Hello Gentle Readers and Happy Autumn. As I write, I look out at a bright sunny autumn morning. This week temperatures climb to the high 80's but the mornings feel like early fall. Last week my husband and I drove to the Kimmel Orchard near Nebraska City and purchased some crisp Jonathan apples. They have so much more flavor than their grocery store cousins. We also snagged some apple cider doughnuts. Last year, the apple barn was out of doughnuts so we were happy to see these. The monarchs continue to love the butterfly bush. The big fuzzy bumblebees buzz in and out of the cosmos while the honey bees gather pollen from the oregano.
Today is Wednesday and time for a knitting and reading round-up with Kat and the Unravelers. I finished Norah's sweater and sewed on the buttons. I relied on Suzanne Bryan's you-tube videos to knit the button bands and the buttonholes. I find her video instruction to be clear and well produced. I am pleased with the sweater and will get it to Norah shortly.
I continue to work on the first sock of a pair as well as the Knit Paper Scissors HusKAL. I finished up the lace section a few days after the next pattern section dropped but am now knitting on the current section and enjoying the project. The shop previews the finished project and knitters choose from shop-curated kits or choose their own. I like this kind of KAL because I can look at the finished project before purchasing materials.
In between, I managed to cast on a new little scarf/shawl which is why the socks aren't finished. This scarf is knit much like the Sophie Scarf but with eyelets and a variation in the center portion. The pattern contains four variations with details for modifications, including weighing yarn in order to knit the length for specific yarn amounts. I bought this yarn at WEBS on one of our first trips to the East Coast so it is fun to find a project for it.
I'm reading The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet's Journey Through American Slavery and Independence by David Waldstreicher. This is not a before bed read but a dense meaty history/biography that closely examines Wheatley's life and poetry. The work also provides a detailed account of the Boston area, the many factions, actions, and nuances of different groups during Wheatley's life in North America from 1761-1784.
Up until recently, Wheatley's poetry was often dismissed as stilted and flowery, containing Christian religious terms typical of the time and location. Walstreicher's account turns this idea on it's head, establishing Wheatley as a very astute young woman who understood the customs of her day in order to write and publish work within those boundaries. The author also demonstrates Wheatley's keen mind carefully but deliberately expressing her opinion about the paradox of Bostonians referring to British policy as creating slaves of the colonists. "Sometimes by simile, a victory's won."
As I read I am once again aware of how much history I missed in my high school and college survey courses. Hopefully those courses have improved. I also know teachers carry a heavy load and have only so much time to teach material regulated by state and local standards. This book wouldn't be for everyone and some of the classical literary references are unfamiliar to me but about one-third of the way through, I am fascinated by this book.
Enjoy the full moon this week. I hear it is the official harvest moon because it is the closet full moon to the Fall Equinox.
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The sweater looks wonderful! I hope Norah loves it and gets a lot of wear out of it. The Phillis Wheatley book sounds fascinating. I know very little about her, so I'll look forward to your review when you've finished it.
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful rainbow sweater and I bet Norah will be thrilled! I also like your KAL piece (especially the part about being able to preview the finished project beforehand) and I love the color (and name!) of your be kind shawl. Thanks for the full moon reminder!
ReplyDeleteI love that bright and fun striped sweater. Apple cider and donuts sound just right! I always enjoy your thoughts on the books you read. Enjoy the rest of the week. See you again soon!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a pretty sweater and I'm sure it will be well-loved. I saw your comment on Vera's blog and realized that you're my neighbor. We moved back to Omaha, (where we grew up and married), two years ago after my husband retired. We had been in Spokane, WA for 30 years. It's good to be back home around family again. It's been years since I was in Nebraska City, probably about 25 years or so. That doesn't seem possible.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have you visit my blog if you're interested. It's nice to find someone close by. :-)
Blessings,
Betsy
http://betsy-thesimplelifeofaqueen.blogspot.com
That sweater is so cute, Jane! I think that Norah will be adorable in your rainbow sweater this fall and winter! :)
ReplyDeleteI like your Sophie scarf... I have yet to jump on that bandwagon, but maybe I should!
The sweater is just perfection, Jane! Norah is going to be so excited!!! (And those little daisy buttons are just the right touch.) Your new book sounds fascinating! I am amazed all the time about the things I never learned in school . . .
ReplyDeleteJonathan apples are by far my favorite, but they are nearly impossible to find in grocery stores anymore. Enjoy the ones you purchased at the orchard.
ReplyDeleteNorah's pink rainbow cardigan turned out so well (the flower buttons are a perfect finishing touch)! And more Phillis Wheatley!! She is having a very well-deserved "moment" now and I'm so glad you put the Honoré Jeffers book on my radar. It's lovely. and hard. (I probably need more band-width for Waldstreicher's biography.) We're having beautiful fall weather here, too. Marc had to put on socks this afternoon :-)
ReplyDeletegorgeous gorgeous gorgeous sweater! I love the striping and the colors and they way they play with each other, stunning.
ReplyDeleteNorah's stripey girly sweater is totally adorable! What a labor of love..the striping is perfect. I hope you will share pictures of her wearing (loving) it. Your other two projects are very nice as well. It's going to be in the high 80's in western New York this week. The nights cool down quickly so its beautiful fall weather.
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