Knitting in Place

Monday and Tuesday a little rain fell, perhaps half an inch. It's not enough to ease drought conditions but any moisture is welcome. The temperatures dropped out of the hundred degree range to the high eighties. Yesterday was cool and breezy and there is a hint of fall in the air. This morning a pair of chickadees are poking around in the birch. I hope they are eating a few of the insects that are biting me. 

Our eldest grandson has attended his first week of college classes. Here, public school started Monday. Last week while grocery shopping, I saw Moms and kids coming out of Famous Footwear with shoeboxes. The student in me has a yen for new pencils, yellow with pink erasers, notebook paper, and a pencil case to clip into a three ring notebook with the blue cloth cover. Does anyone else remember those notebooks?

Today is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and company. Knitting the beginning of this sleeve three times makes me feel like I'm knitting in place. Sometimes it happens. Generally I go up one needle size with the DPN's to knit sleeves. The first try left a noticeable difference in the size of stitches. So I ripped it out and knit with two sizes up which is working for gauge. At the same time, I need shorter sleeves than the pattern specifies so I calculated stitch and row gauges and worked out a different rate of decreases. I knit about six inches based on that Math and tried on the sweater. The sleeve was a little snug so I ripped it out again. This go around I followed the pattern for the first two decreases. At some point, I'll have to decide how to get down to cuff width in the remaining rows. 

I'm not happy with the line/crease that shows up on the sleeve where I put the stitches back on the needle. Believe it or not, it's better than the first time around. Now I wonder if the magic loop method would make a difference. Any thoughts? I'm sure changing needle sizes has something to do with it but I've not had the problem previously. I don't like to magic loop but I might have to give it a try. After I finish the first sleeve I'll block the sweater again and see if it comes out. Oy. It's a good thing I like knitting.

I'm reading Blackberry Winter: My Earlier Years by Margaret Mead. Awhile back I read Euphoria, historical fiction about Mead by Lily King. I also know of Margaret Mead in a general way so I decided to read this book. Mead's analysis of her family, relationships, and college years reflect her training as an anthropologist. I wondered if the writing would be dry but I'm finding it quite interesting. It is also a way to see her mind at work.

In other making, I'm harvesting a bumper crop of tomatoes. Saturday evening I picked this tray and pot of cherry tomatoes. Sunday, I made sauce and roasted Juliet tomatoes (a small Roma or a large grape tomato variety) to freeze. This afternoon I'll make more sauce and freeze chopped tomatoes. Come winter, they will be a taste of summer. Excuse the garden get-up. In order to avoid chiggers, mosquitoes, and spiders, I layer a short and long sleeved shirt and jeans when I'm reaching into the tomato jungle. I did take off the large floppy hat before we took the photo. 

May your chigger bites be few and your ripe tomatoes free from squirrel bites. I hope you have a good week. 

Ravelry Link

Forager Sweater     

Christmas in August

Another week in August with hot weather and only a spit of rain. Late Sunday afternoon, a front blew through and the temperature dropped into the 80's bringing a couple of nice summer days. Today we are back to hotter temperatures.  

My knitting hasn't seen much progress this week but I have exciting news. I bought a spinning wheel!

Once I thought I'd never spin fiber into yarn. I thought I didn't need another hobby with another set of supplies. However I admired the handspun yarn made by Kat, Sarah, and Eileen and followed spinning conversations in podcasts. Then the Covid Pandemic kept us close to home. One day when I couldn't plan trips to see my kids, I searched the internet for how-to videos on spindle spinning. I ordered a turkish spindle and BFL fiber from Webs and made some very clunky yarn that looked like rope. I ordered a book about spindle spinning. I discovered fine craftsmanship in handmade spindles. 

I enjoyed spinning singles but struggled with plying. Spindle plying has more than one drawback, not the least is that it takes an extraordinary amount of time to prep the singles. Keeping them from tangling while plying is hard. When you set a spindle in motion and release it, it gradually slows so spinning yarn with consistent twist is another challenge.  

