Hello October

Hello Gentle Readers. Monday rain fell a good part of the day and the temperature dropped. Today feels like autumn. I pulled out a flannel shirt and a pair of wool socks. Whoo - hoo! 

This week, we had a wonderful few days visiting with our daughter Kate and granddaughter Norah. They flew in on Saturday. Sunday, we took advantage of the warm sunny day. At Norah's request, we played a round of miniature golf. Later in the afternoon we blew bubbles and drew a hopscotch grid. Kate and Norah found twenty two ways to hopscotch down the sidewalk. I tallied each successful play. Monday was an inside day baking cookies, playing Uno, and having lunch with my sister. We also found time to read her favorite picture books. 

Late on Tuesday, the house is quiet but the construction paper, markers, glue stick, and scissors are still at the end the table. There are jigsaw puzzle boxes under the coffee table and cookies on the counter. Norah spent exactly five minutes playing a video game late on Sunday. In the same spirit, I have fewer photos but many memories. 

On Wednesday, I'll link this post with Kat and the Unravelers. The last few weeks I knit on two projects, enjoying them both. The wrap from handspun Corriedale fiber is growing. Now the trick is to make the most of the remaining yarn. You might remember I started a sweater with this yarn. Some of that yarn looks worn. It didn't rip and reclaim well. If I really need it for length, I have it. I look forward to using this wrap while reading and knitting this winter. It's light but quite warm. 

Today I began the contrasting toe of this (first) sock. Last week I decided to try the Shadow Wrap Short Row Heel as explained by the Earthtones Girl. Her tutorials are very well done. However toggling between her video and listening to an engaging audiobook was not a good idea for me. I knit the heel three times to get it right. Good grief! Honestly, it isn't that hard. However the third heel looks nice. I think the traditional heel flap/gusset is a better fit for my narrow heel. I also wonder how the stockinette stitch heel will wear. 

I listened to the audio version of When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner. This historical fiction is the story of three World War II nurses who were stationed in the Philippines. Early in the war, the Japanese military drove out the American forces. Nurses, civilians, and some military personnel became prisoners of war in Japanese camps. Three different nurses tell the story of their friendship and survival forged under horrible conditions. Man's inhumanity to man is hard to fathom. The element of romance in each of their lives was my least favorite part of the book but overall the novel was a compelling story. Perhaps in part because my Mom trained as a nurse from 1944- 1947 in the U.S. Cadet Nursing program. Had the war not ended when it did, she would have likely worked in a military hospital. There is another earlier work of nonfiction, We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese by Elizabeth Norman that I may read if the library has a copy. 

Here in southeast Nebraska, cool autumn weather has finally arrived. If you are in the northern hemisphere, may it come your way soon. 

What are you working on this week?

Stitching Summer's End

Hello Gentle Readers. Our weather continues to be warm. Cooler mornings make for lovely walking. A few monarchs still flit across my path. A yellow swallowtail sipped nectar from a bright magenta zinnia. Squirrels binge on the acorns. I wish they would stick to acorns and stay out of my flower and herb pots. I know, that is a forlorn hope. This morning I noticed a healthy ash tree with a beautiful streak of burnished brown/copper color. The blackberry lilies show part of the black clusters that give them their name. 

I will link this post with Kat and other Unravelers writing about making and reading this week. Lest you think I abandoned the Stitch Journal project, here is my latest stitching.  In August, I used two prompts from K3N Cloth Tales 2024 stitch journal project. The first was to choose a print fabric, use it to guide stitching and then display the "backstory." I often think the back of embroidery is an interesting as the front. Other pieces in my project have more interesting backstories but I decided to honor the spirit of the prompt as it turned out. So here is Backstory - because everyone has one. 

My second August page was a piece of crazy quilting. I used quilter's cotton fabrics as that is what I have on hand. I learned a couple new embroidery stitches and also that I prefer some space between stitching. 

I recently heard Nicole Nehrig, the author of With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories interviewed on The Long Thread Podcast. She said some believe crazy quilt patchwork of the Victorian era was a way for some women to creating their own designs and assert more independent ways of thinking. My library doesn't yet own a copy of the book so I haven't read it but hope to soon.

