Making Progress

Hello Gentle Readers. After a beautiful weather weekend of sunshine and temps in the high sixties, cool rainy weather is in the forecast.  After the rain and if my hand cooperates (see below), I plan to begin weeding the garden beds and stirring the compost. This Tuesday morning is gray and chilly. I watched a blue jay at the neighbor's feeder practically hang upside down to extract a seed or two. The grackles are out in full force, cackling around the entire neighborhood. A robin builds a nest between an overhang and the downspout on the southwest corner of the house. I'm thankful she chose a spot that isn't going to cause any difficulty for us. I haven't seen her there since Saturday so she may also be building elsewhere. Sometimes robins build multiple nests. 

On Wednesday, I'll link with Kat and the Unravelers to post about making and reading. Thankfully I haven't done any unraveling this week but I have also not done as much knitting. My right hand aches, mostly from hand sewing and quilting through multiple layers. My age is showing. Also when my husband had cataract surgery on his second eye, I knit on the Nirmilintu Shawl for almost four hours. Although it didn't hurt that morning, it was too much handwork. Since then I've knit only a couple of rows on the baby blanket in the evening. When the blanket edge is the width of my table or when I am halfway through the second skein, I'll begin the decreases. Progress! If my hand hurts, I stop, stretch it, and pick up a book. Anyway, the photo above shows this week's progress on the shortie socks, the shawl, and the blanket. For the record, I knit on the socks before my hand hurt.  

I listened to The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 2 by Beth Brower. As one would surmise, this is a series written in the format of a young woman's journal. Volume One begins in 1883 in London. Ms. Lion, a young woman orphaned as a girl is full of spunk, wit, and determination as she navigates London society, family, and neighborhood characters that include her dishonest cousin Archibald and strong willed Aunt Eugenia. I'm late to this party but Volume 2 is as charming and full of hijinks as Volume 1 and great as a "light" listen.

I'm reading Starry and Restless: Three Women Who Changed Work, Writing, and The World by Julia Cooke. This nonfiction work is the account of Martha Gelhorn, Emily "Mickey" Hahn, and Rebecca West during the years 1930 to 1954. These three intrepid women traveled the world and then worked their way into international journalism during World War II. They were adventurous and rejected society's stereotypes for women and women journalists. They wrote magazine articles, plays, novels, short stories, and nonfiction while living unconventional lives. They were both praised and criticized for their work as well as the way they lived and loved. The narrative is fascinating and full of detail, maybe a few too many details, but I am very much enjoying this book. The chapters alternate between the women. For me, reading a hard copy, with the option to refer back to previous events, is preferable to the audio version. 

As the little finches come to the feeder and the lilac buds appear, I wish you a Happy Spring.  

Hello April

Hello Gentle Readers. I am composing on Tuesday. Once again, the wind is blowing and stirring up dust and pollen. April showers forecast for Wednesday and Thursday this week will be very welcome. The view out my window is quite green this morning. Trees begin to leaf out and bright yellow dandelions bloom in the neighborhood. This morning I noticed a lilac bush with buds. The juncos have departed for the season. Next week I will begin to clean up the flower beds. Signs of early Spring are everywhere. 

On Wednesday, I'll link this post to Kat and the Unravelers. Knitting on the baby blanket continues but doesn't look much different than last week. For fun, I'm adding a mini skein or three to frame the lace sections of the Nurmilintu Shawl. Nurmilintu, a Finnish word meaning "little bird," is a sweet footnote to this shawl. Google also told me there is a Finnish lullaby incorporating the word.  

I completed the first sock of a pair of scrappy helical shortie socks. For me, a section of 1x1 ribbing on the soles makes shortie socks fit better. Helical knitting made the sock foot knit up quickly. I kept knitting to see how long the small balls of yarn would last as I knit the foot. The knitting games we play! 

This past week, I read The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox from the backlist of Maggie O'Farrell. Iris, a woman living in Scotland, receives a call about her Great Aunt Esme. The caller tells Iris, that her aunt, a woman she never knew existed, is being released from a mental hospital after sixty one years. The story toggles between past and present as it reveals deep secrets of the family. The narrators shift with no cues or ties to the timeline which can be a bit disorienting. However, this literary device suits the writing, the plot, and the characters. I soon got used to the shifts and was able to follow the story. This novel was published in 2007 but stands the test of time. I thought it was excellent. O'Farrell created the personal story of a young woman confined in a mental institution because she differed from traditional expectations for girls and young women.  

