Joexnz

I suppose as I've changed the icon to the Comedian I should post using some kind of rif on Watchmen.

but frankly that seems far to close to reality for any form of comfort right now

I am off facebook, it seems to have become a screaming bubble of self righteous virtue signalling in which no one feels the urge to demonstrate the compassion they so earnestly call for.

So fuck that shit, I am retreating to this relic of pre 2015 nostalgia, before David Bowie left us and the world just couldn't stop passing the pint to the year before to show how to fuck about people properly.

You think you're doing okay
And then you see them again, on the street, on Facebook
And they look so much like the person you wanted to be with, before they became the version the two of you created.
That your breath catches, your mind freezes and all the old scars ache and throb

You know that isn't as bad as when they left or the months before that
But the distance between then and now seems a few steps and not the leagues it took you to get here.

You see them happier with a new person than you ever remember making them. And you can't decide if you are angry or sad about it, mainly it just hurts.

You look at your new lover, and wonder if you could ever be as happy with them. And you can't decide if you want them to love/destroy you like that, because mainly it'll just hurt.

It will pass, sooner rather than later this time.
It has passed, there have been harder moments than this.
But this is one of a lifetime of moments you'll endure, a law of diminishing returns as everything you ever meant to each other, good or bad, fades out existence.

I haven't even mentioned Russia and Ireland needs a far larger role.
and feel asleep when I got to the characters, most of whom will change anyway.

But I hope i've outlined the basics of what a cold war in the commonwealth could look like.

Constructive feedback welcome, i'm kind writing this as a potential roleplaying scenario, though someone else would run it, and i've never written one in my life.

What if
On the 4 of June 1940 Churchill spoke to the House of Commons

We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

God was not apparently on Churchill’s side. The island was subjugated, ground under the heel of the nazi jack boot.

The battle of Brittan was lost, our brave pilots put up a good fight, but it was not enough and on the 17 September 1940, Operation Sea Lion commenced and whilst it took six months longer than originally intended the beach heads were established in the south of England, and with crushing inevitably, London and the rest of the country fell. It is with pride and sorrow that Churchill noted the names of the fallen at the battle of Walmington on Sea, an incident in which the home guard held out against the Nazi invasion for 8 weeks under Captain Mainwaring and later Lance Corporal Pike. Churchill described the action as well fought and showing that every Englishman would rise to the occasion and fight for the good green fields of home, to their dying breath.

On Dec 25th 1941 in a carefully co-ordinate propaganda move, Hitler rode up the Pall Mall in his open top rolls Royce to stand in front of the bombed out ruins of Buckingham Palace and accept the surrender of Great Britain from Anthony Eden the Foreign Secretary, one of a handful of cabinet members who volunteered to remain in the UK. By this time the Cabinet had evacuated to Ireland and the Royal Family (with much protesting from the queen consort Elizabeth) was evacuated to Canada. Many of the children who were originally intended to be evacuated to the countryside, were also hastily sent on to these new destinations.

The last act of a defiant parliament, whose final sitting in the houses of parliament on 12 December 1941, was to pass the Interregnum Act of 1941, granting independence to Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, for the duration of the occupation in exchange for sheltering the majority of the British Parliament. It was seen as a desperate act by the Nazi’s but one, which proved to have lasting strategic value.

With the Nazi acceptance of the surrender, there followed three years of subjugation, during which, there were sympathizers and saboteurs as forms of survival. The UK’s Jewish, Romany and homosexual population died in vast numbers in the concentration camps erected of Merthyr Tidfell, Ripon and Dunblane. Those caught sheltering them where often shipped alongside them, or shot on the village green as an example to others.

America during this time, took as many refugees as they could, but remained politically and militarily neutral to the war in Europe. Even after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on the 9 January 1942, they only ever declared war against Japan, some say they were to afraid to take on the might of the Nazi’s, others that Hitler offered them a land empire in the east, in exchange for taking out the Japanese, and being if not Ayran Allies, then at least not being Aryan fighting Aryan, others that they choose the battle they knew they could win.

