October's End

Hello Gentle Readers. Welcome to wool sock weather, I hope.  After a beautiful week of warm autumn weather, the temperature dropped. Tuesday morning I put on wool socks and wrapped a light weight shawl around my shoulders. The trees sport their fall colors. Some leaves are bright while others remain muted. Together, it's a gorgeous palette. Walking under the tree canopies in a peaceful neighborhood is a privilege. Sunday I stepped out into the backyard to water the last gangly basil plant and four or five juncos flew out of the herb garden. I haven't seen any of those sweet little birds since late last Spring. The season turns.

Wednesday is the day to link with Kat and the Unravelers, that is if Blogger cooperates. Last week I had some trouble but later in the day I was able to post my link. Who knows where the glitch occurred. I continue to work on a pair of gray socks and the cardigan. The dark green has a beautiful heathered tone but I can only knit that color with sunlight coming over my shoulder. As you can see, I am knitting my way down the foot of the second sock. I try to knit at least an inch of the sock each day and then pick up the gray cardigan. If one knits on something, progress is made. Funny how that works every time. 

I am reading Way Makers: An Anthology of Women's Writing About Walking, edited by Kerri Andrews. Some pieces are from published journals while others come from essays and still others from works of fiction. Andrews also included a few poems. All were chosen to reflect women's thoughts about walking from 1746 - 2021. The writers range from well known to more obscure (at least to me). Many women find freedom as well as creative expression in walking. For some, writing about walking reflects a way to confront society's expectations about women and physical activity. Others merely included it in their journals. The dangers women sometime face while walking alone are also part of the anthology. I am drawn to some entries more than others and I'm only a third of the way through the anthology but it is a nice change of pace from contemporary fiction. Although Pablo Neruda wasn't a woman, this anthology reminds me of a quote attributed to him, "A poet is someone who knows how to walk." Writing and walking both depend on an underlying rhythm. 

At the end of this October, I hope you have voted early or have a plan to vote. I also wish you lovely autumn days, warm wool socks, happy making, and satisfying reading. 

an unedited photo taken with iPhone camera

Ravelry Link

Forest Path Socks

Mid October

Hello Gentle Readers. This October week in southeast Nebraska brings warm days and cool nights. Either the autumn color will be subdued due to extreme heat or the peak colors are late in arriving. Somehow I sense the temperatures will drop and most of the still green leaves will wither and fall all at one time. Late last week, we had a light frost that barely nipped the zinnias so they begin to fade and dry. I also haven't watered them for several weeks so they could just be dry. 

At any rate, here I am on Wednesday, linking with Kat and the Unravelers. My knitting this week is brought to you by the color gray. The socks are a Christmas gift knit. I wasn't sure if I'd like the KnitPicks Stroll yarn but it seems fine. I had the dark green heather in the same base and wanted to knit this pattern so I ordered the soft gray. I jiggled around the stitch count for the circumference, knowing the sock would fit better with a few more stitches in the color-work area. After finishing the color-work, I decreased a couple of times on the leg. Notes are on my Ravelry project page. In between the socks or when my hands needed a break, I knit this cardigan down to the sleeve separation. I'll knit another inch or so of the body, then block and try on the piece. It should fit as I have knit this sweater previously in this yarn base but better to check and make sure. 

This week I read The Three Graces of Pearl Street by Elizabeth Wellington Rollins. This debut novel is a heartwarming story of three generations of women of Italian heritage living near New York City. Although the story isn't written in the lyrical language of a seasoned author, it is an outstanding first novel. Character rather than plot drives the narrative. The three Graces, in their individual seasons of life, grow and change. None are without flaws and make mistakes but all learn to extend grace and kindness to others and each other. Although all three characters are well developed, the oldest "Graziella," who takes on the establishment as she offers food, monetary assistance, and a helping hand to her neighbors is my favorite. The descriptions of food are an integral, mouth-watering part of the story. Once again, I find myself wishing the wisdom and strength of women was more widely recognized. I very much enjoyed this novel and look forward to more work by Rollins. 

