October Moments

Hello Gentle Readers. Here we are in the middle of October. This past Sunday autumn blew in with cooler temperatures and by Monday I pulled on a pair of wool socks. Birch leaves drift from the tree as a red bellied woodpecker hops up a big limb. Early today the official temperature dropped to 29 degrees. I am so happy to have crisp October days. Maple leaves turn red and shine against a brilliant blue sky. No rain has fallen and none is predicted. The area is dangerously dry.

Wednesday is the day to link with Kat and the Unravelers. These days I am working on three knitting projects. Some evenings I knit on the Leaflette shawl/scarf. I enjoy it but progress is slow so it looks much like it did last time I posted here. In between, I'm having fun knitting the World's Simplest Mittens in a bright Noro Silk Garden yarn. I bought this yarn last year with a birthday gift certificate from my son and daughter-in-law. The colors and texture of the yarn do the work. 

I'm also working on these scrappy socks. I'm knitting intermittent rows with slip stitches, adapting the design feature to suit the yarns I'm using.  

These last two weeks, I read There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. This novel is beautifully written. Layered themes of water, rivers, oppression, poverty, and opportunity flow seamlessly through the story. I enjoyed learning about the rich culture of the Yazidi people. Shafak's characters grow and change in human believable ways as the story progresses. Somewhere that Shafak stated, she "writes for the silenced." She does so with grace, dignity, humor, and wisdom. 

I wish you lovely autumn days as we hold onto hope.  

Patterns: World's Simplest Mittens - Tin Can Knits

                Cold Brew Socks - Lofty Loops

Making a Book

Hello Gentle Readers, Here, true autumn weather comes and goes. Weather- wise, Saturday, with a 95 degree high and very windy conditions, was miserable. I spent the day indoors because of allergy symptoms. In a nearby county, rural firefighters fight grass fires. Sunday and Monday temps were more like October. Monday I went out early to a dentist appointment and wore jeans, long sleeves, and a cotton cardigan. The morning air was crisp if dusty.

Today I link with Kat and the Wednesday Unravelers to post about knitting/making and reading. This week I finished a book-making project that began in June. Sometimes I make small chapbooks of my finished poems but this book was a more involved project. The instructions for the binding in this project are adapted from Cover to Cover: Creative Techniques for Making Beautiful Books, Journals, and Albums. There are many how-to books and online resources for bookmaking, I find this one useful.   

After making a cloth pouch in the slow stitch style, I was inspired by k3n cloth tales to make small hand-stitched piece to go with a poem I shared here in April. I enjoyed the stitching so I made more pieces to go with other poems in a collection about the Prairie. 

Several pieces, such as the blue feather, are designs by Kathryn of cloth tales. Others like the pinwheel and the prairie above are my own. I stitched the finished pieces onto the page by stitching along the top with quilting thread. I wanted to be able to see the wrong sides. To me, they are as interesting as the right sides. 

There are ten poems with ten pieces of stitching in this little book. I used materials I had on hand. The pages were leftover from a package of blank cards I used to make birthday cards for my grandchildren. The covers are made from cardboard from the backs of writing paper tablets covered with fabric. The spine is created with ribbon and pearl cotton embroidery thread. The ribbons extend about the same length on the back of the book. I am pleased with it, imperfections and all. 

As for reading, I am listening to The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez. As you might guess from the title, the novel is about storytelling. The main character is a writer who is ready to retire but has boxes of unfinished work. She goes back to her homeland, the Dominican Republic, to literally bury those stories. The narrator is excellent. The metaphors and themes about stories in this novel would make an interesting book group discussion. I'm enjoying the audiobook. 

I am chugging along with The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women's Lives, 1660-1900 by Barbara Burman. Some of this nonfiction is interesting but it could have been better edited. Some of the text seems repetitious so I skimmed a few sections. As an aside, the print in my paperback copy is quite small. That may have been a budgeting consideration, especially with the number of photographs.   

We delivered our mail-in ballots to the office of the Election Commission yesterday. I'm preaching to the choir, but please Vote. In this crazy season, I hope you are well and safe.

Hello October

Dear Gentle Readers, I missed being here last week. Time spent with two groups of friends as well as lunch and a visit with my sweet sister filled some days. I also planted daffodils and divided and replanted iris. One of the joys of being retired is that my days don't always have to be filled to the brim. 

I so enjoyed walking at sundown in the last of the September light. Days here were quite warm, with temps in the high 80's and occasionally hitting 90 degrees. Some maples are turning red and the birch out front sports a few yellow leaves. Many leaves are drying to brown before they fall. Once again our area is in drought. Since the storm of July 31, about a half-inch of rain has fallen. Conditions are extreme everywhere. Hopefully October brings this area cooler days and some rain.

As I link with Kat and the Unravelers, I have little to show in the way of making. I am making slow steady progress with the deep red scarf/shawl with the all over leaf motif. I enjoy working on it until about 9:15 p.m. when I find looking at the chart too much for my tired brain.  After tinking back a few rows, I now quit knitting on it while I am ahead. I love the pebbly 2-ply wool yarn although a smoother yarn might show the lace to better advantage. Blocking is sure to work magic on this piece. 

