Unraveled, Week 18/2026

Wednesday again -- time to link up with Kat and the Unravelers!

Not that much progress has been made on either of my two WIPs, so I'll spare you another photo of a little bit of a sleeve and some ribbing. Instead, I present for your viewing pleasure the four pairs of Mother's Day socks, all washed and blocked:

I don't feel a need to block socks I knit for myself, but I like to do it for socks I'm giving as gifts, not least because it helps to get rid of the magic loop ridges. These will get wrapped up later this week, and who knows, they might even get worn right away because it's supposed to be a slightly chilly weekend!

In addition to a slower week of knitting for me, it's been a slower week of reading as well, though I think that's in large part due to the fact that one of the two books I finished was 700 pages.

I had heard about The Remembered Soldier from several friends who had read it after it was named to the International Booker Prize longlist. It follows the life of a Belgian man who had fought in WWI but had lost his memory and had been living in a psychiatric asylum until a woman shows up and identifies him as her husband, Amand. Though he has no memory of her, he returns home with her and learns about his life as Amand, a photographer and shopkeeper with his wife, Julianne, and two children. Over time, Amand and Julienne have to get to know each other and fall in love all over again, even as Amand struggles with the horrifying dreams of war and his uncertainty of what is real and what is not. Then he starts "disappearing" for longer and longer periods of time, during which he claims to be someone else -- a man married to someone else. What is real? What is dream or imagined? Are these disappearances caused by the trauma of war or glimpses of his real self? And can he not remember Julienne because he has truly lost his memory or because he never had the memories to begin with? This is a long book, and it's written almost entirely in run-on sentences that give it a sense of breathlessness, but it gives the reader a lot to think about and certainly raises some big questions about memory and its reliability. I gave it 4 stars.

Crooks was mentioned on a recent episode of the What Should I Read Next podcast and sounded like something fun and a little lighter, which I was in the mood for. It follows members of the Mercurio family, who come from a long line of criminals and thieves -- crooks, in other words. Each section of the book follows a different member of the family, starting with the father and then moving through his children, all of whom are involved in crime in some way. The exceptions are Alice, the smart one, who has known what her family is all along and has avoided it for most of her life, and Piggy, the baby, who feels like he's missing out. I had a little trouble staying focused on this book at the beginning, but the narrator does a great job of reading with appropriate emotion and made it more entertaining. I'd never heard of this book or this author before, and I can't say I'm eager to read more of his work, but this made me laugh, and that's what I wanted. I gave it 4 stars as well.

I'm currently in the home stretch of The Hakawati, am a little more than a third through Dominion, and just started a really interesting work of nonfiction on audio.

What are you making and reading this week?

May (not March) Weekending

It was a very strange weekend here, at least as far as the weather was concerned -- it felt much more like the first weekend in March rather than the first weekend in May! Saturday was particularly miserable. It was in the low 30s when I got up, didn't get much warmer than 50ºF, rained on and off, and even hailed at one point. Thank goodness my nephew's birthday party was inside! He was very excited by all his gifts (we got him a Spiderman bedding set for his "big boy" bed) and cake (well, cupcakes) was eaten. Ruthie and I curled up to read and knit and nap in the afternoon, and the Mister and I went out for dinner with a group that included family and family friends.

Yesterday started out even colder (33ºF) and may have well been the coldest temperature ever for the Pittsburgh Marathon. We didn't run, but the course comes right through our neighborhood in the middle of the race, so we always see and often cheer on the runners. At least the sun was out and warmed things up to about 60ºF. Still, it didn't feel much like May, especially considering that in years past, I would have been at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend. (Molly still wants to go at some point, but I think we'll have to wait until she's in college because her finals always fall around this time.)

Though it wasn't the best weekend for getting outdoors, I made the most of the time I was inside. I finished up my brother's hat -- I still need to block it, but because it's entirely 2x2 rib, there's no good way to show it to you other than through this awkward selfie:

I immediately cast on another one of these using the other skein of yarn that came in the grab bag, and I expect it'll be done very soon as well. I'll likely block them both at the same time and share photos and all the details when they're done.

