It's a Wrap

Hello Gentle Readers. The cooler days of autumn have arrived. As I compose on Tuesday, the sky is blue and the wind is gusting. Leaves will let go and fall today. One of the things I love about this season is the sound of dry leaves ticking along the sidewalks and streets as I walk. That gentle sound is a peaceful backdrop to autumn. For a few minutes, I let go of the noise in my head and focus on that sound. During the week I'm less likely to be interrupted by leaf blowers and mowers. On the weekend all bets are off but it's also nice to greet and wave to neighbors. Perhaps this is the glue that holds us together. 

Wednesday, as this posts, I'll link with Kat and the Unravelers. I had no unraveling this week but I do have a lovely finish. Monday evening I wove in the ends on this wrap. I thoroughly enjoyed this project from start to finish. This yarn from Corriedale fiber has plenty of character including a few areas of thick and thin yarn and one skein with three knots. As I wound that skein into a ball, I remembered the knots. This was the first skein spun with trial and error as I adjusted the twist. There was a good amount of yarn so this wrap is generous. Handspun has more life, maybe bounce, than commercially spun yarns. If you don't mind imperfections, it has a lovely hand. I used lace and texture patterns from two other shawls and as well as one from the Up Down All Around Stitch Dictionary. The book includes charts and written instructions for knitting stitches both flat and in the round.  

     
Looking for a light read late one night, I picked up The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell. This 2016 novel is a literary romp through the work of three Brontë sisters as viewed through the eyes of a quirky funny young woman named Samantha. Samantha and her deceased father are distantly related to the Brontë family. The story begins as Samantha arrives at Oxford University after her father's death. A mystery of sorts begins as she attempts to sort out her inheritance from her eccentric father. This novel is pure fluff but the many discussions and references to the novels of the Brontë sisters are clever. If there are nights when you can't sleep and you are a Brontë fan you might enjoy it. 

Last week on an eighty degree day I went to the library. It had rained that morning. While I drove, the sky changed from sunshine and blue sky to gray clouds racing across the sky, and then back to fluffy white clouds that hung in the sky. Several large rose bushes bloomed profusely outside the library door. As I walked by I saw bees in blossoms dotted with drops of rain. I decided not to complain but enjoy the beauty of the day. Soon it will be winter and the bright color will be gone from the landscape. It was the attitude adjustment I needed at the moment. Here is to enjoying the last roses of summer. 

Ravelry Link

Handspun Wrap