For moments when I don't want to be tied to a chart, I cast on some scrappy socks. I had 66 grams leftover from a skein of sock yarn as well as another half-skein of the same yarn in yellow. The pattern, with the slip/stitch detail keeps the knitting interesting. As I often do, I'm not following the pattern exactly. I believe it was Brenda Dayne of Cast-On who once said, "I never met a pattern I couldn't modify." Well, yes to that. 

I finished reading Looking for Jane by Helen Marshall. Marshall wrote this novel, set in Toronto, about three different women in three different times (1971, 1980, 2017.) The women, whose stories eventually come together, are affected by pregnancy and choices in reproductive health care. Two of the women are without the availability of legal abortion, the third is trying to become pregnant. What happens to all of them, including the one who becomes a physician, makes this a novel for our time. Marshall creates a nuanced human story in place of statistics and shouting. According to the author's note, at least one underground network for safe abortions performed by courageous medical personnel was known as the "Jane Network." In my opinion, the characters, plot, and content are compelling while the writing is average. 

Even though it's October, the bouquets of summer on my messy counter keep me company. May you enjoy good company this week. 

Sock Pattern - Cold Brew

Scarf Pattern - Leaflette

 

Mid September

Hello Gentle Readers. Early autumn is in the air. Last Friday we drove to Nebraska City to buy some apples from Kimmel Orchards. The corn stalks are that beautiful straw color that comes as they dry just before harvest. All concerns about big business agriculture aside, the sight of the fields against a September blue sky is part of the autumn landscape. The apples are delicious and the outing made for a nice afternoon. The drive is about an hour, each way, so I knitted washcloths. I like to keep a few tucked away for small gifts. They go so nicely with a bar a soap. 

I am joining Kat and the Unravelers to post about making and reading this week. I spent some time mending a hand-pieced and hand-quilted quilt. In fact I pulled a needle through layers so many times that my hand became sore. Oy. I am getting to be a delicate flower. I don't remember any soreness when I did all the hand quilting but I was younger. I did cast on a large size scarf with an all over leaf lace pattern. I enjoy knitting leaf shapes so this pattern (Rav Link) caught my eye. Every row is slightly different which slows my knitting but that has been good for my right hand. I wondered if the design would be too complicated to be fun but the pattern and charts are well written. So far, so good.

I'm reading Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray. My daughter recommended and gave me  this work of historical fiction about the life of Frances Perkins. Perkins was FDR's Secretary of Labor and the first woman to serve as a Cabinet officer. Trained as an economist, her professional life was dedicated to better working conditions for men, women, and children. Perkins was also a wife and mother and quite keenly feels the pull between professional and personal life. Her story is fascinating and has some interesting parallels in our current time. I am sorry to say, I never heard of Perkins until my daughter mentioned this book. 

A family who lives just down the street from us has a little patch of parkway on their yard. Both parents have a generous spirit, and the three children are often outdoors. The Mom and the children plant sunflowers in the parkway. Catmint also grows there. One day I walked down to get the mail and saw morning glories blooming in the catmint. I just love the wildness of this little spot. Even among the concrete and a few weeds, flowers grow. This week, I wish you the joy of unexpected flowers.  

Finished and Frogged

Hello Gentle Readers. The weather feels like September, days with warm dusty afternoons, stiff breezes, and shorter daylight hours. After dinner, I walk around the block in the most gorgeous evening light. While I'm still wearing shorts, tees, and sandals, fall is in the air. My garden and flower beds have that ragged, end of the season look. I divided several clumps of iris. Everything is so dry it is hard to weed. At least that is my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 

On this Wednesday, I link with Kat and the Unravelers to post about making and reading. I have both finished and frogged projects. I finished the shawl knit from a skein of handspun and some odds and ends of a commercial yarn. It's a good thing I like to weave in ends because there were plenty. The simple pattern lets the handspun shine. The yarn from a BFL/silk blend has such a nice soft hand and drape. While learning to spin, I stayed away from fiber with silk content because the silk can be tricky. Now that I've successfully spun with this blend, I'd like to try more. 

I frogged the summer top knitted with fingering weight cotton yarn. The fabric was lovely but after about three rounds, my hands hurt and it was so monotonous. Frogging it was freeing.  I cast on the Purl Soho Arched Gusset mittens in Noro Silk Garden. Alas, I love the elegant line of the arched gusset but the pattern is written for a lighter weight yarn. Knitting the pattern in Aran weight yarn was making a sloppy rather weirdly shaped mitten. Winter's cold is serious business and I like mittens to be snug and warm.  Last night I frogged the start of the mitten and am auditioning the Antler pattern. I've knit this pattern several times and have been pleased with the mittens. 