Progress was made on my sweater as well -- the body is finished and the first sleeve is started!

Before I picked up for the sleeve, I also wove in all my ends (which wasn't that many, but I thought future me would thank me). I really like how the designer has you finish off the ribbing -- knit one round and then bind off knitwise. It gives a really polished edge:

We've got a fairly typical week ahead, with the one exception being a reception at Molly's school Tuesday evening because she's being inducted into the French National Honor Society. I have no idea if this is a big deal or not because it wasn't a thing when I was in high school, but we're proud of her nonetheless! This week will be all about preparation and studying for finals, which are next week; I don't know whether she'll be more or less stressed than usual, but I'm looking forward to her being done next Thursday. (After finals, her school does mini courses until the end of the year; her last day is May 29.) I'm also hoping that things warm up again -- I'd really like to put my winter coat away for good!

Have a good start to your week -- and May the Fourth be with you!

Feel Good Friday

I've been in a funk lately. I mean, the news is always horrible, so it's not surprising, but I'm not sure that's the only reason. I also wouldn't say that I'm feeling down or depressed, just kind of ... indifferent to everything. Nothing really excites me, every day feels the same, and it's all kind of a grind, y'know? I'm sure it'll pass eventually, but in the meantime I thought I'd focus on some good things to round out the week -- and I'd love it if you have some good things in your life you can share with me in the comments! So here are three good things this first day of May.

1. Today is my youngest nephew's third birthday.
Appropriately for the son of a labor lawyer, he was born on International Workers' Day. We will be celebrating with a Snoopy-themed party tomorrow. Kids at this age can be pretty fickle, so the last time I saw him, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and his answer was perfect: He wants CAKE. And cake there shall be (plus other gifts). I can't wait to hear what comes out of his mouth.

This was his reaction to the hibachi when we went out for dinner back in December.

2. I learned earlier this week that I'm a Canadian citizen.
According to a change that Canada made to its laws regarding citizenship by decent at the end of last year, I am eligible to claim Canadian citizen ship through my paternal grandmother (she was born in Toronto and never became a U.S. citizen after moving here). You can be a dual U.S./Canadian citizen, too. Now, this is good for reasons that I'm sure you can guess, but I've also always had an affinity for Canada and loved visiting there when I was growing up. I'm sure it's a process (and not a free one) to get documentation of citizenship and a passport, but I'm going to look into it.

3. Speaking of Canada, I learned they always sing "O Canada" before hockey games in Buffalo, even if the Sabres aren't playing a Canadian team.
Earlier this week, before a playoff game with the Boston Bruins, the anthem singer had to deal with a microphone malfunction that kept dropping the sound. Fortunately, the crowd was there to back her up. I'd encourage you to take a minute to listen to the story I heard on NPR.

Those are my feel good things for this week! We'll be eating cake tomorrow and cheering on the runners in the Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday. Hope you have a great weekend with lots of reasons to feel good!

National Poetry Month Lightning Round

Greetings, friends! I know you're not used to hearing from me on a Thursday, but it's the last day of National Poetry Month and I didn't want it to pass by entirely unnoticed. You may have noticed that I haven't shared any poetry this month, and that has been intentional. In preparation for this month, a group of us who regularly post to celebrate it were conferring about it in light of the realization that we were actually violating the copyright of the poets whose work we'd shared in past years. While we tried to come up with some creative and interesting ways of celebrating poetry without sharing poetry, we didn't come up with anything much -- at least until Kym came to the rescue earlier this month with a series of quick questions related to poetry and our enjoyment of it. I don't know that everyone will participate, but I thought it was a fun activity for an otherwise non-blog day.

This photo has nothing to do with poetry,
but I thought it was too pretty not to share.

When was the first time you remember being moved by a poem? Bonus points if you remember which poem.

When I was little, I had a beautiful illustrated version of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." To this day, it's still one of my favorites because of the feeling of calm and quiet that washes over me when I read it.

Favorite nursery rhyme?

I'd have to say "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" (technically a poem!) because we performed it in kindergarten -- I was the moon!

Favorite Mary Oliver poem? (Just one…)

I don't have one -- simply because I haven't read them all yet!

