Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Never Say Never


July is warming up. I walk around 8:00 a.m. each morning to beat the heat. I zig zag my way around the neighborhood to stay in the shade. Sometimes my husband walks with me and sometimes not. I picked the first garden cucumbers on Monday. The hollyhocks are glorious. Several evenings I walked over to visit them with a camera. I usually walk without my phone but I made an exception.


Once I said I would never take up spinning because I didn't need another set of hobby supplies. I am eating my words and learning to spin on a spindle. Sarah inspired me with her projects and made a few suggestions to my inquiry. I am amazed and grateful to the generous makers who post how-to-videos on YouTube. This week I tried plying a couple of my small bits. The first three attempts went in the trash but yesterday I made one little thick and thin skein of yarn. It's not yet knit-worthy but I am keeping it as a record of my beginning skills. Even if I never get proficient, I have added something to balance the losses of the pandemic. 


I am linking with Kat and the Unravelers today. Yesterday I unraveled a good portion of the scrappy shawl. I finished it up to the picot bind off (thank goodness I have some sense) before listening to the knitting voice in my head. I let it rest for a few days. I looked at it in the daylight, not making a decision after 8:30 p.m. Once I wrote these scraps were two different hues of purple - one with more blue, the other with more red. I kept knitting thinking, this is going to work, blocking will make a difference. In the end, it was too busy for me. It was as if I had knit two different shawls and put them together. I learned some new stitch patterns and whiled away some evenings. I saved the beginning section because that's the part I like. It's back in a bag resting. If I want to finish it, I'll need to buy a skein of yarn. Oh darn!


So I am knitting on these socks and hope to finish them this evening. I have another shawl on the needles but it is not calling my name in this July weather. A small project, like socks, fingerless mitts or mittens, is more appealing. Spinning with a spindle is also a good way to play with fiber that isn't in my lap.

I am about half-way through Curlew Moon, a book of nature writing. This story is another account of industrialization and intensive agricultural practices bringing about the decline of a once numerous species. Of course there are some individuals working to save the European curlew. Sadly, this is a universal story of our time. Some passages are beautifully written and Colwell weaves poetry and musings by other writers into the narrative about her long walk through the British Isles. I am unfamiliar with many of the other birds named. I also looking up unfamiliar vocabulary. Some words are scientific while others must be specific to the British Isles.

I am also reading Jane Hirshfield's new book of poetry, Ledger. Her accounting contains very interesting and thoughtful metaphor. I love the way she makes a poem out of everyday objects. "Spell Against Hatred" is very appropriate for this time. These poems come from the vantage point of an older woman, a viewpoint sometimes hard to find.

I hope this July day finds you in a cool and sheltered place with a project or a good book. 


9 comments:

  1. The hollyhocks are gorgeous and so is your spinning! I like your idea of keeping the skein as a record and remembrance. I will be looking for Jane Hirshfield's new book as it sounds wonderful, especially the viewpoint of an older woman. Stay cool and stay well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Those hollyhocks are stunning! My walking/running route takes me past a small batch of them, in a really dark purple, and I've enjoyed watching them bloom.

    I am glad to hear that you've been enjoying your spinning. Trust me when I tell you that if you keep practicing, you will very soon have some yarn that you will feel is usable! But keep those small skeins you're creating now; one day you will wish you could spin something like what you're making now and find that it's difficult to do!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gorgeous Hollyhocks and I love your bowl with shells in it. Glad to hear you are enjoying the spinning and I like that you are keeping your initial skein as a record. Your socks are gorgeous!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. First of all you learned to SPIN From YOU TUBE? YOU are my hero!!!! Wow. It can be done. I love your socks. I want to force myself to work on my shawl tonight, but I dunno, my second sock is really calling my name.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh. Jane Hirshfield is one of my favorites! XO
    Those hollyhocks are so beautiful; thanks for sharing. I don't see them much anymore, as they were so ravaged by the Japanese beetles (now controlled, thankfully), so it is a real treat! Love the striped socks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I loved seeing your photos and what you've been working on. It has been hot and I've been hibernating in the house. Lucky for me I have lots of books and yarn to pass the time away.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Here's to learning something new! Those hollyhocks are lovely indeed. And really...those may be the best striped socks I've ever seen. Stay cool out there!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your hollyhocks are gorgeous1 And, go you on the spinning! Thank you for the Jane Hirshfield recommendation! I am off to find this book!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I carry my phone on walks/runs ONLY so I can take a photo if I'm so inspired; I'm glad you broke your rule to share those hollyhocks with us!

    ReplyDelete