November 4th

Leaves fall gently on this warm November day. This week we will make one more pass through the yard to make certain the outdoor and garden paraphernalia is stored for winter. Drip hoses are still staked down in the tomato patch and there may be a stake or two lingering in the perennial bed. Yesterday was a gorgeous fall day with a clear blue sky. I walked late in the afternoon and the trees were filled with autumn light. Today's sky, with a few clouds on the horizon, is not quite as bright. 

To Kat and Kym and all the other poll workers, letter writers, and volunteers, thank you for your service. Now we wait. Once again I am thankful that Gram taught me to knit all those many years ago. When the 19th amendment was adopted she was sixteen. Now I wish I had asked her about that time. She was never short an opinion. Occasionally she worked at polling places. I can imagine her knitting or hand sewing in a corner of her davenport (couch) while listening to election results on a radio and later on a small black and white television. Mom would have cross-stitched as she and Dad followed the news. The idea of joining a large contingent of knitters this week and in the weeks to come is comforting. 

Last night I finished the little baby sweater and darned if I don't still have some bits of leftover yarn. Sometimes I think that as socks disappear in the wash, yarn multiplies in project bags. The sweater needs a wash to keep the bottom ribbing flat and then I'll weave in the ends. The color-blocking made a fun sweater for some little person. 

I knit a few more inches on the poncho. I am enjoying knitting it. Not much else to write about a rectangle of stockinette. 

I cast on a vanilla ribbed sock out of stash yarn. Honestly I looked for yarn that wasn't blue and this is what I found. I need another project that isn't round and round stockinette. On the other hand, winter is coning and the Connecticut kids have outgrown their hats and mittens. I love to knit for them. As soon as I have current measurements or reports on whose hat fits, I will be knitting hats and mittens. 

I finished Mozart's Starling in the wee hours of last night. This is a lovely book of nature writing, music, Mozart, and birds. A passage about the murmurations of starlings and the science behind these beautiful waves of flight fascinated me. I will never be a big fan of starlings but now I will appreciate some of their behavior and characteristics. When I read during the day (which is not often) I pick up Three Guineas by Virginia Woolf. Her writing about women's suffrage, the right of women to a college degree and to work in professions previously open only to men, and views on war is brilliant if a little hard to follow. I find this nonfiction worth the effort. Her footnotes and more extensive notes at the end of the book provide helpful explanation and context. 

I'm linking with Kat and the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday. Gentle readers, hang on tight and keep the faith under this November sky. 

Ravelry links:

Baby Sweater

Poncho with a Cable

Ribbed Socks

If You Give Your Mother a Kingfisher

Late Sunday evening and into Monday morning, a little more than two inches of snow fell. Snow on trees with leaves fits right into this odd year. More seasonable temperatures and sunny autumn days have returned. Just before the front blew in, the birds flocked to the feeders including a new one. My son gave me the kingfisher sculpture last Christmas. We didn't want to pound it into a tree or the deck and there the story begins. 

If you give your Mother a metal bird sculpture, she will want a bird feeder to go with it. She will sketch a platform feeder with an arm for the kingfisher and hand it to her husband. Her husband will scratch his head, watch online videos, and get out his tools. He will make several trips to Lowe's and Home Depot for wood, stain, screws, new parts for the saw, sealer, and rocks. About July, the son will gently ask his mother if she found a place for the kingfisher. She will reply she hopes it will be up before the snow flies. Eventually the husband borrows a posthole digger from a neighbor, digs to a depth below the frost line, and puts rocks in the hole. The wife holds the post while the husband positions it in rocks, checks the upright angle with a level, and then fills the hole with dirt. When the feeder is finished, it is filled and the birds find it. Three weeks later the first snow falls and the couple wonders if the feeder needs a cover. Chances are if the feeder needs a cover, the husband will have to go back to the hardware store. Inspiration from Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.  

Actually the feeder is lovely and there are no plans for a cover. We will enjoy it this winter, snow and all. We've got a broom to dust off snow. We're going to need something to do this winter.

Saturday I finished Kate's shawl. I do believe I've knitted her a shawl large enough for wrapping up on cold evenings. It will be in the next package to Connecticut. 

