be so hard! 

I recently offered to host Susan Guagliumi's free patterns, as she has recently taken her website down amid rising expenses. I can confirm that the garment patterns are now available online as PDFs with her kind permission. I didn't give her a specific page, but until the next round of updates they'll be the ones marked *NEW* in most cases. 

In other news, I finally finished the Pauline cardigan, with yarn to spare. I've yet to wear it of course, it is too hot to be wearing acrylic!

Mother Nature finally leaned on the "Summer" button here, we have had almost constant sunshine for the last few weeks, with the odd thunderstorm. Alas the ground is so dry it's almost as if the water is bouncing. I have been pretty lazy this year garden-wise and just pulled some weeds so far. We do seem to have a few bald spots that need occupying to keep the weeds in check if nothing else. 

The socks made with yarn I bought in Ghent. They were finished a few weeks ago, I think I put them away before I got around to taking their picture.

Current mood: annoyed

Objects of desire

Sorry for the prolonged quietness here. There hasn't been much to report craft-wise, and I'm sure nobody needs to read the minutiae of my boring life here! I did a bit of tunisian crochet, based on a blanket pattern - I charted it because it was written longhand, an Annie's Crochet baby blanket book I picked up last year. I can confirm, going up two hook sizes makes for much less curly crochet, though the reverse stitch edges are a bit wavy for my liking. However, this has since been unravelled, and is becoming a simple crochet scarf because I was going to run out of yarn. So the photo is for posterity more than anything else...

In other news, I traded in two lenses to MPB which I was never going to use - a 60mm macro lens and a 400mm zoom lens that was so heavy, it's visited many a hotel room and never left. I swapped it for my first-ever non-Canon lens, a Tamron 18-400mm (!) travel zoom that is half the weight. I can't wait to get out there and use it! The trade in process was very easy and I'd use it again in a heartbeat. Of course I've already fitted UV filters on my new lenses, after I nearly smashed a lens at an AGM. It's not worth a heart attack!

Finally, the temperatures are climbing here. It's been a very chilly spring, and I'm glad to see the sun more. I finally got some HRT gel and it made a marked difference to my sleep pattern straight away, I have had several movie-length dreams. Miracle gel! Who knew, it was my hormones all along? Hopefully I can get some more when this one runs low, I gather supply issues have been sticky lately.

Current mood: happy

Cameras I've loved and lost

I recently treated myself to a "new" second hand compact camera (Panasonic Lumix TZ70) but it got me thinking about all the old cameras I've had in the past, and how things have changed!

I think my first camera was this Kodak instamatic 100 - because Mum and Dad upgraded to an electronic Halina which they used for many years. I was about 11 at the time. It took square cube flashes, which weren't all that reliable. 

This was an early camera - mine was red and was branded with something, I think Mum saved up vouchers to buy it but I cannot remember what the food item was. I think it was either crisps or chocolate. It took a strip of flashes that were good for ten flashes, but didn't always fire reliably. When Sylvania was a brand, not a collection of cute animals. 

I had this camera until some swine broke into our hotel room in Eindhoven in 2003, and stole my (very stylish BHS) handbag. I hope when he saw the christening photos on it, he felt guilty. The camera itself wasn't worth much, but the pictures were priceless. Luckily my uncle took some too, and kindly sent me copies.  This was an APS camera with film you had to thread up, I struggled with that. Much preferred the drop-in 110 cartridge film. 

I may have replaced it with the HP 435 photosmart - a very basic camera but it did the job. I just saw this for sale for £180, I really hope nobody pays that for it! *

I finally coughed up for a new Nikon Coolpix in red - which I still have. Alas, the OK button is now very flaky and although it works, it's best if you leave it in one mode. It doesn't have a lot of options but it does take a decent picture. The lens shutter got jammed open in Newquay (sand I expect), though ten minutes of slapping sorted it out, so perhaps the same thing happened to the OK button. Such a shame, I'd freegle it otherwise. It was the first rechargeable camera I had I think, the HP took AA batteries if memory serves. 

I'm very impressed with my new "toy" - it's somewhat heavier than the Nikon and does need a case and a strap. How ironic, buying a camera in the middle of a pandemic when I'm not able to drive. Ha. 

Well, I've quite enjoyed the virtual stroll down memory lane, trying to find pictures of old cameras. What was your first camera? 

*Edit to add: I realised I left out the Kodak 360 zoom, which worked great until a tiny bit of plastic within the "zoom/taking a snap" button broke. In the DSLR range, I have also owned a Sony A230 (good but old) and a Canon 4000D (ok but not happy with the hotshoe), but have traded up to the Canon EOS 800D DSLR which is a really good camera for someone at my level! 

Current mood: enthralled

Busy weekend

On Saturday, I had an impromptu visit to Brandon Marsh with my good friend M, a nature reserve just down the road from me that I've never gotten around to visiting. Got to play with my new longer lens and got some OK shots, these are all at the maximum zoom of the lens, I am not anywhere near as close as it might appear! There's lots of romantic wildlife activity going on at the moment but it's surprisingly hard to catch on camera unless you can spend all day there. The weather was lovely this weekend.









Sunday was the annual Nottingham show...




Bill King not visible past all the interested visitors!


Lots of wonderful yarn and buttons and patterns to be had (I may have come home with some. Oops!)

More Nottingham pictures here. I do hope the show runs next year, alas the "voting" system was signing a sheet on your way out (not well signposted, either) which was only instigated mid afternoon, so may have missed the early birds.

