Perking Along

Hello on a damp drizzly morning. The view outside my window is dreary but a few daffodils near the basement door are up out of the ground. It is March and the Spring Equinox will be here soon. I look forward to the return of color in the landscape. 

The big news is we replaced my Grandmother's Corning Ware coffee pot. I don't think she used it often but we made up for that in the last forty years. The coffee maker was one of the first Corning Ware models with the little blue flowered pattern and a good sturdy handle. We loved the coffee. Other models with plastic handles were recalled and the company quit making coffee pots. This one had a good run. Several weeks ago, the cord and the plug-in area on the coffee pot (I don't know the correct terms) became unsafe. Reluctantly, we retired it. 

I read reviews and ordered a Black and Decker drip coffee maker with a thermal carafe. The unit shut off after brewing. Theoretically the carafe kept the coffee hot but avoided the burnt taste of cooking on a hot plate. However, the coffee cooled quickly and tasted terrible. The basket and reservoir were plastic and the coffee had a bitter chemical taste. I wondered if chemicals from the plastic were leaching into the coffee. Since life is too short for bad coffee, I did more research and ordered a Hamilton Beach electric percolator with stainless steel parts. The coffee tastes great to us. It works much the same as the good old Corning Ware. It also cost $10 less than the Black and Decker. Egad. Next week I'll write the story of our thirty year old clothes dryer. We seem to be wearing out around here. 

As usual, I'm linking with Kat and the Unravelers to post about making and reading.  I made progress on both the Misti Woodlands Shawl and the Spring Hitchhiker. I'm enjoying both pieces. The purple shawl has become a meditative knit as I slow down to make sure I'm catching both strands of yarn. I pick up the hitchhiker when I have a few minutes here and there or for some variety.

Just because I felt like it, I cast on a pair of socks. The pattern, Strawberry Milk, has a small easy eyelet pattern running down the side of the sock. It's barely visible in this yarn but it keeps me entertained. 

As for reading, I found The Master Butchers Singing Club excellent. Erdrich writes well and this novel is no exception. Humor is sprinkled throughout the story and beautifully written descriptions are the norm. Although Native Americans play a small role in the story, their actions are important. I'd say more but don't want to spoil the story. Currently I'm reading The Bingo Palace by Erdrich and Tales of a Journey Through Scotland, Walking, Spinning, and Knitting Socks by Debbie Zawinski, published by Schoolhouse Press. The photographs of rural Scotland and her trip are gorgeous. On her adventure, she collected bits of breed specific fiber left by sheep and then used a spinning stick to spin and ply yarn. She designed and knitted a pair of socks for each yarn. Patterns are included in the book. I will never take that kind of journey so reading about it in this beautiful book is the next best thing.  

Sometimes I get carried away with words so thank you for sticking with my stories. Until the next post, have a good few days and keep perking along. (I couldn't resist.)

Ravelry Links

Birthday Shawl

Spring Hitchhiker

Raspberry Cordial Socks

Live and Learn

Happy March 1. The sky is blue and the sun shines this morning. The high today is predicted to be 53 degrees. March comes in like a lamb. What about you? I do see a pesky snowflake in the forecast later next week but I'm ignoring it. Snow during the Nebraska High School State Basketball Tournaments (girls and boys) is often a given.  

Today is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and friends. The infamous gray sweater is finished. Even though it's a generic top-down raglan sweater, I learned new things about sweater knitting. Blocking did fix the ribbing-flip but the edges flared. It was too loose. Since I thought that might be the case, I knit the neckband and cuff ribbing with a size smaller needle. That worked well but the sleeves came out longer than I expected. Reminder: I need to check the row gauge before AND after washing. I will also block the next sweater before I finish the sleeves. This is the second time I've shortened sweater sleeves. I am also going to finish the neckline early in the project. As Kym reminded me, it affects the fit of a sweater. 

