Kris Howard

Blogger, knitter, crafter, social media addict. Formerly at Canva & AWS. Recovering from 20 years in the tech industry. | 🇦🇺🇺🇸 she/her

Blog: https://www.web-goddess.org/
Location: Sydney / Warrane, Australia
Pronouns: she/her

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Last Notes

2026-06-01 04:31:45 UTC

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One of the ex-Canva people has started a petition. 🤦‍♀️

2026-06-01 00:58:13 UTC

Proposed budget changes - I’m not normally a reader of the Barefoot Investor, but I really liked Scott’s take on Labor’s proposed CGT changes (https://www.barefootinvestor.com/articles/youll-hate-this). It’s written in plain English and it’s a much more nuanced view than the memes on social media. You know how many Australian taxpayers reported a capital gain last year? 7% (https://grattan.edu.au/news/grattan-institutes-2026-budget-cheat-sheet/). There’s a lot of noise for only 7% of people, and it’s honestly disappointing to see people who I know are some of the highest earners in the country complaining about these changes. Yeah, when I eventually sell my Canva shares, I’m gonna pay more tax on them. I’m okay with that. As Scott points out, we enjoy “a standard of living in the top handful of countries on the planet. The cops don’t shake us down (mostly). Our kids go to decent public schools (mostly). And if one of them gets sick, you don’t need a GoFundMe page.” Even without jobs, Rodd’s and my assets still generate more income than a lot of people working in this country. We are ridiculously lucky. (We didn’t even get to take advantage of the family trust rort, given my status as a dual US citizen.) And I really don’t buy the argument that paying slightly higher CGT will stop anyone from starting a business. You know what stops people from starting businesses in the US? Not having healthcare.
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/93930

2026-04-21 16:38:22 UTC

YAY IT’S HERE - My only regret is I won’t be able to wear it to the next Sydney Tech Leaders meetup…
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/93791
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2026-04-15 03:38:20 UTC

TIL that when the tornado sirens go off, they move hospital patients’ beds into the hallways to keep them away from the windows. NOT KNOWLEDGE I EVER WANTED TO HAVE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE OF. (We’re fine.) 🌪️ 🌩️

2026-03-14 01:14:34 UTC

A quilt wonderland! - My Mom’s quilt shop back in Indiana just got a wonderful write-up with loads of photos on this travel blog (https://myfamilytravels.com/this-massive-indiana-quilt-complex-features-a-two-story-wonderland-of-amish-craftsmanship/). I asked her if she paid them for it, and she swears she didn’t even know about it until she saw the post on Facebook!
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/93506

2026-03-08 23:05:20 UTC

This year’s flu shot is available, and since I’ll be travelling again soon, I figured I should probably get one. The chemist had me fill out a little consent form first. The wording of this question brought me up short… 🤔😂
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2026-03-01 06:38:19 UTC

Bluey PJs, for real life! - I whipped up both of these pairs of pajama pants this weekend using Bluey fabric (https://www.essenhausquiltshop.com/iishop?form_version=2&showSearchResults=1&search_keyword=bluey&image=Search) I picked up at my Mom’s quilt shop last month.
The pattern is Simplicity 9871 (https://sewing.patternreview.com/patterns/2597), which I bought 20 years ago for my Chef Sakai Halloween costume (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/5229). I subsequently used it last November for a pair of trompe l’oeil crochet granny square PJs (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/88673). This time I knew I wanted to make one big change: to add in-seam POCKETS. I folded the pattern piece in half to define the outer leg seam, and then drew seam allowances at 5/8″ on both sides of it. Then I traced each half pattern piece onto interfacing to use as a permanent pattern going forward. For the pocket itself, I used the piece from my Mitchell shorts (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/92034) and just lined them up 3″ down from the waistband. I used the white fabric to make a Large pair for me, and then the purple fabric to make a Medium pair for Rodd. (I could have probably gone down a size for each of us, but they’re PJs so baggy is fine.)
Cute, huh? I’m amused that the fabric selvedge says DO NOT USE FOR CHILDREN’S SLEEPWEAR. Nothing about grown-ups!
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/92898
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2026-02-28 11:35:40 UTC

Egg bites: round 2 - I picked up a couple silicone muffin trays at Kmart today, and WOW, what a difference! They popped right out, no fat needed.
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/92891
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2026-02-22 09:36:40 UTC

Burnout - It turns out that a two-month stint as an emergency overseas carer—including the attendant stress, staying in crappy hotels, trudging through snow, barely eating or exercising, and being apart from your partner—really takes a toll on a body. Two days after I got back to Australia, I tripped and completely stacked it on the footpath outside our house. My knee, ribs, and dignity were all bruised for the better part of a week. Just as those started to heal, I came down with a nasty virus. I’ve been a muddle-headed snot monster ever since. (PCR test came up positive for human metapneumovirus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_metapneumovirus), which seems to be going around.) The cough isn’t clearing, so yesterday my doctor put me on antibiotics for a suspected subsequent chest infection.
When it rains it pours. I guess my body really, really wanted a rest.
Relatedly, HCF sent me an extremely well-timed email in January offering a free mental wellbeing check-in (https://www.hcf.com.au/members/manage-your-health/mental-health-support). I signed up for a videochat session and got matched to a therapist in less than a day. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect; I’ve never met with a therapist before. She was lovely though, and I pretty much sobbed through the whole thing. You can’t really accomplish much in these sessions, but she gave me some good advice on the kind of therapist I might want to look for on an ongoing basis. She also taught me something useful – the four ways to solve a problem (https://findmytherapist.com/resources/self-care/how-to-use-the-four-options-of-dbt-to-solve-a-problem/). You can either solve it, find a way to feel better about it, learn to accept it, or stay miserable. I have a feeling I’m going to be mulling over that one for quite some time.
Take care of yourself, friends.
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/92356

2025-12-28 22:33:19 UTC

Conversation piiiiiiiiiiit - Sorry, I have to move to Middle of Nowhere, Oklahoma so I can live in this house (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/108-Fairmont-Rd-Vinita-OK-74301/86005443_zpid/?).
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/90060

2025-12-25 23:16:04 UTC

Christmas in the ICU - Merry Christmas, friends. I would give anything to be watching the cricket, slurping on a mango, and cursing the Sydney heat… but not this year. It’s okay. I remain eternally grateful to the wonderful medical professionals and hospital staff who work every day of the year, and who do their best to help folks going through a rough time.
That cafeteria chocolate cake was pretty damn good, too.
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/90053
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2025-12-18 17:44:38 UTC

Radio Silence - If you haven’t worked it out, I’m currently overseas because of a family medical emergency that’s still ongoing. It’s really tough. We’ve never been through this type of thing before. In my lighter moments I think of everything I’m grateful for: that I can be here; the amazing support of family and friends; medical professionals who are competent and caring; and that every day is a gift. The darker moments… better not to talk about them. I’m trying to take care of myself, to eat and drink and get some respite when I can. It’s hard. My clothes are falling off me. Sleep is difficult. I can’t really think beyond the present moment. I have to try to stay positive. I just have to.
One friend has asked what they can do. If you are able to donate blood wherever you are, please do so. If you know someone who works in the medical field, thank them. Buy them dinner. Give them a Christmas present. And if you’re a praying person, please keep us in your thoughts.
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/90047

2025-12-09 00:49:41 UTC

Ouch. This satire draws blood. - I Work For an Evil Company, but Outside Work, I’m Actually a Really Good Person (https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-work-for-an-evil-company-but-outside-work-im-actually-a-really-good-person). This was written by Emily Bressler, it seems, not by me during one of my low periods last year before quitting. (Link courtesy of Gilmore (https://shoehornwithteeth.com/), via the SydTechLeaders Slack.)
https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/90036

