Hello gentle readers. Temperate summer days make August more enjoyable. In my yard, yellow and black swallowtails flit between parsley and the butterfly bush and orange cosmos. Monday evening, I pulled out the cucumber vines. The leaves were withering and the plants weren't producing cucumbers. Meanwhile the prolific tomatoes ripen. Next year I may stagger my planting so I don't have so many all at one time. This afternoon I will simmer more sauce and freeze chopped tomatoes for winter cooking.
Wednesday is the day to link with Kat and the Unravelers about making and reading. I finished the shawl/scarf of leftovers and will take a photo after blocking. Norah and I made a Plan B for her Rainbow Sweater. I was going to ask her to draw a picture but instead made two sketches of a sweater I knew I could knit. In her sweet little mind, a pink rainbow sweater is a multi-colored (including pink) striped cardigan. Of course, I can do that. The stripes will repeat a bit randomly because I have more of some colors than others. (Originally I thought I'd knit a rainbow yoke and cuffs with a pink body and sleeves.😁) So far so good.
I decided the texture of Hermione's Everyday Sock was too busy for this yarn so I unraveled two inches of cuff and switched to a stockinette sock with a faux cable down the leg. This pattern plays better with the pretty colors in the yarn. The colors don't stripe but I think they will spiral nicely around the sock.
I finished plying the first skein of the Shetland fiber. The 2-ply sport weight yarn has a little too much twist in places but I love the color. One single drifted apart in a couple of places and I overcompensated by increasing the twist while plying. I have singles of a light violet of this same Shetland resting on bobbins but I won't be plying them right away.
Our daughter and son-in-law and family are driving from Connecticut to Nebraska for a visit. Yes, driving. Yikes. It's going to be exciting. They arrive Friday evening this week. Then on Monday, my daughter and son-in-law are off on a little adventure by themselves. The other grandparents live down the road in Omaha so we are sharing the kids during the week. We will have the older two for a few days while the younger two are in Omaha. Then mid-week we are going to exchange children. All of us are looking forward to this visit. We have a few "camp" activities planned. It's going to be high adventure complete with s'mores and sleeping bags. I will not be posting next week but enjoying my family.
I listened to The Girls in Navy Blue, a novel with stories in two different times. The story of the three young women who enlisted in the Navy during World War One was more interesting to me than the contemporary story set in the 1960's. It was enjoyable if predictable. Right now in this crazy world, predictable isn't all bad. I'm reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf as a companion to After Sappho. I bought a used but annotated copy of Woolf's book that I find helpful.
Have a good few weeks. I'll catch up with you after our guests leave for home.
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I'm glad to see you are back on track with the sweater for your granddaughter. I hope she appreciates how many ends you will have to weave in!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you will have a wonderful week with your grandkids -- can't wait to hear all about it!
What delight, Jane! Have a fantastic time your your grands! It sounds heavenly! :)
ReplyDeleteoh Jane - your special guests are going to be so much fun - enjoy! love the new take on pink rainbows and you've chosen the perfect follow-up to After Sappho. I still want to read more Woolf and I'm glad Novel Pairings has selected To the Lighthouse for November ... if I can also read A Room of One's Own (I need to find a buddy reader), I'll be happy! See you after next week - HAVE A BALL!!
ReplyDeleteCute sweater! The variety of stripe width will add to its charm. Enjoy your visitors.
ReplyDeleteI think your planning with Norah worked and the pink rainbow sweater is off to a lovely start. Your handspun is beautiful, and I'm excited about your Great Grand visit and sharing next week. I'll be thinking about you enjoying s'mores and your family!
ReplyDeleteI love your Plan B. I have some yarn on the way to knit a new sweater for my grandson who outgrew the sweaters I made last year. Thinking about stripes for his sweater too.
ReplyDeleteDifferent ages means different activities which is good because then you don’t have older ones fed up with doing ‘younger stuff’ and young ones trying to keep up with the older ones.
ReplyDeleteExchange day’ will be a great time (if you’re able to rope in someone to take them) to get photos of all grand parents plus youngsters together.
Wonder if you’ll have time for any knitting?
The rainbow sweater looks absolutely perfect, Jane! I can't wait so see it continue to grow. And what a wonderful week you'll have with your grandchildren. (And how nice that you can tag-team their care with their other grandparents. Fun for all!) XO
ReplyDeletewhat a sweet sweater collaboration you are cooking up with N. I love the colors and it's going to be adorable. I am eagerly awaiting fall and seeing the teeniest of signs on my walks.
ReplyDeleteYour socks are made in a beautiful colourway :)
ReplyDeleteJillxo
Catching up a bit on blogs. I really like the yarn for your socks - very pretty. And yay for Plan B for Norah's Rainbow Sweater. Hope your week with the grandkids was wonderful.
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