Anyway, I reknit the ribbing on the body. I shortened the sleeves and reknit that ribbing. The new-to-me Hiya Hiya Grandma's Stretchy Bind-off suggested by Mary and Kym worked well all seven times that I knit it. Ha! There is nothing like repetition to cement new learning in an old brain. After twice through with the video, I had the bind-off memorized. I don't know how much wear I'll get from the sweater this month but I do like it and will wear it next year. Sweater knitting is a process. 

I cast on this Hitchhiker from a skein of stash yarn. The tonal blush colorway is named Little Lamb. It looks like Spring to me. Pink always reminds me of my Grandmother, Grama Grama as my kids called her. This yarn is definitely Grama Grama pink. I plan to knit three rows of eyelets every ten teeth. They will mark progress and keep me going. 

Last night I worked on the shawl below. I cast it on in early January and set it aside to focus on the sweater. The mohair silk lace yarn was purchased with a birthday gift card from my sister so it has happy thoughts associated with it. I have long wanted to knit this design (Ravelry link) with this yarn. Although you can't see it in the photo, the garter stitch sections alternate with eyelet sections in stockinette. The shawl ends with a lace border that looks like leaves or trees. 

And for the record, I frogged the scrappy socks. The lime green color wasn't for me and I wasn't enjoying them. Why, when I have five perfectly good skeins of stash sock yarn, would I fuss around cutting and measuring that lime green yarn? I'm not ruling out scrappy socks as I knit a pair with autumn colors several years ago. They were fun to knit and are still nice to wear. 

Chapter's Book and Gift Shop in Seward was delightful. The owner carries a large selection of children's books, local authors, and some poetry. The fiction section was small with some recent releases and paperback novels about books, bookstores, librarians, and libraries. That's an interesting choice but having been in business since 2004, the owner knows her customers. I came home with a signed copy of Ted Kooser's Splitting an Order as it is one volume I've always wanted on my shelf. I also purchased Ada Limon's, The Hurting Kind and a paperback copy of Curious George Goes to the Bookstore.  

Jonah and Norah enjoy the three Curious George books I own. We have read them a million times and I'll keep reading as long as they want to listen. In this new story, George tries to help the bookstore owner by using new books to build a book tower display. What little one can't identify with that? I have a basket of picture books as well as a few on the coffee table. When they call "to read," I flip the camera to "show the choices." They choose and I read. They often fill in phrases for me. It's great fun.

I am reading The Lions of Fifth Avenue with my local book group this month and enjoying the history of this New York City public library. I have just begun the last book of the Erdrich read-along, The Bingo Palace. After several more contemporary stories, this older novel is a return to the characters in the Love Medicine series. Perhaps I've just grown up, but Erdrich's writing strikes me differently than it has in the past. Discussing the books with a group of readers has deepened my understanding of her work. 

Have you learned anything new this week?

Here's to March and the arrival of Spring - soon. 

Ravelry Links

Striped Pullover

Spring Hitchhiker

Birthday Shawl

It's Friday - TGIF

On this last Friday in February: 

I am thinking how the light snow that fell last night makes winter better. For a few hours, snow covers the faults of the landscape like the neighbor's political signs and the bare patch in our front yard. Snow outlines and emphasizes the structure of trees and reflects the beauty in the birds. With so little snow this winter,  I forgot how snow muffles the sound of traffic on the busy streets a few blocks away. I am also thinking how 30 minutes of yoga changes the way I feel.  I am a good sitter, a really good sitter. After a few household chores, I can easily curl up with books and knitting projects for several hours. The past few afternoons it's been too cold to walk so I've taken a yoga break. Afterwards, I feel so much better both physically and mentally.   

I am grateful for a warm house on this bitterly cold morning of five degrees with a feels like temperature below zero. I can't imagine living in places where power and warmth is an unpredictable luxury. I am grateful I am not allergic to wool and can wrap up in a sweater and a shawl. 

