A Lump of Coal, Part 2

William Henry Perkin's research into coal tar derivatives, begun over his Easter holidays at the Royal College of Chemistry in London, also produced synthetic scents. Twisting the highly unstable molecules, Perkin developed perfumes for rose, violet, jasmine, musk, even the cancer causing coumarin, which smells like fresh-mown hay (previously used in cigarettes).

The volatility of Mauve also led to applications in explosives. The possibilities seemed endless, Perkin had opened the door to discoveries which changed the shape of our world. Other coal derivatives include:

Benzene:: a flammable solvent used perfume-making, dry cleaning, and gasoline production (de-greaser).

Creosote:: which is used to preserve wood exposed to the elements, and also as an ingredient in cough syrup.

Naphtha:: a flammable liquid spot remover and varnish solvent. Stoddard solvent, a special grade of Naphtha developed by Atlanta dry cleaner W.J. Stoddard in 1924, is used in laundry stain treatments and soaps such as Fels-Naphtha.

Paraffin:: which is not wax but an odorless wax-like substance derived from coal tar, solid at room temperature but easy to melt. It is molded into candles, poured atop jars of jam and jelly to seal them, and added to chocolate in candy making.

Toluene:: another flammable solvent used in seemingly everything: explosives [TNT is trinitrotoluene.], antiseptic, paints and stains, cosmetics, textile dye, even saccharine.

Unlocking the mysteries in a lump of coal brought science and industry to new levels and medical science would benefit too. ...

A Lump of Coal, Part 1

In 1856 William Perkin discovered aniline dyes, inventing the first color-fast (doesn't wash out, doesn't fade) form of that purple shade known famously by the name he gave it: MAUVE. Perkin, age 18, had been trying to create a synthetic quinine (cure for malaria) from coal tar derivatives, and instead invented the first mass market synthetic dye.

Even Queen Victoria wore gowns of mauve -- setting the fashion for purples as the third stage of Victorian mourning colors. Grieving widows wore unrelieved black, then black with gray/silver, and finally moving to mauve purples following the example of the Queen.

Perkin went on to produce green, violet, and a commercially viable synthetic madder red. But Perkin and the scientific community did not stop there. Aniline (coal tar) based colorings form the majority of modern textile dyes, wood stains, household and automotive paints -- even food coloring, both water soluble dyes and fat soluble lake colorings come from aniline colors.

Mauve was one of the first links between science and industry and William Henry Perkin retired at the age of 36 a wealthy man. But the story doesn't end there. The man who's wife was the model for the Statue of Liberty had opened a world of possibilities inside a lump of coal.

S is for Sockies

Sockies -- a sock style baby bootie. This is my attempt to re-create the pattern for "The best booties Granny ever knit for you..." as remembered by my Mum. My earliest memories, unfortunately, do not include patterns for the booties I wore as an infant.

The Opal self-striped sock yarn I used will also make a pair of matching "big sister socks" (half done already, as you can see in the above photo). If you are familiar with knitting and Opal's "Sock Philosophy" these baby sockies are an easy adaptation and knit up quick.

SOCKIES:

Use a size 3 (US) needle and Opal self-striping sock yarn.

Cast on 36 stitches -- 12 per needle on 3 needles. (12/12/12)

Rib knit (k2, p2) for about an inch and a half.

Knit 3 rounds in stocking knit.

In the next round begin buttonholes (by casting off) -- 6 total holes-- 2 per needle -- 3 stitches each at end of round each needle should look like this IIxxxIIxxxII (I = stitch x-cast off stitch)

In the next round finish the buttonholes by casting on the missing stitches as you knit the round.

You should have 36 stitches again.

Knit a couple more rounds as desired and split for heel flap. Two needles for instep should have 9 stitches each. Heel flap (all on one needle) should have 18. (9/9/18)

Work heel flap (roughly square).

Turn heel: k9, k2t, k1, turn, s1,p1, p2t, p1, turn, s1...and so on. End on knit row.

