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

  

Hello September

Hello Gentle Readers. Summer has one more story to tell on this early September day. Through next Monday, high temperatures will remain in the mid-nineties. I walk on the shaded sides of streets, shamelessly zigzagging back and forth in order to stay in the shade. If anyone asks, I'm claiming more steps. On one route, a large rose garden with many varieties blooms a second time. It is glorious. Monday I went out to snip parsley and basil for a pasta salad and found three small (monarch) caterpillars in the parsley. Since the two plants are small, I made do with basil. Our salad was plenty tasty. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. I finished the heel flap and gusset on the second the Bow-Tie socks. I also cast on some new projects. I have admired the "Same As It Ever Was" hats that Sarah knits from the pattern she designed. I gathered some leftover yarns and a pastel mini skeins to knit one from scraps. After completing the increases, I used helical knitting to blend the first two mini skeins. My only regret is, unlike Sarah, I don't have a Ruthie dog as a way to measure progress. I have plenty of yarn to make a nice hat but haven't decided whether I will mix the colors or knit all the pinks on one side and the blues on the other. 

I wanted to knit with this batch of handspun yarn. I ripped out my first attempt as the stockinette pattern didn't suit the yarn. Garter stitch at a looser gauge looks better to me. I cast on a favorite, the Rewilding Shawl. Helen Stewart's row by row pattern provides percentage of yarn used at certain points in the project which will be useful as I figure out where to use the yarns. My plan is to use solid colors to create eyelet sections. It's an adventure.

Today is my birthday and so here I am walking into my seventy-fifth year in my walking shorts and faded shirt. (All of the stuff in the background belongs to my neighbors who like that sort of thing.)  I am very grateful to be in reasonably good health but that could turn on a dime. In the meantime, I try to savor the ordinary days. My plan is to love deeply, enjoy my family and friends, seek beauty, read thoughtfully, write a bit, and engage with making that sparks joy and peace. I remind myself to focus on what I have and be grateful for those things. Every now and then I need to put my feet up in the middle of the day and so I try to accept this with grace. In the last few months, I've come to realize that energy is equally as precious as time.  At this age, every day is a gift to be unwrapped with care. 

I think it is quite warm most places in the northern hemisphere. I hope you can stay cool and take care in the heat. 

 

August's End

 

Hello Gentle Readers. Here, late August days are slightly cooler. While the crab grass and other weeds grow, the zinnias bloom brightly. Yesterday I saw a yellow swallowtail butterfly from my kitchen window. Monarchs flit around the zinnias. Some evenings, a bumblebee snoozes underneath a flower. Today while walking, I noticed ash leaves on the ground and a few maples have an early hint of red. The season begins to turn. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. As promised, I'll write about the vest I recently knit. I like the fit that gives me a little less than four inches of positive ease. The yarn, Juniper Moon Rambouillet, has a lovely hand. I'd knit with it again in a heartbeat though I don't know for sure how it will wear. By the time I was finished, I had blocked the upper part of the vest at least three times and the fabric wasn't any worse for it. 

The pattern is for either a classic V-neck or round-neck vest with nice attention to detail. The increases along the armhole and neck become a design feature that made picking up stitches for the ribbing go smoothly. The suggested ratio for picking up stitches also worked well. If you recall, I had a slight flaring in the ribbing around the armholes but that blocked out nicely. I chose to do the round neck because I knit the vest with DK instead of worsted weight called for in the pattern. If my row gauge differed from the pattern, I thought a round neck would be easier to adjust. As it happened, that wasn't necessary. I did add an inch length to the yoke/armhole because I often need that modification. The fabric grew a little with blocking so the armholes are slightly deeper than necessary. If I knit it again, I'd knit it per pattern instructions. However it fits well enough. All in all, the pattern and the yarn made for a successful project.  

I read We The Women, The Hidden Heroes who Shaped America by Norah O'Donnell with Kate Anderson Brower. This nonfiction is a collection of short pieces about women trailblazers, including women from a variety of cultural and racial backgrounds. While I learned of several women I had not known of, for example Anna Dickinson, Belva Lockwood, Emily Roebling, and Mary Tape, I found the journalistic writing flat. O'Donnell inserted personal reactions in italics often followed by exclamation points (like this!) that I found unnecessary. One of her often used phrases was "Can you imagine?" Less emphasis on the suffragettes would have left room for writers like Nella Larsen and political trailblazers Shirley Chisholm, Margaret Chase Smith, Bella Abzug, and Ann and Cecile Richards. Although most of the women from previous eras stirred up plenty of controversy, the authors avoided women of our current time whose politics might be seen as controversial. While the premise of the book is admirable, it wasn't well executed. 

Some of the Bruno mysteries are now available via Hoopla audio from my library system, so I listened to The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker. Although about half-way through I identified the culprit, I enjoyed Bruno's romp through the French countryside. Listening to a story of a kind compassionate police officer is a nice diversion from the news. 