I am inspired by librarians who are passionate about their vocation in spite of all the efforts to ban books. If you want to read more, I suggest the weekly Book Club, a Washington Post Newsletter, by book editor Ron Charles. The newsletter is free. I can't get to all the articles linked in the newsletter (I don't subscribe to the Post) but there is a great deal available without a subscription. The newsletter contains all kinds of tidbits about the literary world. Charles is a witty, smart writer and fun to read. 

I have to dig a little deeper for fun. By the end of February, fun is in short supply. To remedy this, my husband and I are going to bundle up and drive to Seward, a small town thirty miles west of Lincoln. I want to visit, Chapters, an independent bookstore and gift shop. Although the inventory will be small, the bookstore is local to Ted Kooser and carries some of his books. I wonder if I'll happen onto any signed copies? My husband went to high school in Seward so he enjoys driving around his old haunts. Who knows, maybe we will throw caution to the wind and pick up coffees before hitting the road. You can't say, we don't know how to have a good time. ;-)

I wish you a good weekend.  

 

Snowman Gear

Hello gentle readers. Last Thursday nine inches of snow fell on our neighborhood. Other parts of the city had less but the moisture was most welcome. Saturday, under bright blue skies, the days began to warm to the forties and then low fifties by Monday and Tuesday. As I walked, I watched the snow melt and listened to the enthusiastic voices of birds. There was a little Spring in the air. Today the temperature dropped and the forecast is for wintry mix. Such is February that feels like March. A pair of white breasted nuthatches climbs up and down the birch on this gray day. They crack open safflower seeds by poking them into the bark and working away with their beaks. Four cardinals perch in the ornamental pear on the parkway. 

Here we are on Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and company. I finished this scarf from spindle spun BFL with a little bit of Falkland for interest and length. Knitting with handspun is a delight. The yarn has a little extra bounce and energy. The pattern was a perfect match for the variegated quality of the handspun. It's not a long long scarf but it is a nice addition to my "snowman" gear. 

Here's the snowman story. A few weeks ago I was out walking and met my neighbor walking his children home from school. The fifth grader told me I looked like a snowman. Evidently her teacher instructed the class to think and dress like a snowman. That is, they needed to wear hats, mittens, and scarves in order to go out for recess. I can just imagine the teacher doing everything in her power to get kids out for even a few minutes of fresh air. My colorful walking gear, including colorwork mittens, cowl, hat, striped scarf in mismatched colors reminded her of her teacher's request. Her Dad was slightly embarrassed but I just laughed and remarked "I like to be warm and I like to wear the things I knit." I always wondered if I was entertaining the neighborhood and now I know. 

The infamous gray sweater is drying on the blocking mat. It may require some tweaking. Time will tell. I cast on a child's hat to donate but decided it was too scratchy and ripped it out. In the meantime, I have very little on my needles so I looked through the "up next" stash bin and pulled out a bag of fingering weight leftovers. I cast on a pair of scrappy socks and am using the clasp-weft join to create stripes. I am ready for a smaller project. 

I'm listening to The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich.  This novel focuses on the culture of German immigrants in North Dakota. I chose this book because I finished The Night Watchman featuring a character modeled after one of Erdrich's grandfathers. Erdrich also has some German American heritage and I was curious to read her story about that culture. She narrates the audiobook so subtle nuances come through in her voice. I am enjoying it.

A Booklover's Guide To New York by Cleo Le-Tan is a reference/guidebook and was a birthday gift from my daughter. The book details literary points of interest, museums with literary connections, and independent bookstores in NYC. It is a beautiful book, illustrated with photos and drawings. Last time Kate and I were in NYC for a day, we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and then used the book to find a nearby independent bookstore, The Corner Bookstore. It is a delightful little bookshop. Even if you aren't visiting the city, the book is great armchair traveling. I've enjoyed dipping into it this winter. 

Here's hoping our days for snowman gear are waning. Next Wednesday will be March 1. Until then, I wish you a good week. 