I started reading about spinning wheels but wondered if I was too old to invest in a wheel. I'm seventy years old and realistically how much time do I left? Then my daughter quietly suggested, "I'd say your time is valuable."  She is very wise. Well yes, I am seventy and that is exactly why I should not be spending hours winding plying balls. (I can rationalize with the best.) I have always held that my time is valuable so I'm not sure why I didn't apply that to spinning. My shoulder joint is also worth preserving.

This spring and summer I took two lessons, read about wheels, and tried wheels by several different makers. Two weeks ago, my husband and I drove to Lawrence, Kansas and The Yarn Barn. I was in that shop during my graduate school days (1976 - 1977) in KU so it was rather fitting to return. They carry all kinds of wheels and willingly spent a good amount of time with me. I settled on a Lendstrom Double Treadle Wheel. We bought it late in the afternoon.  She's a beauty. 

I spun one batch of fiber on the wheel and threw it away. I know they say to keep it as a record but I have my first wheel spun yarn from earlier in the summer. Sunday I started on a commercial braid I bought in Lawrence. I'm working on the first bobbin and it's going well. I still enjoy spinning a single with a spindle but the ease of a wheel is wonderful.

I wanted to share my news, so even though this isn't my usual post, I'm linking with Kat and crew. As far as reading, we listened to the abridged version of Hamilton by Ron Chernow both on the Minnesota road trip and the much shorter drive to Lawrence. I rarely choose an abridged version but this one was thirteen hours instead of thirty. It was enough time to get the gist of Chernow's biography. It's interesting to me, that today's political issues are similar to  those during Hamilton's life. Perhaps the biggest difference is the men in power aren't settling grudges with duels. The biography is well researched and reflects a traditional historical view of the time of Hamilton's life. 

Take care. Keep cool and enjoy the making and reading. In case you need a reminder, your time is valuable.  

Hello August

August is a month of mixed feelings. The garden produce is reaching the crescendo I look forward to all winter but I don't like the extreme heat. Regardless, I canned two batches of pickles. Tomatoes now crowd the kitchen counter. Honestly, there is nothing like the flavor of a vine ripened tomato. Last week, I roasted and froze two batches of Juliet tomatoes, a variety that may be a cross between small grape and Roma varieties. Fresh and sliced, they make a good topping on a pizza and a tomato tart. Yesterday I froze the first batch of tomato sauce. Thank goodness for air conditioning. This morning's predicted rain went around us. The birds are fairly quiet this morning although bluejays visited the deck earlier this morning. I imagine they are conserving energy in this heat. 

Today is the mid-week gathering of Kat and the Unravelers where we share our knitting/making and a little of ourselves. I am making good progress on the Forager sweater. Over the weekend, I washed and blocked the sweater to check the length. Last night, I finished the ribbing and tried it on. It fits. I am slightly concerned about running out of yarn so I plan to bind off the body and knit the neckband. I have one small ball attached to the sweater plus three remaining skeins. After the neckband is finished, I'll divide the yarn and knit the sleeves. Three quarter length sleeves would be acceptable but longer would be better. Wish me luck on this low key game of yarn chicken. I have a contrast color I was going to work into the ribbing but the yarn released a lot of dye when washed. I used a mild dish detergent instead of wool wash as an indie dyer once told me that wool washes encourage bleeding. I have a few skeins of Quince and Co. yarn left in stash but I'm not ordering any more. This is a different base of Chickadee then I so enjoyed previously. If the change was advertised or discussed on their blog or website, I missed it. Your experience may differ from mine. 

I knit a little on this shawl while the sweater dried. When I last posted, the shawl had some stripes. I knit a little further, striping in the soft blue with the plum because I'd come to the end of the mauve color. The stripes weren't to my liking so I ripped them out and am going to knit the colors in blocks. As EZ wrote, "you are the boss of your knitting." The pattern calls for stripes but I have different yarn amounts so will knit it as colorblocks. 

