Hello Gentle Readers. The April landscape is an extravaganza of clouds, the color green, and blooms. What a balm for the weary soul. I love the constantly shifting shades of periwinkle blue that come and go depending on the light and clouds. Easter Sunday, a gentle rain fell and the temperature dropped. We had a quiet day at home, enjoying a brunch casserole, spinach salad, and lemon bars. We also chatted with both our children.
Monday afternoon, the sun warmed my back as I raked leaves from around the air conditioner and cleaned up a small bed of coreopsis near the front porch. As I pulled weeds, I noticed lilacs beginning to bloom.
Today is Wednesday, the day to link with Kat and the other Unravelers and post about making and reading. Sunday afternoon, I finished the Garden Sprinkle Socks. The pattern by Anne Vally of Little Skein, was great knitting while helping my husband recover from surgery. It had enough interest but was also easy to put down in the middle of a round. I continue knitting on the red sweater but that's a story for another day.
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| We've had so much dust and pollen, I put a towel underneath my project. |
I cast on a new shawl from stash yarn. A while back, I began a blue shawl that requires closely following a chart. I love the pattern and the yarn, but now is not the time to work on it. The pattern for this shawl is "What you want is in your stash box." Once underway, the patterning in this shawl feels intuitive and repetitive. My plan is to knit one half with each of the yarns. Shawl knitting is comfort knitting for me.
As for reading, I have just begun The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. I'm late to this reading party but am enjoying this historical fiction. The novel takes place in 1789 and is based on an incident in the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife who lived in Maine. Ballard is a force and devoted to caring for and defending women who have few rights in that time and place. The story is engaging and relevant to the rights of women in our time. Quite a number of years ago I read A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on her Dairy, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a work of nonfiction. I can't remember much about the book so I plan to see if I can get a library copy and refresh my memory. I think it will be interesting to compare the two accounts.
I hope April skies bring you joy, sunshine, and a little rain.
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The finished socks are such a good match for the cover of the book! I enjoyed that one a lot, even more so perhaps because it's based on the life of a real person. We've also had some cooler temperatures, but we've also had a couple of days with highs at or slightly above 80, which is unusual for this time of year. I do enjoy being outside (as I am a lot these days) and feeling the warm sun on my face. Everything is blooming here, and when I'm taking Ruthie out at 6 a.m., I get treated to the dawn chorus.
ReplyDeleteI was also struck by how well your socks matched the book cover, and knew right away what purpose the towel was serving under your new shawl. I washed sheets today, and while it pained me to put them in the dryer, I did that rather than hanging them on the line and having to sleep in a cloud of pollen. I think those two yarns will work well together and it's always nice to have a shawl on the needles for comfort knitting.
ReplyDeleteI have that book on my Libby list but haven’t found the right time - yet 😉. I love the name of that shawl. It sums up what I am finding these days - so much of what I need is already here. Enjoy the emerging season.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't read Frozen River either! Thankfully we are now past the messy pollen season - hope y'all will be soon, too. I love reading about what's blooming or close to blooming in your yard. Happy Spring!
ReplyDeleteMessy Pollen Season is yet to come here in Michigan . . . but it's only a matter of time before it arrives. The socks look wonderful, Jane. Although there are all kinds of colorful sock yarns out there - which are so cheering to knit, certainly - the ones that appeal to me most are the plain-and-simple designs knit in neutral colors. (I wonder what that says about me. . . ) Enjoy spring . . . the most fickle of seasons. XO
ReplyDeleteThose socks are beautiful. May our "pollen season" have some relief rains interspersed!
ReplyDeletethere is great value to having a project that can be put down in a middle of a row!! I am glad you had such a project as he heals. Love the color of the shawl!
ReplyDeleteThe yarns from your stash for the shawl are so pretty together and your socks turned out lovely. Thanks for the reminder of The Frozen River. I got it from the library maybe a year ago (or more) and then returned it because I didn't have time to read it at that moment. Thanks too for mentioning Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. I have her book "The Age of Homespun" in one of my bookcases and have yet to read that! So many books and a lack of time. We are having a gentle, rainy Saturday and I will try (key word there) to catch up on some cleaning and laundry.
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