Last Thursday morning

Ravelry Links

Scrappy Socks

Handspun Scarf - Ribbie Taiyo Scarf pattern

Knitting Along

I am a little late to this blog post. Today's gray cold morning brings out my hibernation instincts, "my inner bear" as a friend says. I slept later than I intended, completed the morning routine, and filled the bird feeders. After some beautiful days that almost felt like Spring, the temperature dropped and the birds are hungry. My local book group meets this evening and I am looking forward to discussing Rules of Civility with friends. 

I also look forward to Wednesdays with Kat and the Unravelers. Even though I knit only on projects I enjoy, most of my sweaters become a bit of a slog. I want to wear this sweater so I keep knitting. The good news is the first sleeve is finished and the second one is on the needles. The first sleeve was a little fiddly as I adjusted for length and circumference. If I count accurately, the second one should be smooth sailing. That bad news is the ribbing on the bottom wants to flip and the backs rides up when I try on the sweater. My plan is to finish the darn thing and wet block it to see how it fits with the neck ribbing and two sleeves. I may need to do something with the bottom of the sweater body but it seems like finishing it before deciding is the best path. I do want to be smarter than the sweater or the yarn. 

I have been spinning. I forgot to take a photo of this BFL/Silk fiber before I began but I have these little nests left to spin. I ordered two braids of the same colorway from Banshee Fiber Arts/Etsy. Before I began, I pulled them apart both vertically and horizontally in an effort to spread colors more evenly though two skeins. When the braids arrived, I wasn't sure I liked the colors but then as I spun the singles, I began to enjoy the soft colors. I removed a few bits of bright yellow from one braid that seemed out of place. I hope I don't have yarn that looks like mud when I'm finished. If I do, I've learned something more about color. 

As for reading, I am finished with the books I mentioned last week. I almost gave up on the audio version of Fight Night by Miriam Toews but listened to the end. Somewhere in the middle of the story, I found all the expletives a bit tedious. I'm sure Toews was painting a picture of a somewhat moody, rebellious teenager who lived in a nontraditional family. I don't mind that kind of language if it adds to the story or character development but at one point it seemed like overkill. Your opinion may be different from mine. The grandmother was an endearing character as she navigated the woes of old age and infirmity and the relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter was very sweet. I could just see the granddaughter rolling her eyes at her mother and grandmother. The author and perhaps her daughter read the book and did a nice job. I highly recommend The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. It is a beautifully written story of a group of Native Americans caught in a Congressional resolution affecting tribal rights in the 1950's. The story is one of hope, despair, and resilience. The characters are very human and perhaps even more so because Thomas, the night watchman, is based on Erdrich's grandfather and his attempts to combat injustice. The novel is another view of the 1950's that were not so halcyon for many people.  

Here we are mid-way though February with the hours of daylight increasing. Why is it the shortest month sometimes feels like the longest? Gray and cold as the days may be, the cardinals are brilliant red, the jays all kinds of frosty blues, and the chickadees crisp in their black and white. What's outside your window today? 

Home crafted votive candles from my Grandchildren

Bind-off Success

Hello on this bright February day. This week's high temperatures are near fifty degrees, warm for early February. A few bright days do lift the spirits. I ran errands yesterday and everyone seemed less grumpy. While walking on Monday, I heard a flock of geese fly overhead and looked up to the familiar V-shape. Likely they were urban wildfowl flying between ponds in the city but their voices remind me the Spring migrations will soon begin if they are not already underway. 

Let's get onto the knitting with Kat and the other Unravelers. I'm knitting away on the same projects but that is my way. This sweater might not be worn until next year, still slow and steady means a finish. Thank you for all the suggestions regarding bind-offs. I tried the Icelandic and the HiyaHiya Grandma's Stretchy Bind-off on the 3 x 1 rib and still had a sloppy mess. Over the weekend, I frogged the ribbing and reknit it in K1 P1 pattern. Then I tried the bind-off's again. Eventually I used the HiyaHiya Grandma's Stretchy Bind-off with good results. I considered the tubular bind-off or the Italian bind-off but thought maybe the texture in this yarn might affect the results. Thank goodness for my blogging friends and for video tutorials. Now I'm onto the first sleeve. 