The two little gray "turtles" of Romeldale/Suri Alpaca are ready for plying later today after a bone density scan and a mammogram. Maintenance, it's a pain in the tush, but important and necessary. I'm thankful I have access to the screenings and that I can get them done in one trip. 

I just finished listening to The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After and continue to think about Wamariya. She came of age under very difficult circumstances. One of her beliefs is that instead of the giving and taking aid, sharing would be a better paradigm. I wonder how reciprocity in help-giving relationships could be more widely implemented. I am almost finished with Ackerman's Cultivating Delight: A Natural History of My Garden. Ackerman's curiosity and knowledge about the science of gardening and plants is amazing. It's no surprise the book is organized by season. I have read a number of books organized this way and am beginning to think of them as a genre. I also ordered a used copy of Hand Spinning Techniques by Pam Austin and enjoying her viewpoint. As with knitting or perhaps any craft, there are as many nuances to spinning as there are spinners. Austin encourages spinners to try long draw spinning. She also used the phrase, "the gentle rhythms of spinning," which I love. 

The little stalk of white sweet peas at the back of this bouquet are volunteering in my strip of perennial flowers. They are a nice surprise this summer.

I hope you are enjoying the week. Happy Making and Reading. 

Ravelry Links

Forager Sweater 

Cosmic Girl Shawl

Summer Delights

A welcome rain fell last night. Today the sun shines on a humid day. As I walked my morning route, a gentleman told me he had a half-inch in his rain gauge. Sometimes I think I should walk somewhere else but then I would miss brief exchanges with familiar faces. We don't know each other's names but we wish each other good mornings and exchange a few words or just wave and smile. Eighteen months ago, one home experienced a fire that caused extensive damage. Last week one of the owners, a woman, was on the sidewalk after collecting her mail. I told her we'd been watching the progress of repairs and were glad they were back in their home. We chatted a few minutes about the rose bushes that line her sidewalk. These simple social courtesies make the world feel a little more civilized. 

This last Wednesday in July, I join Kat and the Unravelers to post about making and reading. These days I have more projects on the needles than usual. The little baby sweater is finished and sent on its way. I rarely knit newborn size but this one is bigger than I expected. Luckily, babies grow before we know it. It will fit eventually. The adult sweater I'm knitting needs four more inches of stockinette before I begin the ribbing. Last night I turned the heel on this first sock. Blue Lagoon is the name of the colorway, a delightful idea on a summer day. 

I cast on a shawl in my favorite shape. I had two half skeins and one partial skein left from a set I bought and used for another shawl project. Of course I didn't have enough for another shawl so I ordered a skein to go with the leftovers. This often happens. In an attempt to use leftover yarn, I buy more to go with it. It's no wonder the stash bins never empty. Do any of you do the same thing?

I am listening to the memoir, The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Well. The book is well written and the audio narrator does a good job. The story of a young girl and her sister as refugees during the Rwandan massacre and eventual immigration to the United States is not a feel good rags-to-riches story. Instead it's a hard story about the hell of war, the value of small kindnesses, and the strength of human spirit. Chapters alternate between Wamariya's time in Africa and what happens to her after arrival in Chicago. It's also the story of how one young woman makes sense of her experiences. The book would be eye-opening for anyone helping refugees arriving in a first-world country. It's worth reading.  

I am reading Cultivating Delight: A Natural History of my Garden by Diane Ackerman. I ordered a used copy and the cover jacket is very pretty. Ackerman writes nonfiction well, exploring ideas in depth. This is a book for the senses with beautiful descriptions of plants, trees, and critters. Written in 2001, some ideas seem a bit dated environmentally but it's a pleasant summer read. I've just begun. Kym wrote a post about her library, including her bookmark collection. In that spirit, I photographed the bookmark I'm using in this book. Given to me long ago by a good friend, the bookmark reads: "Fine friends, good books, hot chocolate . . . When one has these, one has a rich life."

