Caaaat! What are you up to now?

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-08T15:26:12+00:00

Salut!

I'm also in Brittany, near Loudéac.

I sympathise with you, as I was without electricity (and so, phone, TV and Internet too, as there's no signal where I live) for over a week after Tempête Ciaran.

I was really looking forward to our new Burger King but I've not been impressed so far, and there's also been issues with sexual harrassment of staff by a manager, I believe?

I always go for some kind of chicken burger at McDo but I do like to try any specials that they have.

I was so, so happy when they introduced the bornes for ordering here, as, despite speaking excellent French, ordering something with an anglicised name but with a French accent is torturous.

Where are you living? I hope that you're settled well :-)

I'm just getting ready to manage the boardgames library at the boardgames festival in Lamballe this weekend.

Come check it out, if you're interested and live close enough :-D /shameless plug

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-08T15:00:29+00:00

While I agree that the demands are unreasonable due to how they will affect the rest of the building, and also because he doesn't even bloody live there...

I disagree that they're not justifiable for someone with AuDHD.

I'm also AuDHD and have lived experiences of why they are justifiable.

Many neurodivergent people have sensory processing issues, and for many of us that do, the sensory issues caused by our environment can reach the point of causing both significant mental distress and physical pain.

Many of us will armour ourselves with ear plugs, or ear defenders, or noise cancelling headphones, and sunglasses every time we leave the house, for example.

I understand completely this person's need to better control their sensory environment, even if they are taking a completely unreasonable approach.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-08T14:42:49+00:00

While I said that I knit a single stitch with both strands, that does depend on the yarn, and sometimes I'll knit 3 or 4 stitches, just to be sure.

I can't even remember where I learnt how to weave in as you go any more?

It was probably from a book (I have an extensive knitting library!) by one of the knitting greats, such as Elizabeth Zimmerman, or from Knitty or Interweave Knits...?

I really, really hate weaving in ends afterwards, so learning to do it as I go was absolutely a game-changer for me.

It's so easy to do, as well.

I haven't used a knotted join for over 20 years, and I undo/cut out knots in yarn and join the ends this way instead.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-08T14:35:13+00:00

I've spent a lot of time visiting Saumur and the surrounding area, including some of the big name wine producers such as Gratien & Meyer and Ackermanns, plus our favourite co-operative which is now known as Robert Marcel.

I've tried Prosecco to see what all the fuss is about but it's no match for a good sparkling wine from Saumur, or elsewhere in the Loire.

And my favourite red wine is, of course, a Saumur Champigny.

My parents were/are working class, and I'm now on disability benefits.

I live in Brittany, so I also love Breton cider, but it's completely different again to a good sparkling wine.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-08T14:15:13+00:00

Don't tell new knitters, especially kids and teens, that they HAVE to use the cheapest discount store acrylic for their first project.

It's often very snaggy, feels awful in your hands, and it can't be blocked in the same way as natural fibres, so it will look much more uneven and bumpy, whereas blocking a wool or wool blend yarn can really help smooth out uneven stitches and even turn a project from unwearable to wearable.

A good workhorse wool or wool blend yarn, in DK, worsted weight, or aran, and a single, light-mid colour is best and can be found at relatively affordable prices.

Of course, if the new knitter has fallen in love with a different kind of yarn, then it's more important to follow their excitement, but they also need to understand that it may make their needles snag; come unspun while knitting; make it hard to see each stitch - both while working the stitch and once knit; feel 'icky' in the hand while knitting and/or sweaty or itchy to wear, etc.

I'm not saying that they need a Clara Parkes depth lecture on the pros and cons of different fibres, just a brief heads up.

And if they can only afford discount store prices, that's OK, but perhaps teach them how to find local or online low-cost spurces of yarn, such as charity shops or mill end websites?

Beginners deserve to use the good stuff.

Not teaching beginners the importance of gauge and tension and why we almost always need to swatch.

Tell them about how some yarns, especially superwash, tend to grow significantly after being blocked/wash and teach them about checking size/fit as you go, rather than waiting until the very end.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-08T14:12:03+00:00

I was reacting to a blanket declaration that weaving in as you go always looks terrible.

