TGIF - 6.7.24

Our Pollinator Garden with the neighbor's garden in the background 

Hello Gentle Readers, Honestly Wednesday morning was so lovely, I left the computer for a walk and then carried my coffee to the deck. As the old line of poetry goes, "What is so rare as a day in June?" We must enjoy every one and especially the sunny days with lower humidity. So here I am on Friday.

This week, I am thinking about summer reading and how readers' reactions to books can be so different. I recently decided that I am not going to read a book that has had lots of press. I read the beginning and didn't care for it. I read the first few chapters again, wondering what I had missed. Then I read Margaret Renkyl's reflections on Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (in the NYT's) and noticed how different they were from those of Camille T. Gungy's (Soil: A Black Mother's Garden) thoughts on the same book.  I respect both writers and their opinions. Both make valid points. Understanding and thinking about paradox is an interesting exercise. 

I am grateful for the rain and warm sunshine. This is the second year for my pollinator garden and it has begun to mature. I replaced a lavender and a blanket flower plant but the others are healthy. The blue salvia and the Husker Red Penstemon thrive. One variety of cosmos self- seeded in the corner of the vegetable plot. All of this growth and color makes me very happy and grateful for where I live. 

Cucumber hills, tomatoes, cosmos, zinnias and the compost barrel

I am inspired the kind words and messages I read in this online community. Kindness still exists in the world and it costs us so little to extend and receive it. 

Fun!  We have plans later in June to visit our daughter and family. All four of our grandchildren are playing baseball or T-ball. I have my travel sock yarn selected, plane tickets, sunscreen, visor, and sunglasses. I can't wait. They will just be getting out of school so all kinds of shenanigans are afoot. 

Norah, with pink accessories, a pink bat in her pink ballgame backpack

I hope you are finding joy in these early June days. If joy isn't possible, I wish you time to enjoy the June flowers and sunshine. 

May's End

Hello Gentle Readers. Here we are at the end of May with summer knocking on the door. Another storm blew through last week taking several large limbs from the Japanese Lilac Tree in our yard. The tree is in the middle of the backyard, away from the house so the limbs fell onto the yard. Lance cut up all the debris and I helped carry it up to the side of the house. Otherwise these May days are just right for morning coffee and evening stitching on the deck. The blue flax, penstemon, and blue salvia bloom in the pollinator garden. The tomatoes are planted, the cucumbers are up, and I have enough oregano to supply an Italian restaurant. 

I began writing this post yesterday on Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and friends. Life happened and so I will finish it today. A week or so ago I completed this hat. The background is a commercial yarn while the color work is from hand-spun Shetland. The yarns knit up nicely together and the hat fits and feels great.  

I've made some progress on this shawl, knit in another combination of hand-spun and some unknown skein of commercial yarn in the deep periwinkle. The solid periwinkle was in various sized balls so I used up smaller bits first, letting the yardage determine the number of rows. I've also increased the garter stitch ridges in between the eyelet rows. I'm playing with the pattern and enjoying the process.

I cast on a pair of ribbed socks. This yarn comes under the "what was I thinking when I bought this" category. It's rather pink. The colorway name, Red Buds and Cherry Blossoms, seemed appropriate for Spring knitting.

As for reading, I finished The Lost Flock by Jane Cooper. This nonfiction work is the author's late in life adventure of becoming a shepherdess of the rare Scottish Boreray sheep. Much of her story is fascinating. I admire Cooper and her husband for their tenacity and desire to shepherd the flock and the breed in a way that is respectful of land and animals. For me, some details of sheep genetics were dry reading but I do understand that she and her husband rescued the almost lost breed. This book records that process and includes interesting history about the use of wool and the breed.  

I am almost finished with Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden by Camille T. Dungy. This memoir speaks eloquently to our time. Dungy's work to create her Fort Collins garden is a metaphor for the value and necessity of honoring and creating diversity in our world. Her prose and a few poems scattered throughout the book are both beautifully written. Incidentally, the library copy I'm reading is printed on paper that has a slight feel of cloth. I don't know how else to describe it and I don't find any information about the paper in the book but it certainly adds to the pleasure of reading Dungy's writing. 

Here's to the blue skies of late Spring/early Summer. What are you planning to read this summer?