2025-11-19 10:00:46 UTC

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/88832
So last night we watched Martha, George, Nick, and Honey descend into alcohol-soaked rage and despair at the Sydney Theater Company (https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2025/edward-albees-whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf). It was fantastic. I stage managed a production of it at Notre Dame way back in 1996, and this was my first time watching it live since then. We sat over to the right in the very front row, which are slightly cheaper tickets as you’re looking up at the stage. (It’s not too bad though, and I didn’t feel like we missed out on very much at all.) The set depicts the living room of the house, and I figured this was going to be a pretty straightforward production. But then the lights dimmed and disconcerting sound cues started up, as well as a projection on the back wall over the bar, and it almost made it feel… like a ghost story? The projection was only used briefly at the start of each act but the sound cues reappeared throughout the show. They struck me as slightly jarring, like something out of a melodrama or a soap opera, but that could very well have been intentionally distancing. The acting is phenomenal, of course. (I didn’t know until afterwards that Kat Stewart and David Whiteley are married in real life. Yowza.) The real surprise to me was Emily Goddard as Honey. I found that character to be an annoying simp in our production, but Goddard nearly stole the show with her hilarious drunk acting (“Violence! Violence!”) and inspired interpretive dance. We both also picked up on some homoerotic vibes between Honey and Martha?! (Makes sense though.) I told the Snook in the first intermission that I still remembered 95% of the script, but there were a few lines and section that stood out as different for me. I wasn’t sure if our production had cut some things, or whether this script had added some things. And there was a whole scene of Honey and George at the end of Act 2 that was just… missing. It was only when I checked Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who's_Afraid_of_Virginia_Woolf%3F#Notable_productions) later that I discovered that the script was officially revised in 2005! I had no idea. But all my favourite lines were still there—”I am the EARTH MOTHER, and you are all flops”—and I could tell from the audience reaction that its barbs and revelations still landed just as hard. (Here’s a recent review (https://culturalbinge.com/2025/11/12/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf-stc-2025/).) Rodd doesn’t have any history with the play, but he felt it was highly entertaining and a worthwhile way of spending 3+ hours. We highly recommend getting a ticket if you get a chance!

2025-10-23 10:50:21 UTC

If anybody in Sydney wants to learn more about Whitlam, the State Library of NSW is hosting an event on Nov. 3 where former PM Paul Keating will be talking about him!! https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/whitlam-keating-revisiting-big-picture
From: @npub1zay…ux8l
https://aus.social/@Devorppa/115422969673062103

2025-10-17 23:21:41 UTC

Mervyn Bishop: Close Up -
I was back at the State Library of NSW last night for the launch of their new exhibition (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/mervyn-bishop-close) about Mervyn Bishop (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervyn_Bishop), the the first Aboriginal Australian to work on a metropolitan daily newspaper and one of the first to become a professional photographer. Merv has donated his entire archive (more than 200,000 images!) to the Library, and this also marks the Library’s first ever solo exhibition for an Aboriginal photographer. Merv was at the event with his family, and he was clearly very touched by the reaction of the audience. I took some photos from the speeches and the exhibition itself.
Please be aware that the exhibition and this post may include names and photographs of people who are now deceased.
The formalities started with a Welcome to Country from Uncle Allen John Madden, and a speech from State Librarian Caroline Butler-Bowdon talking about the significance of the Bishop archive and the work of the Library’s curators and Indigenous Engagement team. For most events I’ve attended the Library just does an Acknowledgement of Country, but given the importance of this one, it was great that they’d engaged a local Elder for a proper Welcome. Uncle Allen had us all laughing; he’s a pretty funny guy.
We also had a brief speech from David Harris (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Harris_(Australian_politician)) MP, the Member for Wyong and NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty (among other things). David at one point said that he gets to address a lot of people in politics, but he doesn’t often get to meet a “legend” like Merv. (That got a clap.) He talked about how Merv’s photos document Australians starting to reckon with their colonial past, and how the long work for reconciliation and treaty is ongoing and sadly isn’t done yet.
One of the curators of the exhibition spoke next, talking about how Merv’s work shows us Aboriginal families and life when one of their own is behind the camera, not just in front of it. He praised Merv’s family, who have worked closely with the Library on the exhibition and the donation of the archive, as well as Merv’s Mum Marjorie who gave him his first camera.
And then it was time for the man of honour himself! Merv is 80 years old now, but he was still clutching his camera and took several photos of us in the audience. He talked about that Kodak Junior camera his Mum gave him, and learning to use a dark room to develop his film. He was very proud to have his work exhibited in this place alongside the work of talented storytellers and image makers who had come before. He also joked about getting the octogenarian discount at his local golf course. His young grandson helped him back from the stage, which was very sweet to see.
Once the formalities were over, I headed to the gallery to check out the exhibition myself.
One of https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/87791
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2025-10-17 00:08:19 UTC

The Knitter’s Dude - https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/87740
Phew, the cardigan is off the #knitting needles! It took me several hours to graft (https://blog.tincanknits.com/2013/10/03/kitchener-stitch/)* the hundreds of stitches in the shawl collar for the stretchy tubular cast-off. Now I just need to graft the underarms, weave in a ton of loose threads, sew on buttons, and block it. I used nearly 15 balls of 10ply (worsted, for the Americans) wool, so this sucker weighs nearly 1.5kg (more than 3lbs). The colourwork portion is effectively two layers because of the ladderback jacquard (https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/how-to-work-ladderback-jacquard/) technique that I used to handle the floats, so it’s very, very warm and cozy. As my friend Alayne said, just in time for summer!
In terms of materials and labour costs, it would’ve been way cheaper to just buy the Pendleton version (https://www.pendleton-usa.com/product/the-original-westerley-mens-sweater/52124.html). But hey, I’m having lots of fun and I’ve learned some new techniques. I’m looking forward to my next project being in much thinner wool though…
* Couldn’t resist the meme. (Explanation for the non-knitters (https://web.archive.org/web/20230311213944/https://www.digitsandthreads.ca/why-we-call-it-grafting-not-that-mans-name/).)
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2025-10-16 20:51:16 UTC

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It’s there in the sidebar: “No AI used in writing this blog, ever. 100% human-generated.”
I just dislike the assumption that of course we’re all using it, so of course we need an explicit policy. That’s not true.

2025-10-16 08:31:19 UTC

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I’ve been writing original content online for 25+ years. There’s no need for a page or policy on my blog; there’s just a simple statement that I don’t use LLMs at all, ever. Much simpler.

2025-10-15 04:21:43 UTC

Anyone looking for work? Spoke to a friend today who is looking for a mid/sr dev to help out with a 3-4 week project. Ideally Typescript or Python with PostgreSQL. It’s related to transparency and democracy, so if you feel like you want to Do Some Good, this is one way! (And also, they can pay.)

2025-10-12 01:18:23 UTC

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Sorry to hear it! I wondered if I’d see you out there. Get well soon…

2025-10-11 23:21:51 UTC

🚴‍♀️ Ride: Spring Cycle - https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/87662
I did it.
Distance: 47.95km
Time: 195min

2025-10-03 00:29:45 UTC

Sadness - As an expat, you learn to dread the midnight phone call from family for a reason. Please do me a favour and call your loved ones to tell them how much they mean to you, okay? And join me in saying goodbye to my beautiful Grandma (https://web.archive.org/web/20251002222904/https://www.millerstewartfuneralhome.com/obituary/soon-harter). https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/87521

2025-09-19 06:59:17 UTC

Any QLDers - if I had 5 days for a mini road trip out of Brisbane, where should I go?