The poncho knitting continues. The cable detail marks progress. Right now the piece measures sixteen inches and is good company in the evenings. I continue to work on the baby sweater from partial skeins of yarn. 

In other bird related news, I'm reading Mozart's Starling. This nonfiction weaves together the natural history of starlings, lore and fact about Mozart, and current research about birdsong. From now on I will be listening more closely to the starlings' song and other vocalizations. My sister recommended this delightful book to me. It is just the right for these weeks of frenetic election activity. 

Be well and take good care. Happy Halloween.

 

Ravelry Links

Kate's Winter Shawl

Baby Sweater

October Notes

Last week the juncos returned. Two red-breasted nuthatches poke safflower seeds from the feeder into the birch bark. I don't know if they are cracking the outer shell or storing seed for winter or both. Chickadees, downy woodpeckers, house finches, and a white breasted nuthatch are also frequent fliers. Sometimes cardinals stop by this feeder. After a night of fitful sleeping, the birds stitch the morning back together. 

I harvested the last of the cherry tomatoes and then I had a roasting party. I froze some and stirred the rest into pizza sauce and topped it all with fresh basil and more tomatoes. How many ways one can eat tomatoes and basil, I wonder. Temperatures have been close to freezing several nights but we haven't had a hard frost yet. 

These two spindles of cormo singles are resting for a few weeks before plying The soft fiber is lovely. I am trying not to spin the dickens out of the fiber, wanting a little less twist in my handspun yarn. Thirty five minutes of spinning on a drop spindle is all my right shoulder will tolerate. Whether I stand or sit to spin, my arm is suspended and performing repetitive motions. It tightens up quickly. So I stretch it out and move on. I'm not anxious to repeat the adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) episode.

I'm chugging along on Kate's shawl and looking forward to sending it to her. This week I've regained the lost knitting. Last night I knit the first garter ridge of edging and it was nice to have the large warm piece on my lap. 

In between I knit on two other projects. The baby sweater is a good project for small amounts of time. I don't have a recipient in mind and might donate this sweater. I love knitting from scraps as much as I love eating tomatoes and basil. Good thing on both accounts.  

I have added some cable repeats to the Easy Folded Poncho. Both the shawl and the poncho are peaceful knits, very essential for these days. 

In reading notes, I am almost finished with City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert. I'm not sure what my verdict is on the novel. Female sexuality plays a big part in the story and at times it seems excessive. There are some wonderfully strong, funny, resilient women characters. Relationships between these very human characters, with strengths as well as flaws, are well written. I wish more of the story focused on the main character in later middle and old age. 

The Tooth Witch, the story of how a tooth witch retired and a little witch became the tooth fairy is an old favorite. One of my grandsons recently lost two teeth so I pulled it out to read to him. As he says, "now my tongue has a place to rest." 

Thank goodness for the joy of little ones. I am holding thoughts for all those in the way of the Colorado wildfires. The breeze is picking up as I finish this post. May it bring rain and snow to the west as well as usher in a wind of change.  

I link to Kat and the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday. 

Ravelry Links to projects

Kate's Shawl

Baby Sweater

Poncho with a Cable

Wit and Whimsy

Warm days and cool nights are creating a beautiful autumn in Southeast Nebraska. The birch outside my window is dropping butterscotch leaves. Some leaves on a branch are green while others on the same branch are gold. The ash trees in the neighborhood are the real show stoppers this year. Their leaves meld from green to gold to deep crimson with purple undertones. Someday I'm going to knit a shawl with those colors. Sadly the days of these trees are numbered as the ash borers came to town last summer. I mean to soak up their fall beauty. Tonight may bring the first frost of the season. I am going to pick one more bucket of cherry tomatoes. I have quite a few on the counter but it is hard to let them go. 

Last week I decided to try one of the pumpkin patterns popping up on Ravelry. This sweet project added a little whimsy and respite from the news. I found the bit of pumpkin yarn in my stash. The ball band is long gone but I remember standing in a yarn shop with my sister when we chose it. The plan was to use it in a scrap afghan that I later frogged. Anyway it was a fun little project. 

