My local supermarket has arbitrarily and suddenly stopped stocking yarn. I had so many crochet plans, dreams about the colours I knew they had, and am feeling quite devastated. I do know this is not the worst thing happening in the world right now. But crochet has been going far towards keeping my head in a good place these past months. Hopefully I can find a new supply, but I'm going to have to walk a lot further for it. But I'm not getting my hopes up because this is a small town and the supermarkets probably all seasonally rotate their stock at the same time.
Posts between 2020/06 and 2020/07 (20 out of 20)
- Thought about going to Montenegro instead of Greece, but their entry restrictions currently require you have a residency permit from one of the countries on their okay-list, even if you haven't been anywhere near your country of residency/citizenship, so long story short I can't.
- Worked on some of the more tricky aspects of storing and presenting data that's been scraped over and over again and might be duplicative.
- Had lots of meetings.
- Kept going into town because the watch-fixing-man told me every day to come back tomorrow.. which gave me the opportunity to drink lots of freddo espressi at the cafes that are open now.
- Found more yarn! Far away, but, panic over.
- Crocheted socks. I think I've finally figured out how to do a neat join when going in rows and turning.
- Watched lots of Stargate. Read the terrible Merlin book.
- Fruit loaf without a recipe (just generic no-measure bread with some raisins and nuts); turned out pretty well, if a bit crumbly
- Some British things... dumplings with a bean and mushroom stew; homemade baked beans (pretty close!); chip shop style curry sauce
- Fancy pasta with cream sweet potato tahini sauce
- Sesame cookies
- Worked a bit too much, on the rather enjoyable Open Register of Interests aka. "declared." project. Got better at postgres.
- Learnt alternating rows of Y stitch and shell stitch to make a nice crochet pattern.
- Two days later realised the thing was coming up way too small, so I'm going to have to abandon it and start again. I'm using the wrong yarn - but it's a bit mysterious because if anything it should have come up too big. I guess doing it with crochet thread would make it looser and therefore bigger? Not sure how to salvage. I might apply the same stitch to a more simple pattern.
- Watched Birdbox and All Is Lost.
- Swam a bit.
- Made some food.
- Started to make plans related to :o not being in Albania.
- Got offered a ride to Greece a couple of days after the border opened, started prepping to leave, then the border didn't open; prepped to stay another 2 weeks.
- Coronavirus cases are rising in Albania, SURPRISING NO-ONE exactly two weeks after they lifted many of the restrictions.
- Against my basic instincts, I did go out a lot this week because everyone is acting like everything is back to normal and it's easy to get swept up in. Probably should stop that.
- Some of the going out was to work from cafes because my internet went out though. I'm back on nodejs stuff again..
- Also did a bit of editorial work on the DID spec, and hacked on sloph apps (it's been a while).
- Watched Fargo and Jaws (and Stargate Atlantis).
- Swam in the sea and sat on the beach.
- Crocheted some things.
- Went to a paddleboard yoga class! I didn't even fall off. It was early in the morning and the sea was so calm, but still ridiculously warm.
- Fighting an ongoing war with local mosquito population, which is managing to move in droves into my flat even though I keep all the bug nets on the doors and windows closed all the time. I'm very good at catching them in a wee glass and putting them outside, but they thank me by whining around my head at night and eating me.
- Got a haircut!!! Communicated with "bzzzz?" and hand gesture. Then the lady was spontaneously inspired to plait the hair that was left and it looked really cool.
- Made food..
- An up and down week of not knowing whether or not the Greek border will open for Albania.
- Getting frustrated at nodejs.
- Tinkered a bit with sloph posting apps.
- Crocheted a lot. I can do a chainless foundation row now! Easily? I couldn't do this before. Did it with a half double crochet.
- Realised I can just make doughnuts. Made them twice. So good. Can't believe I never did this before.
- Watched/rewatched Man From Earth, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moneyball... Stargate.
- Swam in the sea. It got really really hot.
- ...
- i dunno, i lose track. my brain is fried.
🗁Added 13 photos to album Homemade food.
A great carrot cake with lemon cream frosting started the week, and lasted all week!
A good pizza. I tried to make 'omelette' type things with semolina, but they turned pink (no idea why) and were more like burgers instead, so I made bread rolls and rolllllled with it.