2025-09-11 09:26:12 UTC

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SUCCESS! I had to uninstall and reinstall, but it's now working for me! @npub1q2e…q7tj are you in??

2025-09-11 03:01:39 UTC

Palia - The world is a mess; it’s been raining for the last 48hrs; and all I want to do is log into the new Palia (https://palia.com/) update so I can start breeding virtual chickens. Sadly, the Mac launcher (https://github.com/DanMossa/paliaOnMac-release) is still broken and it crashes every time I try to play. I’ll have to try updating on the Switch… https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/84819

2025-09-09 10:24:56 UTC

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Ugh. I’m trying to get to Level 4 romance with her, and I CAN’T STAND HER

2025-09-09 10:14:04 UTC

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Yeah, go to my blog post linked above! It was in a Reddit thread.

2025-09-09 08:56:25 UTC

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Now I’m stocking up for the next one. 😂

2025-09-09 01:00:53 UTC

Just in time! - I’ve been grinding trying to finish off the Midsummer’s Dream bulletin board bundles in Palia before the event finishes this week. I managed to get the starred Eleroo Eel off the De Mer Docks by using every fishing buff possible, and then all I had left were the flowers. I suck at the Piksii Blossom Bounce, but I managed to get the requisite ones pretty quickly. Eventually I just needed the chapaa tail and cotton ball ones, but it was so slow trying to get them from the midday bloom events. I even resorted to server hopping. Finally I saw on Reddit what I’d been missing: you can grow them! I immediately planted the next couple I got and started harvesting the seeds. Finally today I got to close this sucker off…
Kenli was pretty grateful. He’s a sad man. (I suspect his wife is cheating on him with his sister?!)
And here’s a tip for anyone else playing: someone on Reddit analysed the trailer for the next patch and found the upcoming bundles (https://www.reddit.com/r/Palia/comments/1na7ewo/new_bundles_for_next_bulletin_board/)! It looks much easier. I’ve already started pulling that stuff together in my lock box, and all I need are a couple more honeypots and that rockhopper. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/83794
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2025-08-29 12:40:19 UTC

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You disappeared! I was trying to message you in the game. :)

2025-08-29 11:45:45 UTC

Typepad is shutting down - Speaking of the destruction of data, I saw this morning that Typepad is shutting down (https://everything.typepad.com/blog/2025/08/typepad-is-shutting-down.html). Linkrot and enshittification strike again! I realised immediately that this means my friend Mary-Helen’s blog (https://web.archive.org/web/20250829113005/https://manainkblog.typepad.com/) will disappear. While she hasn’t updated it in years, it’s where she documented getting her PhD and dozens of knitting projects for over a decade. (I reached out to her to offer my help in migrating or preserving her data. From the chatter I’m seeing online, the Export service they offer is not particularly useful nor does it actually include any image files you uploaded.)
I also did a search on my own site: I have 109 posts and 483 comments that include a typepad.com URL, all of which are going to break in the near future. *sigh* Friends, if you don’t have your data on a platform that you control – or at least behind a domain name that you control – this type of thing is inevitable. It sucks, and it makes the Internet worse.
(Interestingly, just like Richard Ovenden talked about last night (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/83086), it seems like a valiant archiving effort has kicked off. The comments on the orange site (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45041807) say that the Internet Archive team are going to try to save as many of the Typepad sites as they can. Note to self: Send them a donation (https://archive.org/donate/). The IA is the Library of Alexandria of our time.) https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/83097

2025-08-28 06:56:01 UTC

Speaking of geeks… - Mr. Snook is attending a “craft beer and role playing games” event tonight. He had to proudly show me the little kit he made up for himself with all his special dice and pencil and whatnot… stored neatly in a Penguin Mints (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_Mints) case that he has lovingly preserved for twenty-five years. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/83021
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2025-08-26 09:16:25 UTC

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My character name is “Kayriss Howl” if you want to friend me!

2025-08-26 08:38:46 UTC

Palia: Solo Ogapuu Hunting - I finally managed to get Palia (https://palia.com/) to load again on my Mac by changing the DirectX settings. (See the discussion on Github here. (https://github.com/DanMossa/paliaOnMac-release/issues/52)) For one of the new quests, you need a bunch of Emerald Ogapuu Scales. I see every day on the Palia subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/Palia/) people complaining about hunting ogapuu. They’re these big funny lizard things, and they spit goo at you that slows you down. (It’s gross.) You have to shoot them several times, and if you don’t hit them quickly enough they run around and eventually jump into the nearest body of water and disappear. The easiest solution is to party up with others, and then you can all blast away at the same one and everyone gets the reward.
Alternatively, I figured out a pretty foolproof way to take them down solo. It relies on the fact that if you choose a specific type of arrow to shoot, once that slot in your ammo runs out, it’ll choose the next slot to the right. So all you have to do is load up a single Slowdown arrow on the left, and then put your Fine arrows to the right. To get a single Slowdown arrow, you’ll need to right-click and choose “Split stack” a few times until you get it down to just one. I generally move my Slowdown up to the top and use the empty spots for the splitting.
Then the bottom row is the one that your bow selection will choose from. So make sure that you put a single Slowdown arrow in there, and then your Fine arrows right beside it on the right.
Then pick up your bow, select your single Slowdown arrow, and try to get as close to the ogapuu as you can. Hit him with the Slowdown and then just keep firing as he spits at you. It’ll automatically switch to the Fine arrows, and he won’t be able to get away as fast. Just keep blasting him. He’ll probably try to run away, but the Slowdown effect should allow you to take him down before he jumps in the water. I was even able to get a Waveback Ogapuu via this method, all on my own! You just have to stop after each one and reload your Slowdown arrow spot.
Meanwhile, things are getting a bit awkward now that my boyfriend Reth has worked out I’m also romancing his sister. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/82893
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2025-08-14 00:13:35 UTC

Departing - Heading to Brisbane for AWS Community Day, and Mr. Snook scored with the mythical no-window window seat! (It has definitely changed from 9A in the past to 10A now. He’s trying to figure out how to submit the bug to SeatGuru.) https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/82055
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2025-08-06 07:10:58 UTC

Fairy Wren Fan Club - I bought this excellent pin by Irish-Australian artist Bridget Farmer (https://bridgetfarmerprintmaker.com/collections/lapel-pins) a few weeks back at the museum in Albury. Fairy wrens are one of my favorite Aussie birbs. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/81630
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2025-07-27 03:23:56 UTC

Silfurberg ARGH - As I was looking at that blog post below, I noticed something odd. The raglan seamline for the front left shoulder (the right-side as you’re looking at it) doesn’t look as smooth as the other side. So I zoomed in…
Bloody hell. It’s because that seamline is my “start of round,” and I’m seeing the jog in the purl ridges. For those who don’t knit on circular needles, you’re essentially knitting a spiral. That means that if you change colours or have a textured stripe, like I do, you’ll see the “jog” when the spiral loops back around on itself. Normally you put that on the back left shoulder, where it tends to be less noticeable. So I’m thinking I’ve made a mistake, and I’ll have to pull this apart and start over, right?
But no, I just went to Ravelry (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/silfurberg) and from what I can see, I haven’t stuffed it up. This is the way the pattern has been written. One of the test knitters has a photo that clearly shows her left shoulder and you can see the jog along the front raglan seamline. So far 113 people have knitted this, and not a single one of them called this out. WTAF?! What even is the point of having test knitters if they don’t give feedback about this? Granted, most people probably wouldn’t even notice this. It’s a small detail, but it would’ve been so easy to correct. And this is a pattern by one of the big trendy knitting designers! GAHHH.
So now I have to decide if I want to bother frogging it or not. The stubborn part of me wants to, because I will never unsee it now… https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/81015
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2025-07-26 08:45:35 UTC

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Okay, wait. I know the words... but there are ACTIONS?!