I hope you have a good first week of April filled sunshine and/or showers, as your heart desires.  

Late March

Hello Gentle Readers. Whoosh! There goes March in a whirl of wind. Literally. Many days in the month were blustery. Today the sky is hazy blue and the air quality is poor. That could mean dust and pollen and/or smoke drifting in from wildfires. Last Saturday the temperatures hit a record high of 95 degrees. That day, we attended the anniversary celebration of good friends which meant searching the closet for summer clothing. The next day the wind came up and the morning temperature was 35 degrees. The temperature is again on the upswing toward 84 degrees this afternoon.

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. By knitting a few rows most days, I'm making progress on the baby blanket in the top photo. I'm not wild about knitting with acrylic yarn. Next time I'm knitting baby or child knits, I'll look for an alternative. Often I use Swish DK, a superwash merino from KnitPicks, but I'd have needed multiple skeins for a blanket. I thought joining and weaving in ends of a solid color would mar the garter stitch done on the bias. 

Because garter stitch is always a good idea for me, I cast on a lightweight spring shawl.  Last night as I drifted off to sleep, I thought of another way to incorporate the contrasting mini skeins. Next time I pick up this project I plan to rip out the three stripes. Previously, I have knit at least three versions of this little shawl and wear them often. 

I cast on some scrappy socks for a carry-around project. I'm following a sock recipe for helical knitting created by Denise DeSantis, the Earthtones Girl. She offers a video tutorial on her Youtube channel and in her book, No Fear Sock Knitting. On recent warm days, I wore shortie socks while walking and could use another pair. 

I finished Norah's mittens and they were well received. Immediately on opening the mailing envelope, she put the new mittens into her backpack. In my note, I told her I taped the envelope very securely so the mittens weren't tempted into another adventure. 

Between the wind, changing weather, and state of the world, I have had trouble falling asleep. One of those nights, I picked up Still Life by Louise Penny. I listened to this series so I thought I'd read one in print. I also knew the good guys were going to solve the crime. It was fun to revisit Penny's introduction of the characters and the village of Three Pines. As I read, I noticed wisps of future storylines. I think she began this series with the intent to write four novels, each one representing a season of the year. Her success story is heartening. 

Thank you all for your kind words and good wishes for my husband's cataract surgery. All went well and his eye is healing nicely. The second surgery is coming up in another week or so. Thank goodness for modern medicine. 

Monday was perhaps the coolest day of the next two weeks so I made raspberry jelly. Last summer, I cooked raspberries down, extracted enough juice for one batch, and tucked it in the freezer for a winter day project. This year it became a nice March afternoon project.

Have a good week friends. 

Ravelry Links

Baby Blanket

Spring Nirmilintu

Scrappy Helical Socks

Stitching the Days

Hello Gentle Readers. I am composing this on a very cold Monday. Yesterday snow with strong winds made for a quiet day indoors. A large flock of house finches and juncos swarmed the bird feeders all afternoon. Next Friday, the forecast is for a high temperature of 85 crazy degrees. Several days last week, strong winds encouraged wild fires in rural areas of Southeast Nebraska. March blusters on in all of its iterations.  

Last week, I completed my Stitch Journal. This project began in January 2025 when I was intrigued by the 2024 stitch journal project created by Kathryn on her YouTube channel. Some pieces were inspired by her prompts and other times I went my own way. The small size was perfect for playing with fabric and embroidery thread on hand. I knew I could discard anything I didn't like but I never did that. Uneven stitches, patches, and wonky proportions added to the charm. I created for fun.  

Sometimes I began with an idea I wanted to convey with cloth and thread while other times the words came to me during and after the stitching. I don't know that I'll make another stitch journal but working on this one was a delight. Journey, journal, and diary all come from the same Latin root word, diana. The pieces record seasonal changes, joyful family visits, as well as a longer-than-I-expected recovery from pelvic floor repair surgery in May. As I look back through the pages, I see the journey of this past year. At any rate here are the last three pages. This February I stitched the "heart of the matter."  

