Early July

Hello Gentle Readers. Summer days have arrived. Green tomatoes are setting on the vines and a few cherry tomatoes turn from orange to red. They are smaller than I like, especially for the first ones, but they taste like home grown tomatoes. On the 4th, I harvested the first three cucumbers. I replanted cucumber seeds several times and now the vines are going wild. If we can keep everything watered as the temperatures soar to 100 degrees, we should have plenty of tomatoes and cucumbers. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers to post about making and reading. Our son, Aaron, is visiting this week. He has remote work obligations but having him here from Texas is delightful. He loves cooking so it is fun to be in the kitchen together. He brought his small flour mill as well as wheat and rye berries. Saturday he ground fresh flour and made bread dough. He left me in charge of the rising. We thought one pan would be enough but it was not. When the dough overflowed the bread pan, I divided it and set it to rise a third time. Leaving your mother in charge of an unknown recipe is a risk but disaster was averted and the bread was delicious. That evening we used tomatoes from his garden and fresh bread in BLT sandwiches. I cut up watermelon from a local produce stand and we had snickerdoodles for dessert. It was a perfect meal for the 4th of July. 

At some point I wrote about this small piece of patchwork. A month ago, I finished the piecing and quilted three circles and diagonal lines with two strands of embroidery floss. Then I made it into a pillow. 

As for other making, I'm knitting away on the shawl. I'm close to the border and the rows are long. This odd piece of knitting is a second try with the Avenue Vest. Interesting construction and size seven needles make the knitting go quickly. The fabric I'm getting with this yarn and needle size is soft and made me wonder if the deep V-neck would flop open and not lay flat. I decided to knit the round neck. Let's hope the vest fits. It's all an experiment but it's only yarn. 

This week I read Hot Chocolate on a Thursday by Michiko Aoyama. This gentle book is almost a collection of short stories. Having a minor character from each previous story become the main character for the next provides the structure. Setting, either Japan or Sydney, Australia and sometime both also provides continuity. At first, the stories felt a little too sweet but as I read I appreciated the theme of how easily misunderstanding leads to misconception and hurt feelings. Conversely the author used small moments to convey the power of kindness offered to others. What seemed like a simple story left me wondering what could happen if more of us, myself included, were willing to let go of slights and hurts and see the viewpoint of each other. This fiction isn't great literature but a sweet story of possibility in everyday lives. I also enjoyed the references to cherry blossoms of Japan and jacaranda flowers in Australia.  

Just as an aside, thinking about the differences in structure and management of characters in Aoyama's book as compared to that of Good People by Patmeena Sabit (the Read With Us Selection in June) was an interesting exercise. The authors handled those two devices differently and of course the storylines are quite different but it gave me food for thought. 

I can't show you cherry blossoms but my neighbor has a beautiful stand of cone flowers in an area adjacent to the street. I hope you are finding beauty in this summer season. (Or in the Southern Hemisphere - the winter season.)

Ravelry Link

Avenue Vest

  

Where Was I?

 

Hello Gentle Readers. The end of June brings hot summer weather. Although the gusty wind, dries out the garden beds, it is a godsend when walking in this heat. If I am not out of the door by 9:00 a.m., I don't walk very far. Were you able to watch the full moon rise on Monday evening? The strawberry moon of June is my favorite. That night the faint hint of pink in the moon and reflected light was surrounded by wisps of clouds against the dark sky. The sight was breathtaking. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. In between trips to the deck to check the moonrise, I finished the thumbs on these mitts. The yarn and pattern go well together. The suggested needle size with this yarn made a nice pair of mitts for my small adult sized hands. Stretchy ribbing always feels like my hands are getting a massage. If I knit these mitts for someone with larger hands I might go up a needle size. The pattern has great attention to detail including mirrored cables that begin and end nicely, ribbed thumbs that flow from the pattern, and a graceful hand increase on the palm.

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I am spinning these three four-ounce bumps of a BFL silk in variegated (what else but?) blue. Finding the right speed to treadle and adjusting my drafting took some trial and error. I've completed the first 2 ounce single so I have a good start. It's fun to watch the silver gray and hint of mauve combine with the blues as the single winds onto the bobbin.

I abandoned two books and am beginning two more titles so I'll save book notes until next week.  