In other knitting notes, I finished this hat. The pattern has some nice touches including beads in the lace section. I've never beaded anything but maybe someday I'll give it a try with this hat. I've knit the pattern once before and will probably knit it again. The question is do I buy another skein of this yarn in order to make matching mittens? Is it any wonder my stash never seems to become smaller? Mind you, I am not complaining. This year, like every other knitter, I have been grateful to have a stash.

Since the hat is finished, I cast on a baby sweater from leftover yarns. Years ago I answered a trivia question on an early KnitPicks podcast and won two skeins of Stroll. I chose the purple colorway and knit a pair of socks. At a slightly looser gauge, the yarn makes a nice washable baby garment. I don't have much of a plan except to make all the ribbing purple. It was a good way to practice short rows around the back of the neck. 

I am enjoying working on this shawl for my daughter. Last weekend, I finished it per pattern instructions. Since I had a skein and a half of yarn left and she wanted a large warm shawl, I took out the binding and put the stitches back on the needles. The strip of ribbing above the garter edge didn't appeal to me, so I pulled the shawl off the needles and frogged 32 rows. The ribbing might have blocked out nicely but why follow a pattern when you can improvise? I am now knitting another textured section of the shawl. When it is finished, I'll see how much yarn remains and decide what to do next. My knitting mantra is "if it's worth knitting once, it's worth knitting twice." 

I am reading City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert for my book group discussion in November. The prose is full of witty descriptions and similes. I can't say it is great literature but it's fun and fluffy. In the evenings, I read essays from Books and Portraits by Virginia Woolf. Several years ago when we were able to congregate in small places, I purchased this collection on a book group outing to a local used bookstore. All the essays are thoughtful, some touching and others contain a touch of Woolf's acerbic wit. A few are written about people I am not interested in so I won't read this book cover to cover. Still, rediscovering it on my shelf was a pleasant surprise.   

I link to Kat and the Unravelers who are also knitting and reading. Wishing you a little wit and whimsy during these beautiful October days. 

Ravelry Links 

Pumpkin 

Frosted Lilac Hat

Little Nugget Baby Sweater

Winter Shawl

Early October

Early October and the light begins to shift. Sunset comes earlier. What we lose in daylight, we gain in the color of October skies. Some days, the bright blue stretches from rim to rim while on others the periwinkle gray backlit by the sun turns late afternoon into a painting. The maples in the neighborhood display with deep rich red while the locust and birch trees sport a brilliant yellow-gold. Walking in this season is glorious. I try to look up and outward so as not to miss the beauty. October is my favorite month of Autumn. 

After cool fall days, the temperatures are swinging up to 80 degrees this week. Maybe the last few tomatoes will ripen. By the end of the week, I will have clipped enough seed heads from the zinnias for next years crop. The herbs and pot of basil still need water. I will not miss the hot humid days of summer but I will miss the tomatoes and the basil. 

In knitting news, I finished the Downpour Socks. I enjoyed knitting them but never did memorize the texture pattern. I understood what the designer was doing but didn't find it intuitive. With the socks off the needles, the Frosted Lily Hat is my small project. The yarn is soft. I don't know that I've ever knit with Malabrigo Rios. Late to the yarn party again. The soft superwash would be a good yarn for a child's garment.

I continue to work on my daughter's winter shawl. Right now I am knitting the border. The long rows scrunched up on the needle look like a big blue blob of wool. It doesn't photograph well. I cast on a cabled version of the Easy Folded Poncho. The yarn is lovely and the knitting is peaceful. It is nice to be knitting on a project where the rows remain the same length. It's also a good project for this season. My plan is to stay calm and knit on. 

I am in a bit of a reading slump but it will pass. I have picked up and put down several books. My library loan of Riviera Gold by Laurie King expired before I finished reading it. That probably says something about my enthusiasm for the book. It was ok but not the best of this series. Maybe I'll request it again and maybe I won't. Page-long dialogues where speakers alternated but were not identified except at the beginning of conversation annoyed me. I've been rereading several volumes of William Stafford's poetry and following along with the Craft-Lit podcast book, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. 

