Wick (Moss & Diamonds): Week 2, 22 December

It’s been another week with a busy second half.  Monday was the regular shift at the museum.  I’ve returned to charting after a few months of editing upon finding that I’d missed some photos.  This week I charted a photo of two ganseys which both seem to have standard moss stitch yokes.  However, on closer inspection, they are more nuanced.  One has a yoke of three horizontal bands, and each band has a staggered pattern of K3 P3 rows separated by a knit row.  Each band is bordered by K and P rows.  The other has a yoke pattern of K one row, K3 P3 one row, K one row, P one row.  On the next repeat, the K3 is placed over the P3 of the previous repeat.

(c) Wick Heritage Society. Used with permission.

On Wednesday, I strolled to the shops to buy mouse bait. Alas, it was early closing day and the ironmongers was shut.  The nearest alternative was a chain hardware store about a mile away, and off I trod.  After procuring the bait, I visited the supermarket next to it for marzipan and fondant icing for a small Christmas cake.  I searched through the store twice but couldn’t find marzipan.  I asked at the till, searched again, and still no marzipan.  It transpired that the till attendant hadn’t realised the difference between fondant and marzipan and had been directing me to the fondant. 

I haven’t been for walks much lately . . .

Reasoning I could make an alternative or do without, I headed home, until I realised that another supermarket was only a few steps out of the way.  Thankfully, they had both fondant and marzipan, and my errands were complete.

Thursday was also busy, with an early start to drive to Inverness for the appointment with the consultant dermatologist.  It was a lovely day for a drive, with sun overhead and low cloud on the horizon, meaning I wasn’t blinded by the low sun while driving south.  The dermatologist has been given the all clear after a full body check.  Of course, I still need to take care in the sun and be vigilant for any skin changes.

Layby with a view

I arrived home early enough to have a short nap before the first of two Christmas concerts in the evening.  The orchestra participated in a joint carol concert with the Wick Choral Society and a local primary school choir.  The hall was full, with few empty seats, and I played more notes than expected.  The second concert was Sunday afternoon in Thurso.

That’s breakfast sorted

While I’ve been busy most days, the evenings are still gansey knitting time.  The 3” welt is complete, and I’ve started the gentle ribbing of the body.  As with the most recent blue gansey, the body pattern is both mindful and mindless, K5 P1, K5 P1, K5 P1 . . . there’s not even a break at the side ‘seams’, because the repeat fits exactly in the number of stitches.  

I’ll be having a short break until 5 January – so Happy Christmas to you and yours, and I hope Santa fills your stockings with lots of squishy wool!