Stuff

For the first time in nearly a year I had a bout of gastric reflux and I think I actually got about six minutes of sleep last night despite the fact that my neighborhood is so quiet I can hear the BART pull in to the Fruitvale station a mile away. Honestly, I did not want to write emails in my head for seven hours. I really really did not. I am not going to write the one that needs to be written yet because I know I am not sufficiently cool headed to do so.

So I dragged my ass out of bed and my head out of my ass and had a hot shower that did not involve the use of a stockpot and measuring cup. I scrambled up some of Art's lovely eggs with a bit of ham. They're almost too pretty to crack open - soft greens, subtle browns....

The brick linen says very definitely "cotehardie." I've cut out pieces based on the old muslin which is now too sizes too big. I think I'll run multiple lines of basting stitch along the back and side seams and try fitting it that way. I don't feel the need to subscribe to the Robin Netherton Pour Yourself Into This Gown Theory because (a) I don't have a helper and after the post Twelfth Night break I am ready for some handwork NOW (b) I don't have vast tracts of land, (b) I don't like tight and (c) nobody notices what I look like in cotehardies anyway.

The brown wool I got from Alail is not sure whether it wants to be a cotehardie or 12th century. It would work with that tablet woven belt I got from Ursula's Alcove at the war. The leftovers from the brick could be used for sleeve linings. Maybe a little chain stitch around the neckline..... Won't take scissors to it until I  know.

The striped linen jacquard washed up SO soft, all subtle neutrals. It knew it was a kosode on the bolt when I found it at Stone Mountain last week.  If the stripes ran lengthwise along the bolt, I would have no reservations about whacking it together as is. Widthwide stripes ARE period but I don't think I want to go there. It occurs to me that I could get an extremely iki effect by cutting it into blocks and piecing it together so that the stripes alternate vertically and horizontally.....

Thanks, Elsa

You know what for. (Can we say ARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH?)

Behold the awesome power of this fully operational .....

.....HURDY GURDY? The amplifier arrived today. It came with its own 9V battery, it's about the size of my clock radio and it has a clip on the back which means it could be hung from a belt.

I think I'm going a-busking in the city tomorrow. The weather should be lovely and George and I could stand to get out of the house.

In other random musical news, I just finished watching the PBS Great Performances episode of Sting and lutenist Edin Karamazov performing John Dowland lute songs. I remember listening to sound samples of this on Amazon.com when I first heard about it and wondering why Karamazov's lute sounded so pristine and Sting sounded like he was at the bottom of a well with a sock in his mouth. The program was broadcast in stereo and Gaius' old TV produces pretty good sound quality and Sting STILL sounded like he was at the bottom of a well with a sock in his mouth. He's been singing this way since the Police days, it's just WAY more noticeable here. Karamazov is still terrific. The documentary information about Dowland provides a good overview, especially for those not familiar with the Elizabethan composer or the period he lived in. Bits of the program were clearly filmed with music-video sensibilities. I don't think I'm going to run right out and download it off ITunes when I've got a perfectly lovely collection by the Boston Camerata that I like very much indeed. On the other hand, His Blondeness clearly had his heart in the right place for the project and it may get people listening to Dowland who wouldn't normally have done so. That in itself is No Bad Thing.