Where was I last week? That is a tale of air traveling woe. Last Monday we were scheduled to fly to the East Coast to visit our daughter and family. We arrived at the Omaha airport promptly at 9:30 a.m. for the 11:30 a.m. nonstop flight to La Guardia in NYC. Our flight was delayed all day long. Finally when Delta announced yet another departure time for 8:15 p.m., we wondered if the flight would get out and opted to rebook for the next day so we weren't arriving in the wee hours of the morning (we lose an hour going East) or trying to rebook with everyone else at the gate. We retrieved our bags, rode the shuttle to the parking lot, and drove 50 miles home. The next day we spent the afternoon in the airport only to have our flight cancelled and repeat the whole process. Weather, one less runway at LGA, the high cost of fuel, the College World Series in Omaha, and World Cup Travelers all worked against us. It wasn't feasible to extend our visit so we cancelled the trip and hope to reschedule in August or September.  

Just to make things more interesting, the Omaha airport is being renovated so there was less gate space in an already small airport. In addition to the usual airport hubbub, there was also construction noise, including a jackhammer.  However the entire Delta staff in the Omaha airport was an exemplary team. For two days and probably more, they handled a harried frustrating situation with kindness, knowledge, patience, and grace.  Air travel these days isn't for the faint of heart. 

So for now we are home, looking forward to a visit with our son. The larkspur and the coneflowers continue to bloom. I hope you have blooms in your neighborhood, something to look forward to, and are staying cool. 

Ravelry Link

Cityscape Mitts

June Days

Hello Gentle Readers. The clear June days have arrived and they are glorious. Being outdoors, even pulling weeds, is enjoyable. The garden grows, the bees hum, the coneflowers bloom, and the bunnies mow down the zinnias. Ah- summer. Sunday while walking, I heard a little house wren singing out her heart. Three tiny young chickadees flit around the birch tree in the front yard and then I see them (at least I think they are the same birds) at the back feeders. We all must coexist in this world or so I remind myself as the squirrels dig in the pots and the bunnies chew up the zinnias. 

Today is Wednesday. If Kat posts, I will link to my fellow Unravelers. I am working away on my knitting projects. I finished the hand of the first Cityscape Mitt and cast on the second. The ribbing gives these a snug fit and also makes them look like a long skinny tube when not on a hand. When finished I'll try to get a photo of them on my hands. I love the increases that help shape the gusset. I joined the second skein of yarn to the shawl and that feels like progress on what continues to be a peaceful project.

I finished this hat, knit with two strands of fingering weight yarn, to donate to a charity. The colors worked out well as I was able to carry one strand of a Merino Cashmere Nylon throughout the entire hat. The other three leftover yarns were variegated in blues and greens. Although I didn't think about it ahead of time, I used the darkest of the three balls in the middle of the hat. I also like the way the ribbing in the brim and body of the hat worked out. I followed mods made by another Raveler linked on my project page. Once I heard a knitter and podcaster talk about a donated blanket someone brought to her mother in hospice care. She said it was ugly and did not bring any comfort. In order to be kind she didn't take it from the room. The anecdote still reminds me that anything I donate should be something I would gift to a good friend.  

This week I read The Things We Never Say, Elizabeth Strout's latest novel. The author's trademark reflections by late middle-aged characters, very human and flawed, are the heart of the story. Artie Dam, a kind beloved teacher in a public school in Massachusetts Bay learns a secret that changes his life. Casting the main character as a history teacher in 2025 allows Strout to tap into the current time and place in the United States. She accurately captures the dread and unease in this country felt by many.

Strout used literary devices thoughtfully. Small bits of physical space throughout the book encouraged me to pause briefly and consider the story. I found the shift between Artie as narrator and the author speaking directly to the reader interesting. While I applaud Strout's nod to teachers and the changes they make in lives of young people, I missed the rural setting in Maine and characters of her other novels. Certainly the novel is worth reading if a little melancholy.

I hope you are enjoying your projects. What fills your June days?