My garden isn't nearly as spectacular as Ackerman's but last night I picked a little bouquet that delights me. The bread and butter pickles, made from our garden cucumbers, also delight me - or they will in the months to come. 

What delights are you finding this week?

Ravelry Links

Baby Sweater

Summer Socks

Cosmic Girl Shawl

 

Home Again

I did not write a post last week as we were with family in Minnesota. Each summer my sister and brother-in-law invite us to visit at their lake home in the northwoods. My brother and niece who live in Montana joined us. We enjoyed being together and enjoyed the area. My sister and I spent happy hours knitting and chatting on the screened in porch. I helped her make a batch of peach jam. We worked a jigsaw puzzle with my niece who is college bound this fall. A couple of afternoons I sat on the dock while my niece paddle-boarded or kayaked. We each experienced a few bittersweet moments as we remembered other visits with John, the brother who passed away last September. 

One afternoon my husband and I went into town. He browsed the big hardware store and read while I went to the Serenity Now Yarn and Alpaca Shop. The owner of the store and her husband also own an alpaca farm. The shop sells commercial yarn as well as fiber and yarn from their animals. They also sell spinning wheels. I had arranged to take a lesson on spinning. Esther spent two hours with me. I spun and plied this little ball of beginner yarn. The cream colored fiber is cormo and the soft brown is the owner's alpaca. She sells Kromski Spinning Wheels so I tried a Kromski Fantasia and a Kromski Sonata Wheel. One thing different from the lesson I took in March was time spent spinning with already spun yarn to get the feel of yarn/fiber going through my fingers and on to the wheel. Esther was very kind and patient. I throughly enjoyed the lesson and came away thinking I could eventually master spinning on a wheel. The spinning adventure continues. 

Today (and other Wednesdays) Kat greets her readers as "gentle unravelers." I love her greeting. The world benefits from gentle makers. At any rate, I am happy to be back, writing in this space. I didn't take many photos or read blogs while I was away. I'm slowly catching up and finding it takes me longer to rest from traveling than it used to. Oh - age. 

At any rate, our trip to Minnesota made for good knitting time. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't knit away the miles. I almost finished the baby sweater in Minnesota. I did knit the last few rows of the second sleeve after I got home. Somehow my count on the decorative stitches was off and after knitting those rows three times, I decided to sort that out at home. Now the sweater needs a spa treatment, ends woven in, and buttons but it will be ready before the intended recipient arrives in August. On the ride home, 525 miles, I worked on a new pair of socks.  

While away I read Garlic, Mint, and Sweet Basil by Jean-Claude Izzo, a little book of essays that I purchased at the Watermark Books and Cafe in Wichita, Kansas. We usually stop there on our Texas trips. This independent bookstore is a gem and I sometimes purchase a book I wouldn't find at Barnes and Noble. In this book, Izzo wrote about the cities around the Mediterranean Sea. The three very short pieces that make up the title were the best. I found his opinion that the cities around all sides of the Mediterranean should be viewed as one community and not separated into European, African, Middle East locations interesting. He wrote a little about the commonalities between the cities. Some of the book was a bit esoteric and not to my liking. The book was also translated from French which also changes a reading experience. 

I hope your making and reading is treating you well. I look forward to catching up with this blog community. 

Ravelry Links

Baby Sweater

Summer Socks

Tomato Growing Weather

Hot humid days and evenings arrive early this July. Evening temperatures stay in the mid-80's. My Granddad used to call hot days with very warm nights "tomato growing weather." Indeed my tomato patch is thriving. This is good because the basil is waiting. When we leave town, a neighbor and I trade watering chores. I also knit baby sweaters for her grandchildren. It's a fair trade and she tends a large garden so is knowledgeable about watering. I also use drip hoses which makes watering easier and more efficient. 