As for reading, I finished Clear by Carys Davies. I loved this short novel about kindness and human connection. Two people who know little about each other and speak different languages encounter each other on a remote Shetland Island. The sparse storyline reminded me of Claire Keegan's book, Foster. I learned more about Scottish history and a lost language. As a bonus, the man on the island collected wool tufts from sheep and spun them into yarn. He was also a knitter. Davies understands  and writes well about both processes. I can't help but wonder if she is a knitter.  I also wonder if she has any connection to the designer Kate Davies. Maybe Davies is a common name in that part of the world. 

Finally, this date, 9/11, is so poignant. I remember the television monitors set up in the district school office playing the news videos over and over. It is well to remember and be grateful for all first responders. Now there is another generation for whom the events of that day are history and not lived experience. 

Take good care. 

Hello September

Hello Gentle Readers and Hello September. Labor Day weekend and my birthday have come and gone. The long weekend brought three gorgeous early Autumn days. Cool mornings and warm afternoons felt like summer's end. Yesterday morning I saw a large perfectly spun spider web suspended between a tree and a bush. Sunday evening, a single long thread was backlit by the setting sun. I'm waiting for the bright yellow goldfinches to find the dried cone flowers. 

Family and friends greeted me warmly on birthday, which this year fell on Labor Day.  I made a few cupcakes and we enjoyed fresh BLT's and watermelon for dinner. Tuesday I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with impetigo. Here's to medical care and antibiotics. My immune system isn't what it was when I worked with little children. 

Today is a day to link with Kat and the Unravelers to post about making and reading. Late last week, I finished the last skein of a spinning project in the first photo. The Corriedale fiber was part of last year's birthday gift from my son and his family. Once I was able to get a little more twist into the fiber, (thank you Kat and Sarah) I spun a lovely sport weight-ish yarn. When I began, I hoped to have enough yardage to knit a shawl but at 1100 yards I've enough for a sweater. 

In the meantime, I'm knitting and enjoying this shawl. According to the pattern I'm almost to the point where I've used 80% of the yarn so I'm on the home stretch. The BLF/Silk handspun has such a nice hand. 

As for reading, I couldn't find an audio book available on Libby but on Hoopla, I came upon The Dangerous Old Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. As far as I can tell, this work is available only in audio format. Estés is Jungian analyst who extracts meaning from the archetypes of women in old folk and fairy tales. Some of the stories she tells are better than others but I am enjoying her thoughts about old women as elders and "weavers" of culture and tradition. I can say that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will never be the same. The synchronicity seemed appropriate for the weekend I completed 73 trips around the sun. Estés who serves as narrator is also a wonderful oral storyteller.  

The Connecticut kids went back to school last Friday. They had a terrific summer and everyone had a good first day of school. Norah started kindergarten, Jonah is in the third grade (with the best teacher ever - got to love a positive attitude) Micah is a fifth grader at the top of the heap, and Emmet is in the eighth grade. The beginning of a school year is a new season filled with promise. Micah and Jonah are happy to serve as "little sister security."  Emmett is about to be taller than his Mom. How does this happen so quickly?   Have a good week. 

August's End

Hello Gentle Readers. Summer with hundred degree temperatures over the weekend and Monday has another story to tell. Day by day, this week will be slightly cooler. The zinnias, cosmos, cone flowers, and butterfly bush continue to bloom. Monday morning I walked at 8:00 a.m. to beat the heat. I heard a ten minute chorus of blue jays from all over the neighborhood. I know jays sound a predator alarm for other birds but this was a friendly call and response. 

My handsome Texas grandson moved onto Tarelton State University campus this past week. His text messages, with the y'all, make me smile. All the university students mean hope for the future. I wish all of them the best year and college experience. 

Wednesday is the day to link with Kat and the Unravelers. I finally have a finish. After a consultation with Bonny about binding off in the middle of a repeat, I finished the hitchhiker. As I came to the end of the yarn, I didn't have enough to complete the full repeat and asked for her expert advice. I decided to use as much of the yarn as possible and bound off on Row 6 instead of a Row 8. I pinned out that last point and it's fine. Someone who has knit a hitchhiker could see a slight difference but knitters are too kind to point out the discrepancy. This one-skein hitchhiker finished with 35 teeth. 

I also finished the embroidered watering can block to go with Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks. I need one more block of some description. I'm considering designs that came from the Depression Era of quilts. Since finishing these two projects, I went back to another shawl in progress and a Christmas gift project. 

Right now the library hold list is in the feast stage. I have four books on my desk but am reading Enlightenment by Sarah Perry. At two-thirds of the way through, I have mixed feelings about this novel. Mostly the writing is excellent, although there is repetition in the rustling, hissing etc. of silk. The story set in modern England has a Victorian/Gothic bent that feels disjointed. At times I marvel at the way the author weaves themes in and out of the story and at other times I wonder why I'm reading it. She has combined some interesting ideas - unrequited love, fundamentalist Christian beliefs, homosexuality, and a mystery/ghost story all loosely tied together with astronomy. I will finish it though. 

I'm off to water. Have a good week.