So the situation in early 1941, stood as thus. The British govt in exile, sheltered with the military forces it had evacuated in Londonderry and Belfast. Every second Irish family in the north housing at least one evacuated child, with an increasing push for the south of Ireland to shoulder its share of this burden, as it as to risky to send these children onto Canada, with the U boats in the Atlantic. The Royal Family in Toronto, acting as official diplomats for the heads of state of the Empire. The Royal Navy split into three fleets, the Irish, the Canadian and the Indian.

All however, was not lost. The Empire responded to the call of the crown and empire, with an almost schzipernhic zealotry. In India Gandhi’s 8 August 1942 speech delivered in Mumbai at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, called for the liberation of the Britain, so that those British trapped in India and in the ‘false dreams of Empire’ could return home in the knowledge that India had proved herself at least their equal. There were sporadic outbreaks of violence towards the British still in India, however, most of the nation took this as an opportunity to prove its independence. Munitions factories and ship building yards were swiftly established in Bombay and Panjim. However, India’s belief that spearheading the liberation of Britain would lead to their inevitable liberation (or at least equal footing) from colonialism put them in direct conflict with the aims of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Despite the sense of nationhood that had developed from their experiences in WW1, in response to their experience with English commanders, the ANZAC forces rallied to the call and stood proud to lead the charge against the Nazi’s for the home country. South Africa’s

The disparate aims and motivations of the nations of the Empire were ably exploited and managed by Churchill and the young princess Elizabeth, who as the younger member of the family was considered freer to travel and proved her worth as a skilled diplomat, managing the transition of these nations from Empire to Commonwealth in 1944. It was, of course, during the course of these travels that she meet and fell in love with Chithira Varma, and whilst they never married, their ill stared love affair was to haunt both nations for decades.

Along with the British breaking the Enigma code and translating the Nazi transmissions at Stormont and the actions of the British Obstructionists, lead to the launch of Operation Defiance on 16 April 1945, which landed on the three beach heads of Stranerar, taken by English and Indian forces, Dunragit by a joint South African and Australian force and Port Logan by the ANZACS. With heavy losses by the ANZACS, either due to GCHQ incompetence or the increasingly the suspicion that one of the other commonwealth nations gave their position to the Nazi’s.

Despite this the beach head was established and two weeks later the Battle of Dumfries irrevocably changed the course of the war, as an overstretched and weary Nazi army was at first rolled back by the commonwealth troops and then increasingly individual unit and then armies surrendered. Notable events from the English Liberation include the liberation of the last 200 inmates of the Dunblane concentration camp, the liberation of the captured British Army at Stalig 13 in Orkney, with the emotional embrace of the General of the Indian troops, by his former CO, who had been a POW for 3 years and was due for execution that day, after his 23rd escape attempt. Along with the patriotic fervor with which the liberating troops were welcomed by the British populace, leading one commentator to lament that liberation may be the worst thing to happen to British womanhood since 1066. The return of the Royal family to Buckingham Palace, and the so called bonfire of the vanities where they symbolically burnt every piece of movable Nazi regalia left behind in the restored palace, on the front lawn.

Six months after this liberation, the commonwealth is now organizing Operation Moksha, the liberation of Europe. However, the tensions are beginning to show and whilst all the allies are committed to the war effort, what happens after liberation is very much in doubt, the Indians have liberated Britain, and are looking to either be acknowledged as the army in charge or saying they have completed their aims and withdrawing their military presence, the South Africans are pressing for greater independence and a recognition of their racial basis of government, the Australian and New Zealand governments are also seeking more sovereign control in recognition of their efforts. All countries are also asking for financial recompense for their war effort.

On a dark and stormy night, representatives of the commonwealth heads of state gather at Balmorals as guests of the young Princess Elizabeth to hold preliminary discussions on the division of Europe and the commonwealth post war, along with an instruction from Churchill to see what compromises can be worked out to avoid a potential ‘cold war’ once the liberation of Europe has been achieved.

