Knitting Along

I am a little late to this blog post. Today's gray cold morning brings out my hibernation instincts, "my inner bear" as a friend says. I slept later than I intended, completed the morning routine, and filled the bird feeders. After some beautiful days that almost felt like Spring, the temperature dropped and the birds are hungry. My local book group meets this evening and I am looking forward to discussing Rules of Civility with friends. 

I also look forward to Wednesdays with Kat and the Unravelers. Even though I knit only on projects I enjoy, most of my sweaters become a bit of a slog. I want to wear this sweater so I keep knitting. The good news is the first sleeve is finished and the second one is on the needles. The first sleeve was a little fiddly as I adjusted for length and circumference. If I count accurately, the second one should be smooth sailing. That bad news is the ribbing on the bottom wants to flip and the backs rides up when I try on the sweater. My plan is to finish the darn thing and wet block it to see how it fits with the neck ribbing and two sleeves. I may need to do something with the bottom of the sweater body but it seems like finishing it before deciding is the best path. I do want to be smarter than the sweater or the yarn. 

I have been spinning. I forgot to take a photo of this BFL/Silk fiber before I began but I have these little nests left to spin. I ordered two braids of the same colorway from Banshee Fiber Arts/Etsy. Before I began, I pulled them apart both vertically and horizontally in an effort to spread colors more evenly though two skeins. When the braids arrived, I wasn't sure I liked the colors but then as I spun the singles, I began to enjoy the soft colors. I removed a few bits of bright yellow from one braid that seemed out of place. I hope I don't have yarn that looks like mud when I'm finished. If I do, I've learned something more about color. 

As for reading, I am finished with the books I mentioned last week. I almost gave up on the audio version of Fight Night by Miriam Toews but listened to the end. Somewhere in the middle of the story, I found all the expletives a bit tedious. I'm sure Toews was painting a picture of a somewhat moody, rebellious teenager who lived in a nontraditional family. I don't mind that kind of language if it adds to the story or character development but at one point it seemed like overkill. Your opinion may be different from mine. The grandmother was an endearing character as she navigated the woes of old age and infirmity and the relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter was very sweet. I could just see the granddaughter rolling her eyes at her mother and grandmother. The author and perhaps her daughter read the book and did a nice job. I highly recommend The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. It is a beautifully written story of a group of Native Americans caught in a Congressional resolution affecting tribal rights in the 1950's. The story is one of hope, despair, and resilience. The characters are very human and perhaps even more so because Thomas, the night watchman, is based on Erdrich's grandfather and his attempts to combat injustice. The novel is another view of the 1950's that were not so halcyon for many people.  

Here we are mid-way though February with the hours of daylight increasing. Why is it the shortest month sometimes feels like the longest? Gray and cold as the days may be, the cardinals are brilliant red, the jays all kinds of frosty blues, and the chickadees crisp in their black and white. What's outside your window today? 

Home crafted votive candles from my Grandchildren