Bind-off Success

Hello on this bright February day. This week's high temperatures are near fifty degrees, warm for early February. A few bright days do lift the spirits. I ran errands yesterday and everyone seemed less grumpy. While walking on Monday, I heard a flock of geese fly overhead and looked up to the familiar V-shape. Likely they were urban wildfowl flying between ponds in the city but their voices remind me the Spring migrations will soon begin if they are not already underway. 

Let's get onto the knitting with Kat and the other Unravelers. I'm knitting away on the same projects but that is my way. This sweater might not be worn until next year, still slow and steady means a finish. Thank you for all the suggestions regarding bind-offs. I tried the Icelandic and the HiyaHiya Grandma's Stretchy Bind-off on the 3 x 1 rib and still had a sloppy mess. Over the weekend, I frogged the ribbing and reknit it in K1 P1 pattern. Then I tried the bind-off's again. Eventually I used the HiyaHiya Grandma's Stretchy Bind-off with good results. I considered the tubular bind-off or the Italian bind-off but thought maybe the texture in this yarn might affect the results. Thank goodness for my blogging friends and for video tutorials. Now I'm onto the first sleeve. 

After knitting all these years, I had an a-ha moment. The kind of ribbing affects the bind-off. Other factors also play into the finished look. I'm using a template pattern from Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters where no particular bind-off is suggested. I just opted for a 3 x 1 rib because I like the look of it and gave no thought to binding off. It's never too late to learn something new. 

I've also been working on the handspun scarf. I'm fantasy knitting new projects in my head but am working away at these two projects. After finishing socks, I cast on a child's hat so I have a small mindless project for spare moments. When I tossed the stash in January, I pulled together a bag of DK weight leftovers for hats, most likely to be donated. 

As for reading, I'm almost done with The Night Watchman and looking forward to the discussion of this novel with the Erdrich Along group. When I began, I wondered how the story lines would come together and of course they do. Erdrich accomplishes this with great skill. I'm skimming/rereading Rules of Civility as it is my local group's book selection for the month. It's certainly readable but Louise Erdrich's work is a hard act to follow. I'm listening to Fight Night by Miriam Toews. I love the relationship between the irreverent loving grandmother and the granddaughter who has been expelled from school for fighting with classmates. I find myself smiling, nodding, and laughing out loud at this story. It's also nice to listen or read a novel with strong women characters, including an elderly one. 

Wherever you are, I hope the sun shines down on you this week.  

(Sorry about the spacing in several paragraphs. It happens when I move photos around.)

Ravelry Links

Striped Pullover

Handpsun Scarf

February 1

Hello gentle readers. The sun is out after some very cold days. Today the amaryllis blooms begin to fade but yesterday they were absolutely glorious, especially as the afternoon sun traveled across the sky. I came in from walking to this moment of delight. The foliage is not variegated but the sun made it appear that way. 

Today is Wednesday so I link with Kat and other makers for Unraveled Wednesday. If ever there were cold days made for sweater knitting, these past four were the ones. Something about combining a bit of handspun with the tweedy texture of the commercial yarn hits the sweet spot for deep winter knitting. If you look closely, the stripe of handspun at the bottom of the sweater is visible in the photo. Last night I knit a three by one rib on the body with two rows of handspun at the bottom edge. When I started to bind off in handspun, the edge flared so I pulled out the few inches of binding and the two rows of handspun. Then I reknit the last few rows in the main color. By then it was 9:30 p.m. so I tucked the sweater back into the bag. The commercial yarn would look fine with a traditional bind off but I am looking for something with a polished finished look. Any suggestions? A tubular bind-off?  The Yarn Harlot once wrote she preferred not to knit with gray in January. I wondered if this dark gray would feel like a drag but it's been quite the opposite for me. The little bit of handspun keeps the knitting interesting. 

One of my favorite things on a late winter afternoon is to make a cup of tea and sit with some handwork as the sun goes down. Yesterday, with leftovers in the fridge for dinner, I made that cup of tea and knit the toe of this second sock. Often I knit to a podcast or audiobook but yesterday I just sat with the tea, knitting, and the sunset. I enjoyed the quiet. By the time I finished the toe, dusk had fallen and the room was getting dark.

