Has Peter Strickland Watched This Immediately Before Sitting Down And Writing Flux Gourmet??

It’s beautiful.

Kicking myself cos I never thought about visualising roadmaps this way 🤦🏻‍♀️ (it would also make it obvious where the organisation is headless, hopefully)

Equal Experts

Continuous Evolution Part 3: The Roadmap Radar - When is a plan not a plan?

The Roadmap Radar ensures that all efforts are clearly aligned to your strategic goals and objectives.

Catnana (alien phase + placeholder face, the future owner’s mum is doing me a solid and embroidering properly and stitching on legs herself, I will edit once I get a pic).

My first time using chenille - pretty horrid to work with tbh??? It was almost impossible to see the stitches so I had to feel my way around. Surprisingly decent outcome all things considered. Better than trying to do the same pattern in a pure wool anyway which was NOT soft and pleasant…. 😬

I ran out of yellow before the end despite using up two skeins instead of the one recipe called for anyway. :|

Pattern: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1187577726/pattern-jumbo-catnana-crochet-pdf-only

Kinda took off as a meme at work so I may make some minis to throw at people hehe

Laundry cat.

February 2025

I was mentally incapable of moving on from Feb until the sheep was done.

Anyway

Holiday

Cruising is weird and not for me but I was not _for_ me so fine I guess. The polish tour leader was surprisingly competent (esp compared to the LatAm fiasco) and mum had a good time so probably more 🛳️ in my future at some point. It's a good way to recon places worth going back to on my own ig (first Istanbul because that pomegranate juice was to die for, then probs HK).

If there's one thing I know for sure it's that I never need to see another waterfall again in my life. ✋

Work and things

I really don't want to feature an obit in each one of those so can my friends and colleagues stop dying? RIP Charlotte.

Since I cunningly avoided the big thing we've been working towards (migration from GOV.UK PaaS) by being on holiday, a new big thing to work towards that everyone is very stressed about has appeared. 😑

Then I guess I will be moving to a different portfolio since a replacement for my role has been recruited! I get bored easily and I've been here for over a year now so I'm quite happy.

I'm increasingly of the opinion that creating any live service team / BAU capability should probably start with a solid process and roadmap for retiring services.

Sisyphus had it easy compared to people who try to write down processes at work and put them all in one place, I can cheer them on but I have mentally checked out from the attempts and will continue to solve my problems by asking groupchats.

My mortgage got approved, survey happened and has nothing dramatic in it, and my seller has found something they want to buy (with no chain) so it's all happening.

Fool's spring was nice and I am now ready to just delude myself into thinking it's spring for two months no matter how bad the weather gets. At least the lido will continue to be half empty. : )

Got a new tattoo and this was THE shortest time between getting one and wanting the next (as in - while I was still getting tattooed 😑). Love it even more than I expected tbh and definitely getting it extended if the artist comes back to the UK!

I'm helping with the next Delivercon and department's DM get together.

Watched

The Monkey - great fun, true to trailer (yes I'm still pissed about Presence), just a good ass film

The Last Showgirl - 100% of respondents* agree that this could be a double bill with The Substance

*(me and my friend with who I also watched The Substance)

fuckton of b-roll and why the HELL does the photographer girl never have a camera? bizarro. Jamie Lee Curtis just has fun as always. I have a lot to say about this for some reason hah

Mickey 17 - bizarrely bad in an incompetent way (characters introduced for no reason that go nowhere, plotholes, fuckton of expository voiceover, thematic blunt force trauma). Stinks of studio interference frankly, give us the Bong Joon-Ho cut!!!! 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

Played

Hades 2 - major update dropped so that accounts for several dozen hours of my life in this time period. We got Ares, we got the good shade... My only remaining wish is for the game to let me pet the goodest three-headed boy. 🥺

The Roottrees are Dead - is it possible to go wrong with an Obra Dinn-like (that is not actually Obra Dinn, that was too hard for me and my eyes hurt thx).

Reignbreaker demo - Hades-like releasing in the spring which seems REALLY GOOD but the studio already announced they're getting shuttered after release. So glad this billion pound industry I'd love to work in is a garbage fire both working culture and career prospects-wise. :|

Fiasco - I guess our DM wanted more people to try making funny voices... ALAS. TTRPGs are hardly my thing and improv definitely isn't. How do I convince these people to just play a fucking boardgame again. orz

Makes

2 x Sheep (Toft) - https://techforevil.tumblr.com/post/777113383117914112/tldr-i-finished-two-sheep-from-toft-seth-the

Sadie the Sailor Dog (Ricorumi) - https://techforevil.tumblr.com/post/777114285980729344/sadie-the-sailor-dog-from-ricorumi-two-main

Started the Sanitation Worker Raccoon (I have the raccoon herself done, now just the accessories).

I also succeeded getting someone else into amigurumi and she’s onto her 2nd project (having started with a toft cat), counting that as mine. 😎

Next up

Got my Yakuza in Hawaii import from Japan ages ago (how could I live without Majima pop-up pirate toy...) just gotta find 30hrs spare to play it.

