(no subject)

Perhaps I should get back into doing daily progress reports--the last few days I've not been doing posts, and progress has been slow. One might argue that it is a weekend and that one isn't meant to make progress on work on the weekends, but I am aware that I will be doing sightseeing with blamebrampton on Tuesday, therefore I *ought* to be working on the weekend.

What have I done with the past couple of days? Yesterday's highlight was skating out to Parco Lambro. One of my complaints about living in a City is the fact that I can walk for 30 minutes in any direction, and still be in the city, with no signs that it might be thinning any time soon. However, when I put on my rollerblades I can reach that park in only 26 minutes, and the park is large enough that it takes another 10 minutes to skate to the far side of it. As a result I got a full hour and a bit of exercise, and got to spend a bit of time surrounded by more than a single row of trees between me and the tall buildings. Such a pity that one must then return through the city after the adventure! I opted not to climb the hill in the park (the only one I've seen *anywhere* in Milan!) this time because I failed to bring any other shoes (going up it wearing skates is possible, I've done it, but it isn't pleasant), and I knew from looking out my window at home that the Alps wouldn't be visible from it anyway--the northern horizon is, as usual, a featureless grey wall. While I was skating my washing machine was home being useful, and as a result I got to sleep in fresh, clean sheets. Living without a dryer means that luxury doesn't happen as often as I would like, as I have to have enough time in the morning to run the washer and hang the sheets up early enough in the day for them to be dry enough to put back on the bed in the evening. Sure, I *could* just go buy more sheets, but I'd just as soon not acquire more things that aren't a requirement before I move--I've enough to ship as it is.

Today I applied for yet another job. This one in a location I might not have considered, but I happened to recognize the name of the person who posted the ad on the geo-metamorphic e-mail list, and that prompted me to read the ad to discover that the wish list of things the new hire might study is a near-perfect match for the things I enjoy studying. So off the application went. I currently have nine applications out there being considered and another 15 things to apply for between now and mid January (+ another 14 I didn't get, half of which sent me "I'm sorry to inform you" letters, the other half just warned that "if you haven't heard back within six weeks you may assume you aren't on the short list"). Therefore I remain hopeful that I will find something. I've become accustomed to having an income, and while it would suit me just fine to take a few months off after this job ends in December, I only want a vacation, not to be unemployed.

For most of my life I've done hand-projects when in the company of others--stitching during lectures, at meetings, at parties, while visiting with friends. There are folk who say they have never seen me without a project in my hands. However, at home I have rarely worked on projects, unless I have company. At home I tend to read, do things on the computer, or do housework. However, this past week or so that has changed. For some reason, while I've found myself uninspired to do as much uni work as I should, I have been inspired to stitch. I am making good progress at my two-handed nålbinding project--making a pair of leg warmers which are mirror images of each other. One held on the right thumb (and worked with the needle held in the left hand), the other held on the left thumb (and worked with the needle held in the right).

It is amazing how easy it is to keep them at the same point of progress by working the stitch with one hand, anchoring the needle behind the thread around the thumb, and then switching to the other hand. It is also interesting seeing the difference in the sheen of the resultant fabric based on the interactions of the angles of the knots with the direction of twist on the threads. The yarn I am working is S-plyed, and the threads angle such that the stitching done with the right-hand looks very smooth, while that done with the left looks more textured. I will try to remember to take the camera home and get photos. Alas, I can't take photos of them on my thumbs, since that would leave me no hands free to hold & operate the camera. Oddly, my enthusiasm for doing this project on my own, without company, around has spread to other things as well, and I am once again making progress on my new underdress, too. However, I think when sightseeing on Tuesday I won't bring either of those projects along, but instead take the other nålbinding project in progress, as one-handed is likely to be a better project for travelling, and the underdress is more weight than I want to be carrying while doing adventures.