The remaining two pages were completed in March. The first "nourished a (handspun) thread of hope and the second the promise of Spring.

Thinking of Spring, I copied the flower from my Mom's mug and added the sun and green landscape. I learned the Basque stitch to create the sun's rays. That stitch was "fiddly." I doubt I'll use it much but it's good to try something new now and then. 

Coincidentally this week, I finished reading With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories by Nicole Nehrig. In this nonfiction work, Nehrig set out to learn more about the importance of textile work in the lives of women. I have read nonfiction regarding the history of quilting, knitting, and spinning but the inclusion of weaving and embroidery was new territory for me. Did you know that some mathematical principles may have originated in weaving designs? I appreciated the way Nehrig included needlework from around the world and art created by women from marginalized and indigenous cultures. I'm still thinking about a project created by a woman to painstakingly unpick the threads of a Confederate Flag, comparing it to the difficult work of overcoming racism in this country. Nehrig's work is well researched and her discussion nuanced. If this sort of history interests you, I recommend this book. 

At some point on Wednesday, I'll link this post to Kat and the Unravelers. My husband is having the first cataract surgery on the 17th and then we have a follow-up appointment early on Wednesday. This is a routine surgery expected to go well but I may be scarce around blog-land this week as I am the designated driver and errand-runner. 

Mitten Adventures

Hello Gentle Readers. Monday, the high temperature was in the mid-seventies. Early this morning a light wet snow fell. Right now the sun is out and the temperature is just warm enough to melt snow from the tree branches. Still, signs of spring are everywhere. Under light snow cover, the yards begin to turn green. Red maples show the fringe-y looking growth that comes before the leaves open. Crocus bloom in the neighborhood and the daffodil spears grow taller.  

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers with a tale about a lost and found mitten. Early last week, Norah lost one of her "Pop Top" mittens. She emptied her back pack and looked for it in her at-home cubby of mittens, hats, sandals, swim goggles, and other necessary items. She looked in the yard and on the school playground. Jonah suggested she check the school "lost and found." She didn't know about "lost and found" so my daughter notified his teacher he'd be picked up at a different door so he could search the lost and found table in the gym. The mitten was no where to be found and she was sad. 

Saturday over Face Time, she asked if I could knit another mitten - "not for her writing (right) hand." According to Norah, it didn't even have to be the same color but maybe a little longer as her hand has grown since last November (3/4 inch to be exact). Well of course I could knit another mitten but thought a pair would be even better. Sunday I knit the first mitten. This pair has cream colored cuffs because I don't have enough leftover pink to make two full mittens.

Monday night they called again, all smiles, as Jonah found the lost mitten on top of a snowbank on their walking route to school. Misshapen and dirty but without any tears, it survived three days in the snow and a weekend of rain. Norah and Jonah are certain that, a la the picture book The Mitten, a little mouse or bird sheltered in the mitten during the rain. The pair has since been washed and according to my daughter came out looking reasonably well. In the meantime I'm finishing up the slightly longer pair and will send them off tomorrow. I wish all of life's problems had such an easy solution. 

This week I read Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Lobato. I loved this quiet story of a loving mother daughter relationship that unfolds mostly over Skype. The mother in Brazil expresses concern for her daughter, an international student in Vermont while the daughter worries for her mother because she lives alone. The novel chronicles a gentle but heartbreaking and humorous view of the immigrant experience. The writing is lyrical but sparse in a way where every word counts. I know mother/daughter relationships can be difficult but I enjoyed reading about these two women growing into a rich adult friendship. 

And so rather than a photo of snow, I leave you with one of Spring. I am off to make either a batch of cookies or scones to warm up the kitchen. I hope March is treating you well. 

 

Welcome March

Hello Gentle Readers. Around here, March came in like a lion cub. Sunday was a cold gray day but the temperatures are seasonable which I prefer. Sometime early Tuesday morning a sprinkle of rain fell. More rain is in the forecast later this week.