Golden Idol has a new DLC 👀

Got a ticket for Stitch Festival, inc a needle felting (aka best craft 🗡️) workshop

Maybe try making a human character amigurumi. :T

Susie (Deltarune)

Following up as promised.

Like I mentioned everything is removable:

Fun fact about this one is that I can't show it to Bella the cat cos she gets spooked. I'm guessing it's the eyes?

Just various angles. Is her hair made of pants or are her pants made of hair? 🤔

I'm clearly very confident in her aboility to stand unupoorted becuse pic 1 in this row is faces to a 2m ravine of unkempt plants and bugs. 💀 The boots help the stability.

Pic 2 - I wanted to make hair that'd work with both Hometown and Dark World outfits so I've not glued it like I think some people do. Colours are DW based, both because I started with something I already I had (I originally actually wanted to make Bea but I did not have yarn for body in the right colour... now I'm not too sure how I will make Bea without them looking like twins haha).

Pic 3 - Included purely because I like how the hair looks and you can actually see that the belt buckle IS heart shaped. IGNORE THE MESS IN THE BACKGROUND IT'S NOT MY ROOM (my room is worse).

a tail! *gasp* (it's hideable thanks to the poofiness of the trousers)

Patterns referenced:

body: a mix of Dino and Alligator / yarn: Sirdar Parade

jacket: sanitation worker Raccoon / yarn: Hobbii Friends 8/4 Mercerized Black and Cotton 8/6 Dark Magenta

boots: beekeeper Bear / yarn: Hobbii Friends: 8/4 Mercerized Black and Sunflower

top: rogue Raccoon / yarn: Hobbii Friends 8/4 Mercerized Nightshade

belt: rogue Raccoon / yarn: Hobbii Friends 8/4 Mercerized Black and Sunflower

pants: freehanded! 😱🎉 / yarn: Hobbii Friends 8/6 Dark Magenta

hair: I started with a stitch based on Seth but it looked kinda weird (see below) AND used a fuckton of yarn (it's just chains and slip stitch traverse now) / yarn: Hobbii Friends 8/6 Dark Magenta

Yes the yars are different weight and the body is a different manufacturer. Yes it was a nightmare. I am a Beginner and I did not understand the implications of any of this when I started but now I am smarter.

Also yes, Bogusia's patterns are quite pricy. I like them, I can afford them, and I will never begdrudge giving cash to a fellow 🇵🇱. Plus it feels so much safer to have something to look up when things go wrong haha. 🫣 If you wanna make your own Susie and are a fairly advanced maker you probably don't need to buy all of the above, and if you've got a question about any specific but I'm happy to try to help - but I will not be posting or sending you a full pattern. :)

To do:

Hometown outfit

drummer outfit

sewing the mouth a bit less wonkily

re-do the top? you can't really see it in the pics but the back is blah and the cowl could be nicer

darker brows?? I tried a couple of shades but it just didn't look _right_, maybe after stepping away from it for a wee bit I'll try again

Bonus:

WIP: onion head and little orphan Annie looking ass

What's next?

I have a backlog of gifts, requests, and a massive blanket that's supposed to teach me 30 diffrerent stitches. x__x

DR/UT wise I *really* want to make Undyne but the design is a wee bit complex, plus I've not made anything more on a humanoid side before...

I'll probably make Ralsei at some point (white ver, not black - crocheting with black yarn is a nightmare :') )

Since Bea would feel a bit same-y... GREGG RULZ OK? Or Witchdagger Mae? Or I do basically have a bear pattern for Angus? 😵‍💫

Racoon Sanitation Worker

Made using a pattern by Bogusia.

The most complex thing I've attempted yet, given the number of accessories. I'm pretty happy with her overall, but issues are obvious:

NO CLUE what is happening with the face. I think I may have lost count when joining up the legs and never recovered (but the body is fine??) or maybe just lost the round end? I've restarted the face several times and it was just not having it so I just powered through it instead of abandoning the project but the wonkiness is obvious.

Colour changes themselves ended up looking pretty sus most of the time, and seemingly every 'improvement' ended up looking worse and worse. 🤷🏻

I'd like to try this pattern again (so she can hang out with the Rogue version) and I think I'd either try to reverse it (starting from the top) or do the head separately and then join the two parts.

On the plus side, I made this with a very small hook (1.8mm) so there's virtually no perceptible gaps. 🎉

This is also the first time I've been conscious about the 'right' and 'wrong' side.. yes it took me a while. But also, no one I showed my previous stuff to cared or knew the difference - you can't really count on amateurs to provide constructive feedback esp if they like you. From now on showing WIPs to my enemies *only*.

Not directly related to the pattern but I finally learned how to do a magic circle - goodbye 2 chain butthole looking centres. 🫠

According to the pattern the bin should be closed but I left mine open and the bin bag can be put into it.

The bin bag was surprisingly tricky, and the banana surprisingly straightforward.

The project uses a real mix of different yarns - fortunately everything is sort of in proportion but variation in textures does stand out a bit. I'm undecided if this makes it more interesting or looking a bit sloppy haha.

