Hello on this overcast Tuesday. Gray skies with a little drizzle have been the norm for the last four or five days. Yesterday I wore a jacket while walking. Ahh Spring, the transitional season. Sunday afternoon Lance and I walked on a trail at the edge of the city. This trail winds along the edge of Wilderness Park. It's nice to be eight feet from the woods but avoid the insect life in the woods. All along this section were bushes with these little white flowers. They have such an interesting blossom. I've looked in a guide and online but haven't been able to discover the name. Now I wonder why I need to know the name. Why not just enjoy the sweet little flowers without naming them? Being near or in the woods is a different kind of walk. It was a nice way to spend a few hours on Mother's Day. This blurry photo isn't going to help anyone identify the flowers but they were lovely.
Tomorrow I'll link this post with Kat and the Wednesday Unravelers. I'm trying a different schedule for my writing time. I'll see how it goes. Anyway, I finished the Sophie Shawl from handspun BFL. I am pleased with this project. When I cast on, I wondered if I'd like the subtle striping created by the yarn but I do like it. Given that I didn't plan color management of the fiber, I'm amazed at how evenly the yarn striped. I spun two braids into two-ply skeins. I used some of the second skein but am hoping I have enough left for a pair of mittens.
The shape of this shawl/scarf is quite wearable. After I wove in the ends, I put it around my neck and tied it in front. The little point in the center curls around the neck for some added warmth or one could stretch it out. It will be great in the winter. The garter stitch with the increase and decrease interest is lovely knitting later in the evening. The Sophie Scarf is a skinnier version of this pattern but honestly this shawl/scarf suits me better. I'm thinking about knitting another with some stash yarn.
I have another shawl on the needles but the wool is a little sticky for me to knit on in warmer weather. I might set it aside until autumn. In the meantime, I cast on some fingerless mitts with a little colorwork pattern. Since I'm a loose knitter I have to go down a needle size so this is an experiment. I've tried one other colorwork mitten pattern with this yarn and slightly larger needles. I ripped it out because I felt like I was going to end up with boxing gloves.
As for reading, I'm in a bit of a slump. I did read Some Glad Morning, a book of poetry by Barbara Crooker. She lives in Pennsylvania. Crooker isn't afraid to tackle political issues but it's the joy and solace she finds in the natural world that uplifts her spirit and those of her readers. These poems are arranged around the four seasons which I find comforting and familiar. From the murmurations of crows, "I say Holy, I say Moly" to the "ripe peaches in August," this little volume is a treasure. I've just begun The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls by Miriam Darlington. The nonfiction is nature writing combined with a bit of memoir. Darlington is from Great Britain so her journey begins there. I'm enjoying the book.
I wish everyone a good week with Spring weather to enjoy.
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Love your finished handspun shawl! I hope you get many good years of wear out of it (and that there's enough for some mitts).
ReplyDeleteWe are having some gorgeous spring weather here. Today is a little cooler, but the sun is warm and the sky is blue, so I'll take it.
That Sophie Shawl is beautiful and I hope you get lots of warm wear from it. (I love mine and wore them almost every day in the winter.) Those little white flowers and their leaves look almost like honeysuckle to me. I tried searching with Google image and got honeysuckle and jasmine as results, but as you said, there is plenty of enjoyment in sweet unnamed flowers. Some Glad Morning sounds like it might be right up my alley, so thank you for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI do love my Sophie Scarf, but I can see the shawl size might work better for you. and it is so pretty in your handspun!
ReplyDeleteYour handspun shawl is gorgeous Jane. Such pretty pattern for the Sea Holly Mitts. It is going down into the 30's tonight! Hard to believe. Today was a gorgeous day - only in the 60's, with a blue, blue sky and lots of sun. Tomorrow more of the same!
ReplyDeleteThe sapphire handspun yarn is beautiful! I love the versatility of garter stitch and its texture is divine.
ReplyDeleteYour Sophie Shawl has inspired me to toss my handspun stash and see if I can find something that might work to knit one! Your shawl is so lovely... and it looks so cozy!
ReplyDeleteI am thankful for poetry when that reading slump hits... no matter where my mind is (or is not) for reading a book, poetry can always settle me! I read a book recently that I think you'd love... Beaverland. It is written by an English professor who started out by wanting to tell the Indigenous story of the beaver... but what she discovered was so much more! Perhaps it will help you out of your slump!
Hello Jane I’m truly hoping this comment takes….I’m cheesed off seeing them disappear into who knows where.
ReplyDeleteYou’ve done well with the shawl making recently, I’ve lost count but it must be several. You’re right about the shading of the blue yarn giving the featured one interest. The continuous movement from one shade to another certainly takes away from the bland look of garter stitch. Visual enjoyment as well as warmth!
Here’s hoping your weather warms up soon or you’ll be using them all instead of putting them away for the summer. But then if your seasons are anything like those here in Victoria it’s possible you’ll be wearing ‘winter attire’ sometime during the summer. Our season is changing as well - the other way. Today (and the past couple of days) we’ve been ‘testing out the heating’ as its been decidedly cool barely reaching a sunny 10c/50f yet the forecast is for days going up to about 16c/60 but showery/wet. Give it a few more weeks and the lower temp will be the norm and that’s when we travel north to Queensland for 10 weeks. Yes we’re the Australian version of your snowbirds.
I wonder if your plant is what we call Potato Vine aka Jasmine Nightshade.
Your blue yarn is just lovely!
ReplyDeletebeautiful! I know so many who have knit that project and yet I haven't yet!! I am gearing up for some serious baby item knitting when my yarn arrives in the mail :)
ReplyDeleteAh, the push-and-pull of spring! We've had some of that lately, too . . . but it's been garden-able weather, which makes me happy. I love your blue shawl, Jane. What a lovely color! I don't know what your mystery blooming plant is . . . but, like you, I'm always interested in finding out the names of plants around me. (It looks like a jasmine bloom, but I don't know . . . ) Enjoy these spring days -- whatever kind of weather they bring. XO
ReplyDeleteEveryone is really tempting me with that Sophie Scarf. REALLY tempting!!! Yours is a lovely color.
ReplyDeleteI love your Sophie Scarf. I really need to make one. The pretty blue color will be welcome in the bleak winter months. I hope you get some nice walks in this weekend. We have a rainy Saturday in store for us.
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