Present are

Lieutenant – Colonel Symth Warbuton
Old school military, bought up in the British Raj, Old school colonial values, considers it the duty of the empire to have rescued the crown, and they should be happy to do so without reward. Some sympathy for Nazi racial politics, but aghast at the evidence of the camps uncovered in the UK.
Aware that these attitudes are becoming outdated, so resentfully hesitant to voice his feelings.
Hidden agenda: to discuss Princess Elizabeth’s affair with Chithira Varma and convince her to do her duty, break it off and accept a proposal from Philip of Greece and Denmark.
Secure access to French ports and German Ruhr valley after the war.

Colonel Vishra Singh
Joined the military as a result of Gandhi’s speech, fiercely pro independence. However you were banished from your family for joining up. Saw heavy action at Stranerar and Dumfries, your brother died in the final days of the liberation of London. Thoughts of what this battle has personally cost you sit heavy on your shoulders.
Part of the new commonwealth elite, sees a new future with Australia as an equal trading partner, but aware of the Americans presence in Japan and china as a constant threat of an invasion on your own soil

Hidden Agenda: secure trade deal with Australia and New Zealand.

Lieutenant – Commander Valerie Upton, NZ navy
New Zealand being a small nation, was quicker off the mark of letting women serve and you have seen years of action in the Atlantic, starting with smaller surface vessels and then commanding captured U-boats.

As part of the new commonwealth, you wish to secure a place for both women (whom made up the majority of the British Obstructionists and since liberation see no reason to return to the kitchen) and New Zealand, in this new world of opportunity.
Hidden Agenda: Confirm to Elizabeth that if she gave up her right to the crown to marry, then New Zealand would still recognize her as head of state, provided she negotiated them a trade agreement with New Zealand, with preferential rates.

Mr Benjamin O'Malley
Irish, married to an evacuee
Secret Agenda: find wifes family

Cambridge is not looking happy
I'm wondering how long to leave it before taking her to the vet

She's not eating much and is looking very frail

I'll shoggle the cat litter tomorrow and if she's not used the tray tomorrow

I guess I'll have to contact Alan and consult

I'm dreading that
Any of it really

I don't know if I miss Facebook or not

I know I'm both missing the ability to vent and grateful for not having it atm

Cables are where you move a set of stitches in front or behind the other stitches, changing their order.
Usually using a double pointed needle.

sometimes its all about the precision, the pattern, the creating a piece of jewellery in stitches



Then sometimes its just about the texture

Shetland Wool Week – Part two

Wednesday - TRADITIONAL SHETLAND STEEKING AND CUTTING WITH BARBARA CHEYNE
I will admit I was less than impressed with this class, I had mainly done it as I hadn’t been able to get into the steeking class with Mary Henderson.

So I went with this class, we knitted a swatch. On the website, it says materials provided, wool was indeed provided. From the teachers stash, and collected again at the end of class. For knitting needles you were on your own.
The class was three hours, 2 and something hours to knit a swatch and 20 something minutes to cut and sew it. We got out 15 mins early. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t learn from the internet. Next time I’ll check the teacher has designs or a blog. So moving along…

Wednesday afternoon – another trip to Jamiesons, this time for a ball of black and a ball of white to work on the eye in the pyramid stranded colourwork for Husband.

Then we went west, it was a lovely day and very pretty.




Thursday – SHETLAND TWEED WEAVING
Husband came along on this one, as he got to play with machines. It was on Yell, so there was a ferry Where I had a fangirl moment and said good morning to someone I’ve never meet but who’s blog I read and it felt rude not to. Except of course its actually kind of rude to do so. Modern social etiquette at its finest.
I had imagined there was going to be a big loom and we’d pick colour and spend a couple of hours wefting (not warping). Actually we got a go on five different looms, each with a different pattern. They had two Ashford 8 shaft looms, which were awesome, though well out of my price bracket. However, I am going to get a narrower loom reed, a boat shuttle and buy some cones of weaving wool.
Husband, had a brilliant time. Due to ferry’s, distance and longer class, this took all day. We did however, get some local knowledge and picked up fish and chips for the cottage on the way home.