I continue to read The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich and Poet Warrior by Jo Harjo. Although it is only by chance that I am reading these books at the same time, they pair together nicely. Both stories are heart breaking but also a testament to the strength and resilience of Native Peoples. Harjo wrote in her book she prefers to be called a Native Woman or a Native. Both books are lyrical and beautiful. I can't talk Norah into Chickadees At Night so I enjoy it. I love the last sentence, "We hear, little bird, your ancient song - wherever you are, is where you belong," in this picture book written by a former Elementary School Principal. 

I wish you bright moments in this first week of February. 

Ah January

On this last Wednesday of January, the day is cold, gray, and windy. A little red-breasted nuthatch huddles in the crotch of two birch limbs. The sidewalks are clear of ice and snow and I could walk this afternoon. I have plenty of wool layers and my sensible self knows I feel better when I get out and walk. The self with creaky joints would prefer to stay inside where it is warm. I am not as intrepid as in my earlier years. Ah, January. 

Today is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and company. I'm making slow steady progress on my gray sweater. I like the nubby tweedy texture of the yarn. Evenings I try to knit at least an inch. If I am not tired of gray, I knit more. When I need a brighter color, I knit on this scarf. The pattern designer wrote the texture is good for variegated yarn. My handspun fits the bill as the rose/pink yarn is wildly tonal. The periwinkle with rose is variegated. I love knitting on the scarf. The handspun has a springy quality to it and the thick and thin width of yarn from the rose/pink braid plays well in the textured stitch. This texture would make a great wash cloth. No doubt some creative knitter has already thought of this. It's a nice little free pattern. 

I am decreasing gusset stitches on the second sock. I pull out this project when I have ten more minutes on a pot of soup or five minutes before leaving for an appointment. On Saturday evening, I turned the heel and began gusset decreases in my prime knitting time. Heel turning goes best in one sitting. I don't know about other knitters but I find striped socks almost knit themselves. 

As for reading, I'm reading Time After Time, a light story set from the 1930's - post World War II in Grand Central Station in NYC. The romance between the two main characters requires magical realism with a touch of pseudo-science. It's a fun read. The history of Grand Central Station is interesting. I just began The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. I'm sure I'm in for a good story. 

The second bud on the amaryllis is blooming. It's beautiful and a nice contrast to the January weather. The sunsets are also gorgeous. I hope you are finding bright spots in your week. 

Ravelry Links

Striped Pullover

Handspun Scarf

Solstice Socks

 

Snow Day

Hello on this dark day of wintry mix. The birch outside my window looks like a Christmas card with downy woodpecker, chickadee, white and red breasted nuthatches, cardinals, blue jay, and house finches fueling up for this wet day. The cardinals have ice crystals on their tails but don't seem to shake them off. The top of the feeder is coated with ice and the wintry mix splats against the window. A cardinal perched on the window ledge with the red crest just visible at the bottom of the window. To heck with dust and paperwork, I declare this a snow day. I hope we get the moisture predicted. I'd love to see some snow but a freezing rain is falling. 

Today is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and and friends. I'm humming along on the gray sweater. I knit the third stripe, separated the sleeves from the body, and knit another two inches. Over the weekend I arrived at the moment of truth, I tried it on and it fits. So now it's gray stockinette round and round. In today's stormy light, the sweater looks even darker gray. It's pretty but I'm going to need a progress keeper on the sweater and some color in another piece of knitting. 

I finished the first sock of the Winter Solstice pair and cast on the second one. Whether my book group meets in person or on Zoom this evening (depends on the weather) I hope to make some progress down the leg of this sock during the discussion. 

I plied the second skein of the Greenwood Fiberarts BFL. Now I have two generous bouncy skeins for a future project. The skeins are full of possibilities. 