Have you noticed the change in the light?  Below is the sky that greeted me as I rounded a corner on Monday morning. 

Mid August

Hello Gentle Readers. I write to you from a rainy overcast morning. I woke to the low rumble of thunder and rain falling on the roof. Since I wasn't going out to walk soon, I rested a little longer. What a luxury. The two small vegetable patches have the end of summer look. The cucumber vines are in the compost. The tomato plants aren't far behind although I have one plant with green fruit. The weeds are out of control but for now they are ground cover. I'll weed later when the weather is cooler.

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers. My making is a little ho-hum but isn't that the way it goes? I also get a little restless when just before the season transitions. I plied the first skein of my latest spin. This skein is 338 yards of fingering to sport weight yarn. I spin more consistent yarn when I ply smaller skeins with the bobbin/flyer combination used to spin singles. As much as I read about and adjust the larger bobbin/flyer on the wheel, that plying doesn't go as smoothly. 

The Avenue Vest is finished and once again drying on the blocking mats. With the rain and humidity, drying is going to take some time. The ribbing around the armholes had the slightest flare so I blocked it again. I'll post some photos and write more about it next week.  

I finished the first Beach Glass sock and cast on the second. I cast on a shawl with some older handspun but am not sure whether the yarn is a good match for the pattern. I looked through some stash but nothing really inspired me at the moment. 

I am late to this party but I read The Women by Kristen Hannah as it is the current selection by my local book group. This novel is the story of three women who served as nurses during the Vietnam War. In my opinion the writing was a little above average while the plot carries the story. These women survived and slowly overcame the horrific conditions and experiences of their service and traumatic return to this country largely because of their friendship. I understand why the author plotted the events as she did but at one point I thought there was a little too much drama. It was as if she included all of her research about the Vietnam Nurses and Vets into one character.  However, the novel will give us some good discussion points and tells an important story.

I graduated from high school in 1969 so I remember the news coverage of the war and subsequent protests. Several young men from our small town were killed in the conflict. Later I understood how the government lied to the country and the world about the war.  However, I didn't know the returning nurses were not eligible to be treated by the Veteran's Administration because they didn't officially serve in combat. Being bombed and shot at in a hospital unit, evidently didn't quality as combat. I have the utmost respect for everyone who serves in the military but stand by my belief that war is hell and a waste of human potential, resources, and the environment. 

On a cheerier note, I leave you with a photo of a sunny August flower. It turns out if you deadhead coreopsis beside a driveway, they bloom a second time. One of these flowers had double petals which I thought was beautiful.  Have a good week.

 

 

August Stitches

Hello Gentle Readers. August heat continues to ripen tomatoes while the vines wither. The coneflower petals fade but the vibrant zinnias attract monarchs and a black swallowtail butterfly. Butterflies are remarkable for their resilience and beauty. When I've been out evenings to stroll around the block, the cicada chorus accompanies slightly earlier sunsets. Back in the day, when their rasping became deafening, my Grandad used to remark, "six weeks to the first frost." Growing up on a farm in the early 1900's, he learned to read the natural world. 

Today is the first day of school for public school kindergarteners, sixth graders, and ninth graders. The first year students in the buildings have a day to adjust before all students are in attendance. Maybe because I was a teacher and a mom, the start of a school year feels like a big milestone. Last evening while walking, I spoke to a kindergarten teacher returning from Open House. She was full of enthusiasm and empathy for her little students. She is one of many excellent teachers who have been hard at work, preparing for the school year. I wish the teachers and the youngsters well. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers for posts about making and reading. I enjoy stitching on this little notions-sized pouch. The four squares in the bottom right square were from a long strip of cloth. Otherwise I've worked with the scraps as they present and with two strands of embroidery floss. I don't pre-mark patterns and sometimes I go back to a square and add stitching. I've noticed that I like some open space. 

Sunday I finished the body of the Avenue Vest. When it dries from wet blocking, I'll pick up and knit the neckline and the armhole ribbing. I'm pleased with the way it came out. Meanwhile, I made some progress on the foot of the first Sea Glass sock. 

I reread an older book of poetry, Lost in Seward County by Marjorie Saiser, published in 2001. The cover art is by a local artist, Hilda Raz. Seward County is adjacent to Lancaster County where I live. While reading the title poem I pictured the roads Saiser describes as she drives to visit "Ted." I assume she refers to Ted Kooser who lives in rural Seward County. Some of the poems in this book are quite long but I enjoyed their short story like quality. They also give the book a different kind of rhythm. One of my favorites from this volume is "My Old Aunts Play Canasta in a Snowstorm." The last line, "deal, sister, deal" is the perfect conclusion to the poem. 

So I best freeze some tomato puree and find a cool indoor space to walk. I'd rather be outside but even the mornings are too humid and hot for me. I wish you a good week.

