(no subject)

[pensnest]

So, we have baptised our table. My niece arrived by plane last Thursday. We spent quite a bit of time on Friday mooching around the shops together, and went out for lunch at Wagamama's. I have very fond memories of her first visit to a Wagamama's when she was a tiny thing—she ate, noodle by mighty noodle, most of her mother's dinner, leaving my poor sister to eat the very bland and boring meal that Wagamama's for some reason deem suitable for small children. Back then, of course, Adorable Niece would eat anything.

Anyway, my sister and Adorable Nephew arrived by car on Friday afternoon, having emptied his first year student digs into his second year student digs (in Brighton) on the way. On Sunday my own Brats arrived for lunch—so seven of us sat at the mighty oval table. Grandpa had a medical procedure due on Monday morning and was on a very restricted diet (mostly white food) so he decided not to join the merry throng eating roast pork.

My cats are ice cream fiends. Sis and Nephew got themselves ice cream cones one afternoon and were astonished to find themselves being trampled by eager cats the second they got the wrappings off. Actually, I was quite astonished myself—the cats had never seen a cone before, only little ice-cream-onna-stick things, but they quite correctly deduced what it was and demanded their share.

The family set back out for Devon at 4am today—meep! No, I did not get up to see them off.

*

My Beast has just come back from a rehearsal with the men's barbershop chorus, and announced with pride that he has passed his audition. \o/ So his Wednesday evenings will be occupied with singing from now on. This is excellent—not least because it is high time he did some in-person socialising that isn't dependent on me. I know the men's chorus are a nice bunch of chaps and that they have quite a strong social agenda.

Meanwhile, I knitted another six rows of peacock. Here's what it looked like before this evening.



It'll look a lot better when it is blocked, but I have another hundred+ rows before I can get to that stage!

Comments

[turps]

That sounds like an excellent baptising of the table.

Way to go Beast!

And way to go you on the progress of the peacock. It looks very impressive already.

[pensnest]

I shall convey your congratulations to my Beast. He was very chuffed when he got home!

I think the peacock should be rather fabulous when it's done (about 2021, probably).

[copracat]

The peacock is going to be so beautiful.

[pensnest]

I think so! I'm pleased with the colours, although I am already second-guessing myself about how I should have done the colour changes. Onward.

[vae]

Your peacock looks magnificent!

[pensnest]

It's going very well—when it is done I shall parade it at Biddy's, for sure.

Meanwhile I have embarked upon an asymmetric shawl to use up some of the copious spare yarn, and... cannot make sense of the pattern. Hope you'll be there on Tuesday for consultation?

[vae]

I hope to be! I had to miss the last one because of con crud.

[frausorge]

Sounds like a grand lunch party! The shawl is looking awesome, those colors are lovely.

[pensnest]

It was fun having my sister and her kids here, though due to the children's opposite habits—one sleeps in late, the other rises at the crack of dawn; one eats vast quantities of protein and rice, the other tries not to eat at all—it was difficult to Do Stuff. But they're cool next generationers.

[watervole]

I hope he gets on well with the Barbershop singing. I do love male voices singing harmony.

[pensnest]

I find the men's songs can sound somewhat mournful, while the women's generally are more mellow. Then again, the men can get a *real* bass sound, which I love, and we just can't. And I have very much love for some of the best (male) barbershop quartets!

[turlough]

I bet your sis and nephew didn't mind getting mobbed by ice cream-hungry kitties :-) Lancecat is very discerning when it comes to ice cream, he only likes plain vanilla.

Congratulations to your Beast!

Your shawl is looking lovely already. Such gorgeous deep colours! What pattern are you using?

[pensnest]

They thought the ice-cream-fanaticats were hilarious!

The pattern is this one, which is certainly working out well so far. I don't like the designer's way of writing out the charts, which are *immense*, but everything is very clear and seems to be working out very well. Though I do put in a safety line on every sixth row. (Row 149 just completed, and I put it onto a bigger needle so suddenly it is huge!)