Migraine Day Two

OK, enough already. Can somebody stop whoever it is that’s trying to drill a hole through my head behind my eyes? Advil gel caps which usually work fine aren’t even touching this one. It must be the weather because I can’t think of another reason. Haven’t even had a glass of wine for two days. Sniff! The weather has been really changeable — sunny one minute, clouding over darkly and dumping rain and hail the next. We went for our usual walk and got too warm in the sunshine with our raincoats and woolies but later had to put them back on when it changed to cold hard rain with some hail mixed in on our way home. Good thing we both had umbrellas but my pant legs were dripping wet by the time we got in the door.

While we were at the magazine shop, I found a cute but rather expensive magazine (actually nearly a soft cover book) from UK knitting magazine Simply Knitting. It’s called “Irresistible Gifts To Knit” and the patterns are animals and other characters designed and knit by Alan Dart and they are simply too adorable! Usually without being sickly-sweet too or I wouldn’t like them so much. There’s a whole farm full of animals, gnomes, Noah’s Ark, Nativity, bunnies at the beach (this one had me laughing so hard tears came), a pirate, mermaid, momma chicken, Jack O’Lantern and more. They were already published in Simply Knitting but are now together in one “bookazine”. BTW these are not all soft and cuddly stuffies. Some of the animals use straws to stiffen the legs and pipe cleaners to help pose arms, trunks, snakes etc. Often the legs are glued and accessories and poses are stitched into place. So they are more like “art dolls” than toys and wouldn’t hold up to a lot of rough play from a small child. Some might be more amenable to adventures. I’m trying to decide who should be first on the needles! But not until I get something else off them.

Another special issue magazine I got was from Cloth Paper Scissors focusing on Studios. Now I know that I’m truly normal! I could so relate to these studios except that most of the artist/craftspersons didn’t have as many books or tools and supplies for as many different crafts as I do. Some of the spaces are truly inspirational though. Editor Patricia Bolton got a wonderful studio makeover out of the deal but I particularly loved Sara Lechner’s vast Austrian hay loft and the huge Florida studio of Mary Fisher, especially her wet studio’s lovely deep stainless sinks. (Envy. Though I guess I shouldn’t since I actually have a pretty functional dye studio myself.) They are all mixed media artists. I don’t think I mix my different crafts up enough. Something I need to work on maybe.

So I’ve almost finished the translation of the more complex Japanese knitting symbols that I’ve been working on. I’m just waiting for help on one last one that I can’t figure out. It’s interesting that some stitches can be done more than one way as long as the results look the same in the end. I’ve been thinking and I’m not sure whether I should publish my translations here. However leave me a message or a comment if you are struggling with the Knitting Patterns Book 250 and can’t figure out p. 123.