Knitting Adventure

Hello Gentle Readers. Today the sky is a nearly cloudless blue while the breeze works itself into a gusty cool day. The juncos still frequent the feeders telling me that Spring has not yet arrived. Sunday when I walked I greeted neighbors washing cars in their driveways. Monday our high temperature was seventy degrees which is too warm for February but glorious for walking. The rest of this week will be more seasonable but still on the warm side. I know those in the north and northeast of the country are winter weary but here we could use a wet snowfall. 

Today I link with Kat and the Unravelers and feel grateful to be part of this group. Sunday I wet blocked my hopefully, finished sweater. Knitting can be an adventure. While waiting for the sweater to dry I went to work on the Sophie Hood. The pattern is a clever bit of knitting origami. Saturday night when I was almost finished shaping the hood, it looked like this. 

I pinned it together and tried it on. Thank goodness I did because the hood was not long enough from the top of my head down to the neck. Rats. This pattern has been knit successfully by many knitters. The error in row gauge is mine. As I worked on it, I couldn't quite wrap my head around the hood shaping. Once I finished, it made sense. In my defense, the pattern emphasized knitting the scarf end to a specific width before beginning the hood shaping and at that point I was spot on with the stitch count and width. More measurements in the schematic would have helped me adjust the pattern. An additional schematic of the hood laying flat would also have been helpful. 

Monday evening I ripped out the hood. It was work because I'm holding a strand of mohair/silk with the handspun. I like the fabric but the yarn won't stand up to a second time (or more) of ripping and re-knitting to get the correct size of hood. Maybe I just have a big head who knows? I'm now knitting a Sophie Shawl which is really a good sized scarf. The rate of increases and decreases will be slightly different than the Sophie Shawl pattern but I wasn't going to rip out the whole thing. As I like to say, I am getting my money's worth out of the yarn by knitting it more than once. 

In between, I pulled out another work in progress, a pair of socks. They were travel knitting during our Thanksgiving trip to Connecticut. I started the second sock on the flight home and since then they have languished in the project bag. I am on a mission to finish these projects before going on to something new. 

This week I listened to Murder at Gull's Nest by Jess Kid. This is the first book in a series of charming cozy mysteries and was a delightful escape from the world. The protagonist, Nora Breen, is a fifty year old former nun. I was attracted to the book by the idea of a woman reimagining her life at age fifty. About two-thirds of the way into the book, I figured out the culprit but that didn't curb my enjoyment. I enjoyed the setting, a small seaside village in Kent in 1954, as well as the quirky cast of characters. The narrator was excellent. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I also read a beautiful book of poetry, The Moons of August by Danusha Laméris. This book was a gift from my sister who knows how to choose poetry. This poet has known great sorrow and death but writes eloquently of life. Her poems are gorgeous and accessible. The physical presentation of the book is elegant. The cover is lovely while the beginning, end, and each section are marked by a line drawing of a crescent moon. 

I hope you are finding some peace and beauty in your week. If you need some inspiration, you might read about the group of Buddhist monks who walked from Texas to Washington D.C. to promote peace. I am not of their faith but find a great deal to admire in their message. Their gentle interactions with local law enforcement officers during their walk is inspiring. Yesterday they reached D.C. and celebrated their hope for peace with an interfaith service in the National Cathedral. Peace, Love, and Light my friends. 

Ravelry Links

Handspun Sophie

Connecticut Latte Socks

I love pink clouds at sunset.