Summer's Pause

After a sultry Tuesday, rain fell early this morning. Instead of my early morning walk, I stayed in bed, listened to the rain, and read a few pages of Curlew Moon. Such decadence. I love the poetry woven throughout the natural history of the bird and its habitat. A walking tour offers a wonderful perspective. This is a book to savor.

My daytime reading is an autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Linda Brent, pseudonym for Harriet Jacobs. The book was edited by L. Maria Child and published in 1861. In The Source of Self-Regard, Toni Morrison wrote that some of her literary history was autobiography by former slaves. She also discussed this book in connection with her novel, Beloved. Jacobs, in order to protect her children and ultimately escape to freedom, spent seven years hiding in a tiny crawl space in her grandmother's attic. Her life is a tribute to her spirit as well as the family/community that supported her in North Carolina. I am about half-way through and recommend it to anyone wanting to better understand history. I look forward to reading about her escape and subsequent experiences. The story is compelling and well written.

The scrappy shawl is resting although I may have found a skein in my stash that will finish the piece. Stay tuned for more of the shawl saga. In the meantime, I finished the striped socks and tucked them away as a Christmas gift. It's nice to have those finished.

I cast on a pair of fingerless mitts from a great free pattern with nice attention to details. I like a ribbed mitt because it snugs up on the hand while providing flexibility in size. I've knit this pattern previously so it is good evening knitting.

My spinning continues. My singles are becoming more consistent. Plying them together is another story. It will come with practice.

Three years ago, I knit one little advent mitten for each of Norah's brothers. I put some small gifts in them as a getting-ready-for-Christmas gift /ornament. Now Norah must also have one, I am knitting hers out of the nontraditional lilac color. I find color work takes a certain mindset. I have to slow down to find the rhythm.

Before going out to pick cucumbers, I will link to Kat and the Unravelers. Click on the link for summer inspiration. In the meantime, fellow mask wearers, keep up the good work and stay safe.