Pick up 10 on gussets.

Begin reduction: Reduce at heel as normal AND reduce at sides of instep also (-4 per reduction)

Alternate rounds plain knit, then reduction until you have reduced to 24 stitches remaining.

Knit 3 rounds plain stocking knit.

Split for toe -- keep 6 stitches on each top needle and 12 stitches on bottom. (6/6/12).

Reduce toe until only 8 stitches remain (2/2/4) -- last knit round put onto 2 needles (4/4).

Finish with the Kitchener stitch.

Run a narrow grosgrain ribbon through the button holes, turn down the cuff, and there you have it.

Note to beginning knitters: If you've never knit socks before, baby socks are a great place to start. But these Sockie instructions are incomplete, abbreviated for those familiar with sock knitting. For a first attempt at baby socks I recommend the very thoroughly explained North Country Baby Sock pattern.

Herbs

There is something uniquely appealing in the use of flowering herbs in the garden bed. The way the air changes, becomes exotic or energizing when you brush past the scented stems spilling over the walkways.

Chamomile and Hyssop bloom together in this photo.

Funny how spending time in a garden can shift your priorities.

The Red-headed Plum-pecker

Moon Gold and Sun Gold are the two varieties of Oriental plum in our orchard. You have to get more than one variety, for cross pollination, if you want fruit -- and we want fruit. The cherry trees, we understand, are the domain of the birds. We never expect to get more than one or two cherries for ourselves. The blueberry bushes we cover, otherwise all berries would be bird food before they ever turned from green to blue. We resign ourselves, each year, to a few beak-marked apples... but the plums...

The plums had gone unnoticed, we thought. Last year was the first year that the young trees really produced a good crop of plums, fruit large enough to be sweet and worth eating. The birds seemed not to notice, or were in some way unimpressed with the fruit. So this year we have been watching the trees, salivating.

This year we have noticed, however, that even while the fruit is still green the birds are pecking it from the limb. They are eating our plums! Then today the nameless feathered "they" took form. I sat in the orchard for a few minutes with the dogs and watched as a red-headed woodpecker drilled into a plum.

It chortled.
Pecked the fruit again.
"Quk. Quk. Quk."
Peck.
"One more hole."
Peck.
"One more ant."
Peck.

And then I noticed the smaller bird sitting on the branch just below my flashing red-headed plum-pecker. Dark in color it blended with the branch and alone I might never have seen it there. I noticed the smaller bird because the talkative woodpecker pecked at the green plum and then stretched out it's beak to the smaller bird. A parent feeding a child. Our plums have become a lesson, teaching the fledgling how to find food, showing the unique ways that God provides for all His Creation, and blessing me with the joy of sharing that moment and that fruit.

Automated Reply

Summertime -- and the internet is busy with the back and forth of automated response emails. "I am not in the office." and " I am on vacation please contact..." and "Thank you for your inquiry, let us know if we can help you in any other way." I got that last one today and it irked me. Help me in any OTHER way? Can't you help me in the way I asked? Evidently not.

Sometimes it seems like that's all the help that people are willing to offer -- an automated reply. We go through the motions, but with pre-programed responses ready and waiting.

"Hi. How'reyoudoin'?" It's automatic, we don't think before asking. We've said it so often we don't even separate the words any more. And the pre-programed response: "Fine, and you?" or "Can't complain." a few cheerleader-types out there are always "Terrific!"

In church we have automatic responders too: It's the woman saying "Is there anything we can do for your family?" with her mouth, while her mind is already busy deciding which (horrible) casserole dish she will inflict on the already well-fed family desperate for someone to offer to pick up the kids after school. It is the Sunday morning greeter asking the young mother who has been attending for over a year "Is this your first time here?" And it is the elder who says "I'll pray for you." and walks away.

We mean well. We just aren't thinking. My parents always told me -- yours probably told you too -- think before you speak. I think that's good advice -- let's leave the frustrating automated replies to email.