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. 


10 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.

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  2. Your hollyhocks are gorgeous.

    I love the socks too. That kind of yarn keeps me very motivated. I love seeing a new stripe show up.

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  3. 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!

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  4. 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!!

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  5. 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.

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  6. 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!

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  7. 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.

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  8. 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!

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

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  10. 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!

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