Song lyrics: Poetry? Or something else?

Definitely poetry!

Favorite Dr. Seuss book?

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish -- it's the first one I remember owning.

A poetry collection you’ve read recently? 

I'm ashamed to say I can't remember! I had intentions of reading several collections this month, but life got in the way. But I'm hoping to read through Billy Collins's Dog Show collection soon because I have a lovely signed copy that was sent to me as a gift.

When do find yourself reaching for poetry most often?

I find I need poetry most often when I'm in need of soothing or calming, but in my opinion, there's no bad time for poetry.

How do you keep track of poems you especially like?

Post-its, bookmarks, or folded-down corners of books

Favorite movie having to do with poetry?

Possession (the book wasn't bad, either!)

Which poem are you keeping in your pocket today?

Probably the next one I read!

Unraveled, Week 17/2026

It's Wednesday again -- and it's a wet one here. I'm not sure if I'll be able to run this morning (I dislike running in the rain, but I'll do it if it's not too heavy), but for sure I'll be walking with Ruthie later and making good use of my raincoat.

This Unraveled Wednesday finds me at a pretty exciting place in my sweater WIP: the ribbing at the bottom of the body!

Now, don't get too excited -- it's still fingering weight yarn that's now being knit in ribbing on a US 2.5/3 mm needle, so it's not like this is particularly quick knitting. But at least the body is nearly done, and though I know many people hate knitting sleeves, I don't mind them as much because they're smaller in circumference and get even smaller as the decreases are worked.

My reading has been keeping up a good pace thanks to audiobooks -- I'm listening to more this year than I ever have before! Here are the four books I finished this week:

Sweet Pea by Kit de Waal

4 stars

Paulette believes she's about to have everything she wants -- a life and family with the man she loves -- when that man is killed in a car crash. What's more, she finds out that he was married with children. Grieving for the love and imagined future she lost, she takes up with the dead lover's friend and ends up having a child with him. Though she doesn't love her son's father, motherhood transforms her, and she is determined to give her son the best life possible. In a twist of fate, she meets the man who was driving the car that killed her lover. When she discovers that he is raising his grandson (but doing a poor job of it because of his own struggles related to the accident), she steps in to help. In the years that follow, these two broken families' lives are intertwined, with the two boys, Bird and Nellie, growing up together and Paulette serving as a surrogate mother of sorts to Nellie. As in any family, of course, there are challenges and struggles. Both boys go through periods of rebellion, and Bird increasing spends time with his father and his new family, leaving Paulette alone. Paulette finds she still isn't over her dead love and struggles to forgive Nellie's grandfather, even as she pities him. And through it all she regularly finds herself alone, missing the grandmother who raised her in St. Kitts and grieving the life she thought she'd have. But Paulette eventually realizes that she's not truly alone; through her love and care, she has created her own family, strange though it may be. This is a beautiful novel about the power of found family, of forgiveness, and of the power of love. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. This book will be published November 3, 2026.

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

3 stars

As was the case with Boulley's two previous novels, this one draws attention to an important issue in the Indigenous community. This time, it's the treatment (or mistreatment) of Indigenous children in the foster care system and the disregard of the Indian Child Welfare Act. Lucy, the main character, ended up in the system after her mother left when she was an infant and her father died when she was a young teen. Though many people suspected she was at least partly Indigenous, her father had always denied it. After a couple of troubling foster placements, she's finally aged out of the system -- but she's not completely free of it because she's being followed because of something that happened at one of them (which we don't find out about until very close to the end of the book). A lawyer and his friend Daunis (a character from Boulley's debut) want to help her and reveal to her that her mother was in fact Indigenous, but she isn't ready to trust them. I thought the attention paid to ICWA and the foster care system were worthwhile, but I found the plot to be a bit unbelievable. I still think Firekeeper's Daughter is Boulley's best work.

Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin

4 stars
I was delighted to find this on Libby with no wait after hearing about it on last week's episode of the What Should I Read Next podcast. Eddie Winston is 90 years old and has never been kissed. He keeps busy by working in a charity shop, and his special talent is sorting through donations and finding items that he knows the donors will regret giving away and come back for. That's what happens when Bella, a 20-something woman grieving the death of her boyfriend, drops off a bag of his things; Eddie knows she'll be back for his shoes and notebook. The two of them begin having lunch together in the park and soon form a friendship, and when Bella learns about Eddie's failed romantic history, she decides she has to help him. But as she helps him set up an online dating profile and coaches him, she also learns that he fell in love many years ago with a married woman. Slowly that story is revealed and Eddie and Bella help each other to move on. This is a sweet, heartfelt book about grief, lost love, and found family, and it's lovely on audio with three British narrators.

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

4 stars

I enjoyed Eddie so much that I immediately borrowed Cronin's debut novel. Lenni is 17 years old and Margot is 83 when they meet in an Edinburgh hospital art therapy room, both of them facing terminal illnesses. They realize that together they have lived 100 years and set out to create 100 works of art, each one commemorating their favorite memory from each year of their lives. As they tell their stories to each other, we learn about their early years, their heartbreaks, and their most precious memories. Both of them are fairly alone in the world as they face death and they become each other's family. While it seems like this would be a sad novel, and in many ways it is, it's also inspiring and touching to see how a teenager and octogenarian support each other and provide the love they both need.

I'm still working my way through two long books and am getting caught up on some podcasts. What are you making and reading this week?

Weekending, Late April

Can you believe this is the last week of April? It's been such a strange month of weather; we've had to keep alternating between air conditioning and heat in a way I can't remember doing before. After several glorious days of sun to end last week, it was rainy for most of Saturday and then much cooler on Sunday, making for two days I was happy to be inside curled up next to a snoozing pup.

We truly didn't do much over the weekend, in part because it had been such a busy week. The Mister worked from home Thursday and Friday (his office is right near where the NFL Draft was happening, and he didn't want to deal with all that craziness). I picked Molly and her friend up early on Friday so they could go down to Point State Park and hand out flower seeds to visitors. Her friend's father picked them up and then we all went out to dinner. Molly was so worn out from the week that she fell asleep on top of her bed shortly after taking her shower, with her hair still up in a towel! We all stayed home pretty much all day on Saturday (I went for a walk and took Ruthie out, obviously), and we got takeout and had my in-laws over for dinner. Yesterday Molly worked, I did a Costco run, and we had a lazy afternoon. I may have taken a little snooze as well, as some-puppy decided to wake me up at 5:45 (but I wasn't too upset because I slept until almost 7 on Saturday!).

My big accomplishment of the weekend was finishing the last of the Mother's Day socks:

I essentially used my regular sock recipe for these, though upsized to 80 stitches rather than my usual 68. This sister-in-law has feet that are the same length as mine but at least an inch wider. Usually I make her ankle socks, but as this yarn was more of a light fingering, I though I'd make them a little taller. I'm hoping they fit!

Because those socks were my knitting for while Ruthie naps, I obviously needed to cast on something else right away, so I wound a skein of DK and started a hat for my brother:

This is one of the skeins that came in my recent Fibernymph Dye Works grab bag; the colorway is called Gnome Place Like Home. A gnome-themed color naturally made me think of my brother, so a hat for him it had to be. I'm using the Two by Two pattern (Ravelry link), which I've knit a couple of times before, and at this stage it's pretty mindless -- just 2x2 ribbing. I do that for something like 9 inches and then work decreases, so this should keep me occupied for a while.

This week things should be pretty normal: the Mister is in town, Molly has her last week of school with new content in her classes (next week they'll start reviewing for finals), and the city will resume normal operation now that the draft is over. The weather isn't looking so great -- cooler highs and lots of rain -- but I'll take that over sweating like it's the middle of summer. It's also the final week before commencement, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that we have no last-minute shenanigans to deal with! I hope it's a calm week for you as well.

Eye Candy Friday

Even though we started off the week with a return to near-freezing temperatures, it wasn't cold enough to stop our lilacs from blooming:

Wish you could smell them through the screen!

I hope April flowers are blooming in your neck of the woods. Happy weekend!