February 1

Hello gentle readers. The sun is out after some very cold days. Today the amaryllis blooms begin to fade but yesterday they were absolutely glorious, especially as the afternoon sun traveled across the sky. I came in from walking to this moment of delight. The foliage is not variegated but the sun made it appear that way. 

Today is Wednesday so I link with Kat and other makers for Unraveled Wednesday. If ever there were cold days made for sweater knitting, these past four were the ones. Something about combining a bit of handspun with the tweedy texture of the commercial yarn hits the sweet spot for deep winter knitting. If you look closely, the stripe of handspun at the bottom of the sweater is visible in the photo. Last night I knit a three by one rib on the body with two rows of handspun at the bottom edge. When I started to bind off in handspun, the edge flared so I pulled out the few inches of binding and the two rows of handspun. Then I reknit the last few rows in the main color. By then it was 9:30 p.m. so I tucked the sweater back into the bag. The commercial yarn would look fine with a traditional bind off but I am looking for something with a polished finished look. Any suggestions? A tubular bind-off?  The Yarn Harlot once wrote she preferred not to knit with gray in January. I wondered if this dark gray would feel like a drag but it's been quite the opposite for me. The little bit of handspun keeps the knitting interesting. 

One of my favorite things on a late winter afternoon is to make a cup of tea and sit with some handwork as the sun goes down. Yesterday, with leftovers in the fridge for dinner, I made that cup of tea and knit the toe of this second sock. Often I knit to a podcast or audiobook but yesterday I just sat with the tea, knitting, and the sunset. I enjoyed the quiet. By the time I finished the toe, dusk had fallen and the room was getting dark.

I continue to read The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich and Poet Warrior by Jo Harjo. Although it is only by chance that I am reading these books at the same time, they pair together nicely. Both stories are heart breaking but also a testament to the strength and resilience of Native Peoples. Harjo wrote in her book she prefers to be called a Native Woman or a Native. Both books are lyrical and beautiful. I can't talk Norah into Chickadees At Night so I enjoy it. I love the last sentence, "We hear, little bird, your ancient song - wherever you are, is where you belong," in this picture book written by a former Elementary School Principal. 

I wish you bright moments in this first week of February.