I wish you a good week filled with the grace and stories of wise women. 

Ravelry Links

Forest Path Socks

Don't Ask Cardigan

Now it is October

Hello Gentle Readers. This week leaves turn and begin to fall. The colors, while not as vibrant as some years, are familiar. I don't know about you but these days, seasonal change comforts me. Even though this past week brought 90 degree afternoons, the mornings were pleasant. As I walk, I listen to the sounds made by the wind and visit the white rose bush that blooms along a neighbor's fence. Yesterday clouds blew in as temperatures dropped. Rain is in the forecast. 

Although Kat is not posting a link-up today, it's Wednesday and I'm here. I completed the pouch embellished with small scraps and embroidery. This was a project with low stakes made to try something new. Choosing tiny scraps, some with strong memories, others with none, and plunking them down in a square was fun and absorbing. Somewhere I heard a tip to use a tapestry needle to bring the yarn for the grid up from the wrong side, lay it on the line, and push the tapestry needle back down to the wrong side. Then I couched it (attached by stitching) onto the fabric. Threading the ends back to the wrong side allowed me to adjust the tension as I couched it down and also to tie a knot on the wrong side that kept the ends from popping loose. 

I machine sewed the sides of the lining but otherwise constructed the project by hand. I find hand-stitching much more peaceful and less anxiety producing than machine stitching. 

Because one project is never enough, I'm working on a cover for another stitch journal. Perhaps "circles" will be the theme for most of the stitch pages although that could change.   

My reading has been lack luster. I returned two books to the library that weren't for me. Currently, I'm listening to This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page. It might be another novel I return without finishing which is ironic considering how long I waited for the book. Before the husband of the main character died, he arranged for her to receive one book per month for a year after his death. I thought the nod to books and the way they affect our lives might be enough for me. However, I'm finding it a little predictable and syrupy sweet. At another time or for another reader, it might be just the story.  

I hope you are enjoying some fall or spring color and these October Days. 

Zinnias and lavender continue to bloom.

Early Autumn

Hello Gentle Readers. Early Autumn sun streams in the south windows. After two and a half weeks of on again, off again rain and cloudy skies, the sunshine is welcome. Here the mornings are cool while the afternoons warm up into the seventies and later this week, the eighties. As I walk, I watch for signs of autumn. Leaves on the ash trees begin to turn to copper and dark purple. Tuesday morning I spied a flicker, a red-bellied woodpecker, and two little nuthatches. I love the way nuthatches chirp softly to each other as if to day, "here I am, where are you?" A few monarchs visit the zinnias and many weeds grow. I hope to pull a bunch of them this week. If only I didn't have to cook dinner, right? 

On Wednesday, I link with Kat and the Unravelers. I had one brief stint of unraveling after casting on a gift knit and then snipping the working yarn instead of the excess length of tail yarn. At least that was a simple fix for a silly mistake. Still, these fingerless mitts knit up quickly. They are a Christmas gift for my daughter-in-law. The yarn, Cashmerino Bloom from Purl Soho, is so nice to work with and made pretty mitts. I think I can get another pair from the same skein. The free pattern was fun and easy. I knit the cuff in 3 x 1 ribbing switching to broken rib at the top of the wrist. My notes on the modifications I used are on Ravelry. 

Since last writing about this project, I stitched the squares on the front of the pouch. They will be partially covered by the flap when the pouch is in use but closed. Then the front will look like this. 

Originally I planned to machine stitch the side seams but now I'm considering seaming by hand from the right side. I want the grids to line up on the front and the front flap. Or I could baste them together by hand, turn them right side out, to check for accuracy and then machine stitch. Time will tell. I need a quiet afternoon to work on it but on these nice days I should work on the weeds. 

I am rereading These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. After returning a couple of library books that weren't for me, I needed something well written and thoughtful. I first read this book when it was published in 2021. I recalled the subjects of some essays but not all. It was fun to rediscover Patchett's essay on Eudora Welty as well as the one on book covers. They are all worth a reread. 