2025-07-26 07:20:27 UTC

Fun trivia - my introduction to this song was seeing the Doug Anthony All Stars perform it on some TV tribute. I did not realise that A) they were a comedy troupe and B) they hadn't written the song. But I really liked it! Figured it would be higher. #TripleJ #hottest100ofaustralia

2025-07-26 04:34:34 UTC

Finally another woman. We haven't had a lot of non-dude singers on this thing so far. #TripleJ #Hottest100 #hottest100ofaustralia

2025-07-25 13:13:18 UTC

More Sydney gloriousness - My former colleague Heather is visiting from the US this week, and I caught up with her today to go on a long walk all around Sydney. We walked around Barangaroo, had lunch at the Opera Bar (where they had a cute doggo on SEAGULL PATROL), and snapped selfies at Mrs. Macquarie’s Point. We finished the day with Manhattans at the Baxter Inn. Total distance was nearly 10km, and I didn’t touch a computer all day! https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/80808
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2025-07-18 00:50:53 UTC

Oh no. - I have a running joke that I don’t care for books that start out with maps. Maybe it’s because my sense of direction is terrible and I hate slogging through chapters of geographical descriptions? At any rate, I opened my latest library book today and had to laugh. This is a new one, for me. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/80541
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2025-06-26 12:26:49 UTC

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Any comment or reply is appreciated! Sometimes it feels like I’m just publishing into the void. I really miss the old days of blogging. 😔
And it’s not probably not super useful to you in QLD, but one of the benefits of being a Friend of the NSW Library is getting some time with one of their family research specialists. Maybe the QLD (or SA) State Library does something similar?

2025-06-26 09:05:39 UTC

David Scott Mitchell Oration, State Library of NSW - Yesterday I attended the David Scott Mitchell Oration (https://web.archive.org/web/20250605111016/https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/david-scott-mitchell-oration-memory-institutions-and-freedom) at the State Library, accompanied by Rodd and my friend David (http://davidedgar.me/). The Oration used to be an annual event but it hadn’t happened for more than a decade. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it ended up being my most meaningful experience at the Library to date.
The evening was kicked off as always by State Librarian Dr. Caroline Butler-Bowdon. She mentioned that the entire Library Council were in attendance, as well as a number of philanthropists who have supported the Library over the years.
The speaker for the evening was previous chairman of the Library Foundation board (and current chair of the ABC) Kim Williams (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Williams_(media_executive)). His topic was “Memory institutions and freedom,” and for nearly an hour he held us spellbound as he talked about the importance of institutions like the Library.
His main theme for the evening was that democracy and freedom depend on some notion of objective facts, and that’s what memory institutions (like museums, libraries, archives, even the ABC) aim to preserve. This is why autocrats always want to control them or shut them down (https://archive.is/azNcP). Williams cited Orwell’s 1984, where the Party does not allow individuals to keep records of their past, such as photographs or documents. As a result, memories become fuzzy and unreliable, and citizens become perfectly willing to believe whatever the Party tells them. “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
He also talked took us on a tour of some of the Library collection’s greatest hits, and pieces he found personally meaningful. He talked about Shakespeare’s First Folio (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/shakespeares-first-folio), one of only two copies in Australia and the only one held in a public institution. He talked about the remarkable Holtermann Collection (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/significant-collections/holtermann-collection) of photographs from the Australian gold fields, which consisted of 3500 glass plate negatives discovered in a garden shed in Chatswood(!). He talked about Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm’s first trans-Pacific flight (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/smithy-and-southern-cross), and how the engines were so noisy that they had to pass handwritten notes to each other. (He showed some and read a few of the funnier ones out loud.) And of course he talked about the Library’s many artifacts documenting the arrival of Europeans in Australia. I was really struck with the way he talked about Matthew Flinders’s map (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/matthew-flinders-australia-on-map), which wa https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/79339
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2025-06-23 10:05:42 UTC

Dinner tonight - Quick Asian Caramelised Beef Ramen Noodles (https://www.recipetineats.com/asian-beef-and-noodles/) from RecipeTinEats. Super tasty and very fast for me to throw together! https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/79167
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2025-06-18 10:29:18 UTC

Oh, did you think I just did one event today? I just went to the launch of the new “The Australian Dream?” exhibition at the State Library of NSW, where I got to meet one of the curators - Tim Ross himself. 🤯 (The exhibition is excellent AND FREE. You should go.) #architecture
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2025-06-15 08:34:05 UTC

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Whaaaaaat. No way! :(

2025-06-15 08:20:33 UTC

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Yep! Easy Eyelet Yoke Light in Hobbii Twister. https://ravel.me/webgoddess/eeyl

2025-06-15 07:04:52 UTC

Kaiser Stub’n Restaurant - Several months ago we were gifted a voucher for the Kaiser Stub’n (https://kaiserstubn.com.au/), an Austrian-German restaurant out in Terrey Hills. It’s a long way from the city, so it took us a while to sort the logistics of getting there. Finally today we joined our friends Angela and Eric on the 270 bus from Wynyard and rode it all the way to the end. A short walk later on a lovely sunny day, we were there in time for our lunch booking.
It was quite busy and bookings are recommended. (They only do lunch on Sundays.) We had carefully studied the menu ahead of time…
And of course, we began with beer! Bitburger (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitburger_Brewery) is the draught pilsner. (Eric was very excited.)
I was pretty happy too!
The waiter asked if we wanted bread to start, and he brought us a selection of things. We especially liked the circle of fried bread with creme fraiche and chives.
Then we had ordered four different mains and shared everything. First was one of the day’s specials, a “pork crackling dumping” that came with quite a bit of salad. The cracking was actually inside the dumping! Having some green veg was a good idea too, as most of the other dishes were quite meat heavy, as you’ll see.
Then we had a roasted pork knuckle. This is one of their specialties, and you have to order it ahead of time so they make enough. While it was pretty good (especially with horseradish), I found myself wishing the crackling was crunchier.
This was the other dish you have to order ahead – roast duck with red cabbage and dumplings. I think the red cabbage was actually the highlight of the day for me. It was really rich and delicious.
And lastly, a dish I had seen on the menu and gotten very excited about: the Kaiser Stub’n Schmaus (aka feast), which is SERVED IN A WHEELBARROW.
I mean, how cute is that?! It had a bratwurst, Kassler (basically gammon – cured pork steak), roast pork, dumpling, and sauerkraut, with a gravy boat to pour all over it.
It was quite a feast. I wouldn’t say we finished off everything, but we gave it a really good try. Thanks to Eric and Angela for accompanying us!
And thanks Sabine for gifting us the voucher. It was a really fun excursion, and well worth the trip from the city. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/78587
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2025-06-12 08:43:16 UTC

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I have some middle-aged friends - married, no kids - who have gone on *several* Disney cruises and loved it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Not something that’s ever particularly appealed to me…

