The Home Stretch

The summer has flown by and the end of August is in sight. I walk most mornings. Today I stuck my head out into a still humid morning and the air felt oppressive. I decided to make order in the kitchen. All the surfaces need a good scrub but I am waiting until the tomato harvest slows down. Despite the humidity, the forecast holds no chance of rain. 

I am happy to report I am making good progress on my sweater. No unraveling on this Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and friends. The third try on the first sleeve was the charm and I am almost finished with the second sleeve. I meant to feature the second sleeve but we took the photo quickly as it is warm on the deck. I know some knitters find sleeves tedious but I enjoy them. Once I fiddle around with the first one, the second is, as my grandmother used to say, duck soup. The sleeve circumference is so much smaller than the body. Stitch markers at each decrease keep me knitting, as in I'll knit one more section before I go to bed. I am on the home stretch and I have plenty of yarn for long sleeves. I am glad I bought an extra skein, even though it had three knots and two yards of either a single ply or overspun yarn. I'm sure it happens now and then but still. I cut it apart four times. I'll probably use some of it and the cuts won't make any difference in my project. 

Sunday I finished spinning the second bobbin of the first project on my wheel. In two weeks, I spun the entire braid. Except for a few joins that came apart at the beginning of the first bobbin, the spinning went well. Now they are resting before plying next week. I have one more bobbin and it is tempting to use if for another project. Instead I decided to wait and see what this skein has to teach me. I wonder if part of the single on the first bobbin might not have enough twist. Time will tell.

Today is my brother John's birthday so I am thinking about him and his family. If he was still with us, he would have been up early, walking and exercising his labs, and then gone to work. Later he would have played in the pool with his grandchildren. No doubt he'd have grilled ribs or steaks and served them with Iowa sweetcorn. One of his daughters and/or his wife would have made salad and dessert. He was a good man and we all miss him. As I wrote last September, we are all richer for having known John.

Often I walk by a patch of sunflowers under a street lamp. One evening last week, I could hear the bees. I've never had sunflowers in my yard but I enjoy their bright yellowy gold color against the green. They brighten up these hot August days. 

How are you spending the last days of August?

 

Ravelry Link

Forager Sweater

Spinning: Kansas Prairie