The best Spring news is that the sandhill cranes are flying. When I was out on the deck on Saturday morning their ancient music alerted me to the silvery gray ribbons in the sky. Back on the ground, a tiny yellow crocus blooms in a yard and the daffodils are up in the backyard. Spring is around the corner. In spite of terrible things happening around the world, the rhythms of the natural world comfort me.

Today I link with Kat and the rest of the Unravelers. On Sunday I put the last stitches in the Sophie Hood turned into a Shawl/Scarf. The photo is a Monday morning special in what has become my favorite at-home sweater this winter and sans makeup which I wear less and less. The fabric is lovely, soft, and warm. I took one last photo with the Valentine Quilt as a background because they went so well together. 

I cast on a simple corner-to-corner garter stitch baby blanket. My great niece and her husband are having a baby in August. This baby will make me a Great Great Aunt which is hard to imagine but here I am at seventy four. I decided to make something simple and washable from locally available yarn. The yarn has some soft gender neutral yellow and green speckles. This will be a nice project to pick up and put down in the next few months. 

I also wound up several skeins of yarn only to put them back in the stash. My knitting mojo as restless as the weather. This bunch of yarn might have the most promise. I'm looking for something with spring colors. 

This week I read Girls on the Line by Aimie K. Runyan. This historical novel was an average but easy read. The main character is a young woman born into the upper middle class in Philadelphia. Much to her parents' consternation, she becomes the commanding officer of a group of women telephone operators for the American Expeditionary Forces on the western front of France (WWI). I could have done with less romance and more detail about the work of these young women. The novel ends at the end of the war and the passage of women's suffrage. The ending was happy and predictable and that wasn't all bad this week. In the acknowledgements, Runyan detailed how these women were finally recognized as veterans in 1978. 

Did March enter your neighborhood as a lion or a lamb? 

Ravelry Links

Handspun Sophie

Baby Blanket

A brave flower and even some blades of green grass

February's End

Hello Gentle Readers. Last Thursday seven, yes seven, inches of snow fell on our neighborhood. This was the second measurable amount of snow this season, the last occurring over the Thanksgiving weekend. Since then the days have been cold but this week the temps promise to warm to sixty degrees. As the minutes of daylight increase, the light in February changes. This morning the sky is a silvery bright gray. Yesterday it leaned toward blue. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. My knitting is not exciting this week. I continue to work on the Sophie Shawl. I passed the apex of the scarf and am knitting down the width. Last night the repeats didn't take as long so that feels like progress. The shaping makes it the reverse of the return of daylight in the northern hemisphere. 

I finished these socks by knitting on them every time I sat down to knit. To me, this colorway named Kestrel, looked better in the skein than in the socks. I do enjoy knitting and wearing the Tenderfoot base by Polka Dot Sheep. No matter the colorway, warm feet are warm feet. Maybe I am weary of winter attire of sweat pants and wool socks.  

This week I worked on this little piece of patchwork. Off and on I enjoy piecing by hand. Last summer I put together some blue scraps and sewed some small squares together, Once the piece is square with eight darker patches marching diagonally down the center, it will be finished. It could be a pillow top or it might go back into a box with other bits of patchwork. 

This week I read The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros as it is the March selection for my local book group. What a tender beautiful story from the viewpoint of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago. Although the book was first published in 1984, I received a copy of a second edition published in 2009. Cisneros' introduction to the second edition is as touching as the vignettes in the story. The structure of short vignettes about people, places, and events in the life of Esperanza suit the viewpoint of a young girl, living on Mango Street. Cisneros' writing is lyrical and some vignettes remind me of prose poetry. Her word choice is exquisite. She chose the right word at the right moment to convey the most meaning. Now I wonder how I missed this book, although my son was born in 1984, twenty months after his sister. I doubt I read much in those first few years of two little ones.  

I also read an older book of poetry, Radiance: Poems by Barbara Crooker published in 2005. I don't know when Crooker began publishing poetry but this little volume is packed with wonder, beautiful metaphor, and reflections on visual artists and their work. Crooker's poems come with hope and astute observations.  

Now the sun is breaking through the clouds and I can hear melting snow running off the roof. I leave you with a February sunset. Here's to changing light. Have a good week.