Wednesday Unraveled

Last evening, strong storms blew through. The temperature dropped about thirty degrees. Early this bright clear morning, I walked in jeans and a jacket. The wind was from the north which means a cooler day. I won't complain. Heat and humidity are my least favorite weather. The tomato patch survived but I need new cucumber seeds. The zinnias grow bravely, as they do through heat and wind and heavy rains. The ground is too muddy for weeding so this might be a day for sitting on the deck with knitting or a book. I choose to think the universe is telling me to take a break from chores. 

Since this is Wednesday, I am linking with Kat and the Unravelers to write about knitting and reading. I finished the first sock of a pair and cast on the second. Because the next project is always calling, I cast on this purple scrappy shawl. I almost frogged it and may still do so. The pattern calls for two skeins - one solid and one variegated or speckled. I used the small scraps in the section above as the multicolored yarn. What I notice is the scraps fall into two color groups, one with red undertones and the other with blue/periwinkle shades. The deeper color, of which I have a full skein and was going to use as the solid (latest knitting) across the widest part of the shawl is in the blue category. So what to do? The knitting looks better to me in daylight. It's interesting to see the shawl in a photo. I wonder about taking out that last swath of solid light violet and using up some of the other more blueish yarn scraps. I am also reworking this cowl with fewer repeats. The texture pattern is fun to knit and I like the color of the yarn. It's blue. So I've had a cast on party.

I finished reading Toni Morrison's The Source of Self-Regard. This gifted woman's insights into literature, race, and her own writing are so thoughtful. One or two essays touch on globalism and migration of people in various times in history. If you read the collection, know that the bibliography list at the end gives the dates of publication or speech. I would have enjoyed a little more context with each essay or speech but the dates in the list provide some reference. I will think about this book for a long time. I set the essay collection, The Bells of Old Tokyo aside for now. Sometimes when I read a book I really enjoy, my next read needs to be completely different.

Norah and I read together for the first time last week. She is just beginning to sit still long enough for a story and has discovered Good Night Moon. I got out my old worn copy and with her Mama helping we read a few of her favorite pages together. Watching a little one discover the joy of books is magical. By the time we can be vaccinated for Covid-19 and travel, she will think we live in the iPad.

I hope your week is filled with fresh breezes and a special moment or two. Thanks for all your kind comments on the previous post.