Saturday

[ewt]

Good morning!

Noisy neighbourhood felines woke me last night with their fighting.

Today is bright and sunny, hooray!

Academic
I'll spend some time this evening organising bits of paperwork and so on; there are various competitions I'd like to be keeping in mind (some performance, some composition).

I need a regular accompanist. Finding one at Trinity is going to be harder now because the pianists are not allowed to charge more than a pittance for their time if they are accompanying other Trinity students in academic things. Instead of this meaning that students who need an accompanist and dno't have much money can get one, it means that pianists are more likely to not bother with doing internal accompanying at all if they can get away with it. This is broken, yada yada yada... but doesn't solve my problem.

Creative
After spending some time this evening on organising papers I may well write some music. If I don't have enough brain left for that I'll work on a crochet project instead.

Wondering
-how my "little" brother is doing; maybe I'll give him a ring later
-whether hennes found the mattress comfortable enough last night; he certainly seems happy enough this morning

Wishing
-that my Canajan cashcard will turn up today. Really. Do we still get post on Saturdays here?
-that I would stop hitting the hurty elbow on things all the time. I didn't realise I bumped into things so much, but I do! It is very very very very nearly better - just feels a bit gristly on the pointy bit, which is annoying but doesn't hurt - until I bump it on stuff. Then it hurts. Perhaps I shall take hairyears' advice and get some sort of pad. I don't want to wear a bloody skateboard elbowpad, though, you know?

Planning
-spaghetti in the next 10 minutes (YAY!)
-supermarket for picnic type foods, possibly some dry shoes for hennes
-wandering around the park(s), feel free to join us, text me to find out where we are
-hennes will be off to a mudmeet, and I will have a Quiet Night In. I'm going to wash my hair, sort out some paperwork, maybe do some creative stuff. Looking to get an early night because tomorrow is teaching, and bits of the Northern Line are b0rked so I'll have to leave extra early. Bah.

Comments

[owlfish]

We get post on Saturday, so you should too.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Likewise.

Can you negotiate with Trinity pianists - pay them the regulation pittance up front, but further arrangemets 'between yourselves'?

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Or pay them in potatoes.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Socks! Pay them in socks!

Actually .. pay me in socks! In all seriousness ... when you have time, could we discuss a trial pair of socks, to see if EwtSocks are for me?

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

Yes!

What materials would you like? I know that Rowan Comfort (75% cotton, 25% microfibre) makes excellent sock yarn, it comes in lots of colours too. I think I currently have a fair amount of purple that isn't doing anything.

If you want extra warm I could add mohair which is superduper warm and not itchy compared to other wools (as it does not come from sheep, and I generally buy types that do not contain sheep wool). It's a little expensive but a bit goes a long way. And it's warm! Very warm.

For materials I already have, labour is likely to be the largest price variable. The thing that makes socks take a lot of labour is using fine yarn that requires lots of stitches. Doubling the yarn and using fewer stitches will give a thicker, sturdier and knobblier sock which takes less time to make. Tripling or quadrupling the yarn, or using yarn that is very heavy in the first place, will make something more akin to slippers.

I usually use two different crocheted sock patterns, one with replaceable heels (and toes too if you like) which can be the same colour as the socks or a different, contrasting colour (perhaps a stronger yarn if these areas wear easily), one without. The one without explicitly replaceable heels and toes can be made so that the entire sole is reinforced with a second yarn to make it stronger.

Seems our feet are about the same size, so fitting shouldn't be a huge problem.

You mentioned slippers at smoe point too I think. I do have some black fleece I could sew into slippers fairly easily, but I'll have to clear the table first to get the sewing machine out. Do I understand you wanted something a bit like this (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=Ffy1CyywjzbL4mhJRvLcycHWzpZSZR38bGLdxgj7WhnBRLJn1YJr!1489912225?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442619886&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302734975&bmUID=1163864319238)?

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

(and the feet being near-enough the same size thing means that if you decide you don't like ewtsocks you can give them back to me to wear.)

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

My feet are slightly weird. I seem to recall being measured by Clarks shoe shop in womens sizes as left foot 7, right foot 7 1/2, width DD (in mens sizes, 7G). But size 8 socks should be suitable to accomodate them :-)

Ethically, I'm happy with anything secondhand - if new, then organic and/or Fairtrade please :-)

How about we start with the easiest option - I think that's Rowan Comfort purple with doubled yarn from the pattern without replaceable extremities nor reinforcement? If they work, we can think about bells and whistles - replaceable toe and heel in contrasting colours; and quadruple yarn for gardening sound good :-)

Also, yes, those are the kind of fleecy slippers I had in mind. Again, secondhand fleece, or organic or Fairtrade - or recycled bottle fleece! - if new :-)

Now, we just need to arrange a first trial fitting at The Pembury some time :-))))

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

claire_wain phoned Fabricland and they told her that all their fleece comes from recycled bottles.

The fleece I already have is new, but I've had it a while.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Hooray for recycled fleece!

And your stocks need using up :-)

[ksta.livejournal.com]

wish I could be your accompanist. Shame my piano skills are not up to scratch :(
if you ever have anything with a super easy piano part, I'm your er, man.

[pfy.livejournal.com]

I still get post on Saturdays, so I don't see why you shouldn't. It's pretty ridiculous that the cashcard hasn't turned up yet.

See you soon.