Hello Gentle Readers. This week brings extreme heat to our area. The vegetable garden and raised bed look like a jungle and the cone flowers thrive. The center of the cucumber vines begin to wilt but I have plenty of pickles canned for the coming year. Late yesterday afternoon a black swallowtail butterfly enjoyed blooms on the butterfly bush. I hope the nectar was sweet and cooling. I need to fill a shallow tray with water for them. We certainly could use some rain.
I link this Wednesday post with Kat and the Unravelers. I made some knitting progress this week. A toe will finish this second sock. I also need to try on the summer top to check for fit and decide the best way to add length to the yoke. The cotton yarn is making a lovely fabric but knitting with it is hard on my hands. At this rate, it's going to be a top for next summer.
In the meantime, I cast on a Hitchhiker with a skein of very deep stash. Remember when Madelinetosh yarn was all the rage? Around here, it was hard to find and I thought I'd found treasure when I bought this skein on sale. Then it never looked quite right in any project. Last January when I went through my yarn, I vowed I'd either knit with this in 2024 or find it a new home in 2025. The other day I saw it in the "up next" bin and thought about something Bonny, the knitter of many beautiful Hitchhikers, once wrote on her blog. (Paraphrasing) "I often wonder what a skein of yarn would look like as a Hitchhiker." Of course, since the project is new it's fun to knit.
As for reading, I'm listening to The Darkest Evening, a Vera Stanhope mystery by Ann Cleaves. It's a little formulaic but Vera is good company while making pickles. I'm reading Send for Me by Lauren Fox, this month's selection by my local book club. This historical fiction follows three generations of Jewish women from just before World War Two in Germany into Wisconsin. The perspective of a young couple leaving Germany and parents behind and how the author frames that story should make for a good discussion. While there are some well written passages, other parts of the book feel a little choppy. However, I'm only half-way so my opinion might change.
What is keeping you company on this last day in July?
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| part of the jungle |
It's very hot here, too, and humid, thanks to some much-needed rain we got yesterday. I think your yarn makes a splendid Hitchhiker, and I'm convinced that it's the pattern that's the solution to any problematic yarn.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a yarn that would not make a great Hitchhiker! And yours is beautiful. I also like your sock. I've started knitting baby things!! Woo-Hoo! As for reading, I just finished James by Percival Everatt and I cannot say enough good things about this amazing book. We did have our lawn cut for the first time in 6 weeks, but still could use more rain.
ReplyDeletesigh. it's hot here, too. and I'm pretty convinced that Hitchhiker pattern makes ANY skein of yarn look good - love the eyelets you're adding!
ReplyDeleteI love that pink yarn but I can’t use cotton for more that a washcloth. I am also a Vera Stanhope fan. Good choice
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the fact that you are satisfied with what you have - come flowers to enjoy, an adequate harvest of cucumbers, butterflies on the bush, spare yarn just sitting there waiting to become ‘something’.
ReplyDeleteOne of these days I’ll order the first ‘Vera’ book and begin to read through the series. I’ve read Shetland and various other novels by Amm Cleeves so I’m confident I’ll enjoy it
Jane, it’s Carolyn—not Anonymous! But Blogspot dislikes my phone for some reason :(
ReplyDeleteI’m living your garden pictures. Zinnias were my “spark flower” as a very young gardener…and they’re still my favorite cutting flower. And I’ve fallen in love all over again with coneflowers—I planted a deep red-orange this year and it’s a highlight for me every time I look out on it!
Enjoy your Hitchhiker — and I DO remember when M’tosh was all the rage. (I was in a tight budget and pined for it! So I remember it very well!!)
I finished up my Aviendha shawl and am loving the linen and flax feel when wearing it this summer. Nothing new on the needles—yet. Catching up on my temperature stitching here….
Vera is never a bad choice! Your sock is so fun! And I love that bright green toe! Our butterfly bush is just immense this year... and it is full of bees, butterflies, and yes... so many hummingbirds! May we all survive these long hot days.
ReplyDeleteIt's always hard for me to imagine the jungle that gardens will become in late summer, but if we're lucky, they do. Our cucumbers are getting ready to give up the ghost but I hope to get one more batch of pickles out of them next week. I think your sock is lovely, and I know I would have wondered how that Mad Tosh yarn would have looked as a Hitchhiker. The answer is wonderful! I don't know if my monitor is accurate but it makes me think of blue creeks in dappled shade. Here's hoping we both get some rain to keep those creeks running.
ReplyDeleteDespite the lack of rain and extreme heat, your "jungle" garden looks fabulous! I also remember when Madeline Tosh yarn was precious and hard to find. I'm glad you found a lovely use for your long-held skein. I love the eyelets in your Hitchhiker. XO
ReplyDeletethe next year sweater looks so lovely and a nice shade of pink. Look at your garden!! we are having rain here today and it is welcomed.
ReplyDelete