Ravelry Links

Juniper Hat

Curious Hand-Spun Shawl 

Red Buds and Cherry Blossom Socks

Two and a Half Quilt Blocks

Hello Gentle Readers. Stormy weather blows in and out of our area but the rain makes the outdoors lush and green. Now cooler days will follow some warm humid ones. May is a lovely month full of color, iris, columbine, daisies, and bird song. I did not attract a Baltimore Oriole to the oriole feeder this year but I did see one flitting around the neighborhood. 

Our son was here this past weekend to celebrate his friend's graduation and we enjoyed the time with him. Sunday night he and I prepared a salmon dinner. A thunderstorm kept us off the deck but he baked salmon with lemon slices and it was delicious. I made strawberry shortcake with a homemade biscuit and whipped cream. It was a lovely Spring meal even if the thunder rumbled. I will catch up with blog posts this week. 

Today for Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and friends, my making is a story of two and a half quilt blocks. In 2011, a former colleague gave me a small collection of quilt blocks made by her mother. During the summer of 2020, I made a little quilt from a few of those blocks and posted about it here. These two and a half quilt blocks are from the same group of blocks and scraps. I always thought they were sweet but could never find the right piece for them. 

As I watched a tutorial on cloth pouches by k3n Cloth Tales, I thought of these little blocks and decided to incorporate them into a small pouch. I backed a piece of unbleached muslin with a strip of white flannel. Embracing the characteristics of the cloth on hand, I let the selvedge edge of the flannel, fringe and all be part of the pouch. At first I lined up the blocks one on the cover, front, and back. As I pinned the half block to the cover, I knew the longest edge was wonky and never going to look straight so I placed it at an angle. I cut some diamond and triangle shapes from some scraps from the same woman. 

I appliquéd the raw edges of the quilt blocks with blanket stitch. Then I set about embellishing with bits of fabric and embroidery floss. 

I lined the pouch with a piece of fabric that was my Mom's. There is a small pocket attached to the lining. Raw edges along the outside edges didn't seem right to me, so I sewed the lining and muslin cover right sides together on the sewing machine. Then I turned the pouch right side out, hand-stitched the top edge of the lining down, catching the ribbon, and finally whipped stitched the pouch together. I would have preferred to make the tie from a  piece of red or navy ribbon but in the spirit of slow stitch, I used the cream ribbon because I had it on hand. 

As I worked, I thought about the two and a half blocks put in with the other pieces. Were they leftover from a larger piece that the quilter made? Did she try the pattern and not enjoy it? Did she run out of solid color fabrics to make the center stars? Did she reject these pieces because they weren't up to her standards of precision? I thought about this and more as I stitched. The shape of the star blocks suggests a pattern I know as Seven Sisters. Shapes can also be added to the sides to make a square block called Morning Star. Quilt patterns have numerous names depending upon the reference. The names here reflect my reference book,  Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. 

Something about warmer weather draws me to hand stitching. Stitching on this pouch reminded me of the generations of women, including a woman I never knew, grandmothers, and mothers who found and still find peace and joy in their stitches. 

What are you making these May days?

Home When the Flowers Bloom

Hello Gentle Readers. Mid May and the iris are in bloom. They remind me of a line written by my gentle grandfather from the western front in France. After the Armistice he looked forward to coming home. All the US service forces couldn't sail at one time and so he remained in France with a unit that helped build or rebuild a stadium outside of Paris. In the letters between November and his arrival home in May, he speculated about the date of his return, pushing it forward each time. On one of the last postcards he posted from France, he wrote to his mother, "I'll be home by the time the flowers bloom." 

These May days are glorious. We ate our dinner on the deck last night. Saturday, we planted the garden and arranged drip hoses. I planted lettuce seeds in a large pot. We covered the top with chicken wire and weighed it down with two pieces of wood. I hope this high tech arrangement keeps the critters out of the lettuce. It's growing. Last night a little hummingbird migrated through the backyard. We had a brief look before he was gone. We don't often see them here. 

Late in the morning as it may be, it is Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and friends. This week I frogged a red hat that was too big. My gauge was off. I loved the yarn and the pattern but I think a yarn with more color variation would be a better choice. I made some progress on the Juniper Hat. The color work is enjoyable. 