Today is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and company. I'm not sure how I came to be knitting two sweaters in the summer but here they are on my knitting needles. As the news unravels, I am glad I can knit. I am working away at a bin of very nice stash yarn. I bought the yarn for this sweater in the early days of the Pandemic. Remember those days? They feel like forever ago and just yesterday. Over the weekend, I put the sleeve stitches on waste yarn and knit another inch of the body. Then I tried it on for the moment of truth. Lo and behold the sweater fits so if I don't get too warm with a sweater in my lap, I have lots of round and round knitting ahead. I made this pattern a year ago in a different yarn and will have two completely different sweaters. 

I cast on a baby sweater for the soon-to-be granddaughter of my neighbor. I had yarn leftover from a cardigan I knit for Norah so I'm using it for this pattern. I have knit this little sweater in both fingering and sport weight. Since this is DK yarn, I'm knitting the newborn size knowing it will be bigger and hopefully fit the baby by the time she needs a sweater. She will be born in Minnesota so a heavier cozy sweater makes sense to me. 

I read a book leftover from our trip, The Lost Apothecary. The title was on the March 2022 Indie Next List. The story features three women from two different times, each at a crossroads in her life. I found the novel to be slightly below average. Some of the plot twists were unrealistic and read like a melodrama. My summer reading feels odd this year. The craziness of the world effects what I want to read, not too heavy but not too fluffy either. I have a stack of library holds that aren't yet available to me so maybe I'll read some tried and true authors. 

As we step into July, may your making keep you good company and your garden thrive.

Ravelry Links

Forager

Yoked Baby Sweater

It's a jungle out there - but a good one.

  

Travel Knitting and Reading

Where shall I begin this post? Late last Thursday, we returned from a wonderful week with my daughter and family. We celebrated the week with as much fun, laughter, and love as was possible. Our four active grandchildren shared their joy with us. After all the violence in the world, I just needed to put my arms around all of them. Mission accomplished - over and over. We attended baseball and T-ball games, cheered the three youngest in a one mile race, went to church, walked to and from school, threw beach balls to children bouncing on the trampoline, baked brownies, read stories, admired stuffed animals, and attended Emmett's Sailing On Ceremony. I know it's a cliche but its hard to believe he is off to middle school in the fall.  

As a belated Mother's Day gift, my daughter and I spent an afternoon in New York City. As unabashed women from Nebraska, we took selfies all afternoon. Why not be a tourist? The highlight of the afternoon was seeing Hamilton. The performance was excellent. How do those performers, perform the same roles over and over?  The time with Kate was wonderful. I told her we were tucking the spirit of my Mom in our pockets. Mom loved live performance and made the most of offerings in our area. Once or twice, I heard her wish she could attend a production in NYC but never did so. We arrived in the city a little early and walked a circuitous route to the theatre. My step-count was up the entire week in Connecticut. 

I have a bit of knitting so I will link with Kat and the Unravelers. My travel knitting, mostly done on the plane, was a pair of Vanilla Latte Socks out of Fibernymph Dye Works yarn. As you can imagine, the last thing I thought about was knitting identical stripes. In fact, I'm not sure it would be possible with Lisa's Pi colorways. Somewhere over the middle of the country, I knit a heel flap and turned a heel. The colorway is a little wild but socks are a good place for crazy color. This is the first time I've knit with Fibernymph yarn and I like the hand and the soft sturdy socks. The second sock needs a toe which I hope to finish this evening. As I reenter my usual routine, the socks are good knitting and will remind me of this trip. I like to spend a day or two after I come home recalling and savoring the days away. 

While away, I finished the book, Bird Cottage by Eva Meijer. I was disappointed in this novel based on the story of Len Howard, a British woman who was unconventional for her time. In fairness, the novel is translated from the Dutch, but, in my opinion, the story could have been much more richly imagined. The book was a description of the events of her life, as in this happened and then this and then this . . . and on to the end. Fiction leaves room for supposing what Howard was thinking as she went through her life. It wasn't the best nature story but I did finish it. I'm currently reading a Ruth Galloway mystery, The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths. Ruth and the cast of characters feel like old friends. This week I need something predictable and this book came up in my library holds. 

Where did the June days go? Be well and safe.