2025-06-01 05:10:38 UTC

LinkGaslighting? - For several months now I’ve continued my project where every day I go back through my archives and clean up broken links in old posts. If something is broken and I can find it in the Wayback Machine (https://web.archive.org/), I replace the link. Lately I’m noticing something new and insidious. Of course there’s a lot of linkrot, where stuff is just gone. (In my archives, Yahoo News and Make’s Craftzine are the two biggest offenders.) Then there’s stuff that’s gone, but the domain has been repurposed by someone else. Sometimes it’s obvious (porn and gambling ahoy!) and other times they create a plausible looking site filled with SEO glurge. And then there’s this third dark pattern I don’t even have a name for yet, where the same entity is still in control of the domain and the link goes to a plausible looking URL, but it’s NOT the page I linked to originally.
Here’s an example. In 2001 I wrote a post (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/554) about Jenna Bush, saying I sympathised with her and that she was just acting like a college student. In it, I linked to a Salon.com article (http://www.salon.com/mwt/wire/2001/05/30/jenna_bush/index.html) about her. If you follow that link now, you are silently redirected to an article about her beliefs about safe sex (https://www.salon.com/2007/09/25/jenna_bush/). If you don’t look closely, you might miss the fact that the safe sex article is from 2007. If you go to the Wayback Machine, you’ll see that the actual article I linked to was about her buying booze (https://web.archive.org/web/20010605091134/http://www.salon.com/mwt/wire/2001/05/30/jenna_bush/index.html). I’ve now found several other Salon.com links to that redirect to posts about the same general topic of the post, but aren’t the actual one I linked to.
Another example. In 2013 I linked to (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/11354) a Serious Eats recipe for “tobacco cookies” (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/05/tobacco-cookies-recipe.html). If you click that link now, you’re redirected to a recipe for Chocolate Dipped Tuile “Cigarettes” (https://www.seriouseats.com/chocolate-dipped-tuile-cigarettes-cookies-recipe). That one gave me pause. Is that what I originally linked to? If that’s what the recipe is called, why did I call it something else? Here’s the Wayback Machine to the rescue again, confirming that there really used to be a recipe for tobacco cookies (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/05/tobacco-cookies-recipe.html). WTF.
I’m not clear on why or how this is happening. Maybe some sort of custom 404 logic that picks out a keyword and sends you to a likely recent link? It’s infuriating though that they don’t give you any warning that it might not be the page you’re looking for. It makes finding broken links that much harder, because they’re actively trying to gaslight me. Links are a contract and a promise. Silently redirecting https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/77747

2025-05-31 09:12:32 UTC

E-ink bus arrival sign - Are these being trialled or something? One appeared at our stop on Broadway and it’s *brilliant*. Haven’t seen any others though… https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/77678
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2025-05-20 12:03:59 UTC

A weekend in Orange - We have a couple more months left on our NSW TrainLink Discovery Passes (https://transportnsw.info/regional-travel/regional-offers/discovery-pass), so we decided to spend last weekend in Orange, NSW (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange,_New_South_Wales). We’d driven through Orange many years ago (on the way back from our Christmas trip to Dubbo twenty years ago (https://www.web-goddess.org/photo/western-plains-zoo-december-24-25-2005) that got disrupted by the MURDERER), but neither of us had ever spent any time there. I asked Mastodon (https://aus.social/@web_goddess/114475408922825480) for recommendations on what we should do there, and I was very excited to hear that the Orange Show (https://www.orangeshowsociety.org.au/) would be happening! Rodd found us some accommodation (https://the-mac-2800.newsouthwaleshotels.net/en/), and I booked us in for a half-day wine tour (https://countryfoodtrails.com.au/the-wine-trail-orange/). And early Thursday morning, we hopped on the train at Central for the five hour journey to Orange…
The scenery was very pretty, especially once we got over the misty Blue Mountains and past Katoomba.
We pulled in just at lunchtime, and to our delight we were only a few minutes’ walk from one of the eateries Rodd found: Elwood’s Eatery at the Smoking Brothers (https://smokingbrothers.com.au/). Some American-style grub was exactly what we needed! I went for the Tater Tot dog, while Rodd had the Cheeseburger.
It was still too early to check in for our hotel, but we were pleased to discover that we could leave our bags at the train station. After dropping them off with the nice attendant, we headed out for a walk down the main drag, Summer Street. We were really happy to see that we hadn’t missed all the Autumn colour!
We were pleasantly surprised by the Orange CBD. I expected it to be like Mudgee – aka very oriented towards tourists – but it didn’t feel that way at all. There were loads of shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes, and parks. We walked all the way down to Cook Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Park,_Orange), which had been specially recommended on Mastodon. I’d picked up a brochure about it so we circled all around checking out the highlights, including this massive Bunya pine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_bidwillii).
We also said hello to the ducks at the pond.
Mr. Snook decided to try out the swings.
The park also has a beautiful avenue of elms at one entrance. Even with many of the leaves already fallen, it was still stunning.
Eventually we headed back to the station, collected our bags, and checked in to our accommodation. The Mac (https://the-mac-2800.newsouthwaleshotels.net/en/) is a new “apartment hotel,” and we got the last room available – the accessible room closest to the street. It was spacious and comfortable, and it was really useful to have a kitchenette to make our breakfast in the morning. We had a rest fo https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/76656
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2025-05-12 00:59:32 UTC

Palia expansion dropping this week! - Looks like the teased Elderwood Expansion (https://palia.com/news/elderwood-downtime) is finally ready to launch. I’ve finished all the quests in the current game, so my play has dropped off for the past few months. I log in every now and then and work on levelling up my skills, but that’s about it. I look forward to seeing what’s in the new area! https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/76472

2025-04-24 08:03:33 UTC

Sadness - Did not expect when I woke up this morning to be boarding a plane tonight, but sometimes life sucks. Hug your loved ones, folks. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/74614
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2025-04-22 07:49:59 UTC

Just leveled up as a middle-aged woman and called out a group of teenagers for being complete assholes on the train.
Yes, I called them assholes.

2025-04-22 07:37:20 UTC

Easter Show Volunteering – Shift #5 🎪 - Today’s shift was at the Plaza Entrance, handing out maps and answering questions. It wasn’t very crowded at all, and it was fun to be in the carnival area. But after a lovely start to the day, the rain began to threaten…
On the upside, we briefly had a glimpse of a lovely rainbow over the Dome. But at 4pm or so, the heavens opened fully. It bucketed. Some folks had ponchos and umbrellas, but even then everyone got drenched. I was mostly able to stay under cover, but my poor feet still got soaked.
By that point very few people were actually entering the Show, and I was mostly just shouting to let them know where the exit was as everyone ran for their cars. My team lead let me go half an hour early as there really wasn’t much need anymore. Of course, I had one more stop to make…
Mac-and-cheese on a stick! You don’t get a photo of me holding it because I was juggling my umbrella and the plate. It was hot and crispy and gooey, though. It did have a tendency to fall off after you’d had a bite or two, but that was okay. Very tasty! And at $9 this was excellent value… but the staff very kindly gave it to me for free! So I’m prepared to vote Mac-and-cheese as the best Food-on-a-Stick at the Show this year. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/74452
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2025-04-21 08:21:32 UTC

I have been trying all weekend to create a stat dec on MyGov. The website claims it’s possible, but all of the links to create one just take you back to the instructions. The mobile app actually does let you create one, but after going through all the steps (twice!) each time I just get this. Like, WTF. Is this because of the election? Or the public holiday? Or MyGov just being shit?! (I can’t even give them feedback about the shitness, because the only way to contact them is on the phone - and they’re closed for the long weekend. 😡)
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2025-04-18 22:30:18 UTC

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I did see Macaroni and Cheese on a Stick - might need to get that at my last shift!

