Sign in Subscribe

Alison Hawke

Alison Hawke

Dealing with comments

I love blog comments. But what's the polite way to respond? A reply comment, or an email? Which would you prefer? I like the email reply, but I don't always get to everyone who comments, and sometimes you need to answer a comment's question

Comforters

I've got a cold, so I'm wearing my comfort socks to work. They're deep purple sport weight wool (Magic Garden Buttons), my first toe-up pair, and wearing them makes me feel better. It's like a hug for my feet. Also broke

Spam bait and fresh starts

I've temporarily removed the feedback form on this site, because some weasel spammer was abusing it to send me 50 emails a day. It'll come back when it's spam-proof. Even a humble PHP contact form isn't safe! I hate having to

Tuesday catch up

Got my Mac back on Friday, 20 days after they took it in for a three to five day repair. By a strange coincidence, the repair was completed 40 minutes before I called the repair centre on Thursday, and on a truck heading home by 8pm that night. I'

WIMPs to the rescue

BBC News: Dark matter comes out of the cold. Astronomers have for the first time put some real numbers on the physical characteristics of dark matter. This strange material that dominates the Universe but which is invisible to current telescope technology is one of the great enigmas of modern science.

Big cats

BBC News: Print 'proof' of big cat presence. Police believe they have the first conclusive proof a big cat, dubbed the "Beast of Balbirnie", could be on the loose in Fife. There have been numerous reports of big cats in the Kingdom in recent years. Now

Recipe: Bacon pie

It's been a while since I posted a recipe here and I'm thinking of cooking this tonight. It's comfort food, serve it with a vegetable and good bread, then curl up in front of the fire. Bacon Pie * 1 pound of thick sliced, smoked

One down, seven to go

Finished the first KnitPicks Sock Landscape sock on Sunday with plenty of yarn to spare: It took eight days start to finish and I'm getting 9st per inch on a 2.75mm needle. The yarn is very soft, and the colours look good together. It is somewhat splitty,

Sock yarn swap

I joined the Great Unloved Sock Yarn Swap: You have until Sunday to sign up! Who knows what skeins of hideousness yarn you might get? I think I'm dumping something pink. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it. Heaven save me from

Whale waste

BBC News: Whale 'vomit' sparks cash bonanza. An Australian couple who picked up an odd-looking fatty lump from a quiet beach are in line for a cash windfall. Leon Wright and his wife took home a 14.75kg lump of ambergris, found in the innards of sperm

Follow me on Mastodon