The first September page is a fabric envelope of my own design. For years, I have kept a set of four very pretty napkins that belonged to my Grandmother. I deemed them to pretty to use at the dinner table. At this point in my life, I decided to use one of them to make an envelope. 

Then of course the envelope needed something in it. I used some fabric that came from my Mom and cut out the shape of a Friendship star to stitch onto another lavender piece of fabric. Originally, I thought I'd put in the pieced Friendship Star my Mom gave me on my 50th birthday but I couldn't bring myself to fold that star several times in order for it to fit in the envelope. 

The second September page is adapted from prompts by Kathryn of k3n Cloth Tales. During the ninth month, I stitched nine little squares and then couched a circle of red yarn. I like to think that during my birthday month, I am encircled by family and friends. My brother John whose death occurred in September is part of that circle. I thought of him as I stitched.  

If you have stuck with me through all of this stitching chatter, thank you. I hope you enjoy your making as we slide into October and more seasonal autumn weather. 

 

Welcome Fall

Hello Gentle Readers, Wasn't Labor Day weekend just a few days ago? And now, this past Monday marked the Fall Equinox in the northern hemisphere. A few butterflies drink nectar from the zinnias and coreopsis. The bees buzz in the oregano and lavender. Friday I weeded and thinned the small pollinator garden. 

The perennials along the west side of the backyard are overgrown and full of weeds. An August storm with high winds brought the neighbor's old fence down in places, including the section bordering the perennial bed. Until last Saturday, that section was barely supported by our shed and sweet pea trellis so weeding there was unsafe. The neighbor has removed the fencing so I no longer have that excuse. 

Eventually, I will link this post with Kat and the Unravelers. Yesterday I hosted a group of friends for our monthly gathering and today I am putting together and delivering a meal for a friend recovering from surgery. In between I write this post. I finished the skinny shawl/scarf knit in the mini-skein set. Likely this will be a gift for someone. Knitting the sock yarn on size three needles was very pleasant. Of course, one could do the same color-blocking and simple eyelets at the color change of miscellaneous fingering weight yarns in the hitchhiker pattern. I'm pretty sure Bonny has done that with at least one of her beautiful hitchhikers. 

I cast on a pair of autumn colored socks.  Although the heel turn is my favorite part of sock knitting, the beginning of a cuff isn't far behind in my affection. I thought it would be fun to join Denise DeSantis, known as Earthtones Girl, in her Falling Leaves Sock KAL. I have benefited from her free tutorials and thought this an easy way to support her. 

I've previously mentioned The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated beautifully by Jackie Morris. This is a lovely collection of lyrical poems and illustrations about the natural world. When the news in the world is so hard, a dose of magical poetry and visual art is a good thing. Revisiting it seems appropriate for this time of the year. 

This week I'm reading The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, another novel by the same author I mentioned last week. For me, this book is an average historical novel. While it's not a sequel to the first, some of the same characters make a cameo appearance. The story does raise interesting questions about women's suffrage and the right of women to an education and knowledge, specifically who is able to own, borrow, and read books.

At any rate, it's now time for me to cook our dinner. I hope you are enjoying these first few days of fall.  

Ravelry Links

Wild Atlantic Shawl

Autumn Socks

Mid September

Hello Gentle Readers. The past week I enjoyed walking on summer-like mornings and literally watching the flowers bloom. The bright yellows and oranges of marigolds, pink and yellow zinnias, red roses, dark purple lavender, chartreuse sweet potato vines, variegated coleus lift the spirits. Sunday I went out to cut a few zinnias and black-eyed susans for a mason jar bouquet. A swallowtail on the zinnias paid no attention to me. Neither did the small brown furry caterpillars trundling across the sidewalk on Monday. The natural world does its best in spite of human beings. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. Monday I finished the pillow in the photo. I can't remember if I ever included it in a post. Last summer I embroidered the center design on a piece of tea-dyed fabric. The embroidery pattern, a line drawing on a piece of paper, was something my Mom once purchased. If it came with instructions or a designers' name/company, the information is long gone. She was not a knitter but she very much enjoyed embroidery and cross-stitch. This summer I added borders and quilted it as a pillow top. 

I used a piece of an old sheet to make a pillow form and then made an envelope back so that the pillow form could be removed and both pieces laundered. Do I need another throw pillow? No, but I enjoyed making it and thinking of my Mom. 