2025-04-18 12:53:09 UTC

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Mine was horrified we substituted cranberries for the barberries. 😂

2025-04-18 12:16:51 UTC

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It was very tasty!

2025-04-18 10:06:44 UTC

Persian Feast - While I was at the Show, Mr. Snook was whipping up a Persian feast! He made RecipeTinEats’ slow-cooked lamb shanks (https://www.recipetineats.com/persian-lamb-shank-recipe/), saffron rice (Tachin) (https://www.recipetineats.com/persian-saffron-rice-tachin/), and cucumber tomato salad. He thinks the lamb came out a little salty, but it pairs well with the rice. And how good is that crunchy crust? https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/74041
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2025-04-18 06:06:16 UTC

Easter Show Volunteering – Shift #4 🎪 - The Farmyard Nursery on Good Friday was always going to be a challenge, but I started undaunted.
It was a warm day. I spent the first 3.5hrs outside trying to corral the ever growing queue. There were thousands, and thousands, and thousands of people.
After lunch I was on pram parking duty, which mostly consisted of making sure people didn’t sneak through the Dairy to cut the line. I was very happy to see my friend Alice and Luke Eller and their boys. Everybody seemed to be having a good time.
After my shift, I walked around the stadium to check my food options. Deep fried ice cream on a stick? WELL DESERVED, MY FRIENDS.
At $12, I was pretty pleased with this. It was basically a fried doughnut surrounding a puck of ice cream, smeared with caramel sauce. Very good!
I popped into the District exhibits on my way out. Impressive as always!
And then I headed for the train. I survived!! Time to enjoy the Long Weekend… https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/73920
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2025-04-15 06:01:49 UTC

Easter Show Volunteering – Shift #2 🎪 - I was back again at the Show today, directing folks to the Quiet Room and helping visitors find their way around. And how cute is this? These amazing folks at the Face Painting booth offered to put a sunflower on my cheek!
Me: Oh, glitter too?!
The artist: You HAVE to have glitter.
It was a lot cooler today—which was nice!—but in the afternoon the wind kicked up and it started spitting rain. Fortunately I had a poncho, and it didn’t last long
And for today’s food-on-a-stick, I went with another classic: Cheese on a Stick! I liked the crunchiness of the batter, but this didn’t quite feel like enough value for $8. Twisty Potato is still winning… https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/73623
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2025-04-12 05:24:42 UTC

Highlights of the Easter Show Arts & Craft Entries - At the Arts Preview last week, I took a lot of photos of all the Arts & Crafts entries that caught my eye. Sometimes because they were beautiful or clever, and sometimes because they were METAL AF. They’re mostly in the order I saw them, so you get the full “meandering around the display cases while pounding drinks” effect.
This crochet R2-D2 was fully life-size, and it was a big hit with the viewers. I like it, but he looks a little oddly muscular and organic to me for a robot! (And what’s with that crocheted, mounted dinosaur head?!)
I loved these needle-felted Wind in the Willows characters. Mr. Toad even has his driving goggles!
I mean, who is this little crochet guy with a chainsaw head and hands, and sweet red high-tops? Kudos to Andrew Galagher on the ribbon!
I gasped when I saw this “Byte Couture” dress in the Cabinet of Excellence. It was in the “Recycled Garment” category and used computer keys, RAM, and cables to fashion a dress. Well done, Stephanie Powell!
This crocheted doll is very expressive, but it freaks me out a little bit. It reminds me of the podlings from The Dark Crystal somehow.
This quilt is why I was not particularly surprised or disappointed to miss out on a ribbon (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/73023), as it was competing in the same category as mine. Amazing work, Tonia Barton!
Andrew Galagher strikes again! This “Cat Skellington” won the blue ribbon in soft toys or dolls.
Loved the punk teddy bear! I didn’t even realise he has a safety pin through his nose.
How cool is this volcano quilt? The artist is a teenager!
This was the point where I started to appreciate how the folks doing the displays had sometimes grouped together thematically or visually similar items. That mosaic of the Joker stopped me dead in my tracks, and then I was able to appreciate the other two next to it.
This Bag End cake won an award in the “Most Creative Cake” category. Very cute!
And this one won in the “Gravity Defying” category. I love the little Shaolin monks in front of the temple!
SPARTA! This beaded denim jacket was insane.
I thought this octopus glass sculpture was lovely. It reminded me of The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife and some of the Minoan vessels we saw in Crete last year.
The creepiest thing about that rabbit sculpture is how the eyes were set back inside the head so the damn thing seemed to track you as you walked past.
At first I thought this PILL BABY was creepy, but then I discovered that A) the artist is a doctor, and B) she titled it “A self portrait of the younger me.” Now I think it’s amazing.
This is entitled “Fairy House Light,” so I think maybe it lights up? That would be the scariest night light ever.
I loved this horse head fascinator mixed in among the fancy lady hats. Hell yeah! This would be amazing to wear to Melbourne Cup Day. (You know, if one supported such barbaris https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/73386
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2025-04-11 08:47:32 UTC

Easter Show Volunteering – Shift #1 🎪 - As you may have gathered, I’ve signed up as a volunteer for the Sydney Royal Easter Show (https://www.eastershow.com.au) this year. I’ve been a visitor to the Show many, many times (https://www.web-goddess.org/?s=easter+show) over the years, and I figured it was time to finally give back. My first shift today was supporting the new Quiet Room (https://www.eastershow.com.au/visit-us/accessibility--inclusion/), which is a space for people with sensory sensitivities or other disabilities to duck in and recharge in a soothing environment.
My job was to stand outside the Quiet Room with a big sunflower sign so people would know where to go. The sunflower is a symbol for hidden disabilities (https://hdsunflower.com/au/). A lot of folks today asked me about it, and I was happy to get to do some education. The guests that made use of the room really seemed to appreciate it.
Beyond that, I answered a LOT of questions about where to find things: the nearest toilet/ATM/water refill station; the Showbag pavilion; the petting zoo; the woodchopping; the dog show. That was kind of fun, albeit exhausting. I had a paper map, but also an app on my phone so I could look up specific venues and show people exactly where to go. The less fun part was standing near the lockers, because apparently 60% of people can’t read instructions or operate a simple coin locker… and they all seemed to think I was the locker tech support. After my lunch break, I managed to swap with someone else to get away from the lockers for a while.
I have decided that the only way I will survive the Show is if I sample a different “food on a stick” every time. Today I went with Maddix’s Twisty Potato, which is a classic. You can choose from different flavourings, and I went with the Mexican salt. It was very good. The potato was crisp at the edges but chewy in the middle, just how I like it. Relatively good value too at $7.
By 5pm I was wrecked. I checked out and caught the train home, where a hot shower and a cold beer were waiting for me.
One down, five to go… https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/73017
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2025-04-10 10:40:17 UTC

It really says something about the current state of things that the main topic in my knitting group chat today was “market manipulation.”