Flatbread and beans for burritos.
🗁Added 35 photos to album Albania, Mar-Jul 2020.
Getting out of the house a bit more, because the Watch Fixing Man kept telling me to "come back tomorrow". Found and swam at some new small beaches. Located new yarn supply! Sampled freddo espressi in several coffee shops. Freddo espresso is best espresso. Crocheted socks.
Week in review: 1 - 7 June
I dreamt standup again, as if I don't have enough meetings when I'm awake.
I worked way too much this week, and got up at 0630 to finish some stuff before today's Co-op meetings, so to enforce taking the rest of the afternoon off... my building's wifi went out. Then the water.. and then the power.
I have started a new crochet project. And went to the beach.
🗁Added 19 photos to album Homemade food.
🗁Added 24 photos to album Albania, Mar-Jul 2020.
A new crochet project, labelled 'intermediate', alternating rows of Y-stitch and shells which is interesting, and I love my new 3.5 crochet hook... but it's coming up way too small so I'm going to have to abandon it.
A couple of trips into town for byrek and freddo espresso. Swimming from the rocky beach near home, and the nearby pier of Santa Quaranta. Normally at this time of year the pier would be packed; lined with cars down the middle, and packed on both sides with sunbeds and umbrellas. But the hotel resort is barely open, the sunbeds aren't even out, and just one or two people come to sunbathe on the pier.
Week in review: 8 - 14 June
Went from being offered a ride to Greece the day after tomorrow and having to come to terms with suddenly leaving Sarande, to finding out the Albania-Greece land border is staying closed until July 1st actually, within the space of an hour. Rollercoaster. I'm exhausted.
And on top of that, nobody can give me a straight answer on whether I count as an EU citizen for the purposes of mid-pandemic border crossings.
🗁Added 18 photos to album Albania, Mar-Jul 2020.
Crochet projects this week (that were actually finished): a 'peace sign patch' and a wave stitch headpand. I also started a yellow summer top but for some reason haven't taken any photos of that yet.
I met Banksy the dog and had the first hummus I've had in WEEKS at Salad Farm across the road.
Went to the beach, for sitting around and swimming, and out for early morning byrek and cafe working when the internet went out on a work day.
Aaaaand paddleboard yoga! At 7:30 in the morning. I didn't even fall in, and it was a beautiful day so I rented the board for an extra hour to pootle around the bay some more.
🗁Added 13 photos to album Homemade food.
Ran out of sugar so I made sugar free banana chocolate cake, just like the old days. And at the end of the week, a courgette choc chip cake, which did have brown sugar in.
Other highlights.. a shepherd's pie, mushroom risotto with hazelnuts, stuffed aubergine Albanian style, and vegetable tempura.
Week in review: 15 - 21 June
Modern javascript is the most alien shit I swear, I can't read any of this
I honestly don't have the brain space for github to be looking different just now
Either I've got a lot better at crochet since I last tried this, or a chainless foundation row is not as difficult as I remember it being..
Why doesn't crocheting furiously while staring at my text editor cause code to be written???
🗁Added 20 photos to album Homemade food.
Did you know you can just make doughnuts?! I mean, I knew it, and I can't believe I never actually did before. Just... 2 cups of flour, a couple of tablespoons of sugar, half a cup of plant milk and some yeast; knead, and rise for 2 hours, then shape and fry in an inch of oil for a minute or two on each side. Actually incredible. I coated the first batch with brown sugar (although it doesn't stick well, even when fresh out of the oil), and the second batch with cinnamon and brown sugar. One I ate smeared with cherry jam, and another with melted dark chocolate on top. Holy cow.
Also had a good pizza and chips, and some great curries.
Week in review: 22 - 28 June
On Friday the Greek Deputy Minister of Civil Defense said the Kakavia land border with Albania will not open. Today a "spokesperson for the Greek government" said the Kakavia land border with Albania is on list of border crossings that will open. I still feel like it's sort of a complete 50-50 chance if I'll be leaving Albania this week. Makes it hard to adequately buy groceries. And plan my work schedule. And.. maintain my sanity.
I did waste like 3 hours this morning researching alternatives. Or maybe it won't be wasted! Who knows at this point.