True Colors

Hello Gentle Readers. As I write, the sky is overcast and the temperature is a balmy seventy seven degrees. Thunderstorms are in the forecast but as usual we can use the moisture. The more temperate summer weather is a welcome relief from the heat. I'm up to my elbows in fresh tomatoes but am not complaining. Garden ripened tomatoes are so good. The black-eyed susans self-seeded to create a bank of flowers against the shed. They grow where nothing else will. The zinnias that survived the rabbits bloom brightly. Monday a monarch flitted among them. A male goldfinch bobbed on and off the coneflowers. The vivid summer colors lift my heart.

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers to post about knitting and reading. I made good progress on the Avenue Vest with three more inches of knitting to finish the body. I photographed it outdoors in order to capture the subtle tonal quality of the yarn. I'll write more about the pattern, yarn, and fit when the vest is finished.

Please excuse the gardening hands.

In between, I picked up a sock that began in the airport on the day of our attempted June trip. The little detail on the side of the leg is supposed to look like a bow-tie. It's fun and easy to knit. The pattern calls for the motif to be knit on both sides of a shortie sock. I chose to make a full sized sock and knit the motif down only the outside of the leg. The pattern is free, well written, and comes with several photo tutorials. The way Lisa of Fibernymph Dye Works matched the colors of the Sea Glass stripes to real sea glass is remarkable. 

I reread Love Forms by Claire Adam because it is the August selection for my local book group. The novel is a meandering story of a middle-aged woman trying to come to terms with her traumatic teen-age pregnancy. At the same time she is looking for the daughter she gave away at birth. The ramifications of that pregnancy and birth echo through all of her life. I predict we will have an interesting discussion because the pacing is slow and some readers may find the detailed description superfluous. Although, if the narrator is telling this story to her lost daughter, all the detail might be relevant. I can think of other reasons the details might be included. Even though I like a slow quiet story, I enjoyed the novel less the second time through. Still I think the novel warrants reading and discussion. A traumatic teenage pregnancy and birth have long-lasting effects that aren't always considered in public policy discussions. 

And so, I hope you too are experiencing vibrant colors of the season. Happy August. 

Ravelry Links

Avenue Vest

Bowtie Beach Glass

July's End

Hello Gentle Readers. As July winds down, the fresh vegetables and fruits are abundant. Sunday I made seven 8 ounce jars of ginger peach jam. Colorado peaches arrived in the grocery stores and they are delicious. Running the canner on a very hot day wasn't the smartest idea but one must strike when the peaches are ripe. I use a stand-alone (water bath) electric canner that is more efficient than the blue enamel variety on the stovetop. Fresh stone fruit and melons as well as garden vegetables are one of the best parts of summer. Monday evening, after being indoors all day, I ventured out in the 90 degree heat. At 7:30 p.m. not a creature or a breath of air stirred. It was as quiet as a winter evening. I walked down one side of our short street, back up the other, and came in for a glass of ginger iced tea. A dilly of a thunderstorm blew through about 2:00 a.m. slightly lowering the temperature but raising the humidity.

Today I'll link with Kat and the Unravelers where we share our making and reading. I'm happy to report the Gemma shawl is finished and blocked. I love the soft shade of blue and the generous size. The yarn, a blend of wool, alpaca, and linen/flax is interesting. In one skein, the linen/flax fiber poked out of the yarn enough that I sometimes pulled out two to three inch strands of fiber. The other skein didn't have nearly as much as that happening. I used two full skeins and broke into a third skein to knit the last six rows of garter stitch. Mostly I didn't want to rip back sixteen rows of the body and twenty four rows of patterned border to get to the place where I could knit both borders with the second skein. In other words, I lost a soft game of yarn chicken. No chickens or skeins were harmed though. 

Once the shawl was blocking, I picked up the Avenue Vest. The stockinette edges curl so I'll block it before picking up and knitting armhole and neckline ribbing. After joining the front and back, I tried it on and am happy with the fit. Blocking may add a little more ease but that will be fine. 

This week I listened to Wild Girls by Tiya Miles, the Michael Garvey Professor of History at Harvard University. I have read other books by Miles and admired her research methods, insights, and writing. She is the author of five prize winning works of nonfiction. This book, published in 2024, is a lyrical, concise, and thoughtful inclusive history about how the outdoors and physical activity shaped the views and ideas of girls of all races. By examining the historical record about Louisa M. Alcott, Harriet Tubman, and Sacajewea as well as lesser known (at least to me) activists including Gertrude Bonnin and Grace Lee Boggs, Miles connects the influence of landscape and/or physical activity to the independence, action, and resilience of the women. I learned things never taught in my history classes.  Of particular mention, is the text devoted to girls' basketball team at a Montana boarding school for Indigenous children. In the conclusion and epilogue, Miles links ideas in the book to the current inequities in green spaces and tree canopies and what that means for families and youngsters today. I'm not sure how I happened onto this book but I found it fascinating.

I began July posts with homemade bread so I'll end with dessert, a peach cobbler.  Excuse the ratty potholders in the background. They have been well used and loved. 

Stay cool and safe in the summer weather. 

Ravelry Links

Soft Gemma Shawl

Avenue Vest