Wednesday, March 30, 2022

More Lion Than Lamb

March ends with chilly gray blustery days. I'll need a winter coat on today's walk. Yesterday I took advantage of the warmest day of the week and pulled weeds and grass from the small daffodil/iris bed in front of the storage shed. I left the dried iris leaves because overnight temps will remain below freezing for the next week or so. I was warm enough in a heavy sweatshirt and jeans. The ground is dry but it was lovely to get my hands in the dirt. After trying to clean a bird feeder that hangs on a shepherd's crook, we decided to replace it. It was inexpensive and already sported a mended crack in the top. 

Wednesday is the day to link with Kat and the Unravelers. Sunday I finished knitting the Anker's Cardigan. The second sleeve was an adventure that I'll post about next week or whenever the sweater dries and is ready for photographs. I plan to block it this afternoon and I need buttons. Perhaps you heard my song of celebration from afar. I loved knitting with the yarn but was ready to be finished. I have a shawl languishing in a bag but feel like working on some smaller projects. 

I knit on this sock and cast on the fingerless mitts that will be a birthday gift for a niece. This is my fourth time knitting the Alfresco Mitts pattern. The all-over ribbing accommodates to different sized hands. I have used heavy fingering yarn, as in this mitt, as well as older Quince and Co Chickadee, a heavy sportweight. Late last summer I ordered some Chickadee and it wasn't as heavy but I digress. Anyway, I appreciate the details in this pattern. The cable is created by shifting stitches from the ribbing in a set-up row and the thumb gusset has nice detail with one rib running up the center of the gusset and thumb. 

I am currently listening to Violeta by Isabel Allende. In a letter to a young woman, Violeta looks back over her life that has spanned the twentieth century. Although the author does't specifically name Chile, at least in the beginning, I assume that is the setting for most of the story. Reading about world events from the point of view of a Chilean woman is interesting especially after reading Allende's nonfiction book, The Soul of a Woman. She is an accomplished storyteller and writer. 

My word this year is Kindness. And so I loved this message from Jonah and his kindergarten class. The painting on the letters are handprints of children at his school. The message in the dot of the i reads, "Be the I in kind." As I bend my hands and heart to kindness this year, I find some challenges. When representatives of political candidates canvas the neighborhood prior to the May primary election, my goal is to be respectful and kind. It takes courage to go door to door and whether I agree or not, I hope to respect that courage. It's not easy.  


 

Ravelry Links

Valentine Socks

Alfresco Mitts


8 comments:

  1. It's more lion than lamb weather here, too. I could have used some mitts during my walk this morning and those Alfresco mitts look just right to keep hands cosy during some raw spring weather. I'm going to keep Jonah's message in mind (especially when dealing with political candidates). I'm looking forward to seeing Ankers!

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  2. Good For you. That is a great goa1. Your ribbed mitts pattern makes sense.Ribbing does give us a wider range to fit. I am back on b1ogger. Thanks to a tutor named JUDY!

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  3. Your knitting is always inspiring, Jane - and yay for finishing the knitting on Ankers! I hope it's a smooth road to getting it all finished; sometimes buttons take me ages! LOVE the Kindness message from the kiddos and your intention for the primaries. (good luck!)

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  4. Love Jonah's Kindergarteners' message. So good. Like your mitts too. I wore a winter coat and gloves yesterday. I didn't today, but wished I had. It is still blustery and chilly out. Tomorrow it could hit 70, but it is also supposed to rain. I am so tired of all the political nonsense....

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  5. I just love Jonah's kindergarten lesson on kindness. What a clever way to teach the concept! Because my birthday is at the end of March, I always pay particular attention to the Lion/Lamb thing. It's often right . . . our March came in like a lamb this year, and it is definitely going out like a lion! (Spring is coming.) (I keep telling myself that . . . ) XO

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  6. Johah's kintergarten lesson is one that is worth sharing... if only more people took the message to heart!

    And it is a very lion-like departure for March here as well!

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  7. Based upon the photos my husband has sent from home, March is going out like both a lion and a lamb -- the weather went from snowing and below freezing last weekend to in the mid-70s yesterday!

    I am looking forward to seeing your finished sweater and hearing the story of the second sleeve.

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  8. be the I in kindness, be still my heart!! I think you are innately kind and cannot believe you have to work on it. I am wearing a winter coat, wool hat on my walks, I know it is temporary!!

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