I cast on a shawl for comfort knitting. I'm combining this skein of hand-spun BFL Silk and an unknown skein of yarn from my stash. It feels like it is a Merino/Cashmere Blend. I can't remember where it came from but I must have tried to use it in a shawl as it is in various balls. The two yarns are working well together and it's another peaceful knit.  

I finished the Moon Phases table runner. I love the spell cast by hand stitching and quilting. I started with a hoop but then set it aside as it felt awkward. I quilted around each shape to make them stand out, added some random lines and swirls. I finished by quilting small stars around the moons. I'm not sure what I'll do with it but maybe one day I'll dress up the table for the two of us. It was a fun project. 

Some readers asked about the shortie socks so I am reporting back. I like the look of the shadow wrap heel but a standard heel flap and gusset is a better fit for my foot. The heel tab at the top of the cuff prevented the cuff from sliding down into my shoes. It makes a big difference for me. I plan to knit more with this modification. 

As for reading, I'm almost finished with The Girl with the Louding Voice. It's a hard story to read. I hope this brave spunky young girl gets the education for which she yearns. Nigeria is a hard place for many but especially girls and women who live in poverty. It's not all that pleasant for women with means. As a balance, I'm listening to a light mystery, Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon. Three generations of women, a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter are caught up in a mystery. The grandmother, a real estate tycoon with cancer, is a force and is not going to let her granddaughter be accused as a suspect. 

I hope May is bringing you flowers and sunshine. 

Ravelry Links

Juniper Hat

Curious Hand-spun Shawl 

Early May

Hello Gentle Readers. Monday evening another thunderstorm brought rain and a tornado watch with no actual funnel clouds. The ground in our yard is still damp and almost muddy in places and it's been a long time since that has happened. I wonder if the drought cycle is shifting toward more moisture. 

The early purple iris bloom while the hybrid stalks have buds. Irises always remind me of my Gram. She grew some beautiful ones in her yard. This week promises lovely May weather, sunshine and temperatures in the seventies. I hope to get my tomatoes planted toward the end of the week. 

Kat is back from her vacation and hosting Unraveled Wednesday. Thank you Kat for hosting this link-up. It feels good to be back in a more regular routine, including a post for Unraveled Wednesday. The Sophie Shawl is finished and she is a beauty. The piece didn't need blocking. I just wove in the ends and took a photo. Years ago when I first started knitting, I thought garter stitch was a little clunky but all of the beautiful shawl patterns changed my mind. 

I also finished the shorty socks, knitting one toe while we huddled in the basement during the last severe storm. As Elizabeth Zimmerman says, "knit on through any crisis." That was also the day of my oral surgery and I was glad I was home before the storm came through. What a day. I tried a shadow-wrap short row heel on these socks. It was fun to knit and looks great although I don't think it fits my foot as well as the heel flap and gusset. I'll wear them and decide. 

I cast on a hat combining commercial yarn for the background and some handspun shetland. The color combination is subtle but I like it and of course, it has a nice blue background. I'm going to have enough handspun for another project or projects. 

I've been stitching on a table runner that I showed awhile back. I finished the appliqué and embroidery and am now quilting it by hand. Here are a few photos of some of the stitching. I used a hoop for embroidery but gave it up for the quilting. 

I am reading The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré. The story takes place in Nigeria and is written in a dialect of the main character. I'm not sure how I feel about the use of dialect but I understand why the author chose to use it. At times, it adds a bit of humor to bleak circumstances and makes the voice and age of the main character feel more real. In spite of incredible hardship and cruelty she experiences, this young woman will not be silenced. She is courageous. 

I am rereading The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray because it is this month's selection by my local group. The novel follows Belle da Costa Greene, the private librarian of J.P. Morgan. She is instrumental in accumulating the manuscripts, books, and art that become the Morgan Library in NYC. No doubt the portrayal of power balance between an older wealthy man and a beautiful bright young woman and how she manages this will be a point of our discussion. To me, the most remarkable thing about the novel is the way the two authors worked together. Don't miss the authors' notes at the end of the hard copy. 

I'm going to drink the rest of my coffee on the deck and do my best to enjoy this beautiful May day. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and daughters who nurture others.  