Friday – no classes
Slept in, went to the museum. They had whalebone DPN’s. In the display, not the gift shop I hasten to add.
Then we had afternoon tea, went home and packed.
A very nice chilled day at the end of it al.



Saturday – home, taxi to airport was slightly more expensive than I thought.

Conculsion: I will go again, hopefully with knitters next time.

As you know I am knitting Vertices Unite, now up to the third section.

This section is one colour, the others are stripped. It’s the fifth colour, and the only block of this colour. I saved a ball of Rowan fine tweed in darkest navy (it probably has some posh name) and now I have.......



A section that is darker than the rest, I am somewhat reminded of the monolith.
A section that is larger than the ball I have for it.
Also its slightly puckered, because I picked up slightly to many stitches along the edge.

What to do
Well firstly I’m thinking it’ll need undoing.
To undo a piece of knitting you can use one of two puns.

Tink, which is literally knitting backwards. You slip the needle in the stitch underneath and pull the one above off. Reversing the action taken to make the stitch.

Frogging, where you pull the needles out and pull the yarn to pull the stitches out by ripping them back. Rip it, rip it, is the noise a frog makes. Knitters you can see are up with gamers for bad puns.

Secondly, a choice, do I stripe it with one of the colours. Do I get another colour out, this would be the preferable option. Except on examination of the relevant size of yarn, I have one ball that is not enough to make socks with. Its not in the right colour palette though.



Tricky…..

Some random knitting related things from the last few days

New Lanark Mills


I went today, and bought yarn, you are stunned I’m sure.
I plan on going back at some point, they have a café, yarn, working spinning mules and nature walks. It was a beautiful day for it today as well. The only downside was that I was pillon not driver. I’ll confess I just wimped out.

I have four new balls of yarn, they have good colour blends. There were only two or three that were solid colours, most of the others are either a mix of subtle shades or flecked. I choose them as a fairisle mix, what do you do with four balls worth of fair isle??
This is why you end up with a stash of random balls of yarns.



In other news, my mum asked for the chevron stitch I posted awhile ago. She volunteers in an op-shop in Dunedin. They knit up the yarn that comes in, into baby items to sell on. I’ve sent her the pattern but then thought I’d send her the Harmony Guide volume 3 which its from. So I took a quick look on amazon, after all I paid about £10 for it, so I figured it would cheap and useful.

Well it is still cheap second hand, but its £58 new

£58!!!!!!

Now I knew some knitting books can be worth a lot, £100 or so. Books out of print by Alice Starmore, Elizabeth Zimmerman and the like. But something I owned as a basic reference book, seemed a bit unlikely…..

I was going to talk about the rest of my stash but one of my blogs has distracted me from this lengthy task.

Karie Bookish writes her blog fourth edition, she appears to be based in Glasgow, and was at her local knit group this week. As a knitting teacher and designer, she views this night as her time off, someone turned up to the knit group and demanded to be taught how to knit.

As a professional, she felt rather put upon in this position to give a service she makes a living fom.

I can’t imagine not teaching someone, surely this is an investment in the future. One of the comments mentions that knitting is both a livelihood and a community. For me teaching someone to start knitting comes from that sense of community.

But the knitting community is not necessarily made up of people I like, and in that position would I have backed off, if it was someone I didn’t know or take a liking to. Turning up to a casual meet and demanding, however politely, is newbie mistake and should be dealt with accordingly, presumably by the person organising the meet.

To say I have taught people to knit, is possibly an exaggeration. I have sat with people, shown them the two stiches and guided them through a row or two. Most of them have carried on, more or less, to my knowledge. But this is more about their desire to learn, rather than my methods. Probably also the doability of knitting for bus commuters.

But that’s community, not professionalism. I’d like to think I’d still have helped them on their first stitches, but that’s cause I knew them, liked them and wanted to show them what I liked. If it was my job, I to might blanch at a strangers expectations.

For reference I dont go to knitting groups in edinburgh, I prefer my activities to have deadlines. Though I do miss having regular social hangout night.....