Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Hello June

I walked this cool morning and enjoyed the birdsong and all the flowers. I noticed the sweetest patch of bachelor buttons in bloom. Late last Thursday, we arrived home from a visit with our daughter and family in Connecticut. Sharing a week of their ordinary days was very sweet. All four grands play a form of baseball so we cheered them on at six games. Norah wanted her nails painted to match her T-ball shirt and uses a pink bat. Never mind, she loves flowers and is the smallest and the only girl on her team, she is all business on the field. 

Emmett, the oldest is just about to surpass me in height. We take this photo every visit. 

One morning while everyone was in school, Kate and I drove to RJ Julia Booksellers, a fabulous independent bookstore in Madison, Ct. The store had a large well curated selection of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, as well as an upper floor devoted to books for children and young adults. If you are anywhere near and enjoy browsing bookstores, I recommend this one. Madison is a small quaint New England town. 

Today is the day a group of bloggers gather with Kat to post about making and reading. Between our trip and catching up in the garden, I am still working on the same projects. Since our return, I finished the star table runner. The piecing isn't perfect but I did enjoy the hand-quilting. The runner goes well with our worn dining table. 

When we travel to see either of our children, I knit a pair of socks. This time I chose a Polka Dot Sheep yarn in the colorway Knitmeg because Connecticut is the nutmeg state. The colors turned out to be more than appropriate. By Wednesday, June 7, they reminded me of the colors of the very smoky air and sky. I'm sure you saw photos of the skies in the northeast. We were fortunate to be flying home the next day when flights were departing LaGuardia. At the time, they weren't landing. Anyway, as per my routine, I knit the cuff and established the pattern the day before we left and came home with a sock and a half. 

Last night, I worked a little on the second mitten from handspun. Because this yarn is more like a DK/sport weight, I knit an extra cable repeat to make the hand long enough. I also twisted the cables on the second mitt to mirror those on the first. 

As for reading, I'm enjoying the poetry anthology, How to Love the World in the photograph. It was one of the books I purchased at RJ Julia. While traveling, I read The Cottingley Secret. This was an average work of historical fiction with storylines in two different time periods. The story is neat and tidy, although I did like the way the main character, a young woman, went her own way at the end of the story. Driving to ballgames, we listened to part of the second Harry Potter book with Kate and the kids. Jonah likes the "magic and wonder" in the stories. I may have to read a few more of that series. Late to the party, I'm currently listening to Magpie Murders as I wait for other library audiobooks. It's good entertainment while I knit. Seems I've begun June with some light reads.

I hope the first days of June are treating you well. 


 Ravelry Links

Knitmeg Socks

Handspun Mittens



12 comments:

  1. That picture of your granddaughter in her baseball uniform, mitt, hat, and serious expressions is FABULOUS! I can just imagine her matching fingernails. What a cutie!

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  2. Love your granddaughter's energy! And looks like there will be cosy hands and feet in your house 😊

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  3. I love the pictures of you with your grandchildren. They grown up so quickly. Your grandson is about to overtake you in height! I am so glad you got to visit them! I also like the socks and the table-runner. I know that you and your daughter enjoyed visiting the independent bookseller. Sounds like a fun place that hubby and I would enjoy browsing (and probably spending money). I am glad that June is treating you well. See you again soon!

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  4. What a nice wrap-up of your trip - thank you for those photos! - and welcome home! RJ Julia is Anthony Marra's "local bookstore" ... I would love to visit someday.

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  5. What a great visit with loads of baseball, a growing grandson, and Norah who successfully combines painted nails and a pink bat with her ability to be all business on the field. Your Knitmeg socks and handspun mitts are lovely, even if the former does remind you of those smoky skies. I also love that poetry collection and hope you garner plenty of joy from your reading of it.

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  6. Oh what a lovely visit you had Jane! Love the pics - especially the ones of you with your grandchildren. Such special times and they sure do grow up fast! I need to search out that sock pattern. I did not know that CT is the Nutmeg State - fun fact! Welcome Home! Glad you were able to travel despite the smoky skies.

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  7. Looks like you had a wonderful visit with the grands in spite of the smoke (and I'm glad it didn't impact your travel). Your granddaughter's spunk inspires me! I'm quite taken with the quilting you did on your table runner, particularly the sections on the side that look like knit cables.

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  8. What a great visit you had (well, minus the smokey skies, that is... that was really quite miserable!) But I am so glad you had an in person check in with your family!

    I love those socks... they are just too cute - I love that little "weaving" detail!

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  9. What a great visit with your family, Jane! I do love the photo of your granddaughter in her T-ball regalia (and such a serious stance!). I have that poetry collection in my own "poetry collection," and it is one I turn to often. Welcome home!

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  10. How exciting that you saw them and had a great time! I love the photo of measuring heights at each visit. Clever you!!

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  11. Hello Jane. Trying again!
    Your back to back photo with grandson is definitely a passing of time one. It and the other similar ones would be good to make a collage for his 18th or 21st b/day celebration.
    I haven’t read the Cottingley book but have read another by the same author. If you enjoy historical fiction try The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter. A good read with a little bit of truth inspiring one of the storylines- yes, two in one 100yrs apart.
    And your little Norah looks like a feisty one coated in sweet chocolate 😊

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  12. I love your table runner....The colors are wonderful. It's great that you can get to see your family and spend time with the kids while they do their activitites. Love the socks.

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