The light on these late afternoons is so lovely. I happened to look out the window last week and saw this sight. The Linden leaves begin to turn bright autumn yellow. Whether the yellowy gold is from the light or the leaves, it's a beautiful reminder of the beauty of early autumn. Wishing you warm autumn days to savor and enjoy. 

Ravelry Link

Jacque's Mitts

September's End

Hello Gentle Readers. Where did the September days go? Perhaps because we were a week in Connecticut, the days went by more quickly. Here, September delivers warm and rainy days. The zinnias, although bowed down by the rain, continue to bloom brightly. Monday the sun came out so I began fall weeding. After I finished and put my tools in the shed, I stood a short distance from the zinnias and watched the butterflies. The fluttering wings of six monarchs, one swallowtail, and two painted lady butterflies remind me to look for beauty amidst the weeds and raggedy edges. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with our daughter, son-in-law, and family. We celebrated two birthdays. Emmett, the oldest is sixteen and Norah, the youngest is eight. We tagged along to football, gymnastics, and diving. Sadly Emmett's baseball game was cancelled due to rain. We attended church where our son-in-law is the Senior Pastor. Kate and I walked around the "Point" adjacent to Long Island Sound so I came home with a small bag of treasures, including shells, rocks, and sea glass. Norah and I made little beaded bracelets for each other. We caught up with Micah and his baseball card collection. Being part of their ordinary days for a week was such fun. We flew home on Thursday before the Nor'easter landed which was a piece of luck. The day before, we were at the beach with Kate and Jonah to watch the wind begin to churn the waves. Jonah, eleven, is the guy who could beach comb and fish all day so he was game to come with us. 

Wednesday is the day to link with Kat and the Unravelers. Before we left, I cast on a pair of socks. I didn't make as much progress as I usually do because of the fun. I often wonder if a lace design creates a loose fabric for a sock but that isn't the case with this pattern. The pattern is free and well written. Because the yarn is a neutral tonal, I knit an "eye of partridge" heel flap. I have some holiday gift knits to work on so I'm not sure when I'll finish these. 

Since coming home, I mended a quilt that has been waiting for attention. I made progress on this cardigan. Rowan Felted Tweed is one of my favorite yarns and this is the second time I've knit the pattern. The modified saddle shoulder/raglan construction fits me well and I have notes about modifications so the knitting is smooth sailing. (I hope I didn't just jinx myself here.) Once I get past the sleeve separation, I will be able to pick it up in odd moments. The plum colored yarn beside the sweater is destined to be a pair of mitts as a Christmas gift. I generally make two or three smaller knitted gifts for the holidays so it is time get those projects on the needles. 

While traveling, I read The Light After the War by Anita Abriel. This historical fiction is the story of two young Hungarian Jewish women in the aftermath of World War II. After being sheltered in rural Austria, they make their way to Naples and eventually to Caracus. Having been friends from childhood, the bond between the two women is heartening. The novel focuses on their recovery as they rebuild their lives. While the writing is average, the story is remarkable because it is based on experiences of the author's grandmother. It is also a tribute to the human spirit of hope and resilience.

As September turns to October, I wish you well with shelter from the storms. 

Ravelry Links

Autumn Latte

Don't Ask 2

Mid-September

Hello Gentle Readers. This mid-September brings changeable weather with alternating cold and warm fronts. Sunday morning was chilly. Then on Monday, a warm humid day was sandwiched between morning and evening thunderstorms . When the sun shines, the skies are beautiful beyond description. I continue to cut and enjoy bright zinnia bouquets although the rest of the garden looks ragged. Some of zinnia blooms have morphed into slightly different hues. Perhaps they also age. 

Depending on how Wednesday goes, I hope to link with Kat and the Unravelers. If not, I'm there in spirit. This week, as changeable as the weather,  I worked a little on this and a little of that. I enjoy knitting the handspun shawl and have just started a second section of eyelet lace. From the photo you can see I cast on a pair of socks that I hope will be a travel project. 