Ravelry Links

Sophie Shawl

 Shorty Socks

Juniper Hat

TGIF 5.3.24

Hello Gentle Readers. It's Friday and a day for gratitude. The sun shines, the bright yellow goldfinches flit in and out of the neighbor's apple tree. A week ago a fierce storm brought funnel clouds and thunderstorms to our area. Thank you to those who sent messages asking after us. We had no damage as the tornadoes touched down on the north and east side of the county but others were not so fortunate.  

Today I am thinking about my garden beds. Some plants in the pollinator garden didn't make it through the winter. I am tickled that this Flax is blooming and thriving. I love the flowers and have tried to grow them from seed with no success. Last year, this plant came from a local nursery and it looks great. I am also going to change the layout of my tomatoes, cucumbers, and zinnias. 

I am mighty grateful for medical care I have received the last few weeks. Many in this country don't have access to such good care. Last Friday I had an oral surgery procedure and am recovering this week. The procedure went well and the pain has been manageable. I'm taking it easy as my mouth heals. Anne Cleeves' Vera Stanhope has kept me in easy reading when I felt like reading. I am also grateful for the less damaging rain that fell all of last weekend and into this week. 

I am inspired by the slow stitching of Katherine, k3n cloth tales on youtube. She's been good company this quiet rainy week.  I appreciate her emphasis on using materials on hand and on the meditative process of stitching. Her approach is thoughtful not messy and she is generous with her time and talent. I'd like to follow one of her tutorials to make a fabric pouch, incorporating some old quilt blocks, made by the mother of a former colleague.

Fun this week came in the form of a little Mother's Day gift from my daughter. She sent me this bit of garden whimsy to provide drinking water for the bees. This wooden platform supports tiny porcelain cups that hold water. They are fired to a high high temperature so they are light safe and won't fade. They also do not leach chemicals into the soil and contain zero plastics. They are available from www.bee-cups.com There is an internet business for everyone it seems. 

Take care readers and have a nice weekend. 

Windy Days

 

Hello Gentle Readers. Here, the unfolding Spring is marked by many windy days. I have no scientific documentation but this April seems like one of the windiest ever. Now and then we have a quiet day but more often the wind blows a gale. Dead branches and twigs are being cleared from the trees. This must be part of nature's spring cleaning. It should be so easy. Could we turn on a fan and magically dust the house? Just kidding.  

Sunday was a rare day of bright sunshine, temps in the high sixties, and no wind. Lance and I drove to a trailhead east of town and spent a few hours walking. The air was full of bird song and wild plums bloomed. Every now and then, I caught a hint of their fragrance. On our return to the parking area, we surprised a coiled bull snake sunning himself in the middle of the trail. He raised his head and gave a loud hiss. We got out of his way. It's surprising how fast two 70+ year olds can move when motivated.  

This Wednesday with Kat and the Unravelers finds me working on the same projects. I'm knitting on the Sophie Shawl. This weekend I learned to pay attention to catching the thin strand of mohair, especially on the i-cord edge. I took out an inch or so - twice to correct that mistake. Otherwise it's a sweet project. I've worked on the shortie sock in odd moments and decided to try ribbing around the instep to keep the sock in place inside my sneakers. 

I've done a bit of stitching on the table runner. I have no grand plan but am just playing with some free hand embroidery in the spirit of "slow stitching." Next time I'll try to take a close-up of some of the embroidery. 

I'm almost finished reading North Woods by Daniel Mason. The structure of the novel, twelve chapters each representing a month of the year, interspersed with poems, other articles, and artwork is interesting. The nature writing is elegant and Mason is quite witty. The novel reads like loosely connected short stories with some having more appeal than others.  As usual, I sometimes wish for more about a particular character or story. The house and the woods are the constant and sometimes more important than the human beings who come and go. I've enjoyed the book but I know reviews are mixed. 

This week I hope to finish cleaning up the garden beds. I'm going to try sowing salad green seeds in a large pot, covering it with some kind of mesh to keep out the critters. It's an experiment. Because readers asked, so far forks in the pansies have kept the squirrels out of the pots. They aren't fool proof but a bit of a deterrent. Last year, they jumped the forks.

Take good care in these last days of April.