The Cog is back home from his third snowboarding trip this year, sans snowboard, helmet and googles. Yes, some lowlife lifted his gear from outside a shop, so he's looking at £800 odd to replace it all. Not a happy bunny.

Current mood: exhausted

Random photos

Some random photos taken over Xmas and around where I live. I shall entitle them "Winter in Suburbia". Ha!




Cat toy, gotta love the macro lens!


Ditto - a crocheted waistcoat






Star lamp, xmas present from sister








Love this old tree, building works for new estate underway somewhat spoiling the view though..






Breaking in new "xmas present to myself" walking boots...


That cat can really move!

Coventry at Christmas

In the interests of fairness, because it is, after all, my home town, I took some photos of Coventry on the last Wednesday before xmas. It's late night shopping on Weds in December, and I had some time to spare before the evening Knitwits meeting at 7pm (which I ended up being a little late for, whoops!).

Coventry's town centre has an interesting history. Centred originally around a monastery (possibly convent)  and castle, it became a market town. What wasn't destroyed during WW2 (the German verb "coventrated", being coined here) was later destroyed by a "brave new world" city council - which is a pity, because old Butcher Row would have probably rivalled York's "The Shambles" had it survived. There are a few pockets of "old Coventry" left - notably, two gates from the old wall which used to surround the town, and Bond's hospital (almshouses), and of course the two cathedrals old and new, and Holy Trinity Church, and Greyfriars spire (now a bar), but these bits are scattered about like jewels within the modern (1950s onwards) buildings. Lots more information about Coventry's history can be found online. I'm just going to share some photos I took. I didn't get around the whole of the town centre, just the central area. If I try and do justice to the history aspect here, I'll never finish this post! :)



Shelton Square



Shelton Square towards the precinct - the lights are a large tower block. There are a few of these superimposed on the central city area.



A little "food market" before the precinct



Looking down the ramp towards the lower precinct



In the centre of the precinct there's a fountain you can sit around. This is looking up towards Broadgate - the spires were just about visible but didn't show up with my poor smartphone. It's a pity they can't be lit at night. It would look lovely.



Lower precinct, upper balcony - I needed to make a trip to Lush. The large baubles change colour slowly, very pretty! Note the 1960s circular cafe to the left, it's on a pillar. I thought (as a child) it must rotate slowly and was quite disappointed when I realised it didn't. I think it was a burger bar then. There are 8-10 old neon panels in this square, depicting Coventry trades - alas, all of them bar one were not lit! Very sad!



Broadgate from the upper precinct. The column on the left is actually a very tall cross or sword, topped with the city insignia of elephant and castle. I bet most people mistake it for a lamppost! Cathedral Lanes shopping centre is in the background, so called because originally you could walk through it to the cathedrals. It was later filled in for some reason! You can still walk around both sides of course...



Broadgate looking towards the puppet clock (just visible within the lit arch). On the hour, Godiva rides around, and Peeping Tom appears from above (see below for more on the legend).



Broadgate looking towards Trinity St. Primark (ex Owen Owen) on left.



Heading towards Cathedral Lanes - I had to do a bit more shopping!



Lady Godiva/Godgifu. It is said she agreed to ride naked around the city, if her husband the Earl would relent on taxing the people so severely. In this sense, naked probably meant, without her finery/jewellery. The legend has it that the people agreed to stay indoors and shutter their windows so as not to look upon her, but one Peeping Tom did and was struck blind. I suspect that bit might just be folklore!



Edge of Broadgate, looking up towards High St - it had started to rain by the time I had done my shopping, I wasn't in there that long! High St mostly contains banks.



Turning around from the last shot and looking back towards the upper precinct.



The tree in Bull Yard, probably the first xmassy thing you'll see if you walk in from the station (which is to the right in this shot).


City Arcade - yarn shop Busy Fingers is down here on the right. Yes, I was heading back to my car, can you tell?

Merry Christmas and here's hoping for a peaceful, knitty New Year!

Birmingham xmas market

I've always had a soft spot for Birmingham - I lived in Erdington for a bit, then later on Stechford. We visited a few times as kids on daytrips and would spend the whole day in the museum and art gallery. If it wasn't for the Cog and his job being 20 odd miles in the other direction, I'd probably live somewhere in Birmingham. I love the town centre, I love how vibrant and busy it feels - although I'd definitely want to live in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac, because cats, it would be lovely to have the town only a short bus ride away.

The Cog and I made our annual trip to the Birmingham German Xmas market today. Of course, by the time we got there it was almost lunchtime so first stop was the John Lewis cafe - very nice salmon salad. By the time we'd come back out of Grand Central, Birmingham's new shopping centre - still disorientated, we keep coming out by John Bright St and not where we think we are - it had started to rain, so we had a quick gluhwein in the shelter of one of the little bars. Then we split up to do some final xmas shopping - mine was for some smaller jeans and bras - weight loss is great but all of my jeans now need a belt to hold them up! A nice problem to have of course! :) We later agreed to meet at a bar where we were catching up with an old friend of mine, and as the sun had now come out I was inspired to take some shots. I was also partly inspired by my friend's wonderful blog Blossom and Sunshine - she has taken some smashing snaps of London and I feel I should try and nurture my inner photographer, even if it IS only armed with an old smartphone. Enjoy!



Looking up New St towards Victoria Square



Looking down New St towards the Bull Ring



This little bar is where we'd earlier sheltered to drink gluhwein. The windmill and the figures inside all rotate slowly. Love it!



This is Birmingham's cathedral, St Philips. Love the juxtaposition with the old style phonebook, and the light was just lovely here.