2025-04-09 09:33:08 UTC

YOU GUYS. EASTER SHOW BLUE RIBBON. I YELLED “HOLY SHIT.” #knitting #sydneyroyal 🏆🧶
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2025-04-08 06:07:06 UTC

“Good God, it was fun!” - LOVED this piece (https://www.vulture.com/article/biggest-broadway-stars-legends-actors-actresses-interviews.html) where Vulture got some of the legends of Broadway to dress up and revisit some of their famous characters. Patti, Liza, Mandy, Bebe, Joel, Lin… and so many more.
Relatedly, I’m trying to justify flying to Brisbane to see Bernadette Peters (https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=BERNAPE25&eg=MYTKT&ep=MYTKT) in October. I want to minimise air travel these days, but when am I going to get the chance to see this legend again?! https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/72787

2025-04-07 09:33:44 UTC

Bobbles - I don’t normally knit bobbles… and now I’m remembering why.
It’s giving “nipples,” isn’t it. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/72681
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2025-03-30 11:28:34 UTC

A tale of two dresses 👗👗 - Earlier in the week, I popped into Made590 to pick up a couple shirts… and whoops, a new Liberty dress was right there. It was Tana Lawn and it felt like silk, and I looked great in it.
I sent the photo to a couple friends, and one of them went by a few days later to pick one up for herself. That night she said, “You know it’s AI-generated, right?”
Wait, what? Liberty of London (https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/information/our-heritage.html)? The famed 150-year-old “purveyor of craftsmanship,” that prides itself on its “dedicated in-house design studio” who are responsible for “hand painting and creating our beautiful prints”? THAT Liberty of London?
Yep, them. (https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/avalon-scenes-tana-lawn%E2%84%A2-cotton-000821829.html?queryID=3934837d9d7aea2f5ecc925d74df1cb3&objectID=R600923006&indexName=production_emea_libertyltd_demandware_net__liberty__products__default) Check the “Editor’s Notes”:
For Avalon Scenes, the design studio approached Tom Furse, an artist and musician who specialises in creating artwork with AI in controlled environments. Harnessing the cutting-edge potential of AI technology, this design conjures a display of surreal landscapes morphing into psychedelic flower forms…
Well, that sucks. I had a good long think about it. It really is a lovely dress. I am not against algorithmic art entirely, and I can see cases where I’d be fine with this – like if the model was trained only on Liberty’s pattern archive. But I could find zero mention of the technology used, not on Liberty’s site or the artist’s website or Instagram. (The artist is actually a musician that seems to dabble in AI, so I doubt he’s training his own models for this.) I contacted Liberty through both their website and Facebook page to ask for details, explaining that I was concerned about whether the model used for their AI-generated fabric was trained on any stolen artwork, and how the environmental impacts of the project lived up to Liberty’s stated corporate social responsibility (https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/information/corporate-social-responsibility.html) goals. I got a reply back asking “Which AI-generated fabric specifically are you asking about?”
Not good.
I decided to return the dress today for one featuring Australian plants photographed straight from the shop owner’s garden. Made590 were lovely about it, and I can’t fault them – most people wouldn’t feel as strongly about this as I do. But right now I’m in the “no ethical use of AI” (https://www.wired.com/story/the-prompt-ethical-generative-ai-does-not-exist/) camp, and I’d rather pay artists for their art. I’m so disappointed in Liberty – ACTUAL LIBERTY OF LONDON – jumping on the AI trend bandwagon. Ugh. I’ll update if they ever send me the details, but for now I feel a lot better about my pretty new dress. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/71859
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2025-03-27 22:19:57 UTC

Catching up on your blog, and as a dual US-Aus this caught my eye: “Incidently, Australia is one of the few countries in the world where more Americans live here than Australians live over there.” It feels right to me, but I’d love to know the source. I have no idea how to even google for that…

2025-03-17 07:52:28 UTC

Typewriter Cake - Every year I think he can’t possibly top himself, and then he does! This, of course, is the Typewriter Cake from the Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book (https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/baking/australian-womens-weekly-childrens-birthday-cakes-29679/). He experimented with two new recipes for this one: Golden Vanilla Cake (https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/golden-vanilla-cake-recipe) and Ermine Icing (https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/ermine-icing-cooked-flour-frosting-recipe). It’s STUNNING.
And I think we can all agree: plus 100 Husband Points for the deployment of the Pride and Prejudice quote!
How it started:
Carving:
The end result:
Kitchen’s a wreck though. Still worth it! https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/56484
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2025-03-15 23:27:27 UTC

Google are breaking my mittens - Sonofa. Twelve years ago I knitted a pair of “self-replicating mittens” (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/14046) with a QR code that pointed you to the pattern for the mittens, and I entered them in the Sydney Royal Easter Show. I was pretty proud of my cleverness. In the blog post (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/11192) where I talked about making the mittens, I said:
I wanted my code to be as simple as possible, so I needed to use a URL shortener to mask my intended address. I settled on using Google‘s, reasoning that it was likely to be around the longest. (Though who knows these days, right?)
You can guess what’s happened, right? Google URL Shortener links will no longer be available (https://developers.googleblog.com/en/google-url-shortener-links-will-no-longer-be-available/) as of August this year.
Bastards are breaking my mittens. Perhaps I’ll have to add some embroidery. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/56383
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2025-03-13 07:58:25 UTC

Portraits of a City - After our walk yesterday, we had to quickly freshen up (and tend to our wounds!) before heading back to the State Library’s “Portraits of a City” event. Inspired by the current Peter Kingston exhibition (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/peter-kingston), curator Mathilde de Hauteclocque brought together a panel of three artists whose work has often depicted Sydney: Vanessa Berry (of the Mirror Sydney blog (https://mirrorsydney.wordpress.com) and book (https://giramondopublishing.com/books/mirror-sydney/)), Reg Mombassa (of Mambo (https://www.regmombassa.com/pages/mambo) clothing fame), and Michael Kelly (painter (https://www.michaelkellyart.com) and printmaker). Mathilde led them through an interesting discussion about how an artist thinks about capturing a place, as samples of their work (and Kingston’s) played behind them. Reg was clearly the draw, as his work is by far the most well-known. He was the least reflective about his work though, admitting that his first impressions of Sydney (as a 17yo Kiwi immigrant) was that it was “too hot and dirty.” His artworks invoke the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House simply as handy iconography for “Australia.” The other two artists were much more personal in their approach. Vanessa seemed to consider herself as more of a writer than an artist, but I loved her hand-drawn “maps” of the Sydney of her youth. They had a real DIY zine vibe. (We were especially tickled by the inclusion of Alex Cordobe’s Pizza (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/3875).) Michael also seemed to feel a responsibility to capture parts of the city before they disappeared, and we got to see some lovely examples from his sketchbooks. After the discussion we headed up to the Library Bar (https://librarybar.sl.nsw.gov.au) for a well deserved drink! https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/56203
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2025-03-08 11:18:23 UTC

Open Source Knitting Machine - This is so freaking cool. Someone designed and 3D-printed a knitting machine (https://youtu.be/eFesPhYR8KI?feature=shared)! https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/55749

2025-02-23 11:40:58 UTC

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Hahaha, we were almost tempted to do blue, just because it felt more MYSTERIOUS. 😂

2025-02-23 11:20:19 UTC

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I read it in my RSS reader so I didn't even realise it was an email!