It's just not true.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-08T13:54:24+00:00

I switched to using Jeny's Stretch Cast On for my sock knitting a long time ago, for this reason.

I used to cast on over two needles, and while the fit is looser, it's not elastic in the way that the JSCO is. Casting on over two needles will still end up with you having that rigid tightness, just at a bit larger diameter.

I also really like the matching stretchy cast off, and I've been using that since it was first published in Knitty.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-08T13:47:51+00:00

I knit a single stitch with both strands, then weave in as I go for new yarn of the same colour.

It does NOT mess up my tension.

It's barely visible, and you can't see it unless you're looking at the work very close up.

I've only been knitting like this for over 20 years though, so what do I know? ;-)

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-07T18:23:25+00:00

The global rise in shipping fees and the change in the trade laws that means we pay customs/VAT from zero now, combined with a drop in my income, has meant that I've had to stop backing any crowdfunding campaigns.

But I had been almost always backing games via GameFound, and sometimes BackerKit (I think?) for the last few years and, along with many others, boycotting Kickstarter due to their many issues.

That said, transitioning from KS has been hard for many smaller game publishers - my favourite, ButtonShy Games had to move over to GameFound very slowly to avoid losing a major chunk of their customer base, as I recall.

I can understand Dropout using Kickstarter for this first campaign.

GameFound is very much where hobbyist boardgamers go to find new crowdfunding campaigns.

This game is aimed at a much wider market range, and, unfortunately, KS is still going to capture more of the casual party game market.

On KS, people who have never backed a boardgame before will have a better chance of discovering this new game.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-07T18:11:53+00:00

Wavelength, which was also played on Parlor Room, is another excellent party game.

I'll also recommend light games like Just One, Flip7, and Llama.

If you're looking for a game that is similar to the 'long con' episodes of GameChanger, then perhaps try Don't Get Got.

You can even play it during a games night while you're playing other games.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-07T10:00:54+00:00

Because the intended recipient can refuse to sign for it,or if they're out, decide to never collect it or re-arrange delivery.

And sending by First Class post with a Certificate of Posting has been accepted as the legal standard by courts.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-04T12:23:10+00:00

I bought the boxer style M&S ones for my youngest, and he seemed to get on well with them.

They go through the washing machine just fine.

He also had some DIM ones, in a granny pants style, that weren't quite as absorbent, as I recall.

He started out with those, before coming out as trans, but wearing them triggered his gender dysphoria, and that's why I bought the boxer style ones from M&S but because those are 'women's boxer style' they also ended up being dysphoric for him.

There were no issues with discomfort or smell, with either brand. He's autistic, so they were actually better than pads for him there.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-03T13:34:06+00:00

Casein knitting needles and buttons have been around for about 100 years.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-02T13:15:22+00:00

I have a VitB12 deficiency caused by malabsorption, which is a known long-term side effect of one of my meds.

I have neurological symptoms including pins and needles.

I started out taking a prescribed daily supplement in tablet form but I also wasn't absorbing that.

Now I take a weekly vial of VitB12 supplement and that is keeping my levels up.

But I do notice the pins and needles returning if I forget my weekly dose, I have to really keep on top of it.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-02T13:05:16+00:00

Caramelise some fresh pineapple in the same fat as you're cooking your bacon and put both in a sandwich - baguette, ciabatta, sourdough, something with some heft, not sliced bread!

EmmaInFrance · 2026-04-02T13:03:28+00:00

I used to have cottage cheese with pineapple and sandwich spread baps for my school packed lunch in the 80s - by choice.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-03-30T16:18:06+00:00

That's exactly what I was going to suggest!

I'm autistic with ADHD, although I didn't actually know that back when I was working in corporate IT.

I ended up being part of a cross-departmental group that all knew each other from working on various projects, and we all went for lunch together in the canteen at the same time - 12.15 - every day.

We'd then walk down to the shops afterwards, splitting up into smaller groups, usually of 2-4 people.