Ravelry Links

Gemma Shawl

Cityscape Mitts

Hat

Early Summer

Hello Gentle Readers. Weather here in southeast Nebraska is very summer-like, hot and humid. Last night when I went to bed the outdoor temperature was eighty five degrees. At any rate, the tomatoes like the rain and warm nights. Over the weekend, the vines grew about six inches. The basil thrives in pots while the lavender blooms. Around the neighborhood, the lilies of all colors bloom. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers for making and reading posts. As I enjoy the warm evenings outdoors, I do less knitting. I continue to work on the Gemma Shawl but didn't take another photo. I finished the latest pair of shortie socks knit from leftovers. The astute among you might notice I reknit the toe of the first sock. I have another skein of sock yarn that will coordinate well with the solid rose color so I took out the first toe and reknit it. Goofy I know but it made me happy and didn't take much time. I made some progress on the hat but have to take care that my hands don't get sore so I cast on a pair of mitts. 

Currently I am reading Street Haunting, a little book of essays by Virginia Woolf. The opening essay, "How Should One Read a Book?" pulled me back into Woolf's world and writing. I look forward to the last essay, "Street Haunting" in which Woolf uses the pretext of needing to purchase a lead pencil to walk the streets of London on a late winter afternoon. One has to love a woman with an affinity for pencil and paper as well as walking. Woolf's writing is witty and excellent. For anyone hesitant to read her work, these essays would be a good entry. I happened onto this book on an outing to Postscript Press, a shop in Ashland, Ne., a small town between Omaha and Lincoln. The shop specializes in stationery and a selection of curated books. The books were tucked in and around the stationery supplies. We visited on a rainy afternoon, adding to the charm of the shop on a small town main street. 

This afternoon I need to return and pick up library books. I'm also in desperate need of a hair cut and groceries. Have a good week.

Ravelry Links

Summer Shorties

Cityscape Mitts

 

Hello June

Hello Gentle Readers and Hello June. The weather here dabbles in summer. For the past week, we've experienced scattered thunderstorms nearly every twenty four hours. The rain is very welcome but comes with warmer temperatures and higher humidity. Monday was downright steamy. Flowers bloom, bees buzz, and a swallowtail floated by the other day. Volunteer larkspur bloom against the new fence. One cluster of sweet peas blooms early and the yellow lilies are full of buds. The weeds thrive but the soil will need to dry before I can weed. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. The top photo shows my knitting for the week. If you think I like the color blue in any shade you would be correct. That is any blue that doesn't come with the term, black and blue. The toenail doesn't hurt anymore and I can easily wear my gardening and walking shoes. Hooray for small wins.

I continue to work on and enjoy the Gemma Shawl. I've reached halfway in the stitch count although probably not the halfway point in the project. Math never was my strongest subject. I cast on a hat with sock yarn scraps in a variation on the LOSY (Leftover Sock Yarn) Hat on Ravelry. I'll link my project with information at the end of the post. In theory, knitting with sock yarn held double is a great idea but I find it hard on my right hand. Sarah's "Same As It Ever Was Hat" would be a better way to knit a warm hat with fingering weight yarns and I am sure I could use coordinated scraps.

After knitting two different gauges in the same swatch, I searched the Modern Daily Knitting "How To" articles for information. I vaguely remembered skimming several from the website. Skimming would be the apt description because gauge is not that much fun. Patty Lyon writes understandable explanations on technical knitting questions. This one is no exception. Being a Type A, I have always knit tidy garter edges on the bottom and sides of my swatch. It turns out that can distort the gauge. Ahh, I've been knitting since I was ten or eleven years old but still have things to learn. I'll knit another swatch without a border and compare the gauge. Good thing I bought an extra skein.

This week I'm rereading Rock Tree Bird by Twyla M. Hansen, a former State Poet of Nebraska. Hansen lives in Lincoln and grew up on a farm in Nebraska. Her poems are of the Great Plains. In this little volume, she wrote about rural Nebraska as well as her parents including caring for her elderly mother, a dying friend, and other living creatures. Although published in 2017, revisiting them now is seeing them with new eyes.  

I'll leave you with some photos I took of my pollinator garden. I just sowed zinnia seeds in that bare patch. The butterfly bush didn't make it though last summer and this year the bunnies mowed off  bachelor buttons. Generally they leave zinnias alone. Perhaps not visible in the close-up photo of the flowers, a bee visits the pink salvia. What is growing in your neck of the woods? 

Ravelry Links

Gemma Shawl

Hat

May's End

Hello Gentle Readers. May treats us to beautiful warm days. A few honeybees frequent the salvia in the pollinator garden. The garden begins to grow. Last night I snipped a few fresh lettuce leaves to add to egg salad sandwiches. A ripe garden tomato would have been tasty but those are six weeks away. Even in May, one can't have everything.  

