May Flowers

What a gorgeous morning in May. After days of overcast skies, the sky is brighter. These days I tend the flower bed, herb garden, and the vegetables. The potato plants thrive and the cilantro, basil, and thyme that I planted are growing. The tomatoes need more sun and heat but all in good time. I'm using cayenne powder and/or spray to keep the critters at bay. So far so good. The iris are beautiful. I am also enjoying a bouquet of peonies from my neighbor. No ants so far. She is a seasoned gardener so she may have done something to prevent ants before she brought them over. 

Here is this week's Unraveled Wednesday (with Kat and friends) news. In between the outdoor work, I put a few more rows on the Rewilding Shawl. This is my third go around with this pattern. The increases and decreases are arranged to make a slightly deeper shape. Helen Stewart writes line by line patterns in the percentage system so the pattern is a good canvas for modifications. The Antler Mittens need thumbs. Rios is a nice the yarn and the Tin Can Knits pattern is well written. Cabling without a cable needle is another one of those knitting things that makes me feel smart. These mittens match a hat I made earlier. Just think, knitted accessories that match. The neighbors won't know what to think when I walk next winter. 

I didn't do any unraveling but I did throw away the wild and crazy socks. The shades of orange and pink grated on my color sense. There were also some odd blips in the color repeats. I kept knitting but wasn't enjoying the project - at all. Then I noticed one leg was longer than the other. The socks became a chore. I don't know about you but I have enough chores in my life. I rarely throw yarn away but I didn't even want to rewind it for a thrift store or inflict it on a school knitting group. I was just done with this yarn. Enough was enough. Have you ever thrown away yarn?

I am reading The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende and enjoying it. This nonfiction reads like a feminist manifesto. From her rich and varied life experiences, Allende writes with a strong voice. In my opinion, this book reads differently than her fiction but then again she shares similarities with the strong women characters in her fiction. One night, in between library holds, I pulled the The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood from my shelf. I recall enjoying the novel the first time through. Now it seems like an over dramatic cliche'. It is interesting how time changes reading preferences.  

I hope your May days are bright with flowers.