I've been knocking around here for a while, but given the influx of new and returning folks it can't hurt to do an #intro
I am middle-aged and British and increasingly left-wing. I work as a programmer, primarily using COBOL, which I love with a passion it probably doesn't deserve.
I knit and I crochet and I sew (both embroidery and dressmaking). I write SFF stories, in theory, though that's been difficult in the past couple of years.
I don't often say a lot, but I do try to listen
@fiberarts The sock foot is finally long enough, so transferring to DPNs for the toe decreases
So... Eurovision happened. Think the whole of the UK is pretty gobsmacked right now... #esc
Challenge 2 of the toe-up sock complete: gusset increases and a short-row heel. Never made a short-row heel before but I quite like it #knitting @fiberarts
Not quite as much progress as I was hoping for this week, thanks to the needle breakage, but it's past the gusset decreases and into the main part of the foot. The instep continues the 2x2 rib, but rather than inverting it uses pairs of increases and decreases to make the ribs flow diagonally across the foot. The other sock will have them going in the opposite direction @fiberarts
The needles arrived, and the teeny crochet hook was aces for rescuing the dropped stitches, so the blue sock is now saved. Just need to knit it off the broken needle and onto the new one
Replacement needle is ordered. Considered going for a metal one to avoid snapping it in the future, but it turns out the short circular I use doesn't go thin enough in the metal version. Took the opportunity to also get a couple of other things I'd been considering for a while, including a teeny crochet hook which should now be helpful for rescuing the dropped stitches
Programming talk, job-related anxiety (~)
I'm really going to miss Cobol. I know it has its flaws, but I genuinely love it as a language. It's easy to learn and easy to read, and it's been quietly getting on with its job in the background of massive systems for a very long time
Programming talk, job-related anxiety (~)
This is definitely a good thing, in terms of both long-term job security at this company and broader prospects should I ever need to leave, but I'd got nice and comfortable here as the person who knows everything, and leaving that behind to start as a newbie again is intimidating
Programming talk, job-related anxiety (~)
Looks like I may be saying goodbye to Cobol in a couple of weeks, after nearly nine years working with it. The company I work for is in the process of transitioning off the mainframe towards a more modern, cloud-based approach, and an opportunity has come up for me to start similarly transitioning to working in Java.
Despite having Monday off for the bank holiday, have been making good progress #knitting the work sock. Just finished the heel turn and ready to pick everything up for the gusset @fiberarts
First challenge of #knitting a toe-up sock successfully cleared. Not a huge fan of how fiddly it is to get started, but now I'm done with the increases it should be plain sailing for a while
Next up I'll be attempting my first pair of toe-up socks. Bit scary, but the pattern I have is so perfect for the yarn that I have to give it a go
This is my eighth pair of hand-knitted socks, so I now have enough to never need to wear commercial socks in regular life
Finished #knitting these socks last night, so I could block them this morning while washing my other socks. The main yarn is the delightfully named Disco Goth by Needle & Fred
COBOL programmer. Tend to assume I'm the smartest in the room. Write like I'm running out of time. She/her.