I stitched on the piece of fabric that I plan to sew into a small pouch. I finished the grid on the back as well as the front flap. Even though it isn't visible in this photo, I couched on the last six square grid that will be the inside front of the pouch. All of this makes sense in my head so I hope it comes together in real life. I don't have a pattern although I have made other pouches following tutorials by k3n (Kathryn) Cloth Tales. 

This week I listened to A Line in the World: A Year on the North Coast  by Dorthe Nors, translated by Caroline Waight. This nonfiction is a description of Nors' homeland on the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark. I would classify this five plus hour audiobook as nature writing with a touch of memoir. In a calm but clear-headed voice, Nors explores the connection between inhabitants, environment, geography, and history of the rugged area. She doesn't shy away from controversy or ugly truths but still the narration was peaceful and hearing the pronunciation of names and locations in several languages added to my enjoyment. Nors' purpose in writing the book was to explore a woman's relationship to the land and area and she did so without romanticizing it. I came away with a sense of the rugged beauty and a respect for those who live there.

I also read the mystery, Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd. This is the second in a series featuring Nora Breen, the fifty some year old former nun pursuing a criminal in "Gore-on-the-Sea" along the coast of England. I am enjoying this indomitable woman who is forging a new life for herself in middle age as well as the cast of quirky characters. While it's not a Louise Penny novel, the sardonic humor and plot twists kept me entertained. 

I hear rain on the roof. I need to find a raincoat and run a few errands. Enjoy your making and reading while you stay well and safe.   

A September leaf

Still Summer

Hello Gentle Readers. Even though I begin this post with wool socks, the last ten or so days have been very summery as in extremely hot and dry. Rain is forecast for late this Tuesday evening. Hopefully cooler days will follow. One tomato plant still grows giving us a few ripe tomatoes. Down the street, a neighbor has a glorious patch of sunflowers between the street and the sidewalk. On the other side of that driveway, morning glories twine over and around catmint and the bees hum. I love that little bit of wildness.

On Wednesday I will link with Kat and the Unravelers. The Beach Glass socks are finished. I enjoyed the yarn and the little bow-tie design down the side of the leg. This week, I continued knitting on the "Same As it Ever Was" hat. I am using helical knitting to blend yarns from a mini skein set. It's a great project for spare moments of knitting. 

Once I knit a colorwork yoke sweater with Rowan Felted Tweed. Although I loved the fabric, every time I put on the sweater, I took it off. The fit was wonky. Earlier in the year I reclaimed and washed the yarn. Since I used the same yarn base in the Don't Ask cardigan and it fits well, I cast on another one with the reclaimed yarn. I completed the neck shaping and am happily increasing the modified saddle shoulder portion. I don't remember ever successfully knitting with reclaimed sweater yarn but I'm pleased with this project.

This week I needed a light read so I picked up The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. Benedict writes historical fiction about remarkable women whose contributions are often overlooked. The narrator of this story, set in 1930, is mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers. Sayers' cohorts include four other female mystery writers, Agatha Christie, Nagaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. During a humorous but maddening episode, Sayers and Christie elbow the queens' way into a mostly male club of detective writers. While I noted a few instances of too-modern vocabulary, I enjoyed the friendship forged between the women as they set out to become appreciated in the Club by solving a real-life murder. Soon, setting the record straight about the deaths of two young women who were ill-used by powerful men and maligned by the press, becomes their higher purpose. My daughter thought I'd enjoy reading this book and sent me her copy. My mother was an avid reader, including mysteries. I'm sure she read Christie and Sayers so this book is a nice connection for us. Your mileage may vary, but I enjoyed the novel. 

As summer winds down, I wish you a good week with peaceful making and interesting reading. 

Ravelry Links

Bowtie Beach Glass Socks

Same As It Ever Was Hat

Don't Ask Cardigan