June Days

Hello Gentle Readers. The clear June days have arrived and they are glorious. Being outdoors, even pulling weeds, is enjoyable. The garden grows, the bees hum, the coneflowers bloom, and the bunnies mow down the zinnias. Ah- summer. Sunday while walking, I heard a little house wren singing out her heart. Three tiny young chickadees flit around the birch tree in the front yard and then I see them (at least I think they are the same birds) at the back feeders. We all must coexist in this world or so I remind myself as the squirrels dig in the pots and the bunnies chew up the zinnias. 

Today is Wednesday. If Kat posts, I will link to my fellow Unravelers. I am working away on my knitting projects. I finished the hand of the first Cityscape Mitt and cast on the second. The ribbing gives these a snug fit and also makes them look like a long skinny tube when not on a hand. When finished I'll try to get a photo of them on my hands. I love the increases that help shape the gusset. I joined the second skein of yarn to the shawl and that feels like progress on what continues to be a peaceful project.

I finished this hat, knit with two strands of fingering weight yarn, to donate to a charity. The colors worked out well as I was able to carry one strand of a Merino Cashmere Nylon throughout the entire hat. The other three leftover yarns were variegated in blues and greens. Although I didn't think about it ahead of time, I used the darkest of the three balls in the middle of the hat. I also like the way the ribbing in the brim and body of the hat worked out. I followed mods made by another Raveler linked on my project page. Once I heard a knitter and podcaster talk about a donated blanket someone brought to her mother in hospice care. She said it was ugly and did not bring any comfort. In order to be kind she didn't take it from the room. The anecdote still reminds me that anything I donate should be something I would gift to a good friend.  

This week I read The Things We Never Say, Elizabeth Strout's latest novel. The author's trademark reflections by late middle-aged characters, very human and flawed, are the heart of the story. Artie Dam, a kind beloved teacher in a public school in Massachusetts Bay learns a secret that changes his life. Casting the main character as a history teacher in 2025 allows Strout to tap into the current time and place in the United States. She accurately captures the dread and unease in this country felt by many.

Strout used literary devices thoughtfully. Small bits of physical space throughout the book encouraged me to pause briefly and consider the story. I found the shift between Artie as narrator and the author speaking directly to the reader interesting. While I applaud Strout's nod to teachers and the changes they make in lives of young people, I missed the rural setting in Maine and characters of her other novels. Certainly the novel is worth reading if a little melancholy.

I hope you are enjoying your projects. What fills your June days?

Ravelry Links

Gemma Shawl

Cityscape Mitts

Hat