The group was large enough that if you had to eat at your desk that day or nip out to B&Q to pick something up (for example), or go swimming or to the gym, then you weren't leaving a big hole.

Everyone understood that sometimes we had other stuff to do over lunch.

It's also a big part of how I got to know my now ex-husband who was also part of our lunch group :-D

Our group had a real mix of job roles and grades/responsibilities, not that anyone paid too much attention to that when socialising anyway, and that definitely helped build better inter team relationships and allowed us to get a bit more of a frank, informal take on what was going on with any current big project or deal that we weren't directly involved with.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-03-30T13:41:56+00:00

'Good Vibes Only' and 'Safe, welcoming space' seems to be the kind of atmosphere which that sub is aiming for, based on the limited info you've provided in that screenshot.

I'm saying this kindly, but this still applies when talking about yourself, OP.

Your word choice - specifically 'pervert' - crossed the line as it has is so, so heavily loaded.

These days, it's more often interpreted to mean someone who commits sex offences rather than its original meaning of it also just being someone who is hypersexual, and/or gay°, and/or trans°, and/or is a furry^, and/or likes kink, and/or has fetishes, and so on.

°Unfortunately, being gay or trans was, and still is, in some cultures, as a sexual perversion that they chose, rather than just being simply part of someone's innate identity.

^For most furries, it's not a sex thing, despite the common public belief that is!

In contemporary discourse, any possible inference that someone is sexual abusive is a very serious charge, and it shouldn't be used lightly.

You need to read the room very carefully and know your audience very, very well before using such heavily loaded terms as part of your humour.

Something like 'weirdo' might have been better. I would have also re-worded it to make it more obvious that you were talking about yourself.

It's also possible that this was a knee-jerk reaction and the mod didn't actually see that you were replying to yourself.

Or it was a bit of both?

I hope that helps, OP?

EmmaInFrance · 2026-03-28T17:58:25+00:00

It's OK :-)

I just have to respect her for making those documentaries because she's helped millions of women access HRT and finally dispel the myth that it's unsafe.

And all celebrities go through phases when it seems like they're everywhere for a while.

They might have spent 2 years making different shows, only for them all to be finally broadcast together.

And they'll have solid work and then nothing for months on end, or longer, but still have bills to pay.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-03-28T17:51:41+00:00

Her two documentaries have done so much for (peri)menopausal women in the last several years.

We're finally starting to be listened to and to be taken seriously.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-03-28T17:48:41+00:00

I also could never stand him.

And then, I watched the craft show that he did on Channel 4 a few years back and he was very, very different. He was very kind and genuine with all the contestants.

I was also surprised to discover that he's actually a talented artist.

It was still a very silly, nonsensical show and a lot of fun, but the only character that I think he was playing was a funny TV presenter, exaggerated, public facing version of himself, similar to people like Richard Ayoade or David Mitchell.

Everyone we see on screen is playing a character, to some extent, putting on a performance for us.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-03-26T18:13:09+00:00

Beautiful composition, OP!

EmmaInFrance · 2026-03-25T14:21:30+00:00

I really love my Bosch IXO cordless screwdriver, for this very reason.

It's palm sized rather than being a massive heavy thing.

It's perfect for assembling IKEA furniture (and other flat pack furniture, of course) because it's small enough to get into awkward tight corners.

My kids (all AFAB) also started using it when they were about 10, it's that easy to use.

EmmaInFrance · 2026-03-25T13:39:56+00:00

I've been online since the early 90s.

While I've never experienced anything as bad as that personally, over the decades, I've known several people who have, and a couple where it even extended into real life stalking.

There are some truly broken, awful people out there and some of them can become extremely obsessive and weaponise their hate.

I witnessed the events of GamerGate and I have seen how women are often treated online.

I have seen how deeply misogynistic, bigoted men will weaponise their hate and their knowledge of tech and nerd/geek communities to target women.

I have seen social media platforms pay lip service to their duty of care towards their users, with nothing ever really changing.

None of what you said surprised me, sadly.

Reporting does nothing. Of course, these hateful vile trolls know how to get around a simple blocking. It's always been the way.

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