Ravelry Links 

Downpour Socks

Frosted Lily Hat

Poncho with a Cable

I am linking with Kat and the Unravelers on this autumn Wednesday and wishing you a beautiful October sky. 

Tender Thoughts

Each month, Honore' invites us to reflect on the word we chose in January. I chose tender. This week I completed this little quilt made from blocks sewed by a woman I never knew, a woman who taught in a one room school house and quietly lived her life. In 1930 she married and left teaching to raise a son and a daughter. I don't know for sure but I imagine once she married she could no longer teach school in rural Nebraska. I knew her daughter professionally at work but we were not close friends. She had no reason so share her mother's work with me other than she knew I enjoyed making quilts. When she gave the blocks to me, I hope I told her that I  understood the work her mother put into her handwork and organization of quilt patterns. This colleague befriended me with her gift.  

A long time ago I read this article describing a 2002 UCLA study about women and friendship. Through the wonder of the internet, I found it again. Researchers discovered that in addition to the "fight or flight" response to stress, women also release oxytocin. This hormone encourages women to tend children and gather with other women. When women engage in this "tend and befriend" response, studies suggest more ocytocin is released further countering stress. 

As I stitched the binding to the edges of the quilt, I thought about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her work on behalf of women. I thought about her remarkable intellect and her extraordinary but tender courage. When we tend and befriend each other, a world of possibility opens up. 

Welcome Fall

Autumn arrives gently - one falling leaf at a time. The sun sets earlier. The afternoon temperatures climb to the eighties but the mornings are cool. Early this morning, light fog hung over the back yards. Today the humidity is high with no rain in sight. Here in southeast Nebraska we have experienced some hazy skies caused by smoke from the fires in the western parts of the country. Never doubt that we are connected to each other, no matter the miles. 

On this Unraveled Wednesday, I continue to knit the Downpour Socks, enjoying the pattern and wondering how, even when I'm ticking off pattern rows, I need to start the heel at a different point in the pattern. It makes no difference to me but I do find it curious. 

When I get tired of the socks, I work on this shawl for my daughter. She requested a large warm blue shawl to wrap up in on cold days. I am always game to knit another shawl and it's great audiobook knitting. Sport weight yarn on size seven needles makes it a breeze to knit. It is good for those evenings when, like a protagonist in an English mystery, I'm ready for a cup of tea and a biscuit. 

Several years ago I tried to knit the Churchmouse Yarns and Teas Easy Folded Poncho but didn't have the right yarn and gave up. Last month my sister gave me a birthday gift certificate to Knit Paper Scissors, a local yarn shop. After a trip to browse, I decided to make the poncho. I returned home to ponder yarn choices and later returned for this lovely rich teal yarn, another shade of blue. Honestly I looked at a purple and a deep maroon but the shades weren't quite right. This one spoke to me. 

Recently CYT updated the pattern to include an option with a cabled edge. Never one to let specific instructions come between me and a project, I knit a fairly healthy swatch with a different cable. I added seed stitch to the edges to prevent rolling. I wanted to make sure the cable didn't pull on the fabric and also check gauge. I chose this project to carry me through the next weeks of electioneering. Sometimes a knitter needs a project requiring concentration and other times something more meditative. I'm thinking this will be the meditative variety. 

I ordered a used copy of Three Guineas by Virginia Woolf. This is a sequel of sorts to A Room of One's Own. Although it is dated (1938), the way Woolf wove together her ideas about women, war, peace, and equality is fascinating. It's worth noting that English women won the right to vote during her lifetime. One law passed in 1918 and a second in 1928. When I need a break from Ms. Woolf, I pick up the new Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mystery, Riviera Gold by Laurie King. Sometimes lighter reading fare is a nice change and it was available from my library. 

So what about you this week? Are you looking for reading and/or a project requiring concentration or something more meditative?  I'm linking to Kat and the Unravelers this week and look forward to see what everyone is knitting. 

Ravelry links to projects

Downpour Socks

Winter Shawl

Poncho with a Cable