As for knitting, I continue to work on these two pieces. I finished the second lace section of the wrap, knit a second garter and mock garter rib section and now am knitting the same texture as the first section. Perhaps it's the nubbly handspun but this is so much fun to knit. I have another lace stitch in mind for the next section. 

Changing colors keeps this scarf/shawl project moving while the rhythm of the garter stitch makes for peaceful knitting. I added a remnant of gray sock yarn in order to make it a decent size. After I complete the second green section, I have one more mini-skein to knit.  

Both Kat and Bonny recommend the Bruno mystery series. I borrowed the audio of the first book in the series, Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker. Hearing French pronunciation of words was lovely. Bruno is a gentle kind enforcer of law and champion of his village. He views teaching tennis lessons to children as crime prevention. Even if it's a  tongue-in-cheek remark it says something about his character. My library only owns one more of the series in audio. I audiobooks are expensive for libraries but I don't understand why the system purchased the first and the eleventh book. 

Several nights when I had trouble falling asleep I reread The Dictionary of Lost Words. This historical fiction imagines a bright young woman who worked with the men compiling the Oxford English Dictionary. At an early age, Esme falls in love with and begins to collect words used by ordinary women. Often these words are not deemed worthy for inclusion in the OED. World War One and the Women's Suffrage movement are also part of the story. Although the main character has her ups and downs, the novel with its strong female characters is a comfort read for me.

This is more than enough words from me. What brings you comfort these days?

Ravelry Links

Handspun Wrap

Wild Atlantic Shawl

Early September

Hello Gentle Readers. Here it is early afternoon as I sit down to post. This morning was made for a walk. Later this afternoon the temperature will climb so I went out mid morning. Several monarchs flitted through the air and a few have discovered my late blooming zinnias. The flowers in the pots on the front porch love the cooler days and bloom profusely. All of this seems like September's consolation for decreasing daylight. 

I am linking with Kat and the Unravelers as in better late than never. This little soft pink scarf is finished and blocked. It is a nice pattern, if a little frilly, for a single skein of yarn. One could easy weigh the yarn to determine when to begin decreasing. I added a few repeats because I had plenty of yarn. 

The Cash Mitts with modifications are finished. I forgot to change to smaller needles for the top cuff but liked the look of the finished mitts so knit the thumb ribbing in the same way. I knit a few less rows of ribbing at the top of the mitten to make sure I had enough yarn. This time I won yarn chicken. 

Since finishing these two items, I returned to knitting in the blues. I wanted to knit something with a good amount of handspun Corriedale. Awhile back, I tried to knit a sweater but ran into trouble with the gauge in uneven handspun. A wrap doesn't have to fit so I chose some stitch patterns with compatible stitch repeats. This will be a sampler of sorts and is fun to knit. However, it is a project for that late afternoon stretch before dinner or early in the evening. So far so good. 

When I need something requiring less attention, I knit on the scarf/shawl I'm making from a mini-skein set. 

It's a happy accident that this latest scarf matched the cover of Love Forms by Claire Adams. This heartbreaking novel is beautiful. Adams skillfully weaves the past and present together and I enjoyed learning more about Trinidad. Throughout the story, the main character, a middle-aged woman, is looking back through her life. At sixteen, she is part of a loving but overbearing family. When she becomes pregnant, she carries the baby to term and gives it up for adoption. Although her parents were motivated by love, the response to her pregnancy and adoption comes with repercussions that echo throughout her life and those around her. Love is indeed complicated and takes many forms. This novel would make for an interesting book group discussion. Although I don't closely follow booklists from awards, this novel is on the longlist for this year's Booker Prize. I thought it was an excellent work of fiction. 

One last thought. Shadow and shade are as beautiful as light. Sometimes they are a shelter. And I do love lavender. 

Ravelry Links

Soft Pink Scarf

Cash Mitts

Handspun Wrap

Wild Atlantic Shawl

TGIF 9.5.25

Hello Gentle Readers. This past week our son Aaron visited us. We had a wonderful time together. Fortunately for us, he is able to combine paid time off with working remotely. He loves to cook and so we made several dinners together, including my birthday dinner of baked salmon, cucumber salad, fresh watermelon, and sweet corn. 

