The Bluestocking: it's the season of mulled wine, conversations about pineapple and, of course, gerbils. Confused? You will be...

[EdithStourton]

Welcome to the anarchic and marvellous women-only on-line pub, the Bluestocking. The booze won't give you a hangover, the cakes won't make you fat, and the conversations are fascinating, covering knitting, health and safety, the Muppets and anything else that comes to mind.

Climb Peak Woo, have a cuddle with Rosie the Red Panda, and watch out for capybaras busy with any necessary building works.

Welcome in (and name change at the door if you need too).

Hello @AuntieMsDamsonCrumble and welcome!

I finished watching Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue. Then read the 5* Guardian review which said it was so bad it was good and so good it was bad. Wished I had read it beforehand. It was sort of ok but I hadn't realised it was meant to be ludicrous.

I do take things quite seriously, including my DB's joke that our DM is busy the night of her 80th birthday. I'm actually amazed he could book a table for 10 that close to Christmas.

Stayed up a bit later tonight so I hope to sleep better than last night.

Mmmm crumble... I'm not keen on damsons, more of a blackberry fiend though, so you're safe 😉

The thing about being introduced to the steak reminds me of Douglas Adams, specifically the bit about meeting the meat in The Restaurant At The End of the Universe.

That's what I was thinking too, Capy. The dish of the day at Milliways.

I had a bit of a Mary Stewart re-read last year but can't remember exactly how the biftek introduction happened. Might re-visit. Have also lost my copy of The Moonspinners.

I first read Mary Stewart in the 70s and was intrigued that some of the female characters were happy to set off and drive across Europe alone, at a time when most women had barely been abroad on a package holiday - and certainly never alone. I have done some solo travelling in Europe since (though mostly by train), so the books may have been my inspiration
I gave away my collection to a charity shop a few years ago in preparation for a house move, but I've since found some of them free on Kindle, so I may also have a re-read. I think Louise was the laid-back friend of the heroine.

Transcapybara - new or namechanger? It's a dilemma - do I turn the Tiggerish Welcome up to 11 to make a newcomer feel really welcome here, or should I do a 7 or 8 in case it's in fact somebody I've known for aaaaaages and would be a bit of an eejit to give a Force 11 welcome to?

Oh well, better an eejit than unfriendly: you are very welcome Transcapybara, a bar-gerbil will be along any minute to take your order - anything you fancy, we have it all here - G&Ts the side of swimming pools, entire vats of hot chocolate with archipelagos of marshmallows, and none of those bothersome things like calories or alcohol - but you'd never know

Thank you for respecting the Second Rule of the Bluestocking [the first is No Men, they go to the Staunch Ally] which is 'do not eat the other Bluestockingers'.
Please note that this is a matter of principle, so not eating another Bluestockinger only because she's part damson and you're not keen on damsons isn't quite in the spirit of things. And it would make Cake an endangered species😁

Could someone have a word with Beetle about rule 2? I don't want to have to get my pin and small piece of card out again!

Hello Crumble👋.

Can I just say that the gerbils have done a lovely job with the Christmas decorations 🎄 Gastritis told me they're having a grand lights switch on tonight. There's going to be carols, mince pies, mulled everything. Balrog is doing a firework display. The flying squirrels are staying up to watch it, then turning in for the winter. So, from tomorrow, some gerbils are taking over in the library.

I don't know who's actually turning the lights on.

I think you should bring the Tigger Welcome at 11 to everyone nee. That way we get a lovely welcome even if we're old hands.

Baby blanket. I might (firmly) attach some white faux fur pompoms to each corner. The cast off is a little tight, even after a redo, so I hope blocking will help.

Never working with chenille again. It's really hard to thread through the needle and then the stitches when sewing in and sheds like billy-o. I've also realised I'm a quick knitter (who knew) so I might try a larger lightweight baby blanket. It will be born in March so a heavy blanket might be outgrown before it's needed.

Ideas for projects would be good. I'm quite quick at hats (will post DSD's Christmas present once I've sewn on the pompom), but once you've knitted someone a hat in their favourite colour, they don't need another one.

Woolly hat with pompom.

That's a lovely blanket, Myrtle - excellent colours
Pompoms on the corner would be be nice.

I can't think of any projects, apart from scarves to go with the hats, but I had an idea for your Xmas stockings: a little felt deco of holly leaves+berries on the white top.
I got some the other day for a project, and it occurred to me that they'd be nice on your stockings. Etsy have them, but I'm sure lots of craft suppliers do them.
Just a thought - they are lovely as they are!

I'll keep doing the Force 11 Tigger Welcome, then

Love the hat Myrtle - what a great colour!
Welcome Crumble!
I ought to go out and do some Christmas shopping as I need to do my DM's as well as my own but I'm here instead trying to put it off if I'm honest. Looking forward to the switch on later. I hope the lights have been PAT tested, we don't need any electrocuted gerbils😧

@lcakethereforeIam

Not the card. Please. Not the card.

It's not my fault you have delicious icing and glorious fillings.

You should identify as lemon drizzle cake, you'd be safe then!

<tries to lick Cake>

Surely only Giant Wombat has the necessary gravitas to switch on the lights?

Maud might have something to say to you about that!

I'm not pointing any fingers but I assume someone here is to blame

Rosy wants a go, as a reward for a cuddly year.

I'm impressed it could get the tops off.

Weeping because a favourite (and expensive) cashmere jumper has moth. Two holes in it, though ChatGPT thinks it's more than that.

So annoying. Sometimes on chunkier knits it’s possible to carefully darn a small hole but cashmere is usually too fine.

my first dog got hold of my very favourite jumper when he was teething, that’s the one thing worse than moths! He gained some warm bedding.

I love Mary Stewart - I have most, if not all of them.

Im sorry I haven’t been very present in the Bluestocking lately - I’ve had a flare up of lymphocytic colitis which has sapped my energy - I haven’t had the brain power to follow the repartee in here, let alone contribute. Hopefully it will settle down soon - it’s been going on for weeks now - I really don’t want to have to take the steroids that I’ve got for the worst flares - they make me eat absolutely everything and pile on weight, which I can do without.

I am having an exciting week, though - my diabetic eye screening yesterday, and my winter vaccine this afternoon - it’s a non-stop whirlwind of entertainment chez Woley!! Interestingly, autocorrect wants to change Woley to Wolsey - pass me my Cardinal’s hat, please and thank you! 😂😂😂

I think Raquel's photo could usefully be posted in the cellar as a warning to any gerbil tempted to dissipation.

I'm actually wondering should it be on my wine cupboard door.

Ah sorry Woley. Hope this flare up resolves soon.

I went to have my norks squished on Monday. Not my favourite way to spend an afternoon 😕

Made it worse by initially going to the wrong bus stop, then having to hustle pdq to get to the right stop. I think I might have subconsciously been trying to sabotage the appointment. I hate having my breasts screened! Hopefully that's it for the next few years <absent mindedly bats away Beetle>

I saw the picture of that raccoon earlier today. Immediately thought of the Bluestocking.

Namechanger, but I've not been in for several months cos I've barely been able to keep up with all the tribunal threads, let alone this one. But thank you for the warm welcome.

commiserations.

<smoothes icing back into place from where I swiped a bit>

I've got mine next week. I ended up with a titanium marker last time so I'm hoping I only need the appointment next week and not a follow up one like last time!

I noticed just as I was walking out the door that I'd got a text message from them to tell me you're not supposed to put on deodorant, lotions, etc. Was too late for me to do anything about it. With all the hustling for buses I'd have stank the place out if I wasn't wearing deodorant.

I hope it all goes well for you Beetle .