How cute are the little claws? And the gloves??? Oh my goodness!! >.<

This is my first thing that can stand by herself sort of confidently, thanks to the mahoosive tail. : )

It took me about 2 weeks to finish everything (mostly because of the face pattern but I think working with teensy hook was also a factor). I made simpler 4 things in the week since, but I really want to make the crow wizard and penguin pirate too \m/

Messed around with some jasperite terrazzo kits today to make coasters (unpolished yet). Some obvious faults in the make but it’s all quite satisfying and I have plenty of the mix + chips leftover hehe. >:3c

April 2025

ngl it's been a rough month

Work / general

This doesn't really hit when you already know the next week is gonna be even worse fwiw. 💖

A long weekend is nice but it'd be better if things did not just get squished into four days.... The post-easter was particularly tough including being told of a quite challening meeting the same day on Tues, a few people around me struggling with physical and mental health, still dealing with reporting and actions after downtime at the end of the previous week, some organisational wobbles caused by work straddling several portfolios, someone falling foul of a pretty major policy which I had to deal with and more.

I guess I mostly feel guilty instead of tired. I can recognise it's not _entirely_ rational and I still recognised when someone was trying to unjustly guilt trip me so it can't be that bad?? 🫠

I enjoyed this blogpost about stand-ups. The tendency to make them a report to manager is my number one pet peeve I think. I had a lot of fun with them during my last gig at GDS especially, I wish I could exhume that energy again...

The mortgage offer paperwork I'd have to do is stopping me from doing some really dumb stuff to the point that I'm in two minds whenever I think of chasing solicitors.

Let's not forget it was also a very big month for some really stupid and evil people. : )

I did have a fantastic swim on Easter Sunday and beat most of my best times?? The pool was nearly empty which helped a lot and the sunshine was glorious. 🙌

Caught up with a friend who finally secured a new (long!) contract after a couple of months of unemployment. We could not get into Miga at short notice but Calong was absolutely fab. 👌

Filipino food is kinda booming? Or maybe I just started paying attention. Anyway both Donia and the new Panadera branch are very fine additions to central.

Crochet etc

The fact that I SOMEHOW REPEATEDLY kept fucking up SOMETHING about the Hello Kitty gift/request I'm making did not exactly boost my mood. It's done now at least but ehhhh (handing over for someone else to embroider face and sew clothes).

Apparently I only finished Susie this month, why does it feel like it's been ages? More detailed post.

Needle felted a bunny for a friend and a cotton blanket/shawl/uhh? for their baby.

Used chenille yarn for the first time to make a mahoosive catnana.

Visited a couple new yarn shops, McCulloch & Willis (where the sheep displays below come from) is def the biggest and best stocked but I liked how cozy Wild & Wooly was (my local once I move!?). Fabrications seemed more sewing oriented, very small selection of yarn. Knit With Attitude was sadly closed when I walked past but Ultimate Fabrics and Craft near it is neat!

I am sooooo tempted by this https://javawhiskers.co.uk/crochet-with-cats/

Watched

The Residence - just a bit of murder mystery fun. Not without tedious bits but Giancarlo Esposito stuns as always and Uzo Aduba's defective detective is super fun and hot. My birding era beckons. 🐥

Hourglass Sanatorium (Has, 1973) - platonic ideal of an European art movie, fever dream-like plot, incredible sets, WWII/Holocaust undercurrents, and most crucially bare breasts every 5 minutes. 10/10 no notes.

Sinners (Coogler, 2025) - it's as good as everyone is saying but I could not stop get the phrase 'whimsical skedaddlers' from bouncing around my brain the entire runtime like so.

Star Trek: TNG - I finished the third season and still no cat? Hello??? I had to find the track above in the middle of the episode, quite stunning. Ranking general enjoyment by plots: Q >>>>> Data / Worf >> Picard > Geordi > various artists > Riker (how many of those are about him maybe leaving? pack your bags and go you basic bitch) > Troi (her mum is fun but The Price made me wanna hurl. Sorry girl but based on this abomination alone you will never recover). RIP Yar, a bicon taken away from us too soon.

Some would say Q is best in small doses but personally I'd watch 28 seasons of a thing where he just ruins someone else's day every episode. 💅

Conclave (Berger, 2024) - I missed this the first time round but thankfully it's back in cinemas cos not only I have caught the papal fever. JP Brammer said it best:

Gayming

I picked up Blue Prince which I don't vibe with and I'm trying to pacifist run Undertale and dying all the fucking time. Do not talk to me about fucking video games, which have become just another aspect of my struggle this month. 🙄

First Delta Green: Music from a Darkened Room session went well, my character is new and I'm struggling a little bit how to fit them into the setting. Can't not love a system that has in-depth genuine role for someone to play a Program Manager. 💞

Finally boardgamed, a couple of smaller things + Apiary. Very cool setting (space bees! bee-shaped mini to represent a space bee spaceship!!!!!!!) but it felt like the space exploration quadrant should be more exciting instead of so much focus on resource collection and trading...

May

So far I've been eating tonnes of noodles between Yori Banjum, Murger Han and Biang Biang?? Gotta diversify my carb intake. :Y

It's my birtday month so everything better turn out well and everyone be nice to me or I'm gonna scream and explode. That is all. 🙇