A Sweater, A Sock, and A Washcloth

Hello Gentle Readers. Happy May. All the deciduous trees have leafed out, the sky is bright blue, and the day promises to be very warm. The neighborhood changes almost daily. I was surprised to see a purple clematis blooming and twining around the pole of a street lamp. The iris love these warm days.  Although it is very dry again, not having rain means the iris stand tall and gorgeous. The purple ones remind me of my Grandmother Helen. She often took my sister and I outdoors to pick a bouquet for the table. As we got older, she sent us by ourselves. We used her heavy silver and red kitchen shears to snip whatever flowers we wanted. She was generous with all nine of her grandchildren. 

Today is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and friends. I enjoy reading all the posts about making, reading, and life. I worked on three projects this past week. As I took the photo, I thought about the walking-into-the bar genre of jokes. "So a sweater, a sock, and a washcloth walked into a bar . . . " Although I am not a bar person, I'm sure some knitter could come up with a creative joke involving unraveling. 

This week I knit on the washcloth in waiting rooms and social gatherings. I worked on the socks in odd short moments. Evenings I knit on the sweater with a cup of tea or ice water. I'm making progress on all three which should tell you something about the dust in my house. On Mother's Day evening, I completed the bind-off on the sweater body. Last night while winding a skein for the sleeves, I found six knots. Rats. Luckily, I have another. 

I read Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo. This is the story of William and Ellen Craft who escape enslavement by using keen intellect and clever disguise. The Craft's escape, in plain sight, to Philadelphia and then Boston is only the beginning of their story. With unmatched bravery and also putting themselves in danger of being returned to their enslavers, they participated in the Abolitionist lecture circuit in the United States and then England. In this complex well researched nonfiction, the author writes an individual story set against the larger story of slavery. She clearly identifies points of speculation and doesn't attempt tidy conclusions. My sister recommended the book to me and I'm glad she did. 

I'll leave you with a photo of a gorgeous neighborhood iris. Likely I'll be away from this space for a week or so but will be back soon. All is well and I hope also with you. In the meantime, a sweater, a sock, and a washcloth walked into a bar. And . . . ?