Today I am thinking about intentions for September. I done this since February when I wanted to move from constantly reacting to the noise of the world. This practice helps me feel less like a ping pong ball being blown every which way by the latest news release. I learned about this from Mary. It might not be for everyone but I like the flexibility and refocus for each month. 

 Anyway this September, I intend to: Savor the warm September days and early seasonal changes, Flow back to writing time and Recover all my stamina. In another way, I'm hoping to recover basement storage space - wish me luck.  Finally, I intend to Hope because there are glimmers hidden under the rocks.  

I am grateful for the friendship I share with my children. Both are in their forties and doing well in life. Our adult friendships with them are rich with joy, humor, respect, and love. We don't see either of them as often as we'd like but we make the most of our in-person visits. Both Kate and Aaron are great about keeping in touch with technology. FaceTime with the grands is such a gift. Kate and I text daily. Aaron often calls either my husband or I when he is on his commute home from the office. 

I am inspired by the Fall colors and flavors. I love the fresh fruit and veggies of summer I'm ready for the seasonal change in our menu. Last night I made minestrone soup. I used the usual veggies, chickpeas, and garden zucchini from a friend as well as basil, and oregano from our yard. I also toasted buttered crusty hard rolls topped them with shredded gouda cheese.  It was a nice change. And what would Fall be without wool socks?

As for fun, I'm thinking about my grandson Jonah's comment on my birthday. Aaron and Lance were sitting across from me during my birthday dinner. They look so much alike, I took their photo and then Aaron took one of me. We sent them to our daughter. Jonah, aged 10, saw the photo and said, "She looks really gooooood for her age."  At seventy four years old, I'll take that compliment! Celebrating a birthday is always fun. 

I wish you all a good weekend and maybe a little leaf litter. 

At August's End

Hello Gentle Readers. At this end of August, the weather gives us a little hint of Autumn. I celebrated cooler days with decaf coffee in a Fall mug. The evening light shines from a different angle as I walk around the block. By mid-Autumn, I'll miss these short strolls. Gold finches sport bright yellow feathers as they enjoy the cone flower seeds. Before long, they will molt and grow khaki coats that provide camouflage in the winter landscape. The blackberry lilies have dropped their flowers as the pods begin to dry. The season begins to turn.

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers with posts about making and reading. I finished the socks pictured above and tucked them away as one of two knitted Christmas gifts. I also finished another baby hat that will be gifted shortly. 

I added the second color to this scarf/shawl. I can't quite see how the mini skeins will play out to make more than a scarf, if that. As the length grows, the color blocks will grow shorter and shorter. I do have some leftover sock yarn if needed. It's an experiment. The yarns in the mini skein kit are subtle tonal shades so I'm enjoying garter stitch as I watch slight colors variations emerge in the knitted fabric.  

I have also been working on a one skein scarf. Last year, I bought this yarn to support Lofty Loops, a very local to me dyer. The yarn is a merino without nylon and very soft. This is easy knitting as I can count garter ridges between the simple lace detail at the edge. The bind off to make the points reminds me of the hitchhiker. The pattern is free on Ravelry. 

For variety, I cast on some mitts with a skein from deep stash. Now I am hoping to win a game of yarn chicken. These will likely go in the gift bag for some unknown recipient. 

This week I read My Name is Emilia Del Valle by Isabel Allende, translated by Frances Riddle. The story begins in 1866 in San Francisco when Emilia del Valle's mother, an Irish nun is abandoned by Emilia's birth father, a Chilean aristocrat. Allende spins quite an adventure and love story about the main character, Emilia. A spirited young woman, raised by her mother and a loving step-father, Emilia eventually becomes a journalist for a San Francisco newspaper. As a young woman, she ends up in Chile writing for the newspaper about a brutal civil war.  A few horrific war scenes make for difficult reading but what a story. War is not glorified in any way. This novel is driven by plot. At times the story seems unrealistic and I wished for more about the characters. Still Allende is a quite a storyteller and I enjoyed learning more about Chile.

I'll leave you with a late afternoon photo from my kitchen counter. Some clutter is visible in the background but then that is real life. I thought the light and shadows were lovely. On to September.  

Ravelry Links

Garden Sprinkle Socks

Wild Atlantic Shawl

Soft Pink Scarf 

Cash Mitts