Unraveled Wednesday on Thursday

Hello Gentle Readers. Here in southeast Nebraska, the first half of December has been mild with little precipitation. This morning, I am happy to be sitting near the south windows looking out at a bright gray day. Late yesterday afternoon, I walked at dusk. My day was taken up by errands, some planned and some not. A quiet walk, with lights coming on in the neighborhood, was just what I needed. 

Thanks to the Computer Hardware technicians, my laptop is cleaned up and repaired. One to two business days, stretched into a week but with a warranty, I have a new battery and keyboard as well as a machine minus malware. Life is an adventure. At the same time, the oven needed repairs. These are first world problems so I am not complaining, only explaining my absence. Please know that I will read all the posts but may not comment on every one. In the meantime, I wrapped and mailed packages, sewed four aprons, and finished and frogged knitting projects. The aprons could be a separate post, maybe later. Even though it is Thursday, I'll link with Kat's Unraveled Wednesday post.

I finished the wrap that was the Knit Paper Scissors HusKAL fall project. The yarn and pattern were well suited to each other. I do enjoy knitting a sampler kind of project. It blocked beautifully. I wove in ends and was reminded why I save every bit of yarn until a project is completely finished. I found a dropped or loose stitch and was able to secure it with the leftover short length of yarn. 

I finished the Christmas socks and the Gold Thumb Mitts. Then I looked at four more projects. Everyone knits differently and that is a good thing. I know that if one of my projects languishes for months, it means it isn't for me. I frogged a shawl I started last Spring because I wasn't enjoying it. The other clue is a nagging voice inside my head telling me a project isn't working. After pulling on the handspun Creekside shawl every time I knit a row, I took a good look at it. I knit almost to the lace section, so I spent plenty of time ignoring that voice. The fabric was stiff and heavy and I knew I'd never wear it. More shawl fabric wasn't going to change the weight. The handspun held with a mohair silk lace was a bear to frog. If the yarn hadn't been handspun, I might have thrown the whole mess away but I didn't. Both yarns survived quite well. 

Now I am down to the Hocus Pocus socks and a scarf/shawl shaped like a Sophie Scarf. I plan to finish both of these projects before starting another knitting project. Having a clean slate at the end of the year doesn't always happen but it's nice when it does. Most evenings, I knit one repeat on the sock and then pick up the scarf. So far so good. I'm enjoying both projects and don't feel weighed down by unfinished ones sitting in the bins. 

I came to the end of Walking in Wonder and am still thinking about some of the essays, particularly the one on aging. At my age, how can that not be on my mind? There is a lot of wisdom in O'Donohue's writing. Currently I am reading The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth by Elizabeth Rush. This is a nonfiction account of the author's journey to Antarctica on a vessel designed for research. Rush includes short transcriptions from her shipmates, including the gentlemen who crew and cook for the international team of researchers. Rush was one of the few journalists allowed on the boat. The journalists were charged with raising awareness about the speed at which glaciers in Antarctica are melting. The science is so interesting and Rush is thoughtful about her writing. She writes a little about previous exploration stories as the domain of white males. At the same time, she describes the beauty of the area, she explores her decision to bring a child into the world. The book is fascinating, enlightening, and frightening. 

Thanks for reading. It's good to be back. Now that I have a working oven, I hope to do a little baking. What are your plans for the rest of the week? 

Ravelry Links

HusKAL Wrap

Hocus Pocus Socks

Be Kind Scarf