January's End

Hello Gentle Readers. January light streams in the windows this morning. Because of the bitter cold, a dusting of snow remains on roofs and the ground. Now and again a little bit of blue sky is visible. Sunlight behind the wispy gray clouds reflects off the snow and cold air to create a beautiful winter day. The sparrows and juncos scramble around the feeders trying to stay warm. They use seeds, feathers, and air pockets instead of hot tea, wool, and central heating. 

Today I will link this post with Kat and the Unravlers. In the last two weeks, I picked up and knit buttonbands as well as the neck band on this cardigan. Although I wondered about the narrowness of the buttonbands, I have to credit Isabel Kraemer (designer) with the very nice edge treatments. Her instructions are clear and easy to follow. I'm knitting down the first sleeve. This sleeve decreases the same way as the sleeves in her Forager sweater, a sweater I have knit several times so I shouldn't encounter any sleeve drama. 

While the sweater dried and I recovered from the sinus infection that followed the virus, I worked on the Sophie hood. Right now I'm blindly following the directions for the hood shaping and trusting this designer. Lots of Sophie scarves, shawls, and hoods have been knit so likely it will make up well. I love the fabric. 

In order to have a mindless project on the needles, I cast on a hat to donate. The discontinued yarn is from deep stash, leftover from a sweater I knit in 2009. I think the yarn might have been manufactured by Classic Elite so there is a blast from the past. Although the sweater met a sad end, I loved it. The soft gray color is soothing and peaceful and it will be a nice hat for someone.  

This week I read The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This book of true crime is the current selection for my local book group otherwise I'd never have read it.  A talented young American becomes interested in the rare feathers used for tying flies for fishing. Right now the story is all too familiar. An interest becomes an obsession, an intelligent young man avails himself of information via the internet to become the wonder of a fly-tying community. Along the way greed and obsession obscure right and wrong. This young man steals priceless birds from an English museum to obtain and sell skins and feathers. In the process, he destroys years of scientific information with little remorse. He and his parents hire a competent lawyer. Then some of the internet community who traffic in rare, extinct, or exotic feathers to tie flies circle the wagons to protect themselves. While fly-fishing in New Mexico, the author learns of the crime. This book is the story of his search for information and how the culprit escaped punishment. The book was readable if not up-lifting. I think it would have benefited from a little more judicious editing. 

This afternoon the temperature is forecast to soar into the twenties so I plan to bundle up and get out for a walk. No feathers, priceless or otherwise, will be involved. Stay warm and safe friends. 

Ravelry Links

Blue Cardigan

Sophie Hood

Be Kind Hat