I am reading Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo. This second memoir by Harjo is part poetry and part prose. I am about a third of the way into this beautiful book. Harjo's writing is lyrical and brave. She doesn't shy away from the difficult events of her early life. Her insight into relationships and the story of her growing up to become poet makes for thoughtful reading. I am reading slowly in order to savor the book. I am also reading When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson. This story set in Iraq is suspenseful in a way that is almost too real. Three women, living in Baghdad are navigating friendship while keeping their families safe. It's a chilling story of our time and I can't read it before bed. I almost gave up but descriptions of Iraq when the country was more stable keep me going. This afternoon I may skip to the end to check on the characters and then decide whether to read the entire book. Every now and then I do this. Have you ever skipped to the end?

I am off to make a grocery list for tomorrow and then tuck in with my knitting. I hope to avoid baking a warm pan of something but I fear that resistance is futile. An outdoor walk would be wet and the sidewalks slick so I'll be pulling up a yoga video or two. Stay warm and dry this week. Happy reading and making.

Ravelry Links

Striped Pullover

Winter Solstice Socks

New Projects

Hello. The sun shines this morning making my spirit lighter. I love the deep gray blue of a bright winter sky. The blue jay with a peanut in his mouth is a flashy character, especially in the sunlight. For the first time ever, a black squirrel just scurried around the birch trunk. Squirrels are far from my favorite crittes but I've never seen a black one in our neighborhood. Until now, I've seen them in the older LIncoln neighborhoods but perhaps this neighborhood has edged into older.  We moved into this home in 1991 and like most of our neighbors, planted trees and yards. Watching a neighborhood mature is one way to mark time. I wish I'd paid more attention in the beginning but our kids were young and I was working. Life was busy.

Today is Unraveled Wednesday so I link this post with Kat and the other Unravelers. The day and posting is a good way to document knitting as well as be inspired by others' projects. 

One way I marked Advent was by knitting on the Guernsey Wrap Scarf. I finished the project on December 30th and late last week wove in all 50 ends. Good thing I don't mind weaving in ends. This project was a perfect match of pattern and yarn. I thoroughly enjoyed the knitting. The yarn was a wonderful gift from my children for my 70th birthday. The scarf is very warm. The next time the temperatures drop down to single digits I'll be ready. 

I'm knitting along on this raglan. The first stripe was too close to the neckline so I ripped back, added six more rows of the gray and then began the striping sequence again. I am not sure I have enough handspun to stripe the entire sweater. I also don't want to knit 3/4 of the body and then discover I don't have enough. My plan is to knit stripes in the yoke and then add a narrow stripe around the bottom of the sleeves, maybe the body, and/or the edges or in the ribbing. I am playing as I go and having a great time. The handspun stripe, as per gauge, requires one size bigger needle. The trick, at 9:30 p.m. in the evening, is to remember to switch needles. Don't ask. It's all knitting, right?

Over the weekend I plied the first skein of Bluefaced Leicester singles. If I do say so myself, this yarn is just beautiful. Of course, it's blue which influences my perception. Greenwood Fiberworks has the nicest preparation with their fiber. It's spins like a dream. I have another set of singles ready to ply so I should have enough for a nice project. This yarn feels like a DK weight. 

My reading isn't as interesting this week. I'm rereading Still Life because it is my local book group selection. Often when I reread a book, I find something new but not this time. I am looking forward to the discussion. My current audiobook, The Masterpiece, is about to be abandoned. I checked out the novel because it was set in Grand Central Station in NYC. The history of the building attracted me but the women characters feel predictable. Why do women characters, particularly the young woman who aspires to be an illustrator, have to be involved with a romantic interest? Perhaps it is an accurate reflection of the time period or perhaps I am just old but it feels trite. I'm going to give it a little more time to see if anymore plot evolves before I abandon it. 

The amaryllis, on my Grandmother's old rickety plant stand, is putting on a show of brilliant red. This bulb is sending up another bud and I wonder how many blossoms will come from it. I can see how it would be fun to have different colors at various stages of blooming. Take care and have a good week. 