2025-02-23 11:08:29 UTC

Mysterious Pudding – CWA 1965 Cookbook - It’s time for another recipe from 1965! Continuing our vintage cooking experiment (https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/tag/cwa1965), this time Rodd chose the recipe from February 14 – Mysterious Pudding.
Very simple recipe! It’s basically a cross between a trifle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifle) and a moulded jelly (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelatin_dessert):
Sandwich cake, jelly crystals, bananas. Line a jelly mould with slices of banana, then half fill with alternate layers of cake (sliced thinly) and banana. Fill the mould with the hot jelly, allow to set. Serve with cream or cold boiled custard. A good way of using up stale cake.
Here are the very simple ingredients we started with. We used a storebought sponge cake, a box of Aeroplane jelly (an Aussie classic! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQerOQ4cnaA)) in “Port Wine” flavour, and a bunch of ripe bananas.
We did not, however, have a jelly mould so we made do with a large glass container. Mr. Snook got to work lining it with banana slices.
He also sliced up the sponge into thinner pieces…
…and added a layer above the banana.
It was at this point that I realised each box of jelly only made about 500ml (2 cups) of gelatin. “I don’t think it’s going to be enough!” We decided to instead do two boxes in separate layers FOR EXTRA MYSTERY.
After agreeing that pineapple would be the bottom (top) layer, I mixed it up while he completed the banana and cake layers. Then we carefully poured the liquid jelly over the cake and fruit, letting it soak in.
Then that went into the fridge to firm up a bit…
Once it was starting to firm up, we added the next layer of “Port Wine” jelly. Note: as far as I know, this is not a flavour that Jell-O ever produced, so I had definitely never had it in my life!
Then that went back into the fridge to fully firm up overnight. Hey, that looks pretty mysterious!
But how to get it out of the dish? We started by dipping the container into a sink full of hot water…
…and then when that didn’t work, we ran a knife down the sides. Then we flipped it over and…
SHHHHHLLLLUUUUUURP! It was free.
So. Mysterious.
Rodd started slicing it into pieces, while I used a hand mixer to whip some cream. Hey, that looks pretty cool!
We served it with the whipped cream, as directed.
I really liked it! But Jell-O was always a favourite treat growing up. Rodd felt that the red layer didn’t really add anything, and we’d have been better off leaving it out. We both thought the layers of jelly-soaked cake with banana were way better than they had any right to be.
To modernise this, I’d definitely start by making your own cake. The cake layers were the best, so I wouldn’t bother with any jelly on its own. Rodd also reckons that making your own gelatin – using real fruit juice – would taste nicer than the boxed artificial stuff. We suggest filling the container/ https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/54927
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2025-02-23 08:05:26 UTC

Oranges 🍊 - "Being told we cannot draw is the first step to telling people that no, they are not as competent as they believe themselves to be. Once you can convince a human being they cannot draw, you can convince them of mostly anything.
Someone is benefitting from making you believe you are incompetent and it is not you."
This piece – “How to draw an orange” (https://buttondown.com/monteiro/archive/how-to-draw-an-orange/) – from Mike Monteiro’s Good News (https://buttondown.com/monteiro) really, really resonated with me, and not just because I’ve literally got a painting of oranges (/archive/36085) on my wall. I know that I’m my own worst critic, and I know that it’s held me back from doing things in the past. Someone reached out to me with an opportunity recently, and I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that they think I’m qualified for it. I’m a grown-ass, competent woman, and I can do this. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/54903

2025-02-21 09:03:04 UTC

Do you know a Year 7-12 girl, trans student, or non-binary student in Sydney who’d like to learn programming? Registration is open for the next GPN event on March 8 at UTS! It’s free, it’s fun, and you get lunch and snacks too. 👩‍💻❤️ (And yes, I’ll be helping out on the day!)
https://events.humanitix.com/gpn-sydney-term-1-2025?hxchl=hex-pfl

2025-01-04 04:07:48 UTC

First day of Sydney Festival volunteering! Please endorse me for WHALE WRANGLING on LinkedIn. 😂
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2024-12-23 23:51:44 UTC

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It works great! I wrote a blog post about it a few months back, but the updated launcher solves a few of the headaches I had getting it set up. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/25564

2024-12-23 23:49:07 UTC

I discovered recently that the developer has made some great new updates to the Palia on MacOS launcher (https://github.com/DanMossa/paliaOnMac-release) and sent him an email to say how much I appreciate it. People who give away free, useful software are the best!

2024-12-18 21:40:50 UTC

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It feels like the critics are disregarding lots of innovation that is truly world changing: mRNA vaccines, gene editing, reusable spacecraft, electric cars, Ozempic, that stuff that’s just been discovered that pulls carbon out of the air…

2024-12-06 00:30:37 UTC

I’ve become an unofficial @npub1nwk…dgjz evangelist at #yow24! Love having a single feed of posts from both Mastodon and Bluesky. ❤️

2024-11-30 12:26:30 UTC

Queer quilts, rebellious knitting and political pants: the radical world of textiles – What a cool looking exhibition! I love those trade union flags… and the pink shorts. 😉 If you’re going to Adelaide in the next four months, I’d definitely check it out. 🧶
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/nov/29/queer-quilts-rebellious-knitting-and-political-pants-the-radical-world-of-textiles?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

2024-11-30 02:02:57 UTC

Ooh @npub1nwk…dgjz implemented my “tap at the top of the screen to scroll up” suggestion! I do it like 10x a day so this makes me very happy.

2024-11-28 07:42:38 UTC

Hey, Indian friends! 🇮🇳 The #aws DevRel team have opened several roles in India for DAs, Community Managers, DevMktg folks, and a manager! If you know someone who would be great, send them here: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search?base_query=AWS+Developer+Experience&loc_query=India&country=IND

2024-11-24 06:25:25 UTC

This is rude, right? A recruiter on LinkedIn connected with me and immediately sent: "I wanted to check if you know anyone in your network who has experience in selling aws pls share me those leads." What does she think the job of a recruiter actually is, if I'm the one sending her all the leads?!

2024-11-20 11:49:06 UTC

Twenty years married to my best friend… Everyone should be so lucky! Happy anniversary, Mr. Snook. ❤️💒
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2024-11-19 03:10:03 UTC

I learned about this book by @badasscrossstitch.bsky.social just this morning and was able to find a copy at Kinokuniya at lunchtime. Really looking forward to reading it… #craftivism 🧶
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2024-11-17 03:05:22 UTC

Mending day! A couple of our jumpers had worn holes and needed fixing. I’ve watched heaps of those videos of invisible darning, so I gave it a shot. I used sewing thread to provide a scaffolding and then Swiss darned over the top. Very pleased with the results! Hardly noticeable. 😍🧶 #knitting
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2024-10-31 00:29:08 UTC

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For once I remembered to put in a label too! 😂 #arkieshirt #sewing
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2024-10-31 00:10:18 UTC

Completed sewing project! This is the #arkieshirt from Tessuti sewn up in a lovely Liberty Tana Lawn I picked up in Tokyo earlier this year. (I’m actually kicking myself I didn’t get enough to make a matching pair of shorts.) While the Arkie has a relaxed fit, I think I can go down a size for the next one as this is fairly loose. #sewing 🧵🪡
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2024-10-30 03:01:39 UTC

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Uuuuufffffff #sewing
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2024-10-30 02:14:47 UTC

It recently occurred to me that I have never changed the needles in my overlocker. Hmmm. So I dug out the manual to check which ones it needs, and I’m flipping through this book realising that a) it does a shitload more things than I realise and b) I’ve also never cleaned or oiled or serviced it.
I have owned this machine for 9 years. 🤦‍♀️ #sewing
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2024-10-29 04:11:15 UTC

For those that missed the last @npub1tw4…uk6a meetup, I've written up a blog post that includes my slides and notes from my talk about early retirement for tech workers: https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/25602
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2024-10-29 00:32:21 UTC

It's the final countdown! So far 28 people have donated over $1770 to dementia-related charities and are in the raffle to win one of these Smart, Sensational, Sun-Protecting (S3) Bucket Hats. I will draw the winners THIS FRIDAY (Sydney time!), so be sure to donate in the next 72 hrs if you want to contribute. 🩷☀️🪣 #aws
Details for the different ways to donate are here: https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/25582
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