WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get. This is a journal blog, an explore-blog, a bit of this and that blog. Sharing where the mood takes me. Perhaps it will take you too.

Menottumn [men-oh-tum]; the condition of a summer-long autumn.

NB: this is a menoloopal post.

Yup.  Summer passed us by, here in Dunoon. There have been precisely five (count 'em...5) summer-like days throughout the allotted period officially called as summer. That is, days which managed to get over the 20'C.  Which is still little more than spring or autumn in my book.  

Remember, I am have been living in semi- and full tropical climes for a considerable time. Quarter century and then some.

Now, I am not complaining.  Not as such.  The head knew fully well that returning to Scotland after all these years would entail some compromises.  Totally understood that. However, having many times read from letters and heard in telephone calls from the nears and dears who remained on British shores that they have had amazing and wonderful summers requiring mosquito repellents and factor 50+ slap and slither, it has come as something of a let down to discover the need for arctic underwear and bedsocks. 

In... "sum-mm-errrr..."


Look; July was okay-ish.  Was able to keep all the windows open for majority of the time. The sun at least made an appearance most days - albeit with a biting wind.

Either side of that?  Grey from shore to shore.  Winds to blow the spots off a Dalmation. Temperatures to make a penguin feel welcome. Rain to frighten Noah.

Got the picture?

The wool is there, taunting me.  The handspun inherited from mother; a substantial quantity it is too. Having unpacked and rediscovered my quite impressive array of crochet hooks, the notion to weave creative is stirring within.  Indeed, a long foundation 'chain' has been fumbled together.  The last time I crocheted would have been some 15 years ago. Had forgotten the fingers need to be loose and flexy.  They need some warm-up exercises.

Typing doesn't cut it in that regard.  Not just the fingers are involved y'see. Pretty much the whole hand is required, starting, as it does, at the wrist.  Then there are the shoulders to consider. Holding the arms in a fixed position for lengthy periods, carrying the weight of hook plus lanonlin-thickened, double-double ply yarn: well, that too proves a level of fitness is necessary before engaging in kreationary kombat. Though it should be noted that whilst being held down by the triple-twist outward trellis knot, core temperature rose and any sense of summer-deprivation was temporarily removed**. Further, there is the spinal strain.  The menosoupal Miss unsuspecting may not have plumped the support sufficiently, resulting in lumbar loosening and thoracic tilt.  

Then the question of what, precisely, is being made?  There is no pattern and the work commitment thus far has entailed no high-function thought. Judging by the length of the chain, 
it's a sleeping bag.  

Which is good. It should be done in time for hibernation. Assuming continuation of the current weather trend, that is about three weeks away...


**NB - certainly this was nothing to do with the menopolyxinaemia...



7 comments:

  1. Well I hate to break it to you, but we've had about the nicest summer we've had or a decade, up here in NE Scotland! Admittedly, it is all over now.
    But I do sympathise about the hands. Since I last knitted (about 30 years ago!) I have developed intermittent arthritis at the base of my right thumb and knitting Bertie's birthday sweater back in February triggered unwelcome aches and pains in that area. (The odd thing is that I am left handed).
    Cheers,
    Gail.

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  2. Sounds like a blankey to me; don't stop now.
    I have abandoned crochet entirely re the cramp factor. Still OK with the socks, but no longer get a pair done in a week.

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  3. WE have had a very COMFORTABLE summer. WE HATE to think of WARM Clothes and Winter Weather...

    We suspect that this project may turn into a nice Lap Robe or Blanket.

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  4. I rather missed that lesson. Instead sewing has been good for me.
    We've had a lovely summer. Any day above ground, to me, is a good one!
    Hope things warm up before fall!
    (ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!

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  5. If it's any consolation the summer down here in southern Normandy has not been an awful lot better, Yam. July had some short spells of nice warm sunshine, but August has mainly been cool (16 or 17) windy and rather wet at times.

    I can't crochet, though my next sister and my daughter enjoy it. I stick to knitting socks. :)

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  6. We've been having a fantastic summer in Maine. Sorry yours has been less than satisfactory!

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  7. You should have been here: the whole month of July was like a Mediterranean summer. Sunshine, high (for Norway) temperatures and basically: summerweather!

    Sorry I didn't comment for quite a while. Hoping to get back to reading blogs.

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