A Clean Slate

A few snow flurries fly this morning as I link with Kat and the Unravelers. The weather app calls it drizzle but it looks like snow to me. Later I'll make a grocery list and decide whether to shop this afternoon or tomorrow. Honestly, getting the list together is the battle for me. I still have laryngitis but could send my husband or wear a mask to go out. I finished all the lingering 2022 projects on the needles by December 31. This doesn't always happen but it is nice when it does. The night of the solstice, I cast on a pair of socks because I needed a project I could pick up and put down easily. I am counting them as a 2023 project.  

The Advent Wrap is washed, blocked, and dry. I'll photograph it after I weave in the ends. I finished the cowl knit mostly from handspun. It's not my favorite piece but was a learning experience. The yarn is a little wooly for around the neck. When I spindle spun that fiber, I had plans to knit the the four shades of yarn as a gradient but if I'd looked at the colors more closely I'd have realized that wouldn't work. Now, I would have plied different shades together to make a more interesting yarn. Spin and learn. It's all a grand experiment. My goal is to try some new-to-me spinning fibers and techniques in 2023. 

Last fall I swatched for a sweater with a combination of commercial and handspun yarn. On New Year's Day, I cast on the sweater. I am using the adult raglan sweater pattern from Ann Budd's The Handy Book of Topdown Sweaters and planning to stripe the gray with handspun. I am excited to play with handspun in this project. I expect some unraveling and re-knitting along the way. 

While I have five or ten minutes here and there, I've knit on the renamed Solstice Socks. Last week I knit the heel flap and turned the heel during our drive to Omaha. Ravelry reminds me this is the fifth time knitting this pattern. What patterns do you reknit? Socks tend to be my fuss-free knitting.

Currently I'm listening to Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark. I love that two of the main characters are older women. I like reading about writing and books from the viewpoint of the character Agnes, who is a writer. The descriptions of Maine shore are beautiful. The plot meanders along slowly, almost like an older novel. At times, I think the story moves too slowly and would benefit from editing out mundane details. Perhaps the author is trying to convey characters in old age living at a slower pace as well as life in summer cottages along the shore. It's been good company on cold nights while I knit and as I undecked the halls. I'm almost to the end and I plan to finish this evening. 

The picture book Winter Bees by Joyce Sidman, is a small collection of winter poems along with a  paragraph or two about the flora and fauna in the poems. The illustrations are gorgeous. Sidman has published quite a few books of poetry for children. 

Lastly, here is the amaryllis watch. The plant is growing and I may need to find a stake. 

The snow has stopped but with temperature hovering around freezing I plan make the grocery list today and send my husband tomorrow. We can eat from the pantry and freezer this evening. Stay warm and safe friends. 

Ravelry Links

Mostly Handspun Cowl

Striped Pullover

Solstice Socks

2023 - Delight

This year I choose the word, delight. Delight makes me think of my grandchildren. One of the joys of being around them, is watching their delight in the world." Oh look, a long stick, a leaf, a feather, the ice cream shop, this big rock," and so on. Both of my children are playful, a trait they learned from their father. I tend more to the serious side of life. I am aware that way too many people live in oppression conditions, the state of the climate is dire, and this country is in a political quagmire. I understand these things and carry them with me everyday. However, at seventy one, I am a woman rowing north (Mary Pipher) and I don't want to miss the delicate beauty and charm of the world. So I choose delight, not a constant search for joy, but days with more ease and less worry. 

I sit at my desk on a gray damp day. When I got up, I noticed rows of raindrops lining tree branches. I also felt sluggish from a virus, not Covid, causing laryngitis and a slight cough. I haven't had a cold since way before the pandemic so it's my turn. I brewed my favorite white peony tea in a teapot and poured it into a snowman mug. I wrapped up in my favorite garter stitch shawl and sat down to write. For a time, I watched fat snowflakes melt on the ground. A cardinal pair came by as two little girls walked a dog around the cul-de-sac. They pushed their hoods off as they laughed and talked. Now the snow has stopped and the morning is gone. However a few sparkling drops remain on the tree and I feel a little lighter. Hot tea, at least until the new coffee pot arrives, may be the elixir of life and a good start to this morning. I hope you had a good morning.