After knitting all these years, I had an a-ha moment. The kind of ribbing affects the bind-off. Other factors also play into the finished look. I'm using a template pattern from Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters where no particular bind-off is suggested. I just opted for a 3 x 1 rib because I like the look of it and gave no thought to binding off. It's never too late to learn something new. 

I've also been working on the handspun scarf. I'm fantasy knitting new projects in my head but am working away at these two projects. After finishing socks, I cast on a child's hat so I have a small mindless project for spare moments. When I tossed the stash in January, I pulled together a bag of DK weight leftovers for hats, most likely to be donated. 

As for reading, I'm almost done with The Night Watchman and looking forward to the discussion of this novel with the Erdrich Along group. When I began, I wondered how the story lines would come together and of course they do. Erdrich accomplishes this with great skill. I'm skimming/rereading Rules of Civility as it is my local group's book selection for the month. It's certainly readable but Louise Erdrich's work is a hard act to follow. I'm listening to Fight Night by Miriam Toews. I love the relationship between the irreverent loving grandmother and the granddaughter who has been expelled from school for fighting with classmates. I find myself smiling, nodding, and laughing out loud at this story. It's also nice to listen or read a novel with strong women characters, including an elderly one. 

Wherever you are, I hope the sun shines down on you this week.  

(Sorry about the spacing in several paragraphs. It happens when I move photos around.)

Ravelry Links

Striped Pullover

Handpsun Scarf

February 1

Hello gentle readers. The sun is out after some very cold days. Today the amaryllis blooms begin to fade but yesterday they were absolutely glorious, especially as the afternoon sun traveled across the sky. I came in from walking to this moment of delight. The foliage is not variegated but the sun made it appear that way. 

Today is Wednesday so I link with Kat and other makers for Unraveled Wednesday. If ever there were cold days made for sweater knitting, these past four were the ones. Something about combining a bit of handspun with the tweedy texture of the commercial yarn hits the sweet spot for deep winter knitting. If you look closely, the stripe of handspun at the bottom of the sweater is visible in the photo. Last night I knit a three by one rib on the body with two rows of handspun at the bottom edge. When I started to bind off in handspun, the edge flared so I pulled out the few inches of binding and the two rows of handspun. Then I reknit the last few rows in the main color. By then it was 9:30 p.m. so I tucked the sweater back into the bag. The commercial yarn would look fine with a traditional bind off but I am looking for something with a polished finished look. Any suggestions? A tubular bind-off?  The Yarn Harlot once wrote she preferred not to knit with gray in January. I wondered if this dark gray would feel like a drag but it's been quite the opposite for me. The little bit of handspun keeps the knitting interesting. 

One of my favorite things on a late winter afternoon is to make a cup of tea and sit with some handwork as the sun goes down. Yesterday, with leftovers in the fridge for dinner, I made that cup of tea and knit the toe of this second sock. Often I knit to a podcast or audiobook but yesterday I just sat with the tea, knitting, and the sunset. I enjoyed the quiet. By the time I finished the toe, dusk had fallen and the room was getting dark.

I continue to read The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich and Poet Warrior by Jo Harjo. Although it is only by chance that I am reading these books at the same time, they pair together nicely. Both stories are heart breaking but also a testament to the strength and resilience of Native Peoples. Harjo wrote in her book she prefers to be called a Native Woman or a Native. Both books are lyrical and beautiful. I can't talk Norah into Chickadees At Night so I enjoy it. I love the last sentence, "We hear, little bird, your ancient song - wherever you are, is where you belong," in this picture book written by a former Elementary School Principal. 

I wish you bright moments in this first week of February.