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. This week I made progress on the Gemma Shawl. I usually knit one repeat of the mock cable/lace pattern each evening. It is a peaceful way to end the day. The shawl pairs well with The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower. I'm currently listening to Volume 6 and enjoying all of Emma's adventures. I get a kick out of the names Brower has chosen, for example Mr. Penury as the banker and Mr. Enamel as one of the St. Crispian committee members. Even the name of Emma's home, Lapis Lazuli, is fun. Each one of these novellas is more fun than the next. 

I frogged the first five inches of the back of the Avenue Vest. Experience has taught me to check gauge and other measurements before knitting too far. The piece seemed small and I was right. After wet blocking, my gauge per four inches was four stitches smaller than in either of my swatches. This is strange because I knit both the swatch and the beginning of the vest flat and generally my knitting tension is loose. I also knit a small in-the-round swatch for the rest of the vest but whatever. I bought another skein from my LYS because I don't want to run short of yarn as I knit another larger swatch. Maybe now isn't the best time for garment knitting. Working in the garden is so nice and we are beginning on a partial bathroom remodeling job. Plan B might be to work on the shawl and socks for now. 

After returning a few books to the library unfinished, I've begun reading Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. My reading list for summer includes older books by authors I've previously enjoyed. I feel badly for authors who work for months and more to write, revise, and publish a book that has such a short shelf life. How long can/do booksellers keep books on shelves before the next advertising blitz comes along? I imagine it's a short period of time. I'll not go on with my rant. 

After avoiding the grocery store over the long weekend, I need to make a list and buy some produce. I hope you enjoy some warm late Spring days.   

Ordinary May Days

Hello Gentle Readers. I write this morning with my worn gray alpaca shawl around my shoulders. A shawl is shelter. After ninety degree weather last week, glorious amounts of rain fell. Two hot steamy days gave way to cooler temperatures. Prior to the rain, our yard and garden beds were the end-of-July dry. More rain is forecast for the end of the week and I am not complaining. I love shawl weather. I plan to make a pot of soup for dinner.  

Last Saturday we put in the last of the garden. After all the rain, cucumber seeds may need to be replanted. Often one hill or the other doesn't germinate or the birds or squirrels get the seeds so replanting isn't unusual. I'm trying lemon verbena in one corner and also identified some volunteer bergamont coming up in the pollinator garden. Between gardening, medical maintenance appointments, and gathering with two different groups of friends, I knit only a few rows. 

Still, it is good to be among makers and readers, so today I link with Kat and the other Unravelers. I'm knitting on the shawl and last night added some rows to the vest. Thank you for your ideas about the vest. Soon I'm going to recheck the gauge. Although I've never knit a v-neck, I'm going to give it a try. The instructions in this pattern are quite clear and it is good for my brain to try something different.

I needed carry along knitting so I pulled out more odds and ends to knit another pair of shortie socks. I enjoy wearing them to walk and around the house on these cool days. I may have to add in some other color. Luckily leftover sock yarn seems to multiply in project bags. The mock cables in the cuff are fun to knit and a bit of ribbing on the sole is enough variety to make the foot go by quickly. 

I read The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary by Terry Tempest Williams. Currently Williams is a writer-in-residence at the Harvard Divinity School. While Williams' nonfiction works are among my favorites, this book of essays may not be for everyone. She writes with a clear-eyed, brutally honest view of the natural world. As she mourns extinction of species and changing climate, she celebrates moments of great beauty and joy. She writes eloquently about connections between and among plants, trees, animals, humans, rocks, water, and air. Her writing is at it's best when she describes the red rock desert of her native Utah. What is a Glorian you might ask? The title of this book is only the beginning of the answer. The question is best answered by reading the essays. Nothing I write will do justice to her ideas.

The The King Arthur Cookie Companion in the first photo is a Mother's Day gift from my daughter. It is going to be fun. Good cookies are my favorite dessert. Right now it's on the coffee table for browsing. My son sent me a sturdy padded collapsible gardening bench I can use for kneeling or sitting. I've used it several times and it works better than the old carpet square I have dragged around for years. Both of my children are very dear and they know me well. 

May rain water and grow peaceful ordinary days for you. Have a good week.