A quick post this week, mainly for the benefit of my mailing list peeps who will have received a long email by tomorrow with a link to this post in it so I can show and tell the videos! I have been making a knitted plushy version of Eight. If you haven’t read the K’Barthan Series yet, you won’t know what Eight is. Suffice to say that when K’Barth has not been invaded by the Grongles, it is a benign theocracy with a kind of Llama style system of rulers. They aren’t the same guy but they are astrally related. Due to the vagaries of the universe, the eighth architrave ended up being a chicken.
Eight is not his original name, but where we encounter them, they are all corralled together in the afterlife. Since many share the same names, they now call themselves by the order in which they ruled, so the chicken is called Eight because he was the eighth architrave to take office after Arnold, the Holy Prophet of Nim (who was the first). I can’t really tell you much more because … spoilers …
I also knitted a Humbert in green. Both these are large enough to accommodate a special gizmo in the middle with a recording on it, so when you press Eight’s chest the voice of Gareth, doing Eight, goes, ‘Cluck!’ or alternatively, if you press Humbert, the voice of Gareth doing Humbert says, ‘Wipe my conkers!’
Obviously, I think these are hilarious because I don’t get out much.
Also I will put them on my stall at events as a conversation starter. Here are the big knitted birds in action, yes, it does say, ‘Cluck!’ Not something else you smutty-minded lot!
And here is Humbert, who says, ‘Wipe my conkers!’ although I can change that …
This foray into knitted joy got me thinking that I could knit tiny chickens to give away as K’Barthan bling. I duly found a free chicken pattern and Mini Eight is looking good.
I’m also working on adapting it to make a tiny parrot using that and a parrot pattern I found.
If I can knit enough of them, I may leave them lying about for people to find like folks do with pebbles and ducks. The idea is that people google them and find a page on my site explaining. Yeh. Bit oblique. In the vids you should be able to see the big Humbert and Eight in action, you can also see the two different varieties of parrot I’m noodling with (below) and the two made from the chicken pattern. In fact, let’s do a poll.
Which parrot is best? The taller one with the yellow beak or the stubby one with an H embroidered on his chest? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I will probably embroider an H on the taller one if I go with that, it’s a pity I’m so shit at embroidery though.
Other news
McMini is off to university today. In about thirty minutes, I think. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I’m delighted for him to be moving into a new phase of his life and doing something he absolutely loves (archeology). On the downside, I’m going to miss him horribly. OK so I will get a lot more sleep! There will be no more appearances just as I’m about to go to bed, no more discussions about everything under the sun from hair dye colour selection to whether or not there is a god deep into the depths of the night … although I suspect this may continue to happen via whatsapp messenger. There will be less washing. There will be all sorts of things McOther and I will be able to eat again which are dodgy textures for my lad’s autistic brain. But crikey, it’s going to be weird. Eighteen years is a long time, but I can honestly say that every moment of it has been a joy. I wanted to have a kid I knew that, although I wasn’t absolutely sure, but oh my goodness, every moment is interesting. Some of it’s really, really hard. The small kid years, blimey that was tough! But never, ever at any point did I doubt we’d done the right thing. It did help that we were really lucky with the person we got. I mean, it is a bit of a lottery in that respect.
I just hope I acquit myself ok today and don’t get teary dropping him off. I am feeling it rather, all of a sudden.
So there we are … on that note, I had better leave you as it’s time for us to go! Enjoy!
Be sure to keep an eye on your plushies at in-person events – they are the kind of thing people will ‘accidentally’ tuck into their tote bag while you are distracted.
Hooray for more sleep. Sorry it’s because the offspring will now be living elsewhere. It’s hard – I did it three times – and they have to go, but it’s still hard.
Your son MAY some day come back with a partner, even offspring – but he has been quietly growing up all these years, and will be okay. You and spouse will survive, even thrive. Eventually.
So true. Luckily I have several friends who are in the same boat. We are all feeling properly odd.
I love the plushies! I think I prefer the taller parrot, with or without an H.
I know exactly how you feel about the first day at uni and saying goodbye to someone who has been with you for so long. When I dropped my elder daughter off at Royal Holloway (twenty years ago!) I was very brave and cheerful-looking, despite being able to see the panicky look in my daughter’s eyes. I waved goodbye, drove off and then found a lay-by and howled for ten minutes. The goodbyes have continued to be awful for me despite her being happily married (no children, 1 cat) BA,MA,MA,PhD. I wish she lived nearer but at least she still lives in the UK and not the other side of the world.
My younger daughter went to the University of Suffolk and lived at home where she continues to live. She is autistic, out of work and is finding things really tough.
I wish you, your husband and your son good luck and best wishes.
Glad I’m not alone then. He struggled the first day but seems to be settling in now. Fingers crossed. I’m sure it’s the right place for him. The roads are shit to get there though, 3 hour journey that should take about 2 and a half without the crappy traffic. My son is AuHD so I can sympathise with your daughter, it’s really hard sometimes when you’re neurodiverse, just finding a place you will fit and be happy. Hugs to her.
Thank you, Mary xx
You’re supposed to get teary, you’re his mum. 😀
🤣🤣 This is true …