Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Spinning Snow

Good Wednesday to all. I am writing from the rocking chair instead of my desk. The sun warms my back. This week our community experienced power outages due to the prolonged extreme cold. Sometime yesterday morning the temperature was - 31 degrees and that doesn't account for any windchill. We turned down the thermostat and unplugged nonessential items. Our Texas kids are hauling water to flush toilets and dealing with rolling power outages. They are fine and relatively cheerful, if cold. Thank goodness warmer weather is on the way. Slowly the temperature is nudging upwards and currently we are at 12 degrees. Here is to the weekend forecast of 30 plus degrees above zero and an outdoor walk. 

As this is Wednesday, I am linking with Kat and the Unravelers to share my fiber work and reading. Thank you Kat for the link. 

Yesterday I made some very sweet yarn. I plied the Cormo singles, skeined up this bit of yarn, and washed it. Honestly the fiber is so soft, I felt like I was spinning snow. Instead I made yarn. I write this twice because spinning yarn is magic. While winding the plying ball, one single snapped. I cut out a length of very fine yarn and started again which resulted in two smaller skeins. These skeins match another I made last summer. Setting a spindle in motion is just the loveliest moment in a winter day. 


I've enjoyed knitting this sweater but am ready to be finished. I don't think I've ever knit a sweater without re-knitting some rows and this one in no exception. Forager calls for a Latvian Braid just above the ribbing on the body and the sleeves. Tension in my stranded knitting is never even and I don't want tightness around the ribbing so I omitted the braid and knit the ribbing in one size bigger needle than suggested. It was too loose. Turns out designers suggest needle sizes for a reason. ;-) Isabell Kraemer writes a great pattern. While knitting the first sleeve, I decided to try a purl row at the top of the ribbing to imitate the braid and used a smaller sized needle for the ribbing. I liked the look so I ripped out the ribbing on the body, added a purl row, and reknit the ribbing in the correct needle size. Hopefully this is the only re-knitting required. Perhaps I should knock on wood or at least click my needles together three times. 


In between, I finished the scrappy socks. They aren't beautiful but they are toasty because of the alpaca content in the yarn. 


I read 
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamal. This is a bittersweet story of love misunderstood, lost, and found. Most of the main characters are Iranian, some immigrants to America and some not. The descriptions of Persian food are mouth-watering and the women characters are well written. Once again characters' lives are swept along by political events although this is not the focus of the story. The ending was a bit tidy but it was a sweet love story. I enjoyed it. 

Stay warm and safe. May your knitting and reading treat you well.  

Ravelry Links

Winter Forager

Theoretical Socks



 


11 comments:

  1. Oh my that is frigid weather! And I had forgotten that you have family in TX - hope everyone is safe and staying well. We are getting more snow late tonight and tomorrow into Friday...I think only 5" or so, but you never know. I would think that spinning could be very meditative. I like the yarn you have made. And your sweater is gorgeous. I have done a Latvian braid on socks and enjoy making it.

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  2. I LOVED The Stationery Shop! I totally agree about the amazing Persian food - I could smell it. Isabell Kraemer is one of my favorite designers and I'm glad you enjoyed this pattern... it looks gorgeous! Those socks are so cool. And of course - your yarn is magical :)

    I'm glad that you've found ways to stay warm. This weather is so wicked. My family is in SouthEast Texas and is also experiencing rolling blackouts and extremely cold temperatures. It's hard to watch so many people struggle!

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  3. Brrr, I thought our weather was cold, but we never dipped below freezing. I am glad your kids are doing okay and that your temperatures are headed back up. (It's supposed to be close to 40 here on Monday and I'm unreasonably excited about it!)

    I really wish I could pet your handspun. It looks beautiful and even, and I'm sure it's very soft. Your sweater should be done in no time -- you're so close!

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  4. Spinning snow... what a beautiful analogy! Your yarn is gorgeous as is your knitting! Maybe I need to rethink The Stationery Shop! Thank you!

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  5. I love picturing you sitting in that rocking chair - with the sun shining, knitting, reading, and spinning. I have experienced -30 just once, and would be happy if I didn't have to ever again. Stay warm, and I wish your family all the best in TX. It's difficult to see photos and think about how many burst pipes and the damage they have caused will have to be repaired. Your sweater is lovely and your spinning is simply beautiful!

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  6. Your handspun looks amazing! I'm so glad you didn't give up on it! ditto the Latvian braid. We read The Stationery Shop in MMD Bookclub last winter and I enjoyed the book even more after hearing the author talk about why she wrote it ... and the FOOD!!! (I still haven't tried a single Persian recipe ...)

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  7. That is one gorgeous sweater and you are so close to being done. Then you can cast on another one. Stay warm!!

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  8. I can see how it would be scary to add a Latvian braid to a sweater. I've put them on hats, but that's such a small project. The sweater is coming out beautifully.

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  9. wow. when y'all improvise with patterns I am so so impressed ! Wonderful!

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  10. I have yet to master the spindle - maybe another 100 day project for spindle spinning will need to happen. Your yarn does look like snow

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  11. Sure hope your Texas family is back to normal soon. I love your sweater. Getting to the end of a big project like that is something that makes me itchy to Finish. I often make a big mistake at that point. Yours looks amazing

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