The Bluestocking: where conversation should supersede cards

[MyrtleLion]

The Blue Stockings Society was founded by women emphasising education and mutual cooperation. Men could attend as invited guests, but in this Women's Pub, they are only welcome to peer enviously through the windows.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Stockings_Society

All women welcome!

All tastes catered for.

All food containing calories will not increase waistlines.

All drink containing alcohol will not intoxicate beyond the mildy merry and slightly inhibited stage. Guaranteed no hangovers.

Don't mind the gerbils, hamster, capybaras, quokkas and other assorted rodents. They're all female, all staff and very accommodating...

@MyrtleLion I love those pictures! I really ought to make that embroidery.

@ErrolTheDragon yes I'm in southern Maine, and we're pretty similar to Boston, if not a bit colder as we're 100 miles north of them. My DS and his family are in NJ, about 400 miles south of us, and they almost never get snow there - their winters are a lot milder than ours. Fall is absolutely glorious here though. The sugar maples go bright scarlet and orange.

Fall colors!

I tried to get it to embroider "Fuck the Patriarchy" or even "F*** the Patriarchy", but it declined.

This is a safety feature of some AI models (and I often have to rate AI responses for safety features), but it would be nice to reflect the British sense of humour.

@MarieDeGournay : I was pleased to hear from my neighbour who is a primary school teacher that she has been out gathering rushes and will be teaching the children how to make St Brigid's Crosses from them, just like we learnt when I was a nipper.

At last I can bring a vaguely relevant image to The Bluestocking.
Some years ago I made something for the school Chaplain and to thank me he gave me this, saying St Brigid was his favourite saint. It hangs in my hallway.

I hadn’t realised that the cross is traditionally made from rushes, but that explains the detail in the photo.

Overcast and a bit drizzly today, no small beast would see a shadow, here's hoping.

Nice and sunny here, but we have no groundhogs.
Perhaps one of our tunnelling animals can pop outside?

I've popped out of my burrow to say all will be well- it's dry here.

In Ireland it was hedgehogs (I think we imported the lore from Europe while it was on its way westward to destiny). But @FuzzyPuffling seems to have given a clear answer.

Shadows are just beginning to appear here, but it's about 90 minutes since sunrise so I think we're safe.

I hope we're safe, there's a poster on Craicnet on her 9th day without electricity.

Same here, @DeanElderberry. And it's chilly too - definitely a day to spend watching TV and finishing off the baby blankets. I might even get to cast on dh's sweater.

Currently I have talked myself out of buying yarn to knit myself a cardigan - I want one in either navy blue or a deep teal green. I have a nice, easy pattern to knit, but I know I don't need the cardigan, or therefore, the yarn. But I want it.

It's better than buying chocolates, right? It's part of a high fibre diet, really.

It's better than buying chocolates, right? It's part of a high fibre diet, really
Absolutely, Woley! Think of it as a weight loss tool!

He saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. But apparently he's only right between 30-39% of the time.

Blue skies and bright skies here!

If he's correct less than half the time, I'd take that as an indication that in fact we'll have an early spring!🤣

That's a lovely Brídeóg/ Bridget's Cross you have there, AsWithGlad , and now you can see why the middle bit is like that.

I have a nice, easy pattern to knit, but I know I don't need the cardigan, or therefore, the yarn. But I want it.

I'm always making 'stuff' that neither I, nor any victims usual suspects easy marks friends have need/room for, Woley. But I really enjoy making things, and they usually turn out nice - if they don't, I'm merciless about destroying them.

So I donate them to local charity shops. I've had my fun, they'll get a few bob for them, and somebody will like owning them.

But if you actually want the cardi, and [unlike me] have space for it in your wardrobe, go for it, and show us photos when it's finished

He Phil? Other small beasts and places with weather are available. And Phil seems a bit unreliable from those statistics!

Just saying it very quietly, but St Swithun isn't madly accurate either, though he is always a well regarded 9th century English saint round here (as regard for 9th century English saints goes).

Yes, Phil because today is Groundhog Day.

😁

I know, but he isn't even the only groundhog, never mind the only small animal that can look out for a shadow, just the only one enslaved and commercialised by an uncaring capitalist system (maybe that's why he gets in wrong so often).

We don't even need animals:

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another bite.
If Candlemas Day brings clouds and rain,
Go, Winter, and come not again.

(exact words vary)

I have taken down my Nativity scene and replaced the books displaced from the shelves for the last two months. Seized the chance to grab T S Eliot and read A Song for Simeon.

I've looked outside, and checked for shadows (not hard as it's always very shadowy at the back of mine so there's always loads) it appears spring like, but I only ventured as far as the outside bin so it may be winter on the other side of the gate!

Anyone interested in knitting or crochet but who has run out of people to receive the results might like to read about Woolly Hugs - website here.

They have so many different projects going on, whatever you make will probably fit in somewhere.. At the moment they are getting ready for their craft auction so you can offer virtually anything you’ve made and someone might bid for it.

I think Woolly Hugs is why there’s a permanent supply of Stylecraft Special DK yarn in The Bluestocking’s craft corner, in case anyone wants to crochet a quick square for their blanket projects.

A friend of DS (aged about 40) has recently given up smoking and has taken up knitting to keep his hands busy. Unfortunately I can easily eat chocolate at the same time as knit.

If Candlemas Day brings clouds and rain,
Go, Winter, and come not again.

Clouds and rain today where I am! Yippee!

Clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine here. Boo!

It's clear blue skies here now but it was overcast at dawn when the small animal predictions happen. What matters now, just around here, is tomorrow morning's weather. Fingers crossed.

A friend of DS (aged about 40) has recently given up smoking and has taken up knitting to keep his hands busy.

My grandfather took up knitting to help stop smoking after WWI . He designed garments himself and won prizes. He made me a purple cardi when I was about 5 and a lemon yellow cable knit jumper a couple of years later, he must have been in well into his 70s by then.

My mum was a keen knitter. I fondly remember a thick cosy zip jacket she made for me when I was 4 in the early 60s. It was bright green with a red steam engine on it. None of your namby pamby girly stuff for me!