Autumn Zebra

I've been at work for an hour, and so far: The computer was running unbearably slow with several seconds required to change from one window to another, etc, and the task manager wouldn't open so I couldn't find out what program might be malfunctioning. Eventually the task manager sort of opened - but minimised itself into the task bar tray and refused to come out. Eventually it opened it's menu to close/restore/whatever, but I couldn't click on anything and the menu would not go away eithr - you know those dislocated floating menus? So I restarted the computer. Within 15 minutes of restarting, Windows Explorer crashed and had to restart, so I had to reopen the folders I was using, which annoys me. Five minutes later, Word crashed and had to restart. Two days ago I had an interesting problem where the computer was running very slowly and then all the windows froze up, and I couldn't restart because the start menu refused to open. After a couple of minutes it did...

From this website (http://fingerloop.org/) : Fingerloop braids are braids woven using loops (or "bowes") of string on your fingers. Fingerloop braiding reached a high point in Medieval Europe and England between 1200 and 1600 CE. This braiding technique still survives today in isolated areas of Europe, the Middle East, South America and Japan. Said website had instructions from manuals from the 1400's - 1600's telling you how to make the fingerbraids. It's like more complicated finger-knitting like we did at school. (At my school finger knitting involved only one finger and making loops, which we used to make friendship bracelets, not the more fingers kind of finger knitting.) I always wanted to know how to do more complicated ones, but no one knew. However, I was looking at this because of my 16th century outfit I am making, and these can be used for the laces. I won't explain anything about it because the website is really good and you can just go look a...

The Mill in Dunedin is selling some Polish vodka, surprisingly. It comes unflavoured, and in cherry, ginger and chocolate flavours. We got cherry and ginger ($40 each, normally $50 I think). It comes in really cool bottles, they're quite big and look like they hold a lot more than they do, because they are very tall I guess. Anyway, they look awesome, and also have indentations on each side exactly where you would hold it. presumably to make it easier to hold - good design then! The labels are cool, they're labelled as if they were elements, which you can also see on the bottles above (Im - imbirowa - ginger; Wi - wiśniowa - wild cherry). I'm not sure Gary likes the ginger one, but I thnik that's mostly because it isn't very strong flavour (which is good because strong ginger flavour can be very bad) so it tastes like... vodka, ie. like alcohol. The cherry flavour is stronger so the vodka taste is less. I think they are both fairly good, but not as good as the unfl...

I covered the lid of a computer paper box with material, to make a tray to put stuff in for the day - like, put my diary in, and the things I have to put in my bag like wallet, etc. Otherwise, I forget every day to look in my diary, and forget to take things to work with me. There's no use putting things in your diary if you never remember to look in it - I look in it about once a month. I also got myself a calendar, but I never look at that either. Here it is with a notebook and pen in it, the pen should give you an idea of size. Here it is when I was making it, and the cat was helping (no flash, indoors, so photo a bit funny).

The key crafting and sewing priorities at the moment, at least as far as I can remember, and I'm sure I can't remember what my priorities were yesterday, are: Fit a basic torso pattern properly so I can stuff it to use as a mannequin that is shaped more like me; the bought one has very little back compared to me, it is weird. I need about 5cm more across the back somehow, but not the front, and not the waist, just the top of the back. Make a linen smock, as suitable for the 15th or 16th centuries, or thereabouts. The linen is pale pink colour however, when it should be white. However, since it is not for any purpose that requires it to be historically accurate, that is fine. I might get some white linen though when I've made this one and know how much material I need, and make a high necked one. I am arranging wool and linen for the rest of the outfit, and am nearly sorted I think, although there will be less wool than I originally wanted because it is hard to get stuff lik...